Emerging organizational forms: Work and organization in the 21st century

This article begins with the premise that there is continuous and accelerating change in the Western World in the nature of work and how it is organized. An important contributory force is information technology — itself changing rapidly.When the dynamics of the external environment of organizations are added to changes in IT, we will see new forms of organizations evolving in the business world, such as the ‘starburst’ and ‘internal market’ structures.Michael Scott Morton supplies a diagram to illustrate the framework of research which the ‘1990s’ program at MIT is following — how to balance the dynamic tension between external forces and the internal dimensions of organizations to reward shareholders adequately. He refers to one of Peter Senge's ideas in The Fifth Dimension which is central in creating an organization which learns how to innovate constantly: System Thinking — the search for systemic patterns. It reinforces Scott Morton's argument, and seems a particularly appropriate discipline in a continuously turbulent business environment.     

Future of European human resource management: A contingent approach

The ability to cope with an increasingly open European Market, enhanced mobility between nation states and the threat of competition from the Far East will be highly prized organisational skills in the third millenium. Many commentators have argued that ‘Europeanisation’ (broadly defined) is an irreversible process and companies will have to cope proactively with this or perish. However, in this article we argue that many of these predictions are based on an uncritical acceptance of the ‘internationalisation’ thesis, and on subjective assessments of possible future trends — rather than on sound empirical research within strong theoretical frameworks. Accordingly, this article takes a critical look at some widely-held assumptions about internationalisation, Europeanisation and the (potential) development of European Human Resource Management (EHRM). It then goes on to suggest a framework of research which will be more able to capture future developments in EHRM and thereby facilitate more robust exchanges on strategic HRM with those companies operating in a European setting.     

Do poor people have a stronger relationship between income and mortality than the rich? Implications of panel data for health-health analysis

Articles developing health-health analysis have used the observation that richer people tend to face reduced mortality risk to estimate the break-even cost per life saved of health regulations. If government requires that the private sector spend more than this break-even cutoff, the risk of dying due to reduced health investment is increased by more than it will be reduced by the direct action of the health regulation. We use panel data to suggest that the relationship between income and the probability of death is greater for poor people than for the rich. As a consequence, break-even cutoffs are roughly twice as large for the richest 20% of the population than they are for the poorest 20%. The nonlinearity in the income-to-mortality linkage also implies that income transfers between income groups which are ignored in traditional cost-benefit analysis will affect the conclusions of health-health analysis significantly.     

Diagnosing and treating testosterone deficiency in different parts of the world. Results from global market research

Aim. This study analysed variations between different regions of the world in diagnosing and treating testosterone (T) deficiency.

Methods. Physicians were interviewed in Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom, in Brazil, in Saudi Arabia and South Korea. Items in the survey: 1) reasons/motivation to use or not to use T; 2) what category of patients would not receive T on the basis of these concerns; 3) concerns about prostate pathology in the decision not to provide T treatment; 4) phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors are efficacious, but T treatment makes a comeback.

Results. Between 5% and 10% of consulting patients suffered from T deficiency. The fear to induce prostate cancer appeared very powerful. About 68% of physicians associate the use of T more with risks than benefits, more so in Europe than elsewhere. As a result about 35% of hypogonadal men do not receive treatment. The PDE-5 inhibitors are very prominent in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Of patients suffering from erectile dysfunction, 18% to 29% have T deficiency which is not always diagnosed and treated.

Conclusion. World-wide physicians require more education on diagnosing T deficiency, on the role of T in erectile dysfunction and the relative safety of testosterone treatment.     

Introduction

The present study investigates whether hypothesized cognitive mechanisms of change mediate the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) delivered online for treating depression and anxiety disorders. Articles were included by searching MEDLINE, PsychInfo and PsychArticles databases from January 1980 to March 2011. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (a) randomized clinical trials investigating the role of CBT delivered online, (b) patient sample had clinical or subclinical intensity emotional problems, (c) at least one measure of cognitions was included, (d) the inclusion of a control group, and (e) sufficient data provided to allow calculation of effect sizes. Eleven articles were selected. Results revealed a moderate overall effect size of CBT (d = .67, P < .05) on the combined cognitive and emotional outcomes. A positive impact of online CBT on cognitive factors (d = .69, P < .05) and emotional outcomes (d = .63, P < .05) was independently demonstrated. In conclusion, cognitive-behavioral therapy delivered online can be used as an efficacious treatment for patients with emotional disorders. Assuming causal effects, the data indicate that cognitive factors are an important mechanism of change in online CBT. Future online CBT focusing on changing cognitions are likely to be efficacious.     

Working with Women Associated with Bikie Gangs: Practice Dilemmas

Abstract

Much has been written about bikie gangs, but there is little about the women and children who are part of gang life. The present paper describes domestic violence agency social workers’ ethical practice dilemmas when assisting women who have left bikie gangs to search for a new, safer lifestyle away from the gang culture of drug use and violence, in particular sexual violence. The paper concludes with a discussion of the ethical processes and issues in resolving such practice dilemmas.     

Contested Concepts in Violence Against Women: ‘Intimate’, ‘Domestic’ or ‘Torture’?

Abstract

Ritualistic, overwhelmingly violent bikie gang or cult-inflicted abuse of women, entrenched by co-opting third party cult or gang members, has been referred to as ‘domestic violence’, ‘intimate violence’ or ‘intimate partner violence’. The present article questions the aptitude of these terms to convey the realities of this violence, in light of the experiences of women attending a South Australian domestic violence service, all of whom were escaping violent partners who were members or associates of bikie gangs and cults. The paper asks, ‘is torture an appropriate term for such violence?’ and discusses the impact of social, legal, organisational and human rights parallel states that collaborate to make it almost impossible for these women to escape this violence and make it difficult for social workers to work effectively with them. The paper concludes that the State needs to adopt a human rights rather than legal focus when addressing the issue of violence against women.