Managing by fact

Some organisations claim to have a "management-by-fact" culture, meaning that managerial decisions are based on data, rather than assumptions or opinions. Roland Caulcutt explains how an organisation can work towards this goal by using a simple graphical technique.     

The meaning of consumption

Three samples of subjects, varying in involvement in daily economic matters, were asked to rank order 32 activities according to whether each activity meant consumption. Spending activities were central in the meaning of consumption, but no major intersample difference could be obtained.Smallest Space Analysis showed that ‘expenditure vs non-expenditure’ and ‘necessity vs non-necessity’ were the most important dimensions along which people's thinking about consumption was organised. A third dimension, ‘stress vs non-stress’ had an uncertain dimensional interpretation and is only presented in a tentative way.Using Procrustean Individual Difference Scaling it was shown that the three samples did not differ in dimensional saliences, but a vector-weighting transformation indicated some structural differences in the activity space. Yet no systematic influence of the involvement in daily economics on the meaning of consumption has been found. Finally, a conceptual hierarchical model for the subjective meaning of consumption is proposed.     

Prevalence and correlates of interpersonal violence victimization in a junior enlisted Navy cohort

This study assesses the prevalence and correlates of interpersonal violence victimization in a cohort of 493 male and 220 female junior Navy personnel who participated in a cross-sectional follow-up study on health-related behaviors. Survey data were obtained during 2000 about past-year prevalence of physical violence and sexual victimization. Chi-square tests of independence and multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed to estimate prevalence rates and to assess correlates of interpersonal violence. No gender differences were found for rates of violence victimization (16.4%) or sexual victimization (4.5%). Significant correlates of interpersonal violence victimization among males were depression and tobacco use; among females, significant correlates were depression and frequent heavy drinking. Findings suggest that large numbers of young enlisted adults serving in the military may be victims of interpersonal violence.     

Simulation Technology: A Potential Tool for Social Work Education

After discussing the rationale and procedures by which a course in human sexuality was introduced the authors discuss some of the critical issues that developed during the teaching of the material. It was found that desensitizing became a major factor in integration of course content, and that graduate students needed time to discuss their own feelings about sexual issues. During the several times this course was taught, it became increasingly evident that students often diagnosed pathology based on their own attitudes toward specific sexual activities, and had to learn to use other criteria for more objective assessments.     

Review and Assessment of Poliovirus Immunity and Transmission: Synthesis of Knowledge Gaps and Identification of Research Needs

With the intensifying global efforts to eradicate wild polioviruses, policymakers face complex decisions related to achieving eradication and managing posteradication risks. These decisions and the expanding use of inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) trigger renewed interest in poliovirus immunity, particularly the role of mucosal immunity in the transmission of polioviruses. Sustained high population immunity to poliovirus transmission represents a key prerequisite to eradication, but poliovirus immunity and transmission remain poorly understood despite decades of studies. In April 2010, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention convened an international group of experts on poliovirus immunology and virology to review the literature relevant for modeling poliovirus transmission, develop a consensus about related uncertainties, and identify research needs. This article synthesizes the quantitative assessments and research needs identified during the process. Limitations in the evidence from oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) challenge studies and other relevant data led to differences in expert assessments, indicating the need for additional data, particularly in several priority areas for research: (1) the ability of IPV‐induced immunity to prevent or reduce excretion and affect transmission, (2) the impact of waning immunity on the probability and extent of poliovirus excretion, (3) the relationship between the concentration of poliovirus excreted and infectiousness to others in different settings, and (4) the relative role of fecal‐oral versus oropharyngeal transmission. This assessment of current knowledge supports the immediate conduct of additional studies to address the gaps.     

Return to work: A comparison of two cognitive behavioural interventions in cases of work-related psychological complaints among the self-employed

Abstract

We investigated the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and a combined intervention of workplace- and individual-focused techniques among self-employed people on sick leave owing to work-related psychological complaints (such as anxiety, depression, and burnout). Both interventions were based on CBT; however, one was conducted by psychotherapists and involved extensive CBT, while the other was delivered by “labour experts” and consisted of a brief CBT-derived intervention combined with both individual-focused and workplace interventions. One hundred and twenty-two self-employed people who had applied for sickness benefit from an insurance company enrolled in a randomized controlled design. These individuals were assessed before the intervention and then at 4 months and 10 months after the onset of the intervention. The outcome was assessed based on duration of sick leave until partial and full return to work and on psychological complaints. Significant effects on partial and full return were found in favour of the combined intervention: partial return occurred 17 and 30 days earlier in this group than in the CBT group and the control group, respectively. For full return to work, the difference was approximately 200 days. A decrease in psychological complaints was present in each condition but we found no significant interaction effects. The results suggest that work resumption should be addressed earlier in individuals receiving CBT. This insight is of value for the (scarce) literature concerning interventions for individuals who are on sick leave owing to work-related psychological complaints.