Experiences with obstetric violence among healthcare professionals and students in Spain: A constructivist grounded theory study

BackgroundObstetric violence appears to be a worldwide concern and is defined as a type of gender-based violence perpetrated by health professionals. This violence undermines and harms women’s autonomy. In Spain, 38.3 % of women have identified themselves as victims of this type of violence.AimTo explore current information and knowledge about obstetric violence within the Spanish healthcare context, as well as to develop a theoretical model to explain the concept of obstetric violence, based on the experiences of healthcare professionals (midwives, registered nurses, gynaecologists and paediatricians) and nursing students.MethodsA constructivist grounded theory study was conducted at Jaume I University in Spain between May and July 2021, including concurrent data collection and interpretation through constant comparison analysis. An inductive analysis was carried out using the ATLAS.ti 9.0 software to organise and analyse the data.ResultsTwenty in-depth interviews were conducted, which revealed that healthcare professionals and students considered obstetric violence a violation of human rights and a serious public health issue. The interviews allowed them to describe certain characteristics and propose preventive strategies. Three main categories were identified from the data analysis: (i) characteristics of obstetric violence in the daily routine, (ii) defining the problem of obstetric violence and (iii) strategies for addressing obstetric violence. Participants identified obstetric violence as structural gender-based violence and emphasised the importance of understanding its characteristics. Our results indicate how participants’ experiences influence their process of connecting new information to prior knowledge, and they provide a connection to specific micro- and macro-level strategic plans.DiscussionDespite the lack of consensus, this study resonates with the established principles of women and childbirth care, but also generates a new theoretical model for healthcare students and professionals to identify and manage obstetric violence based on contextual factors. The term ‘obstetric violence’ offers a distinct contribution to the growing awareness of violence against women, helps to regulate it through national policy and legislation, and involves both structural and interpersonal gender-based abuse, rather than assigning blame only to care providers.ConclusionsObstetric violence is the most accurate term to describe disrespect and mistreatment as forms of interpersonal and structural violence that contribute to gender and social inequality, and the definition of this term contributes to the ongoing awareness of violence against women, which may help to regulate it through national policy and legislation.     

The Relationship between Procedural Rationality and Political Behavior in Strategic Decision Making

Despite the central place of rationality and political behavior in the decision-making literature, we know little about the relationship between these two dimensions. Can decisions be made using both rational and political methods, or must managers use one approach or the other? These questions were addressed in a study of 61 strategic decisions in 24 companies using a multiple-informant, structured interview protocol. Results indicate that procedural rationality and political behavior are independent dimensions of the strategic decision-making process. The implications of our findings for future strategic decision-making research are discussed.     

THE INDUCE VERSUS PURCHASE DECISION: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF INDUSTRIAL R&D*

With the recent slowdown in productivity growth within the economy, R&D has come under scrutiny as a policy target variable. If such targeting is to be effective, it must be realized that not all innovations employed within a firm are induced by the firm through its own R&D: many innovations are purchased through technological licensing or in the form of new capital equipment. Here, interfirm differences in this “make” versus “buy” strategy are analyzed within the context of the Utterback-Abernathy production process lifecycle. Our findings suggest that (1) alternative sources to a firm's R&D for stimulating innovation may prove a viable strategy for federal targeting and (2) extrapolating the Utterback-Abernathy model to an industry formulation has empirical validity.     

“南丁格尔纪念日”的引入:中华护理学会对护士形象的塑造

民国时期,南丁格尔纪念日被中华护理学会移植至近代中国,成为医界的一个重要节日。中华护理学会极力提倡南丁格尔纪念日,对医院、护士学校等开展纪念活动予以明确规约和指导,通过规定时间、空间布置、仪式安排等多手段塑造护士形象,通过演讲、戏剧、歌曲等多形式的应用,强化民众对南丁格尔的认同。中华护理学会宣传并推广南丁格尔纪念日,使其由抽象意义的舶来品转化为具有中国特色的具体纪念实践,而护士形象正是在南丁格尔纪念活动中得以逐渐确立。     

中国加入WTO的重点领域:农业及其补贴

以中国加入 WTO谈判为背景 ,结合中国的农业发展水平和农产品贸易状况以及WTO《农业协议》等有关协议 ,通过国际比较 ,分析了中国加入 WTO后对世界农业发展和农产品贸易可能产生的影响 ,并对与此有关的农业补贴问题和国有贸易公司改革问题进行了探讨。     

CORPORATE DISTINCTIVE COMPETENCE AND PERFORMANCE: EFFECTS OF PERCEIVED ENVIRONMENTAL UNCERTAINTY (PEU), SIZE,AND TECHNOLOGY

The relationships of specific distinctive competencies to performance were examined for firm size, type of production system, and level of perceived environmental uncertainty (PEU). The size and dominant production system used by a firm were found to have main moderating effects on those relationships although PEU by itself did not. However, PEU did interact with size and production system to moderate those relationships.