A Feminist Policy Analysis Framework

ABSTRACT

Most policy analysis models, both inside and outside of social work, approach policy in a gender-neutral manner. This fact belies the many ways our society is organized around gender, which is often regulated through policy. This article outlines a model for looking at policies through a gendered lens by framing a set of questions to be asked in a feminist policy analysis. The complexities and underlying issues inherent in such a model are discussed, as well as the model's implicit goals and values. The model provides an important framework for policy analysts and teaching students about policy.     

A Feminist Political Economic Critique of Women and Investment in the Popular Media

From a feminist political economic perspective, this paper examines the relationship between gender and investment in the popular media in three interrelating ways. First, a discourse analysis was used to examine eight popular books on investment for women published in the US. The popular financial literature asks women to solve the problems that they encounter in a patriarchal household by participating in the financial market. Second, Suze Orman was used as a case study to show the commodification process of financial information through the tactics brand differentiation, multi-platform delivery, and creation of niche markets. Third, the consumption of commodities is linked to that of production and distribution by revealing the relations between the gendered production and reproduction in the household, transnational corporations, and financial institutions.     

Leadership to Overcome Resistance to Change

Abstract

The thoughtful behavior analysis of organizational leadership and resistance to change by Goltz and Hietapelto (2002) inspired this follow-up article. Goltz and Hietapelto propose that organizational power is determined by the magnitude, frequency, and quantity of consequences under a person's control, and that people resist change when their consequence control is threatened. This presentation extends the Goltz and Hietapelto article by describing 14 distinctions between management and leadership, and offering 16 guidelines for effective leadership that involve more than consequence control. Thus, while managers obtain their influence by controlling other peoples' consequences, leaders go beyond consequence control to benefit the behaviors and attitudes of their colleagues and coworkers. The leadership guidelines are founded on behavioral research and are relevant and practical for any organizational employee, even those who have only minimal influence on the meaningful consequences of their own and others' work life.     

‘We’re Civil Servants’: The Status of Trauma-Informed Care in the Community

ABSTRACT

Trauma-informed care (TIC) in social service organizations means that the organizations operate with the understanding that everyone involved has possibly experienced trauma in their lifetime. This qualitative study examined local service organizations’ usage of the 5 main principles of TIC: safety, trustworthiness, collaboration, empowerment, and choice (as developed by Fallot & Harris, 2006). Ten focus groups (n = 69) and 6 individual interviews (n = 6) with employees from administration through management were interviewed such that almost all facets of each agency were represented. The participants were asked about their agencies’ policies and practices for utilizing the 5 principles of TIC. The results suggest that the vast majority of organizations in this study implemented many of the principles of TIC with clients, though they had not labeled their practices as “trauma-informed.” However, although clients were receiving TIC, some of the principles were neglected as they pertain to staff, such as choice and empowerment. The findings of this study suggest that agencies are unaware of the relevance of TIC as it relates to staff. It is recommended that future research examine whether the use of TIC in agencies prevents “burnout,” high turnover rates, and vicarious traumatization of staff.     

Response-Response Relationships in Organizational Behavior Management

Abstract

The issue of behavioral covariation has been a topic of interest to behavior analysts for many years. Many writers have used the term response generalization interchangeably with behavioral covariation. In this paper, we argue from the extant literature that the term “response generalization” should be used to describe only very specific occasions of behavioral covariation. In fact, we argue, response generalization is merely one of at least six types of behavioral covariation observed in organizational behavior management studies. After describing response generalization, the remaining five types of response-response relations we describe are: (1) physiological relations, (2) when target behaviors occasion related behaviors, (3) when target behaviors reinforce related behaviors, (4) when target and related behaviors are maintained by the same reinforcing stimulus, and (5) covariation through participation in verbal relations. We conclude by discussing the potential for additional research on this topic in the area of verbal relations.     

两部企业宪法蕴含的中国本土管理元素探析——基于鞍钢宪法和华为基本法的研究

鞍山钢铁公司和华为公司的发展和成功模式凝练而成的2部企业宪法分别成为计划经济时代和市场经济时代的经典企业管理纲领,它们根植于中国经济的土壤和中国的管理情境,其成功经验和管理模式具有可参照性、可移植性。结合2个公司的成长轨迹,深入分析企业宪法内容,可以发现其蕴含的3个主要的中国本土管理元素:整体平衡的管理哲学、"集体主义"的组织行为和英雄领袖的魅力型领导,每个本土管理元素又包含着更多具体的中国式管理理念和方法。     

Key success factors when implementing a green-manufacturing system

This study proposes a three-layer assessment model to evaluate the performance of a green-manufacturing system (GMS) and identify the key success factors of its real-world implementation. The top layer of the model includes three dimensions – green design, green-manufacturing process and green packaging. The second and third layers include ten strategic subjects and 74 assessment factors, respectively. The weights in each layer are collected via a questionnaire and calculated using the analytical network process (ANP). Based on the ANP, the five key success factors for implementing the GMS in a company are proportion of non-toxic materials, compliance with eco-ordinances, proportion of biodegradable materials, environmental pollution per product and extent of process pollution. The practicality of the proposed model is demonstrated by evaluating three companies that produce similar products and share similar business models. The proposed model provides a valuable reference for real-world implementation of the GMS.     

罗蕙锡与凌淑华小说的女性意识比较研究

罗蕙锡和凌淑华分别是20世纪20年代韩中两国颇具影响力的女作家及画家.她们通过小说表现了对封建思想和男权社会制度的批判,对自由恋爱和婚姻自主的追求,对女性独立的自我意识等共同的女性意识.但罗蕙锡着重从启蒙性质的女性主义立场出发暴露女性受到的社会压迫,而凌淑华则从进步的资产阶级知识分子立场出发,揭示了男权社会制度下资产阶级女性生活以及她们的病态和渴求.在创作手法上,她们分别以中国传统绘画的余白之美和写意手法及西方绘画中的光线和色彩搭配描绘环境和背景,使作品审美价值倍增.     

Eastern Sociological Society Presidential Address: Globalizing Gender Issues: Many Voices,Different Choices1

Why are the important gender inequality issues different in various countries around the world? This question is answered using a comparative perspective on extant research about gender inequalities in the regions of the world. Just as there is diversity among individual women, based on their intersecting axes of age, race, ethnicity, class, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, or other characteristics, I argue that there is diversity across countries in their gender inequalities based on intersecting axes of transnational, regional, cross‐cutting, and unique national issues that structure gendered or feminist concerns within any country. Global and regional dynamics are the interrelated foundations on which broad gender inequalities are built. Major transnational dynamics include neoliberal economics, migration, and violence, while regional patterns include nation building and gendered inequalities in education and property ownership. On the other hand, unique national trajectories and cross‐cutting themes, found in a few nations in each region, add much greater variation to those basic inequalities. Some of those cross‐cutting themes are problems generated by health status and health services, the relationship of religion to the state, and war or militarism.     

Turning Over Turnover

Abstract

Human service programs often have major problems ensuring that all direct-care staff positions are filled and keeping staff members after they are hired. Work schedules may have an effect on maintaining the longevity of staff. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a revised direct-care staff-scheduling system in community homes serving adults with developmental disabilities. The revised direct-care staffing system, which used shift-style schedules, was compared on a variety of measures to existing staffing systems and to a staffing model using married couples and adaptations of the Teaching-Family Model (called Family-Teaching homes). The revised staff-scheduling system was evaluated before and after its implementation and then compared to the Family-Teaching homes using direct-care employee measures of: (1) turnover; (2) position vacancies; (3) number of different employees paid within a pay period; (4) average hourly wages; (5) number of hours worked; (6) average cost for employees per person served; and (7) employee satisfaction. The various staffing approaches were also compared on measures of parent/legal guardian satisfaction and overall program quality. The revised staff-scheduling system was superior when compared to the previous staff-scheduling system on measures of turnover (43% less), vacancies (57% fewer), number of direct-care employees involved in the care of the persons served (13% fewer), and hourly wages (8% more). All of this was achieved without affecting staff-to-client ratios. While these changes were positive, the Family-Teaching homes were associated with significantly better direct-care staff stability and lower costs.