The Limitations and Opportunities of Business Process Re-engineering in a Politicized Organizational Climate

This paper is concerned with the organizationalchange and project management issues raised by theimplementation of a business process re-engineering(BPR) approach in the politicized hospital context. This is a report of research in progress,focusing on the issues arising at the problem definitionand project planning stages of a BPR application in anoperating theaters department experiencing problems with scheduling and delays. The research designrelies on a case study approach, with the researcher asparticipant observer, as both an adviser to the projectteam and as field interviewer. The paper argues that an ambitious BPR agenda is compromised inat least two regards. First, the lack of precisionsurrounding the focus and methodology of BPR givespolitically motivated actors considerable influence with respect to defining terms of reference in wayswhich will shape potential outcomes in their favor.Second, the complexity and indeterminacy of the businessprocess or patient trail can also diluteredesign attempts. The principal limitations of theapproach thus concern the impracticality of embarking onrapid and radical change working from a blanksheet of paper with respect to organizational and job design. BPR, unlike other organizationdevelopment interventions, is not a contextsensitive approach. The role of project manageris critical in establishing a working balance betweenindividual, occupational, and organizational goals in a manner perceivedto be legitimate in the context. Effective BPR projectmanagement thus requires a combination of political andprocess analysis skills. The principal opportunities of BPR derive from its process orientation,which brings a fresh perspective to a traditionally andfunctionally fragmented organizational setting, andwhich presents a potentially valuable platform for anevolutionary approach to process improvement.     

Call My Bluff: Multiple Interpretations of an Organizational Process

This paper attempts to illustrate the value of interpreting organizational processes from a variety of perspectives. It demonstrates that this approach reflects the natural richness of organization and avoids the rather blinkered search for single-paradigm explanations. It does not seek to offer the answer, but rather some possible insights. By combining both actor and researcher frames, it sheds light upon a particular process of social interaction within an organization. Both the context, an NHS trust hospital, and the content, a significant change scenario, brings richness and relevance to the debate.
The paper outlines the macro and micro context before focusing on the interpretative methodological approach. The research involved collecting and analysing over thirty hours of taped, semi-structured interview discourse with senior and middle management and some junior staff. After describing the change initiative, an attempt at multi-skilling and the response of recipient actors to the proposals, the paper outlines three readings which seek to explain the events that occurred. The reader is invited to play the game 'Call my Bluff' and to choose the scenario that represents the most plausible explanation. The three interpretative frames employed are a managerial, a cultural and a political perspective. The paper concludes by raising some important issues in research, organizational change and the NHS.     

静水流深：百年中国蒙学读物研究回顾与展望

中国蒙学读物研究,是诠释传统蒙学思想、实现中华传统文化创造性转化和创新性发展的充分条件,也是探求中国教育学话语体系的重要过程和经验启示。20世纪以来,蒙学读物研究在我国获得长足发展,经历了三个发展阶段：批判基础上内容重构阶段、视角转换基础上价值重审阶段、回溯基础上现代转化阶段。研究主题历经蒙学读物内容适切性评价与审思、价值追问、流布与现代关联研究的变化;研究方法亦有经验归纳法、文献研究法、诠释学方法的主次变换;逐步构建了研究基本框架。研究成果日渐丰厚,但经过系统梳理、总结发现尚存一定程度的“失语”困境、研究方法层次意识和综合抽象深度不足的忧虑,因此,未来需要重点在推进蒙学读物本真诠释和学术话语连接研究、建构综合且有层次蒙学读物研究方法体系、提升研究者的传统文化涵养和学术研究素养三方面用力。     

试论继续教育对教师素质的现代转换

继续教育是我国为实现现代化尤其是教育现代化、人的现代化所进行的新型教育。本文从知识经济与教育现代化的背景上论述了继续教育对教师素质进行转换的必要性、基本内涵、基本内容以及转换的方向。     

Identifying and implementing pathways for organizational change – using the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families as a case example

Change within social work organizations is incessant. This has implications for senior managers and elected members who have to manage these changes. The Department of Health has introduced new guidance entitled the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families ( Department of Health 1999a ). The guidance is based on a number of principles that require an attitudinal shift in terms of assessing ways of safeguarding children and promoting their welfare. This paper describes strategic approaches to the effective introduction of the framework within social services departments and other child welfare organizations. Two models have been adapted from practice: the actual framework for assessing children and their families and the Protchaska and DiClementi model of change. These models complement each other. The adapted Assessment Framework provides a structure to assess the readiness of the organization for the implementation of the new framework. The model of change provides a schema for planning, implementing and reviewing the introduction and operation of the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families. Although the focus of the paper is the introduction of the new guidance , the models can be utilized by senior managers in any social care organization who are facilitating major changes in the organization.     

世界人口格局中的中国人口转变及其特点

20世纪 50年代以后的中国人口转变与西方传统人口转变有许多不同之处 ,具有自身的特点 ,即转变的迅速性、控制干预性、不彻底性、不稳定性、不平衡性。把握新时期稳定低生育水平的决定是将我国人口转变进行到底的重要措施和手段 ,是实现人口可持续发展的重要步骤     

浅议当前农村养老保障体系中的缺陷和问题

目前农村家庭养老矛盾重重 ,面临农村养老保障由家庭养老向社会养老逐渐过渡的问题。在统筹社会养老基金时 ,应考虑农村养老保障体制转换成本问题 ,应由集体经济和国家负担部分转换成本。家庭养老以精神激励为主 ,但也要实行有效的监督。社会养老基金统筹可采用浮动制的收费办法 ,以弥补保费收缴水平偏低的矛盾     

美国医疗保障制度的变迁及启示

现代意义上的医疗保障是工业社会转型的产物,它是由政府为社会成员的疾病医疗、健康关怀提供必要的保障,使民众能够积极应对疾病风险,防止因病致贫和因病返贫,促进社会和谐发展。因此,它在国家社会保障体系中始终占据极其重要的地位。作为世界上经济最为发达的国家,美国实行了以医疗保险为核心、具有自身独特性的医疗保障制度,这种制度在50多年的变迁过程中也产生了许多问题引起了美国历届政府持续而艰难的改革。他们的改革理念及改革措施也许能够对当前中国城乡医疗保障制度的建立健全提供一些有益的借鉴。     

Social perception of natural risks by local residents in developing countries—The example of the coastal area of Benin

Risk management and planning activities cannot be sustainably and efficiently implemented unless being based on a participative approach resulting from the problem consciousness and perception of the local inhabitants. This requires that the measures linked to problem perception and assessment by local stakeholders, above all by the population affected, are known. This investigation conducted in the flat Beninese coastal lagoon areas aims to assess the local inhabitants’ risk perception. The results are the following: (i) the stakeholders have group-specific ways of risk perception (according to ethnicity, social group, age); (ii) every risk management strategy should be based on the group-specific ways of risk perception and assessment; (iii) the acceptance of a given risk management strategy including interactive ways of participation can be advanced through education, dissemination of risk information as well as through communication between stakeholders.     

German family policy at the crossroads: analysing the impact of parental leave reform through simulation

Comparative studies of welfare reforms encounter two problems. First, the counterfactual problem is that in the real world schemes and their reforms do not coexist simultaneously and are hard to compare. Second, the contextual problem derives from the absence of comparable measures for change. Microsimulation helps to overcome these problems. It compares policy options – actual reforms or reform plans – simultaneously and provides a comparable measure: the disposable income of model families. This article uses a type–case approach to investigate recent reforms of the German parental leave benefit. Simulation makes those reforms comparable over time and across countries. Results show that the profile of the German scheme is changing from 'general family' towards 'dual-earner' support. Furthermore, the recent reforms make the German scheme converge towards the Swedish leave scheme. The recent reforms introduce a new concept of fairness and a focus on gender equality to German family policies.