From Intended to Actual and Beyond: A Cross‐Disciplinary View of (Human Resource Management) Implementation

Despite increasing interest in human resource management (HRM) implementation as an explanation for the association between HRM and firm performance, considerable confusion remains about what implementation means. In order to develop conceptual definitions of HRM implementation and implementation effectiveness, this study builds on three different literatures outside the HRM field (strategy, innovation, and change management), which have addressed this topic extensively. As a result, implementation is characterized as a dynamic process, involving the interaction among multiple actors, starting with the adoption of a new practice and ending with its routinization. This is distinguished from implementation effectiveness as an outcome of that process. The study helps to achieve construct clarity, hence providing a more solid basis for future research and allowing for a better consolidation of findings. The authors also develop an agenda for further research by reviewing a number of theoretical and methodological approaches that have been used in implementation research across fields, including HRM. Overall, the study aims to establish implementation research as a highly relevant academic and practical quest not only in HRM, but also in other management literatures.     

As if subjects existed: analysing social discourses

Les discussions au sujet des méthodes littéraires en recherche sociale ont échoué jusqu'ici, à souligner les spécificites des manières sociales (en opposition à littéraires) de lire les textes ou en général, d'analyser les systémes de signifiants. Il n'existe pas de discours sociaux comme il en existe des littéraires, mais cet article argumente le fait qu'il y à des manières différentes de considérer la multiplicité des discours autour de nous. Alors que des modes littéraires de lecture cherchent à découvrir le fonctionnement interne des discours, l'analyse sociale est caractérisee par le probleme de la formation ou de la re-formation à la subjectivité sociale. On argumente le fait que le caractere politique de la subjectivité sociale donne un tour spécifique à la tâche de l'analyse du discours social et nous aide à choisir parmi une pléthore de techniques littéraires. En conséquence, déconstruction, science de la narration et analyse de tournures rhétoriques sont évaluées dans cette optique. Debates about literary methods in social research have thus far failed to highlight the specificities of social (as opposed to literary) ways of reading texts or, in general, analysing systems of signifiers. There are no social as opposed to literary discourses, but this article argues that there are different ways of considering the multiplicity of discourses around us. While literary modes of reading seek to uncover the internal workings of discourses, social analysis is characterized by a concern for the formation and re-formation of social subjectivity. It is argued that the practice-oriented character of social subjectivity gives a specific twist to the task of social discourse analysis, and helps us to choose among a potential plethora of literary techniques. Accordingly, deconstruction, narratology, and the analysis of rhetorical tropes are evaluated in this light.     

Voluntary improvements to social security in Spain: Current legal standards and jurisprudence

This article presents a general overview of "voluntary improvements" as one form of voluntary social provision within the Spanish social security system. To this end, the article analyses different forms of voluntary improvements from both a legal and a jurisprudential perspective. Particular attention is given to problems that are a major source of conflict. In line with employment practice, voluntary improvements are articulated through collective bargaining. Although intended to encourage private initiative in matters of social provision, such improvements are nonetheless guided by the social security system, not least as a means to control both funding and procedure.     

On Geometry and Scale of a Stochastic Chemostat

A chemostat is a fixed volume bioreactor in which micro–organisms are grown in a continuously renewed liquid medium. We propose a stochastic model for the evolution of the concentrations in the single species and single substrate case. It is obtained as a diffusion approximation of a pure jump Markov process, whose increments are comparable in mean with the deterministic model. A specific time scale, related to the noise intensity, is considered for each source of variation. The geometric structure of the problem, usable by identification procedures, is preserved both in the drift and diffusion term. We study the properties of this model by numerical experiments.     

Police training course for agents--entry into the profession and also into the distinction between men and women

An exploratory study was conducted about the initial training of the Public Security Police with the aim to understand the role of this initial training in the distinction between the work of men and women in the police force. This study is part of a broader study about the entry of women into typically male professions. After documental analysis and interviews to students, trainers and school board members, it was concluded that women face greater difficulties in the access to the profession. Moreover, female qualities like the capacity to dialogue are devalued. Nevertheless, women represent an important work tool for the police force. The stigma of physical strength was also encountered and identified in the previous study conducted with elements of the police force. This fact leads us to believe that these stereotypes usually associated with women are defended by elements of the institution.     

HIV seroprevalence and risk behaviors among clients attending a clinic for the homeless in Miami/Dade County,Florida, 1990–1996

In the early 1990s, HIV seroprevalence was highest at the Miami homeless clinic among 16 homeless sites participating in a nationwide sentinel survey. To examine dynamic seroprevalence patterns in Miami's homeless clients in relation to demographics and risk behaviors over six years, we analyzed data from an unlinked (blinded) serosurvey of clients attending the principal primary care clinic serving Miami's homeless. Data were from 3,797 medical encounters with homeless persons who, on their initial clinic visit within an annual survey period, received routine serologic testing and a risk behavior survey. Overall HIV seroprevalence was 15.9% and infection rates for men (16.4%) and women (14.5%) did not differ. Seroprevalence for blacks (19.9%) was significantly higher than for Hispanics (9.1%) or whites (8.3%) (p < 0.0001). Seroprevalence was 12.6% (35 times the national rate) for clients reporting heterosexual contact as their only risk. Significant increases in seroprevalence, above this heterosexual-contact-only 'baseline', were found for clients disclosing high-risk behaviors: male-to-male sex, drug injection, receiving or giving money/drugs for sex, and sexual contact with a drug injector or HIV-infected partner (p < 0.0001). Seroprevalence declined over six years from 23.2 to 7.2% (p < 0.0001). Significant downward trends were observed for men and women, blacks and Hispanics, men who have sex with men, and clients reporting heterosexual contact. The proportion of clients reporting high-risk behaviors decreased sharply (p < 0.0001). Elevated HIV seroprevalence in Miami's homeless clients was strongly associated with high-risk behaviors. Expansion of HIV prevention and HIV/drug treatment services for homeless persons is strongly recommended.     

HIV seroprevalence and risk behaviors among clients attending tuberculosis clinics in Miami-Dade County,Florida, 1989–1996

Miami-Dade County is a major HIV epicenter and a port of entry for immigrants from nations with high endemic rates of tuberculosis (TB). We analyzed data from an unlinked (blinded) serosurvey of clients attending four Miami TB clinics to elucidate the dynamic HIV seroprevalence patterns in relation to demographics and risk behaviors. Data were analyzed from 3,107 consecutive TB patients at four TB treatment clinics over eight years. Overall HIV seroprevalence was 23.6% with a significantly higher infection rate for men (26.6%) compared to women (17.3%) (p < 0.0001). In rank order, the HIV infection rates were 30.3% for black non-Hispanics, 24.7% for white non-Hispanics and 14.2% for Hispanics. U.S.-born clients had significantly higher HIV rates compared with foreign-born clients (32.4% vs. 18.5%, p < 0.0001). HIV rates declined over six years from (32.5% to 15.9%, p < 0.0001) with significant trends observed for men and women; and for blacks, whites and Hispanics. Seroprevalence was 15.7% for clients identifying heterosexual contact as their only risk. Highly significant increases in seroprevalence above this heterosexual-contact-only `baseline', were found for clients disclosing the following high-risk behaviors: male-to-male sex, drug injection, smoking crack cocaine, receiving or giving money/drugs for sex, and sexual contact with a drug injector or HIV-infected partner. While highly significant elevations in HIV seroprevalence were associated with each of these definitive risk behaviors, even the baseline HIV infection rate of 15.7% in heterosexual-contact-only clients was markedly higher than that of the general population. These findings underscore the need to obtain routine HIV serology on all TB patients.