River pilots for time`s flow: identifying factors to guide on-line distance education students in the use of their learning time

This research draws on recent studies of student time perception and use.
Case studies are used contrast the time use experiences of tertiary distance
education (on-line) students with tertiary students studying in traditional faceto-face classes with an online component. Previous studies and experience highlight a mismatch between the measurable and hence ”real” amount of time students spend at their computer and online, with the perceived” (and resented) time spent in online learning. This study uses investigates the recognition and application of factors affecting student perception of time spent in studying and learning online. It also compares the effectiveness of these factors when applied to distance education based wholly online classes, and face-to-face classes with an online component.
Some of the factors were measurably successful in reducing students’
perceptions of time “wasted” online, while others produced considerable
insight into face-to-face students perceptions of time used in study. The
factors included much greater focus on the person who was a student and
their expectations and time/life experiences while learning; the support and
use of alternative technologies such as mobile phones as learning and
communication too; a higher level of administrative and academic technical
support for the students; convergence of delivery methods; and strategic
involvement of teaching staff in design and delivery of learner management
systems.

Clinical risk management and the ethics of open disclosure : part 1 : benefits and risks to patient safety

Patient safety experts and other authorities have strongly postulated the open disclosure of errors and adverse events to patients as an essential component of effective clinical risk management in health care. Commentators also contend that ‘when things go wrong’, openly disclosing such events to the patient and his or her nominated support person is simply ‘the right thing to do’. Despite the obvious importance of the issue of open disclosure and its possible implications for the nursing profession, it has not been comprehensively addressed in the nursing literature. A key aim of this article (the first of a two-part discussion) is to contribute to the positive project of redressing this oversight by providing a brief overview of what open disclosure is and what its intended purpose, aims, and rationale are. Consideration is also given to the risks and benefits of open disclosure as a public policy and whether it will succeed in achieving the anticipated outcomes envisaged. In a second article (to be presented as Part II), the ethics of open disclosure and its possible implications for the nursing profession are explored.

Investigation of telomere lengths measurement by quantitative real-time PCR to predict age

Currently DNA profiling methods only compare a suspect’s DNA with DNA left at the crime scene. When there is no suspect, it would be useful for the police to be able to predict what the person of interest looks like by analysing the DNA left behind in a crime scene. Determination of the age of the suspect is an important factor in creating an identikit. Human somatic cells gradually lose telomeric repeats with age. This study investigated if one could use a correlation between telomere length and age, to predict the age of an individual from their DNA. Telomere length, in buccal cells, of 167 individuals aged between 1 and 96 years old was measured using real-time quantitative PCR. Telomere length decreased with age (r = −0.185, P < 0.05) and the age of an individual could be roughly determined by the following formula: (age = relative telomere length −1.5/−0.005). The regression (R2) value between telomere length and age was not, vert, similar0.04, which is too low to be use for forensics. The causes for the presence of large variation in telomere lengths in the population were further investigated. The age prediction accuracies were low even after dividing samples into non-related Caucasians, males and females (5%, 9% and 1%, respectively). Mean telomere lengths of eight age groups representing each decade of life showed non-linear decrease in telomere length with age. There were variations in telomere lengths even among similarly aged individuals aged 26 years old (n = 10) and age 54 years old (n = 9). Therefore, telomere length measurement by real-time quantitative PCR cannot be used to predict age of a person, due to the presence of large inter-individual variations in telomere lengths.

People, places and policies – trying to account for health inequalities in impoverished neighbourhoods

Objective : We consider associations between individual, household and area-level characteristics and self-reported health.
Method : Data is taken from baseline surveys undertaken in 13 socio-economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Victoria (n=3,944). The neighbourhoods are sites undergoing Neighbourhood Renewal (NR), a State government initiative redressing place-based disadvantage.
Analysis :This focused on the relationship between area and compositional factors and self-reported health. Area was coded into three categories; LGA, NR residents living in public housing (NRPU) and NR residents who lived in private housing (NRPR). Compositional factors included age, gender, marital status, identifying as a person with a disability, level of education, unemployment and receipt of pensions/benefits.
Results : There was a gradient in socio-economic disadvantage on all measures. People living in NR public housing were more disadvantaged than people living in NR private housing who, in turn, were more disadvantaged than people in the same LGA. NR public housing residents reported the worst health status and LGA residents reported the best.
Conclusions : Associations between compositional characteristics of disability, educational achievement and unemployment income and poorer self-reported health were shown. They suggested that area characteristics, with housing policies, may be contributing to differences in self-reported health at the neighbourhood level.
Implications : The clustering of socio-economic disadvantage and health outcomes requires the integration of health and social support interventions that address the circumstances of people and places.

Procedural justice and affect intensity : understanding reactions to regulatory authorities

Why is it that some people respond in a more negative way to procedural injustice than do others, and why is it that some people go on to defy authority while others in the same situation do not? Personality theorists suggest that the psychological effect of a situation depends on how a person interprets the situation and that such differences in interpretation can vary as a function of individual difference factors. For example, affect intensity—one’s predisposition to react more or less emotionally to an event—is one such individual difference factor that has been shown to influence people’s reactions to events. Cross-sectional survey data collected from (a) 652 tax offenders who have been through a serious law enforcement experience (Study 1), and (b) 672 citizens with recent personal contact with a police officer (Study 2), showed that individual differences in ‘affect intensity’ moderate the effect of procedural justice on both affective reactions and compliance behavior. Specifically, perceptions of procedural justice had a greater effect in reducing anger and reports of non-compliance among those lower in affect intensity than those higher in affect intensity. Both methodological and theoretical explanations are offered to explain the results, including the suggestion that emotions of shame may play a role in the observed interaction.

How farmers learn : different approaches to change

This paper presents findings of an Australian study that investigated how farm- management teams go about learning to manage their businesses, including how they learn in order to make strategic and tactical changes. The Australian farming context is one of increasing complexity and risk that demands greater sophistication and professionalism in farm management. Learning is related to increased capacity to manage successful change. Farm-management teams employ four different learning patterns when making changes to their management and marketing practices. Learning patterns are termed local focussed, people focussed, outward looking and extensive networking. These patterns appear to be related to ongoing learning practices of farm-management teams as well as to learning for change. Local focussed management teams learnt for change by accessing only local sources (including government extension services) or a single individual. People focussed farm-management teams preferred to learn for change principally by seeking information and advice on a one-to-one basis from more than one person, most frequently experts, but often other farmers. The remaining farm businesses accessed a variety of sources. The group classed as extensive networkers accessed a large number of varied sources in learning for change. Others who used a less extensive range were termed outward looking.

Responding to the ageing profile of emergency department patients

Background
Older people with acute superimposed on chronic health problems are becoming a core aspect of emergency department (ED) caseload. This project explored the ED experience from the perspective of older patients and their carers.

Method
A convenience sample of thirty participants was recruited across three participating EDs: tw o metropolitan and one regional. The project utilised two approaches to data collection: 1) an observation approach where a project officer observed participants from the time of ED presentation until discharge, or for up to six hours; and 2) a subsequent interview was conducted with the participant and their carer within a week of the ED presentation. Data from both sources were integrated, and independently thematically analysed by two members of the team.

Results
Thirty participants aged over 65 were recruited. Their average age was 77.1 (sd=6.7) years, 59% w ere female, and 74% were triage category 1- 3 (indicating moderate/high acuity). Participants spent on average 7 hours 47 minutes in the ED, with 50% discharged home, 43% admitted to general wards or MAPU, and 7% discharged to residential care/hospice. Key themes in the factors influencing the patient experience and examples of quality care were identified, along with opportunities to improve the capacity for EDs to be “older person friendly”, and “person-centred.” Challenges include improving the effectiveness of communication between staff and patients/carers (including issues around people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds), availability of allied health professionals to assist with discharge planning, and a tendency for older people not to seek ED care until the health problem was severe. Patient exemplars highlight key themes.

Discussion and implications
Results of the project highlight positive aspects of emergency department care for older people and inform targets for improvement strategies. These can be used to drive ongoing improvements in care for older people presenting to EDs.

Opting in and opting out: a grounded theory of nursings contribution to inpatient rehabilitation

Aim: To develop a grounded theory of nursing’s contribution to patient rehabilitation from the perspective of nurses working in inpatient rehabilitation.

Design: Grounded theory method, informed by the theoretical perspective of symbolic interactionism, was used to guide data collection and analysis, and the development of a grounded theory.

Setting: Five inpatient rehabilitation units in Australia.

Participants: Thirty-five registered and 18 enrolled nurses participated in audio-taped interviews and/or were observed during periods of their everyday practice.

Findings: The analysis revealed a situation whereby nurses made decisions about when to ‘opt in’ and when to ‘opt out’ of inpatient rehabilitation. This occurred on two levels: with their interaction with patients and allied health professionals, and when faced with negative system issues that impacted on their ability to contribute to patient rehabilitation. The primary contribution nurses made to inpatient rehabilitation was working directly with patients, enabling them to self-care. Nurses coached patients when their decisions about ‘opting in’ and ‘opting out’ were based on assessment of the person in their particular context. In contrast, the nurses mostly distanced themselves from system-based problems, ‘opting out’ of addressing them. They did this not to make their working lives easier, but more manageable.

Conclusion: System-based problems impacted negatively on the nurses’ ability to deliver comprehensive rehabilitation care. As a consequence, some nurses felt unable to influence the care and they withdrew professionally to make their work lives more manageable.

Applying outcomes of lifelong learning to organisational achievement

The focus of this doctoral research study is making the most what a person knows and can do, as an outcome from their lifelong learning, so as to better contribute to organisational achievement. This has been motivated by a perceived gap in the extensive literature linking knowledge with organisational achievement. Whereas there is a rich body of literature addressing the meta-philosophies giving rise to the emergence of learning organisations there is, as yet, scant attention paid to the detail of planning and implementing action which would reveal individual/organisational opportunities of mutual advantage and motivate, and sustain, participation at the day-to-day level of the individual. It is in this space that this dissertation seeks to contribute by offering a mechanism for bringing the, hindsight informed, response “but that’s obvious” into the abiding explicit realm at the level of the individual. In moving beyond the obvious which is prone to be overlooked, the emphasis on “better” in the introductory sentence, is very deliberately made and has a link to awakening latent individual, and hence organisational, capabilities that would otherwise languish. The evolved LCM Model – a purposeful integration valuing the outcomes from lifelong learning (the L) with nurturing a culture supporting this outcome (the C) and with responsiveness to potentially diverse motivations (the M) – is a reflective device for bringing otherwise tacit, and latent, logic into the explicit realm of action. In the course of the development of the model, a number of supplementary models included in this dissertation have evolved from the research. They form a suite of devices which inform action and lead to making the most of what an individual knows and can do within the formal requirements of a job and within the informal influences of a frequently invisible community of practice. The initial inquiry drew upon the views and experiences of water industry engineering personnel and training facilitators associated with the contract cleaning and waste management industries. However, the major research occurred as an Emergency Management Australia (EMA) project with the Country Fire Authority (CFA) as the host organisation. This EMA/CFA research project explored the influence of making the most of what a CFA volunteer knows and can do upon retention of that volunteer. In its aggregate, across the CFA volunteer body, retention is a critical community safety objective. A qualitative research, ethnographic in character, approach was adopted. Data was collected through interviews, workshops and outcomes from attempts at action research projects. Following an initial thirteen month scoping study including respondents other than from the CFA, the research study moved into an exploration of the efficacy of an indicative model with four contextual foci – i.e. the manner of welcoming new members to the CFA, embracing training, strengthening brigade sustainability and leadership. Interestingly, the research environment which forced a truncated implementation of action research projects was, in itself, an informing experience indicative of inhibitors to making the most of what people know and can do. Competition for interest, time and commitment were factors governing the manner in which CFA respondents could be called upon to explore the efficacy of the model, and were a harbinger of the influences shaping the more general environment of drawing upon what CFA volunteers know and can do. Subsequent to the development of the indicative model, a further 16 month period was utilised in the ethnographic exploration of the relevance of the model within the CFA as the host organisation. As a consequence, the model is a more fully developed tool (framework) to aid reflection, planning and action. Importantly, the later phase of the research study has, through application of the model to specific goals within the CFA, yielded operational insight into its effective use, and in which activity systems have an important place. The model – now confidently styled as the LCM Model – has three elements that when enmeshed strengthen the likelihood of organisational achievement ; and the degree of this meshing, as relevant to the target outcome, determines the strength of outcome. i.e. - • Valuing outcomes from learning: When a person recognises and values (appropriately to achievement by the organisation) what they know and can do, and associated others recognise and value what this person knows and can do, then there is increased likelihood of these outcomes from learning being applied to organisational achievement. • Valuing a culture that is conducive to learning: When a person, and associated others, are further developing and drawing upon what they know and can do within the context of a culture that is conducive to learning, then there is increased likelihood that outcomes from learning will be applied to organisational achievement. • Valuing motivation of the individual: When a person’s motivation to apply what they know and can do is valued by them, and associated others, as appropriate to organisational achievement then there is increased likelihood that appropriately drawing upon outcomes from learning will occur. Activity theory was employed as a device to scope and explore understanding of the issues as they emerged in the course of the research study. Viewing the data through the prism of activity theory led not only to the development of the LCM Model but also to an enhanced understanding of the role of leadership as a foundation for acting upon the model. Both formal and informal leadership were found to be germane in asserting influence on empowering engagement with learning and drawing upon its outcomes. It is apparent that a “leaderful organisation”, as postulated by Raelin (2003), is an environment which supports drawing upon the LCM model; and it may be the case that the act of drawing upon the model will move a narrowly leadership focused organisation toward leaderful attributes. As foreshadowed at the beginning of this synopsis, nurturing individual and organisational capability is the guiding mantra for this dissertation - “Capability embraces competence but is also forward-looking, concerned with the realisation of potential” (Stephenson 1998, p. 3). Although the inquiry focussed upon a need for CFA volunteer retention, it began with a broader investigation as part of the scoping foundation and the expanded usefulness of the LCM Model invites further investigation. The dissertation concludes with the encapsulating sentiment that “You have really got to want to”. With this predisposition in mind, this dissertation contributes to knowledge through the development and discussion of the LCM model as a reflective device informing transformative learning (Mezirow and Associates 1990). A leaderful environment (Raelin 2003) aids transformative learning – accruing to the individual and the organisation - through engendering and maintaining making the most of knowledge and skill – motivating and sustaining “the will”. The outcomes from this research study are a strong assertion that wanting to make the most of what is known and can be done is a hallmark of capability. Accordingly, this dissertation is a contribution to the “how” of strengthening the capability, and the commitment to applying that capability, of an individual and an organisation.

Videoconferenced and face-to-face psychological supervision

Behavioural measures confirmed a greater teaching focus in early videoconferenced sessions, while speech style was consistently less interactive, compared with face-to-face. Overall supervision relationships felt closer in person, but some participants preferred the protection of distance. A positive attitude facilitated adaption to the videoconferencing modality for effective supervision.

Sources of Sodium in Australian children's diets and the effect of the application of sodium targets to food products to reduce sodium intake

The average reported dietary Na intake of children in Australia is high: 2694 mg/d (9–13 years). No data exist describing food sources of Na in Australian children's diets and potential impact of Na reduction targets for processed foods. The aim of the present study was to determine sources of dietary Na in a nationally representative sample of Australian children aged 2–16 years and to assess the impact of application of the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) Na reduction targets on Na intake. Na intake and use of discretionary salt (note: conversion of salt to Na, 1 g of NaCl (salt) = 390 mg Na) were assessed from 24-h dietary recall in 4487 children participating in the Australian 2007 Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey. Greatest contributors to Na intake across all ages were cereals and cereal-based products/dishes (43 %), including bread (13 %) and breakfast cereals (4 %). Other moderate sources were meat, poultry products (16 %), including processed meats (8 %) and sausages (3 %); milk products/dishes (11 %) and savoury sauces and condiments (7 %). Between 37 and 42 % reported that the person who prepares their meal adds salt when cooking and between 11 and 39 % added salt at the table. Those over the age of 9 years were more likely to report adding salt at the table (χ2 199·5, df 6, P < 0·001). Attainment of the UK FSA Na reduction targets, within the present food supply, would result in a 20 % reduction in daily Na intake in children aged 2–16 years. Incremental reductions of this magnitude over a period of years could significantly reduce the Na intake of this group and further reductions could be achieved by reducing discretionary salt use.

Person - organisation fit : value congruence in attraction and selection decisions

ASA theory is one of the most important explanations of behaviour in organisations. Developed by Professor Ben Schneider, it is the idea that organisations contain similar types of people because they attract, select and retain people similar to those already employed by the organisation. This homogeneity explains why organisations are different to each other. Although a lot is known about attrition, little is known about the attraction and selection phases. This book contains a series of empirical studies that explore whether organisations attract and select people who hold the values of the people already employed by the organisation. The results of these studies cast doubt on how universal ASA theory might be and suggest that the initial employment decisions that people make are more about choosing their vocation than their employer.

Comparing and contrasting person-environment fit and misfit

For previous Fit e-Conferences, we have presented various aspects of our research on how person-environment (PE) fit and misfit compare. We have argued that because so little is known about how individuals experience fit and misfit at work, qualitative, exploratory research was called for (Talbot & Billsberry, 2007; 2008). Last year, our e-conference contribution detailed how using causal mapping in PE fit research would enable individuals’ experiences of fit and misfit to be captured and, as well as generating rich idiographic data, would further be amenable to nomothetic analysis (Talbot, Ambrosini & Billsberry, 2009). This paper briefly reviews why we set out to research employees’ fit and misfit perceptions, how we used causal mapping and discusses the main findings from our research.

Exploring multidimensional person-environment fit

The current study examines the validity of a multidimensional Person-Environment (PE) fit model proposed by Jansen and Kristof-Brown (2006). The overall aim of the paper is to test the model’s factor structure and influences upon outcome measures. A panel of organisational employees from a wide range of companies and locations were asked to complete a survey (n = 1875) measuring five discrete multidimensional facets of PE fit (Person-Organisation, Person-People, Person-Job, Person-Group and Person-Vocation) and three outcomes; organisational commitment, intention to leave and job satisfaction. The first sequence of analysis tested the proposed model using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) statistical approaches. Model comparisons showed that Jansen and Kristof-Brown’s original model in which the five facets of fit coalesce into a multidimensional variable was a poor fit with the data, but that a model in which the five facets of fit operate independently was a good fitting one. The second sequence of analysis found that the model without the multidimensional variable strongly predicted the outcomes of commitment, job satisfaction and intention to leave. This paper discusses the implication of this research in relation to the PE fit literature.

Person-organization fit as a vehicle for knowledge sharing and creation

Tacit knowledge is difficult to transfer. It is also context specific. Hence it is often argued to be a key strategic asset and as such attention to how it is created and transferred in organisation in critical to strategists. The transfer of tacit knowledge is however still a challenge. It is known that shared communication and socialization are important processes in the transfer of tacit knowledge and person–organization fit (POF) is associated with such phenomena. Hence we argue that POF is likely to shape the transfer of tacit knowledge with higher levels of one resulting in higher levels of the other. We explore the interaction of tacit knowledge and POF fit and develop a matrix that suggests a complex interaction between the two.