Different personality measures for different business outcomes : a comparison of selection criteria used for a management training program

Reports a study in which the MBTI, FIRO-B and PP measures were correlated with employee performance indicators of high potential candidates for management development. The participants were 37 middle level managers in a large trans-national company. Results indicate a disturbing disconnect between measures used in training and development and actual business outcomes that can be presumed to express organisational priorities and goals.

Selection criteria, skill sets and competencies: what is their role in the appointment of vice-chancellors in Australian universities?

Purpose - The research presented here attempts to identify and analyse the reported selection criteria used in the appointment of Australian vice-chancellors (VCs) and to contrast this with the selection criteria actually used. Design/methodology/approach - Contemporary research into the nature, role and purpose of section criteria in appointment processes has chiefly been conducted in the private sector and across various hierarchical levels. The research is based on a PhD entitled "The recruitment and selection of vice-chancellors for Australian universities". The research for the thesis had ethics approval and involved interviews with former and incumbent chancellors, VCs, consultants, representatives of the Australian Vice-Chancellors Committee and selection panel members. Central to this research was the selection criteria and the skill bases selection criteria attempted to measure. A questionnaire was also sent to those listed above. Findings - The findings show that a matching of organisational antecedents with candidate attributes does occur. The research also highlights the key selection criteria used to appoint VCs. It also demonstrates how these key criteria are universally applied but in different orders depending upon the various foci of universities. Non-stated, but important, criteria and competencies are also discussed. Originality/value - No other research exists outlining the skill sets and competencies required by Australian VCs. It is hoped that this research will form the basis for further research and discovery into this field that we know so little about. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Modelling multi-criteria decision analysis for benchmarking management practices in project management

The link between management practices and worker’s motivations impacting construction productivity is being considered as significant among the research community. This research aimed to identify and analyse the underlying attributes impacting construction productivity from the site management perspective. This research presents a framework designed to analyse and quantify the relative relevance of different drivers in the determination of productivity levels and the degree of effectiveness of potential opportunities for improving performance of overall projects. Owing to the complexity of construction projects and underlying conflicting drivers influencing higher worker’s productivity, the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) is employed to deal with interdependent relationships within a multi-criteria decision-making model. In the analytical approach, the large unstructured decision parameters are identified first and then are broken down into the manageable and measurable components using a top down hierarchical structure. This paper demonstrates an example to illustrate how to empirically analyse and prioritise a set of influencing parameters as selection criteria in devising appropriate management practices to ensure higher productivity vis-à-vis optimum performance of projects.

Recruitment and selection of Vice-Chancellors for Australian universities

This study addresses the gap in our understanding of the processes used to recruit and select Vice-Chancellors for Australian Universities. There are presently 39 recognised Universities in Australia and between them they provide the nation with the academically qualified leaders of the future. As such one would expect that not only would they be the vessels of our knowledge, but also that they would be managed and led in ways that were similar to those in use in the private sector. The changes that have taken place in the higher education system have meant that additional pressures have been placed upon the senior executive of each University. The transition from a binary system to the current unified system, the advent of the global community, increased technology and new management practices have created the need for University management to adopt recognised management and leadership practices. The Federal government has moved to reduce the dependence of the system upon recurrent funding and there has been an increase in managerialism within Universities. One outcome has been the need for the Chief Executive Officer (Vice-Chancellor) to develop additional management and leadership skills in order to cope with the changes occurring and the rate of change. In the United States, the selection criteria used to recruit Vice-Chancellors (or University Presidents) have changed to reflect the desire for candidates to have backgrounds in management and leadership. The role of the Vice-Chancellor is critical to the success of educational institutions that are now being managed as autonomous business units responsible for budget, growth, mergers as well as maintaining academic credibility. A literature review revealed that the work undertaken by David Sloper formed virtually our entire knowledge base of Vice-Chancellors in Australia. Sloper identified democratic and incumbency patterns, social characteristics, the legal basis for the role and what incumbents actually do. Thus we know quite a deal about the role and incumbents. However the same literature review showed that while this data existed, it did not extend to the processes that were used within the Higher Education system, to target, identify and select suitable candidates. Clearly there was also no examination as to the effectiveness of such processes or how they could be improved if necessary. Given the importance of Universities in Australia and their role in Higher Education, this lack of knowledge provided the basis for this study and the systematic review of all available data. The study also identified a paradox in addition to the lack of research on recruitment and selection practices in this unique microcosm. The paradox concerns the fact that many of the successful candidates do not come from a ‘business’ discipline as may be expected for a role considered to be the Chief Executive Officer of the institution. Yet in Australia, previous research indicated that the ‘rules’ for recruiting Vice-Chancellors have changed little and that traditionally candidates have come from the science disciplines (Sloper, 1994). While this in itself does not indicate that incumbents are lacking in fundamental management and leadership knowledge and expertise, an obvious question arises. Why are Australian Vice-Chancellors not drawn from faculties where this expertise resides or why are they not drawn from the business community? In order to further examine the processes in place and to a lesser extent the paradox, all available data was collected regarding the roles of Vice-Chancellors, the paths they have taken to the position as well as selection criteria, position outlines, job adverts and related material. This was thoroughly examined and then a brief questionnaire was forwarded to current incumbents and other involved stakeholders. Interviews were conducted to clarify specific issues and case studies prepared accordingly. Thus this qualitative study thoroughly researches the recruitment and selection practices in use, attempts to determine their effectiveness and addresses the paradox in order to provide a detailed framework that allows these elements to be explained.

The multiple mini-interview (MMI) in medical student selection

An historical survey of medical student selection identified the multiple mini-interview (MMI) as a promising tool for the assessment of non-cognitive qualities. The Deakin MMI was found to be reliable and useful in predicting performance during the medical course when used with other established selection criteria such as GPA.

A multi-criteria decision approach to decommissioning of offshore oil and gas infrastructure

Thousands of the world's offshore oil and gas structures are approaching obsolescence and will require decommissioning within the next decade. Many nations have blanket regulations requiring obsolete structures to be removed, yet this option is unlikely to yield optimal environmental, societal and economic outcomes in all situations. We propose that nations adopt a flexible approach that allows decommissioning options to be selected from the full range of alternatives (including 'rigs-to-reefs' options) on a case-by-case basis. We outline a method of multi-criteria decision analysis (Multi-criteria Approval, MA) for evaluating and comparing alternative decommissioning options across key selection criteria, including environmental, financial, socioeconomic, and health and safety considerations. The MA approach structures the decision problem, forces explicit consideration of trade-offs and directly involves stakeholder groups in the decision process. We identify major decommissioning options and provide a generic list of selection criteria for inclusion in the MA decision process. To deal with knowledge gaps concerning environmental impacts of decommissioning, we suggest that expert opinion feed into the MA approach until sufficient data become available. We conducted a limited trial of the MA decision approach to demonstrate its application to a complex and controversial decommissioning scenario; Platform Grace in southern California. The approach indicated, for this example, that the option 'leave in place intact' would likely provide best environmental outcomes in the event of future decommissioning. In summary, the MA approach will allow the environmental, social, and economic impacts of decommissioning decisions to be assessed simultaneously in a transparent manner. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

A trial of nurse practitioner scope of practice

Aims. The aim of this paper is to report a trial to investigate the feasibility of the nurse practitioner role in local health service delivery and to provide information about the educational and legislative requirements for nurse practitioner practice.

Background. Nurse practitioners have been shown to offer a beneficial service and fill a gap in health care provision. However, the lack of publications describing, critiquing, or defending the way that existing nurse practitioner roles have been developed may lead to a lack of clarity in comparing the nurse practitioner scope of practice internationally. In Australia, credible exploratory research is needed to realize the potential of nurse practitioners to bridge the divide of inequitable distribution of health services. A trial of nurse practitioner services in the Australian Capital Territory provided an excellent opportunity to investigate these scope and continuity issues.

Methods. This was an observational analytic study using multiple data sources. Four models of nurse practitioner service were chosen from a competitive field of applications that were evaluated according to efficacy, feasibility, and sustainability across specified selection criteria. Each model in the trial included a clinical support team, with the nurse practitioner candidate 'working-into-the-role' and collecting demographic, clinical practice, patient outcome, and health service and consumer survey data over a 10 month period.

Findings. The trial identified the broad potential of the nurse practitioner role, its breadth and limitations, and its impact on selected health services in the Australian Capital Territory. Data from individual models were compared highlighting generic elements, and formed the basis for the development of the scope of practice for the Australian Capital Territory nurse practitioner models.

Conclusions. This study has validated a research-based, iterative process for initial development of nurse practitioner scope of practice for any Australian specialization. Importantly, the study concluded with the scope of practice as a finding, rather than commencing with it a priori. Although general areas of health care need and under-servicing were identified at the outset, the process tested both the expansion and parameters of the roles.

Global priority setting for Cochrane systematic reviews of health promotion and public health research

Background: Systematic reviews of health promotion and public health interventions are increasingly being conducted to assist public policy decision making. Many intra-country initiatives have been established to conduct systematic reviews in their relevant public health areas. The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organisation established to conduct and publish systematic reviews of healthcare interventions, is committed to high quality reviews that are regularly updated, published electronically, and meeting the needs of the consumers.

Aims: To identify global priorities for Cochrane systematic reviews of public health topics.

Methods: Systematic reviews of public health interventions were identified and mapped against global health risks. Global health organisations were engaged and nominated policy-urgent titles, evidence based selection criteria were applied to set priorities.

Results: 26 priority systematic review titles were identified, addressing interventions such as community building activities, pre-natal and early infancy psychosocial outcomes, and improving the nutrition status of refugee and displaced populations.

Discussion: The 26 priority titles provide an opportunity for potential reviewers and indeed, the Cochrane Collaboration as a whole, to address the previously unmet needs of global health policy and research agencies.

Habit retraining for the management of urinary incontinence in adults (review)

Background
Habit retraining is toileting assistance given by a caregiver to adults with urinary incontinence. It involves the identification of an incontinent person's natural voiding pattern and the development of an individualised toileting schedule which pre-empts involuntary bladder emptying.

Objectives
To assess the effects of habit retraining for the management of urinary incontinence in adults.

Search strategy
We searched the Cochrane Incontinence Group specialised register (9 May 2002), MEDLINE (January 1966 to February 2004), EMBASE (January 1980 to Week 18-2002), CINAHL (January 1982 to February 2001), PsychINFO (January 1972 to August 2002), Biological Abstracts (January 1980 to December 2000), Current Contents (January 1993 to December 2001) and the reference lists of relevant articles. We also contacted experts in the field, searched relevant websites and hand searched journals and conference
proceedings.

Selection criteria
All randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials comparing habit retraining delivered either alone or in conjunction with another intervention for urinary incontinence in adults.

Data collection and analysis
Data extraction and quality assessment were undertaken by at least two people working independendy of each other. Any differences were resolved by discussion. The relative risks for dichotomous data were calculated with 95% confidence intervals. Where data were insufficient for a quantitative analysis, a narrative overview was undertaken.

Main results
Three trials with a total of 337 participants met the inclusion criteria, describing habit retraining combined with other approaches compared with usual care. Participants were primarily care-dependent elderly women with concurrent cognitive and/or physical impairment, residing in either a residential aged-care facility or in their own home. Outcomes included incidence and/or severity of urinary incontinence, the prevalences of urinary tract infection, skin rash and skin breakdown, cost and caregiver preparedness, role strain and burden. Caregivers found it difficult to maintain voiding records and to implement the toileting program. A 61% compliance rate was reported in one trial .

There were no statistically significant differences in the incidence and in the volume of incontinence between groups. Within group analyses did however show improvements on these measures. Reductions were also reported for the intervention group in one study for skin rash, skin breakdown and in caregivers' perceptions of their level of stress. Descriptive data on the. intervention suggests that habit retraining is a labour-intense activity. Electronic loggers, used as an adjunct to caregiver-delivered wet/dry checks, were reported as providing more accurate data than that from caregiver conducted wet/dry checks. To date, no analysis of the time and resources associated with these comparisons is available.

Reviewers' conclusions
Data on habit retraining are few and of insufficient quality to provide a firm basis for practice.

Timed voiding for the management of urinary incontinence in adults (Review)

Background
Timed voiding is a fixed time interval toileting assistance program that has been promoted for the management of people with urinary incontinence who cannot participate in independent toileting. For this reason, it is commonly assumed to represent current practice in residential aged care settings.
Objectives
To assess the effects of timed voiding for the management of urinary incontinence in adults who cannot participate in independent toileting.
Search strategy
We searched the Cochrane Incontinence Group Specialised Register (28 February 2007), MEDLINE (January 1966 to November 2003), EMBASE (January 1980 to Week 18 2002), CINAHL (January 1982 to February 2001), PsycINFO (January 1972 to August 2002), Biological Abstracts (January 1980 to December 2000), Current Contents (January 1993 to December 2001) and the reference lists of relevant articles. We also contacted experts in the field, searched relevant websites and hand searched journals and conference proceedings.
Selection criteria
We selected all randomised and quasi-randomised trials that addressed timed voiding in an adult population and that had an alteration in continence status as a primary outcome. We included those trials that had assessed timed voiding delivered either alone or in combination with another intervention and compared it with either usual care, or no timed voiding, or another intervention.
Data collection and analysis
Data extraction and quality assessment were undertaken by at least two people working independently of each other. Any differences were resolved by discussion until agreement was reached. The relative risk for dichotomous data were calculated with 95% confidence intervals. Where data were insufficient to support a quantitative analysis, a narrative overview was undertaken.
Main results
Two trials with a total of 298 participants met the inclusion criteria. Both compared timed voiding plus additional intervention with usual care. In one of these timed voiding was combined with continence products, placement of a bedside commode for each participant, education to staff on transfer techniques, feedback and encouragement to staff, praise to participants for "successful responses" and administration of oxybutynin in small doses. The mean percentage who were incontinent when checked daily was 20% in the intervention group compared with 80% in the control group. No further between group analysis was possible from the data reported. The other trial combined timed voiding with a medical assessment and individualised medical management that was based on clinical data. Reduction in the number of participants with daytime and night-time incontinence was greater in the intervention group but this difference was statistically significant only for night-time wetting. There was no difference in the volume of urine lost as determined by pad weighing.
The methodological quality of these trials was not high based on the quality appraisal criteria of the Cochrane Incontinence Group. In particular, there was a lack of clarity regarding levels of blinding. It was not possible to combine data from trials. In both trials, the fixed schedule of toileting was combined with other interventions. The extent to which the results reflect the contribution of timed voiding is unknown because the trials' design did not allow assessment of the effects of the fixed schedule of toileting separately from other components of the interventions.
Authors' conclusions
The data were too few and of insufficient quality to provide empirical support for or against the intervention of timed voiding.

Interventions for preventing obesity in childhood. A systematic review

Background The prevalence of obesity and overweight is increasing worldwide. Obesity in children impacts on their health in both short- and long-term. Obesity prevention strategies are poorly understood.

Objective To assess the effectiveness of interventions designed to prevent obesity in childhood.

Search strategy Electronic databases were searched from January 1985 to October 1999.

Selection criteria Data from randomized control trials and non-randomized trials with concurrent control group were included. A priori, studies with follow up of 1 year minimum were selected however, this was subsequently amended to include studies with a minimum follow up of three months.

Data collection & analysis Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study quality.

Main results Seven studies were included, three long-term (>1 years) and four short-term (>3 months and <1 years). The studies included were diverse in terms of study design and quality, target population, theoretical underpinning of intervention approach, and outcome measures. As such, it was not appropriate to combine study findings using statistical methods.

Conclusions Two of the long-term studies (one focused on dietary education and physical activity vs. control, and the other only on dietary education vs. control), resulted in a reduction in the prevalence on obesity, but the third, which focused on dietary education and physical activity, found no effect. Of the four short-term studies, three focused simply on physical activity/reduction of sedentary behavious vs. control. Two of these studies resulted in a reduction in the prevalence of obesity in intervention groups compared with control groups, and another study found a non-significant reduction. The fourth study focused on dietary education and physical activity, and did not find an effect on obesity, but did report a reduction in fat intake. Overall, the findings of the review suggest that currently there is limited quality data on the effectiveness of obesity prevention programmes and as such no generalizable conclusions can be drawn. The need for well-designed studies that examine a range of interventions remains a priority.

Mortality rates, prevalence of malnutrition, and prevalence of lost pregnancies among the drought-ravaged population of Tete province Mozambique

Background: Tete Province, Mozambique has experienced chronic food insecurity and a dramatic fall in livestock numbers due to the cyclic problems characterized by the floods in 2000 and severe droughts in 2002 and 2003. The Province has been a beneficiary of emergency relief programs, which have assisted >22% of the population. However, these programs were not based on sound epidemiological data, and they have not established baseline data against which to assess the impact of the programs. Objective: The objective of this study was to document mortality rates, causes of death, the prevalence of malnutrition, and the prevalence of lost pregnancies after 2.5 years of humanitarian response to the crisis. Methods: A two-stage, 30-cluster household survey was conducted in the Cahora Bassa and Changara districts from 22 October to 08 November 2004. A total of 838 households were surveyed, with a population size of 4,688 people. Results: Anthropometric data were collected among children 6-59 months of age. In addition, crude mortality rates (CMRs), under five mortality rates (U5MRs), causes of deaths, and prevalence of lost pregnancies were determined among the sample population. The prevalence of malnutrition was 8.0% (95% confidence interval (CI)=6.2-9.8%) for acute malnutrition, 26.9% (95% CI=24.0-29.9%) for being underweight, and 37.0% (95% CI=33.8-40.2%) for chronic malnutrition. Boys were more likely to be underweight than were girls (odds ratio (OR)=1.34; 95% CI=1.00, 1.82; p<0.05) after controlling for age, household size, and food aid beneficiary status. Similarly, children 30-59 months of age were significantly less likely to suffer from acute malnutrition (OR=0.45; 95% CI=0.26, 0.79; p<0.01) and less likely to be underweight (OR=0.37; 95% CI=0.27, 0.51; p<0.01) than children 6-29 months of age, after adjusting for the other, aforementioned factors. The proportion of lost pregnancies was estimated at 7.7% (95% CI=4.5-11.0%). A total of 215 deaths were reported during the year preceding the survey. Thirty-nine (18.1%) children <5 years of age died. The CMR was 1.23/10 000/day (95% CI=1.08-1.38), and an U5MR was 1.03/10 000/day (95% CI=0.71-1.35). Diarrheal diseases, malaria, tuberculosis, and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) accounted for more than two-thirds of all deaths. Conclusions: The observed CMR in Tete Province, Mozambique is three times higher than the baseline rate for sub-Saharan Africa and 1.4 times higher than the CMR cut-off point used to define excess mortality in emergencies. The current humanitarian response in Tete Province would benefit from an improved alignment of food aid programming in conjunction with diarrheal disease control, HIV/AIDS, and malaria prevention and treatment programs. The impact of the food programs would be improved if mutually acceptable food aid programme objectives, verifiable indicators relevant to each objective, and beneficiary targets and selection criteria are developed. Periodic re-assessments and evaluations of the impact of the program and evidenced-based decision-making urgently are needed to avert a chronic dependency on food aid.

Policy interventions implemented through sporting organisations for promoting healthy behaviour change (review)

Background
Sporting organisations provide an important setting for health promotion strategies that involve policies, communication of healthy messages and creation of health promoting environments. The introduction of policy interventions within sporting organisations is one strategy to target high risk behaviours such as smoking, alcohol consumption, excess sun exposure, unhealthy eating and discrimination.

Objectives
To review all controlled evaluation studies of policy interventions organised through sporting settings to increase healthy behaviour (related to smoking, alcohol, healthy eating, sun protection, discrimination, safety and access).

Search strategy
We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsyclNFO, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, Sociological Abstracts, Dissertation Abstracts, freely available online health promotion and sports-related databases hosted by leading agencies, and the internet using sport and policy-related key words. We identified further studies in the bibliographies of articles and by contacting authors of key articles in the area.

Selection criteria
We aimed to identify research that had used study designs that incorporated an evaluated intervention and comparison. Uncontrolled studies, meeting other inclusion criteria, were to be reported in an annex to the review.
Types of studies: Studies in which sporting organisations were allocated to a policy intervention or control/comparison group. No minimum follow-up required.
Types of participants: People of all ages.
Types of interventions: Any policy intervention implemented through sporting organisations to instigate and/or sustain healthy behaviour change, intention to change behaviour, or changes in attitudes, knowledge or awareness of healthy behaviour. Policies must address any of the following: smoking, alcohol, healthy eating, sun protection, access for disadvantaged groups, physical safety (not including injuries), and social and emotional health (e.g.. anti-vilification, anti-discrimination).
Types of outcome measures: Behaviour change, intention to change behaviour, change in attitudes, knowledge or awareness of healthy behaviour, and policy presence.

Data collection and analysis
We assessed whether identified citations were controlled evaluation studies and investigated the use of policy implemented in sporting settings. Abstracts were independently inspected by two reviewers and full papers were obtained where necessary. As no controlled evaluation studies were located, no data collection or analysis was undertaken. No uncontrolled studies meeting other inclusion criteria were identified and therefore no annex is presented.

Main results
No rigorous studies were located to test the effectiveness of policy interventions organised through sporting organisations to increase healthy behaviours, attitudes, knowledge or inclusion of health oriented policies within the organisarions.

Authors' conclusions
We were unable to find any controlled studies to guide the use of policy interventions used in sporting settings. The search process revealed a number of case studies with anecdotal reporting of outcomes. We strongly recommend that rigorous evaluation techniques are employed more commonly in this field to illuminate the impact of health promoting policy on outcomes, and the contexts and processes which are likely ro be effective in reducing harmful behaviours.

Interventions for preventing obesity in children (Review)

Background
Obesity prevention is an international public health priority. The prevalence of obesity and overweight is increasing in child populations throughout the world, impacting on short and long-term health. Obesity prevention strategies for children can change behaviour but efficacy in terms of preventing obesity remains poorly understood.

Objectives
To assess the effectiveness of interventions designed to prevent obesity in childhood through diet, physical activity and/or lifestyle and social support.

Search strategy
MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL and CENTRAL were searched from 1990 to February 2005. Non-English language papers were included and experts contacted.

Selection criteria
Randomised controlled trials and controlled clinical trials with minimum duration twelve weeks.

Data collection and analysis
Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study quality.

Main results
Twenty-two studies were included; ten long-term (at least 12 months) and twelve short-term (12 weeks to 12 months). Nineteen were school/preschool-based interventions, one was a community-based intervention targeting low-income families, and two were family-based interventions targeting non-obese children of obese or overweight parents.

Six of the ten long-term studies combined dietary education and physical activity interventions; five resulted in no difference in overweight status between groups and one resulted in improvements for girls receiving the intervention, but not boys. Two studies focused on physical activity alone. Of these, a multi-media approach appeared to be effective in preventing obesity. Two studies focused on nutrition education alone, but neither were effective in preventing obesity.

Four of the twelve short-term studies focused on interventions to increase physical activity levels, and two of these studies resulted in minor reductions in overweight status in favour of the intervention. The other eight studies combined advice on diet and physical activity, but none had a significant impact.

The studies were heterogeneous in terms of study design, quality, target population, theoretical underpinning, and outcome measures, making it impossible to combine study findings using statistical methods. There was an absence of cost-effectiveness data.

Authors' conclusions
The majority of studies were short-term. Studies that focused on combining dietary and physical activity approaches did not significantly improve BMI, but some studies that focused on dietary or physical activity approaches showed a small but positive impact on BMI status. Nearly all studies included resulted in some improvement in diet or physical activity. Appropriateness of development, design, duration and intensity of interventions to prevent obesity in childhood needs to be reconsidered alongside comprehensive reporting of the intervention scope and process.