A longitudinal study of Chinese managerial behaviour:an inside view of decision-making under the economic reform

This research compared decision making processes in six Chinese state-owned enterprises during the period 1985 to 1988. The research objectives were: a) To examine changes in the managerial behaviour over a period of 1985 to 1988 with a focus on decision-making; b) Through this examination, to throw light on the means by which government policies on economic reform were implemented at the enterprise level; c) To illustrate problems encountered in the decentralization programme which was a major part of China's economic reform. The research was conducted by means of intensive interviews with more than eighty managers and a survey of documents relating to specific decisions. A total of sixty cases of decision-making were selected from five decision topics: purchasing of inputs, pricing of outputs, recruitment of labour, organizational change and innovation, which occurred in 1985 (or before) and in 1988/89. Data from the interviews were used to investigate environmental conditions, relations between the enterprise and its higher authority, interactions between management and the party system, the role of information, and effectiveness of regulations and government policies on enterprise management. The analysis of the data indicates that the decision processes in the different enterprises have some similarities in regard to actor involvement, the flow of decision activities, interactions with the authorities, information usage and the effect of regulations. Comparison of the same or similar decision contents over time indicates that the achievement of decentralization varied according to the topic of decision. Managerial authority was delegated to enterprises when the authorities relaxed their control over resource allocation. When acquisition of necessary resources is dependent upon the planning system or the decision matter is sensitive, because it involves change to the institutional framework (e.g. the Party), then a high degree of centralization was retained, resulting in a marginal change in managerial behaviour. The economic reform failed to increase decision efficiency and effectiveness of decision-making. The prevailing institutional frameworks were regarded as negative to the change. The research argues that the decision process is likely to be more contingent on the decision content than the organization. Three types of decision process have been conceptualized, each of them related to a certain type of decision content. This argument gives attention to the perspectives of institution and power in a way which facilitates an elaboration of organizational analysis. The problems encountered in the reform of China's industrial enterprises are identified and discussed. General recommendations for policies of further reform are offered, based on the analysis of decision process and managerial behaviour.

The experience of living with age related macular degeneration:A longitudinal study into the impact of age related macular degeneration on quality of life

In this thesis I contribute to the understanding of the experience of living with Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and its impact on quality of life through the use of a pragmatically guided mixed methods approach. AMD is a condition resulting in the loss of central vision in old age which can have a huge impact on the lives of patients. This thesis includes: literature reviewing; qualitative meta-synthesis; surveys and descriptive statistics; observation; and analysis of in-depth interviewing, in order to build a picture of what it is like for older people to live with AMD. I present the findings from six separate studies each designed to answer specific research questions. I begin with a mixed methods study to determine how well the most commonly used measure of quality of life for AMD patients’ represents patient experiences. I then go on to investigate the experiences of patients with AMD through a meta-synthesis of qualitative research and finally present four of my own empirical studies three of which investigate the experiences of patients with different types of AMD: early dry AMD, treatable wet AMD and advanced wet AMD and the final study investigates what it is like for a couple living together with AMD. Throughout the qualitative studies I use Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to develop an understanding of the experiences and life contexts of patients with AMD. Through rigorous analysis, I identify a range of themes which highlight the shared and divergent experiences of individuals with AMD and the need to acknowledge patients’ past, present and potential future life contexts and experiences when providing services to older people with AMD. I relate the findings of the six studies to the wider psychological literature on chronic illness and make recommendations for services for patients with AMD to be provided holistically within a lifeworld-led health care model.

The psychosocial impact of an activity holiday for young children with severe food allergy:a longitudinal study

Background Food allergy has been shown to severely affect quality of life (QoL) in children and their families. The Anaphylaxis Campaign UK supports families with allergic children and as part of that support ran an activity holiday for those with food allergy. This study investigated the effectiveness of this activity holiday for reducing anxiety and improving QoL and food allergy management for these children. Methods Measures were taken at baseline, at the start of the activity holiday, at the end of the holiday, at 3 and 6 months follow-up. Children (n = 24) completed a paediatric food allergy–specific QoL questionnaire (PFA-QL), a generic QoL questionnaire (PedsQL™), the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) and the Children's Health Locus of Control (CHLC) scale at all stages of the study. Results There were significant improvements in social QoL, food allergy–specific QoL, total CHLC and internal locus of control scores over time (p > 0.05). There were significant decreases in powerful others locus of control, total anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder scores (p < 0.05). Greater anxiety significantly correlated with poorer QoL at all time points; no correlations with locus of control were significant at the 3- and 6-month follow-up. Conclusions The activity holiday was of significant benefit to the children who took part, providing support for the need for activity holidays such as this for children with severe food allergy. Ways in which adaptive locus of control and improved quality of life can be facilitated need to be further explored.

An Exploratory Qualitative Study of the Proximal Goal Setting of Two Introductory Modeling Physics Students

A qualitative investigation on the impact of goal-setting strategies on self-efficacy of two students taking Introductory Modeling Physics was conducted. The study found that the problem solving process can be divided into two main themes: goal-setting and self-efficacy. Self-efficacy plays a role in the goal setting process of these two students, and may be linked to the retention of students in physics.

The effects of an individualized clinical reading program on kindergarten and beginning grade one at -risk students: A longitudinal study

This was a longitudinal study that investigated the effects of an early intervention program which was implemented at the beginning of formal reading instruction and used individual clinical instruction with at-risk students. A total of 37 private school students were divided into three cognitive ability groups and evaluated over a three year period using the reading comprehension and study skills sections of the Stanford Achievement Tests (1982) administered annually. At-risk students were matched with a normal peer group for gender, cognitive ability, and time at school. Results showed there were no significant differences in the reading comprehension scores for program and non-program students. However, the at-risk group showed significantly lower scores on the study skills section at the end of grade three. These results indicate that early reading intervention for at-risk students promotes compensation and helps develop processes for adequate reading comprehension but these students continue to have weaker linguistic abilities. ^

Mind the Gap? : An Intensive Longitudinal Study of Between-Person and Within-Person Intention-Behavior Relations

Acknowledgments This work was supported by the University of Konstanz, Germany. The first author was supported by a fellowship of the Swiss National Science Foundation (Fellowship P2ZHP1_155103).

The feasibility and acceptability of trial procedures for a pragmatic randomised controlled trial of a structured physical activity intervention for people diagnosed with colorectal cancer : findings from a pilot trial of cardiac rehabilitation versus usual care (no rehabilitation) with an embedded qualitative study

Funding This work is supported by the National Institute for Health Research—Health Service and Development Research, Project reference number: NIHR—HS&DR Project:12/5001/09.

An examination of factors influencing ERP key-user satisfaction: A qualitative case study

Several companies are trying to improve their operation efficiency by implementing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that makes it possible to control the resources of the company in real time. However, the success of the implementation project is not a foregone conclusion; a significant part of these projects end in a failure, one way or another. Therefore it is important to investigate ERP system implementation more closely in order to increase understanding about factors influencing ERP system success and to improve the probability of a successful ERP implementation project. Consequently, this study was initiated because a manufacturing case company wanted to review the success of their ERP implementation project. To be exact, the case company hoped to gain both information about the success of the project and insight for future implementation improvement. This study investigated ERP success specifically by examining factors that influence ERP key-user satisfaction. User satisfaction is one of the most commonly applied indicators of information system success. The research data was mainly collected by conducting theme interviews. The subjects of the interviews were six key-users of the newly implemented ERP system. The interviewees were closely involved in the implementation project. Furthermore, they act as representative users that utilize the new system in everyday business processes. The collected data was analyzed by thematizing. Both data collection and analysis were guided by a theoretical frame of reference. This frame was based on previous research on the subject. The results of the study aligned with the theoretical framework to large extent. The four principal factors influencing key-user satisfaction were change management, contractor service, key-user’s system knowledge and characteristics of the ERP product itself. One of the most significant contributions of the research is that it confirmed the existence of a connection between change management and ERP key-user satisfaction. Furthermore, it discovered two new sub-factors influencing contractor service related key-user satisfaction. In addition, the research findings indicated that in order to improve the current level of key-user satisfaction, the case company should pay special attention to system functionality improvement and enhancement of the key-users’ knowledge. During similar implementation projects in the future, it would be important to assure the success of change management and contractor service related processes.

Accessing dental anxiety online support groups: An exploratory qualitative study of motives and experiences

Objectives: In recent years, Internet access has grown markedly providing individuals with new opportunities for online information retrieval, psychological advice and support. The objectives of the present study were to explore the context through which dentally anxious individuals access an online support group and the nature of their online experiences. Methods: An online questionnaire was completed by 143 individuals who accessed the Dental Fear Central online support group bulletin board. Qualitative analysis was conducted on the responses. Results: Analysis revealed three emergent themes which reflected the motives and experiences of individuals: ‘Searching for help’, ‘Sharing fears’ and ‘I feel empowered’. Conclusion: This exploratory study suggests that for most individuals accessing this online support group was a positive and beneficial experience. Practice Implications: Online support groups may represent a convenient and beneficial tool that may assist certain individuals to confront their debilitating anxiety/phobia and successfully receive dental care.

Relationship Between Surface Topography and Energy Density Distribution of Er,Cr:YSGG Beam on Irradiated Dentin: An Atomic Force Microscopy Study

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess by atomic force microscopy (AFM) the effect of Er,Cr:YSGG laser application on the surface microtopography of radicular dentin. Background: Lasers have been used for various purposes in dentistry, where they are clinically effective when used in an appropriate manner. The Er, Cr: YSGG laser can be used for caries prevention when settings are below the ablation threshold. Materials and Methods: Four specimens of bovine dentin were irradiated using an Er, Cr:YSGG laser (lambda = 2.78 mu m), at a repetition rate of 20 Hz, with a 750-mu m-diameter sapphire tip and energy density of 2.8 J/cm(2) (12.5 mJ/pulse). After irradiation, surface topography was analyzed by AFM using a Si probe in tapping mode. Quantitative and qualitative information concerning the arithmetic average roughness (Ra) and power spectral density analyses were obtained from central, intermediate, and peripheral areas of laser pulses and compared with data from nonirradiated samples. Results: Dentin Ra for different areas were as follows: central, 261.26 (+/- 21.65) nm; intermediate, 83.48 (+/- 6.34) nm; peripheral, 45.8 (+/- 13.47) nm; and nonirradiated, 35.18 (+/- 2.9) nm. The central region of laser pulses presented higher ablation of intertubular dentin, with about 340-760 nm height, while intermediate, peripheral, and nonirradiated regions presented no difference in height of peritubular and interperitubular dentin. Conclusion: According to these results, we can assume that even when used at a low-energy density parameter, Er, Cr: YSGG laser can significantly alter the microtopography of radicular dentin, which is an important characteristic to be considered when laser is used for clinical applications.

A longitudinal study of self-awareness: Functional deficits underestimated by persons with brain injury

A longitudinal study of 55 adults with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) investigated the areas of function for which they lacked self-awareness of their level of competency. Data were collected at 3 and 12 months post-injury using the Patient Competency Rating Scale. Self-awareness was measured by comparing patient self-ratings with the ratings of an infor mant. The results were consistent with previous studies, indicating that self-awareness was most impaired for activities with a large cognitive and socioemotional component, and least impaired for basic activities of daily living, memory activities, and overt emotional responses. For most areas of function that were overestimated at 3 months post-injury, self-awareness subsequently improved during the first year after injury.