Individual Perception of Organizational Values

The objective of this master’s thesis was to examine how corporate values come true among the white-collar employees in the case organization. It was also studied if values were perceived similarly in the different departments. Impact of organizational position and education on value orientation was tested through hypotheses based on earlier values research. There are only few value scales available for measuring organizational values. The empirical study results indicate that personnel’s perception of organizational values can be measured statistically. When defining the scale it is utmost important to link the questions and claims close to the employees’ daily working environment. In this study, Work ethic appeared as the strongest organizational value reflecting respondents’ commitment to their duties. Related to corporate values, Performance was perceived as the strongest value and Emphasis on people the weakest. Value consensus between the departments varied. According to the previous research organizational position and educational level has an impact on value perceptions. In this study, employees in superior position or with higher education perceived organizational values to come true better than subordinates or employees with lower education. Empirical data (N=229) was collected by a web-based survey questionnaire among white-collar employees in the case organization in April 2008. Statistical analyses were performed by SPSS programme.

Los estilos y estrategias de afrontamiento y su relación con el bienestar personal en una muestra de adolescentes

Several studies have linked coping with personal wellbeing. However, there is no research evidence analyzing this relationship in theSpanish population using Cummins’ model (1997). The aim of this study was to know the level of personal wellbeing of a sample of adolescents and to analyze the relationship between coping strategies and styles and personal well-being. With that purpose in mind, the Personal Well Being Index (PWI) and the Adolescent Coping Scale (ACS) have been administered to a sample of 656 adolescents aged between 11 and 17. The results allow identifying the effect of age and gender on personal wellbeing. Those coping strategies centered on focusing on the positive, physical recreation, working hard and achieving are associated to higher personal wellbeing while self-blaming and keeping to self are with lower personal wellbeing

Liderazgo y dirección de empresas en el s. XXI

Peer-reviewed

eLab, a Personal Learning Environment for the Green Open Innovation Platform

Open Innovation is a relatively new concept which involves a change of paradigm in the R+D+i processes of companies whose aim is to create new technologies or new processes. If to this change, we add the need for innovation in the new green and sustainability economy, and we set out to create a collaborative platform with a learning space where this can happen, we will be facing an overwhelming challenge which requires the application of intelligent programming technologies and languages at the service of education.The aim of the Green IDI (Green Open Innovation) ¿ Economic development and job creation vector in SMEs, based on the environment and sustainability project is to create a platform where companies and individual researchers can perform open innovation processes in the field of sustainability and the environment.The Green IDI (Green Open Innovation) project is funded under the program INNPACTO by the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain and is being developed through a consortium formed by the following institutions: GRUPO ICA; COMPARTIA; GRUPO INTERCOM; CETAQUA and the Instituto de Investigación en Inteligencia Artificial (IIIA) from Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). Also the consortium include FUNDACIÓ PRIVADA BARCELONA DIGITAL; PIMEC and UNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE CATALUNYA (UOC).Sustainability and positive action for the environment are considered the principle vector of economic development for companies. As Nicolás Scoli says (2007) ¿in short, preventing unnecessary consumption and the efficient consumption of resources means producing greater wealth with less. Both effects lead to reduced pollution linked to production and consumption¿.The Spanish Sustainable Development Strategy (EEDS) plan defends consumption and sustainable production linked to social and economic development by adhering to the commitment not to endanger ecosystems and abolishing the idea that economic growth is directly proportional to the deterioration of the environment.Uniting the Open Innovation and New Green Economy concepts leads to the "Green Open Innovation¿ Platform creation project.This article analyses the concept of open innovation and defines the importance of the new green and sustainable economy. Lastly, it proposes the creation of eLab. The eLab is defined as an Open Green Innovation Platform personal and collaborative education space which is fed by the interactions of users and which enables innovation processes based on new green economy concepts to be carried out.The creation of a personal learning environment such as eLab on the Green Open Innovation Platform meets the need to offer a collaborative space where platform users can improve their skills regarding the environment and sustainability based on collaborative synergies through Information and Communication Technologies.

Personal constructs in systemic practice

This paper intends to elaborate the relationship between Kelly's Personal Construct Theory (PCT) and the systemic therapies beyond their notable similarities. Kelly's constructive alternativism is situated in the context of the current constructivist orientation that the family therapy movement seems to be adopting. A model of change is presented based on PCT's experience cycle. From this cycle, the relationship between behaviors and constructions is elaborated incorporating Procter's (52, 53) notions of the Family Construct System (FCS) andposition. This model allows for interventions both at behavioral and construction levels, as well as allowing for a certain technical eclecticism while, at the same time, retaining a strong theoretical coherence. This approach is discussed in the context of the debate about strategizing, power, and control held by authors such as Golann, Hoffman, and Tomm. Finally, some implications for research are outlined.

Personal Liberty in Psychiatric Care - Towards Service User Involvement

This study explores personal liberty in psychiatric care from a service user involvement perspective. The data were collected in four phases during the period 2000-2006 in psychiatric settings in Finland. Firstly, patient satisfaction and factors associated with user involvement were studied (n = 313). Secondly, patients’ experiences of deprivation of their liberty were explored (n = 51). Thirdly, an overview on patients’ options for lodging complaints was conducted, and all complaints (n = 4645) lodged in Finland from 2000 to 2004 were examined. Fourthly, the effects of different patient education methods on inpatients’ experiences of deprivation of liberty were tested (n = 311). It emerged that patients were quite satisfied, but reported dissatisfaction in restrictions, compulsory care and information dissemination. Patients experienced restrictions on leaving the ward and on communication, confiscation of property and coercive measures as deprivation of liberty. Patients’ experienced these interventions to be negative. In Finland, the patient complaint process is complicated and not easily accessible. In general, patient complaints increased considerably in Finland during the study period. In psychiatric care the number of complaints was quite stable and complaints led more seldom to consequences. An Internet-based patient education system was equivalent with traditional education and treatment as usual in supporting personal liberty during hospital care. This dissertation provides new information about the realization of patients' rights in psychiatric care. In order to improve patients' involvement, systematic methods to increase personal liberty during care need to be developed, the procedures for patients lodging complaints should be simplified, and patients' access to information needs to be ensured using multiple methods.

Desarrollo rápido de software libre de alta calidad : Ingeniería de software asistida por computadora, enfocada en tareas, para agilizar el ciclo de vida de las aplicaciones, mediante mejora continua disciplinada a nivel personal

Este trabajo de investigación abarca el estudio, implementación y evaluación de diferentes herramientas, metodologías y procesos para la producción de software libre en el campo del desarrollo rápido de aplicaciones (RAD, precursor de metodologías ágiles como Scrum).

Coming from outside the Academy. Values of 2.0 culture in higher education

This article reflects on how some values, interests, and particularities of 2.0 culture enter on higher and postgraduate education institutions. Through theidentification of the features of 2.0, this document visualizes some of the resistances, obstacles, possibilities, and opportunities detected in these institutions, many of them focusing on the core of the higher education and postgraduate institutions (i.e. strategic vision, methodology, role of teachers and students, relation between formal and informal learning, contents and assessment). Responsibility in the training and updating of current and future professionals places these institutions under the discussion and decision-making process related to the role that 2.0 tools should play. We wonder if it implies a crossroad which affects the whole set of attitudes and values on the role of training institutions in the context of the construction of socialized knowledge.

Merimies on erimies? Organisaatiositoutuminen suomalaisessa risteilyvarustamossa. Case: Kristina Cruises Oy

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on selvittää, miten organisaatioon sitoutuminen moniulotteisena käsitteenä ymmärretään yrityksen johtoryhmässä ja avainesimiesten kesken, kun työpaikkana on risteilyvarustamo ja -laiva. Tutkimuksen empiirisen aineiston muodostaa viisi haastattelua laivan palveluosastoilta sekä yrityksen johtoryhmän haastattelut. Teoriaosuudessa on keskitytty kuvailemaan sitoutumiseen vaikuttavia tekijöitä ottaen huomioon kohdeorganisaation toimintaympäristö. Tässä tutkimuksessa organisaatiositoutuminen ymmärretään yksilön henkilökohtaisten tarpeiden, tunnepitoisen kiinnittymisen ja työyhteisön vaikutuksen yhteenliittymänä. Tutkimus on laadullinen ja aineiston keräystapana on käytetty pääasiallisesti teemahaastattelua. Aineistoa on täydennetty muutamalla avoimella sähköpostikyselyllä. Analysointi tapahtui teemoittelun avulla, josta johtopäätöksiin edettiin induktiivisesti. Tutkimustulosten perusteella voidaan todeta, että organisaatiositoutuminen kohdeyrityksessä on ymmärretty lähes samalla tavalla sekä johtoryhmän että esimiesten kesken. Huomioon otettavia aiheita sitouttamista silmällä pitäen ovat yrityksen arvojen ja tavoitteiden merkitys läpi koko sitoutumisprosessin.

The Andean Biotic Index (ABI): revised tolerance to pollution values for macroinvertebrate families and index performance evaluation.

Score-based biotic indices are widely used to evaluate the water quality of streams and rivers. Few adaptations of these indices have been done for South America because there is a lack of knowledge on mac-roinvertebrate taxonomy, distribution and tolerance to pollution in the region. Several areas in the Andes are densely populated and there is need for methods to assess the impact of increasing human pressures on aquatic ecosystems. Considering the unique ecological and geographical features of the Andes, macroinvertebrate indices used in other regions must be adapted with caution. Here we present a review of the literature on mac-roinvertebrate distribution and tolerance to pollution in Andean areas above 2 000masl. Using these data, we propose an Andean Biotic Index (ABI), which is based on the BMWP index. In general, ABI includes fewer macroinvertebrate families than in other regions of the world where the BMWP index has been applied because altitude restricts the distribution of several families. Our review shows that in the high Andes, the tolerance of several macroinvertebrate families to pollution differs from those reported in other areas. We tested the ABI index in two basins in Ecuador and Peru, and compared it to other BMWP adaptations using the reference condi-tion approach. The ABI index is extremely useful for detecting the general impairment of rivers but class quality boundaries should be defined independently for each basin because reference conditions may be different. The ABI is widely used in Ecuador and Peru, with high correlations with land-use pressures in several studies. The ABI index is an integral part of the new multimetric index designed for high Andean streams (IMEERA). Rev. Biol. Trop. 62 (Suppl. 2): 249-273. Epub 2014 April 01.

Liderazgo y dirección de empresas en el s. XXI

Peer-reviewed