The core characteristics and nursing care activities in psychiatric intensive care units in Sweden

Internationally, research on psychiatric intensive care units (PICUs) commonly reportsresults from demographic studies such as criteria for admission, need for involuntary treatment, andthe occurrence of violent behaviour. A few international studies describe the caring aspect of thePICUs based specifically on caregivers’ experiences. The concept of PICU in Sweden is not clearlydefined. The aim of this study is to describe the core characteristics of a PICU in Sweden and todescribe the care activities provided for patients admitted to the PICUs. Critical incident techniquewas used as the research method. Eighteen caregivers at a PICU participated in the study bycompleting a semistructured questionnaire. In-depth interviews with three nurses and two assistantnurses also constitute the data. An analysis of the content identified four categories that characterizethe core of PICU: the dramatic admission, protests and refusal of treatment, escalating behaviours, andtemporarily coercive measure. Care activities for PICUs were also analysed and identified as controlling– establishing boundaries, protecting – warding off, supporting – giving intensive assistance, andstructuring the environment. Finally, the discussion put focus on determining the intensive aspect ofpsychiatric care which has not been done in a Swedish perspective before. PICUs were interpreted asa level of care as it is composed by limited structures and closeness in care.

Omvårdnadspersonals upplevelser av vård i livets slutskede : En kvalitativ intervjustudie

Syftet: Syftet med studien var att beskriva hur omvårdnadspersonal inom kommunens särskilda boende och korttidsboende upplever att vårda personer i livets slutskede.Metod: Studien bygger på åtta kvalitativa intervjuer med undersköterskor. Datainsamlingsmetoden baserades på Critical Incident Technique och som analysmetod användes kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultat: I intervjuerna framkom att samarbetet till de övriga i teamet och närstående hade en stor och avgörande betydelse för hur vården utvecklades. Omvårdnadspersonalen kände ibland att sjuksköterskan saknades i vissa omvårdnadssituationer. Fördelning av personal under dygnet bidrog till kontinuitet i samverkan. De upplevde att olika faktorer i miljön kunde vara både till hjälp eller till hinder i samspelet till den döende och närstående. De intervjuade talade också om vikten av att respektera patientens vilja. Omvårdnadspersonalen gav även stöd till de närstående och de kom familjerna nära. De upplevde att närvaro utan krav och stress var av betydelse för interaktionen till den döende och dess närstående. Det var viktigt att både den döende och de närstående var tillfreds med symtomlindringen. Det var viktigt att få ge ett värdigt omhändertagande efter döden. Slutsats: Det genomgåendet temat visade att interaktion och samverkan med vårdteamet, närstående och patienten var av avgörande betydelseför hur vården i livets slut skulle bli trygg och värdig.

Expressão e percepção dos sentimentos de amor e desamor na vivencia da díade amorosa

Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo tornar explícita a vivência do sentimento de amor e desamor da díade amorosa de um grupo de pessoas, através de uma abordagem existencial fenômeno lógica. Caracterizou-se por uma pesquisa exploratória de campo que apreendeu os relatos de histórias já vividas por 69 pessoas, mulheres e homens, universitários dos cursos de Educação Física, Engenharia e Filosofia, tendo a maioria a idade de 22 e 23 anos. Com pressupostos da técnica dos Incidentes Críticos norteando uma entrevista, procurou-se captar como as pessoas expressam e percebem o sentimento de amor e desamor em relação ao companheiro(a) da díade amorosa. O sentimento de amor foi expresso por ações tais como "Declarar", "Acarinhar", "Presentear", "Confiar", "Ceder", "Mostrar interesse" através de "ajudar em momentos difíceis", "Apoiar/Preocupar", Acolher", "Procurar o outro" e "Querer estar junto". O sentimento de desamor foi apreendido como “Agredir", "Terminar o relacionamento", "Ser egoísta", "Mostrar desinteresse", através da "Indiferença, mostrar-se frio e distante", "Desatenção/Indelicadeza", "Ter outros interesses em momentos de lazer que não estar com a pessoa", "Interessar-se amorosamente por outra pessoa" e "Mostrar dúvidas". Pela análise efetuada observa-se que homens e mulheres não possuem diferenças significativas no número dos relatos por categorias. No entanto homens apresentaram maior proporção de relatos de amor em "Acarinhar" e "Presentear" e as mulheres em "Confiar" e "Ceder". Foram levantadas também as definições pessoais de amor e desamor e os indícios autoperceptivos do estar amando, encontrando-se alguma correspondência com as categorias vivenciais. Nenhuma diferença significativa foi encontrada em termos de proporção e conteúdo entre as pessoas pertencentes aos diversos cursos.

Comportamento informacional cotidiano de adolescentes

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Comportamento informacional cotidiano de adolescentes

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Aspectos facilitadores e dificultadores do trabalho em equipe em Unidade de Alta Densidade Tecnológica

O trabalho em equipe representa estratégia para superação da frágil articulação entre profissionais, sendo potencializado pela prática colaborativa entre agentes e gestão participativa. Entretanto, os arranjos organizacionais não favorecem a interação entre os profissionais e dificultam o trabalho em equipe. A magnitude dos agravos cardiovasculares por serviços regulados e estruturados, pautados num enfoque multiprofissional em saúde, a carência de publicações científicas sobre trabalho em equipe na atenção hospitalar, a potência do trabalho em equipe para responder às demandas reais de saúde justificam investigações a respeito do trabalho em equipe de saúde em Unidade Coronariana, particularizando a compreensão de aspectos que dificultam e facilitam esse trabalho. Assim, esta pesquisa teve como objetivo analisar o trabalho em equipe, desenvolvido em unidade hospitalar de alta densidade tecnológica, segundo a perspectiva da equipe de saúde. É um estudo descritivo, utilizando dados qualitativos e quantitativos, realizado em Unidade Coronariana de um Hospital público, de ensino, de nível terciário, referência para atendimento de alta densidade tecnológica. A população constituiu-se de profissionais da equipe multiprofissional que atuavam na referida unidade há, pelo menos, um ano, sendo excluídos aqueles que se encontravam afastados do trabalho à época da coleta dos dados e os não localizados após três tentativas para agendamento da entrevista. Utilizou-se a Técnica do Incidente Crítico, e os dados primários foram coletados por meio de entrevista semiestruturada. A análise dos dados fundamentou-se em análise de conteúdo. Participaram do estudo 45 profissionais da equipe de saúde, sendo 20 técnicos/auxiliares de enfermagem; 11 médicos; nove enfermeiros; quatro fisioterapeutas e um psicólogo. Das entrevistas, emergiram 49 situações, das quais 38 (77,6%) receberam referências negativas e 11 (22,4%), positivas; 385 comportamentos, sendo 209 (54,2%) positivos e 176 (45,8%) negativos; além de 182 consequências que receberam 131 (71,9%) referências negativas e 51 (28,1%) positivas. As referências positivas indicam aspectos que facilitam o trabalho em equipe e as negativas, aqueles que dificultam. Foram considerados facilitadores do trabalho em equipe colaborar/relacionar-se com os outros profissionais, desenvolver assistência ao paciente conforme a competência profissional, relacionamento entre agentes pautado na prática colaborativa e comunicação. Aspectos como baixa colaboração entre profissionais, gerenciamento inadequado de agentes, despreparo profissional no atendimento à parada cardiorrespiratória/emergência, divergências nas condutas terapêuticas, limitação de recursos materiais e agir de maneira descomprometida com o trabalho dificultam o trabalho em equipe. Conclui-se que, apesar do predomínio de situações e consequências negativas relativas à dinâmica do trabalho em equipe nessa Unidade Coronariana, a ênfase em comportamentos positivos, favoráveis ao trabalho em equipe, evidencia investimento e esforço para superar dificuldades, na perspectiva da potência do trabalho em equipe para atingir a finalidade do trabalho em saúde. A partir dos resultados, acredita-se que aspectos relativos à formação/capacitação profissional e à organização do serviço precisam favorecer o trabalho em equipe, estando a centralidade do processo de trabalho dessa equipe nas relações entre agentes

Intergroup conflict in organisations:predictors and relationships with team working effectiveness

This thesis begins with a review of the conflict literature. It continues with an illustration of the nature of intergroup conflict between British health care teams, by presenting results from an interview study using the critical incident technique. Within the theory testing part, drawing upon a sample of 53 British health care teams from five organisations, an empirical test of both intergroup contact and social identity theory is provided. In a next step, a measure of intergroup effectiveness, the effectiveness with which dyads of groups perform on collaborative tasks, is developed. Finally, the moderating role of both resource interdependence and group boundary spanners’ negotiation style for the relationship between intergroup competition and longitudinal change in group and intergroup effectiveness is examined.

Ethical aspects of children’s perceptions of information-giving in care

The aim of this study was to identify key aspects in the exchange of information and to determine how nurses communicate news to hospitalised children. For this study, we applied the critical incident technique with 30 children aged between 8 and 14 years. Data were collected in paediatric units in a hospital in Alicante (Spain) using participant observation and semi-structured interviews. The analysis yielded three main categories: the children’s reaction to the information, nursing staff behaviour as a key aspect in the exchange of information and communication of news as well as children’s experience. This article emphasises the need to promote children’s consent and participation in nursing interventions. An analysis of these aspects will verify whether children’s rights are being respected and taken into account in order to promote children’s well-being and adaptation to hospitalisation.

Les cadres intermédiaires et l’information : modélisation des comportements informationnels de cadres intermédiaires d’une municipalité en transformation

Un atout majeur des organisations consiste en leur capacité à créer et exploiter l’information et les connaissances, capacité déterminée entre autres par les comportements informationnels. Chargés de décisions stratégiques, tactiques et opérationnelles, les cadres intermédiaires sont au cœur du processus de création des connaissances, et leurs comportements informationnels doivent être soutenus par des systèmes d’information. Toutefois, leurs comportements informationnels sont peu documentés. La présente recherche porte sur la modélisation des comportements informationnels de cadres intermédiaires d’une organisation municipale. Plus spécifiquement, elle examine comment ces cadres répondent à leurs besoins d’information courante dans le contexte de leurs activités de gestion, c’est-à-dire dans leur environnement d’utilisation d’information. L’étude répond aux questions de recherche suivantes : (1) Quelles sont les situations problématiques auxquelles font face les cadres intermédiaires municipaux ? (2) Quels sont les besoins informationnels exprimés par les cadres intermédiaires municipaux lors de situations problématiques ? (3) Quelles sont les sources d’information qui soutiennent les comportements informationnels des cadres intermédiaires municipaux ? Cette recherche descriptive s’inscrit dans une approche qualitative. Les 21 cadres intermédiaires ayant participé à l’étude proviennent de deux arrondissements d’une municipalité québécoise fusionnée en 2002. Les modes de collecte de données sont l’entrevue en profondeur en personne et l’observation directe auprès de ces cadres, et la collecte de documentation pertinente. L’incident critique est utilisé comme technique de collecte de données et comme unité d’analyse. Les données recueillies font l’objet d’une analyse de contenu qualitative basée sur la théorisation ancrée. Les résultats indiquent que les rôles de gestion proposés dans les écrits pour les cadres supérieurs s’appliquent aussi aux cadres intermédiaires, bien que le rôle conseil ressorte comme étant particulier à ces derniers. Ceux-ci ont des responsabilités de gestion aux trois niveaux d’intervention opérationnel, tactique et stratégique, bien qu’ils œuvrent davantage au plan tactique. Les situations problématiques dont ils sont chargés s’inscrivent dans l’environnement d’utilisation d’information constitué des composantes suivantes : leurs rôles et responsabilités de gestion et le contexte organisationnel propre à une municipalité en transformation. Les cadres intermédiaires ont eu à traiter davantage de situations nouvelles que récurrentes, caractérisées par des sujets portant principalement sur les ressources matérielles et immobilières ou sur des aspects d’intérêt juridique, réglementaire et normatif. Ils ont surtout manifesté des besoins pour de l’information de nature processuelle et contextuelle. Pour y répondre, ils ont consulté davantage de sources verbales que documentaires, même si le nombre de ces dernières reste élevé, et ont préféré utiliser des sources d’information internes. Au plan théorique, le modèle de comportement informationnel proposé pour les cadres intermédiaires municipaux enrichit les principales composantes du modèle général d’utilisation de l’information (Choo, 1998) et du modèle d’environnement d’utilisation d’information (Taylor, 1986, 1991). L’étude permet aussi de préciser les concepts d’« utilisateur » et d’« utilisation de l’information ». Au plan pratique, la recherche permet d’aider à la conception de systèmes de repérage d’information adaptés aux besoins des cadres intermédiaires municipaux, et aide à évaluer l’apport des systèmes d’information archivistiques à la gestion de la mémoire organisationnelle.

Incident-Reporting-Systeme als Möglichkeit zum organisationalem Lernen (nicht nur) aus Fehlern und kritischen Ereignissen

Die vorliegende Dissertation betrachtet institutionsinterne lokale (Critical-)Incident-Reporting-Systeme ((C)IRS) als eine Möglichkeit zum Lernen aus Fehlern und unerwünschten kritischen Ereignissen (sogenannte Incidents) im Krankenhaus. Die Notwendigkeit aus Incidents zu lernen, wird im Gesundheitswesen bereits seit den 1990er Jahren verstärkt diskutiert. Insbesondere risikoreichen Organisationen, in denen Incidents fatale Konsequenzen haben können, sollten umfassende Strategien erarbeiten, die sie vor Fehlern und unerwünschten Ereignissen schützen und diese als Lernpotenzial nutzen können. Dabei können lokale IRS als ein zentraler Bestandteil des Risikomanagements und freiwillige Dokumentationssysteme im Krankenhaus ein Teil dieser Strategie sein. Sie können eine Ausgangslage für die systematische Erfassung und Auswertung von individuellen Lerngelegenheiten und den Transfer zurück in die Organisation schaffen. Hierfür sind eine lernförderliche Gestaltung, Implementierung und Einbettung lokaler IRS eine wichtige Voraussetzung. Untersuchungen über geeignete lerntheoretisch fundierte und wirkungsvolle IRS-Modelle und empirische Daten fehlen bisher im deutschsprachigen Raum. Einen entsprechenden Beitrag leistet die vorliegende Fallstudie in einem Schweizer Universitätsspital (800 Betten, 6.100 Mitarbeitende). Zu diesem Zweck wurde zuerst ein Anforderungsprofil an lernförderliche IRS aus der Literatur abgeleitet. Dieses berücksichtigt zum einen literaturbasierte Kriterien für die Gestaltung und Nutzung aus der IRS-Literatur, zum anderen die aus der Erziehungswissenschaft und Arbeitspsychologie entlehnten Gestaltungsbedingungen und Erfolgskriterien an organisationales Lernen. Das Anforderungsprofil wurde in drei empirischen Teilstudien validiert und entsprechend adaptiert. In der ersten empirischen Teilstudie erfolgte eine Standortbestimmung der lokalen IRS. Die Erhebung erfolgte in vier Kliniken mittels Dokumentenanalyse, leitfadengestützter Interviews (N=18), sieben strukturierter Gruppendiskussionen und teilnehmender Beobachtungen über einen Zeitraum von 22 Monaten. Erfolgskritische IRS-Merkmale wurden identifiziert mit dem Ziel einer praxisgerechten lernförderlichen Systemgestaltung und Umsetzung von Incident Reporting unter Betrachtung von organisationalen Rahmenbedingungen, Lernpotenzialen und Barrieren. Die zweite Teilstudie untersuchte zwei Fallbeispiele organisationalen Lernens mittels Prozessbegleitung, welche zu einem verwechslungssicheren Design bei einem Medizinalprodukt und einer verbesserten Patientenidentifikation in Zusammenhang mit Blutentnahmen führten. Für das organisationale Lernen im Spital wurden dabei Chancen, Barrieren und Gestaltungsansätze abgeleitet, wie erwünschte Veränderungen und Lernen unter Nutzung von IRS initiiert werden können und dabei ein besseres Gesundheitsresultat erreicht werden kann. Die dritte Teilstudie überprüfte, inwiefern die Nutzung und Implementierung lokaler IRS mittels einer Mitarbeitervollbefragung zur Sicherheitskultur gefördert werden kann. Hierfür wurde eine positive Interaktion, zwischen einer starken Sicherheitskultur und der Bereitschaft ein IRS zu implementieren und Incidents zu berichten, angenommen. Zum Einsatz kam eine deutschsprachige Version des Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (Patientensicherheitsklimainventar) mit einem Rücklauf von 46.8% (2.897 gültige Fragebogen). In 23 von 37 Kliniken führte laut einer Nachbefragung die Sicherheitskulturbefragung zum Implementierungsentscheid. Dies konnte durch Monitoring der IRS-Nutzung bestätigt werden. Erstmals liegen mit diesen Studien empirische Daten für eine wirkungsvolle und lernförderliche Gestaltung und Umsetzung von lokalen IRS am Beispiel einer Schweizer Gesundheitsorganisation vor. Die Ergebnisse der Arbeit zeigen Chancen und Barrieren für IRS als Berichts- und Lernsysteme im Krankenhaus auf. Als Resultat unsachgemäss gestalteter und implementierter IRS konnte dabei vor allem Lernverhinderung infolge IRS aufgezeigt werden. Blinder Aktionismus und eine fehlende Priorisierung von Patientensicherheit, unzureichende Kompetenzen, Qualifikationen und Ressourcen führten dabei zur Schaffung neuer Fehlerquellen mit einer Verstärkung des Lernens erster Ordnung. Eine lernförderliche Gestaltung und Unterhaltung der lokalen IRS, eingebettet in eine klinikumsweite Qualitäts- und Patientensicherheitsstrategie, erwiesen sich hingegen als wirkungsvoll im Sinne eines organisationalen Lernens und eines kontinuierlichen Verbesserungsprozesses. Patientensicherheitskulturbefragungen erwiesen sich zudem bei entsprechender Einbettung als effektives Instrument, um die Implementierung von IRS zu fördern. Zwölf Thesen zeigen in verdichteter Form auf, welche Gestaltungsprinzipien für IRS als Instrument des organisationalen Lernens im Rahmen des klinischen Risikomanagements und zur Förderung einer starken Patientensicherheitskultur zu berücksichtigen sind. Die Erkenntnisse aus den empirischen Studien münden in ein dialogorientiertes Rahmenmodell organisationalen Lernens unter Nutzung lokaler IRS. Die Arbeit zeigt damit zum einen Möglichkeiten für ein Lernen auf den verschiedenen Ebenen der Organisation auf und weist auf die Notwendigkeit einer (Re-)Strukturierung der aktuellen IRS-Diskussion hin.

Critical incidence reporting systems - an option in equine anaesthesia? Results from a panel meeting.

OBJECTIVE To provide a brief introduction into Critical Incident Reporting Systems (CIRS) as used in human medicine, and to report the discussion from a recent panel meeting discussion with 23 equine anaesthetists in preparation for a new CEPEF-4 (Confidential Enquiry into Perioperative Equine Fatalities) study. STUDY DESIGN Moderated group discussions, and review of literature. METHODS The first group discussion focused on the definition of 'preventable critical incidents' and/or 'near misses' in the context of equine anaesthesia. The second group discussion focused on categorizing critical incidents according to an established framework for analysing risk and safety in clinical medicine. RESULTS While critical incidents do occur in equine anaesthesia, no critical incident reporting system including systematic collection and analysis of critical incidents is in place. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Critical incident reporting systems could be used to improve safety in equine anaesthesia - in addition to other study types such as mortality studies.

Critical indicators associated with negative performance in a selectively manned unit

Introduction. Selectively manned units have a long, international history, both military and civilian. Some examples include SWAT teams, firefighters, the FBI, the DEA, the CIA, and military Special Operations. These special duty operators are individuals who perform a highly skilled and dangerous job in a unique environment. A significant amount of money is spent by the Department of Defense (DoD) and other federal agencies to recruit, select, train, equip and support these operators. When a critical incident or significant life event occurs, that jeopardizes an operator's performance; there can be heavy losses in terms of training, time, money, and potentially, lives. In order to limit the number of critical incidents, selection processes have been developed over time to “select out” those individuals most likely to perform below desired performance standards under pressure or stress and to "select in" those with the "right stuff". This study is part of a larger program evaluation to assess markers that identify whether a person will fail under the stresses in a selectively manned unit. The primary question of the study is whether there are indicators in the selection process that signify potential negative performance at a later date. ^ Methods. The population being studied included applicants to a selectively manned DoD organization between 1993 and 2001 as part of a unit assessment and selection process (A&S). Approximately 1900 A&S records were included in the analysis. Over this nine year period, seventy-two individuals were determined to have had a critical incident. A critical incident can come in the form of problems with the law, personal, behavioral or family problems, integrity issues, and skills deficit. Of the seventy-two individuals, fifty-four of these had full assessment data and subsequent supervisor performance ratings which assessed how an individual performed while on the job. This group was compared across a variety of variables including demographics and psychometric testing with a group of 178 individuals who did not have a critical incident and had been determined to be good performers with positive ratings by their supervisors.^ Results. In approximately 2004, an online pre-screen survey was developed in the hopes of preselecting out those individuals with items that would potentially make them ineligible for selection to this organization. This survey has aided the organization to increase its selection rates and save resources in the process. (Patterson, Howard Smith, & Fisher, Unit Assessment and Selection Project, 2008) When the same prescreen was used on the critical incident individuals, it was found that over 60% of the individuals would have been flagged as unacceptable. This would have saved the organization valuable resources and heartache.^ There were some subtle demographic differences between the two groups (i.e. those with critical incidents were almost twice as likely to be divorced compared with the positive performers). Upon comparison of Psychometric testing several items were noted to be different. The two groups were similar when their IQ levels were compared using the Multidimensional Aptitude Battery (MAB). When looking at the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), there appeared to be a difference on the MMPI Social Introversion; the Critical Incidence group scored somewhat higher. When analysis was done, the number of MMPI Critical Items between the two groups was similar as well. When scores on the NEO Personality Inventory (NEO) were compared, the critical incident individuals tended to score higher on Openness and on its subscales (Ideas, Actions, and Feelings). There was a positive correlation between Total Neuroticism T Score and number of MMPI critical items.^ Conclusions. This study shows that the current pre-screening process is working and would have saved the organization significant resources. ^ If one was to develop a profile of a candidate who potentially could suffer a critical incident and subsequently jeopardize the unit, mission and the safety of the public they would look like the following: either divorced or never married, score high on the MMPI in Social Introversion, score low on MMPI with an "excessive" amount of MMPI critical items; and finally scores high on the NEO Openness and subscales Ideas, Feelings, and Actions.^ Based on the results gleaned from the analysis in this study there seems to be several factors, within psychometric testing, that when taken together, will aid the evaluators in selecting only the highest quality operators in order to save resources and to help protect the public from unfortunate critical incidents which may adversely affect our health and safety.^

Profiling in sport using momentum and perturbations

Examining a team’s performance from a physical point of view their momentum might indicate unexpected turning points in defeat or success. Physicists describe this value as to require some effort to be started, but also that it is relatively easy to keep it going once a sufficient level is reached (Reed and Hughes, 2006). Unlike football, rugby, handball and many more sports, a regular volleyball match is not limited by time but by points that need to be gathered. Every minute more than one point is won by either one team or the other. That means a series of successive points enlarges the gap between the teams making it more and more difficult to catch up with the leading one. This concept of gathering momentum, or the reverse in a performance, can give the coaches, athletes and sports scientists further insights into winning and losing performances. Momentum investigations also contain dependencies between performances or questions if future performances are reliant upon past streaks. Squash and volleyball share the characteristic of being played up to a certain amount of points. Squash was examined according to the momentum of players by Hughes et al. (2006). The initial aim was to expand normative profiles of elite squash players using momentum graphs of winners and errors to explore ‘turning points’ in a performance. Dynamic systems theory has enabled the definition of perturbations in sports exhibiting rhythms (Hughes et al., 2000; McGarry et al., 2002; Murray et al., 2008), and how players and teams cause these disruptions of rhythm can inform on the way they play, these techniques also contribute to profiling methods. Together with the analysis of one’s own performance it is essential to have an understanding of your oppositions’ tactical strengths and weaknesses. By modelling the oppositions’ performance it is possible to predict certain outcomes and patterns, and therefore intervene or change tactics before the critical incident occurs. The modelling of competitive sport is an informative analytic technique as it directs the attention of the modeller to the critical aspects of data that delineate successful performance (McGarry & Franks, 1996). Using tactical performance profiles to pull out and visualise these critical aspects of performance, players can build justified and sophisticated tactical plans. The area is discussed and reviewed, critically appraising the research completed in this element of Performance Analysis.

A qualitative investigation into leader behavioural flexibility

Purpose – The current research aims to determine to what extent Australian managers are behaviourally flexible and to identify what factors are associated with the development of leader behavioural flexibility (LBF) and its contribution to positive organisational outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – Because of the exploratory nature of the questions to be addressed, a qualitative approach to data collection was selected. In particular, the grounded theory methodology was utilised due to its ability to aid with the theory building process. Semi-structured interviews based on the critical incident interview technique were used as the data source. Findings – The findings illustrate that the Australian managers who participated in this study exhibited significant degrees of LBF. The results also suggest that education level and group size may be antecedents to LBF. In addition, it appears that leader-member exchange may mediate the relationship between LBF and positive organisational outcomes, while social intelligence may moderate this relationship. Research limitations/implications – The current research makes several contributions in terms of theoretical development and reveals a richer insight into the underlying processes associated with the relationship between LBF and positive organisational outcomes. Practical implications – As the current research was conducted in the field with 20 practising organisational managers, the findings also highlight some important practical applications regarding LBF. Originality/value – Although previous studies have been able to establish a relationship between LBF and positive organisational outcomes, they have explained very little about the processes associated with this relationship. The present study attempted to uncover some of these processes.

Ethical dilemmas : a model to understand teacher practice

Over recent decades, the field of ethics has been the focus of increasing attention in teaching. This is not surprising given that teaching is a moral activity that is heavily values-laden. Because of this, teachers face ethical dilemmas in the course of their daily work. This paper presents an ethical decision-making model that helps to explain the decision-making processes that individuals or groups are likely to experience when confronted by an ethical dilemma. In order to make sense of the model, we put forward three short ethical dilemma scenarios facing teachers and apply the model to interpret them. Here we identify the critical incident, the forces at play that help to illuminate the incident, the choices confronting the individual and the implications of these choices for the individual, organization and community. Based on our analysis and the wider literature we identify several strategies that may help to minimize the impact of ethical dilemmas. These include the importance of sharing dilemmas with trusted others; having institutional structures in schools that lessen the emergence of harmful actions occurring; the necessity for individual teachers to articulate their own personal and professional ethics; acknowledging that dilemmas have multiple forces at play; the need to educate colleagues about specific issues; and the necessity of appropriate preparation and support for teachers. Of these strategies, providing support for teachers via professional development is explored more fully.