Clinical characteristics and management of bipolar disorder in women across the life span

Though prevalent in both genders, specific consideration needs to be given when treating a woman suffering from bipolar disorder over her lifetime. Bipolar disorder is a serious and incapacitating illness affecting an estimated 5% of women. The first episode of illness in women is usually a depressive episode. Female gender has been associated with greater axis-one comorbidity, more depressive episodes, rapid cycling and mixed affective states. Special consideration is required for the treatment of bipolar disorder during reproductive events. More studies are required to better understand the course, outcome and gender-specific treatment strategies of this disorder.

Intranet development processes in large organizations : characteristics and management implications

This paper highlights characteristics pertaining to intranet development processes in large, complex organizations. Some key differences between traditional development processes and intranet developments are identified. An empirical case of corporate intranet development is used to illustrate these differences. In the light of this, a number of managerial considerations in terms of intranet design, implementation, costing and control are outlined.

A stage model of intranet technology implementation and management

In the seventies, Nolan was the first to address the need for a descriptive stage theory concerning the planning, organizing, and controlling activities associated with managing the organizational computer resource. The arrival of newer technologies such as those based on the Internet calls for fresh approaches in terms of their implementation and management. Intranet technology – which is based on Internet technology – differs from other types of IT in terms of its use and implementation. We propose a four-stage model for intranet implementation and management. Each stage is portrayed by seven general characteristics. We propose that in order to ensure intranet institutionalization, three existential crises must be overcome. Firstly, if the intranet is not nurtured by a sponsor it cannot evolve beyond its experimental beginnings. Secondly, if a critical mass of both users and content cannot be reached simultaneously, the intranet will not progress. Finally, if the intranet remains uncontrolled, it will be perceived to be useless and therefore users will abandon it.

An investigation of issues in the teaching and management of large classes

In a quest for a more efficient education system, many organizations have opted to increase class size. It is a common perception that large subjects are economical to run and small subjects are not. Many in the tertiary education system have had concerns with issues involved in the teaching of large classes, including teaching quality and whether there are effective learning outcomes for students. As with any complex issue, there are several approaches that could be utilized to assess whether the needs of stakeholders are being met. Stakeholders include the institution, the teaching staff, the community and the students. This study aims to assess whether universities are satisfying the needs of students as class size is increased. The study focuses on satisfaction with large classes and includes an assessment of the satisfaction of students' psychological needs. These constructs are measured in small, medium and large classes to identify the change in the level of satisfaction. The study used a multi-method approach consisting of a literature review, a qualitative phase involving in-depth interviews, focus groups, and a quantitative survey. The results show that while customer satisfaction is being met, the satisfaction of students' psychological needs are not being fully realised. It was also found that there were notable variations between individual students, the subjects being studied and degree streams of students taking the same subject. The implications of these findings and suggestions for further investigation are discussed in this paper.