Workplace 2000: A Delphi-Study

[Excerpt] Prognosticate and one thing is certain: you are likely to be wrong. Then why speculate about Workplace 20001 Because Boulding is right; as the future unfolds, surprise is preferable to astonishment. Informed speculation enhances anticipation and understanding, the bases of informed decision-making. It produces a vision with which to agree or disagree, and the means to ascertain why. If the vision proves disagreeable, there is a baseline from which to plot a preferred scenario. For in the end, Workplace 2000 will emerge not from prediction, but from choice

Public relations research priorities: a Delphi study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify and rank the most important topics for research in the field of public relations. An associated outcome was to propose the research questions most closely linked to the prioritised topics. Design/methodology/approach – An international Delphi study on the priorities for public relations research, conducted in 2007 amongst academics, practitioners and senior executives of professional and industry bodies was used to investigate expert opinion on research priorities for public relations. This choice of qualitative methodology replicated earlier studies by McElreath, White and Blamphin, Synnott and McKie, and Van Ruler et al. Findings – The role of public relations in the strategic operation of organisations, and the creation of value by public relations through social capital and relationships were ranked most highly. Some outcomes were comparable with earlier studies; for instance, evaluation of public relations programmes ranked third in this study and was amongst the leaders in the Synnott and McKie study. Only the topic “management of relationships” was wholly new, whereas “impact of technology on public relations practice and theory” ranked much lower than a decade ago. Research limitations/implications – The Delphi study method is a small scale qualitative process which limits generalisability, unless the choice of “experts” and their active participation can demonstrate that there is validity in its outcomes. Practical implications – The research gives valuable insight into the main public relations research areas and will allow academics and practitioners to work closely together to improve understanding of public relations. Originality/value – This is the first completed Delphi study into public relations research priorities since Synnott and McKie

An Investigation into the attitudes of academic librarians towards Internet plagiarism of HE students using a Delphi study

This presentation will outline the findings of a study undertaken to investigate the attitudes of academic librarians towards Internet plagiarism by Higher Education students in the United Kingdom. A Delphi study – with its potential to yield rich qualitative data – was chosen as the most appropriate research tool for the study. A Delphi study is defined by its distinct stages. Key components include securing a sufficient number of qualified participants followed by the iterative process of preparation and distribution of questionnaires, analysis of responses and feedback to participants. For the purposes of this research qualified participation consisted of academic librarians who possessed the knowledge and/or practical experience of teaching about plagiarism and the Internet

Practitioners\u27 Views of Family Strengths: A Delphi Study

Reported is a research study to assess the opinions of family practitioners on the status of families in Oklahoma. Researchers employed the Delphi method to achieve consensus among key informants in the family practice field about the strengths and weaknesses of Oklahoma families, threats facing families in the state, and means to strengthening family life in Oklahoma. The study yielded qualitative data from the key informants, which the researchers then condensed into response categories to feed back to informants to rate. Family practitioners identified resilience, spirituality, and access to support systems as the greatest strengths, and listed substance abuse, poverty, and generational cycles of dysfunction as the greatest weaknesses of Oklahoma families. Recommendations by these practitioners are given for improvements in addressing family needs

Priorities in public relations research: An international Delphi study

A Delphi study on the priorities for public relations research, conducted in 2007 amongst academics, practitioners and senior executives of professional and industry bodies in five continents, has ranked the ten most important topics for research and proposed the associated research questions. This is the first completed Delphi study into public relations research since Synnott and McKie (1997) which was itself a development of earlier studies of this type by McElreath (1980, 1989 and 1994). Some of the outcomes are comparable with the earlier studies; for instance, evaluation of public relations programmes ranks third in 2007 and was amongst the leaders in the Synnott and McKie (1997) study. After piloting, twenty six public relations topics were chosen. These were sent by email to the Delphi panel. After three rounds of intensive email debate, the Top Ten public relation research topics were in ranked order: 1) Public relations’ role in contributing to strategic decision-making, strategy development and realisation, and organisational functioning 2) The value that public relations creates for organisations through building social capital, managing key relationships and realising organisational advantage 3) The measurement and evaluation of public relations, both offline and online 4) Public relations as a fundamental management function 5) Professional skills in public relations; analysis of the industry’s need for education 6) Research into standards of performance among PR professionals; the licensing of practitioners 7) Management of corporate reputation; measurement of reputation 8) Ethics in public relations 9) Integration of public relations with other communication functions; the scope of public relations practice; discipline boundaries 10) Management of relationship

Commentary on Practitioners’ Views of Family Strengths: A Delphi Study

Commentary on Practitioners’ Views of Family Strengths: A Delphi Stud

Research Priorities for Children's Nursing in Ireland: A Delphi Study

This paper is a report of a study which identified research priorities for children's nursing in an acute care setting in Ireland. A limited number of studies have examined research priorities for children's nursing. This study was undertaken against the backdrop of significant proposed changes to the delivery of of children's healthcare. A three round Delphi survey design was used to identify and rate the importance of research priorities for children's nursing. In round 1 participants were asked to identify five of the most important research priorities for children's nursing. Participants in round 2 were asked to rate the importance of each of each research priority on a seven point Likert scale. In round 3 participants were presented with the mean scoreof each research priority from the second questionaire, and again asked to consider the importance of each topic on a 7 point Likert scale. The aim was to reach a consensus on the priorities. The top three priorities identified were recognition and care of the deteriorating child, safe transfer of the critically ill child between acute health care facilities, and the child and families perceptions of care at end-of life. The wide variation of priorities reflects the scope of care delivery of children's nurses and mirrors many global care concerns in caring for children

Entry-Level Competencies of New Student Affairs Professionals: A Delphi Study

The study examines the perceptions of 104 mid- and senior-level student affairs administrators of positions, responsibilities, competencies, and theories important for professional practice for new student affairs professionals. In regard to competencies, the results of this study provide important information about preprofessional abilities that are integral to professional practice, and participants also identified several competencies not identified in prior research that may be important to positions involving high contact with students. These results, then, provide vital information for curriculum development in graduate preparation programs and for professional development training for new professionals

Results of phase one of land use information Delphi study

The Land Use Management Information System (LUMIS) is being developed for the city portion of the Santa Monica mountains. LUMIS incorporates data developed from maps and aerial photos as well as traditional land based data associated with routine city and county record keeping activities and traditional census data. To achieve the merging of natural resource data with governmental data LUMIS is being designed in accordance with restrictions associated with two other land use information systems currently being constructed by Los Angeles city staff. The two city systems are LUPAMS (Land Use Planning and Management System) which is based on data recorded by the County Assessor's office for each individual parcel of land in the city, and Geo-BEDS, a geographically based environmental data system