A Qualitative Study of Letters to President Kennedy from Persons with Mental Illness and Their Families: Using the Research Poem in Policy Oriented Research

Using the research poem as a tool of data representation, this paper presentsfindingsfrom an analysis of letters sent to President John F. Kennedy regarding the formulation of mental health policy during the early 1960s. The article presents the experiences of consumers of mental health services and their families-shapers and receivers of mentalhealthprovisionsth atareinfrequentlygivenv oice. Traditional thematic analysis was conducted, and data subsequently were represented in three poetic forms:free verse, the pantoum, and the tanka

Evaluation model for organizational culture adaptations to implement Lean Manufacturing successfully

Since the emergence of Lean Manufacturing, many organizations strived to implement it. Nonetheless, sustainable Lean transformation is not as easy as to be simply achieved. Severa!aspects need to be taken into account before Lean implementation which national and organizational culture are important. By considering influences of national culture on the organizational culture, this thesis aims at proposing an evaluation model to determine the cultural weaknesses of an organization and give sorne recommendations to manage people before implementing Lean. Therefore, the research question is "how to align the organizational culture to Lean culture?" and the general hypothesis is that "both national culture and organizational culture influence on successful Lean implementation". In order to answer the question and test our hypothesis, this research has been conducted based on literature review survey and multiple-cases study. For literature review survey, research papers, conference proceedings, books, and official websites regarding Lean philosophy were reviewed to find the influence of national culture in Lean implementation. Different databases were scrutinized, from 2015 to 2017, containing Scopus and Web of Science with the period of 1996-2016. The evaluation model was developed including six dimensions and our general hypothesis was extended. The level of each dimension indicating preparedness of organizational culture for Lean implementation is provided including Low, Moderate, or High. For each dimension, a checklist is provided in order to evaluate the level that a company has before Lean implementation in order to detect misalignments and possible problems. For multiple-case studies, we used codification method to systematically collect required qualitative data on their organizational culture. Factors and related soft practices that are essential for successful Lean implementation were considered as codes and sub-codes, respectively. Soft practices are human-related-practices that emphasize on organizational culture, managerial concept, and human relations that are often neglected during adoption processes of Lean. The initial code list was prepared based on literature review. Codification process continued with conducting pilot interviews. The code list was refined after a few times of revision. To validate the model, three organizations were chosen based on inclusion criteria such as: Companies should be selected from manufacturing industry; Companies have implemented Lean production for many years; Medium to Large Companies are more preferable; Companies should be chosen from different countries. A semi-structured interview was conducted with the production manager of each organization. Depending on the access to the participants, the interviews were conducted face to face or through Skype. To greaten the clarity, contacts were made again with the respondents whenever ambiguities arose. The checklist were used to find out the level of organizational culture for proposed dimensions. Moreover, public information were collected from their official websites. To conclude, the proposed evaluation model is a guide for organizations to determine cultural misaligrunents between corporate culture and Lean culture before its implementation. Moreover, some general recommendations have been provided to align different dimensions. Finally, sorne future directions have been suggested.Desde la aparición de Lean Manufacturing, muchas organizaciones se han esforzado por implementarlo. No obstante, una transformación Lean sostenible en el tiempo no es fácil de lograr. Es necesario tener en cuenta varios aspectos antes de la implementación Lean como son la cultura nacional y organizacional. Considerando las influencias de la cultura nacional en la cultura organizacional, esta tesis tiene como objetivo proponer un modelo de evaluación para determinar las debilidades culturales de una organización y dar algunas recomendaciones para gestionar a las personas antes de implementar Lean. Por lo tanto, la pregunta de investigación es "¿cómo alinear la cultura organizacional con la cultura Lean?" Y la hipótesis general es que "tanto la cultura nacional como la cultura organizacional influyen en una implementación Lean exitosa".Con el fin de responder a la pregunta y probar nuestra hipótesis, esta investigación se ha realizado en base a una revisión de la literatura y un estudio de diferentes casos. Para la revisión bibliográfica , se revisaron artículos, actas de congresos, libros y sitios web oficiales sobre la filosofía Lean, para determinar la influencia de la cultura nacional en la implementación Lean. Los trabajos de investigación se buscaron en diferentes bases de datos (Scopus y Web of Science), entre los años de 1996-2016. La revisión se hizo durante los años 2015-2017. El modelo de evaluación fue desarrollado incluyendo seis dimensiones. Para cada dimensión se proporciona las características del nivel bajo, medio y alto, que evaluan la preparación de la cultura organizacional para la implementación de Lean. Para cada dimensión, se proporciona una lista de verificación para evaluar el nivel que tiene una empresa antes de la implementación Lean a fin de detectar desajustes y posibles problemas. Para los casos de estudio, utilizamos el método de codificación para recopilar sistemáticamente los datos cualitativos requeridos de su cultura organizacional. Los factores y las prácticas soft relacionadas que son esenciales para una implementación Lean exitosa se consideraron como códigos y sub-códigos, respectivamente. Las prácticas soft son prácticas relacionadas con el ser humano que hacen hincapié en la cultura organizacional, el concepto de gestión y las relaciones humanas que a menudo se descuidan durante los procesos de adopción de Lean. La lista de códigos inicial se preparó en base a la revisión de la literatura. El proceso de codificación continuó con la realización de entrevistas piloto. La lista de códigos fue refinada después de algunas revisiones. Para validar el modelo se eligieron tres organizaciones con los siguientes criterios de inclusión: empresas industriales, que hayan implementado Lean durante muchos años; preferihlemente empresa medianas o grandes; empresas de diferentes países. Se realizó una entrevista semiestructurada con el gerente de producción de cada organización. Dependiendo del acceso a los participantes, las entrevistas se realizaron cara a cara o por Skype. Para aumentar la claridad, se volvieron a establecer contactos con los encuestados siempre que surgieron ambigüedades. La lista de verificación se utilizó para conocer el nivel de cultura organizacional para las dimensiones propuestas. Además, se recopiló información pública de sus sitios web oficiales. En conclusión, el modelo de evaluación propuesto es una guía para que las organizaciones determinen los desajustes culturales entre la cultura corporativa y la cultura Lean antes de su implementación. Además, se han proporcionado algunas recomendaciones generales para alinear las diferentes dimensiones del modelo. Finalmente se han sugerido algunas direcciones futura

Effective use of negative space in graphic design

This thesis will investigate the potential use of effective negative space to improve the readability of text typography in graphic design. Negative space in two-dimensional design is also referred to as white space -- which is void of text or graphics. Negative space is more than just the background of a design. This thesis will demonstrate negative space as an element of design itself and develop a systematic approach to address negative space as it occurs in the following: margins, background, space for the eye to rest, signal that there is a break or end in the communication, variation in space -- passive vs. dynamic, implied space

Evaluation model for organizational culture adaptations to implement Lean Manufacturing successfully

Since the emergence of Lean Manufacturing, many organizations strived to implement it. Nonetheless, sustainable Lean transformation is not as easy as to be simply achieved. Severa!aspects need to be taken into account before Lean implementation which national and organizational culture are important. By considering influences of national culture on the organizational culture, this thesis aims at proposing an evaluation model to determine the cultural weaknesses of an organization and give sorne recommendations to manage people before implementing Lean. Therefore, the research question is "how to align the organizational culture to Lean culture?" and the general hypothesis is that "both national culture and organizational culture influence on successful Lean implementation". In order to answer the question and test our hypothesis, this research has been conducted based on literature review survey and multiple-cases study. For literature review survey, research papers, conference proceedings, books, and official websites regarding Lean philosophy were reviewed to find the influence of national culture in Lean implementation. Different databases were scrutinized, from 2015 to 2017, containing Scopus and Web of Science with the period of 1996-2016. The evaluation model was developed including six dimensions and our general hypothesis was extended. The level of each dimension indicating preparedness of organizational culture for Lean implementation is provided including Low, Moderate, or High. For each dimension, a checklist is provided in order to evaluate the level that a company has before Lean implementation in order to detect misalignments and possible problems. For multiple-case studies, we used codification method to systematically collect required qualitative data on their organizational culture. Factors and related soft practices that are essential for successful Lean implementation were considered as codes and sub-codes, respectively. Soft practices are human-related-practices that emphasize on organizational culture, managerial concept, and human relations that are often neglected during adoption processes of Lean. The initial code list was prepared based on literature review. Codification process continued with conducting pilot interviews. The code list was refined after a few times of revision. To validate the model, three organizations were chosen based on inclusion criteria such as: Companies should be selected from manufacturing industry; Companies have implemented Lean production for many years; Medium to Large Companies are more preferable; Companies should be chosen from different countries. A semi-structured interview was conducted with the production manager of each organization. Depending on the access to the participants, the interviews were conducted face to face or through Skype. To greaten the clarity, contacts were made again with the respondents whenever ambiguities arose. The checklist were used to find out the level of organizational culture for proposed dimensions. Moreover, public information were collected from their official websites. To conclude, the proposed evaluation model is a guide for organizations to determine cultural misaligrunents between corporate culture and Lean culture before its implementation. Moreover, some general recommendations have been provided to align different dimensions. Finally, sorne future directions have been suggested.Desde la aparición de Lean Manufacturing, muchas organizaciones se han esforzado por implementarlo. No obstante, una transformación Lean sostenible en el tiempo no es fácil de lograr. Es necesario tener en cuenta varios aspectos antes de la implementación Lean como son la cultura nacional y organizacional. Considerando las influencias de la cultura nacional en la cultura organizacional, esta tesis tiene como objetivo proponer un modelo de evaluación para determinar las debilidades culturales de una organización y dar algunas recomendaciones para gestionar a las personas antes de implementar Lean. Por lo tanto, la pregunta de investigación es "¿cómo alinear la cultura organizacional con la cultura Lean?" Y la hipótesis general es que "tanto la cultura nacional como la cultura organizacional influyen en una implementación Lean exitosa".Con el fin de responder a la pregunta y probar nuestra hipótesis, esta investigación se ha realizado en base a una revisión de la literatura y un estudio de diferentes casos. Para la revisión bibliográfica , se revisaron artículos, actas de congresos, libros y sitios web oficiales sobre la filosofía Lean, para determinar la influencia de la cultura nacional en la implementación Lean. Los trabajos de investigación se buscaron en diferentes bases de datos (Scopus y Web of Science), entre los años de 1996-2016. La revisión se hizo durante los años 2015-2017. El modelo de evaluación fue desarrollado incluyendo seis dimensiones. Para cada dimensión se proporciona las características del nivel bajo, medio y alto, que evaluan la preparación de la cultura organizacional para la implementación de Lean. Para cada dimensión, se proporciona una lista de verificación para evaluar el nivel que tiene una empresa antes de la implementación Lean a fin de detectar desajustes y posibles problemas. Para los casos de estudio, utilizamos el método de codificación para recopilar sistemáticamente los datos cualitativos requeridos de su cultura organizacional. Los factores y las prácticas soft relacionadas que son esenciales para una implementación Lean exitosa se consideraron como códigos y sub-códigos, respectivamente. Las prácticas soft son prácticas relacionadas con el ser humano que hacen hincapié en la cultura organizacional, el concepto de gestión y las relaciones humanas que a menudo se descuidan durante los procesos de adopción de Lean. La lista de códigos inicial se preparó en base a la revisión de la literatura. El proceso de codificación continuó con la realización de entrevistas piloto. La lista de códigos fue refinada después de algunas revisiones. Para validar el modelo se eligieron tres organizaciones con los siguientes criterios de inclusión: empresas industriales, que hayan implementado Lean durante muchos años; preferihlemente empresa medianas o grandes; empresas de diferentes países. Se realizó una entrevista semiestructurada con el gerente de producción de cada organización. Dependiendo del acceso a los participantes, las entrevistas se realizaron cara a cara o por Skype. Para aumentar la claridad, se volvieron a establecer contactos con los encuestados siempre que surgieron ambigüedades. La lista de verificación se utilizó para conocer el nivel de cultura organizacional para las dimensiones propuestas. Además, se recopiló información pública de sus sitios web oficiales. En conclusión, el modelo de evaluación propuesto es una guía para que las organizaciones determinen los desajustes culturales entre la cultura corporativa y la cultura Lean antes de su implementación. Además, se han proporcionado algunas recomendaciones generales para alinear las diferentes dimensiones del modelo. Finalmente se han sugerido algunas direcciones futurasPostprint (published version

Care for Our Common Home in Jesuit Higher Education: A Study of the School of Environmental Sustainability at Loyola University Chicago

Environmental sustainability has become a critical issue for Catholic commitment to the common good in the twenty-first century. Both the Vatican and the Society of Jesus have spoken with urgency concerning the great educational challenges of forming new convictions and lifestyles in this regard. This paper chronicles the development of environmental sustainability initiatives at Loyola University Chicago within the context of institutional reforms from 2001 to the present. A consideration of these initiatives and environmental sustainability as both a set of operational and academic practices is undertaken with respect to social ethics in Catholic Jesuit higher education from the perspective of the relationality-responsibility model of Catholic moral theologian Charles E. Curran

Strategies for Supporting Smoking Cessation Among Indigenous Fathers: A Qualitative Participatory Study

© The Author(s) 2019. There is a need for tailored smoking cessation programs specifically for Indigenous fathers who want to quit smoking.The aim of this study was to engage Indigenous men and key informants in guiding cultural adaptations to the Dads in Gear (DIG) cessation program. In Phase 1 of this qualitative participatory study, Indigenous men were engaged in group sessions and key informants in semistructured interviews to gather advice related to cultural adaptations to the DIG program. These data were used to guide the development of program prototypes. In Phase 2, the prototypes were evaluated with Indigenous fathers who were using tobacco (smoking or chewing) or were ex-users. Data were analyzed inductively. Recommendations for programming included ways to incorporate cultural values and practices to advance men’s cultural knowledge and the need for a flexible program design to enhance feasibility and acceptability among diverse Indigenous groups. Men also emphasized the importance of positive message framing, building trust by providing “honest information,” and including activities that enabled discussions about their aspirations as fathers as well as cultural expectations of current-day Indigenous men. That the Indigenous men’s level of involvement with their children was diverse but generally less prescriptive than contemporary “involved fathering” discourse was also a key consideration in terms of program content. Strategies were afforded by these insights for meeting the men where they are in terms of their fathering—as well as their smoking and physical activity. This research provides a model for developing evidence-based, gender-specific health promotion programs with Indigenous men

Identification of Seventh-day Adventist Health Core Convictions : Alignment with Current Healthcare Practice

Purpose. The prevailing literature suggests that organizations can sustain their vitality and longevity by preserving their core ideology. The purpose of this study is to define and articulate the core convictions of Seventh-day Adventist healthcare and then investigate how the leaders\u27 and employees\u27 cognitive understandings, behaviors, and affective attachments align at Florida Hospital in Orlando, Florida. Method. This two-phased sequential exploratory study utilizes qualitative research to define the core convictions of Seventh-day Adventist healthcare through historical literature review, analysis of official Church publications, four commissioned scholarly papers, and one-on-one interviews with seasoned healthcare administrators. These findings are then used to develop a questionnaire administered at Florida Hospital to determine the perceptual gaps and alignments with the core convictions of Seventh-day Adventist healthcare. Results. The core convictions of Seventh-day Adventist healthcare are: Wholeness, Healing Ministry of Christ,Health Principles, Honoring the Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Image of God, and Community Service. In testing these care convictions, full alignment was determined between the senior leaders and middle management in cognitive understanding, behavioral application, and affective connection. Statistically significant differences exist between senior leaders and middle management compared to employees in four of the six core convictions. The Health Principles and the behavioral dimension are fully aligned across the segmented groups. Full alignment is also determined for the Christian-based religions across all six core convictions. Conclusions. The institutionalization of the core convictions of Seventh-day Adventist healthcare must be further incorporated into the sensemaking paradigm of Florida Hospital in order to protect the ongoing confessional identity

The Rhetoric of Public Memory in Urban Park Revitalization in 20th Century Jacksonville, Florida

In recent decades the study human geography has become an increasingly enlightening mode of analysis in the historian\u27s repertoire. One area in which this method has proved insightful is in the exploration of the various ways that interpretations of the past in public places shape the public consciousness. Works on this topic have primarily been broad studies that look at public representations of the past regionally, nationally, or even globally. This study seeks to provide a more nuanced perspective on the complex ways in which public memory and place are created, and continually shaped, through a case study which takes an in-depth look at this process in one locale. This comparative analysis of Jacksonville, Florida\u27s Hemming and Memorial Parks throughout the twentieth century explores how monuments, commemorative events, and historical discourses act as rhetorical devices which promote partisan ideologies within public parks, which shape the public perception of the both the past and the present. In particular, this study explores the revitalization campaigns of Hemming and Memorial Parks in the last quarter of the century to demonstrate how the rhetoric of public memory has been used strategically to recreate the public perception of each park in an effort to control access to and behavior within each park