3,370 research outputs found
Evidence in the learning organization
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Organizational leaders in business and medicine have been experiencing a similar dilemma: how to ensure that their organizational members are adopting work innovations in a timely fashion. Organizational leaders in healthcare have attempted to resolve this dilemma by offering specific solutions, such as evidence-based medicine (EBM), but organizations are still not systematically adopting evidence-based practice innovations as rapidly as expected by policy-makers (the knowing-doing gap problem). Some business leaders have adopted a systems-based perspective, called the learning organization (LO), to address a similar dilemma. Three years ago, the Society of General Internal Medicine's Evidence-based Medicine Task Force began an inquiry to integrate the EBM and LO concepts into one model to address the knowing-doing gap problem.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>During the model development process, the authors searched several databases for relevant LO frameworks and their related concepts by using a broad search strategy. To identify the key LO frameworks and consolidate them into one model, the authors used consensus-based decision-making and a narrative thematic synthesis guided by several qualitative criteria. The authors subjected the model to external, independent review and improved upon its design with this feedback.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The authors found seven LO frameworks particularly relevant to evidence-based practice innovations in organizations. The authors describe their interpretations of these frameworks for healthcare organizations, the process they used to integrate the LO frameworks with EBM principles, and the resulting Evidence in the Learning Organization (ELO) model. They also provide a health organization scenario to illustrate ELO concepts in application.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The authors intend, by sharing the LO frameworks and the ELO model, to help organizations identify their capacities to learn and share knowledge about evidence-based practice innovations. The ELO model will need further validation and improvement through its use in organizational settings and applied health services research.</p
A Hierarchy of Armchairs: Gerald Gaus on Political Thought Experiments
The paper places the work of G. Gaus into the tradition of political thought experimenting. In particular, his strategy of modeling moral decision by the heuristic device of idealized Members of the Public is presented as an iterated thought experiment, which stands in marked contrast with more traditional devices like the veil of ignorance. The consequences are drawn, and issues of utopianism and realism briefly discussed
Recommended from our members
Towards a People's Social Epidemiology: Envisioning a More Inclusive and Equitable Future for Social Epi Research and Practice in the 21st Century.
Social epidemiology has made critical contributions to understanding population health. However, translation of social epidemiology science into action remains a challenge, raising concerns about the impacts of the field beyond academia. With so much focus on issues related to social position, discrimination, racism, power, and privilege, there has been surprisingly little deliberation about the extent and value of social inclusion and equity within the field itself. Indeed, the challenge of translation/action might be more readily met through re-envisioning the role of the people within the research/practice enterprise-reimagining what "social" could, or even should, mean for the future of the field. A potential path forward rests at the nexus of social epidemiology, community-based participatory research (CBPR), and information and communication technology (ICT). Here, we draw from social epidemiology, CBPR, and ICT literatures to introduce A People's Social Epi-a multi-tiered framework for guiding social epidemiology in becoming more inclusive, equitable, and actionable for 21st century practice. In presenting this framework, we suggest the value of taking participatory, collaborative approaches anchored in CBPR and ICT principles and technological affordances-especially within the context of place-based and environmental research. We believe that such approaches present opportunities to create a social epidemiology that is of, with, and by the people-not simply about them. In this spirit, we suggest 10 ICT tools to "socialize" social epidemiology and outline 10 ways to move towards A People's Social Epi in practice
Moral judgements as organizational accomplishments : insights from a focused ethnography in the English healthcare sector
In this chapter, we aim to deepen our understanding of judgments in organizations. Whilst previous studies have underscored the situated nature of individual judgments exercised by e.g. leaders or managers, our research focuses on how judgments emerge as organizational responses to recurrently emerging moral dilemmas. Accordingly, we study a settingâdecision practices in the English healthcare sectorâwhere moral puzzles (to fund or not to fund healthcare for apparently atypical patients) demand ongoing attention and systemic handling. We conducted (and present findings of) a focused ethnography of the ways expert decision-making panels in three health authorities confronted, engaged, and coped with morally perplexed situations. The moral perplexity there lay in that panels were called upon to prudently and demonstrably determine whether a particular patient deserved or not exceptional investment; and do so by taking into consideration the healthcare needs and rights of all patients under the same health system. By adopting a practice perspective (Schatzki, 2002), we develop an analytical account of the effortful accomplishments (sociomaterial activities or intertwined âprojectsâ in practice theory terms), which enabled the recurrent collective exercise of judgments in accordance with publicly recognizable moral expectationsânamely notions of fairness. Our main contribution lies in conceptualizing the work of rendering moral judgments as organized pursuits possible and meaningful and hence in complementing current âecological understandingsâ of individual judgment-making in organizations
Uncovering the influences on decision making in the popular music industry; intuition, networks and the desire for symbolic capital
This paper uncovers the influences on decision-making in the popular music industry, and especially the role of intuition, network participation, and the desire for symbolic capital. Based on the analysis of interview and observational data from thirty-six respondents in twenty firms and a dataset of forty decisions, we provide evidence of how strategic decisions are being made within music industry micro firms in the USA. Our findings confirm the pattern of strategic decision-making (SDM) modelled by Liberman-Yaconi, Hooper and Hutchings (2010), but adds a new element, symbolic capital, to the model. Our data showed that aggrandisement was used in order to increase perceived status, an important aspect in an industry beset by uncertainty and insecurity. In addition to creating an enhanced model of decision-making in micro-sized firms, the paper also suggests areas for further research
Mock Jurors' Attributions and Attributional Processes in a Medical Malpractice Case: Examining the Influence of Plaintiff Weight, Juror Characteristics, and Deliberations
Research suggests that most Americans harbor weight-related prejudices, which can translate into discrimination against the obese across a variety of contexts. Yet, little is known about how anti-fat bias may influence juror decisions in cases involving an obese trial participant. This study examined the main and interactive effects of plaintiff weight, deliberations, and individual differences on jurorsâ decisions in a medical malpractice case. The Culpable Control Model (CCM) was used to ground the research and to help illuminate the attributional processes underlying mock jurorsâ decisions.College student mock jurors were presented with a photograph of either a normal weight or obese plaintiff and assigned to non-deliberating or deliberating conditions. After reading the case summary, non-deliberating jurors rendered case judgments independently and responded to a series of items designed to measure attributional processes in accordance with the CCM. Deliberating jurors also reviewed the case summary independently but then discussed the case in small groups; each group rendered case judgments as a jury. Following deliberations, jury group members were instructed to provide independent, âindividual levelâ responses to the same series of items completed by the non-deliberating jurors. Several individual differences were assessed in the total sample, including belief in a just world (BJW), belief in the protestant work ethic (BPWE), and anti-fat attitudes (AFAs).Results revealed no main effects of plaintiff weight on case-related judgments or on any of the measures of attributional processes. However, deliberations and several individual difference variables moderated the effects of plaintiff weight on the dependent variables. Contrary to expectations, deliberations appeared to exacerbate rather than attenuate the effects of anti-fat bias on jurorsâ decisions. Compared to non-deliberating jurors, deliberating jurors were more likely to find the obese plaintiff responsible for the negative medical outcome and awarded fewer non-economic damages to the obese plaintiff. Numerous individual differences variables moderated the effects of plaintiff weight on the dependent variables, but BJW was the strongest, most consistent moderator. As expected, those with stronger just world beliefs were less likely to find the defendant liable and were overall more punitive toward the obese plaintiff than those with weaker beliefs. Analyses further indicated that jurorsâ attributional processes were consistent with those proposed by the CCM, such that their initial reactions to the case and the plaintiff and defendant influenced their interpretation of attributional information and criteria, which in turn influenced their case decisions. Significant findings not directly tied to formally advanced hypotheses also emerged. Overall, deliberating jurors were more lenient toward the defendant than non-deliberating jurors. In addition, analyses revealed several main effects of individual difference variables on case judgments and attributional processes.This research is limited in terms of verisimilitude and generalizability; yet, it also yields many significant findings that have thus far been undocumented in published studies. Both the contributions and limitations of this study illuminate exciting directions for future research. In particular, more research is needed to clarify how anti-fat bias may affect jurorsâ in particular circumstances, how civil jurorsâ decisions may be impacted by deliberations and individual differences more generally, and how the CCM can best be used to help understand decision-making in applied contexts
A Hierarchy of Armchairs: Gerald Gaus on Political Thought Experiments
The paper places the work of G. Gaus into the tradition of political thought experimenting. In particular, his strategy of modeling moral decision by the heuristic device of idealized Members of the Public is presented as an iterated thought experiment, which stands in marked contrast with more traditional devices like the veil of ignorance. The consequences are drawn, and issues of utopianism and realism briefly discussed
Online Deliberation: Design, Research, and Practice
Can new technology enhance purpose-driven, democratic dialogue in groups, governments, and societies? Online Deliberation: Design, Research, and Practice is the first book that attempts to sample the full range of work on online deliberation, forging new connections between academic research, technology designers, and practitioners. Since some of the most exciting innovations have occurred outside of traditional institutions, and those involved have often worked in relative isolation from each other, work in this growing field has often failed to reflect the full set of perspectives on online deliberation. This volume is aimed at those working at the crossroads of information/communication technology and social science, and documents early findings in, and perspectives on, this new field by many of its pioneers.
CONTENTS:
Introduction: The Blossoming Field of Online Deliberation (Todd Davies, pp. 1-19)
Part I - Prospects for Online Civic Engagement
Chapter 1: Virtual Public Consultation: Prospects for Internet Deliberative Democracy (James S. Fishkin, pp. 23-35)
Chapter 2: Citizens Deliberating Online: Theory and Some Evidence (Vincent Price, pp. 37-58)
Chapter 3: Can Online Deliberation Improve Politics? Scientific Foundations for Success (Arthur Lupia, pp. 59-69)
Chapter 4: Deliberative Democracy, Online Discussion, and Project PICOLA (Public Informed Citizen Online Assembly) (Robert Cavalier with Miso Kim and Zachary Sam Zaiss, pp. 71-79)
Part II - Online Dialogue in the Wild
Chapter 5: Friends, Foes, and Fringe: Norms and Structure in Political Discussion Networks (John Kelly, Danyel Fisher, and Marc Smith, pp. 83-93)
Chapter 6: Searching the Net for Differences of Opinion (Warren Sack, John Kelly, and Michael Dale, pp. 95-104)
Chapter 7: Happy Accidents: Deliberation and Online Exposure to Opposing Views (Azi Lev-On and Bernard Manin, pp. 105-122)
Chapter 8: Rethinking Local Conversations on the Web (Sameer Ahuja, Manuel Pérez-Quiñones, and Andrea Kavanaugh, pp. 123-129)
Part III - Online Public Consultation
Chapter 9: Deliberation in E-Rulemaking? The Problem of Mass Participation (David Schlosberg, Steve Zavestoski, and Stuart Shulman, pp. 133-148)
Chapter 10: Turning GOLD into EPG: Lessons from Low-Tech Democratic Experimentalism for Electronic Rulemaking and Other Ventures in Cyberdemocracy (Peter M. Shane, pp. 149-162)
Chapter 11: Baudrillard and the Virtual Cow: Simulation Games and Citizen Participation (HĂ©lĂšne Michel and Dominique Kreziak, pp. 163-166)
Chapter 12: Using Web-Based Group Support Systems to Enhance Procedural Fairness in Administrative Decision Making in South Africa (Hossana Twinomurinzi and Jackie Phahlamohlaka, pp. 167-169)
Chapter 13: Citizen Participation Is Critical: An Example from Sweden (Tomas Ohlin, pp. 171-173)
Part IV - Online Deliberation in Organizations
Chapter 14: Online Deliberation in the Government of Canada: Organizing the Back Office (Elisabeth Richard, pp. 177-191)
Chapter 15: Political Action and Organization Building: An Internet-Based Engagement Model (Mark Cooper, pp. 193-202)
Chapter 16: Wiki Collaboration Within Political Parties: Benefits and Challenges (Kate Raynes-Goldie and David Fono, pp. 203-205)
Chapter 17: Debianâs Democracy (Gunnar Ristroph, pp. 207-211)
Chapter 18: Software Support for Face-to-Face Parliamentary Procedure (Dana Dahlstrom and Bayle Shanks, pp. 213-220)
Part V - Online Facilitation
Chapter 19: Deliberation on the Net: Lessons from a Field Experiment (June Woong Rhee and Eun-mee Kim, pp. 223-232)
Chapter 20: The Role of the Moderator: Problems and Possibilities for Government-Run Online Discussion Forums (Scott Wright, pp. 233-242)
Chapter 21: Silencing the Clatter: Removing Anonymity from a Corporate Online Community (Gilly Leshed, pp. 243-251)
Chapter 22: Facilitation and Inclusive Deliberation (Matthias Trénel, pp. 253-257)
Chapter 23: Rethinking the âInformedâ Participant: Precautions and Recommendations for the Design of Online Deliberation (Kevin S. Ramsey and Matthew W. Wilson, pp. 259-267)
Chapter 24: PerlNomic: Rule Making and Enforcement in Digital Shared Spaces (Mark E. Phair and Adam Bliss, pp. 269-271)
Part VI - Design of Deliberation Tools
Chapter 25: An Online Environment for Democratic Deliberation: Motivations, Principles, and Design (Todd Davies, Brendan OâConnor, Alex Cochran, Jonathan J. Effrat, Andrew Parker, Benjamin Newman, and Aaron Tam, pp. 275-292)
Chapter 26: Online Civic Deliberation with E-Liberate (Douglas Schuler, pp. 293-302)
Chapter 27: Parliament: A Module for Parliamentary Procedure Software (Bayle Shanks and Dana Dahlstrom, pp. 303-307)
Chapter 28: Decision Structure: A New Approach to Three Problems in Deliberation (Raymond J. Pingree, pp. 309-316)
Chapter 29: Design Requirements of Argument Mapping Software for Teaching Deliberation (Matthew W. Easterday, Jordan S. Kanarek, and Maralee Harrell, pp. 317-323)
Chapter 30: Email-Embedded Voting with eVote/Clerk (Marilyn Davis, pp. 325-327)
Epilogue: Understanding Diversity in the Field of Online Deliberation (Seeta Peña Gangadharan, pp. 329-358).
For individual chapter downloads, go to odbook.stanford.edu
Analyze Municipal Annexations: Case Studies in Frederick and Caroline Counties of Maryland, 1990-2010
Municipal annexations play an important role in converting undeveloped land to development, influencing landscape change. However, the existing literature does not explore the links between annexation and development. An additional inadequacy is the failure to consider environment/landscape aspect of annexation. Therefore, this dissertation proposes a new theoretical framework that is drawn upon political ecology and structuration theory to examine annexation phenomenon processes: environmental/landscape sensitivity and its causal social structures. Frederick and Caroline counties in Maryland from 1990 to 2010 were the two case-study areas because both counties experience increased annexation activities and are representative of suburban and exurban settings at rural - urban continuum of the United States.
The data used in this qualitative research were collected from multiple data sources, including key-person interviews, a review of Maryland's annexation log, annexation applications and meeting minutes, and observations at public meetings. Triangulating content analysis, discourse analysis, and social network analysis, this research finds that environmental/landscape is not considered more widely in annexation practices. Although environmental mitigation measures are considered at site level if a property has site environmental elements, the overall environmental/landscape sensitivity is low. It is also found that the economic-centered space remains dynamic in the annexation processes determining annexation approvals and low-density zoning. In addition, the triangulated analyses reveal that current social structures are not conducive to environmental-conscious landscape planning because environmentally oriented non-profit organizations and residents are injected at a later stage of annexation process and is not being fully considered in the evaluation process. Power asymmetry in current annexation structures is due to a lack of environmental voice in annexation processes. The voice of such groups needs to be institutionalized to facilitate more tenable annexation practices
- âŠ