Brokering between heads and hearts: an analysis of designing for social change

This paper describes a fluid and responsive design process identified among certain practitioners involved in solving social problems or inspiring social change. Their practice is both user-centred and participative in its approach and addresses the shortcomings of many top-down initiatives. These people work tactically to weave together policy knowledge, funding opportunities, local initiative and ideas for improving social and environmental conditions, acting as connectors, activists and facilitators in different contexts at different times. Although their activities are recognisably related to more conventional designing practices, the materials they use in finding solutions are unusual in that they may include the beneficiaries themselves and other features of the social structure in which they are effecting change. We present an ethnographic study of practices in designing that focuses on social initiatives rather than the tangible products or systems that might support them. We explore the how design practices map to the process of winning local people's commitment to projects with a social flavour. To situate the discussion in a political context we draw on de Certeau’s distinction between strategic and tactical behaviour and look at how our informants occupy a space as mediators between groups with power and a sense of agency and those without. Keywords: Social Change; Ethnographic Action Research; Discourse Analysis; Designing In The Wild</p

Beyond enterprise resource planning projects: innovative strategies for competitive advantage

ABSTRACT A rapidly changing business environment and legacy IT problems has resulted in many organisations implementing standard package solutions. This 'common systems' approach establishes a common IT and business process infrastructure within organisations and its increasing dominance raises several important strategic issues. These are to what extent do common systems impose common business processes and management systems on competing firms, and what is the source of competitive advantage if the majority of firms employ almost identical information systems and business processes? A theoretical framework based on research into legacy systems and earlier IT strategy literature is used to analyse three case studies in the manufacturing, chemical and IT industries. It is shown that the organisations are treating common systems as the core of their organisations' abilities to manage business transactions. To achieve competitive advantage they are clothing these common systems with information systems designed to capture information about competitors, customers and suppliers, and to provide a basis for sharing knowledge within the organisation and ultimately with economic partners. The importance of these approaches to other organisations and industries is analysed and an attempt is made at outlining the strategic options open to firms beyond the implementation of common business systems

Access to Mobile Resources: How Does It Affect the Clerkship Experience?

Objectives: To evaluate the perceived benefits of access to library-licensed mobile clinical decision support resources in clinical medical education. Methods: A cohort of medical students was surveyed midway through the clerkship year. Dana Medical Library offered instruction on clinical mobile resources at the beginning of the year. Students were offered a subject guide and assistance with authentication. Assessment methods included web analytics measuring the utility of the subject guide and a survey. Survey questions gathered data on access to mobile devices, relevance of instruction, use of library-licensed mobile resources, and benefits and barriers to their use in the clinical setting. Students were also asked whether access to mobile resources facilitated comparable educational experiences across clerkship sites. Results: The survey was sent to all 111 students from the University of Vermont College of Medicine class of 2014; 31 completed the survey, with a completion rate of 28%. All respondents owned a mobile device, despite efforts to recruit both users and non-users. Nearly 75% of respondents reported using an iPhone. About 90% of respondents brought their mobile device on rotation. Generally, the wireless access at each clerkship site was rated good or excellent. Of the 60% of respondents who attended the instruction session on mobile resources, 94% found the class helpful. Half of the respondents looked at the Mobile Apps subject guide; 70% of those who did found it helpful. A significant increase in page views was reflected in subject guide usage statistics immediately following the instruction session. Approximately 25% of respondents sought out individual assistance at the library. Conclusions: Respondents suggested improvements to library instruction such as distributing access codes during the class and demonstrating installation of an app. A large number of students did not seek additional assistance from the library, citing they did not have any questions. While that may be because they found the subject guide and/or class sufficiently helpful, a significant number of respondents indicated they were unaware of the subject guide. This suggests a need for further promotion and marketing efforts. Researchers were surprised that nonlibrary licensed apps (ePocrates or Medscape) were valued over resources such as DynaMed, and that the most common barrier cited was not having access to appropriate apps. Finally, almost all of the participants who reported taking a mobile device on a rotation agreed it facilitated access to clinical information and improved the clerkship experience

Facing the Futures: Building Robust Nonprofits in the Pittsburgh Region

The Pittsburgh region faces tough questions as it faces the futures ahead. Will it, for example, find a way to stop its young people from leaving or slip further into the profile of a "weak market" city, with all that means for the erosion of jobs and talent? Will it close the gaps between its citizens on education, health, earnings, and poverty, or will it continue to be listed as a city of disadvantage for African-Americans? And will it play an aggressive role in helping Pennsylvania rebuild its aging economy or eventually eclipse North Dakota and West Virginia as the state with the slowest growing economy in the nation?No one knows yet just how these futures will play out. It could be that the Pittsburgh area is on the cusp of a great revival as it continues to make the turn from an industrial-age economy to an "eds and meds" future. It could also be that the area has reached the maximum range of its geographic spread, thereby signaling an end to the hollowing-out of its inner city. It could even be that the area's young people are starting to see the vibrant opportunities embedded in urban renewal and a low-cost of living, not to mention an expanding arts community, access to some of the nation's greatest educational institutions, and the chance to revel in the return of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the yellow towel industry that goes with it

Intergenerational Incarceration and Inmate Adjustment

Current research has found the impact of incarceration to be far reaching. Families, especially children, often experience the most strain and disadvantage as a result of a parent’s incarceration. This effect can carry into the adult years and influence economic, educational, and behavioral health outcomes. The present study investigates the effect of having a parent or stepparent incarcerated on behavioral and psychological inmate adjustment to the prison environment. Using secondary data from a national data sample of 14,499 inmates, behavioral and psychological adjustment to the prison environment was measured. Results showed no significant effect of second generation prison status on inmate adjustment. Results did indicate that being male is associated with an increase on both the psychological and behavioral adjustment scale that is more than twice that of females. Inmates that had a previous incarceration showed a decrease on both the psychological and behavioral adjustment scales. A violent offense was associated with an increase on the psychological adjustment scale. Current research and opportunities for future research are discussed

Perinatal Depression and Preterm Birth

Purpose/Aims: Despite the notable 15 year low in overall preterm birth (PTB), a 10% improvement since the 2006 peak with declines for each of the largest race and Hispanic origin groups, the United States has the highest rate of PTB of any industrialized country with estimates of 11.5% or approximately 500,000 infants annually. The Institute of Medicine (2006) recommends researchers focus on PTB causes including reasons for health disparities. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with PTB among a sample of racially and ethnically diverse women with depressive symptomatology (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale [EPDS], score of ≥10). Rationale/Conceptual Basis/Background. The conceptual framework, derived from the empirical literature, identifies variables shown to increase risk for PTB: age, race/ethnicity, primary language, marital status, partner presence, education, income, depression, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, tobacco use, intimate partner violence, gravida, and antenatal medical complications (AMC). Methods: Descriptive, correlational design using secondary data analysis of perinatal and birth data obtained from a sample of mothers who participated in the Perinatal Maternal Health Study, a randomized clinical trial conducted by Connelly et al. (2010; 2013). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used. Results: Purposive sample (N = 302) was diverse although predominately Latina (80.5%), White (8.9%), Black (5.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%), other (1.3%); EPDS mean 13.9 + 3.67; 12.5% PTB. Statistically significant lower drug abuse scores M=1.4 + .89 and more AMC M=2.72 + 1.75 for PBT vs term mothers M=3.56 + 2.03, t (35) = 2.32, p=R2= .156 R2adj =.147, F (3,275), = 16.912, p = .000. Logistic regression indicates the overall model was successful in classifying 87% and significantly predicted the likelihood of PTB (χ2 (3) = 31.517, p = .000). Implications: The perinatal period provides unique opportunities to simultaneously assess maternal psychosocial and physical health care needs. Knowing health factor relationships among ethnically diverse women allows for informed advocacy for health policy targeting screening guidelines and management