Change readiness and the mediating role of general-dispositional internal structures

This case study offers insight toward the impact of the general-dispositional, internal structures on a planned organizational change in the field of education. The process used and the findings of this may be applicable to a variety of fields. Stones’ strong structuration (2005) served as the theoretical framework guiding this study, though Chater and Loewenstein’s (2016) model of sensemaking offers supplementary consideration. The context for study was the shift to virtual learning because of the COVID-19 global pandemic and subsequent closure of schools beginning in March 2020. This empirical study examined agents-in-situ’s response to the change, including the structuring interactions between external and internal structures leading to active agency. Data were collected in 2 stages through semi-structured interviews and proffered documents first with change managers and second with teachers. Data collection and analysis followed the recommended methodological bracketing approach suggested in the strong structuration framework (Stones, 2005). Broadly, this study examined (a) how several interdependent contextual structures within the organization interact with each agents’ internal structures, and (b) how agents interact with each other in the presence of these contextual structures to influence conduct or the response to change. Stage One interviews revealed six contextual features as contributing to agents’ response to change. Stage Two interviews were designed to understand agent conduct, which surfaced four general-dispositional, internal structures and six conjucturally-specific internal structures. All ten internal structures interacted with the contextual features, which provoked active agency and individual response to change. General-dispositional structures are those deeply held beliefs and general worldviews that would continue to influence agents’ response to change regardless of the context, whereas conjucturally-specific internal structures are specific to knowledge of the people and role responsibilities within the organization. The structuring interactions between the (a) external contextual features of the organization and the change, and (b) general-dispositional and conjuncturally-specific internal structures resulted in active agency and agents’ response to change within both the change process and a redefinition of professional values

The Role Of Collaborative Scholarship In The Mentorship Of Doctoral Students

The work of a professor is the “scholarship of teaching” (Boyer, 1990).  The strength of the teaching and learning environment is fostered by a dynamic interplay between the mentor (scholar) and the mentee (student).  Boyer (1990) suggests that in order to be a scholar, one must have “a recognition that knowledge is acquired through research, through synthesis, through practice, and through teaching.” However, as the academy has placed increased emphasis on research productivity as a concrete measure of scholarship, faculty may lose sight of what it means to view teaching as a scholarship. For example, if mentorship collaborations (student/faculty, faculty/faculty) are not viewed as scholarship activities, faculty may limit the amount or depth of student mentorship or peer collaborations to pursue their own research endeavors and thereby compromise the scholarship of teaching. Research is needed to gain an understanding of how faculties view collaborative research in relation to the scholarship of teaching.  The purpose of this paper is to first briefly describe the student-centered mentorship model for doctoral students proposed by Zipp and Olson (2008); second, to address the question, “Should the outcomes associated with this model be recognized as faculty scholarship?”; and third, to present pilot data of faculty perceptions on the role of collaborative scholarship in the mentorship of doctoral students

Identification of the severe sepsis patient at triage: a prospective analysis of the Australasian Triage Scale

This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/Objective This study aims to investigate the accuracy and validity of the Australasian Triage Scale (ATS) as a tool to identify and manage in a timely manner the deteriorating patient with severe sepsis. Methods This was a prospective observational study conducted in five sites of adult patients. Keywords and physiological vital signs data from triage documentation were analysed for the ‘identified’ status compared with confirmed diagnosis of severe sepsis after admission to the intensive care unit. The primary outcome is the accuracy and validity of the ATS Triage scale categories to identify a prespecified severe sepsis population at triage. Secondary outcome measures included time compliance, antimicrobial administration and mortality prediction. Statistical analysis included parameters of diagnostic performance. Adjusted multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied to mortality prediction. Results Of 1022 patients meeting the criteria for severe sepsis, 995 were triaged through the emergency department, 164 with shock. Only 53% (n=534) were identified at triage. The overall sensitivity of the ATS to identify severe sepsis was 71%. ATS 3 was the most accurate (likelihood ratio positive, 2.45, positive predictive value 0.73) and ATS 2 the most valid (area under the curve 0.567) category. Identified cases were more likely to survive (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.697 to 0.94, p4 (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.10 to 2.89, p<0.001) and ATS 1 category (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.09 to 2.35, p<0.005). Conclusions The ATS and its categories is a sensitive and moderately accurate and valid tool for identifying severe sepsis in a predetermined group, but lacks clinical efficacy and safety without further education or quality improvement strategies targeted to the identification of severe sepsis

Social Environment As A Determinant Of Coping Self-Efficacy In Men And Women Living With HIV Under The Auspice Of A Large Healthcare Provider In Kenya

Kenya faces a severe, generalized HIV epidemic that continues to have a devastating impact on men and women living with HIV and, generally, all sectors of the population. HIV-related stress based on living with HIV, fear of progression of HIV to AIDS or to death, stigma, and discrimination among others are constant stressors afflicting people living with HIV. There are two ways to help people face these stressors - changing the internal characteristics of a person or changing the social environment. A major healthcare provider engages a therapeutic coping model based on stress, appraisal, and coping theory that aims not only directly at changing internal dynamics of the person, but also changing these dynamics by altering the environment of men and women living with HIV. The interplay of a person’s effort with a socially supportive environment is believed to foster coping self-efficacy (CSE). However, the efficacy of this therapeutic model has not been assessed and documented. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of the social environment in shaping CSE among men and women living with HIV enrolled in the treatment and care program under the auspices of a large healthcare provider in Kenya. Three types of social support are: 1) emotional, which reduces anxiety and promotes self-esteem; 2) informational, which provides needed knowledge and skills useful in solving problems; and 3) belonging, which helps to distract a distressed person from disturbing thoughts significantly predicted CSE. The results support interventions that strengthen a person’s character while encouraging family members, friends, and other social ties to act and react favorably, thereby creating a supportive environment. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

Translation Of Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL) And Coping Self-Efficacy (CSE) From English Into Kiswahili For Use In Kenya

There is a growing body of international research focusing on social factors and their impact on mental health of people living in developing countries. Because of the novelty of these studies and high cost associated with developing survey tools, researchers may choose to translate pre-existing survey tools instead. Research findings are only reliable if a translated instrument is equivalent in content, semantics, and concept to the original instrument. The objective of this study was to translate the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL) and the Coping Self-Efficacy (CSE) from English into Kiswahili. The original version of each instrument was translated from English into Kiswahili (forward translation) and then the Kiswahili version was translated back into English (back-translation). The Kiswahili version was reviewed against the original version by a committee of experts. The committee corrected and modified the translated version to create the final Kiswahili version. The final versions were pre-tested by ten bilingual individuals living in New York to determine the instrument’s face-validity. The raters accepted the Kiswahili version as equivalent to the original English version. The Kiswahili versions were then administered to a sample of 212 people living with HIV in Kenya. Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficients for the composite measures of ISEL and CSE were 0.905 and 0.860, respectively. The step-wise process of creating an equivalent translated version of a proven survey instrument may require adjustments specific to the cultural background of each target population of interest. Based upon the scientific rigor with which the translations took place, the authors support that both translated versions of the ISEL and CSE questionnaires are valid and reliable instruments to measure the social support and beliefs of Kiswahili-speaking people in Kenya

Electrical Control of 2D Magnetism in Bilayer CrI3

The challenge of controlling magnetism using electric fields raises fundamental questions and addresses technological needs such as low-dissipation magnetic memory. The recently reported two-dimensional (2D) magnets provide a new system for studying this problem owing to their unique magnetic properties. For instance, bilayer chromium triiodide (CrI3) behaves as a layered antiferromagnet with a magnetic field-driven metamagnetic transition. Here, we demonstrate electrostatic gate control of magnetism in CrI3 bilayers, probed by magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) microscopy. At fixed magnetic fields near the metamagnetic transition, we realize voltage-controlled switching between antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic states. At zero magnetic field, we demonstrate a time-reversal pair of layered antiferromagnetic states which exhibit spin-layer locking, leading to a remarkable linear dependence of their MOKE signals on gate voltage with opposite slopes. Our results pave the way for exploring new magnetoelectric phenomena and van der Waals spintronics based on 2D materials.Comment: To appear in Nature Nanotechnolog

Evaluating short-term musculoskeletal pain changes in desk-based workers receiving a workplace sitting-reduction intervention

This paper explores changes in musculoskeletal pain among desk-based workers over three months of a workplace-delivered, sitting-reduction intervention. Participants (n = 153, 46% female; mean ± SD aged 38.9 ± 8.0 years) were cluster-randomized (n = 18 work teams) to receive an organizational change intervention, with or without an activity tracker. A modified Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire assessed pain intensity (0–9; none–worst possible) in the neck, upper and lower back, upper and lower extremities, and in total. The activPAL3 (7 days, 24 h/day protocol) measured sitting and prolonged sitting in =30 min bouts at work. Mixed models adjusting for cluster and intervention arm examined changes in pain (n = 104), and their associations with reductions in sitting and prolonged sitting (h/10 h at work) (n = 90). Changes in pain were nonsignificant (p = 0.05) and small for total pain (-0.06 [95% CI: -0.27, 0.16]) and for each body area (-0.26 [-0.66, 0.15] for upper back to 0.09 [-0.39, 0.56] for lower back). Sitting reduction was associated with reduced lower back pain (-0.84 [-1.44, -0.25] per hour, p = 0.005); other effects were small and non-significant. No substantial average changes in pain were seen; some improvement in lower back pain might be expected with larger sitting reductions. Larger samples and diverse interventions are required for more definitive evidence