Seeing White: Turning the postcolonial lens on social work in Australia

Social work is a profession based on (White) Euro-American concepts, problems and historicity in which Indigenous knowledges and cultures are marginalised, and the effects of colonisation are obscured to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous social workers. Cultural competence is increasingly emphasised and expected of social work graduates internationally to make the voices, stories, and knowledges of Indigenous peoples who have been, and continue to be, marginalised heard. The conventional approach to cultural competence in social work is however problematic as it maintains rather than challenges the universality of Whiteness in Australia through a fixed gaze on the Indigenous ‘other’. To decolonise social work however requires a critical understanding of the development of social work identity and ideology within the context of colonialism and postcolonialism. The article subsequently argues for the use of postcolonial theory to shift the focus from the effects of colonisation on Indigenous peoples to the colonial origin and continued coloniality of the social work profession, practice and curriculum within Australia. The purpose of turning the postcolonial lens on social work is not to build an argument for non-White social work but to build an understanding from which social work can support the Indigenous struggle for self-determination, decolonisation and social justice

Broadening the Scope of Poverty and Sexuality: Should Non-Conforming Sexuality be a Dimension of Development?

The existence and deepening of (global) poverty and inequality is at the core of development. However, the close connection between non-conforming sexuality and poverty is habitually overlooked. The study seeks to underpin that non-conforming sexuality should be a dimension of the social development paradigm. Thus, the study explores the connections between the public construct of homosexuality, experienced sexuality-based deprivations and understandings of freedom in the case of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) individuals in Kampala, Uganda. For this purpose, ten weeks exploratory fieldwork was conducted in Kampala from late January to early April 2015. The data collection included triangulation of eight weeks of participant observation and eleven qualitative semi-structured interviews with self-identified LGBT individuals. The findings were thematically analysed, and theorized with the capability approach. The study finds that the socio-structural poverties such as social ostracism from family, culture and religion are constitutive of LGBT individuals’ lived experiences in Kampala. Furthermore, the study shows that LGBT individuals in Kampala are deprived of any free sexual agency to choose how to be, what to be and with whom to be publicly and privately. The study thus concludes, if the social development paradigm is to adhere to its own definition of development as freedom, it needs to stop overlooking the connection between non-conforming sexuality and poverty

Internationalität und Unternehmenserfolg – Eine Analyse des Stands der Forschung

Die Frage nach dem Zusammenhang zwischen der Internationalität eines Unternehmens und dessen Erfolg ist eine Kernfrage des strategischen Managements. Der Beitrag stellt den Stand der Forschung vor, indem er die metaanalytischen Befunde skizziert und die theoretischkonzeptionellen Diskussionen rekonstruiert. Zukünftige Forschungsarbeiten sollten stärker Kontextfaktoren einbeziehen und Stichproben außerhalb der USA analysieren

Proactively and reactively managing risks through sales & operations planning

Purpose Risks can easily disrupt the demand-supply match targeted by sales and operations planning (S&OP). As surprisingly little is known of how organizations identify, assess, treat and monitor risks through tactical planning processes, this paper zooms in on the S&OP set-up and process parameters to explore how risks are managed through S&OP. Design/methodology/approach A multiple case study analyzes the S&OP processes of seven organizations in the process industry, drawing on 17 in-depth interviews with high-ranking representatives, internal and external documents, and a group meeting with participating organizations. Findings The study finds that organizations proactively design their S&OP based on their main risk focus stemming from the planning environment. In turn, such designs proactively support organizations' risk identification, assessment, treatment and monitoring through their S&OP execution. Reactively, a crisis S&OP meeting - making use of the structure of S&OP - can be used as a risk-treatment tool, and S&OP design can be temporarily adapted to deal with emerging risks. Originality/value This study is among the first to empirically elucidate risk management through S&OP. S&OP design, execution and adaption are identified as three interconnected strategies that allow organizations to manage risks. The design enables risk management activities in the monthly execution of S&OP. The reactive role of S&OP in risk management is particularly novel

The effect of production system characteristics on resilience capabilities:a multiple case study

Purpose To date, the literature has usually assumed that a universal approach to resilience is appropriate in which different resilience capabilities are equally important for all organizations independent of contextual characteristics. In contrast this study investigates if production process characteristics affect resilience capabilities in terms of redundancy, flexibility, agility and collaboration. Design/methodology/approach An in-depth exploratory multiple case study was carried out in eight companies across different industries. Data were gathered through multiple interviews with key informants in each company. Findings The authors find differences in, and trade-offs between, resilience capabilities and practices related to redundancy, agility and collaboration induced by the different configurations of production system characteristics: especially between discrete and process industries. Further, a major influential characteristic is the production strategy employed (make-to-stock or make-to-order) which stresses or limits collaboration and redundancy. Originality/value This is one of the first studies to explore the effects of production system characteristics as a major contingency factor on the resilience capabilities of an organization. As such it provides valuable insights into the development of a more nuanced contingency approach to how organizations can build resilience and employ specific practices that fit their situation

The SARAH Domain of RASSF1A and Its Tumor Suppressor Function

The Ras association domain family 1A (RASSF1A) tumor suppressor encodes a Sav-RASSF-Hpo domain (SARAH), which is an interaction domain characterized by hWW45 (dSAV) and MST1/2 (dHpo). In our study, the interaction between RASSF1A and RASSF1C with MST1 and MST2 was demonstrated and it was shown that this interaction depends on the SARAH domain. SARAH domain-deleted RASSF1A had a similar growth-reducing effect as full-length RASSF1A and inhibited anchorage independent growth of the lung cancer cell lines A549 significantly. In cancer cells expressing the SARAH deleted form of RASSF1A, reduced mitotic rates (P = 0.001) with abnormal metaphases (P < 0.001) were observed and a significantly increased rate of apoptosis was found (P = 0.006) compared to full-length RASSF1A. Although the association with microtubules and their stabilization was unaffected, mitotic spindle formation was altered by deletion of the SARAH domain of RASSF1A. In summary, our results suggest that the SARAH domain plays an important role in regulating the function of RASSF1A

Epidemiologia otyłości na świecie i w Polsce

Obesity has been known to mankind since ancient times. Historical proof of this thesis can be found not only in medical documents but also in the works of famous historians and philosophers. In the past, obesity was considered to be a measure of health and high social status. Nowadays, it is classified as one of the most dangerous civilization diseases. Obesity is a serious health, social and economic problem which concerns more and more people in the world despite the promotion of slim figure in mass media and an easy access to food and supplements. The objective of this research is to demonstrate current epidemiology of obesity in Poland and in the world.Otyłość jest schorzeniem towarzyszącym człowiekowi od najdawniejszych czasów. Historyczne dowody na potwierdzenie tej tezy można znaleźć nie tylko w piśm iennictwie lekarskim, ale również w dziełach wybitnych historyków i filozofów. Początkowo otyłość uznawana była za wyznacznik zdrowia i wysokiej pozycji społecznej, dziś uznaje się ją za chorobę cywilizacyjną, będącą jednym z największych zagrożeń dla zdrowia współczesnej populacji. Otyłość stanowi istotny problem zdrowotny, społeczny i ekonomiczny, który pomimo propagowanego wizerunku szczupłej sylwetki w środkach masowego przekazu oraz łatwego dostępu do żywności i suplementów diety, dotyczy coraz większej liczby osób na świecie. Celem pracy jest przedstawienie aktualnej epidemiologii otyłości na świecie oraz w Polsce

A study on the relationship between orthorexia and vegetarianism using the BOT ("Bratman Test for Orthorexia")

Aim. The following article presents the relationship between vegetarianism and orthorexia nervosa (ON). Vegetarianism is an ideology and a way of life that aims at minimizing animal exploitation. A vegetarian diet excludes the consumption of meat together with other animalderived products. According to scientists, orthorexia nervosa is considered to be a new, yet unclassified eating disorder. It involves introducing dietary restrictions by individuals who feel a desire to improve their health status by healthy eating. Method. The study involved 2,611 participants, namely 1,346 vegetarians and 1,265 non-vegetarians. The research questionnaire consisted of general personal and anthropometric characteristics, the BOT (Bratman Test for Orthorexia) and questions evaluateing the participants’ attitude towards nutrition. Results. Based on the obtained results, health food fanaticism is more specific to vegetarians than non-vegetarians. The risk for orthorexia nervosa decreases with age and diet duration. The biggest number of health food fanatics was found in the group of lacto-vegetarians, a lower number among ovo-vegetarians and lacto-ovo-vegetarians, and the smallest number was observed in the vegan group. Also, vegetarians were reported to have dietary consultations as frequently as non-vegetarians. Discussion. Very few studies can be found on the relationship between orthorexia nervosa and vegetarianism. Some scientists believe that vegetarians are particularly prone to orthorexia nervosa. In addition, it has been suggested by other researchers that vegetarianism can be used to mask eating disorders, as it allows these affected individuals to avoid certain products or situations related to food. The direction of cause and effect cannot be determined

Obesity treatment algorithm

Światowa Organizacja Zdrowia (WHO, World Health Organization) uznała otyłość za najczęściej występującą chorobę metaboliczną, która osiągnęła rozmiary epidemii, stając się jednocześnie największym wyzwaniem zdrowotnym w krajach rozwiniętych, a także rozwijających się, gdzie równolegle występuje problem głodu i niedostatku pożywienia [1, 2]. Leczenie otyłości powinno uwzględniać działania dietetyczne, modyfikację stylu życia, leczenie farmakologiczne, a w niektórych przypadkach także leczenie operacyjne. Trwała redukcja masy ciała przynosi wiele kor zyści zarówno w skali indywidualnej, jak i społecznej. Celem pracy jest przedstawienie aktualnych standardów leczenia otyłości.The World Health Organization (WHO) described obesity as the most common metabolic disease, which has reached epidemic proportions and become the biggest health challenge not only in the developed but also in the developing countries where it coexists with the problems of famine and malnutrition [1, 2]. Obesity treatme nt should involve a diet, a change of a lifestyle, pharmacological treatment, and sometimes even a surgical intervention. Long-lasting weight loss is very beneficial for both an individual and the society. The objective of the research is to demonstrate the current standards of obesity treatment