Mission, strategie e valutazione delle performance delle aziende nonprofit in un approccio di stakeholder management

Le aziende non profit (anp) sono particolari organizzazioni che hanno come obiettivo istituzionale non la creazione di profitto in senso economico ma la massimizzazione del valore sociale prodotto a vantaggio della collettività di riferimento. Tale valore è di natura intangibile e la sua definizione e misurazione dipendono in maniera fondamentale dalla percezione dei diversi stakeholder da esso a vario titolo influenzati. Per questo, per le anp il dialogo ed il coinvolgimento dei propri stakeholder nella definizione della missione e poi nelle scelte manageriali che ne conseguono è elemento fondamentale per il raggiungimento di performance soddisfacenti. Le scelte strategiche devono quindi essere orientate al conseguimento degli obiettivi di missione (mission oriented) nel rispetto del modello organizzativo e gestionale di tipo multi-stakeholder. Per queste ragioni nel working paper si sottolinea l’importanza di processi di stakeholder engagement per la definizione e la misurazione degli indicatori di performance: il valore sociale prodotto è tale, infatti, solo se percepito dagli stakeholder coinvolti.******** (Mission, Strategies and Performance Evaluation in Nonprofit Organisations From a Stakeholder Management Approach Nonprofit organisations (NPOs) have emerged as important not-for-profit private actors providing goods or services directly related to their explicit aim to create social value for the community in which they work. In order to maximize its social value creation, an NPO firstly has to define its mission according to stakeholders’ expectations, then it has to carry it out considering how it is defined by stakeholders, and finally it has to measure its performance and account for it related to how their stakeholders evaluate performance achievement. Since the mission achievement and effectiveness of NPOs are not easy to estimate and to assess, it follows that NPO effectiveness is always a matter of comparison, and that NPO effectiveness is a social construction, which depends on the evaluation given by the stakeholders who have an impact on and are impacted by the mission of the organisation. For these reasons, in the present working paper we assert that managers of NPOs have to use strategic stakeholder relationships, and not only adaptive or reactive approaches, in order to negotiate outcomes which reflect win-win situations for different stakeholders.) (This paper is only available in italian)

Analisi delle caratteristiche del processo gestionale dei Centri di Servizio per il Volontariato (CSV) in un’ottica stakeholder management

Partendo dal presupposto che le performance delle Anp dipendono dalla percezione che i vari stakeholder hanno rispetto al raggiungimento della missione, il presente paper analizza il caso dei Centri di Servizio per il Volontariato (CSV). Tali organizzazioni rappresentano una particolare tipologia di azienda non profit (anp) la cui missione è riconducibile ad attività di supporto strategico, organizzativo e tecnico alle piccole organizzazioni di volontariato italiane. L’elaborato presenta i risultati di una ricerca-azione sviluppata con 61 CSV italiani. Scopo della ricerca è stato evidenziare i limiti del sistema di management dei CSV e l’impatto in termini di raggiungimento della missione. Nel paper si ipotizza che tali limiti siano dovuti alla difficoltà di mappare le istanze dei loro stakeholder da parte dei CSV, pertanto si propone un modello di analisi delle stesse, finalizzato a superare gli attuali limiti manageriali dei CSV. ********* (Analysis of the Management Process of Centres for Services for Voluntary Organisations from a Stakeholder Management Perspective Considering the assumption that the performance of Nonprofit Organisations (NPOs) depends upon stakeholders’ perceptions, in an NPO, strategic management of stakeholders entails not only responding to their requests, but also guiding them in order to align their needs, values and objectives with the mission of the organisation. Given the background on the managerial characteristics that distinguish an NPO and a profit organisation, and the different role of a stakeholder approach in these two kinds of organisations, the paper will discuss the strengthens and weaknesses of a particular type of Italian NPO – Centres for Services for Voluntary Organisations (CSVs) – and will suggest that a proactive dialogue between CSVs and their stakeholders could help these organisations align their stakeholders’ claims to the organizational mission and to better define and develop strategies and activities coherent with the mission. The research was carried out using the action research model (Lewin, 1946) and the findings are based on the analysis of a sample of 61 CSVs throughout Italy.) (This paper is only available in italian)

Steps towards collective sustainability in biomedical research

The optimism surrounding multistakeholder research initiatives does not match the clear view of policies that are needed to exploit the potential of these collaborations. Here we propose some action items that stem from the integration between research advancements with the perspectives of patient-advocacy organizations, academia, and industry

Reflexões sobre a Relação entre a Educação Superior em Turismo com a Função de Gestão e Planejamento dos Destinos Turísticos

O planejamento do turismo é uma atividade essencial para garantir a qualidade, a sustentabilidade e a competitividade dos destinos turísticos. Entretanto, existe um despreparo relacionado ao desempenho das funções de gestão e planejamento que se acredita estar relacionado com a formação dos profissionais. Com base numa pesquisa preliminar, exploratória e teórica, o presente artigo pretende relacionar a educação do profissional de gestão e planejamento turístico com a prática laboral. Trata-se de um ensaio teórico sobre o tema e que precede uma pesquisa empírica que está sendo desenvolvida no âmbito do doutoramento de um dos autores. Espera-se que os resultados venham a contribuir com a melhor formação e, consequentemente, um planejamento turístico mais eficaz

Burnout syndrome in nurses acting in primary care: an impact on quality of life

Objective: investigating the effect of the burnout syndrome (SB) on the quality of life of nurses working in primary care in the city of João Pessoa. Method: an exploratory study of quantitative approach conducted with 45 nurses of primary health care. Data were collected in May and June 2013, using questionnaires, after approval by the Ethics Research Committee, CAAE No. 15506913.1.0000.5188. The data were calculated and analyzed with descriptive statistics. Results: the results showed that 5 (11,1%) nurses have symptoms of burnout, while 7 (15,5%) are at high risk for developing the syndrome. Conclusion: in this study it can be concluded that the symptoms of SB are present in the nurses of primary care; being emotional exhaustion the landmark to its development

Comparison of rRNA-based reverse transcription PCR and rDNA-based PCR for the detection of streptococci in root canal infections

Objective: The rDNA-based method is unable to distinguish between alive and dead cells. Alternatively, bacterial viability can be assessed by molecular methods based on ribosomal RNA (rRNA). Therefore, this study aimed to detect viable streptococci in root canal samples using rRNA-based reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), compared to an rDNA-based PCR assay. Methodology: Microbiological root canal samples were obtained from 32 teeth with primary endodontic infections before (S1) and after chemomechanical preparation (S2), and after removal of intracanal medication (S3). RNA and DNA were extracted, and complementary DNA (cDNA) was synthesized from RNA using RT reaction. cDNA and genomic DNA were subjected to PCR with primers complementary to the 16S rRNA sequences of Streptococcus spp. McNemar’s test was used to compare the detection rate of both assays (P<0.05). Results: Streptococci were detected in 28.12% (9/32) and 37.5% (12/32) of S1 samples using rRNA- and rDNA-based PCR assays, respectively. In contrast, they were detected in only 6.25% (2/32) of S2 samples using rRNA-based RT-PCR, compared to 15.62% (5/32) using rDNA-based PCR. Finally, in S3 samples, streptococci were not detected by rRNA, whereas rDNA-based PCR still detected the bacteria in 12.5% (4/32) of the samples. The total number of PCR-positive reactions in the rDNA-based PCR was higher than in the rRNA-based assay (P<0.05). Conclusions: The rRNA-based RT-PCR showed a lower detection rate of streptococci when compared to the rDNA-based PCR, suggesting that the latter may have detected dead cells of streptococci in root canal samples

Cost-minimization analysis of GSTP1c.313A>G genotyping for the prevention of cisplatin-induced nausea and vomiting: a Bayesian inference approach

Background: Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting are concerning adverse events resulting from cancer treatment, and current guidelines recommend the use of neurokinin-1-selective antagonists, such as fosaprepitant, in highly emetogenic schemes. However, the implementation of this strategy may be limited by the cost of treatment. GSTP1c.313A>G genotype was recently described as a predictor of vomiting related to high-dose cisplatin. We hypothesized that the inclusion of routine GSTP1c.313A>G screening may be promising in financial terms, in contrast to the wide-spread use of fosaprepitant. Methods: A cost-minimization analysis was planned to compare GSTP1c.313A>G genotyping versus overall fosaprepitant implementation for patients with head and neck cancer under chemoradiation therapy with high-dose cisplatin. A decision analytic tree was designed, and conditional probabilities were calculated under Markov chain Monte Carlo simulations using the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm. The observed data included patients under treatment without fosaprepitant, while priors were derived from published studies. Results: To introduce screening with real-time polymerase chain reaction, an initial investment of U$39,379.97 would be required, with an amortization cost of U$ 7,272.97 per year. The mean cost of standard therapy with fosaprepitant is U$ 243.24 per patient, and although the initial cost of routine genotyping is higher, there is a tendency of progressive minimization at a threshold of 155 patients (Credible interval-CI: 119 to 216), provided more than one sample is incorporated for simultaneous analysis. A resulting reduction of 35.83% (CI: 30.31 to 41.74%) in fosaprepitant expenditures is then expected with the implementation of GSTP1c.313A>G genotyping. Conclusion: GSTP1c.313A>G genotyping may reduce the use of preventive support for chemotherapy induced nausea and lower the overall cost of treatment. Despite the results of this simulation, randomized, interventional studies are required to control for known and unknown confounders as well as unexpected expenses.14

Actinic cheilitis:proposal of a clinical index

Actinic cheilitis is a potentially malignant lesion most commonly found in the lower lip of individuals with chronic exposure to ultraviolet radiation. The aim of this study was to develop and to test a clinical index that can be used to assess the severity of actinic cheilitis. The clinical index of actinic cheilitis was applied to 36 patients. An incisional biopsy was obtained to grade oral epithelial dysplasias following the World Health Organization (WHO) and binary systems, and to evaluate their association with clinical characteristics by Fisher?s exact test (P<0.05). The accuracy of the index was evaluated based on sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and receiver operating curve. The blurring between the border of the lip and the skin was significantly associated with cases without dysplasia/mild epithelial dysplasia (P=0.041) and with low risk of malignancy (P=0.005). Ulcers and crusts were significantly associated with moderate/severe epithelial dysplasia (P=0.002 and P=0.012, respectively) and high risk of malignancy (P=0.005 and P=0.045, respectively). Erosion showed a significant association only with high-risk cases of malignancy (P=0.024). The cut-off values of the diagnostic test showing the best performance were 10 for the WHO grading system and 11 for the binary system. The index cut-offs with the highest accuracy were considered indicators for a biopsy. Erosion, ulceration and crusts were associated with more severe oral epithelial dysplasias

Prevalence of lip and perioral Ephelides in beach workers

BACKGROUND: Ephelides are small hyperpigmented macules common in the skin, presenting as areas with increased melanin production. Ephelides are observed in genetically predisposed individuals, particularly fair-skinned people highly susceptible to sunburn. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of lip and perioral ephelides in 362 beach workers in the city of Natal (Rio Grande do Norte) and to investigate potential associations with sociodemographic, occupational and general health. METHODS: For this purpose clinical tests were performed by calibrated examiners in the epidemiological area around the lips and the area bounded laterally by the nasolabial groove and at the bottom by the chin. A questionnaire was completed and assessed. The possible associations between sociodemographic variables, occupational and general health with the presence of lip and perioral ephelides were evaluated by chi-square test for a significance level of 5%. RESULTS: Approximately one third of the workers were affected by perioral ephelides (33.7%) and around a quarter of them by lip ephelides (24.0%). Gender was the only variable significantly associated with the presence of perioral ephelides (p = 0.002), unlike lip ephelides which proved to be significantly associated with habits (p = 0.036) and alcoholism (0.030). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of ephelides in lip and perioral region was high in the study population, with gender and certain habits associated with its occurrence