The value of choice: A qualitative study

Background Providing choice in health care is part of an ongoing policy initiative Aim To explore how people understand choice in health care provision Setting South East England Design of Study A qualitative study using semi structured interviews Method Twenty two people recruited through advertising were interviewed about choice in general and choice in health care in particular. The data were analysed using template analysis. Results Participants grounded their consideration of choice in the NHS within the GP consultation. Four main themes about choice were identified: positive aspects of choice; the appearance of choice; unwanted choice; and the role of information in choice. In particular, there was strong assent to the value of choice in principle and having choice was seen as positive. The provision of choice options, however, was not always associated with the possibility of meaningful choice and participants felt that the appearance rather than the substance of choice was sometimes in evidence. Making – as opposed to having - choice was often unwanted and considered as indicative of erosion in trust in the GP and to occasion regret. Information was seen as a necessary but not sufficient prerequisite of informed choice Conclusion People value having choices rather than making choices but are concerned about choice provision for its own sake rather than choice that is available in a meaningful way. Health care policy that recommends an increase in choice per se may be met with scepticism which could ultimately undermine rather than promote the doctor / patient relationship

Identity construction by Aotearoa/New Zealand entrepreneurial professionals on LinkedIn : a tensional approach : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Organisational Communication at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand

This study explores if, and how, the business social media site, LinkedIn, is providing for Aotearoa/New Zealand entrepreneurial professionals an alternative site for the construction of identity. The two foci of this study are; firstly, a shift to where we increasingly live our lives, the world of social media; and secondly, the tensions that this shift creates for identity and identity construction, or the basic human need to know ‘who we are’ and ‘how we fit in the social world’. The study began with the observation of family, friends and acquaintances, who had taken up self-employment, and were becoming involved in a virtual world of work-related social media through LinkedIn. The researcher’s interest was in if, and how, this virtual world acts as a site for construction of this new work identity, for an entrepreneur or small-business person. The definition of this identity was widened to include ‘professional’ when participants in the study repeatedly referred to themselves as ‘professionals’; thus, the study became a study of a hybrid identity, i.e. the entrepreneurial professional. The specific group identified was Aotearoa/New Zealand entrepreneurial professionals who engaged on LinkedIn. This research therefore is boundary spanning in that it spans the disciplines of: organisational communication and new forms of organisation; ICT and social media use; identity and identity construction, entrepreneurial, professional and digital; and globalisation, by juxtaposing the globalising effect of social media with local discourse. The research approach was from a social/constructionist paradigm, utilising a qualitative methodology. This methodology was considered appropriate as it emphasises an inductive relationship between theory and research that is consistent with the assumptions of the interpretive/ constructionist paradigm, by foregrounding the ways in which individuals interpret their social world, and embodying a view of social reality that is constantly shifting and emergent (Tracy, 2013). As this was an exploratory interpretive study, the researcher was concerned not to predict or pre-empt the findings. Accordingly, the exploration of the participants’ experience on LinkedIn was not organised around predicted or possible themes, but three interrelated communicative processes on LinkedIn identified by Putnam, Phillips, & Chapman, (1996) as three metaphors of communication itself. These were; ‘engagement’ in general terms, with an emphasis on the participants’ engaging in and making sense of the context of social media, secondly, ‘connecting’ or ‘networking,’ and thirdly, ‘interacting’. All three align with an overarching constructionist approach, but each highlight certain features that other two perspectives neglected and provide important and interrelated insights into identity construction on LinkedIn. Twenty-five in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with those who responded to a request, on NZ SME groups on LinkedIn, to be participants. The interview transcripts analysed through thematic analysis. In the process of analysis, tensions, contradictions and paradoxes emerged as a dominant concern. Tensions, such as identity tensions, have long been identified a part of organisational experience (Trethewey & Ashcraft, 2004), and a growing body of literature posits that irrationality is a normal condition of organisational life, and is reflected in the tensions evident in the discourses around the construction of identity in organisations (C. A. Clarke, Brown, & Hailey, 2009; Larson & Gill, 2017; Tracy & Trethewey, 2005; Trethewey & Ashcraft, 2004).These tensions have increased as work increasingly moves to alternative or “less predictable settings of organizing”(Cheney & Ashcraft, 2007, p. 161). The participants’ discourses revealed evidence that LinkedIn was in fact being utilised as a necessary, and for many a normal, site for the construction of entrepreneurial professional identity, yet one fraught with tensions. The identified tensions were complex and interrelated and were interpreted through the analysis as occurring in different levels and dimensions. Tensions at the first level were: two tensions around engagement in the virtual context of identity construction, four tensions around networking and making connections, and finally, five identity construction tensions around interacting and relationship-building on LinkedIn. Further interpretation of these tensions indicated underlying and overlaying tensions, or meta tensions, woven through the participants’ discourses in two dimensions One dimension identifies the tensions specific to the contexts of LinkedIn, Aotearoa/ New Zealand, and entrepreneurial professionals. This dimension of analysis accords with the advice of Cheney and Ashcraft (2007) to pay “particular sensitivity to institutional and contextual variation” (p.161) when researching identity construction in unpredictable organisational settings. The second dimension of analysis identified meta-tensions or overlaying tensional themes around identity work in organisations, that have taken on a different emphasis and character when experienced in the LinkedIn context. These tensions in two dimensions are presented as an integrated framework of identity construction tensions. For each individual these tensions will intersect at different points, illustrating that identity resides not in the person themselves, but in the context, in the broadest sense, in which they engage. The study makes several contributions. Firstly, it identifies the tensions inherent in engaging in LinkedIn and constructing a digital identity there. Secondly, it provides evidence that LinkedIn has, in fact, become, or at least was in the process of becoming, an alternative organisational site, and thus a site for organisational identity construction. Thirdly, it presents in a multi-level and two-dimensional framework for analysis of identity construction in this context. In one dimension it suggests that identity construction on LinkedIn needs to be understood, in the context of personal work situation of the individual, of a local yet global site of communication, and in the context the unique features of a virtual social world. In another dimension, the identity construction can be understood as the tensions likely in an organisational setting. Lastly it suggests utilising the lenses of three different metaphors of communication to explore communication on LinkedIn, engagement, networking, and interaction, and to analyse identity construction on LinkedIn. The study concludes with a discussion of how an understanding of managing these tensions can be utilised in tertiary education courses and to inform small business owners about LinkedIn use

An exploration of the use of coaching and mentoring as a professional development process for primary school emerging leaders: Using science as a context

This study looks at the impact of coaching and mentoring skills, provided through a professional development programme, on developing emerging middle leadership in primary school teachers, where the focus is on science teaching. Emerging leaders play a very important role in supporting and developing other teachers' pedagogy in the implementation of the curriculum and new initiatives into the classroom. The literature illustrates that the skills for coaching and mentoring form a key part of a leader's role, in particular that of an emerging leader where teachers are coaching teachers. These skills can assist in the formation of professional learning communities with a strong focus on the teachers' practice and the enhancement of student learning outcomes. The study involves four teachers (emerging leaders) from four large primary schools. It uses a qualitative approach, with an action research methodology. The tools used for data gathering are a questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews and written journal reflections at the workshops. The data is thematically analysed. The findings emphasize the value of coaching and mentoring skills in the professional learning of emerging leaders and the teachers that they are working with. Two overarching changes in the emerging leaders' practice arose. Firstly changes in the leadership understandings of the emerging leaders and secondly in the growth of their leadership practice as they developed small professional learning communities. The importance of trust and relationships as part of the community was highlighted. The data also identified a change in the depth and the development of talk about the teachers' science pedagogy. A crucial realization for the participants was the difference between professional and social conversations when it came to taking a leadership role. The implications of this research include the importance of providing emerging middle leaders in primary schools with the opportunities to explore the bigger picture of leadership. Senior school leaders would be advised to provide professional development opportunities to help emerging leaders develop in their understanding and practice of the skills and knowledge base involved in the leadership process. This study has illustrated that a coaching and mentoring approach to fostering professional learning can be effective in the growth of leadership skills

A study of ethnicity as a crucial casework issue in maternal attitudes

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston Universit

On‐line student feedback: A pilot study

This paper reports on the outcomes of two experimental trials of the use of on‐line questionnaires to assess student satisfaction with courses at the London School of Economics and Political Science. In the first year, eighteen course modules were selected from three departments, surveying a total of 1,100 student places. Students on ten of the courses were invited to complete the ‘experimental’ on‐line survey and the remainder were invited to complete the paper‐based questionnaires which have been in use for several years. In the second year, the scale of the experiment was increased, to include forty‐six courses across seven departments. Response rates were compared and possible barriers to completion of the on‐line questionnaire were considered Whilst electronic monitoring indicated that 95 per cent (first trial) and 80 per cent (second trial) of those contacted for the on‐line survey opened the introductory email, only 23 per cent (first trial) and 27 per cent (second trial) completed the on‐line survey, compared with a 60 per cent response rate on the paper‐based survey. The on‐line response is also slightly lower than that achieved by postal surveys of LSE students (30–50 per cent response rates). Whilst some technical difficulties could have acted as a barrier, motivation appeared to be the main barrier. Initial results from the second trial, which included two reminder emails and some small incentives, show that it is possible to increase the response rate, but this may still be unacceptably low for staff whose promotion prospects may be affected by results. A third trial has been proposed, looking at ways in which the process as a whole could be amended, to overcome the problem of ‘survey fatigue’ that the current system faces

Functional Structure and Approximation in Econometrics (book front matter)

This is the front matter from the book, William A. Barnett and Jane Binner (eds.), Functional Structure and Approximation in Econometrics, published in 2004 by Elsevier in its Contributions to Economic Analysis monograph series. The front matter includes the Table of Contents, Volume Introduction, and Section Introductions by Barnett and Binner and the Preface by W. Erwin Diewert. The volume contains a unified collection and discussion of W. A. Barnett's most important published papers on applied and theoretical econometric modelling.consumer demand, production, flexible functional form, functional structure, asymptotics, nonlinearity, systemwide models

Conversations about food allergy risk with restaurant staff when eating out: A customer perspective

A significant proportion of food-induced allergic reactions occur whilst dining outside the home, often due to failures in communication. This study aimed to examine the nature of conversations about risk that customers with food allergies have with restaurant staff when eating out. A secondary analysis of qualitative data, generated through interviewing 39 consumers with severe food allergies across three primary studies, was conducted. Thematic analysis was used to process the data. Conversations with staff about risk were commonly initiated under circumstances of uncertainty, unfamiliarity and lack of knowledge and information. Re-establishing a ‘contract of care’ with familiar food venues and perceived shortcomings in early interactions with staff were further drivers of initiating risk conversations. Two major constraints to risk conversations were identified: being seen as ‘fussy’ or as a ‘nuisance’. To avoid them being perceived as ‘fussy’ by asking questions about food, consumers framed their conversations with staff in terms of risk, revealing their allergy and its possible impact on health to validate their enquiries. Paradoxically, declaring the allergy and seeking staff acknowledgment of the severity of the condition could make participants feel that they were perceived by staff as a nuisance. These dilemmas sometimes limited conversations and constrained customers' risk management. Experiencing trustworthy interactions with staff was not only contingent on evidence of their knowledge about the food contents and understanding of food allergies but was also based on manifestations of genuine customer care. When managing a food allergy outside the home, establishing risk and safety are products of, and are embedded within, relations and interactions with others. Risk conversations seek to establish trustworthy interactions as the basis on which safety can be maximised and risks – both health and social – minimised

A Methodology for Mentoring Writing in Law Practice: Using Textual Clues to Provide Effective and Efficient Feedback

Becoming a successful legal writer is a process that begins in law school and continues intensively during the beginning years of a lawyer\u27s career. Throughout this process, in both contexts, a writer benefits enormously from feedback on his analysis, and how that analysis is conveyed, from those more experienced. Much has been written about how legal educators should respond to student written work, yet little addresses the role that supervising attorneys can play in mentoring the writing of less experienced colleagues. This article therefore proposes a methodology to help supervisor-mentors provide, in an efficient manner, effective feedback on junior lawyers\u27 writing. The article begins by discussing why a mentor should focus her feedback initially on the analytical foundation of a piece of writing and put off until later copy-editing and commenting on basic clarity of expression. It goes on to recommend a methodology by which a mentor can draw on her experience as a lawyer to identify, from the face of a document, a range of textual and structural clues that likely indicate analytical problems, even when time pressures prevent her from gaining an independent understanding of the document\u27s substance. The article explains how, based on these clues, a mentor can provide feedback that will help a junior lawyer revise a current piece of writing and develop skills to write more successfully in the future. The article concludes by applying this methodology to a hypothetical problem to illustrate this process and to provide the reader with a hands-on practicum using the suggested methodology

Agency, relatedness, inner peace and problem-solving in sexual offending: How sexual offenders prioritise and operationalise their Good Lives conceptions.

Untreated imprisoned sexual offenders (N = 42) completed interviews and questionnaires to establish the priority they assigned, at the time of their offending, to three "goods" from the good lives model and to gain insight into how they operationalized these goods at that time. The relationship between the priorities offenders assigned to the goods of ( a) agency, ( b) relatedness, and ( c) inner peace at the time of offending and their problem-solving ability was also explored. A measure of problem-solving ability was obtained with the Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised, and a measure of functional and dysfunctional problem solving was obtained from its scales. The results suggest that sexual offenders tend to experience problems in prioritizing, rather than operationalizing, inner peace, as this good is not related to problem-solving ability but tends to be assigned lower priority than agency and relatedness. Although agency and relatedness tend to be given higher importance, and this is related to better problem-solving ability, there appear to be problems with scope in some offenders' good lives conceptions and problems with the capacity, means, and conflict among the means used to achieve these goods. Directions for future research are suggested

Consumer preferences for written and oral information about allergens when eating out

Understanding the subtle negotiations and difficulties encountered by FA/FIs when eating out can serve as a guide for legislators and food providers; by encouraging provision of clear written and verbal allergen information, and training of proactive, allergen-aware staff. This, in tandem with legal requirements for allergen information provision, paves the way for FA/FIs to feel more confident in eating out choices; and to experience improved eating out experiences