Electronic information sharing in local government authorities: Factors influencing the decision-making process

This is the post-print version of the final paper published in International Journal of Information Management. The published article is available from the link below. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. Copyright @ 2013 Elsevier B.V.Local Government Authorities (LGAs) are mainly characterised as information-intensive organisations. To satisfy their information requirements, effective information sharing within and among LGAs is necessary. Nevertheless, the dilemma of Inter-Organisational Information Sharing (IOIS) has been regarded as an inevitable issue for the public sector. Despite a decade of active research and practice, the field lacks a comprehensive framework to examine the factors influencing Electronic Information Sharing (EIS) among LGAs. The research presented in this paper contributes towards resolving this problem by developing a conceptual framework of factors influencing EIS in Government-to-Government (G2G) collaboration. By presenting this model, we attempt to clarify that EIS in LGAs is affected by a combination of environmental, organisational, business process, and technological factors and that it should not be scrutinised merely from a technical perspective. To validate the conceptual rationale, multiple case study based research strategy was selected. From an analysis of the empirical data from two case organisations, this paper exemplifies the importance (i.e. prioritisation) of these factors in influencing EIS by utilising the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique. The intent herein is to offer LGA decision-makers with a systematic decision-making process in realising the importance (i.e. from most important to least important) of EIS influential factors. This systematic process will also assist LGA decision-makers in better interpreting EIS and its underlying problems. The research reported herein should be of interest to both academics and practitioners who are involved in IOIS, in general, and collaborative e-Government, in particular

The ‘T-Shaped Buyer’: a transactional perspective on supply chain relationships

This paper challenges the normative view of interdependent buyer-seller relationships and provides a more holistic perspective of the contextual reality that shapes buyer behaviour. By proposing an innovative qualitative methodology, which focusses on boundary-spanning, pre-sales interactions, the research penetrates complex and commercially sensitive buyer-seller relationships. The longitudinal research design uses web-based diaries and follow-up interviews to explore conditions of power based interdependence between buyers and sellers. The ensuing data is mapped using qualitative content analysis and the results are aggregated graphically for assessment. Using this approach the study develops a nuanced view of the dominant patterns of buyer behaviour, and challenges the opinion that a search for competitive advantage will strengthen cooperative relationships in conditions of power based interdependence. The paper introduces the metaphor of the 'T-Shaped Buyer' to explain the empirical findings and, while acknowledging the contextual limits of the study, suggests that this metaphor may cause both academics and practitioners to reflect on normative thinking

How Accountants Perceive and Construe the Intention to Disclose Social Responsibility Information: A Study of Kenyan Companies

This study which was exploratory in nature was aimed at examining the perception, constructs and intentions of accountants to disclose social responsibility information. Disclosure indices were used to determine the current Corporate Social Disclosures (CSD) practices of listed companies in Kenya and to classify companies as high disclosure companies and low disclosure companies, while repertory grid technique was used determine how accountants perceive and construe intention to disclose CSD. Interviews were conducted with accountants from both high disclosure and low disclosure companies. The repertory grid data were analysed in two stages: individual cases analysis and cross-cases analysis. The individual case were analysed using the principal component analysis. For the cross-cases analysis, content analysis was used to categorize constructs based on their expressed meaning. It was found that the reputation of the company is the main motivation for high disclosure companies to disclose social responsibility information and institutional factors were the main motivation for low disclosure companies. It is recommended that regulation and standardisation of CSD can make it more useful for decision-making by various stakeholders.   Key words: Corporate Social Disclosure, Repertory grid, Legitimacy theory, Stakeholder theory

Construal Of Voluntary Environmental Program Participation In The Canadian Residential Construction Industry

This is a study of sensemaking of how Canadian new home builders construe their decision to participate in a voluntary environmental program (Built Green Canada). The Repertory Grid Technique was the data collection method. Findings from 32 interviews revealed a number of themes that decision makers used to make sense of their decision to participate in the program. The most prevalent views related to seeing the decision as a function of being a leader or innovator in the industry and using the program as a marketing and sales tool. Furthermore, themes that were seen as important related to legitimacy/authenticity/integrity and environmental impact. An assessment of which drivers/pressures were important to decision makers in making the decision to join the program was also undertaken. Important drivers/pressures included handling competition, appealing to customers, acquiring technical knowledge, obtaining publicity, building corporate culture/identity, and obtaining third party certifications. The findings are significant as it assists in refining the emergent field of environmental decision making and planning. The results are also useful for industry, voluntary environmental program organizations, and government policy makers to provide them with a better understa

Metamizol i paracetamol — leki podobne, ale nie takie same

Both metamizole and paracetamol (acetaminophen) are popular non-opioid analgesics and antipyretic drugs. The mechanism of action of paracetamol and metamizol is complex and has been under debate for long time. The most probably mechanism responsible for the analgesic effect of metamizole is achieved through both action of COX-1/-2 and the impact on the opioidergic and cannabinoid system. Beside the analgesic and antipyretic effect, it produces also a significant spasmolytic effect. The results of recent studies reveal that paracetamol is a preferential inhibitor of COX-2 isoenzyme, however, its effect depends to a great extent on the state of environmental oxidation/reduction. The analgesic effect of paracetamol is also due to the activation of canabinoid CB1 receptors and the 5-HT3 subtype of serotonin receptors. Metamizole is predominantly applied in the therapy of acute pain, especially visceral pain, and of fever refractory to other treatments. Metamizole is a relatively safe drug. It seems that in the past the risk of metamizole-induced agranulocytosis was overdrew. Metamizole is contraindicated in pregnancy and breastfeeding women. Paracetamol overdose can lead to acute hepatic and renal failure. Paracetamol monotherapy, on condition that the drug is administered at therapeutic doses, is well tolerated by the majority of patients. On another hand, according to the previous study, a long-term application of paracetamol may increase the risk of adverse reactions typical for COX-2 inhibitors such as hypertension, heart infarction or renal failure. However, up to now paracetamol remains still the drug of choice for treating minor to moderate pain in pregnant women and in patients with coagulation, renal or cardiovascular disorders.Zarówno metamizol, jak i paracetamol są popularnymi nieopioidowymi lekami przeciwbólowymi i przeciwgorączkowymi. Mechanizm działania paracetamolu i metamizolu jest złożony i dyskutowany od długiego czasu. Najbardziej prawdopodobnym mechanizmem odpowiedzialnym za efekt przeciwbólowy metamizolu jest wpływ na obie cyklooksygenazy (COX-1/COX-2) i na układ opioidowy oraz kannabinoidowy. Poza działaniem przeciwbólowym i przeciwgorączkowym ma także znaczące działanie rozkurczowe. Wyniki ostatnich badań pokazują, że paracetamol jest preferencyjnym inhibitorem izoenzymu COX-2, chociaż jego efektywność zależy w dużym stopniu od stanu oksydoredukcyjnego tkanek. Działanie analgetyczne paracetamolu jest także wywołane aktywacją receptorów kannabinoidowych CB1 i podtypu 5-HT3 receptorów serotoninowych. Metamizol jest stosowany głównie w leczeniu bólu ostrego, szczególnie trzewnego, i gorączki opornej na inne leki. Jest lekiem względnie bezpiecznym. Wydaje się, że w przeszłości ryzyko agranulocytozy wywołanej metamizolem było wyolbrzymiane. Metamizol jest przeciwwskazany u kobiet w ciąży i karmiących piersią. Przedawkowanie paracetamolu może prowadzić do ostrej niewydolności wątroby i nerek. Monoterapia paracetamolem, pod warunkiem, że lek jest podawany w dawkach terapeutycznych, jest dobrze tolerowana przez większość pacjentów. Z drugiej strony, zgodnie z wynikami wcześniejszych badań długotrwałe stosowanie paracetamolu może zwiększać ryzyko objawów niepożądanych typowych dla inhibitorów COX-2, takich jak nadciśnienie, zawał mięśnia sercowego czy niewydolność nerek. Jednak na dzień dzisiejszy paracetamol pozostaje lekiem pierwszego wyboru do leczenia łagodnego do umiarkowanego bólu u kobiet w ciąży i pacjentów z zaburzeniami układu krzepnięcia, chorobami nerek i układu sercowo-naczyniowego

The Construal of Midwives by Pregnant Women with a Body Mass Index Greater Than or Equal to 30 kg/m2 (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2): A Repertory Grid Study

Objective To explore the construal of midwives by pregnant women with a body mass index greater than 30 kg/m2 (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2). Method Ten pregnant women with a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 were recruited from antenatal clinics at a maternity hospital in the North West of England. Each participant completed a repertory grid. The participants chose people to match roles including themselves, pregnant women, midwives of different BMIs and hypothetical elements. They also generated psychological constructs to describe them. Results Pregnant women with a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 construed themselves as vulnerable and self-conscious. Some women endorsed obesity-related stereotypes for themselves and felt responsible for their weight. The midwife with a BMI 18 < 30 kg/m2 was considered to be most similar to the ideal midwife, while the midwife with a BMI ≤ 18 kg/m2 was construed as having an undesirable interpersonal style. The midwife with a BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2 was often construed as sharing similar experiences to the pregnant women with a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2, such as struggling with the psychological consequences of a raised BMI. Some women construed the midwife with a BMI 30 < 40 kg/m2 in a positive way, whereas others viewed it as sharing similar feelings about weight as the midwife with a BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2. Conclusions The pregnant women with a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 in this study described perceptions of themselves and the midwives responsible for their care, which may affect their engagement and satisfaction with services. Pregnant women with a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 should be involved in service development activities to ensure the structure of services and the language used by midwives are acceptable and do not confirm weight-related stereotypes. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Message Pregnant women with a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 construe themselves as vulnerable and self-conscious and perceive themselves responsible for their weight. Pregnant women with a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 construe midwives with a low BMI as having an undesirable, cold, interpersonal style. Midwives with a raised BMI are construed as similar to the women, because they share the uncomfortable psychological consequences of a raised BMI. The nature of pregnant women's construal may affect their engagement and satisfaction with maternity services and midwifery care

Leczenie bólu przewlekłego u chorego wyleczonego z nowotworu — opis przypadku

Pain in cancer survivors is a major and growing problem. As with all patients, cancer survivors may experience pain from common conditions unrelated to cancer. In addition, survivors may experience comorbid chronic pain acquired or exacerbated during cancer treatment. However, most chronic pain in cancer survivors is treatment related. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, hormonal therapy and other treatments, in combination or alone, have the potential to lead to severe persistent pain. This paper presents a case of 61 year-old cancer survivor (from melanoma malignum chorioideae), who was treated with surgery and radiotherapy and as consequence of the management he suffered from chronic facial pain. Pain was managed with oxycodone/naloxon prolonged release tablets, pregabaline and duloxetine with good pain control.Ból u pacjentów po przebytej chorobie nowotworowej stanowi istotny problem kliniczny, ponieważ mogą oni odczuwać ból z powodu przyczyn niezwiązanych z nowotworem, i który wystąpił lub uległ nasileniu po zastosowanej terapii przeciwnowotworowej. Większość dolegliwości bólowych występujących u chorych wyleczonych z nowotworu jest jednak wywołana leczeniem przeciwnowotworowym. Chemioterapia, radioterapia, chirurgia, hormonoterapia i inne metody leczenia nowotworów mogą spowodować ból o znacznym natężeniu. W artykule przedstawiono opis przypadku 61-letniego chorego z rozpoznaniem czerniaka naczyniówki oka, leczonego chirurgicznie i poddanego radioterapii, które spowodowały przewlekły ból twarzy. Zastosowane leczenie farmakologiczne: oksykodon z naloksonem, pregabalina i duloksetyna zapewniło zadowalający efekt przeciwbólowy

A novel use of honey's aggregation approach to the analysis of repertory grids

This paper examines and appraises a novel approach to generating shared group constructs through aggregative analysis: the application of Honey’s aggregation procedure to repertory grid technique (RGT) data. Revisiting Personal Construct Theory’s underlying premises and adopting a social constructivist epistemology, we argue that, whilst “implicit theories” of the world, elicited via RGT, are unique to individuals, the constructs on which they are founded may be shared collectively. Drawing on a study of workplace performance, we outline a protocol for this novel use of Honey’s (1979a; 1979b) approach demonstrating how it can be utilized to generate shared constructs inductively to facilitate theory building. We argue that, unlike other grid aggregation processes, the approach does not compromise data granularity, offering a useful augmentation to traditional idiographic approaches examining individual-level constructs only. This approach appears especially suited to addressing complex and implicit topics, where individuals struggle to convey thoughts and ideas

A Personal Construct Psychology based investigation into a Product Service System for renting pushchairs to consumers

This is the peer-reviewed version of the following article: Maurizio Catulli and Nick Reed, ‘A Personal Construct Psychology Based Investigation Into a Product Service System for Renting Pushchairs to Consumers’, Business Strategy and the Environment, Vol. 26(5): 656-671, February 2017, which has been published in final form at DOI: 10.1002/bse.1944. Under embargo. Embargo end date: 1 February 2019. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.This paper explores how consumers construe a Product Service System (PSS) for the supply of pushchairs. A PSS is a system of products, services, networks of actors and supporting infrastructure designed to be more sustainable than traditional business models. PSS face an implementation challenge in consumer markets and this case based research explores some reasons for this. The study applies Personal Construct Psychology (in particular, Repertory Grid Technique) which has not previously been used in relation to researching PSS. Results suggest that PSS might be difficult to implement in relation to pushchairs. Renting pre-used equipment may meet resistance because of a perceived risk that acquisition by this means might endanger infants. Participants in the study construed buying new products from specialist infant product shops as being the best way of acquiring them. Accordingly PSS providers may, for instance, have to implement certified quality assurance processes in order to reassure consumers.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio