Sustaining career through maternity leave

The focus of this paper is the expectations and plans relating to their return to work and subsequent career management of health professionals following a current period of maternity leave. A questionnaire was sent to staff in designated health professional occupations employed by the Department of Health Western Australia and one private sector healthcare provider. Employees selected were on the payroll as on maternity leave on a specified date. Data obtained pointed to the interaction of systemic discrimination, embedded ‘technologies’ of work organisation and attitudes and practices reflective of broader societal attitudes to women, as factors restricting the potential opportunities for the longer-term career development of these women. The authors propose that the service delivery model in the health sector should be organised around formal recognition of a range of work-hours options rather than maintaining full-time as the norm for working hours. The objective in doing this would be to undermine current patterns of systemic discrimination which operate through restricted access to training and development for part-timers and the reservation of senior positions for employees working only one standard (full-time) set of hours

Sustainable development in companies: Theoretical dream or implementable reality?

The 21st century company faces a range of multi-faceted and complex challenges as part of the daily functioning. In addition, there are increasing pressure and demands from stakeholders and society towards Sustainable Development (SD). Although SD is not a new concept it is clear that there are numerous interpretations at both a theoretical and practical level regarding the implementation. The author uses a triple-bottom line approach where the economic, social and environmental dimensions are regarded as equally valuable and these need to be implemented simultaneously. This paper highlights the particular challengess which directors and managers face and describes in detail guidelines to enhance practical and realistic implementation of SD within the reality of a very challenging and continuously changing business context

Enhancing sustainable development through implementing complex adaptive systems and reflection: A proposed framework

Most organizations regard Sustainable Development (SD) as important and within a tridimensional approach (including economic, social and environmental dimensions) SD comprises a range of complex issues. However, traditional management approaches do not capture the variabilities as organizations are complex adaptive systems embedded in a complex adaptive context. Consequently, there must be a fundamental shift towards a complexity theory approach (eg. Complex Adaptive Systems, CAS). When SD is viewed from a CAS approach it becomes a continuous process of co-evolution within a rapidly changing context rather than a once off project. Leaders, managers and practitioners work in this complex and rapidly shifting world need crucial skills such as reflection. This paper proposes a framework combining SD, CAS and reflection. Although a framework does not guarantee success it provides a tool to identify SD, CAS and reflection dimensions, develop an integrated approach, create goals, monitor and evaluate outcomes. Lastly, the paper includes management and research implications

Sustainable development and organizational learning: mutually supportive?

The author uses a tridimensional approach to sustainable development in organizations which includes social, economic and environmental dimensions. This approach is consistent with the Brundtland Commission Report, United Nations notion and views of various authors that economic growth, social equity, and environmental maintenance arc simultaneously achievable. Creating a learning organization is one strategy to improve organizational performance and maintain long-term sustainable competitive advantage. Organizational learning includes creating, retaining and transferring knowledge to benefit individuals, groups and organizations. There are clear and definite links between sustainable development and organizational learning. Within the context of a tridimensional approach to sustainable development, organizational learning needs to address the implications of balancing the demands of sustainable development and at the same time deal with the dynamic complexity of the current business reality at local, national and global levels. Sustainable development is not maintaining the status quo but a continuous process of co-evolution within a changing environment. This needs a dynamic process underpinned by organizational learning to create new approaches, structures and policies. In this paper the author discusses the links between sustainable development and organizational learning and describes practical strategies and activities which managers and practitioners can implement to enhance SD and organizational learning

A model for transformational leadership by nursing unit managers

D.Cur. (Professional Nursing Science)It was very dear that dramatic transformation is needed in the new South Africa to accommodate the transformation demanded by the Reconstruction and Development Programme, the National Health System, and other political, economic, social, technological and staff management changes. It was also evident that transformational leadership was needed in nursing in general and in nursing management in particular. This is a qualitative, contextual, exploratory, descriptive and theory-generating study, with the overall aim of exploring and describing a model for transformational Ieadershlp by nursing unit managers to facilitate individual and nursing unit transformation. To accomplish this aim, specific objectives were formulated. Firstly, a conceptual framework and model were explored and described by means of analysis, synthesis, derivation and deductive reasoning. The model was described within the meta theoretical assumptions of the Nursing for the Whole Person Theory (ORU 1990; RAU 1992). The theoretical assumptions were derived from till' Nursing for the Whole Person Theory whereas the methodological assumptions were based on the Nursing Research model of Botes (1995). This Nursing Research model proposed functional reasoning approach. During the exploration and description of the model, connect identification and classification were handled according Lo the survey list of Dickoff, james and Wiedenbach (1968). Thereafter, an education programme was explored and described by deriving the theoretical content on transformational leadership from the conceptual framework and LIl(' model. TIll' principles of adult education (Knowles 1984, Gravett 1991) and the constructivistic learning theory (Klopper 1994 (a» were utilised for the didactical development of the education programme. This education programme was then implemented in a nursing service. Through purposive sampling, four nursing unils in the same nursing service were selected and the model implemented for a period of 12-14 weeks. The cases Ludy method was utilised

Guidelines/strategies for effective student support in caring for aids patients and HIV reactive individuals

AIDS has reached epidemic proportions all over the world. Opsomming Dwarsoor die wereld het AIDS epidemiese afmetings bereik. *Please note: This is a reduced version of the abstract. Please refer to PDF for full text

Integrated co-operative governance in the context of sustainable development

The rapid global development is mostly economically driven and made up of complex country-specific problems. Although sustainable development (SD) is a well established concept and an urgent global challenge, differing levels of progress had been made in organisations, communities and countries. To facilitate consistency of understanding, the authors accept the definition of 'sustainable development' as including the economic, social and environmental dimensions. Furthermore, they argue that these dimensions are not functioning as separate silos but are interdependent and grounded in legislated governance frameworks from where co-coperative governance (COG) realizes as an option to facilitate an integrated approach. The article discusses the challenges in the facilitation of COG and suggests practical guidelines for implementation to facilitate improved integration

Perceptions and transitions towards retirement

In a period of rapid population ageing that is driving up government expenditure on social security benefits and health care, fiscal sustainability and the balance of burden-sharing between generations are issues of vital policy concern that need to be urgently addressed. Given the relative size of the baby boomer cohort, significant demand will be placed upon the public provision system if retirement income streams are inadequate. This study contributes insights into 60 employees' perceptions and expectations about their retirement from the workforce. It complements existing literature by extending discussions about the perceived barriers and facilitators that exist with respect to retirement planning within specific workplace contexts. The project focuses on transitions to retirement and the factors which participants themselves identify as relevant to their capacity to achieve their desired outcomes in retirement as they become older members of the workforce