The Ambushed Spirit: Perspective, Violence and Downsizing

The purpose of this study was to investigate downsizing from the perspective of the person who was separated from the job, and to explore its connection to violence and peace studies. Findings suggest that experiences varied according to context and point of view and that downsizing was often a violative

Challenging The Lure Of The Protean Career

In this paper I call attention to unique perspectives among workers and reassert that “worker” does not denote a categorical monolith, but rather a unique human being who perceives the same phenomena differently from everyone else. I position my assertion within the context of the seemingly unquestioned notion of the protean career. Referring to stories by people who participated in a qualitative study I conducted in 2001, I caution that the “emancipatory” qualities of the protean career might not be universally accepted; rather, for personal reasons of one’s own, these same characteristics could be perceived as disruptive of the order that one has constructed. Conclusions suggest that there may be workers like the people in the study I conducted, who find themselves engaged in the protean environment against their will. Even though on the surface they could be said to be taking their place among the residents of “free agent nation”, they might have preferred uninterrupted citizenship in the company wherein they were employed. Implications point to the importance of problematizing the blind acceptance and generalizability of the protean career

Adult experiences with involuntary separation from the job

Includes bibliographical references (pages [321]-329).This qualitative study presents an interpretative conceptual framework through which to understand 28 white-collar workers' experiences with involuntary separation from the job: (1) how do these people describe their experience of this downsizing? (2) is there a relationship between their experience of this downsizing and violence? If so, what is the relationship? and (3) what are their perceptions about the acceptability of this downsizing and downsizing in general? Findings suggested that people's experiences differed depending on context and perspective. Experiences were nestled within a multitiered cultural structure, including the wider business culture in the United States, the internal organizational culture at TREBCO, and finally, the personal cultures that were comprised of the participants' unique relevancy structures. Participants situated their stories within a temporal horizon consisting of “before,” “during,” “after,” and an “interim” period for some. Four broad experiences of this downsizing emerged: “layoff was a godsend,” “opportunity came,” “it happened, move on,” and “we were hurt.” Stories and language suggested that this downsizing was experienced as a violative that could be situated at individually defined places along a continuum between peace and violence or order and disorder. This involuntary separation widened the gap between actual and potential realization of basic human needs. External and internal cultural elements likely contributed to and/or sustained the acceptance of downsizing in this way. Evidence suggested that some participants had internalized its inevitability and acceptability. Some participants offered possible alternatives to involuntary separation. At its core, across all experiential categories, these participants' experiences suggested that this downsizing had been a separate-ive, with the organization “taking away” and the participants “losing.” That which was taken away and that which was lost differed among the participants. This dissertation concludes with implications for further research, scholarship, and practice for the organic intellectual, academics, and professionals engaged in a wide array of disciplinary areas, including but not limited to policy studies, adult education, critical management studies, organizational development, human resources development, human resources management, career development, and counseling.Ed.D. (Doctor of Education

REDISCOVER guidelines for borderline-resectable and locally advanced pancreatic cancer: management algorithm, unanswered questions, and future perspectives

The REDISCOVER guidelines present 34 recommendations for the selection and perioperative care of borderline-resectable (BR-PDAC) and locally advanced ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (LA-PDAC). These guidelines represent a significant shift from previous approaches, prioritizing tumor biology over anatomical features as the primary indication for resection. Condensed herein, they provide a practical management algorithm for clinical practice. However, the guidelines also highlight the need to redefine LA-PDAC to align with modern treatment strategies and to solve some contradictions within the current definition, such as grouping "difficult" and "impossible" to resect tumors together. Furthermore, the REDISCOVER guidelines highlight several areas requiring urgent research. These include the resection of the superior mesenteric artery, the management strategies for patients with LA-PDAC who are fit for surgery but unable to receive multi-agent neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the approach to patients with LA-PDAC who are fit for surgery but demonstrate high serum Ca 19.9 levels even after neoadjuvant treatment, and the optimal timing and number of chemotherapy cycles prior to surgery. Additionally, the role of primary chemoradiotherapy versus chemotherapy alone in LA-PDAC, the timing of surgical resection post-neoadjuvant/primary chemoradiotherapy, the efficacy of ablation therapies, and the management of oligometastasis in patients with LA-PDAC warrant investigation. Given the limited evidence for many issues, refining existing management strategies is imperative. The establishment of the REDISCOVER registry (https://rediscover.unipi.it/) offers promise of a unified research platform to advance understanding and improve the management of BR-PDAC and LA-PDAC