An evaluation of staff engagement programmes in four National Health Service Acute Trusts

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report the findings from an evaluation project conducted to investigate the impact of two staff engagement programmes introduced to four National Health Service (NHS) hospital Trusts in England. It seeks to examine this development in the context of current policy initiatives aimed at increasing the level of staff involvement in decision-making, and the related literature. \ud \ud Design/methodology/approach – A mixed-methods approach incorporating document analysis, interviews, a survey and appreciative inquiry, informed by the principles of impact evaluation design, was used. \ud \ud Findings – The main finding to emerge was that leadership was crucial if widespread staff engagement was to be achieved. Indeed, in some of the trusts the staff engagement programmes were seen as mechanisms for developing leadership capability. The programmes had greater impact when they were “championed” by the Chief Executive. Effective communication throughout the organisations was reported to be a prerequisite for staff engagement. Problems were identified at the level of middle management where the lack of confidence in engaging with staff was a barrier to implementation. \ud \ud Practical implications – The nature of the particular organisational context is crucial to the success of efforts to increase levels of staff engagement. The measures that were found to work in the trusts would need to be adapted and applied to best meet the needs of other organisations. \ud \ud Originality/value – Many health care organisations in England will need to harness the efforts of their workforce if they are to meet the significant challenges of dealing with financial restraint and increasing patient demand. This paper provides some insights on how this can be done

Archaeobotanical evidence for early Neolithic diet and subsistence at M'lefaat (Iraq)

The archaeobotanical assemblage of the Aceramic Neolithic site of M'lefaat, dated to the beginning of the 10th millennium uncal. BP, is dominated by legumes, especially Vicieae, Lathyrus/Vicia, Vicia ervilia and Lens, and by grasses, such as Hordeum spon- taneum/distichon, Aegilops cylindrica/tauschii/spehoides ssp. speltoides and Triticura boeoticum/Secale. Other taxa such as Gypsophila pilosa type and Bellevalia type, also count for a significant part of the assemblage. Taxa associated with a riverine environment dominate the charcoal assemblage. The archaeobotanical results of other contemporary steppic sites of the northern Fertile Crescent. (Qermez Dere, Abu Hureyra, Mureybet and Jerfel Ahmar), were compared to those of M'lefaat. The results are quite similar : legumes, especially Vicia and Lens, and grasses, especially Hordeum spontaneum/distichon and Triticum boeoticum/Secale, dominate. A distinctive trait of the M'lefaat assemblage is the abundance of Aegilops. Although it is impossible to rule out domestication or cultivation, there is no positive evidence for this at the site. Archaeobotanical results from M'lefaat and other steppic sites suggest that wetter conditions and a moist-steppe vegetation and/or forest-steppe, with good grasses, were in place 10,000 BP.Nous présentons ici les résultats de l'étude des restes carpologiques et anthracologiques de M'lefaat, site néolithique précéramique du nord de l 'Iraq datant du début du 10e millénaire BP (non calibré). L 'assemblage carpologique de M'lefaat est dominé par les légumineuses, notamment Vicieae, Lathyrus/Vicia, Vicia ervilia et Lens sp., et par les graminées, notamment Hordeum spontaneum/distichon, Aegilops cylindrica/tauschii/speltoides ssp. speltoides et Triticum boeoticum/Secale. D 'autres taxons, Gypsophila pilosa et Bellevalia, comptent aussi pour une part importante de l 'assemblage. Les résultats archéobotaniques d'autres sites steppiques du nord du Croissant Fertile de la même époque ont été comparés à ceux de M'lefaat. Les gisements de cette période pour lesquels les restes archéobotaniques ont été préservés et analysés se limitent à Qermez Dere, un site en cours d 'étude mais pour lequel nous disposons de résultats préliminaires, à Abu Hureyra, Mureybet et Jerf el Ahmar. Sur tous les sites les assemblages carpologiques et anthracologiques sont assez semblables : les légumineuses, notamment Vicia et Lens, et les graminées, telles que Hordeum spontaneum/distichon et Triticum boeoticum/Secale, dominent. Les restes carpologiques témoignent de la présence d'une ripisylve et. d'une steppe humide et/ ou d'une forêt-steppe ; les assemblages anthracologiques sont dominés par des taxons de la ripisylve. L 'un des traits qui distingue M'lefaat des autres sites est l 'abondance d 'Aegilops. À l 'exception peut-être de Abu Hurevra, la présence des céréales domestiques n 'est attestée sur aucun des sites mentionnés. Malgré l 'importance de certains taxons qui, de nos jours, sont, considérés comme des adventices, il est difficile de prouver l'existence d 'une agriculture pré-domestique. Les résultats archéobotaniques semblent indiquer que, vers 10 000 BP, le climat, était plus humide et que le paysage végétal était caractérisé par la présence d 'une steppe humide et/ou d 'une forêt-steppe où abondaient les graminées.Savard Manon, Nesbitt M., Gale Rowena. Archaeobotanical evidence for early Neolithic diet and subsistence at M'lefaat (Iraq). In: Paléorient, 2003, vol. 29, n°1. pp. 93-106

Thomas Turner and co.'s 'Suffolk Works' The History and Archaeology of a Sheffield Steel and Cutlery Works - Appendices

This collection comprises the appendices for the publication Thomas Turner and co.'s 'Suffolk Works' The History and Archaeology of a Sheffield Steel and Cutlery Works. This project was an excavation undertaken by Archaeological Research and Consultancy at the University of Sheffield (ARCUS) of a purpose built nineteenth century steel and cutlery works, the "Suffolk Works". At the time (2001-2002) this was a unique opportunity to investigate a type of industrial site that has rarely survived with so little sub-surface disturbance, supported by an unusual wealth of documentary and photographic evidence. Its investigation contributed towards the aims of a 2001 survey by English Heritage of Sheffield's built industrial environment, which highlighted the importance of the study of standing building remains in the furtherance of understanding the operation and development of the metals trade in the area. The project was funded by Midland Mainline. It is hoped that the publication and appendices will demonstrate the importance of integrating historical documentation, excavated structures and post-excavation artefactual research in informing understanding of manufacturing processes and associated products

A Generic Quantitative Risk Assessment Framework for the Entry of Bat-Borne Zoonotic Viruses into the European Union

<div><p>Bat-borne viruses have been linked to a number of zoonotic diseases; in 2014 there have been human cases of Nipah virus (NiV) in Bangladesh and Ebola virus in West and Central Africa. Here we describe a model designed to provide initial quantitative predictions of the risk of entry of such viruses to European Union (EU) Member States (MSs) through four routes: human travel, legal trade (e.g. fruit and animal products), live animal movements and illegal importation of bushmeat. The model utilises available datasets to assess the movement via these routes between individual countries of the world and EU MSs. These data are combined with virus specific data to assess the relative risk of entry between EU MSs. As a case study, the model was parameterised for NiV. Scenario analyses showed that the selection of exporting countries with NiV and potentially contaminated trade products were essential to the accuracy of all model outputs. Uncertainty analyses of other model parameters identified that the model expected number of years to an introduction event within the EU was highly susceptible to the prevalence of NiV in bats. The relative rankings of the MSs and routes, however, were more robust. The UK, the Netherlands and Germany were consistently the most likely points of entry and the ranking of most MSs varied by no more than three places (maximum variation five places). Legal trade was consistently the most likely route of entry, only falling below human travel when the estimate of the prevalence of NiV in bats was particularly low. Any model-based calculation is dependent on the data available to feed into the model and there are distinct gaps in our knowledge, particularly in regard to various pathogen/virus as well as host/bat characteristics. However, the strengths of this model lie in the provision of relative comparisons of risk among routes and MSs. The potential for expansion of the model to include other routes and viruses and the possibility of rapid parameterisation demonstrates its potential for use in an outbreak situation.</p></div

Crony Capitalism and Financial System Stability

Prior to the Asian financial crisis, the cozy relationships between corporations, governments, and banks were seen as a potent force for economic growth and development. In this article we examine the institution of crony capitalism. Under conditions in which the Second Welfare Theorem does not hold, there is a role for government. Some governmental institutions do encourage more risky, high-payoff entrepreneurial activities. Our aim is to examine crony capitalism as a potential source of government activity that enhances economic productivity. In addition, we explore the conditions under which the government activity can instigate a financial crisis. (JEL G28, G21, E32) Copyright 2005, Oxford University Press.

Baseline relative ranking of MS risk of introduction of NiV from all routes, range (min–max ranking) over scenarios 1–6 and range over all scenarios (including removal of grapes and addition of China).

<p>Baseline relative ranking of MS risk of introduction of NiV from all routes, range (min–max ranking) over scenarios 1–6 and range over all scenarios (including removal of grapes and addition of China).</p

Average number of years until an introduction event of NiV, by EU MS and route.

<p>Colour scale from red to green, where red is the lower number of years before an introduction event.</p