Perceptions and determinants of partnership trust in the context of Community-Based Participatory Research

Trust is difficult to conceptualize and define because of its diverse applications in different disciplines. Historic mistrust between vulnerable communities and researchers based on past adverse experiences can negatively affect the ability to collaborate and conduct effective research with such populations. Community Based-Participatory Research (CBPR) is a collaborative approach to research that can reduce historic mistrust and health disparities among minority populations. Although how trust development occurs in CBPR partnerships has been explored, there is a need to determine how to move from one stage to the next in fostering and maintaining that trust. The present study contributes to this discussion by addressing the lack of a shared operational definition of partnership trust and of how to measure it in the CBPR literature. We modified Dietz and Den Hartog’s (2006) Multi-dimensional Measure of Trust Model to investigate contextual factors that influence perceptions and development of trust in collaborative partnerships pursuing the reduction of health disparities. We conducted focus groups and key informant interviews with English and Spanish speaking stakeholders of a culturally relevant health promotion organization in the southeastern United States. Stakeholders reported experiencing different types of partnership trust depending on their role, and the length and nature of involvement with the organization. We identified determinants of partnership trust among stakeholders, including organizational, socio-economic, and cultural determinants. Most study participants agreed that trust with Hispanic communities is built slowly, with personal face-to-face contact and follow-up, and that engaging stakeholders throughout the process of working together in an intentional way is vital to building and maintaining trust. Findings of this study will inform the development of a culturally and linguistically relevant quantitative instrument to measure partnership trust in the context of CBPR

Beyond categorization: new directions for theory development about entrepreneurial internationalization

Categorizations emphasizing the earliness of internationalization have long been a cornerstone of international entrepreneurship research. Here we contend that the prominence of categories has not been commensurate with theory development associated with them. We draw on categorization theory to explain why earliness-based categories are persistent, and argue that a greater focus on notions related to opportunity can open new avenues of research about the entrepreneurial internationalization of business. We propose and discuss three directions for opportunity-based research on entrepreneurial internationalization, involving context, dynamics and variety

An integrated approach : holistic assessment of vocational trainees in the NZ dairy farming industry : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education (Tertiary Education) at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand

Vocational training qualifications in New Zealand have undergone significant change since 2008 due to the Targeted Review of Qualifications (TRoQ) initiated by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA). In 2016, Primary ITO introduced programmes for these new qualifications to the dairy farming sector. A new holistic assessment approach was implemented, centred on an integrated Evidence Portfolio. The purpose of this research was to: a) Compare the new assessment methodology with the previous approach, from the perspective of the Trainees, Employers, and Assessors, and: b) Determine the extent to which the new assessment approach enabled Learners to apply theoretical knowledge to practical workplace situations. While much research has been done about competency-based Vocational Education and Training (VET), it largely focusses on institution-based learners, not those who are based in the workplace. This research aimed to contribute to the literature by examining competency-based assessment in a post-TRoQ, New Zealand workplace-based context. The sample groups for this research were drawn from dairy farming trainees who were enrolled in the new qualifications, and had also achieved one of the previous qualifications. The employers and assessors of these trainees were also included. The research utilised semi-structured interviews with the participants to gain their views on the new assessment methodology and how it compared to the previous method. The findings of this research largely reinforce the literature on competency-based VET. A new contribution is made by examining competency-based VET in a workplace-based context. The new assessment methodology was successful in enabling trainees to apply their theoretical knowledge to practical workplace situations and it was preferred by the participants over the previous assessment method. It is concluded that the notion of how competence is viewed in a New Zealand VET context should be revisited, and that it could assume a wider focus. This research also highlights the link between underpinning theoretical knowledge and practical workplace performance and suggests that performance of practical workplace tasks could provide sufficient evidence to assess Trainees’ theoretical knowledge in the final stages of their qualification

Practitioner enquiry and professional development: 'action research' re-visited and re-viewed in the context of outcomes-based education

[From the abstract]: In the past five years there has been considerable change in curriculum design and delivery in universities in the UK, as the sector moves towards an outcomes-based approach. This is having a marked effect on teaching and learning, and particularly on assessment strategies and methods. Accompanying the curriculum change we have seen an increased emphasis on the role of teaching in HE, with central funding to support staff through 'subject networks', key publications and resources. At the same time there has been high-profile recognition for 'teaching excellence' and a move towards the 'accreditation' of HE academic staff with mandatory continuous professional development (CPD) as part of quality enhancement ..

SemWeB Semantic Web Browser – Improving Browsing Experience with Semantic and Personalized Information and Hyperlinks

Imagine a Web browser that can understand the context of a Web page and recommends related semantic hyperlinks in any Web domain. In addition, imagine this browser also understands your browsing needs and personalizes information for you. The aim of our research is to achieve this in open Web environment using Semantic Web technologies and adaptive hypermedia techniques. In this paper, we discuss a novel Semantic Web browser, SemWeB, which utilizes linked data for context-based hyperlink recommendation and uses a behavior-based and an ontology-driven user modeling architecture for personalization on Web documents. The aim of this research is to bring the gap between the technology and user needs using Semantic Web technologies in Web browsing

Multi-Sensor Context-Awareness in Mobile Devices and Smart Artefacts

The use of context in mobile devices is receiving increasing attention in mobile and ubiquitous computing research. In this article we consider how to augment mobile devices with awareness of their environment and situation as context. Most work to date has been based on integration of generic context sensors, in particular for location and visual context. We propose a different approach based on integration of multiple diverse sensors for awareness of situational context that can not be inferred from location, and targeted at mobile device platforms that typically do not permit processing of visual context. We have investigated multi-sensor context-awareness in a series of projects, and report experience from development of a number of device prototypes. These include development of an awareness module for augmentation of a mobile phone, of the Mediacup exemplifying context-enabled everyday artifacts, and of the Smart-Its platform for aware mobile devices. The prototypes have been explored in various applications to validate the multi-sensor approach to awareness, and to develop new perspectives of how embedded context-awareness can be applied in mobile and ubiquitous computing

Setting the scene: Why research matters

This chapter introduces the current field of research in counselling and psychotherapy. It first takes a historical perspective in describing the strong move in British psychotherapy and counselling towards ‘evidence-based’ practice. This shift is illustrated through a discussion of the focus on therapies that are evidence-based in the NICE guidelines and the NHS/IAPT context. The increasing emphasis on research in training curricula for counselling and psychotherapy programmes is considered as part of this move towards a more research-oriented profession. Turning to the importance of research in counselling and psychotherapy, the chapter secondly discusses reasons why counsellors and psychotherapists should engage with research about what they are doing, arguing for the value of research findings in challenging assumptions and beliefs about their work. Throughout, the chapter seeks to develop in trainees and practitioners a critical awareness of the political and social contexts of research

The organizational implications of medical imaging in the context of Malaysian hospitals

This research investigated the implementation and use of medical imaging in the context of Malaysian hospitals. In this report medical imaging refers to PACS, RIS/HIS and imaging modalities which are linked through a computer network. The study examined how the internal context of a hospital and its external context together influenced the implementation of medical imaging, and how this in turn shaped organizational roles and relationships within the hospital itself. It further investigated how the implementation of the technology in one hospital affected its implementation in another hospital. The research used systems theory as the theoretical framework for the study. Methodologically, the study used a case-based approach and multiple methods to obtain data. The case studies included two hospital-based radiology departments in Malaysia. The outcomes of the research suggest that the implementation of medical imaging in community hospitals is shaped by the external context particularly the role played by the Ministry of Health. Furthermore, influences from both the internal and external contexts have a substantial impact on the process of implementing medical imaging and the extent of the benefits that the organization can gain. In the context of roles and social relationships, the findings revealed that the routine use of medical imaging has substantially affected radiographers’ roles, and the social relationships between non clinical personnel and clinicians. This study found no change in the relationship between radiographers and radiologists. Finally, the approaches to implementation taken in the hospitals studied were found to influence those taken by other hospitals. Overall, this study makes three important contributions. Firstly, it extends Barley’s (1986, 1990) research by explicitly demonstrating that the organization’s internal and external contexts together shape the implementation and use of technology, that the processes of implementing and using technology impact upon roles, relationships and networks and that a role-based approach alone is inadequate to examine the outcomes of deploying an advanced technology. Secondly, this study contends that scalability of technology in the context of developing countries is not necessarily linear. Finally, this study offers practical contributions that can benefit healthcare organizations in Malaysia