Investigating models of adult safeguarding in England – a mixed-methods approach

2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 377-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Norrie ◽  
Martin Stevens ◽  
Katherine Graham ◽  
Jill Manthorpe ◽  
Jo Moriarty ◽  
...  

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the methodology being used in a study exploring the organisation of adult safeguarding. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed-methods study is presented which describes how the research team is seeking to identify models of adult safeguarding and then compare them using a quasi-experimental study design. Findings – Close examination of this study's methodology highlights the potential value of mixed-method research approaches. Research limitations/implications – Anticipated study challenges include difficulties with gaining agreement from study sites and recruitment of people who have been the subject of a safeguarding referral. Originality/value – This will be the first study in England to identify and compare different models of adult safeguarding in depth. Outlining and discussing current methodology is likely to be of interest to practitioners, managers and other researchers and policy makers.

2021 ◽  
pp. 135910452110055
Author(s):  
Lucie Smith ◽  
Esther Crawley ◽  
Madeleine Riley ◽  
Megan McManus ◽  
Maria Elizabeth Loades

Background: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS/ME) may get in the way of enjoying activities. A substantial minority of adolescents with CFS/ME are depressed. Anhedonia is a core symptom of depression. Anhedonia in adolescents with CFS/ME has not been previously investigated. Method: One hundred and sixty-four adolescents, age 12 to 18, with CFS/ME completed a diagnostic interview (K-SADS) and questionnaires (HADS, RCADS). We used a mixed-methods approach to explore the experience of anhedonia and examine how common it is, comparing those with clinically significant anhedonia to those without. Results: Forty-two percent of adolescents with CFS/ME reported subclinical or clinical levels of anhedonia. Fifteen percent had clinically significant anhedonia. Thematic analysis generated two themes: (1) stopping activities that they previously enjoyed and (2) CFS/ME obstructs enjoyment. Most (72%) of those who reported clinically significant anhedonia met the depression diagnostic criteria. Those who were depressed used more negative language to describe their experience of activities than in those who were not depressed, although the themes were broadly similar. Conclusions: Experiencing pleasure from activities may be affected in CFS/ME, particularly in those who are depressed. Anhedonia may get in the way of behavioural strategies used within CFS/ME treatments.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chandler Puhy ◽  
Nalini Prakash ◽  
Clarissa Lacson ◽  
Joke Bradt

Purpose Increased student diversity in universities across the USA has increased the need for post-secondary educators to develop multicultural teaching competence (MTC). Most studies of MTC focus on educators teaching grades K-12. The purpose of this study is to determine how faculty members rate themselves in terms of MTC, what multicultural knowledge and skills faculty report and how they integrate these skills into their teaching practice and what barriers exist to developing and implementing MTC. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that impact undergraduate faculty integration of multicultural awareness and attitudes into their teaching practices to enhance student learning. Design/methodology/approach A convergent mixed methods study used survey and interview data from undergraduate faculty. Select items from the MTC Inventory (MTCI) and social justice scales (SJS) were administered. Interviews (N = 7) were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Quantitative and qualitative data were compared to examine convergence and divergence. Findings Quantitative results revealed undergraduate faculty’s awareness, knowledge and skills as indicated by percent agreement with items from the MTCI and SJS instruments. Qualitative findings included the following four themes: knowledge building, addressing diversity in the classroom, barriers and challenges, and needs and recommendations. Qualitative data corroborated or explained many of the quantitative results and provided insight into these trends and barriers that impact MTC. Originality/value This is the first study of its kind, to our knowledge, that has used a mixed methods research design to examine factors that impact MTCs and associated barriers among a sample of undergraduate faculty across disciplines in one urban university.


2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 612-627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arlene Haddon ◽  
Catherine Loughlin ◽  
Corinne McNally

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to gain a nuanced understanding of what employees want from leaders in an organizational crisis context. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use a mixed methods approach to explore employee leadership preferences during organizational crisis and non-crisis times using the Multi Factor Leadership Questionnaire (Avolio and Bass, 2004), and qualitative interviews. The authors also investigate sex roles using the Bem Sex Role Inventory (Bem, 1981). Findings – The mixed method approach reveals some potential limitations in how leadership is typically measured. The qualitative findings highlight employees’ expectations of leaders to take action quickly while simultaneously engaging in continuous communication with employees during crisis. None of the components of transformational leadership encapsulate this notion. Originality/value – The mixed methods approach is novel in the crisis leadership literature. Had the authors relied solely on the quantitative measures, the importance of continuous communication during crisis would not have been apparent. As a result of this approach, the findings suggest that widely used and accepted measures of leadership may not adequately capture leadership in a crisis context. This is timely as it aligns with current literature which questions the way this construct is operationalized (Van Knippenberg and Sitkin, 2013).


Retos ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. 623-633
Author(s):  
Juan Antonio Sánchez-Sáez ◽  
Juan Pablo Morillo-Baro ◽  
José Miguel Sánchez Malia ◽  
Daniel Lara Cobos ◽  
Jose Luis Arias-Estero

 Recientemente se ha planteado una propuesta de reglamento de mini-balonmano playa para adaptar el juego adulto a los jugadores en formación de hasta 11 años. El objetivo del estudio fue conocer las respuestas motrices y psicológicas de jugadores y entrenadores tras haber entrenado y jugado con el reglamento propuesto para mini-balonmano playa. Participaron 35 jugadores (16 niños y 19 niñas, edad: 8-11 años, M = 10.06, SD = 0.91) y cinco entrenadores (4 hombres y 1 mujer). El estudio siguió un enfoque de métodos mixtos, cuantitativo y cualitativo. El diseño fue cuasi-experimental con medidas post-test. La intervención siguió tres procesos: (a) la presentación del reglamento a los entrenadores, (b) el entrenamiento aprovechando las ventajas del nuevo reglamento, (c) la competición en un torneo de mini-balonmano playa. Cuantitativamente, las variables dependientes fueron motrices y psicológicas. Cualitativamente, se preguntó a los participantes por sus experiencias habiendo entrenado y jugado con el nuevo reglamento. Se obtuvieron valores elevados en cuanto a la igualdad en la participación, roles desempeñados, decisiones adecuadas en pase, giro y shoot-outs, competencia percibida, disfrute e intención de práctica futura. En conclusión, el reglamento propuesto para mini-balonmano playa parece que estuvo adaptado para los jugadores en formación del presente trabajo (hasta 11 años), dado que, en general, favoreció la participación de los jugadores por igual, sin especializarse en un rol, la equidad entre niños y niñas, las decisiones adecuadas y la adherencia hacia la actividad. Abstract. A proposal for a mini-beach handball regulation has recently been put forward to adapt the adult game to children up to 11 years of age. The aim of the study was to find out the motor and psychological responses of players and coaches after training and playing with the proposed mini-beach handball rules. Thirty-five players (16 boys and 19 girls, age: 8-11 years, M = 10.06, SD = 0.91) and five coaches (4 males and 1 female) participated. The study followed a mixed methods approach, quantitative and qualitative. The design was quasi-experimental with post-test measures. The intervention consisted of three procedures: (a) the presentation of the regulation to the coaches, (b) to train taking advantage of the new regulations, (c) to compete in a mini-beach handball tournament. Quantitatively, the dependent variables were motor and psychological. Qualitatively, participants were asked about their experiences training and playing with the new rules. High values were obtained in terms of equality in participation, roles played, appropriate decisions in passing, turning and shoot-outs, perceived competence, enjoyment, and intention to practice in the future. In conclusion, the proposed rules for mini-beach handball seem to be adapted for participants in the present study (up to 11 years of age), given that, in general, it favoured equal participation of players, without specialising in one role, equity between boys and girls, appropriate decisions and adherence to the activity.


2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 292-307
Author(s):  
Jean Michel Marone

This article provides a discussion of venture capital regulation in Africa and Europe. It is based on a mixed-methods study of three representative cases across two geopolitical entities. The cases are Germany, Kenya and Nigeria. The article notes the lacuna in scholarly circles on the African continent with respect to venture capital and therefore lays the platform for robust engagement with the subject. Using analysis from Germany, it observes that lessons can be drawn on how effective institutions may not be a hindrance to capital but serve to continue to attract. With strong correlations between capital and investor protection as well as capital and taxation levels, a case is made for better institutions even in Eastern and West Africa.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-63
Author(s):  
Silvanos Chirume ◽  
Mathias Taririro Dick

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess the consistency with which quality is maintained in the orientation process. Orientation is a key university process intended to prepare new students for life in higher education (HE). For open and distance learning (ODL), orientation can be a key process for lessening some of the challenges associated with the separation of the learner and the lecturer. Indeed, for ODL students, orientation can be fraught with a variety of challenges one of which could be quality problems.Design/methodology/approachConvenient sampling was used to obtain a total of 89 students in the first semester and 34 students in the second semester. The respondents came from all the eight districts in the Midlands province of Zimbabwe. They belonged to various degree programmes found in the eight faculties of the institution. Correlation was used to determine quality variations. Using a mixed methods approach, the study sought the views of the students and the relationships between activities done in the two semesters of 2018. SPSS version 16.0 software was used to compute Spearman’s correlations whereas content analysis was used to analyze the open-ended responses to the questa-view. This mixed methods approach helped the researchers to analyze and compare the quality of the orientation sessions.FindingsResults yielded a positive and high significant correlation between first and second semester variables (r=0.916,p=0.000), a finding indicating that staff members in the Midlands Regional Campus of Zimbabwe Open University have not changed their ways of conducting orientation. On a scale of 1 (least effective) to 5 (most effective), the average ratings for the presentations in the first and second semesters were 4.08 and 4.26, respectively. In the qualitative analysis, adequacy of the venue, timing, coverage of aspects and use of media were all rated positively for the two sessions. However, for the two sessions, some students mentioned negative sentiments to do with the provision of needed materials at time of student registration, the public address system, orientation packages, time management and communication.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper looks at the process of orientation as it was done at one regional campus of an ODL institution in Zimbabwe. It also analyses the quality of the orientation using correlation as a lens that measures consistency and also by critically analyzing content in the respondents’ voices. Implications are that the findings and recommendations can also be applied in other ODL (and even non-ODL) institutions with a view of finally coming up with common policies and procedures with regards to providing quality service and support to the twenty-first century student.Practical implicationsFindings were relevant and could be used for designing applicable orientation programmes in ODL institutions and for improving the quality of student support and services.Originality/valueWhile a number of studies have been carried out on orientation in HE, it would appear that research on orientation in ODL institutions, especially in Zimbabwe, appears minimal, hence this study covers an unexplored niche.


Author(s):  
Aron Perenyi ◽  
Roxanne Zolin ◽  
Alex Maritz

Purpose Why is self-employment an attractive option for certain seniors and what drives seniors into business start-ups? In this study, the motivations and preferences of senior entrepreneurs in Australia, to become self-employed, by means of business start-ups, are explored. The purpose of this paper is to provide empirical basis for policy implications. Design/methodology/approach A mixed methods study is conducted. Members of the National Senior’s Association in Australia were interviewed and surveyed. The semi-structured interviews identified the key factors influencing senior entrepreneurs in relation to self-employment and entrepreneurial choices at a later career stage. The survey collected information on intentionality, motivation, skills, opportunities, success, satisfaction, participation, barriers, benefits, education and training, and perceptions of policy support for senior entrepreneurs. Findings Respondents gave an account of the prevalence of pull factors motivating their choice of an entrepreneurial career. Multivariate statistical analysis of survey responses showed that senior entrepreneurs are more driven by opportunity than necessity and are primarily internally motivated. Research limitations/implications Results of this study suggest a weak link between motivation by others and the act of start-up, but this may also imply that those seniors who are more likely to become entrepreneurs are more likely to ignore the impulses from their social context. This requires further investigation to ensure a robust identification of drivers and an elimination of contextual effects. Further research is suggested to compose a relevant model structure in different contexts and a representative sample to confirm the model outcomes. Originality/value This is the first mixed methods study of the antecedents of senior entrepreneurs’ start-up intentions in Australia. The study also uses entrepreneurial activity as opposed to intention as its dependent variable, which allows for a more accurate evaluation of antecedents to the senior entrepreneurship phenomenon.


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank L.K. Ohemeng ◽  
Theresa Obuobisa Darko ◽  
Emelia Amoako-Asiedu

Purpose An engaged workforce has never been more important than it is now. Research continues to reveal a strong link between engaged employees and employee performance. Consequently, different strategies continue to be developed to enhance employee engagement (EE) in organisations. Unfortunately, many of these strategies have not worked due to the lack of trust that some employees may have towards organisational leaders. Thus, it is argued that the first step in building an effective EE is building trust, which will erode all sorts of suspicion of the intention of leaders in the organisation. Unfortunately, the literature is not clear about how to build such trust, especially in developing countries where the organisational environment is much different from that in developed ones; making the applicability of models in the developed world quite difficulty in these countries. How can public sector leaders build trust in the organisations in an environment where informality appears to be the norm? The purpose of this paper is therefore to ascertain how trust can be built in public organisations. Design/methodology/approach In order to answer the research questions, as well as obtain in-depth understanding of what is being done, the authors used the mixed methods approach in the data collection for the paper. In using mixed method data collection, the authors took both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Both qualitative and quantitative data were, however, collected concurrently. This was done for the sake of convenience, as there is little study on how to build trust or, even, EE in the Ghanaian context. The authors set out to explore these issues, and the only way for the authors to do so was to undertake the data collection simultaneously. Findings The paper examined critically four main areas to help leadership build trust: credibility, fairness, respect and communication. The study shows that both managers and employees firmly believe in building trust. Leaders were able to discuss the efforts they make to ensure that issues concerning trust building are addressed. At the same time, employees also agreed on the need to strengthen these variables. Practical implications The research identifies areas on which both leadership and employees can continually work to help bridge the gap between them if public organisations are to reap the benefits of EE. The authors are convinced that if the issues discussed here are addressed, and parties work on them, individuals will succeed in their own areas, but so will the organisations, which in turn will help in the development of he country. Originality/value From a theoretical perspective, it extends the work on EE, and offers new insight into this emerging concept from a developing countries perspective, where informality in the public sector is common. Most of the research on trust and EE has been either qualitative or quantitative in nature. Using the mixed methods approach means the authors will be explaining how both can help us better understand the “how” in building trust in the public sector. Thus, the paper is one of the few papers that have used the mixed methods approach to examine how trust can be built in public organisations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Badenes-Rocha ◽  
Carla Ruiz-Mafé ◽  
Enrique Bigné

Purpose This study aims to analyze the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) customer perceptions, customer–company identification and customer trust on customer engagement (CE), paying special attention to the moderating effects of two types of social media communication, firm-generated content and user-generated content. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a mixed-methods’ approach. First, a single-factor experiment using Twitter posts as stimuli with 227 hotel guests. The structural model was analyzed using SmartPLS 3.2.7. Second, structured in-depth interviews were undertaken with three hotel industry experts to complement the conclusions of the quantitative study. Findings The results show that when a customer trusts a hotel and identifies with its corporate values, CSR tweets generate CE toward the hotel. CSR communications made by customers reinforce the impact of CSR tweets on customer trust more than CSR tweets posted by hotels. Hotel industry experts give insights to explain these results in different types of hotels. Practical implications CSR communications made through Twitter affect customers’ perceptions of a hotel’s CSR activities and customer trust in hotels, especially if they originate from a source external to the company. This result can be of use for hotel managers who have not previously given importance to active CSR communications or the interactivity of social media. Originality/value The authors show the moderating effect of user-generated content in the relationship between CSR customer perceptions and customer trust, thus contributing to the research into the effectiveness of social media. They use a mixed-methods’ approach to increase the validity of the results.


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