Definitional Consensus Research Articles

Letter – Is a unified definition of health promotion coterminous with the ‘new public health’?

Introduction: Howat et al. advocate for a clear definition of health promotion, providing one such definition which they characterised as consistent with identified competencies for the Australian health promotion workforce, and welcomed the contributions of others. My contributions are as follows: First, health promotion is generally regarded as the 'new public health', a perspective not explicitly subscribed to in Howat's article. Are the authors concurrently attempting to define the 'new public health'? Incidentally, a unified definition of contemporary public health remains elusive. Consensus on whether contemporary health promotion and the 'new public health' are coterminous should precede a definitional consensus, in part to prevent duplication.

Franchising and the domain of entrepreneurship research

In this essay, we explore the relationship between franchising and entrepreneurship in general, and their research domains in particular. We begin by categorizing the focus of various representative definitions of entrepreneurship as: (1) traits, (2) processes, or (3) activities, and adopt the view that identifying the unique research domain of entrepreneurship is a more worthwhile endeavor than attempting to reach definitional consensus. We subsequently discuss the differences between entrepreneurship in the manufacturing and retailing contexts, and the particular features of franchising as it relates to the study of retailing entrepreneurship. Specifically, four areas are examined: the franchisor’s role in creating an innovative concept, the franchisee’s role in bringing the franchisor’s concept to new markets, the franchisee’s acceptance of risk, and the special issues surrounding the pervasive practice of multi-unit franchising. We conclude with a brief discussion of the reasons for including the study of franchising, franchisors, and franchisees as integral areas within the distinctive domain of entrepreneurship research, and similarly exhort franchising researchers to explore the implications of their work for the study of entrepreneurship.

Medical necessity and psychotherapy.

Managed care and, specifically, the need to conform to medical necessity requirements have had a dramatic effect on medical and psychiatric practice, especially on psychotherapy. The author describes the progression of the concept of medical necessity from a simple accounting of services reimbursable by insurance companies to an ambiguous term without definitional consensus. He describes its relationship to the medical model and discusses the incongruity between medical necessity and certain aspects of psychotherapy. He proposes a broader concept--health necessity--based on an evaluation on the merits of the advantages, disadvantages, and costs of medical and psychiatric services.

Risk factors in child abuse and neglect

Our knowledge of those factors which place children at risk for physical or sexual abuse is both limited and imprecise. The reasons for these limitations derive from both practical methodological constraints and a lack of definitional consensus among researchers in this field. This paper discusses the difficulties, both methodological and practical, involved in the development of a scientifically- based knowledge of risk factors in child abuse. Those factors known or commonly believed to be related to risk for child abuse and neglect are then described, with emphasis on those which appear to be popularly and clinically over- valued as predictors of abuse: demographic variables, psychopathology, and history of abuse. Likely foci for future research in this area are then described, with special attention to the problems inherent in each.

A Model of Case Management: Toward Empirically Based Practice

Case management is highly valued as an intervention method for providing service to clients requiring long-term care. However, it lacks definitional consensus and conceptual clarity. An explicit, empirically based model of case management is presented on the basis of 15 functions and their dynamic interrelationship along a sequential dimension. A series of studies is described by means of which the model was devised, tested, and refined.

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

An analysis of state definitions ( N = 51, including the District of Columbia) of the emotionally disturbed/behaviorally disordered category of handicapped children, entrance and exit criteria, and procedures for referral, evaluation, and program placement is reported. Lack of definitional consensus and eligibility agreement were found. A detailed analysis of each state and an overall analysis are reported. Lack of agreement among states and with the federal definition are reviewed and discussed.

Mentoring Relations: A Definition to Advance Research and Practice

Many educators have investigated the promise of mentoring as a vehicle of career development, yet no widely accepted definition of mentoring has been articulated. Without such definitional consensus, efforts to develop a knowledge base relevant to mentorships in education have been haphazard. To advance a knowledge base for future research, a definition of mentoring is offered that is grounded in contextual-developmental theory and consistent with the findings of past investigators. Corollaries of the contextual-developmental perspective raise issues that action research may profitably address to facilitate mentoring relationships. The proposed definition offers immediate benefits to mentors, protégés, and their sponsors as it highlights critical elements of the mentoring process.

Mentoring Relations: A Definition to Advance Research and Practice

Many educators have investigated the promise of mentoring as a vehicle of career development, yet no widely accepted definition of mentoring has been articulated. Without such definitional consensus, efforts to develop a knowledge base relevant to mentorships in education have been haphazard. To advance a knowledge base for future research, a definition of mentoring is offered that is grounded in contextual-developmental theory and consistent with the findings of past investigators. Corollaries of the contextual-developmental perspective raise issues that action research may profitably address to facilitate mentoring relationships. The proposed definition offers immediate benefits to mentors, protégés, and their sponsors as it highlights critical elements of the mentoring process.

A survey of definitions of small business in the southern African context

This paper reports on a survey of the definition of small business as perceived by various organizations involved in small business training and development. Participants were requested to define small business in terms of quantitative as well as qualitative criteria. The definitions provided by the survey respondents were compared with published definitions of small business as formulated by the Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC), the National Manpower Commission (NMC), J.G. Smith (one of the first authors who attempted to define small business), and the Small Business Advisory Bureau (SBAB). The definitions suggested by respondents indicate a lack of definitional consensus. Although no specific definition is suggested here, it is hoped that the information provided and the interpretation thereof may stimulate and encourage efforts to formulate a simple, useful, and widely accepted definition of small business in southern Africa.

Analyses of the Concepts of Elder Mistreatment:

The lack of precise and accepted definitions of elder neglect and elder abuse impairs identification of these two distinct but related forms of elder mistreatment and prevents systematic comparison of research findings. As professional attention to elder mistreatment is relatively new, continued progress in various areas is warranted-research, theory development, diagnostic instruments, and prevention and treatment strategies. First, however, some degree of definitional precision and consensus needs to be established. This paper critically examines the current research definitions of elder neglect and abuse and offers suggestions for future progress on this foundational issue.

Church-Sect Typology and Organizational Precariousness

The church-sect typology was originally framed as a measure of organizational precariousness. The concepts refer to organizational characteristics rather than attitude traits of individuals. The concepts of church-sect have become imprecise and non-operational. There is little definitional consensus among those who use the concepts as to the specific differentiating characteristics of church-sect. A return to the original heuristic intent of Weber, Troeltsch and Niebuhr in their use of church-sect typology can provide a clear operational meaning to the concepts as measures of organizational precariousness.