Major Organizations Research Articles

MUSICAL THEATER AND MEANING MAKING IN A RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

Abstract “I think I’ve had it up to here with pickleball…” Thus begins the first song in “Movin”, an original musical written, produced, and performed by members of a continuing care retirement community (CCRC), which addresses themes ranging from dementia, death and widowhood to finding community, purpose, and late-life love. The idea began in informal conversation between two former university colleagues, Philip Sloane (a geriatrician, GSA member, and former CCRC board member) and Hugh Tilson (a CCRC resident, aged 82) about describing the aging experience through song. Hugh gathered a group of fellow CCRC residents, none of whom had professional songwriting or theater experience but several of whom had musical backgrounds or an interest in theater. Meeting regularly over nearly two years, they envisioned, created, and then produced an original musical around the theme of “freshman year in a retirement community.” The final production included 9 cast members, 12 original songs developed by five lyricists and two composers, many production-related volunteers, and a narration to link the songs together. This symposium will describe the process, present and illustrate aging-related themes from the production, place the musical in the context of existing research about meaning-making and the arts in later life, and conclude with a discussion by a senior leader in a major senior housing organization. Presentation about development and production of the musical will include videos of rehearsals, songs from the production, and interviews with performers. Sponsored by the Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Gerontology Advisory Panel

Med nyhetsmediekritik som utgångspunkt för kommunikation: diskutanters kommentarer till ett Facebook-inlägg från SVT Nyheter om elhushållning

On digital platforms, users can express public opinions in relation to the content of major organizations, e.g. public service broadcasters. Although media criticism has been a subject of scholarly interest, research has not primarily regarded communicative aspects of media criticism, despite such criticism potentially changing the premises for e.g. social media news reporting as a discursive practice. Building on a concept of communicative acts, this study investigates news media criticism in comments on a Facebook news post by Swedish public service broadcaster SVT on electricity housekeeping. Eleven news media critical arguments were identified according to two research questions – 1) what is the object of the criticism; 2) what is the communicative purpose of it? – resulting in seven groups of arguments. Focusing on both single instances of argument groups and combinations of groups within individual comments, the study emphasizes the communicative dynamics of news media criticism in altering between objects and purposes. Even though the result is heterogenous, some tendencies arise. Unlike constructive criticism, meant to change news reporting by media’s own standards, a majority of the most common argument groups consist of those who express strategic criticism, seemingly aiming to change media perceptions among a general news audience. Since this criticism regularly also addresses politics, the study further stresses the possibility of viewing media criticism as extended into e.g. political criticism.

A Persian Herald: The Reception of Tahirih by the Suffrage Movement of Britain, 1910–1913

Abstract In the years preceding the First World War, the suffragist media paid important attention to the figure of the Persian poetess, Tahirih. This interest in her biography coincided with ‘Abdu’l-Bahā’s two visits to England when the leader of the Bahā’ī religion met with prominent members of the country’s major suffrage organizations. This article describes references to Tahirih by various suffragist leaders and attempts to show how she was presented as a herald to their cause and a heroine to be emulated.

Inspiring respect for fathers as coparents through a trauma-informed, infant-family mental health transformation of community-based services: process and early implementation with a multi-agency community collaborative.

Despite compelling evidence that high-quality early care has an enduring impact, there has been little coordinated effort to transform services delivery to infuse Trauma-Informed Family Centered (TI-FC) principles into community-based agencies serving children and their families. A need for more culturally attuned, family-sensitive, evidence-based, and trauma-informed supports, especially for vulnerable children, their families and fathers, is apparent in evidence amassed by key stakeholders within the geographic area of this study. This report details the planning process, TI-FC training series, and organizational profile assessments. Authors conclude with recommendations regarding the establishment of multi-agency collectives, to include fathers, toward betterment of infant-family mental health at the community level. The current case study details the community-level transformational effort in which major health, mental health, substance abuse, and child welfare organizations serving families of children age 0-3 worked collaboratively to enhance TI-FC services. We describe a four-stage process (1 - planning, 2 - assessment of organizational readiness, 3 - surveys, document reviews and focus groups, 4 - delivery of a training series) detailing the work of the collaborative, guided by key agency decision-makers. The study found significant initial success in adapting approaches to serving children 0-3 and their families through TI-FC perspectives. By proactively engaging several lead organizations in a deliberative planning process with universal aims and transformational principles, the collaborative team was able to coordinate organizational assessment, staff training and consultation, self-monitoring of organizational shifts, and problem-solving of obstacles and solutions to TI-FC services delivery. All agencies succeeded in completing comprehensive, multi-faceted analyses of organizational culture, preparing personnel for TI-FC services through comprehensive training, and utilizing this collaborative to make deliberate and customized changes within their programs, as concerns both support of families and father engagement. Preliminary data indicate that important shifts took hold and signified changes across key domains of TI-FC care.

Change to persist - The adaptation of European Red Cross societies to changing patterns of volunteering

Non-profit organizations active in disaster relief depend on the engagement of volunteers. Yet, society changes, and so do engagement patterns of volunteering. We examine in this paper how Red Cross societies across Europe perceive these processes and adapt to changes. As major aid organizations, Red Cross societies need to attract volunteers in various fields between disaster relief and social services. They are consequently particularly vulnerable to changes in volunteer engagement. Organizational learning is one way to mitigate this vulnerability by adapting to these changes. We analyze these organizational learning processes with a mixed-methods research design that embraces a quantitative survey as well as in-depth interviews with various Red Cross societies. The study, which refers to the 4I-Theory, demonstrates how perceived adaptation pressure is a key driver of organizational change. Red Cross societies experiencing this pressure spark an adaptation process, scrutinizing and potentially changing their structures and standards to stay the same regarding their essential characteristics.

Efficacy of Enterprise Risk Management in Enhancing Sustainability and Financial Performance in the Solar PV Industry: A Conceptual Framework

As an alternative to fossil fuels, solar PV electricity can help mitigate global warming and improve the environment by lowering greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). More nations have developed programs to encourage the production and use of PV electricity, considering the potential of renewable energy for sustainable development. The government of Malaysia wants solar PV to be the primary source of renewable energy by 2030. To reduce global warming, renewable energy technology must be implemented more widely. However, the production of solar photovoltaic modules raises serious sustainability concerns. These concerns include using conflict minerals, toxicity, and limited supply or supply chain governance risks of rare materials. Even though solar energy projects are technically feasible, stakeholders still view the region’s initiatives as risky due to ongoing governance problems. Domains related to solar project deployment that involve installation, operation, and management are particularly susceptible to governance issues, such as a lack of accountability and transparency. Renewable energy investments upfront are risky and expensive. Risks in the solar PV value chain include subpar design and manufacturing decisions, inventory losses, quality problems during the execution process, and cultural and societal problems brought on by the absence of an effective risk management system. This study thus investigates how the implementation of ERM influences the company’s financial performance. Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) is a technique that regulates, and coordinates offset risks all over the firm to manage and integrate all risks holistically. As a result, this paper provides a conceptual and theoretical framework for how corporations use risk management to lower the cost of capital and improve sustainable development in the solar PV industry. The suggested theoretical and conceptual framework, supported by stakeholder and legitimacy theory, provides a foundation for empirically validating the entangled interaction between the relevant variables. It is advocated that measuring variables such as enterprise risk management, financial performance, and sustainability performance be based on previous research and frameworks and recommendations produced by major organizations. The purpose of this paper is to guide Malaysian solar PV companies in the implementation of sustainability and risk management.
 Keywords: enterprise risk management, sustainability, solar PV, financial performance

The role of the Geographies of Health and Wellbeing Research Group in shaping an evolving field over time

AbstractThe Geographies of Health and Wellbeing Research Group of the Royal Geographical Association‐Institute of British Geographers is perhaps the major professional organisation for health and medical geographers working in the UK. This paper reviews the organisational history and operation of the group, and its forerunners, and its role in shaping the development of the geographies of health and wellbeing, since its inaugural symposium in 1972, marking its 50th Anniversary.

The Changing Faces of Leadership in Surgery: Study on Presidents of Major Surgical Organizations

IntroductionTo gain an understanding of the changing faces of leadership in surgery, we examined trends in the demographics, additional degrees pursued, and scientific publication characteristics of the past presidents of three major surgery organizations. MethodsWe queried the BoardCertifiedDocs and Web of Science databases for the demographics, as well as the quantity and quality of publications, of the past presidents of the Association for Academic Surgery, Society of University Surgeons, and American College of Surgeons from 1970 to 2020. Data were analyzed by decade to identify any trends. ResultsWe identified a total of 140 presidents from the organizations. The proportion of female presidents significantly increased from the 1990s to the 2010s (10% versus 33%, P < 0.05). The percentage of non-White presidents increased from the 1970s to the 2010s (3.33% versus 21.2%, P = 0.024). The percentage of presidents with additional degrees also increased from the 1970s to the 2010s (10.0% versus 48.8%, P = 0.039). During this same time period, the most common area of expertise of presidents shifted from cardiothoracic surgery to surgical oncology. The ratio of presidents’ postinduction to preinduction publications was significantly increased among all three organizations in the 2010s compared to the 1970s (P < 0.05). Co-cluster analysis revealed a research topic change from the 1970s to the 2010s. ConclusionsThe faces of surgical leadership have changed in terms of gender equality, racial diversity, surgical subspecialty, and additional degrees held. Such a transformation mirrors evolving diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and it further highlights the adaptability of surgical leadership to the ever-changing landscape of surgery.

A national overview of nonprofit hospital community benefit programs to address the social determinants of health.

Decades of research have solidified the crucial role that social determinants of health (SDOH) play in shaping health outcomes, yet strategies to address these upstream factors remain elusive. The aim of this study was to understand the extent to which US nonprofit hospitals invest in SDOH at either the community or individual patient level and to provide examples of programs in each area. We analyzed data from a national dataset of 613 hospital community health needs assessments and corresponding implementation strategies. Among sample hospitals, 69.3% (n = 373) identified SDOH as a top-5 health need in their community and 60.6% (n = 326) reported investments in SDOH. Of hospitals with investments in SDOH, 44% of programs addressed health-related social needs of individual patients, while the remaining 56% of programs addressed SDOH at the community level. Hospitals that were major teaching organizations, those in the Western region of the United States, and hospitals in counties with more severe housing problems had greater odds of investing in SDOH at the community level. Although many nonprofit hospitals have integrated SDOH-related activities into their community benefit work, stronger policies are necessary to encourage greater investments at the community-level that move beyond the needs of individual patients.

The Role and Influence of International Organizations in Shaping and Maintaining International Legal Order and Global General and Financial Security

Objective: This article delves into the functions and distinctive features of major international organizations, with a primary focus on the United Nations (UN), European Union (EU), Council of Europe (CoE), Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and World Trade Organization (WTO). It provides a clear definition of international organizations as voluntary associations among states with specific objectives while examining the factors contributing to their formation.&#x0D; &#x0D; Methods: The study employs a range of research methods, including a comprehensive analysis of existing literature, statistical comparisons to elucidate key concepts like "legal order," "international legal order," "international security," and "global security." It employs a historical perspective to trace the evolution of international organizations and utilizes generalization and diagnostic methods to offer practical recommendations and conclusions.&#x0D; &#x0D; Results: Global security concerns encompass various domains such as public health, environmental sustainability, energy security, and more. This article underscores the distinction between "international security" and "global security," emphasizing the latter's more encompassing scope. Furthermore, it highlights the central role played by the United Nations (UN) in preserving global peace, nurturing friendly relations among nations, promoting international cooperation, and serving as a platform for harmonizing diverse national actions.&#x0D; &#x0D; Conclusions: International organizations, most notably the UN, assume a pivotal role in upholding the international legal order and safeguarding global security against the backdrop of dynamically evolving challenges and threats.

Orchestrating Distributed Computing and Web Technology with Semantic Web and Big Data

Abstract Complex data systems are incapable of processing large data volumes, rendering the task of retrieving pertinent information unattainable. The advent of the Internet has amplified the significance of accessible and readily available information. Additionally, it receives support from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and global organizations responsible for establishing web standards, such as Web Ontology, Inc. It expands the functionality of the website to facilitate the retrieval, integration, and transmission of information. In recent years, several major organizations have shown a strong inclination towards using semantic technologies for the purpose of collecting Big Data. Undoubtedly, there are other advantages of integrating this into the Creative. It enhances the ability of end-users to manage data from many repositories, focuses on changing the corporate environment and the user experience, and incorporates individual definitions and integrates several data sources. Furthermore, the market’s evolving expectations and contemporary organizational practices require an adaptable but all-encompassing information strategy. Integration of data warehousing may be achieved by the use of scattered corporate ontologies. This study explores the impact of the Semantic Web on enhancing the intelligence of Big Data. It analyses the obstacles and opportunities associated with the integration of Big Data with the Semantic Web.

An Ancestral Major Histocompatibility Complex Organization in Cartilaginous Fish: Reconstructing MHC Origin and Evolution.

Cartilaginous fish (sharks, rays, and chimeras) comprise the oldest living jawed vertebrates with a mammalian-like adaptive immune system based on immunoglobulins (Ig), T-cell receptors (TCRs), and the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Here, we show that the cartilaginous fish "adaptive MHC" is highly regimented and compact, containing (i) a classical MHC class Ia (MHC-Ia) region containing antigen processing (antigen peptide transporters and immunoproteasome) and presenting (MHC-Ia) genes, (ii) an MHC class II (MHC-II) region (with alpha and beta genes) with linkage to beta-2-microglobulin (β2m) and bromodomain-containing 2, (iii) nonclassical MHC class Ib (MHC-Ib) regions with 450 million-year-old lineages, and (iv) a complement C4 associated with the MHC-Ia region. No MHC-Ib genes were found outside of the elasmobranch MHC. Our data suggest that both MHC-I and MHC-II genes arose after the second round of whole-genome duplication (2R) on a human chromosome (huchr) 6 precursor. Further analysis of MHC paralogous regions across early branching taxa from all jawed vertebrate lineages revealed that Ig/TCR genes likely arose on a precursor of the huchr9/12/14 MHC paralog. The β2m gene is linked to the Ig/TCR genes in some vertebrates suggesting that it was present at 1R, perhaps as the donor of C1 domain to the primordial MHC gene. In sum, extant cartilaginous fish exhibit a conserved and prototypical MHC genomic organization with features found in various vertebrates, reflecting the ancestral arrangement for the jawed vertebrates.

Is there evidence that length-based tapes with precalculated drug doses increase the accuracy of drug dose calculations in children? A systematic review.

The use of pediatric length-based weight estimation tapes with precalculated drug doses is advocated by major Advanced Life Support organizations, but concerns have been raised on the accuracy of these systems. The objective of this systematic review was to collect, review, evaluate, and create a synthesis of the current literature to establish whether there is high-quality evidence for use of length-based tapes in accurate drug dose administration. A further objective was to compare these tapes with other dosing aids. Eligible studies were identified and analyzed if they were peer reviewed, full text articles containing original data. Studies including any form of length-based precalculated drug dosing methodology in children aged 0 to 18 years were included. Eighteen studies met the inclusion criteria. The most studied of the tapes was the Broselow tape in 16 studies (88.9%). When these tapes were used on their own without additional reference material, they produced a substantial number of potentially harmful dosing errors (>20% error). No tape was superior to another. Using the tapes was better than using no dosing aid but was inferior to using both comprehensive drug dosing guides and novel color-coded medication administration systems. There was no high-quality evidence that the use of length-based tapes with precalculated drug doses leads to accurate drug dosing. However, comprehensive drug dosing systems were more effective at reducing dosing errors than were length-based tapes on their own. The confounding effect of weight estimation accuracy on drug dosing accuracy has not been sufficiently studied.

Developing the framework of blockchain-enabled agri-food supply chain

Purpose The food supply chain has faced many challenges due to its complex and complicated nature. Blockchain technology is one of the mechanisms used to improve agri-food supply chain processes by evolving organization capabilities. A study is being conducted to scrutinize the adoption of blockchain technology in the agri-food supply chain through the lens of the operational capability approach. It further makes an attempt to identify the capabilities of blockchain to improve supply chain processes.Design/methodology/approach The qualitative research method with semi-structured interviews was used to gather information from experts and professionals in the food supply chain and blockchain technology. The authors have adopted a systematic approach of coding using open, axial and selective methods to depict and identify the themes that represent the blockchain-enabled agri-food supply chain. The data were collected from 32 interviews of selected participants.Findings The result shows five critical areas where blockchain can come up to enhance the agri-food supply chain performance by providing traceability, transparency, information security, transactions, and trust and quality. Further, the study reveals that blockchain will provide safety, lower the cost of transactions and can create trust among users to communicate within the whole supply chain without the intervention of a third party. This study demonstrated that the capabilities need to be considered when introducing technology into the practice.Research limitations/implications The study implies thought-provoking implications for bridging the theory-practice gap by examining the empirical data to demonstrate how the operational capabilities of blockchain technology further strengthen the agri-food supply chain. Additionally, this study provides some suggestions for utilizing the results and proposes a framework to understand more about blockchain use cases in the agri-food supply chain as well as extend the application of blockchain using an operational capability approach for future academic researchers in this area.Practical implicationsThis study presented some more important managerial implications which reveal that the majority of organisations were in the initial stages of adoption process of blockchain technology. Further, the positive influence of managers and IT experts can help the information technology companies (IT) and stakeholders for developing and promoting blockchain solutions in the agri-food supply chain. The important implication of blockchain enabled agri-food supply chain is to maintain information security and incresae supply chain performance. Originality/value The study shows the operational capabilities of agri-food supply chain using blockchain technology. Blockchain can contribute in enhancing the agri-food supply chain to increase traceability and transparency and helps to reduce the risk of disruptions.

Understanding Circle Time Practices in Montessori Early Childhood Settings

Circle time is commonplace in traditional preschools, yet there are few references to the practice in Montessori’s writings or in major Montessori organizations’ and teacher education standards. This article investigates whether circle time is frequent in Montessori 3–6-year-old classrooms using data from a widely distributed Qualtrics survey. The results, from 276 respondents spanning all 50 states, provide insight into the circle time practices of United States-based preschool Montessori teachers, also known in Montessori classrooms as guides. We present novel information regarding circle time duration and frequency, types of circle time activities, Montessori guides’ circle time training and planning, whether children’s circle time attendance is free choice or compulsory, and the nature of circle time in programs associated with Association Montessori Internationale versus American Montessori Society. Results revealed that 92% of survey participants have circle time every day or most days; most participants hold circle time for 20 minutes or less; the most common circle time events were show-and-tell, calendar work, vocabulary lessons, Grace and Courtesy lessons, read aloud discussions, dancing and movement, snack time, general conversation, read aloud (stories), and birthday celebrations. We found that many of the most frequent circle time activities do not align with children’s preferences, teacher preferences, or Early Childhood best practices. Our work invites Montessorians to engage in the work of reconstructing the traditional practice of circle time to better align with Montessori hallmarks of choice, development of the will, and joyfulness.

Enhancing Simulation: A Roadmap for Integrating the Electronic Health Record into the Nurse Practitioner Curriculum

The electronic health record (EHR) is an important health information technology (IT) used to support efficient clinical workflows, patient safety, and quality of care. The EHR is an individual's medical chart stored in digital format for complete real-time information to reduce medical errors and improve outcomes. EHR technology is complex, and users may struggle with efficiently navigating the system for data retrieval, documentation, and time management. Academic institutions are positioned to collaborate with EHR vendors to offer training playgrounds in the curriculum that simulate the clinical interface and support readiness to practice in relevant technology-rich clinical environments. A strategically selected educational EHR vendor matched to the platforms used by major health care organizations may influence clinical partnerships and employment opportunities. EHR competency may alleviate some of the onboarding burden for health care institutions and new graduates at a time of role transition. This article provides strategies for leveraging health IT in the academic curriculum to prepare a technology-proficient workforce capable of meeting the needs of diverse individuals, populations, and healthcare systems.

Emotional intelligence as a conduit for improved occupational health safety environment in the oil and gas sector

To address the issue of promoting occupational health and safety at the workplace, this study aimed to evaluate the mediating effect of four different dimensional constructs of Emotional Intelligence (EI) on the influence Occupational Health and Safety Management Practices (OHSMP) hold on safety performance and workplace accidents among oil and gas workers. The study is explanatory research that adopted a cross-sectional survey design. Convenience and stratified sampling techniques were used to select 699 respondents from the three major government-owned oil and gas organizations. The multiple standard regression and bootstrapping mediation methods were used for data analysis after subjecting the data to exploratory and confirmatory factor assessments. Results indicated that OHSMP significantly predicts EI, safety performance, and workplace accidents. Again, EI was found to predict safety performance and workplace accidents significantly. Results also indicated that all the construct dimensions for measuring EI significantly explain the relationship between OHSMP and safety performance, as well as the influence of OHSMP on workplace accidents. The theoretical basis for these findings is that workers with high-level EI are likely to cope with occupational health and safety lapses or safety-related challenges at the workplace by participating and complying with the organization’s safety management practices or procedures. Such employees are likely to exhibit safe working behaviors and contribute to improving safety performance in the organization.

Research on the Economic Impact of the NBA Business League

The NBA is the acronym for the National Basketball Association, and is also the four major professional sports organizations in the United States, including the baseball league, the football league, the hockey league and the basketball league, with the strongest leadership, the highest level of globalization and the greatest international influence. This paper explains the connection between basketball and the economy, such as the broadcasting of basketball games and how it drives the formation and growth of the market for related products such as sneakers and jerseys, as well as analyzing how the NBA is profitable and, using the NBA as a template, whether Chinese basketball needs to learn from foreign countries. Through a search and review of relevant literature, this paper identifies strategic suggestions that the CBA, as an emerging local Chinese basketball league, can draw from the development history of the NBA.

Identity, Incentives, and Religious Defense of Human Rights: Marshall Meyer and the DAIA in Argentina's Dirty War

AbstractWhether religious groups advance or limit human rights has been a topic of recent debate among human rights scholars. This article studies the conditions under which religious leaders advance human rights in the context of Argentina's Jewish community during the country's 1976–1983 military dictatorship. Three major influences on religious support for human rights—autonomy from a religious community's establishment, a missionary‐reformer identity, and congregational mobilization—are highlighted. Original archival research from the papers of U.S.‐born rabbi Marshall T. Meyer illustrates his defense of human rights in Argentina, contrasting his work with the inaction of a major established Jewish organization. Quantitative cross‐national analysis extends the case study findings by showing a relationship between religious institutions’ autonomy from the state and defense of human rights.

Tips for Making Music Performances Sensory-Friendly and Inclusive

In today’s society, major arts organizations and other large-scale public venues are making additional accommodations for persons with disabilities beyond those under Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Often termed “sensory-friendly,” this approach makes it easier for individuals with sensory sensitivities to participate in social activities and community events. However, we rarely see similar efforts occurring in school-based music performances. Therefore, we set out to create an inclusive concert experience that welcomes all persons to attend regardless of their sensory, mobility, or other needs to benefit everyone—the students, the families, the school, and the community. During our journey, we realized several components were essential to the overall success of our concerts. In this article, we share five tips that may help you feel more confident implementing something similar in your school.