Management Staff Members Research Articles

Current status on management and needs related to education and training programs set for new employees at the provincial Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in China

In order to understand the current management status on education/training and needs for training among new employees working at the provincial CDC in China during 2012-2014, so as to provide basis for setting up related programs at the CDC levels. Based on data gathered through questionnaire surveys run by CDCs from 32 provincial and 5 specifically-designated cities, microsoft excel was used to analyze the current status on management of education and training, for new employees. There were 156 management staff members working on education and training programs in 36 CDCs, with 70% of them having received intermediate or higher levels of education. Large differences were seen on equipment of training hardware in different regions. There were 1 214 teaching staff with 66 percent in the fields or related professional areas on public health, in 2014. 5084 new employees conducted pre/post training programs, from 2012 to 2014 with funding as 750 thousand RMB Yuan. 99.5% of the new employees expressed the needs for further training while. 74% of the new staff members expecting a 2-5 day training program to be implemented. 79% of the new staff members claimed that practice as the most appropriate method for training. Institutional programs set for education and training at the CDCs need to be clarified, with management team organized. It is important to provide more financial support on both hardware, software and human resources related to training programs which are set for new stuff members at all levels of CDCs.

Effect of occupational exposure to toluene diisocyanate on workers' health

To investigate the effect of occupational exposure to toluene diisocyanate (TDI) on the workers' health. A total of 76 workers exposed to TDI (exposure group) and 64 management staff members (control group) were selected from a factory as the study subjects. Area sampling was performed for the place with exposure to TDI according to the method in GBZ 159-2004 Specifications of air sampling for hazardous substances monitoring in the workplace, and gas chromatography was applied to measure the concentration of TDI in workplace air. The workers' personal information was collected with questionnaire, pulmonary ventilation function was determined with a portable spirometer, hematological parameters were analyzed by automatic blood analyzer and blood chemistry analyzer, and the indicators of oxidative damage and energy metabolism were measured by the reagent kit provided by Nanjing Jiancheng Bioengineering Institute. SPSS 17 software was applied for statistical analysis. The exposure group had significantly lower forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second(FEV1.0), and FEV1.0/FVC ratio than the control group (P <0.05). Compared with the control group, the exposure group had significantly higher red blood cell count, platelet distribution width, mean platelet volume, lymphocyte count, and neutrophil count(P<0.01), and significantly lower activities of lactate dehydrogenase(LDH), superoxide dismutase, and succinodehydrogenase (SDH)(P <0.01). In the exposure group, the length of exposure was negatively correlated with the activities of SDH and LDH in the serum (r=-0.319, P <0.05; r=-0.239, P <0.05), and the length of exposure was not found to be correlated with the activity of SOD and pulmonary function indices. TDI can induce inflammatory response and lung ventilation function impairment in workers exposed to TDI, as well as oxidative stress and imbalance of energy metabolism. Therefore, it can cause damage to workers' health, and protective measures should be enhanced.

Development Project Management Within Local NGOs: 10 Recommendations to Meet 10 Challenges

As local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) assume a greater role in improving the well-being of the communities in which they operate, donors and government agencies are increasingly scrutinizing their performance and accountability. To effectively undertake development projects, the local NGOs must address a host of challenges, both internally and externally. These include inadequacies in technical capacity, project status information, stakeholder involvement, cost estimates, resources, infrastructure, communications, and vendors and suppliers; a lack of understanding of the local socioeconomic and political environment; and disruptive interference from management. By adopting project management practices, supervisors and staff members of the local NGOs can efficiently mobilize all the resources at their disposal toward designing and implementing sustainable interventions, and thus guarantee the ongoing support of their benefactors. ©2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Social and emotional aspects of learning: Complementing, compensating and countering parental practices

This article draws on a study which investigated the interpretation and use of Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) in primary schools in the UK (the authors gratefully acknowledge Studentship funding from the Economic and Social Research Council for this study). The paper focuses on school staff members' perceptions about the intentions and purposes of the scheme. The testimonies of head teachers, management staff, teachers, teaching assistants, welfare assistants and pastoral staff members illustrated how the interpretation and use of SEAL was influenced by their perceptions about the pupils' parents and, in particular, parental ability to develop ‘appropriate’ social, emotional and behavioural skills in their children. In schools where parenting was positively appraised, SEAL was used to complement parenting practices; whilst in schools where parents were negatively appraised, SEAL was used to counter their endeavours. The scheme was also used to compensate for certain inadequacies that were deemed to be taking place in the home. These differing perceptions of parents were linked to social class, with the scheme being used to complement the practices of middle‐class parents and to counter those of minority‐ethnic and working‐class people. We contend that this interpretation and use of the scheme helped to re‐affirm the practices of the dominant culture whilst serving to marginalise the values of the less powerful groups in society. Implications of the study's findings are discussed and recommendations for staff, schools and policy are made.

Effects of Succession Planning Programs on Staff Retention

Learning about factors that affect staff retention and ways of improving it, can help firms avoid the inconvenience of high attrition. Thus, the purpose of this study was to establish the effects of succession planning programs on staff retention in the sugar companies of Western Province, Kenya. Management staff members were purposively selected, stratified and simple randomly sampled. Data collection was done by use of questionnaires. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were employed to analyze the data. Findings of the study indicate that more employees had high job satisfaction because of going through the succession planning process with the hope of being next in line of management. This had a positive effect on the retention of staff in the sugar firms under study. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n6p157

Effective governance in nonprofit organizations: A literature based multiple stakeholder approach

Summary Nonprofit organizations (NPOs) are increasingly required to become (more) effective. This review summarizes and integrates the results of studies focusing on NPOs’ governance effectiveness. It proposes an extension of stakeholder theory to NPOs concerning governance involving diverse stakeholder groups. What makes this paper innovative is that it aims to identify more than effective board governance, and takes the perspectives of multiple nonprofit key stakeholders into account. This approach is particularly valuable as numerous researchers argue that the likelihood of NPOs being perceived as effective increases when they manage to align the, possibly very diverse, expectations of stakeholders on good governance. We consequently focus on the relationship between (1) the needs and objectives of key stakeholders and (2) (expected) governance (structures) in NPOs. The stakeholders we consider are government, beneficiaries, private donors, board members, management, volunteers, and non-managerial staff members. Results not only show the lack of attention some stakeholders have received in the literature, but also the governance related conflicting needs and objectives between stakeholder groups. In addition, even in the same stakeholder groups it is not rare that opposing findings are reported. Several studies indicate the (unforeseen) negative impact on (being accountability to) other stakeholders when NPOs try to be responsive to the needs and objectives of a particular stakeholder group. The value of this review lies in the fact that it reveals both the complexity of and the need for stakeholder management in NPOs, if they want to be perceived as (more) effective by their numerous stakeholders, and related to that gain insight in how to improve their governance practices. Numerous directions for further research are suggested.

Prototype system for pursuing firm’s core capability

Core capabilities are critical abilities that enhance and sustain an organization's competitive advantage in extremely competitive environments. In today's complex and dynamic business environment, companies are often prevented from effectively and efficiently evaluating relevant factors necessary for developing their core capability strategic systems. These systems, with inherent human decision-making processes, should be fully considered when creating a method for determining a firm's suitable or required core capabilities. It is helpful to implement IT-based group decision support systems (GDSS) with soft computing algorithms to assist managers in determining the appropriate core capabilities for the firm. Therefore, this study develops a holistic group decision support system in which similarity measures, fuzzy set theory, and fuzzy mathematics programming are implemented to facilitate managers in making decisions. Through evaluations done in actual cases, we have found that this system creates a flexible and user-friendly environment that aids top management and other relevant staff members in evaluating all relevant factors related to core capabilities.

Development of a hospital based menu driven clinician coding tool to implement quality reimbursement process in the U.S. --A cardiologist's diagnoses as an illustration

Aim: The purpose of this study is to review current in-hospital based coding techniques and explore various means by which clinicians and HIM Healthcare Information Management staff members which i...

Case Management Redesign in an Urban Facility

To explore strategies for improving patient throughput and to redesign case management processes to facilitate level of care transitions and safe discharges. Large Urban Medical Center in South Los Angeles County, with 384 licensed beds that services poor, underserved communities. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were applied. Combined theoretical frameworks were used for needs assessment, intervention strategies, and change management. Observations, interviews, surveys, and database extraction methods were used. The sample consisted of case management staff members and several other staff from nursing, social work, and emergency department staff. Postintervention measures indicated improvement in reimbursements for services, reduction in length of stay, increased productivity, improved patients' access to care, and avoiding unnecessary readmission or emergency department visits. Effective change management strategies must consider multiple factors that influence daily operations and service delivery. Creating accountability by using performance measures associated with patient transitions is highlighted by the case study results. The authors developed a process model to assist in identifying and tracking outcome measures related to patient throughput, front-end assessments, and effective patient care transitions. This model can be used in future research to further investigate best case management practices.

Age diversity and the aging librarian in academic libraries in South Africa

The focus of this article is to illustrate the current age distribution of academic librarians in South Africa and to determine the need for age diversity management in academic libraries. Firstly, a literature review provides a brief overview of recent changes to the higher education landscape in South Africa and the importance of diversity awareness. Secondly, the issue of age diversity in the workplace is explored, followed by a discussion of the age demography of librarians, so raising the important issue this paper seeks to investigate, namely, the current age demography of South African academic librarians. A mixed-method research approach was decided upon and specifically the sequential exploratory design as it studies the unknown relationships between different generations of librarians at work within five of the academic libraries from the Gauteng and Environs Library and Information Consortium (GAELIC). The results showed that most of the middle and senior level library management positions are currently filled by those retiring in the next 15-20 years and that the planning and training of new middle and top management staff members must form part of succession planning policies in order to avoid a leadership vacuum.

Application of the Economic Value Added (EVA) Protocol in a University Setting as a Capital Budgeting Tool

This paper attempts to propose the uses of a capital budgeting tool, the Economic Value Added (EVA)for a university. Although there are reports of widespread use of the EVA in many for‐profit organisations, there is no evidence in literature that it has been adopted as a capital budgeting tool for a university. In this paper the application of the EVA for a university is proposed. It shows how the EVA can increase the awareness of the importance of asset utilisation in universities and guide universities to better resource management. EVA is proposed for use in a university setting in two different segments: for‐profit and non‐profit. The EVA has been adjusted with a new measure, Academic Value Added Ratio (AVAR) to reflect the university’s objective. The perception of academic staff in the case study university in Thailand with regards to the concept of applying the EVA to a university is further investigated. The results indicate that most members of management staff do not oppose this concept if it is implemented in a proper way.

Nature of management and employee relationship in selected agricultural development organisations

This study investigates the nature of management and employee relationship in selected Agricultural organizations in Rivers State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study ascertains perception of employees about management and other staff members' perception of their relationship with their employees. Data was collected from 140 randomly selected respondents made up of 47 management staff and 93 employees in selected organizations in the study area with the aid of structured questionnaire. Data analysis was by use of frequency and percentage. From the findings of the study, employees perceived that the relationship between them and their employers was not very cordial because specific situations like operating in a conducive environment was rated low among staff. Apart from this it was found also that employers exhibited uncompromising behaviour and do not care much about staff welfare. Keywords: management, employer-employee, relationship agricultural development organizations Journal of Agriculture, Forestry and the Social Sciences Vol 3(1) 2005: 21-25

An Empirical Investigation of the Relationships among Climate, Capabilities, and Unit Performance

For the current study, the authors examined the relationships among two dimensions of organizational climate and several indices of individual and unit-level effectiveness. Specifically, the article proposes that an organization's service and training climate would be related to employee capabilities—operationalized in terms of frontline service capabilities and managerial support capabilities—and that such capabilities would be related to unitlevel measures of employee turnover and sales growth. Using survey and operational data from 201 management and frontline staff members in 22 units of a national restaurant chain, the results from correlation and regression analyses generally supported the proposed relationships. This study replicates and extends previous research and provides a foundation for future conceptual development and empirical work in this research area.

Less is more: Virginia's Performance Outcomes Measurement System.

Public mental health authorities are faced with the responsibility of containing costs, improving quality, and providing greater accountability. In response, a number of states began developing mechanisms to assess consumer outcomes and provider performance. In the late 1990s Virginia took a proactive stance by pilot testing the Performance and Outcome Measurement System (POMS), which was based on the ConsumerOriented Report Card of the Mental Health Statistics Improvement Program (MHSIP). The Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Substance Abuse Services implemented the pilot project at eight sites. Implementing POMS statewide was intended to serve two major purposes: it would continuously improve the quality of services, and it would increase accountability for taxpayer dollars. POMS was designed by a committee that included major stakeholder groups: consumers, family members, and providers. This committee also oversaw the implementation of the pilot project and obtained input from a wider array of stakeholders throughout the implementation process. In early 1997 six community mental health centers and two state hospitals were selected to participate in the pilot project. Two sites each were selected to represent adult mental health, child and adolescent mental health, adult substance abuse, and inpatient services. A total of 46 different indicators were tested across the four populations. The goals of the pilot project were to determine which of these indicators provided the most useful information at the lowest cost and to develop recommendations for improving POMS and for implementing the program statewide. The pilot project took place from 1997 to 1999.

How to orient employees into new positions successfully

All firms provide some form of orientation for new employees. This article discusses how to make such programmesmore effective. Three components of orientation programmes are considered: pre‐orientation activities, orientation to the organisation, and orientation to the job. In each case, basic approaches and content are set forth, followed by the techniques used by successful and/or innovative firms. It is concluded that effective orientation programmes generally last longer than their standard counterparts, provide more substantive content, utilise more vivid presentation techniques and participative learning methods, and require more involvement from management and other staff members. Finally, recommendations for how to go about creating or revamping an orientation programme are made.

Women's health in violent situations: municipal administrative roles and decision-making in the Brazilian public health system

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of health management staff concerning the health of women facing violent situations and the impact these roles have on decisions concerning health measures targeting these women. The study employed a qualitative, descriptive methodology including 18 health management staff members from three municipalities classified as having fully autonomous municipal management systems under the Unified National Health System (SUS) in Greater Metropolitan Recife, Pernambuco State, Brazil. Staff members were divided into three distinct groups according to their opinions on women in violent situations and women's health interventions. However, the three groups were convergent with respect to their roles in determining decisions on health actions for these women. The health management staff's commitment to the feminist movement proved to be the most relevant factor. Common issues among staff members, such as the problem of public health and quality of living, or more technically, the cost-benefit issue, did appear as key arguments.

Total quality improvement: an example of an effective team.

Total quality improvement (TQI) advocates that all staff members in an organization develop their own ideas on job improvement about their own specific jobs. This process helps to improve staff performance and to build continually on those improvements. This article will describe how the TQI process was used successfully by quality management staff members at a federal medical center to investigate a problem with linen.

Using total quality management in long-term care case management.

Long-term care (LTC) case management has emerged as a way of addressing problems in the long term care system. Case managers serve as links between chronically ill and disabled individuals and the services these individuals need but of which they often are unaware. In this capacity, case managers address the fragmentation in the long-term care system. In guiding clients to cost-effective ways of meeting their long-term care needs, case managers also address the need for cost containment in long-term care. To ensure that case management is effectively addressing these and other problems, attention to quality is essential. However, quality assurance programs too often focus on minutiae rather than on true indicators of quality. In addition, people who are not involved in the related areas frequently make decisions about quality. These decisions impose additional, and sometimes unnecessary, restrictions on the people who are required to implement them. Total quality management (TQM) offers a new approach. In this article, a proposal is made to incorporate TQM principles into LTC case management. The LTC case management demonstration project currently underway in Virginia serves as the case study for this proposal. The proposal demonstrates a process in which quality can be built into a case management system in a way that involves the people who will implement the resultant changes. The proposal shows how case management staff members can learn to identify areas where quality is impaired and to use techniques to aid them in identifying the causes of problems. A procedure for testing solutions and for incorporating the findings into the project is described.

Total Quality Management

Total quality management transforms quality assurance performance controls into a dynamic system for continuously improving healthcare services to internal and external "customers" in terms of outcomes. Success depends upon gaining and maintaining commitment of physicians, top management and key staff members through a working environment which values and rewards improvement efforts.