Meetings Of Organizations Research Articles

Organizational Meeting Orientation: Setting the Stage for Team Success or Failure Over Time

Teams are an integral tool for collaboration and they are often embedded in a larger organization that has its own mission, values, and orientations. Specifically, organizations can be oriented toward a variety of values: learning, customer service, and even meetings. This paper explores a new and novel construct, organizational meeting orientation (the set of policies and procedures that promote or lead to meetings), and its relationship to perceived team meeting outcomes and work attitudes. An organization’s policies, procedures, and overall orientation toward the use of team meetings—along with the quality and perceived effectiveness of those meetings—set the stage for how teams develop and collaborate. Across two exploratory studies, we demonstrate that perceptions of an organization’s orientation toward meetings is associated with the perceived quality and satisfaction of team meetings, along with work engagement and intentions to quit. Employees who feel meetings lack purpose or are overused tend to be less engaged with their work and more likely to consider leaving the organization. Based on the findings, we conclude with a robust discussion of how meeting orientation may set the stage for team interactions, influencing how their team operates over time on a given project or series of projects. An organization’s orientation toward meetings is a new construct that may exert an influence on team dynamics at the organizational level, representing a factor of the organization that affects how and when teams meet and collaborate.

"Producing People" in Documents and Meetings in Human Service Organizations

This thematic issue is devoted to how human service work may be influenced by accentuated administrative processes, as well as reinforced by digitalization, in contemporary society. The public sector has expanded the requirements of documentation, auditing and evaluation practices. Policy, problems and persons are shaped and enacted in meetings and documents. Meetings and documents comprise the forum for making highly important decisions for the individual client or for various categories of clients. Still, people’s participation in meetings and their reading and production of documents are often overlooked in studies of human service organizations. In this thematic issue, empirically-oriented researchers describe and analyze human service workers’ administrative routines, particularly focusing on processes of client inclusion and exclusion.

Strategic Meetings Management: Exploring the Implementation of an Industry Phenomenon

Within the business events sector, strategic meetings management (SMM) is a practice that is increasingly being adopted around the world in order to produce cost savings and provide more value from an organization's meetings profile. Unstable economic factors have encouraged organizations to be more strategic and develop partnerships to deliver cost-effective meetings of a consistent quality. The premise of SMM is to reduce wasted meeting time and unnecessary costs by aligning meetings to the business goals of the organization. As a phenomenon developed in the US, SMM is now being adopted by organizations around the world. Despite its prevalence in industry, there is a paucity of academic research or literature on SMM. This article explores the concept of SMM and how organizations are implementing practices to achieve greater value from their meetings and events. Data collection involved two focus groups and interviews with 28 industry experts followed by a survey resulting in 1,302 responses. Analysis of this data revealed the current practices of practitioners, the key reasons for adopting SMM, and the barriers preventing adoption. The findings of this study suggest that organization size can be an influential factor in SMM implementation. Additionally, there appears to be a shift in focus from purely cost savings and transparency drivers to a consideration of the attendee experience.

Strategies to minimize medication errors in emergency units: an integrative review.

To assess the strategies used by the Nursing team to minimize medication errors in emergency units. Integrative literature review in the PubMed, BDenf, Cochrane and LILACS databases. Timeless research, without language limitation, performed by peers. Articles published in full that answered the guiding question were included in research. Educational strategies (conducting campaigns, elaborating explanatory manuals, creating a multidisciplinary committee involved in the prevention and reduction of adverse drug events); organizational (meetings, Deviance positive, creation of protocols and changes in the work process) and new technologies (implementation of prescription by computerized system, introduction of the unit doses and of the bar code in the administration of medicines) were evidenced in the studies with the purpose of minimizing medication errors in an emergency unit. The strategies identified were effective in minimizing medication errors in emergency units.

Lifelong learning practices and leisure-time exercise habits of academic and community-based physicians.

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Objective: Physicians are required to be lifelong learners for the provision of quality patient care. At the same time, physician wellbeing is a critical component in the delivery of such care. This study was designed to examine: (1) lifelong learning practices and leisure-time exercise habits of academic and community-based physicians; and (2) associations of leisure-time exercise with work engagement, exhaustion, and professional life satisfaction. Methods: Using an online survey, quantitative data were collected from physicians practicing in Canada. The survey contained validated scales of physician lifelong learning, leisure-time exercise, work engagement, work exhaustion, and professional life satisfaction. Descriptive, chi-square, t-test, and correlational analyses were performed. Results: Physicians (n=57) reported moderately high levels of lifelong learning, with no significant difference between academic and community-based physicians. To stay current in their practice, the majority of physicians reported exchanging ideas/asking colleagues and searching databases as questions arise (>90%), followed by engaging in clinical teaching and attending conferences and meetings of professional organizations (>80%). Watching podcasts and webinars was the least preferred lifelong learning activity (<50%). With respect to leisure-time exercise habits, more community-based physicians reported engaging in mild and/or moderate forms of exercising, whereas more academic physicians reported engaging in strenuous exercising in a typical week. Correlational analyses revealed that physicians' leisure-time exercise scores were positively correlated with professional life satisfaction (r = 0.25; p = 0.058) and work engagement (r = 0.29; p = 0.028) and negatively correlated with work exhaustion (r = -0.34; p = 0.01). Conclusions: Irrespective of the practice type, physicians tend to engage in lifelong learning activities that offer in-person interactions with colleagues and trainees. Regular participation in leisure-time exercise appears to enhance physicians' professional wellbeing. As such, these activities and habits should be encouraged, supported, and promoted within institutional culture and health systems in general.

Developing Leadership Capacity in New Rural School District Leaders: The Kansas Educational Leadership Institute

Understanding the context of rural school settings is critical to beginning school district leaders. Rural communities present multifaceted challenges that leaders must embrace as diverse community expectations unfold. The majority of Kansas school districts are in rural settings. Mentoring and induction shapes the experiences encountered during the first year of practice. The Kansas Educational Leadership Institute provides high quality mentoring and induction for new superintendents and principals in Kansas. Mentoring and induction provided by veteran superintendents familiar with leadership complexities in rural communities is offered through on-site visits. In addition, new superintendents participate in activities focused on building capacity through regional cohort networks, attendance at professional organization and state meetings, and in professional learning seminars. The rural superintendent wears many hats in serving their local district. Professional learning opportunities that provide leaders with strategies to focus on achievement, plan for change, and build leadership capacity in rural environments are critical for success.

International Projects of The National Society of Pediatric Hematologist and Oncologists

Background and context: International cooperation is a key factor in the success of multicenter studies and educational projects, especially in LMICs. Aim: To describe projects of The National Society of Pediatric Hematologists and Oncologists (NSPHO) in the international collaboration. Strategy/Tactics: NSPHO international projects: optimization of care for children with cancer in Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and developing relationship with international organizations such as UICC, SIOP (Asian region). Unique feature is that these projects based on collaboration between healthcare professionals and governments with support of leading institutions. Program/Policy process: Program based on online and off-line meetings and courses. CIS project (in collaboration with WHO and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital) based on series of scientific and organizational meetings (online/off-line). Aim of this work is to organize a community of pediatric hematologists/oncologists of the region and prepare unique projects to improve the outcomes of treatment of pediatric cancer cases. Next meeting under the auspices if WHO will be held in Moscow in April 2018 (participants from 10 countries). The objectives of this meeting are to describe current situation of pediatric oncology care in the region, identify regional gaps in pediatric oncology care, and create collaborative project proposals to address identified gaps in care to improve pediatric cancer outcomes in the region. NSPHO working close with SIOP Asia: SIOP Asia Congress was organized in Moscow in 2016. Second project is developing of Directory of Asian Societies and Foundations in the field of pediatric hematology and oncology. Russian-Vietnamese collaborative group in pediatric hematology and oncology was formed in November 2017 in Vietnam. Second meeting of this group is planned for April 2018. Outcomes: More than 5 collaborative projects will be discussed such as CIS cancer registries, collaborative multicentre protocols, educational outreach projects, etc. As the deliverables the plan to publish a special report as well as a resolution to the Ministries of Health of CIS region. SIOP Asia Congress in Moscow was one of the most successful, attracted 1000 participants from 40 different countries attended. New relations were started. Directory of Asian Societies and Foundations in the field of pediatric hematology and oncology includes information on more than 40 organizations. Printed version will be presented at SIOP 2018 Congress in Kyoto. Several collaborative projects discussed in Russian-Vietnamese group. A “memorandum of understanding” was signed as a part of this meeting. It was decided to continue a series of scientific meetings as a part of collaboration. What was learned: Only active international collaboration supported by healthcare professionals and governments could lead to strong improvement of outcomes of pediatric cancer care in all countries worldwide.

Continuous Medical Education in Pediatric Oncology As Successful Approach for Improvement of Early Diagnostics and Treatment

Background and context: Continuous medical education (CME) is very important in improvement of knowledge in all field of pediatrics. CME in pediatric oncology could be aimed both for oncologists and pediatricians. Aim: We aimed to organize CME system in the field of pediatric oncology for oncologists and pediatricians. Strategy/Tactics: Continuous education for improvement of knowledge for all pediatric oncologists and pediatricians based on Russian CME system. This system was organized by the Ministry of Health and National Medical Chamber and based on continuous work of professional medical societies. Each society could propose their educational activities and receive accreditation (participants receiving educational credits). Specialist required receiving education in pediatric oncology participating this system, obtaining credits and getting new knowledge. Program/Policy process: The National Society of Pediatric Hematologists and Oncologists (NSPHO) organized a system of educational seminars in pediatric oncology with CME status and approved credits in different regions of the Russian Federation. NSPHO organizing one seminar per month, 12 seminars per year. Each seminar has three major components: organization (meetings with governments of regions), education (lectures and discussions) and workshops. These seminars are free of charge for all regions and organized with the help of resources of NSPHO. A special report with recommendations for improvement of pediatric cancer care prepared after each seminar and transferred to the Government and Ministry of Health. NSPHO organized also online CME courses with accreditation. To estimate the effectiveness of seminars we are doing surveys and estimation of quality of cancer treatment. Outcomes: All 86 centers and departments of pediatric hematology/oncology in Russia participating this system. All members of NSPHO (about 1200 participants) are studied within the single educational program including governmental certification and Russian CME educational meetings/seminars as well as online CME seminars. CME education in pediatric hematology/oncology and immunology for pediatricians allowed studying more than 1000 specialists during 2017. Estimation by surveys and quality control showed high effectiveness of seminars in early diagnostics and treatment. What was learned: CME platform for online and off-line education in Russia developing rapidly. Nowadays we involved all Russian regions to this work. Results showed high effectiveness of this approach.

Preface.

The Asian Society of Ichthyologists (ASI) was established in February 2014 in Penang, Malaysia following organizational meetings in 2012 in Chiang Mai, Thailand and in 2013 in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.

Interruptions at Work from the Point of View of IT Professionals

It is a major challenge nowadays to recruit and retain young professionals, especially IT professionals in Europe. Interior designers do their bests to create an office space that is more attractive for the young talents than the competitor’s workspace. Modern workstyle is based on communication and collaboration and therefore modern office spaces are designed to support continuous communication and teamwork. In this research, we raise the question how IT professionals fit in this workstyle. The focus of this research is on how IT professionals feel about the different types of communication channels, which are those they identify as hindering factors, and how much their opinion differs from other professionals. During the research, we collected information from questionnaires asking about work environment, communication channels used in the workplace, individual communication preferences, and factors considered as disruptions. The questionnaire was completed by 191 Hungarian office workers from which 63 respondents were IT professionals. The most important result of the research shows that while IT professionals consider personal inquiries useful, many of them are dissatisfied with organized meetings. This research also outlines that IT professionals have an outstanding ability to block out office noise and to focus on work. With the conclusions we make suggestions to the organizations how to improve the communicational environment in order to support work efficiency.

Social capital predicts accelerometry-measured physical activity among older adults in the U.S.: a cross-sectional study in the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project

BackgroundOlder adults receive important health benefits from more robust social capital. Yet, the mechanisms behind these associations are not fully understood. Some evidence suggests that higher levels of social capital ultimately affect health through alterations in physical activity (PA), but most of this research has relied on self-reported levels of PA. The aim of this study was to determine whether components of social capital, including social network size and composition as well as the frequency of participation in various social and community activities, were associated with accelerometry-measured PA levels in a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling older adults (≥ 62 years).MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from the wrist accelerometry sub-study (n = 738) within Wave 2 of the National Social, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), a population-based longitudinal study that collects extensive survey data on the physical, cognitive, and social health of older adults. Participants’ physical activity was measured with a wrist accelerometer worn for 72 consecutive hours. We related seven, self-reported social relationship variables (network size, network proportion friends, and frequencies of socializing with friends and family, visiting with neighbors, attending organized group meetings, attending religious services, and volunteering) to accelerometer-measured PA (mean counts-per-minute) using multivariate linear regression analysis, while adjusting for potential confounders.ResultsLarger social networks (p = 0.042), higher network proportion friends (p = 0.013), more frequent visiting with neighbors (p = 0.009), and more frequent attendance at organized group meetings (p = 0.035) were associated with higher PA levels after controlling for demographic and health covariates. Volunteering was significant prior to adjusting for covariates. No significant associations were found between frequencies of socializing with friends and relatives or attendance at religious services and PA.ConclusionsThis study suggests social capital is significantly related to objectively measured PA levels among older adults, and that friendships as well as social participation in groups and with neighbors may be particularly pertinent to PA. These findings expand our understanding of and offer a potential mechanism linking social relationships and overall health among older adults. They also have implications for how we might motivate older adults to be more physically active.

Using Continuing Professional Development to Create Meaningful Co-Curricular Learning Opportunities for all Student Pharmacists

Objective. To illustrate a method for integrating co-curricular activities, quantify co-curricular activities, and evaluate student perception of achievement of goals. Methods. Throughout a longitudinal course, students engaged in self-selected, co-curricular activities in three categories: professional service, leadership, and community engagement. Hours were documented online with minimum course requirements. Students reflected on experiences and assessed goal attainment. Assignments were reviewed by faculty and feedback was given to each student. Results. From 2010 to 2016, there were 29,341 co-curricular hours documented by 756 students. The most popular events were attending pharmacy organization meetings and participating in immunization clinics. More than half of the students agreed they were able to meet all of their professional goals (mix of career and course goals) while 70% indicated goals were challenging to meet. Conclusion. This method for integrating co-curricular activities using a continuing professional development model demonstrates a sustainable system for promoting professional development through experience and self-reflection.

Training professionals to implement a group model for alleviating loneliness among older people – 10-year follow-up study

ABSTRACTBackground and objectives: Although randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been performed to alleviate loneliness among older people, little is known about how they have been implemented, or whether they are effective in real life. Our RCT-based model, “Circle of Friends” (CoF) proved to be effective in improving the wellbeing, health and cognition of lonely older people. Over 10 years we have systematically trained 752 professional facilitators of lonely older people’s CoF groups. This study aims to explain how this training has succeeded in practice and to describe the outcomes of CoF implementation. Research Design and Methods: Survey data were gathered in 2006–2016 from trained facilitators (n = 319) and CoF participants (n = 1041). Results: The CoF has been disseminated in 80 municipalities in Finland. The trained CoF facilitators have maintained the original key elements and structure of the model fairly well in its implementation and dissemination processes. The main objectives of CoF – the alleviation of loneliness, making new friends, and members continuing meetings on their own – have remained the facilitators’ priority. The CoF socially activates older participants, as 67% organized group meetings after the facilitated process. However, the CoF has become diluted in some aspects during its dissemination, as a small proportion of trained facilitators have implemented the model in their own way. Discussion and Implications: The CoF may be an encouraging example of how an original RCT model with a rigorous training program can be implemented and disseminated in real-life settings over 10 years.

Мирон Кордуба в роки Української революції (за мемуарними джерелами)

The article is devoted to the reconstruction of Myron Korduba’s biography during the period of revolutionary events based on his memoirs. It has been found out that the problem of reconstruction of life and work of M. Korduba during the Ukrainian revolution was quite an issue for his contemporaries (e.g., O. Popovich) and researchers of our time (especially I. Fedoriv, O. Pikh, V. Pedych, V. Telvak and others). It has been indicated that in their research memoirs of M. Korduba were used only sporadically, which makes it impossible to display a full biography of the scientist. This is why the research is topical. The aim of the article is a reconstruction of the life and work of M. Korduba during the Ukrainian revolution based on his memoirs. It has been investigated that from the first days of October 1918 M. Korduba actively participated in the national liberation struggle of Ukraine. He became a member of the National Committee, took part in its organizational and international meetings. As a lieutenant of the committee, he participated in the formation of the Ukrainian National Council. By his initiative, the council was convened in Chernivtsi November 3, 1918, which proclaimed the peaceful transition of power in the region to Ukrainians. M. Korduba took an active part in the process of Ukrainization of political life in Bukovina, which was stopped by the Romanian occupation of land. M. Korduba was elected as Provincial Committee ambassador to Kyiv, where he sought help from the Hetman Skoropadsky. However, an armed conflict between Hetman and Directorate made the assistance impossible and Bukovina was fully occupied by Romanian troops. As a result, it has been noted that the memoirs of M. Korduba revealed significant information which uncovered the little-known pages of his biography. It has been proved that a remarkable scientist appeared to be a bright representative of Ukrainian intelligentsia: responsible for the fate of people, proactive in finding opportunities to realize assignments entrusted to him, tolerant and respectful to his opponents. It has been indicated that due to his efforts, Ukrainian Bukovina felt itself the master of its life and tried to realize the dream of statehood at least for this brief period of time. However, the objective historical circumstances (lack of statehood experience, small amount of intelligentsia, more advanced organization of his neighbors), led to the defeat of the Liberation Struggle in Western Ukraine. The further involvement of Korduba’s discourse of his memoir materials, can reveal little-known pages of the biography of this prominent figure.

Epistemic communities in Knowledge Organization: An analysis of the NASKO meetings proceedings

Epistemic communities can be understood as networks of knowledge-based experts that hold in common a set of principled and causal beliefs, have shared notions of validity, exchange knowledge, and shape, demarcate, and articulate the identities of present and future knowledge producers. In Knowledge Organization, epistemic communities have been likened to the term “domain” in the domain-analytic paradigm. Acknowledging the important role that ISKO C-US, the International Society for Knowledge Organization: Chapter for Canada and United States, plays in the international production of scientific knowledge, we aim to characterize this epistemic community based on the publications of the five North American Symposium on Knowledge Organization (NASKO) meetings proceedings. The results allow us to conclude that the ISKO C-US community is a productive, dialogical, and a continuously well-developed community with a well-balanced trajectory between an epistemological dimension, in search of its theoretical and methodological bases, and a social dimension, considering different cultural backgrounds. These aspects demarcate and shape the road for future research on knowledge organization.

Development of newborn screening connect (NBS connect): a self-reported patient registry and its role in improvement of care for patients with inherited metabolic disorders

BackgroundNewborn Screening Connect (NBS Connect) is a web-based self-reported patient registry and resource for individuals and families affected by disorders included in the newborn screening panel. NBS Connect was launched in 2012 by Emory University after years of planning and grassroots work by professionals, consumers, and industry. Individuals with phenylketonuria (PKU), maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) or tyrosinemia (TYR) have been recruited through distribution of outreach materials, presentations at parent organization meetings and direct recruitment at clinic appointments. Participants complete online profiles generating data on diagnosis, treatment, symptoms, outcomes, barriers to care, and quality of life. Resources such as education materials, information on the latest research and clinical trials, recipes, interactive health tracking systems, and professional support tools are described. In addition, to examine the ability of NBS Connect to generate data that guides hypothesis-driven research, data pertaining to age at diagnosis, bone health, and skin conditions in individuals with PKU were assessed. The objective of this paper is to describe the development of NBS Connect and highlight its data, resources and research contributions.ResultsIn September 2016, NBS Connect had 442 registered participants: 314 (71%) individuals with PKU, 68 (15%) with MSUD, 20 (5%) with TYR, and 40 (9%) with other disorders on the NBS panel. Age at diagnosis was less than 4 weeks in 285 (89%) of 319 respondents to this question and between 1 month and 14 years in 29 (9%) individuals. Of 216 respondents with PKU, 33 (15%) had a DXA scan in the past year. Of 217 respondents with PKU, 99 (46%) reported at least one skin condition.ConclusionsNBS Connect was built and refined with feedback from all stakeholders, including individuals with inherited metabolic disorders. Based on patient-reported data, future studies can be initiated to test hypotheses such as the relationship between PKU and skin conditions. Patient registries like NBS Connect can inform hypothesis-driven research, contributing to knowledge generation and following the current trend in moving from traditional medicine towards evidence-based practice. NBS Connect will help clinicians understand long-term outcomes of rare disorders, contributing to better patient care and quality of life.

Recommendations for the evaluation of complex genetic toxicity data sets when assessing carcinogenic risks to humans.

Genotoxicity testing plays an important role in the assessment of carcinogenic and heritable risks. In many cases, experts charged with assessing genotoxicity test results need to evaluate widely varying numbers and types of bioassays of differing quality, conducted in a variety of cells and species using a wide range of protocols. The recommendations in this article were initially prepared as general guidelines to assist experts involved in the 2016 Joint Food and Agricultural Organization and World Health Organization Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) in their evaluation of the human health risks associated with exposure to pesticide residues in the diet. A weight of evidence approach is recommended in which studies are evaluated based on quality, reproducibility and consistency, significance of the genetic alteration, phylogenetic relevance to humans, type (in vivo vs. in vitro), and relevance of the route of administration. Using the recommended approach, the most weight will generally be given to high quality in vivo studies of gene and chromosome mutations (including aberrations) in humans or mammals exposed to the chemical through a physiologically relevant route such as oral or dermal administration or by inhalation. The guidelines are intended to give reviewers flexibility in evaluating all relevant scientific information, and allow them to use their best scientific judgment in reaching conclusions about the significance of the genotoxicity results. The use of these guidelines and the associated weighting considerations should facilitate the evaluation of complex and sometimes contradictory data sets, and provide more consistency in evaluations across risk assessments. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 58:380-385, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Contentious sites: Cultural memory, collective organizing, and symbolic struggles over the Park51 Islamic center

Working from a Goffmanian dramaturgical perspective, this article analyzes the struggle between two opposing social movement coalitions formed in response to the proposed construction of an Islamic center near Ground Zero. To this end, the authors conducted in-depth interviews with leaders from key organizations involved in the conflict, in addition to participant observation at rallies and meetings of the different organizations involved. The authors find that despite great differences between the two conflicting sides, both coalitions experienced similar internal challenges that had to be managed when staging the performance for the public eye. The struggle over memory, space, and language strongly impacted how these actors understand coalition-building and mobilization. The article makes a contribution at the intersection between memory and dramaturgical studies applied to collective action.

Contribution of community health workers to surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases in the Obala health district

IntroductionThe establishment of effective community-based surveillance is an essential objective of all disease surveillance systems. Several studies and reports have found that the situation is far from optimal in several developing countries such as Cameroon.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study to assess the contribution of community health workers to surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases in Obala health district. The performance of community health workers was measured using: the number of cases referred to the health center, the percentage of accomplished referrals, the percentage of cases referred by community health workers confirmed by the staff of health centers. A questionnaire containing forty-seven questions (open-ended and closed-ended) was used for interviews with community health workers. The data were analyzed using SPSS 21 and Excel 2007. Counts and percentages are reported.ResultsThe study showed that the age ranged of community health workers was from 24 to 61 years with an average of 37.9 years ± 6.7 years. The most represented age group was between 40 and 50 with a percentage of 38.6%. The male sex was more represented than the female sex (61.4% vs 38.6%) or a sex ratio male man of 1.7. Forty-five percent of community health workers were selected at a village meeting, 93.1% of community health workers were involved in the surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases and 87% experienced at least one preventable disease. Only 45.8% of them had the case definitions of the four diseases. Analysis of community health workers attendance at organized health committee meetings showed that 79% of community health workers attended at least one health committee meeting in 2015 and only 49% were monitored in 2015. Community health workers reported 42 suspected cases of measles, 37 of which actually went to the nearest Health Center, a baseline rate of 88%.ConclusionCommunity health workers play a key role in the control of vaccine-preventable diseases in the Obala health district. Community-based surveillance is the foundation of surveillance activities. It is a mechanism based on simple case definitions of priority diseases and unexpected events or unusual conditions. Our study also reaffirms the importance of mastering case definitions and home visits and early detection of vaccine-preventable diseases.

Kampaņa pret abstrakcionismu un formālismu 1963. gadā. Latvijas Padomju rakstnieku savienības valdes nostāja

Between 1962 and 1963 the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Nikita Khrushchev launched several campaigns against abstractionists and formalists in Moscow, thus marking the end of the so-called Thaw throughout the Soviet Union. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Latvia also started a campaign against national abstractionists and formalists. On the 22nd and 28th of March 1963 the works of the new poets Vizma Belševica, Monta Kroma, Ojārs Vācietis as well as writer Ēvalds Vilks came under the criticism cross-fire at the Intelligentsia Meeting of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic. After the criticism from the Communist Party the above mentioned authors also had to be discussed at the Board meetings of the Latvian Soviet Writers’ Union and the local organization meetings of the Party. The article examines the attitude of the Board of Soviet Writers’ Union towards the campaign initiated by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Latvia in March 1963 by looking at the documents of the Latvian Soviet Writers’ Union and the Union’s local organization of the Communist Party that are available at the State Archives of Latvia. Crucial and artistic aspects of the works of the above-mentioned authors have not been included in the analysis. Examining the debates that evolved in the Writers’ Union within the ideological campaign, it is possible to state that the Board, which was loyal to the Communist Party, kept its official stance in line with the Party principles, hereafter paying special attention to the ideologically artistic achievements of particular authors. Generally, the position of the Board of the Latvian Soviet Writers’ Union in respect to the criticized authors can be evaluated as passive, because no repressions were carried out against the new authors and no creative activities were completely suspended by the Board. The campaign of 1963 strongly demonstrates the differences between the generations and the views of the writers. It also reveals the older generation’s struggle for keeping their position and prestige in the field of literature while the younger generation took an increasing opposition.