Team Partners Research Articles

A combined fuzzy DEMATEL and fuzzy TOPSIS approach for evaluating GSD project outcome factors

The theoretical basis for studying the phenomenon of Global Software Development (GSD) draws upon one of the key research streams, that is, the Organizational Behavior (OB) research. The focus of this study has led to two research problems: partnership quality and service climate aspects are addressed which have given an insight into the OB research on GSD teams. Moreover, this study classifies results from the partnership quality and service climate aspects into one integrated framework, which covers 18 attributes to explore the GSD outcome factors perceived by GSD teams in OB research phenomenon. To evaluate partnership quality and team service climate aspects with reference to the GSD project outcome, we have integrated the fuzzy Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory Model (DEMATEL) and the Technique for Order Performance by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) approach, which is more appropriate to find the significance of criteria. The empirical application of this hybrid approach for evaluating GSD project outcome factors has been tested in Indian software organizations. Consequently, the results of this study provide a vivid picture and facilitate the organization to reveal the importance of OB research on GSD teams.

Using the Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Approach in Childhood Obesity Prevention

Childhood and adolescent obesity has increased drastically in the past 30 years. While this is troubling, there is also evidence of large disparities among certain ethnic groups such as African American and Hispanic children and adolescents. The Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Model emphasizes a collaborative, co-learning, mutually beneficial, and community-partnered approach to research. Unique aspects of this model include viewing community members as equal partners in non-hierarchical teams, working together in a strengths-based, action oriented research process. This review consists of an investigation of the CBPR approach, its important tenets, and why such an approach may be more effective for childhood and adolescent obesity intervention program development, especially in stratified communities.

RN and Physician PICC Team Partnership in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

RN and Physician PICC Team Partnership in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

How schools can move beyond exclusion

Healthy learning environments for young people are underpinned by respectful relationships. Unfortunately, Australian students who do not form reasonable relationships with peers and staff are unlikely to benefit from being at school. These students tend to disengage and are often excluded. However, a growing number of Australian schools have moved beyond exclusion as their default response in dealing with such students. In asking themselves After exclusion what? some Australian schools have found that one answer is to create an onsite enabling space as an integral part of their student well-being practice. Drawing on an Australian Research Council-funded research project involving the University of Melbourne, Hands On Learning Australia and a wider team of partners, this paper introduces the conceptual framework of enabling spaces to explore respectful relationships through the tripartite lens of connection, control and meaning. Enabling spaces, built on respectful relationships, foster a sense of belonging in students, encourage and develop self-efficacy, and provide a context for students to derive a sense of purpose. In this way, they can help young – often disadvantaged – people maintain their connection with mainstream schooling. We argue that these elements are common features of all enabling spaces, and discuss the Hands On Learning method as an illustrative case study.

Proceedings of the International Cancer Imaging Society (ICIS) 14th Annual Teaching Course.

Even as many cancers have been transformed from fatal to chronic diseases in developed countries, global cancer incidence and mortality have been rising [1]. While imaging is an essential tool in cancer care, the guidelines for its use are neither sufficient nor widely recognized. The needs for imaging equipment and training vary around the globe but are generally vast. Addressing these needs will require increased international cooperation. Conferences such as this, donation of equipment, “teach the teachers” programs, and ongoing education and consultation with experts via the Internet can all help. Most importantly, to have a long-lasting impact, cooperation must be tailored to local needs, engage local healthcare leaders, and build new generations of local leaders in oncologic imaging. With few exceptions (most notably the United Kingdom), oncologic imaging has yet to mature as a subspecialty around the world. In the United States, only a handful of oncologic imaging fellowships exist, and radiologists in most hospitals are still organized around modalities or organ systems. Just as pediatric radiology is not simply general radiology for small adults, oncologic imaging is not simply the identification of masses added to general body imaging. Sub-specialized expertise is required for optimal, clinically relevant interpretation. Oncologic imagers must understand all imaging modalities, even those they do not interpret primarily, to be full partners in multidisciplinary disease management teams. Yet oncologic imaging is not recognized as a separate section in board examinations, and most radiology residents do not perceive it as a potential career path. Formal acknowledgment of the value provided by dedicated oncologic imagers would help raise the visibility of this critical subspecialty. Another challenge facing oncologic imaging is the need to standardize reports to ensure all key points are covered clearly for each specific kind of cancer [2]. As part of this effort, radiologists must learn to utilize quantitative rather than qualitative terms as much as possible. Not only should they use numerical scales to express diagnostic certainty, they must also learn to interpret an ever-growing array of quantitative imaging parameters [3]. Finally, while state-of-the-art equipment is widely available in the United States, the approval and dissemination of new molecular imaging probes has been frustratingly slow. To realize the true potential of oncologic imaging and assure its contribution to precision medicine, we need to expedite the validation, regulatory approval and dissemination of new tracers--particularly PET tracers, which have unparalleled molecular specificity. Radionuclide tracers are critical for characterizing tumor heterogeneity in vivo and are powerful predictive, prognostic and early response biomarkers. They can be used as companion diagnostics for targeted therapies and to assess pharmacodynamics/pharmacokinetics. Moreover, they can be integrated into theranostic agents that allow simultaneous diagnosis, treatment and treatment monitoring [4,5]. All these challenges may seem formidable, but as Alfred Einstein said, “in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” Despite its lack of recognition, oncologic imaging is poised to be part of a revolution in cancer care. With dedication, imagination and cooperation, there is no limit to what we can accomplish.

LLL2: an international global level questionnaire on toothbrushing and use of fluoride toothpaste

To determine the evolution of toothbrushing frequency and use of fluoridetoothpaste in the FDI-Unilever partnership Live.Learn.Laugh. phase 2 programme using a self-reported questionnaire. The study was conducted in 23 countries. The key focus of this partnership was to educate people about the benefits of twice-daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste and to support people in adopting this important oral health behaviour. The partnership offers a choice of four project options to the local partnership team of the National Dental Association and local Unilever-operating companies. A self-report questionnaire was used in all participating subjects in local projects to evaluate the brushing frequency, the brushing timing and the use of fluoride toothpaste. After implementation of the project interventions, a clear improvement in the reported frequency of brushing twice a day, regardless of the type of project, was observed. Subjects also increased day and night brushing and the use of fluoride toothpaste. The strategy of using mothers to increase healthy behaviours in oral health achieved the greatest increase in twice-daily toothbrushing, followed by the intervention in schools.

Using Network Analysis to Understand Knowledge Mobilization in a Community-based Organization.

BackgroundKnowledge mobilization (KM) has been described as putting research in the hands of research users. Network analysis is an empirical approach that has potential for examining the complex process of knowledge mobilization within community-based organizations (CBOs). Yet, conducting a network analysis in a CBO presents challenges.PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the value and feasibility of using network analysis as a method for understanding knowledge mobilization within a CBO by (1) presenting challenges and solutions to conducting a network analysis in a CBO, (2) examining the feasibility of our methodology, and (3) demonstrating the utility of this methodology through an example of a network analysis conducted in a CBO engaging in knowledge mobilization activities.MethodThe final method used by the partnership team to conduct our network analysis of a CBO is described.ResultsAn example of network analysis results of a CBO engaging in knowledge mobilization is presented. In total, 81 participants completed the network survey. All of the feasibility benchmarks set by the CBO were met. Results of the network analysis are highlighted and discussed as a means of identifying (1) prominent and influential individuals in the knowledge mobilization process and (2) areas for improvement in future knowledge mobilization initiatives.ConclusionFindings demonstrate that network analysis can be feasibly used to provide a rich description of a CBO engaging in knowledge mobilization activities.

The traumatized vertebral spine reloaded: injury mechanisms and their radiologic patterns.

The ideal classification of spinal trauma does not yet exist, primarily because the implementation of morphological, biomechanical, and clinical parameters in a single nomenclature is a difficult task. For radiologists and surgeons, who are partners in trauma teams, only a few classifications of injury patterns have been shown to be useful enough to provide rapid and stable therapy decisions in daily practice. From a didactic point of view, however, simplifications of injury mechanisms are of help to become aware of the most important radiologic injury patterns of vertebral trauma. The members of trauma teams should be aware of the strengths and limitations of existing descriptions of imaging features when reporting trauma to the spine. These are discussed in this article.

Summary on the Charleston Area Pollution Prevention Partnership Environmental Justice Conference and Summit

For the last six years, a community-university partnership between the Low Country Alliance for Model Communities (LAMC), the Charleston Community Research to Action Board (CCRAB), the University of South Carolina (USC), the University of Maryland-College Park (UMD), and other partners and stakeholders have worked to perform a baseline assessment of environmental pollution, exposure disparities, and health in underserved and economically distressed communities in the Charleston region before the Port of Charleston expands. In an effort to provide a showcase for current environmental health and justice efforts in the Charleston area and the state of South Carolina, while also providing a forum for discussions of solutions to mitigate and eliminate environmental health threats, the Charleston Area Prevention Partnership (CAPs) team hosted an “Environmental Health and Justice Conference and Community Summit” in September 2013. The goal of the conference was to educate conference participants about research on environmental public health issues related to social justice, increase collaborations between community groups, health professionals, and academicians, and provide a forum for dissemination of results about research in social justice, environmental justice, and environmental health. The conference included two workshops, keynote addresses by Omega Wilson and Representative Harold Mitchell, concurrent sessions, and roundtable discussions. The conference resulted in innovative and creative ideas for community-university partnerships, as well as ways in which community members can rally around environmental health concerns to raise funds and generate solutions to address environmental injustice and health disparities in Metropolitan Charleston and the state of South Carolina.

A focus group study of healthy eating knowledge, practices, and barriers among adult and adolescent immigrants and refugees in the United States.

BackgroundImmigrants and refugees to the United States exhibit lower dietary quality than the general population, but reasons for this disparity are poorly understood. In this study, we describe the meanings of food, health and wellbeing through the reported dietary preferences, beliefs, and practices of adults and adolescents from four immigrant and refugee communities in the Midwestern United States.MethodsUsing a community based participatory research approach, we conducted a qualitative research study with 16 audio-recorded focus groups with adults and adolescents who self-identified as Mexican, Somali, Cambodian, and Sudanese. Focus group topics were eating patterns, perceptions of healthy eating in the country of origin and in the U.S., how food decisions are made and who in the family is involved in food preparation and decisions, barriers and facilitators to healthy eating, and gender and generational differences in eating practices. A team of investigators and community research partners analyzed all transcripts in full before reducing data to codes through consensus. Broader themes were created to encompass multiple codes.ResultsResults show that participants have similar perspectives about the barriers (personal, environmental, structural) and benefits of healthy eating (e.g., ‘junk food is bad’). We identified four themes consistent across all four communities: Ways of Knowing about Healthy Eating (‘Meanings;’ ‘Motivations;’ ‘Knowledge Sources’), Eating Practices (‘Family Practices;’ ‘Americanized Eating Practices’ ‘Eating What’s Easy’), Barriers (‘Taste and Cravings;’ ‘Easy Access to Junk Food;’ ‘Role of Family;’ Cultural Foods and Traditions;’ ‘Time;’ ‘Finances’), and Preferences for Intervention (‘Family Counseling;’ Community Education;’ and ‘Healthier Traditional Meals.’). Some generational (adult vs. adolescents) and gender differences were observed.ConclusionsOur study demonstrates how personal, structural, and societal/cultural factors influence meanings of food and dietary practices across immigrant and refugee populations. We conclude that cultural factors are not fixed variables that occur independently from the contexts in which they are embedded.

Cultural Diversity at the Top: Does it Increase Innovation and Firm Performance?

The article focuses on cultural diversity and whether it has economic value. Though it is undisputed that cultural diversity within a country increases entrepreneurial behaviour the question that remains is whether this heightened entrepreneurial activity results in greater economic achievements. The article reports on a study that was carried out within the London area that presented an ideal setting given that London is a super-diverse city with intense economic activity. The results showed that ethnic diversity in the team of owners and partners of firms was indeed associated with greater innovativeness. This was in line with the view that diversity brings a variety of perspectives, skills and ways of thinking that in turn are translated into greater novelty in products or services and ways of performing tasks. On the other hand, however, ethnic diversity at the top did not translate into success at bringing innovations to the market, neither to revenue growth. Neither did the idea that diversity would be especially beneficial for innovation in knowledge-intensive industries find support. Finally, the data suggested that immigrants become entrepreneurs by choice rather than due to lack of better alternatives. The findings of the study raise the serious question of why the greater innovativeness that diversity brings does not generally translate into market and economic success, which opens new avenues for future research.

What Ails the Large Law Firm? Will the Real FutureFirm Please Stand Up

“What Ails the Large Law Firm?” was written in the early summer of 2009, shortly after the completion of FutureFirm 1.0 — a “collaborative competition” in which teams of law firm partners, in-house lawyers, and junior associates competed with one another to create a law firm that would survive and thrive over the next 20 years. This essay reported the surprising results of the competition along with my own commentary on how these results could be used by BigLaw to adapt to changing times.Upon completing the essay, however, I filed it away. Back in 2009, law firm leaders had too many emergencies on their hands to listen to the unsolicited advice of a legal academic. Although I thought my analysis had merit, the timing was wrong. A better course of action was to let events play out.Nearly five years have past since FutureFirm 1.0. To our great relief, the fall-out from the 2008 credit crisis is behind us. To the surprise of some, the large law firm sector has come out the other side substantially intact. Headcounts are slightly up from 2008, and the most firms remain quite profitable. Yet, most law firm managers would probably agree with Bruce MacEwen’s sober conclusion that Growth is Dead.I am circulating “What Ails the Large Law Firm? Will the Real FutureFirm Please Stand Up” because I think most large law firm lawyers would be interested in revisiting the crisis of 2008-2009. Since that time, many short- and medium-term strategies have been tried, and many were successful. But they were also short- or medium-term. Lawyers at many firms are ready to have a conversation about longer-term ideas. Politicians may long for a crisis to make change. Prolonged ruts, in contrast, appear to bring out the best in big firm lawyers.With this brief prologue in place, it is my hope that “What Ails the Large Law Firm?” may be a useful and well-timed message.

Improving organisational performance – red team policing and partnerships

Purpose – Intra and inter-organisational learning holds important consequences for official agencies’ capabilities to reduce harm, particularly in the field of safeguarding children. A range of formal learning mechanisms exist but as these can be limited there is a case for expanding the learning opportunities relied upon. The concepts of “red teaming” and “alternative analysis” though relatively well established in other sectors are under-developed, under-used and under-promoted within policing. They offer flexible conceptual and practical resources that aim to challenge established models, thinking and practices. Policing organisations would benefit from institutionalising alternative forms of analysis though this would involve an attitudinal commitment and shift. This paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Documentary analysis and reflection. Findings – Consideration of the red team approach by police and partners offers an alternative approach to effective organisational learning to prevent repeating similar mistakes uncovered by Serious Case Reviews. Originality/value – This paper will allow practitioners to reflect upon current serious reviews of cases and offers an alternative and effective way of improving partner agencies capabilities to reduce harm.

The Professional Occupational Therapy Doctoral Degree: Why Do It?

This article presents a rationale for the development of professional occupational therapy doctorate (OTD) programs. As more universities transition to the entry-level OTD degree, opportunities are becoming available to advance the profession and increase benefits to clients. We analyzed the current health care environment and developed the following proposed outcomes for doctoral-trained practitioners: (1) Demonstrate advanced clinical skills; (2) attain proficiency in outcomes measurement and analysis and synthesis of outcomes data; (3) routinely use standardized evidence-based practice clinical guidelines that translate research into practice; (4) develop, implement, and lead health promotion services; and (5) excel as partners in interprofessional teams.

Assessing the Educational and Support Needs of Nursing Staff Serving Older Adults

Given the expected changes in demography and dependent care ratios, communities are preparing for the needs of older populations. Sometimes, communities form coalitions to address health-care needs. This case study evaluates a coalition/university partnership formed to assess the educational and support needs of nursing staff who are taking care of older adults across all service settings in one geographically defined community. A 17-member community-based coalition contracted with researchers from an external university to determine the perceptions of three key stakeholder groups: older adults and their families, all levels of nursing staff, and agency administrators. By applying principles of Participatory Action Research (PAR), this case study presents the challenges faced in the community-based coalition/university research team partnership. This coalition/research partnership is unique, differing from most academic examples of PAR because nursing professionals initiated the partnership.

Crop Residue Mass Needed to Maintain Soil Organic Carbon Levels: Can It Be Determined?

Corn’s (Zea mays L.) stover is a potential nonfood, herbaceous bioenergy feedstock. A vital aspect of utilizing stover for bioenergy production is to establish sustainable harvest criteria that avoid exacerbating soil erosion or degrading soil organic carbon (SOC) levels. Our goal is to empirically estimate the minimum residue return rate required to sustain SOC levels at numerous locations and to identify which macroscale factors affect empirical estimates. Minimum residue return rate is conceptually useful, but only if the study is of long enough duration and a relationship between the rate of residue returned and the change in SOC can be measured. About one third of the Corn Stover Regional Partnership team (Team) sites met these criteria with a minimum residue return rate of 3.9 ± 2.18 Mg stover ha−1 yr−1, n = 6. Based on the Team and published corn-based data (n = 35), minimum residue return rate was 6.38 ± 2.19 Mg stover ha−1 yr−1, while including data from other cropping systems (n = 49), the rate averaged 5.74 ± 2.36 Mg residue ha−1 yr−1. In broad general terms, keeping about 6 Mg residue ha−1 yr−1 maybe a useful generic rate as a point of discussion; however, these analyses refute that a generic rate represents a universal target on which to base harvest recommendations at a given site. Empirical data are needed to calibrate, validate, and refine process-based models so that valid sustainable harvest rate guidelines are provided to producers, industry, and action agencies.

Creating Citizenship Communities

The project ‘Creating Citizenship Communities’ is funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and is being conducted by a partnership team from the Department of Education, University of York and the National Foundation for Educational Research. This article describes the project design and draws attention to issues emerging from data analysis. An indication is given of the actions to be taken with professionals and young people in light of the project findings. An argument is made for the need to co-ordinate work in schools by developing stronger liaison between citizenship education teachers and those responsible for whole school initiatives to promote community engagement; and helping teachers to build on young people’s existing knowledge and expertise in community matters to help them understand and act more effectively in society

Evolution of national and European policies in the field of rare diseases and their impact over the past five years

The 2009 Council Recommendation on an Action in the Field of Rare Diseases (2009/C 151/02) [1] encouraged Member States to elaborate a national plan or strategy for rare diseases before the end of 2013. One of the principal tasks of the European Union Committee of Experts on Rare Diseases (EUCERD) [2], through its Scientific Secretariat, was to analyse the results of the actions cited in the Recommendation, notably through the production of the annual report on the ‘State of the Art of Rare Disease Activities in Europe’ [3]. The 2014 edition of the report considers the impact of European policy and national plans/strategies (Figure ​(Figure1)1) on the organisation of health care and services for patients with rare diseases, including access to diagnosis and treatment, as well as considering progress in the field of registries, rare disease research initiatives, the genetic testing offer, access to information on rare diseases, patient organisations, and specialised social services. In terms of national plans and strategies for rare diseases, by end 2013, the deadline to elaborate national plans/strategies for rare diseases fixed by the Council Recommendation, most EU Member States had submitted a plan/strategy to their national authorities and sixteen countries have adopted a plan/strategy (Figure ​(Figure2).2). France and Spain have implemented and assessed their first plan. As their number one priority, most countries plan to identify and design centres of expertise for rare diseases. Many of these plans/strategies, however, have no dedicated budget for their actions, a result of the unfavourable economic context which may hinder the implementation of defined measures. The next challenge for EU Member States will be to effectively implement and assess these plans, which the new Commission Expert Group on Rare Diseases [4] will follow closely. Research in the field of rare diseases has been boosted in recent years due to European and international initiatives, such as European research projects funded via the DG Research and Innovation framework programmes and the E-Rare ERA-NET [5] as well as the creation of the International Rare Disease Research Consortium (IRDIRC) [6]. The Orphanet database [7] continues to expand and provides data collected in 37 European and surrounding countries with partner teams in Canada and Australia and negotiations ongoing in other world regions. Nearly all countries now have a national alliance for rare diseases ensuring that the voice of rare diseases, carried by Eurordis [8] at the European level, is heard. Figure 1 Emergence of concepts and initiatives surrounding rare diseases in Europe (December 2013) Figure 2 Stages of development of national plans or strategies for rare diseases in EU MS in December 2013

Team Leadership and Partnership in Nursing and Health Care

Team Leadership and Partnership in Nursing and Health Care

Responding to Change and Transition in INKE’s Year 3

Use of project teams is increasing, however little is known about collaboration as it actually occurs over the life of projects. This paper explores the nature of collaboration within Implementing New Knowledge Environments (INKE) after three years of funded research. The third year is characterized by change and transition with new team members, partners, and sub-research areas. INKE continues to draw upon structures and processes, including team building activities, in-person meetings, multiple communication channels, evolving governance documents to support the collaboration, and incorporating collaboration-ready individuals. The paper concludes with recommendations for similar long term, large-scale project teams.