Relationship Partnership Research Articles

Veiksniai, padedantys socialiniams darbuotojams įgalinti asmenis, turinčius intelekto negalią, dienos socialinės globos centruose: socioedukacinis aspektas

Socioeducational services, which are provided in day care centres, have a substantial impact on the empowerment of people with an intellectual disability. The article reveals factors, which assist social workers in empowering people with an intellectual disability in day care centres. Qualitative research was chosen for the study while using the method of a semi-structured interview. Eight social workers, who work with people with an intellectual disability in day care centres were chosen for the research. The obtained data were analysed by using the method of a qualitative content analysis while adhering to inductive logic of classifying into categories, which is based on the study data. The study revealed factors assisting in empowering people with an intellectual disability in social care centres: a positive attitude towards a person with an intellectual disability, respect for the opinion of a person when taking decisions related to him/her, the preparation, implementation and assessment of an individual plan when responding to individual personal needs, the creation of physical, informational and communicational environment increasing personal activeness and independence, the creation and maintenance of a favourable psychosocial environment in the community of a day care centre, the involvement of day centre attendees in the institution’s decision-making at various levels, the development, maintenance and expansion of personal competences, which increase their independence. A positive attitude towards a person with an intellectual disability should be associated with non-concentration on a disability, but the perception of a person through the lenses of his abilities, strengths, and not the lenses of his/her inability and weaknesses, the acknowledgement of personal individuality and his/her possibilities and the discernment of opportunities in the arising difficulties, as well as a partnership in relationships between an employee and a recipient of services. Respect for the opinion of a person when taking decisions related to him/her should be associated both with an opportunity for a person to express his opinion when decisions, which are related to him/her, are taken and the obtaining and supply of information from a person through the means empowering him/her to participate while taking decisions and by providing a person with an intellectual disability with adjuster, but not substitutionary assistance. When preparing, implementing and assessing an individual plan of a person it is important to know a person and his/her immediate environment, to identify strengths and resources both in a person, his/her immediate environment and a community and to use them in the empowerment process. In addition, it is important to cooperate with a person with an intellectual disability and his/her close relatives when preparing, implementing and assessing an individual plan. When empowering persons with an intellectual disability the creation of physical, information and communication environment, the use of alternative means, as well as those facilitating communication are important. The creation of a favourable psychoactive environment in the community of a day care centre while developing and maintaining positive relationships both between day care employees and attendees and the attendees of a centre themselves is equally important. The involvement of the attendees of a day care centre in decision-making at various levels of an institution is attributable to the involvement of them in decision-making related to daily activities, tasks in them, the self-government of an institution, as well as the assumption and implementation of responsibilities and obligations and their involvement in the assessment of service quality. The maintenance and expansion of personal competences increasing independence are important empowerment factors to persons with an intellectual disability relatable to the maintenance and expansion of domestic, health friendly, social and work skills and personal involvement in sociocultural activities. Furthermore, when developing and maintaining competences in persons with an intellectual disability, which increase their independence, the social worker has to be patient in order to achieve a result and not to give in to despair, if he/she fails to achieve it. When working with persons with an intellectual disability an empowerment process, but not a result is important.

EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT IN THE CONDITIONS OF INNOVATIVE CHANGES

The article reveals the problems of educational management in the conditions of innovative changes. It was determined that the reformation processes of the educational sector in Ukraine actualized the problem of qualitative changes in the educational management system. After all, the quality of education and the effectiveness of educational reforms in Ukraine depend on the focus of educational management. First of all, this concerns the formation of personnel policy, and the development of a strategy for the development of an educational institution, educational programs, and ensuring the image of an educational organization. An analysis of scientific sources was carried out, which shows that the theoretical foundations of educational management have been sufficiently developed in Ukraine, and the management system in modern conditions has been studied. Thus, in the works of G. V. Yelnikova, L. M. Kalinina, O. I. Kasyanova, O . I. Marmazy, V. I. Maslova, T. I. Sushchenko defined directions of changes in educational management. According to scientists, the domestic theory of educational management is going through a period of complex transformational shifts, an intensive search for new directions of scientific research aimed at implementing a new vision of educational management policy, modern world models of educational organization management. However, the problems of managing educational institutions in the conditions of innovative changes, developing strategies for the development of an educational organization, forming a positive image of an educational organization, and motivating teaching staff for professional growth remain insufficiently researched. It is noted that the development of the value attitude of the heads of educational institutions towards innovative management as a leading direction of educational management is implemented through the implementation of new approaches to management activities: competence-based, axiological, synergistic and others. It was found that among the important educational values that significantly affect the effectiveness of management activities, the following can be distinguished: the rule of law, tolerance, patriotism, honesty, justice, trust, morality, academic integrity. Accordingly, the content of educational management should be value-oriented and characterized by favorable communications, partnership in relationships, and a system of incentives for the professional growth of teaching staff. It was found that the strategy of the institution's development, which consists of a complex of methodical, material, technical and management projects with the determination of ways of their implementation, acquires an important importance in the conditions of innovative changes. It is emphasized that changes have also taken place in the personnel policy of educational institutions. Among the important tasks in the work with the pedagogical staff are defined: creation of favorable conditions for the professional development of both each teacher in particular and the pedagogical team as a whole; ensuring favorable communications between all participants in the educational process; creation of an effective system of stimulation for professional pedagogical activity; effective leadership is another. It is noted that in the conditions of innovative educational changes, the ability of the management subsystem to provide a positive image of the educational institution characterizes the innovative competence of the manager.

An Analysis of the Concept of Partnership in the Couples Undergoing Infertility Treatment

The elements of a partnership in the couples undergoing infertility treatment are not well understood. This article aims to fill the gap by using Rodger's evolutionary method of concept analysis. The attributes of the concept partnership that were identified are a process of joint hardship, sharing, intracouple communication, and mutual support. The antecedents are love and attraction for each other, agreement, and interpersonal skills. The consequences are marital benefit, improvement in psychological status, and quality of life. A middle-range model for partnership in relationship to infertile couples is proposed. The understanding of the phenomenon of partnership will enable the researchers to develop interventions, identify the appropriate assessment instruments, and to determine directions for future research on effort to support infertile couples through their hardship.

Investing in customer loyalty: the moderating role of relational characteristics

The purpose of this study is to explore the linkages between relationship investment, relationship quality, and loyalty, as well as the moderating role of relational characteristics of age (length of relationship), density (number of unique relational ties), and dependence (extent of dependence on relationship partnership). Based on the interpersonal perspective, this study extends previous research by incorporating relational characteristics in understanding the effects of relationship investment strategies on loyalty. Responses collected from 381 actual retail banking customers were analyzed using structural equation modeling and hierarchical regression analysis. The results show that in forming customer loyalty, relationship investments, satisfaction, and commitment play a critical role. However, it was found that these relationships are moderated by the relational characteristics. Specifically, the effect of relationship satisfaction on loyalty decreases as the length of the relationship increases. On the contrary, a positive satisfaction and loyalty relationship was observed for high density users. These findings help managers in developing and implementing relationship investment strategies that enhance customer loyalty.

Partnership in Practice

This paper examines human resource management practices adopted in a group of eight case study firms and their tendencies towards versus away from partnership. The analysis is based on data collected during interviews with 124 employees (75 in organisations tending towards partnership and 49 in organisations tending away from partnership) and senior managers, conducted in 1997-1998 for the Job Insecurity and Work Intensification Survey (JIWIS). Drawing on the perspectives of senior managers and employees, we examine the tendency of firms towards and away from partnership in employment relations; and in keeping with the JIWIS methodology (Burchell et.al., 2001) we combine quantitative and qualitative evidence in our analysis. Specifically, we are interested in what partnership looks like in these different contexts, the reasons it is pursued (or not), the degree to which companies have been successful in achieving their partnership objectives (from the perspective of both management and employees), and the conditions that have either facilitated or impeded partnership in relationships with employees.

Ambivalent Partners: Power, Trust, and Partnership in Relationships between Mothers and Teachers in a Full-Time Child Care Center

Background/Context There is much rhetoric regarding “parents and teachers as partners” despite little evidence that such partnerships, as described in the early childhood education literature, actually develop. The literature on parent-teacher partnerships does not examine parents’ and teachers’ interactions or what those interactions mean to them. Purpose This study focuses on the daily exchanges between mothers and teachers in a child care center during drop-off and pick-up times. In so doing, it examines aspects of parent-teacher partnerships and parent involvement that are absent in the current literature. Setting The setting for the study was an ethnically and economically diverse child care center in a large East coast city serving children from the ages of 2 to 5. Participants Participation in the study was voluntary in terms of interviewing and videotape recording; all mothers and teachers were observed. Thirteen mothers participated fully in the study. All of the staff agreed to be videotaped. I interviewed 12 of the 17 permanent staff members. Research Design The study was an ethnographic case study of mother-teacher relationships in a toddler room of a child care center. Embedded within the study was a microethnographic video analysis of mother-teacher interactions in the classroom during morning drop-off and evening pickup times. Fieldwork was conducted over the course of 1 year. Findings/Results The findings suggest that mothers and teachers in the center were “ambivalent partners.” In interactions with teachers, mothers’ trust in the child care arrangement was at stake. They looked to the teachers to provide them with information about their children which bolstered their trust in the center and made them feel connected to their child's experience. Teachers were less invested in trusting parents, and they appeared relatively unaware of how much power they had in their interactions with parents. Conclusions/Recommendations I found little evidence of mothers and teachers working as partners in the care of their children. Given the fluctuating power dynamic in parent-teacher relationships and the necessity of trust for parents, the development of partnership was framed in ambivalence. Mothers and teachers come to the table with different expectations, knowledge, and needs, but also with a desire to work together. That interest in working together could be fostered by the child care institution by structuring more time for parents and teachers to interact and by providing support and training for teachers in their relations with parents.

AIDS and the Ethics of Medical Care and Treatment<subtitle>Institute of Medical Ethics Working Party on the Ethical Implications of AIDS<xref ref-type="fn" rid="fn1"><sup>*</sup></xref></subtitle>

HIV infection and AIDS have accelerated a trend from paternalism to partnership in relationships between clinicians and patients. Partnership is based on respect for autonomy and is expressed through open dialogue; its moral aims are summed up in the concept of mutual empowerment. This has practical implications for clinical care and treatment, which are discussed here with particular reference to mental impairment or incapacity, unhelpful, harmful or unorthodox therapies, and discontinuing life-prolonging treatment.