Professional Arena Research Articles

Comparison of attitude towards Psychiatry as a speciality between undergraduate students and interns in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital

Nowadays, a declining interest in psychiatry as well in the professional arena is seen. This attitude is significant for Interns and an important study phase of medical UGs for extreme care of psychiatric patients. The aim was to study and compare the attitude of undergraduate students and medical interns towards psychiatry. It was a cross-sectional study done at Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Thandalam, Chennai, where a comparison between medical interns and undergraduate students weremade. The study sample consisted of about 100 interns and 200 medical undergraduates who gave their consent for this study. The Attitude towards psychiatry (ATP) questionnaire consisting of 30 questions was given and from the data collected, the mean scores were calculated and analyzed using the Student t-test by SPSS version20. The medical undergraduates exhibited a more positive attitude towards psychiatry than interns (P-value estimated was 0.001). However, only 15% of interns and 7% of medical undergraduates strongly agreed and wanted to pursue psychiatry as their profession. Interns showing negative attitude in psychiatry may be due to strange stereotypic remarks made by peers, existing stigma towards psychiatry, less clinical rotations and less hours of teaching during the undergraduate days.

Challenges in Implementing Restorative Justice with Older Adults: Institutional Gatekeepers and Social Barriers

Abstract Despite the consensus regarding the importance of restorative justice (RJ) as an alternative to the criminal justice system, some professionals and researchers have pointed out the challenges involved in its implementation with older adults who have been victimised. The aim of the present study was to explore the primary obstructions to implementing RJ intervention with older adults who have been victimised, as perceived by RJ facilitators, using the conceptual framework of social constructivism. An interpretive phenomenological analysis perspective was used to analyse the narratives of seven RJ facilitators, all of them highly experienced social workers. The narratives revealed three themes: the interpersonal and familial arena—the older person and his/her family as gatekeepers; the institutional arena—judicial and medical system personnel as gatekeepers; and the professional arena—RJ facilitators as gatekeepers. The findings suggest that some individuals and institutions maintain the conservative agenda of gatekeeping older adults to prevent them from encountering any danger. These findings indicate that, in keeping with the social work code of ethics, social workers need to consider older adults’ right to self-determination in RJ contexts.

Twelve tips for developing a global community of scholars in health professions education

Scholarship in Health Professions Education is not just original research, it also includes study of educational processes, and application of new knowledge to practice. The pathways to successful scholarship are not always clear to novice educators. In this article, we describe strategies to establish a Community of Scholars (CoS), where more experienced and senior members guide junior members in scholarship to advance the field. Drawing on Lave and Wenger’s concepts of Communities of Practice (CoP), we describe twelve practical tips, which include generation of a shared vision, formation of a global community of scholars, engagement in scholarly initiatives, and development of a professional identity, categorised under three major steps: establish, grow, and sustain the community. The tips embrace inclusivity for diverse cultural contexts which further provide opportunities for Health Professions Educators, interested in forming communities of practice, to work on scholarly outputs and add value to the professional arena.

Is the Gender Gap Narrowing in Higher Education Computing Studies? The Case of Norway, Spain, and Tunisia

Traditionally, women have been underrepresented in Computing studies. The discipline is male-dominated in spite of the efforts promoting the participation of women in the field, both in the student base and in the professional arena. Literature underlined that student attraction and professional retention are aspects to analyse in a sound way in order to build strong and grounded theories for this complex misbalance phenomenon. In this scenario, authors study the gender gap in computing education by collecting data such as female students enrolled in one of the mandatory courses and female members of faculty. In addition to this data, socio-economic factors such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and unemployment rate of the countries under study were considered. Results show that the gender gap in computing studies is not narrowing significantly despite the measures that were undertaken. In an attempt to explain the gender gap by considering macroeconomic variables, authors highlight the complexness of the phenomenon. Authors believe that there is not a single answer or explanation to this imbalance and a variety of aspects from values to culture and from economy to expectations need to be analysed in order to bring answers and possible solutions to this tangible problem.

The school–university intersection as a professional learning arena: evaluation of a two-year action research project

ABSTRACT This article presents the evaluation of a two-year action research project in biology and mathematics teaching involving a primary school and a university in Sweden. The aim of the study was to contribute knowledge about a school–university intersection as a professional learning arena. The teachers’ conceptions about the project implementation, the impact on their learning, teaching practices and pupil learning were made explicit by focus group interview. The evaluation revealed that several motivating factors in this specific learning community – the relevance of the project and connection to the continuing education course, mentors from university, planning tools and time for collaboration – were critical for project implementation and for professional learning to occur. Furthermore, it indicated how teacher learning and teaching practices were related to pupil learning in the professional learning community. The results are also discussed in the light of new research on teachers’ work identity and self-reported health.

What Do Coordinators Do? Mental Health Policy Implementation as Translation

Coordination is described as a widespread function emerging in relation to policy plans inducing collaboration between different sectors, organizations and professions. This paper suggests seeing the implementation phase as a translation process, one where the content of policy plans is reinvented primarily through discussion rather than linearly transferred from the political to the professional arena. It focuses on the function of coordinator with a view to examining how this function is performed and questions its influence on the local translation of both policy plans. The data collection was part of two research projects focusing on the reform of Belgian mental healthcare and the creation of care pathways for forensic patients, combining document analysis, interviews (n = 82) and observations (n = 58). The results highlight the inherent ambiguity of the coordinators’ working environment, the socially-disputed nature of their function and define the coordinators as connection-makers who exert power over processes rather than people or structures. It demonstrates that coordinators influence the policy process by inducing discussions at meetings and the documents subsequently produced. In conclusion, this paper defines coordinators as process managers whose work largely consists of translating policy plans through event connectivity and contextualizing practices. Given the importance of translation in policy implementation, this paper calls for a reconsideration of policy evaluation as well as of the coordinators’ recruitment and training procedures.

Challenges of Media Ethics Education in Lebanon in the Midst of Political and Economic Pressure

The Lebanese media sector has played a pioneering role in the Arab world due to its free and diverse system. However, the lack of professional and ethical structures in journalistic practices can be attributed to political and economic pressures. Through both a quantitative and qualitative methodology, this study contributes to the complex boundaries of the Lebanese media landscape that make the gap between media ethics education and real-world pressures in need of sustained analysis. This research aims to explore the challenges media ethics education in Lebanon faces, along with the perceptions formed by media students about journalistic practices and the application of moral reasoning in the field. In addition, the study investigates whether media ethics courses prepare students for settling moral dilemmas in the professional arena. To address the multiple factors affecting ethics education, it is significant to understand the relationship between journalists and power, democratic norms, technological change, global community, and academic critiques. Survey and focus groups results indicated that the majority of students rated moral reasoning as important for their future media professions, and that the media ethics course prepares them for professional life. On the other hand, the majority believe that the corrupt system in Lebanon makes journalists resort to unethical practices which in turn compromise journalists’ credibility and integrity. Students consider that journalists have power as the so-called fourth estate, yet that power seems minimal when journalists lack the freedom to write facts without fear from editors and/or gatekeepers’ political views, economic pressure, and on-the-job demands, placing journalistic integrity again at stake.

Framework for Design Thinking Outside the Design Profession: An Analysis of Design Thinking Implementations

Over the past decade, the term “design thinking” has received increasing attention in a wide range of contexts and has become increasingly familiar beyond the professional design arena. Exploration of potential cross-boundary engagements and the role of design as an agent of change for both innovation and social transformation are two main mechanisms underlying the burgeoning discussion of design thinking in areas outside the design profession. This study provides an insight into the implementation of a design-thinking approach in non-designerly contexts. To investigate how design thinking is understood and applied in relation to non-designerly thinking, an analysis was undertaken of 345 articles from the Scopus database between 2002 and 2017 that included “design thinking” as a keyword. It was found that design thinking serves as a mechanism that enables and promotes innovation and social transformation. The results show that design thinking can foster new approaches to innovation as well as complex and persistent social problems through a framework of co-creation, systemic thinking, abductive reasoning, and iteration. The findings reveal that initiatives using design-thinking approaches can deliver positive outcomes in the fields of business management, social innovation, and education.

US Health Policy and Health Care Delivery: Doctors, Reformers, and Entrepreneurs

From its no-nonsense title to its straightforward conclusion, US Health Policy and Health Care Delivery offers a clear, concise, and informative history of the failure of the United States to establish a system of universal health care. Taking a structural approach, Carl F. Ameringer argues that the system of health care delivery, as it has evolved in the United States, is “poorly equipped and designed to meet the challenges of universal access” (p. 2). In the systems to which Ameringer compares the United States'—those in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and Great Britain, all of which provide universal health care—the government establishes the frameworks within which doctors and hospitals function. In this country, in contrast, access to health care has been negotiated among “three separate and autonomous policymaking arenas” (p. 13). The professional arena, which principally refers to organized medicine, is controlled largely by doctors. The market arena, which encompasses health systems, insurers, pharmaceutical companies, and nursing homes, is controlled by entrepreneurs and corporate interests. The forces in control in the government arena, which includes legislatures, federal and state agencies, courts, and special interest groups, have been variable, depending on the political climate of a particular era. From the interrelated histories of clashes, negotiations, and compromises within and among each of these three “arenas,” he argues, the American health care system was created, and therein lies its problems.

What are the main concerns of human resource managers in organizations?

Purpose: This study examines whether high involvement work programs (HIWP) are included in, and respond to, the priorities of HR managers in organizations. We analyze reports to identify the main concerns for managers, and compare the solutions implemented to address them, to evaluate the extent to which HIWP are adopted to meet these challenges.Design/methodology/approach: To conduct this study we carried out a systematic literature review, selecting reports by consulting firms and human resource management associations.Findings: Our key findings from this research suggest that HIWP are used as a lever for change to meet the challenges faced by HR managers in organizations, the most urgent of which are talent management and improving leadership.Research limitations/implications: The paper identifies possible lines of research that respond specifically to the interests of the professional ambit and would be better appreciated by HR managers in companiesPractical implications: The issues raised are relevant to HR professionals, allowing them to compare their priorities against those of managers occupying similar positions, and to view a selection of the most commonly used programs to solve priority problems. This enables HRMs to plan ahead and prepare by providing them with an overview of the most important challenges they have to face.Originality/value: On the one hand in the professional arena, as they provide professionals with an overview of the challenges they face, so they can plan optimal HR management programs, work methods geared and identify improvement opportunities. And on the other hand, in the academic sphere, our study opens possible future research lines that may contribute to the development of the profession, identify research lines that genuinely address the concerns of professionals and could help reduce the gap that some researchers have identified between the academic and professional spheres.

Rethinking Professional Experience Through a Learning Community Model: Toward a Culture Change

Preparing pre-service teachers to become effective future educators has become increasingly complex in an environment of rapid change, economic uncertainty, technological advancements, and cultural diversity. Contemporary initial teacher education is evolving and adapting to the changing organizational environments and cultures in organizations who partner in equipping pre-service teachers to become knowledgeable, innovative, and professional in their teaching and skilled in effectively connecting, interacting, and collaborating in professional communities. Professional experience placements provide pre-service teachers with the opportunity to participate in teaching in real-world settings guided by experienced teachers and supported by university supervisors; however, the diverse approaches to professional experience adopted by educational organizations, influence pre-service teachers’ experiences, and outcomes. Cultural and socio-economic factors across different sites also impact on the outcomes of students’ professional experience due to variations in the organizational culture and settings. In this paper we explore the evolution of professional experience from traditional to contemporary, the role of the third space in professional experience, and the complexities in developing a unified approach in universities and early childhood sites/schools, organizations that have very different cultures yet are committed to developing effective teachers. We highlight the advantages of adopting a learning community model for professional experience in which mentoring is central to success. A theory-based model of professional experience, 3PEx, based on a learning community approach and the merging of cultures in professional experience and learning contexts, is introduced. This model is informed by the literature and results of a recent study of professional experience in a university reimagining initial teacher education to meet contemporary standards. The challenges of achieving cultural change in the professional experience arena are explored, and a range of strategies suggested that can lead to a deeper understanding of the cultural landscape and the needs of pre-service teachers in their transition to teaching.

Work-Life Balance Factors Influencing the Limited Presence of Women Chefs in Hotel Industry of Bengaluru

For women, the difficulty of penetrating historically male-dominated occupations in every sector has always been difficult, and the fact that men are unwilling to accommodate them in those occupations that they dominate has made women to be relegated to the background. When women take up cooking in the professional arena, often they are met with countless challenges and limitations, one of them being the work-life balance. Besides balancing their family life, they face the issue of not being recognized of their calibre at work. Consequently, women chefs are still a rarity in the hotel industry, thereby mirroring the deeply ingraining social and cultural prejudice against women as being the ‘weaker sex’. For the purpose of understanding the contributing work-life balance factors towards the limited presence of women chefs within the hotel industry in Bengaluru, each of the individual factors were needed to be analyzed, specifically the extent of their relationship and influence. In the present study, a survey (N= 123) among women chefs working in the Hotel industry of Bengaluru is considered. The study finds that the women chefs are faced with problems in maintaining work-life balance due to several reasons including lack of organizational support leading to disturbed family life, diluted commitment and performance at work place, delayed marriage leading to frustration and family demands leading to expectations of support from peer group at work. Maintaining work-life balance was found to be of utmost importance for women chefs in order to enhance their performance at their workplace.

Disruption in Business Environments: A Framework and Case Evidence

The article starts with a proposition stating that contemporary multi-functional disruptive change is leading to an expression of leadership that is closely associated with individual perspective and exercise of control. Perspective and control take the issue out of the traditional single track focus on the leader’s behavior or traits to the broader context of the leader, as an individual, the followers, as players and events, as disruptive forces. The article further defines perspective in terms of vision and desire to achieve. It also defines control in terms of locus, and management of self. A propensity to lead is derived from the analysis. Case evidence compliments the analysis. The article is of benefit into breathing fresh air into what is rapidly becoming a stale conceptual and professional arena. The two parameters, once converted into an operational model, could, help the process of management of today’s turbulent businesses.

Session 332 - When Geriatric Psychiatrists Retire: A Conversation About Critical Transitions in a Professional Career

Abstract: Geriatric psychiatrists daily encounter patients experiencing both the joy and difficulties of retirement. Yet they often do not consider their own “retirement”. How does a psychiatrist retire successfully? Though the trajectories and components of a successful retirement vary, we believe common themes do emerge. In this session two psychiatrists, past presidents of AAGP, who are “retired” on paper yet over a decade apart in age, enter a conversation regarding the transitions which they currently negotiate and lessons learned from these transitions. In our experience, retirement at best is a phased process from supervisor to mentor, from director to advisor, from tight schedules to more freedom to pursue new interests, from a packed agendas to time spent exploring new pursuits, from limited time for companionship to a greater engagement with family and friends. Yet we also have found that retirement brings challenges such as dealing with the vicissitudes of aging, declining physical abilities, cognitive aging and coping with anxiety and uncertainty. As psychiatrists age into the stage of life when retirement looks more attractive, appropriate and feasible, we encourage them to embrace the complete life cycle of the professional. Roles change. Some skills become outdated whereas others are of more value to society and the profession than ever. Most successful retirements, we believe, are not retirements which withdraw from the professional arena but rather engage in new ways with the profession, not to mention the psychiatric well-being of our society. This engagement, however, must not be in the service of the “good old days” but rather recognizes that a new generation of psychiatrists will live into a new world of health care. Successful retirement for us involves continued activity as long as health permits and an embrace of the professional life cycle, the integration of decades of work into an acceptance of one's one and only professional life.

Recommendations for Publishing Assessment-Based Articles in JCEHP.

A common research study in assessment involves measuring the amount of knowledge, skills, or attitudes that participants' possess. In the continuing professional development arena, a researcher might also want to assess this information as an outcome of an educational activity. At some point, the researcher may wish to publish the results from these assessment-based studies. The goal of this commentary is to highlight common problems that could negatively influence the likelihood of an assessment-based manuscript being published.

Peran Forum Pustakawan dalam Pengembangan Profesionalisme Pustakawan di Lingkungan Universitas Gadjah Mada

This research discusses the role of Librarian Forum at UGM. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of Librarian Forum to develop professionalism and competence for librarians and to understand the inhibiting factors from librarians to actively involve themselves in the Forum. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, the data collection method was literature study and interviews. The result indicated that the role of Librarian Forum in the last 3 period: 2011-2013, 2013-2015 and 2015-2018 has been indicated important to support 4 competencies in SKKNI (Standar Kompetensi Kerja Nasional Indonesia). But of the 60 activities, the core competence of “conducting information literacy activities” showed the highest. Challenges faced by the members to utilise the Librarian Forum as a professional development arena and competence was the schedule. Another challenges were that, the content of activities didnot match with what the members needed.

A Brief Foray into Social Inclusion- what does it mean for professional health practice?

The aim of this paper is to stimulate debate around the concept of ‘social inclusion’ in the context of working in health care. A perusal of the literature shows the terms social inclusion, social capital and social participation are often used synonymously giving rise to questions as to what these terms actually mean. That is, are they all one and same thing, or are they different concepts, and how do they relate in the professional practice arena? To ensure there are core understandings about these terms initially some definitions of social inclusion and exclusion are offered. Some social issues are also briefly presented to illustrate how social, inclusion or exclusion, policies and practices can impact on individuals, families and communities.

A Brief Foray into Social Inclusion- what does it mean for professional health practice?

The aim of this paper is to stimulate debate around the concept of ‘social inclusion’ in the context of working in health care. A perusal of the literature shows the terms social inclusion, social capital and social participation are often used synonymously giving rise to questions as to what these terms actually mean. That is, are they all one and same thing, or are they different concepts, and how do they relate in the professional practice arena? To ensure there are core understandings about these terms initially some definitions of social inclusion and exclusion are offered. Some social issues are also briefly presented to illustrate how social, inclusion or exclusion, policies and practices can impact on individuals, families and communities.

Digital natives: the engagement experience to online protection

PurposeThis study aims to center on understanding how stakeholder engagement processes improve online child protection in telecom companies. The literature review and findings shed light on the management of networks to identify, prevent and mitigate the adverse impacts of information and communication technologies (ICTs)[1] and to find opportunities in terms of new policies and services development.Design/methodology/approachThree multinational telecom companies were analyzed with a qualitative focus combining three research tools: the analysis of 81 corporate reports, self-administered questionnaires and semi-structured interviews.FindingsFirms establish a collaborative network with a large number of stakeholders such as public authorities, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, representatives of families and expert researchers. The outcomes of these networks range from the development of new products and services (filters, child safety software and protection apps) to the co-creation of new corporate policies with a high social impact (self-regulation, sectorial codes, awareness initiatives and reporting).Practical implicationsThis study outlines guidelines for the industry in identifying, engaging and making decisions in a collaborative way when managers have to engage with multiple stakeholders regarding child protection. The academic debate and the empirical findings have many practical implications for ICT companies whose users are children and teenagers.Originality/valueDespite its significance, stakeholder management is underexplored in the literature of protection for young people. The academic field and the professional arena appear to have little to say regarding how executives manage engagement processes.

Good enough leadership: realism without cynicism

PurposeFor more than 70 years, leaders of all types have consistently struggled to earn the respect and followership of others to earn the employee trust which is the key to innovation and competitive advantage and to create organizational systems and cultures that fit their strategic objectives. The purpose of this paper is to address what would be “good enough” leadership qualities.Design/methodology/approachResearch methodology included research into several individuals that exceeded in leadership, and an examination of how they used the “good enough” leadership styles to be successful as leaders.FindingsThis paper suggests several ways to be an effective “good enough” leader. These ways translate your values into concrete directives, jettison dead metaphors, explore enlivening ones, subject your values to the test of dialogue, and hold onto your values less tightly.Originality/valueLeadership and leadership qualities have been widely discussed in the literature. This paper approaches the situation differently. Rather than striving for perfection and being frustrated for not reaching it, this paper explores “good enough” leadership qualities that actually work well in the professional arena.