Related Management Practices Research Articles

An Analysis of Automated External Defibrillator Implementation, Related Risk Management Practices, and Constraints to Implementation in Florida's Municipal Recreation and Park Agencies

In the United States, sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) strikes 250,000 people per year and less than 5% survive; however, the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) could prevent approximately 50,000 of these deaths per year. The potential for SCA to occur in sport and recreation settings is well documented. One study showed that sport stadiums, golf courses, and health/fitness facilities are among the top 10 public places with the highest incidence of SCAs. This study examined AED implementation, related risk management practices, and perceived constraints to AED implementation in Florida's municipal recreation and park agencies. Municipal recreation and park administrators in Florida (N=96) participated in this study. The majority (71%) of respondents were male between the ages of 40–49 (37%), CPR certified (65%), had worked in their current position less than 6 years (48%), served a community with a population less than 75,000 (79%), and were interested in learning more about AEDs (70%). The majority (69%) of agencies did not have an AED. Results revealed that many agencies with an AED were not following American Heart Association AED program implementation guidelines, and some agencies were not fully complying with Florida AED immunity provisions which may afford them certain liability protections. The primary perceived constraints to AED implementation were (1) they were not needed due to the proximity of local emergency medical services, (2) the cost of purchasing an AED, (3) a lack of information about protection from liability, (4) concern that having an AED was not a current standard industry practice, and (5) a lack of knowledge about AED certification and training. Given the importance of AEDs as lifesaving devices, these results may assist educational and promotional efforts targeted towards recreation and park agencies.

Empirical assessment of ISO 9000 related management practices and performance relationships

Unlike the experience in the broader quality management (QM) area, for ISO 9000, the relationships between management practices associated with the standard and performance is relatively under-researched. This has contributed to a general lack of clarity on how the standard works and how effective it is in generating the espoused benefits. In this paper, an attempt is made to fill this gap. Through a review of the standard and associated literature, a set of six management practice constructs (management policies, plans and actions, focus on customers, capable employees, reliable suppliers, sound communication system and steady processes) were identified. Further, three performance constructs (consistent quality outputs, satisfied customers and business performance) were developed based on the espoused outcomes of the standard. Relationships between these constructs were hypothesized, with the relationship between management policies, plans and actions and steady processes constructs being partially mediated by the other four management practice constructs, and the consistent quality outputs and business performance constructs being fully mediated by satisfied customers construct. These relationships were consolidated into a model and empirically tested with data from 418 Australian ISO 9000 registered manufacturing plants using the structural equation modeling technique. Results showed that only two out of the 12 hypothesized relationships were not supported, with management policies, plans and actions being negatively related to steady processes, and focus on customers and steady processes relationship being statistically insignificant. This result supports the assertion that the top management team plays a ubiquitous role, albeit an indirect one in creating steady processes. Also, strong focus on customers could be of little value in creating steady processes. Overall, this study defines the role of stakeholders and shows how they interact with the salient aspects of the ISO 9000 standard. Through this, insights into how the standard works have been developed. Further, a validated framework for effective implementation of ISO 9000 has been produced.

Knowledge transfer within Japanese multinationals: building a theory

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to explore the theoretical underpinnings of knowledge transfer within Japanese multinationals. To that end, a conceptual model of knowledge transfer within Japanese multinational companies and their overseas affiliates is proposed.Design/methodology/approach – In the first part, theoretical models of knowledge transfer within multinationals in general are explored through a literature review. Next, related knowledge management practices utilized by Japanese companies, specifically in their overseas subsidiaries, are introduced. The third section develops a conceptual model proposing how knowledge is disseminated within Japanese multinationals. The discussion is based on the assumption that Japanese firms consciously apply the same knowledge management methods abroad as at home only to the extent to which they consider them appropriate for transplanting into a foreign environment.Findings – Distillation of prior research has led to the conceptual model proposed her...

Characterization of water quality in shrimp ponds of different sizes and with different management regimes using multivariate statistical analysis

Coastal shrimp aquaculture in Bangladesh is mostly practiced in an agricultural unit called a Gher, which is a special type of agricultural field with elevated surrounding embankments/borders situated by the side of a river that is used to grow rice in winter and shrimp in summer. Ghers of different sizes are managed in different ways. An on-farm project was carried out to study the effects of Gher size and their related management practices on water quality, shrimp production and the economic returns of shrimp farming in the Southwest coastal region of Bangladesh. We present here the results of this project with respect to water quality as explored through factor analysis, which was applied as a way to understand the nature and extent of the effects of different variables. For the majority of the variables and factors, one-half to two-thirds of their variability was explained by changes over time (months), and a further one-quarter to one-third was explained by Gher size and associated management practices. The alternating dry/monsoon season and water management practices determined long-term and large-scale (annual) water exchange in the Ghers that mainly affected processes related to live and dead particles suspended in the water column. Processes related to decomposition and nitrification were more dependent on short-term (days) water circulation in the Ghers, which is turn was reliant on the time span between the exchanges of water in the Ghers and river. Our results show that improved management leads to higher natural and shrimp productivity in the smaller Ghers and strongly support the argument put forward by the policy makers and scientific community in Bangladesh that the smaller the Gher, the better they can be managed and the better the possibility of increased shrimp survival and production.

The Individualization of Consumption

This article, through an investigation of the development of the concept of the ‘consumer’, argues that recent thinking on consumerism is likely to radically change the metaphors and processes of much business management, and that these changes are likely to feed through into further calls for a restructuring of concepts and practices in the public sector arena. It will describe the history of the concept of consumerism, and critically examine its new conceptualization. It will suggest that the adoption of the concept, and of related management practices, heavily damages public sector and welfare state agendas by limiting the lexicon used to describe the benefits of education. It will further argue that if public sector and welfare state agendas are to be regenerated, a re-conceptualization of the rights and responsibilities of professionals within the public sector needs to be made.

BIOECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF SELECTED CONSERVATION PRACTICES ON SOIL EROSION AND FRESHWATER FISHERIES

Farmers can generate environmental benefits (improved water quality and fisheries and wildlife habitat), but they may not be able to quantify them. Furthermore, farmers may reduce their incomes from managing lands to produce these positive externalities but receive little monetary compensation in return. This study simulated the relationship between agricultural practices, water quality, fish responses to suspended sediment and farm income within two small watersheds, one of a cool water stream and one of a warm water stream. Using the Agricultural Drainage and Pesticide Transport (ADAPT) model, this study related best management practices (BMPs) to calculated instream suspended sediment concentrations by estimating sediment delivery, runoff, base flow, and streambank erosion to quantify the effects of suspended sediment exposure on fish communities. By implementing selected BMPs in each watershed, annual net farm income declined $18,000 to $28,000 (1 to 3 percent) from previous levels. Lethal fish events from suspended sediments in the cool water watershed decreased by 60 percent as conservation tillage and riparian buffers increased. Despite reducing suspended sediments by 25 percent, BMPs in the warm water watershed did not reduce the negative response of the fisheries. Differences in responses (physical and biological) between watersheds highlight potential gains in economic efficiency by targeting BMPs or by offering performance based green payments.

DIFFERENCES IN PERCEPTION OF CAUSES OF CAMEL CALF LOSSES BETWEEN PASTORALISTS AND SCIENTISTS

Management deficiencies on the part of the pastoralists were claimed to be one of the major causes of the high losses of camel (Camelus dromedarius) calves contributing to low productivity of camel herds. In the present study, calf deaths, and the causes thereof, were analysed in connection with pastoral calf management in order to assess possible relationships. Progeny history data on 1506 Rendille, 789 Gabra and 1206 Somali calves born between 1980 and 1995 provided quantitative information on losses and the underlying causes. Assessment of the causes of death, and analysis of related management practices, led to suggestions for management changes. In feedback seminars with pastoralists, however, it became apparent that these management changes would not be adopted because they contradicted the pastoralists' assumptions on the causes of calf mortality. The discussions revealed that differences between pastoralists' and scientists' perceptions determined different opinions on proper calf-rearing management practices. Combining different knowledge systems offers the possibility of a more complete understanding, which is required for the derivation of adoptable calf mortality-reducing interventions that are compatible with the knowledge and production systems of the pastoralists.

Managing America's rivers: Who's doing it?

The US is blessed with abundant water resources in comparison to many other countries, yet it faces problems associated with periodic droughts, floods, an aging infrastructure, threatened riverine and coastal environments and ecosystems, conflicts over multiple uses, and now new issues related to safety and security. A recent water policy forum (AWRA, 2002) of private, non‐governmental, and governmental professionals involved in water management throughout the country addressed these challenges. While there were many different opinions on how to meet these challenges, there were no disagreements on the need for national vision and leadership in supporting basin‐wide integrated water resources planning and management. Federal and non‐federal water and related land development and management practices and projects within river basins need to fit into an integrated plan for the entire basin if indeed these river systems are to be effectively planned and managed as integrated systems. The condition of America's major river basins in 10, 20 or 50 years depends on how well various economic and environmental interests are managed in an integrated and sustainable way. This paper proposes some approaches for moving toward meeting these goals.

Innovation in Australian small and medium enterprises: Contributions from strategic human resource management

Organisations are constantly seeking new ways to grow and prosper in a complex competitive world. Many companies achieve success by maintaining or increasing their rate of innovation, and organisational approaches to innovation vary according to industry and context. Innovation is a multi-faceted process that incorporates creativity, invention and commercialisation. Above all, innovation is a social process, where both individuals and systems are important dynamic elements. This paper provides a brief overview of innovation in the Australian context of small to medium enterprises, summarises some of the human resource and strategic contributions that assist organisational innovation, and proposes areas of future research. Findings confirm that innovative Australian SMEs display strategic human resource management related practices such as career development, ongoing learning and development and strategic rewards.

Innovation in Australian Small and Medium Enterprises: Contributions from Strategic Human Resource Management

Organisations are constantly seeking new ways to grow and prosper in a complex competitive world. Many companies achieve success by maintaining or increasing their rate of innovation, and organisational approaches to innovation vary according to industry and context. Innovation is a multi-faceted process that incorporates creativity, invention and commercialisation. Above all, innovation is a social process, where both individuals and systems are important dynamic elements. This paper provides a brief overview of innovation in the Australian context of small to medium enterprises, summarises some of the human resource and strategic contributions that assist organisational innovation, and proposes areas of future research. Findings confirm that innovative Australian SMEs display strategic human resource management related practices such as career development, ongoing learning and development and strategic rewards.

Mexican native trouts: a review of their history and current systematic and conservation status

While biologists have been aware of theexistence of native Mexican trouts for over acentury, they have received little study. Thefew early studies that did much more thanmention their existence began in the 1930s andcontinued into the early 1960s, focusingprimarily on distributional surveys andtaxonomic analyses. Starting in the 1980s theBaja California rainbow trout became thesubject of more detailed studies, but verylittle remains known of mainland trouts of theSierra Madre Occidental. We review earlierstudies and report on our own collections andobservations made between 1975 and 2000. Wepresent newly discovered historical evidencethat leads us to conclude that a “lost”cutthroat trout, a lineage not previously knownfrom Mexico, was collected more than a centuryago from headwaters of the Rio Conchos (amajor tributary of the Rio Grande (= RioBravo)), a basin not previously considered toharbor a native trout. We review the lastcentury of regional natural resource managementand discuss our own observations of trouthabitats. Impacts of logging, road building andovergrazing are widespread and expanding. Manystreams suffer from heavy erosion, siltationand contamination, and though long-termhydrologic data are generally not available,there is evidence of decreased discharge inmany streams. These problems appear related toregion-wide land management practices as wellas recent regional drought. Trout cultureoperations using exotic rainbow trout haverapidly proliferated throughout the region,threatening genetic introgression and/orcompetition with native forms and predation onthem. Knowledge of distribution, abundance,relationships and taxonomy, not to mentionecology and population biology, of nativetrouts of the Sierra Madre Occidental remainsinadequate. Vast areas of most mainlanddrainages are still unexplored by fishcollectors, and even rudimentary informationregarding basic biology, ecology and populationstructure of stocks remains lacking.Concentrated exploration, research andmanagement of this long overlooked andundervalued resource are all urgently needed.The history of natural resources exploitationthat placed so many native trouts of thewestern United States on threatened andendangered species lists is repeating itself inthe Sierra Madre Occidental. Without concertedaction and development of region-widesocio-economic solutions for current, largelynon-sustainable resource management practices,native Mexican trout gene pools will soon be ingrave danger of extinction.

Soil physical conditions in a New York orchard after eight years under different groundcover management systems

An experiment was conducted near Ithaca, New York, to compare orchard soil and groundcover management systems (GMSs) in a silty clay loam soil (mixed, mesic, Glosaquic Hapludalf). Three replications of four GMS treatments were randomly assigned to 12 plots and maintained since 1992 in 2 m-wide strips within tree rows: (1) Sod: Red fescue (Festuca rubra) turfgrass mowed biweekly; (2) Post-HBS: Post-emergence applications of glyphosate herbicide in May and July annually; (3) Pre-HBS: Pre-emergence applications of paraquat, diuron and norflurazon herbicides each May; and (4) Mulch: A 15-cm depth layer of shredded hardwood bark mulch, renewed triennially. After eight years of continuous treatments, we compared soil physical conditions and hydraulic properties in these GMSs. Bulk density was lower and soil porosity greater under Mulch than other GMSs. Infiltration was more rapid under Mulch than other GMSs, and under Post-HBS than Sod. Saturated hydraulic conductivity ranged from 6 × 10−4 m.s−1under Sod to 12 × 10−4 m.s−1 under Mulch plots, and was equivalent in Sod and Pre-HBS, lower in Sod than Post-HBS or Mulch treatments, higher in Post-HBS than Pre-HBS, and higher in Mulch than all other GMSs. Volumetric soil water content at field capacity ranged from 0.47 under Mulch to 0.40 under Sod, and was not significantly different among GMSs between 0.99 and 39.22 kPa of pressure. GMS treatments and related management practices at this orchard had substantially different long-term effects on soil physical conditions. Compaction and reduced infiltration in Sod compared with other GMSs were attributed to tractor wheel traffic during mowing. Mulch treatments improved soil conditions relative to other GMSs. Greater infiltration rates and hydraulic conductivity under Post-HBS compared with Pre-HBS suggest relative advantages of post-emergence herbicides.

Florida Citrus Management Practices

Although a major freeze has not affected the Florida citrus industry since 1989, growers continue to rank cold protection as an important information need. A moderate freeze during 1996 further emphasized the need to document current cold protection and related management practices. A statewide survey conducted in 1996 indicated that the National Weather Service and commercial radio or television were the primary sources of weather information in 1996, but when asked where they would obtain agricultural weather forecasts after 1996, growers indicated they would rely more on commercial radio or television, private meteorologists and the extension service. Grower awareness of the effectiveness of cold protection methods decreased with temperature and with grower production experience. Microsprinklers were the most commonly used method for both cold protection and irrigation. Fifty percent of growers surveyed used computers for grove management, primarily for financial record keeping, with younger growers more likely to use computers than older growers. The percentage of growers with small groves is decreasing while the percentage of growers with large groves is increasing.

Environmental factors and the effectiveness of workforce diversity training

AbstractThis study examined the effects of a diversity training workshop on self‐perceptions of behavior and importance of related management practices among ninety‐nine middle managers in a large corporation. It also examined relationships between environmental variables and training criterion variables. It was hypothesized that the workshop would positively affect perceptions of behavior and ratings of importance and that the work and social environments would influence the training outcomes. Analyses were conducted to determine if the environmental variables had direct or indirect effects on the training criterion variables. The study found that those who attended the workshop did rate management practices related to diversity as more important and did perceive themselves as engaging in such practices more than did a control group. The social environment variable indirectly affected posttest importance ratings of diversity‐related management practices and self‐perceptions of behavior through its effect on initial levels of those variables, but the work environment measure was not related to the criterion variables.

Human Resource Management, Cultural Control and Union Avoidance: an Australian Case Study

Non-union industrial relations bas generated increasing interest among researchers both in Australia and overseas. Changes in public policy toward a more deregulated and individualised industrial relations system, as well as increasing employer interest in techniques associated witb human resource management, have become closely linked with the rise of non-union firms. Despite this development there remains a lack of empirical research in Australia that identifies how corporate culture and commitment strategies attempt to exclude, or become substitutes for, workplace trade unionism. In addressing tbese questions, this paper presents evidence from one Australian organisation in which the development of a strong culture and related human resource management practices played a central role in limiting employee propensity to unionise.

The Missing Link: High Performance and HRM

In recent years certain writers have put forward the notion that a distinctive and definite change has occurred in the way in which employees are managed (Beer et al, 1985; Guest, 1987; Poole, 1991; Sisson, 1991). The term or concept of Human Resource Management (HRM) has been used to describe these changes and has fuelled a spirited debate among academics and practitioners. This debate has centred on the distinctiveness of HRM and in particular whether, and in what ways, it is different to its predecessor, so called Personnel Management. This debate has considered the extent to which HRM has theoretical validity as a concept with predictive capabilities and/or the extent to which it represents a model with internally consistent features and dimensions. Others have suggested it is perhaps better understood as a map or a bracketing ‘catch all’ concept for a cluster of related management practices or approaches (Legge, 1989; Noon, 1992). The related debate has concerned the attempt by writers and commentators to establish empirically whether definitive changes have in fact taken place. Apart from case studies of exemplar (usually American and Japanese) organizations, wider survey and case material of UK based brownfield operations has tended to suggest limited adoption of HRM although Storey's (1992) recent collection of case material suggests that the wider adoption of HRM is underway.

Predicting effects of water table management on loss of nitrogen from poorly drained soils

Agricultural drainage and related water management practices affect the quality and quantity of water leaving the field and entering ground and surface waters. The design and management of drainage systems should consider these impacts, as well as effects on agricultural production. In many instances, water quality and environmental requirements have a priority greater than that of maximizing agricultural productivity and profits. This paper describes the application of a simulation model, DRAINMOD-N, to predict the effects of design and management of subsurface drainage systems on nitrogen losses and crop yields. DRAINMOD-N uses hydrologic predictions by DRAINMOD, including daily soil water fluxes, in numerical solutions to the advective-dispersive-reactive (ADR) equation to describe movement and fate of NO3-N in shallow water table soils. Simulations were conducted for maize production on a Portsmouth sandy loam soil (Thermic, Typic Umbraquult) in the North Carolina Coastal Plain. Agricultural production objectives could be satisfied with 1 m deep parallel drains spaced 40 m apart or less. Predicted losses of NO3-N were significantly affected by drainage design and management. Increasing drain spacing from 20 to 40 m decreased NO3-N losses by 47 per cent. Nitrate losses can be further reduced by placing a weir in the drainage outlet so as to raise the water level in the outlet and reduce subsurface drainge rates. This practice, called controlled drainage, can be applied in both the growing season and the nongrowing season, and can be varied in intensity (with season) by placing the weir closer to or further below the soil surface. Controlled drainage during both the growing season and winter months reduced NO3-N losses from an annual average of 21.8 kg ha−1 to 10.5 kg ha−1 (52 per cent) for a 30 m drain spacing, without reducing crop yields.Analysis of simulated results on a year-by-year basis showed that large losses of NO3-N via drainage water occur in years following droughts when crops remove little of the fertilizer N because of reduced yields. Losses to the environment under these circumstances can be reduced by increasing the intensity of drainage control to minimize subsurface drainage during the following year. In one year, for example, raising the weir in the drainage outlet to a 25 cm depth directly after harvest and holding it there until time for seedbed preparation (one month prior to planting) in the spring reduced predicted NO3-N losses by 77 per cent compared to conventional drainage and by 60 per cent compared to currently recommended controlled drainage practices. The effectiveness of intensive drainage control was not as great in other years, but reduced NO3-N losses by at least 20 per cent in the years analysed. Results of this study indicate simulation modelling can be used to design and guide the management of drainage systems to address both agricultural productivity and environmental objectives.

Soil, water and crop management alternatives in rainfed agriculture in the Sahel: an economic analysis

Most agriculture in the Sahel Region is carried out under rainfed conditions where low and uncertain soil moisture levels limit productivity. Improved soil, water and crop management practices are required to reverse the steady decline in per capita food production and sustain output over the long term. Several technological innovations and related farm management practices are evaluated in a case study of a typical farm in Mali. Through use of a soil–water balance model and a whole-farm economic model an optimal mix of these measures is identified. Compared to a base case where no modern inputs are utilized, the combination of animal traction (oxen team), low levels of NPK fertilizer, tied-ridges, traditional long-season food grain crops and early planting was most effective: food grain output was 35% higher than with the traditional base case; soil erosion was reduced by 72%; and even with residual future soil erosion damage capitalized into current income, net farm income was larger by a factor of almost 45.

Soil, water and crop management alternatives in rainfed agriculture in the Sahel: an economic analysis

ABSTRACTMost agriculture in the Sahel Region is carried out under rainfed conditions where low and uncertain soil moisture levels limit productivity. Improved soil, water and crop management practices are required to reverse the steady decline in per capita food production and sustain output over the long term. Several technological innovations and related farm management practices are evaluated in a case study of a typical farm in Mali. Through use of a soil‐water balance model and a whole‐farm economic model an optimal mix of these measures is identified. Compared to a base case where no modern inputs are utilized, the combination of animal traction (oxen team), low levels of NPK fertilizer, tied‐ridges, traditional long‐season food grain crops and early planting was most effective: food grain output was 35% higher than with the traditional base case; soil erosion was reduced by 72%; and even with residual future soil erosion damage capitalized into current income, net farm income was larger by a factor of almost 45.

Structural Evolution Through Idiosyncratic Jobs: The Potential for Unplanned Learning

This paper describes an evolutionary model of organizational change through the selective retention of jobs. This type of change can operate in addition to top-down planned organizational change, providing “another engine” of organizational transformation over time. All evolutionary change processes require that there be a system for replicating activities over time, a source of variation in activities, and mechanisms which permit some activities to persist while others do not. In this model, formalized job systems and related management practices provide the mechanism for the replication of job activities. Idiosyncratic jobs—or jobs created around particular people rather than in the abstract—serve as a mechanism for unplanned variation in sets of job duties. Finally managerial actions such as layoffs, reorganizations, budget changes and copying jobs from other areas lead to the selective retention of some sets of job activities over others. The organizational change created by these processes may or may not be adaptive for the organization. The outcome will depend on such factors as the birth, death and imitation rates for idiosyncratic and other jobs, as well as the criteria used for job birth and job termination. Adaptation is possible, but is a function of complex, nonlinear constraints. Specific organizational processes that determine these factors are discussed. The model implies that adaptive change can occur in the absence of clear and consistent goals. Thus, the model's implications contradict the frequent assumption of strategic planning literatures that clear and stable goals are necessary for adaptive organizational change. Formalization is necessary for the organization to maintain over time those job activities which have proved to be useful innovations. Thus, the model's implications also contradict the assumption in structural contingency theory that formalization deters adaptive change. Although consistent with other theories of evolutionary organizational change, the model extends prior work by detailing concrete mechanisms, clarifying boundary conditions for the process, and stressing that adaptation is feasible but definitely not assured. The outcome depends in part upon managerial attention to organizational processes rather than to outcomes, and “benign opportunism”—or creative attention to unfolding organizational competencies. Finally, the paper outlines the potential of the model for further study, especially for empirical research on evolutionary change processes and on organizational learning. The evolutionary change process described can be seen as a form of trial-and-error learning in which retained jobs constitute the organization's memory. It is distinct from many other organizational learning models, however, because the source of innovation—idiosyncratic jobs—is not planned in advance by top management, and may be unrelated to current aspirations of the dominant coalition.