Small Wins Research Articles

Student Affairs Professionals Supporting Students with Disabilities: A Grounded Theory Model

In an action-based grounded theory project, the authors collected data from 31 student affairs professionals. During seven focus groups, practitioners described feeling unknowledgeable about disability law, accommodations, and diagnoses. However, they drew upon their core values and transferrable skills to support individual students. Participants wanted to move beyond “small wins” with individual students to campus-wide inclusion. To achieve this goal, they engaged in self-directed learning, collaboration, and proactive strategies. An emergent model is presented.

Excessive trading, a gambling disorder in its own right? A case study on a French disordered gamblers cohort

IntroductionTrading and gambling appear to share some similarities. Indeed, traders can get professionally involved in high-risk types of trading as if it were gambling. This research explores whether excessive trading can be conceptualized as a subset of gambling disorders. ObjectiveTo better acknowledge the existence of an addictive-like trading behavior and to discuss its phenomenological similarities with gambling disorders. MethodsThe data of 8 excessive traders out of a cohort of 221 outpatients seeking treatment in our Problem Gambling unit were analyzed. ResultsOur case series revealed important similarities with gambling disorders in terms of diagnosis, trajectory and comorbidities. Like many disordered gamblers, excessive traders of this study experienced a number of small early wins, chased their losses, and ended up losing control over the money they invested. All of them invested in very risky stocks associated with short-term trading leading to potential large gains, but also with very significant losses. The structure itself of the two activities (gambling and trading) is very close. ConclusionOur results tended to support the idea of an addictive-like trading behavior as a subset of gambling disorders. Investing is not a form of gambling, but some people gamble with investments. Several observations and recommendations can be made: (i) conduct researches; (ii) build and validate specific assessment tools; (iii) develop strategies for prevention and treatment; and (iv) conduct more rigorous studies to clarify what we named an addictive-like trading behavior.

Sustaining quality improvement during data lag: A qualitative study in a perioperative setting

Perioperative quality improvement (QI) teams face challenges in their work to improve surgical outcomes. One challenge is maintaining engagement in a project until a meaningful trend in targeted outcomes is evident. Our study aimed to identify management strategies that engaged staff in a QI project with a substantial time lag between project implementation and feedback of data. In an American College of Surgeons collaborative, we interviewed clinical leaders from six self-selected community and teaching hospitals and observed four workshops and monthly conference calls over a two-year period (2012–2014). Thematic coding identified three management strategies to give feedback to teams: (1) experiencing “small wins” to demonstrate feasibility; (2) creating new communication pathways to remove obstacles; (3) small group mentorship by an experienced training team that had already achieved improvements in surgical outcomes. Using a combination of strategies, five out of six teams implemented small projects during the lag period, before outcome data was available. Our results caution against using measureable outcomes as the only sign of success—in fact, many small signs can be seen before the data lag is over. When data lags are likely, observable incremental steps and support of an experienced team can help build relationships across the organization that will help keep providers in the project.

Small wins: an initiative to promote gender equity in higher education

Gender inequity in leadership and management roles within the higher education sector remains a widespread problem. Researchers have suggested that a multi-pronged method is the preferred approach to reach and maintain gender equity over time. A large university faculty undertook an audit to gauge the level of gender equity on the senior decision-making committees. As a result, a gender equity initiative was launched throughout the faculty. Gender equity was then measured a year later. The results showed some improvements in gender equity on committees at the faculty level and within some of the schools of the faculty. In some schools, gender representation became more unequal. The results highlight the importance of specific gender equity policies that can be translated easily into practice and that have leadership support. This case study shows that a modest gain in gender equity is possible if the appropriate institutional and local supports are available.

A Qualitative Case Study for Technology Acceptance Using TAM and the Kübler-Ross Models

This study was an investigation of interactions based on the existing research, including the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (Davis, 1986) and The Kübler-Ross model for grieving and acceptance of dying that addresses emotional transitions of terminally ill patients. As obvious as this connection may be, there is little research that has been presented to analyze the human acceptance process related to other models of acceptance. Nor has there been an analysis of the technology acceptance experience from an emotional, cognitive perspective. This study produced themes that address the process for acceptance at an individual level. Themes associated with technology acceptance included force, emotions triggered by interaction with technology, how technology was introduced and relationships with those that introduced it, organic acceptance, cost associated with use, small wins learning to use the technology, societal perspectives, avoidability behaviors, social adoption, supported infrastructure, loss of freedom, finality and rejection, dependency, euphoria, and anxiety with use.

“Bringing the future to life: Maureen’s postcard to Beryl”=North Wales Regional Single Point of Access Programme

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the journey so far for the North Wales Regional Single Point of Access (SPOA) through the lens of programme manager with views from the programme team. SPOA is the integration of access points to community health and social care services with strengthened links to the third sector, one SPOA in each of six local authorities in the Betsi Cadwallader University Health Board footprint. Design/methodology/approach Kotter’s 8 step theory of change model (1996) supplemented by the organisational, cultural and professional and contextual factors from research that impact on integrated working between health and social care (Cameron et al., 2012); the focus is programme level. Findings Kotter’s 8 step model is a useful tool for reflection on the factors identified in research that promote and hinder integrated working. Key messages and innovative ideas of interest for practitioners embarking on a similar “Quest”, including: “keep using your ‘levers for change’”, “Adopt and Adapt”, “right people in the right place”, “it’s ok to tweak your vision, ‘Make it mean something to everyone’, ‘accept and Adapt’, ‘Don’t sweat what you can’t affect’, ‘Find your allies – it’s better together’, ‘Celebrate ‘small wins’’, ‘The people’s voice drives change’ and ‘a sense of humour brings you through’”. Research limitations/implications This is a personal reflection from the North Wales Regional SPOA Programme. Originality/value It makes use of collaborative work focused on delivering a SPOA, helping others to learn from the struggle.

Infusing Theory Into Practice, Practice Into Theory

This article illustrates the synergistic role between practice and theory in evaluation. Using reflective practice, the author reviews her own work as well as the work of other evaluators to illustrate how theory can influence practice and, in turn, how evaluation practice can inform and grow theory, especially evaluation theory. The following three themes are reinforced: (1) the importance of infusing theory into evaluation practice, including program theory, social science theory, and evaluation theory; (2) the importance of infusing practice into theory, with an emphasis on understanding the role of experience and expertise in improving our theory; and (3) how we can continue to foster the integration between theory and practice to strengthen our field and the work of individual evaluators. Weick’s (1984) concept of small wins, large gains is suggested as a strategy for encouraging the theory–practice integration in evaluation. Small wins are concrete, minor improvements may be more manageable for evaluators to incorporate into their routine practice, but overtime, these small changes can result in large gains for individual evaluators and the evaluation field as a whole as well as the areas of intervention in which we work.

Matching the process to the challenge within small town regeneration

Previous research suggests that government initiated programmes have often failed to match the process of regeneration to the local challenges faced. This paper explores the potential for enhancing the efficacy of government support by means of a case study within which a government agency attempted to better match the process to the challge. The findings suggest a need to be more realistic about what can be achieved through regeneration assistance. Long-term regeneration processes need to be locally led, where ‘big fix’ external prescriptions do not adequately match the process to the challenge. New models for government support are required which recognise that successful processes are developed through sustained ‘small wins’ over long periods. Whilst tensions between external governance ideas/concepts and the practical realities of local implementation remain, locally specific challenges to implementation cannot be circumvented through external prescription tied to funding.

Reward and punishment hyposensitivity in problem gamblers: A study of event-related potentials using a principal components analysis

ObjectiveTo investigate whether the latent neural correlates of incentive processing differ between problem gamblers (PGs) and healthy controls (HCs). MethodsEvent-related potential (ERP) data were derived while 16 PGs and 20 HCs played a computer electronic gaming machine (EGM) task. Psychophysiological responses to outcomes commonly encountered during EGM gambling, including Large wins, Small wins, Near-wins, and Losses, were examined using a spatiotemporal principal components analysis (PCA). Subjects also completed questionnaires that assessed their levels of impulsivity, attraction to appetitive stimuli, and avoidance of aversive stimuli. ResultsLosses elicited a feedback-related negativity (FRN), whereas wins elicited a feedback-related positivity (FRP) at the same latency and topography. PGs exhibited both attenuated FRN amplitudes following Losses and FRP amplitudes following Wins. Greater P3b amplitudes were found following Wins compared to Losses. FRN amplitudes following Near-wins were significantly reduced compared to Losses for both PGs and HCs. Trends for reduced P3b amplitudes following all outcome types, and for similar P3b amplitudes following Large and Small wins, were found for the PG group. ConclusionsWe provide evidence that PGs are hyposensitive to both positive and negative outcomes. SignificanceThe finding that PGs are hyposensitive to reward and punishment provides valuable insight into the nature of deficit in this disorder, and provides a foundation for future research and clinical interventions.

Improvement through Small Cycles of Change: Lessons from an Academic Medical Center Emergency Department.

This article describes the experiences of a quality improvement team that used small cycles of change to improve the emergency department (ED) of an academic medical center. The role of EDs in the provision of healthcare continues to increase in importance. ED bottlenecks contribute to long waits and diminished outcomes for ED patients as well as more system-wide issues, such as inefficiencies in inpatient admission processes. The purpose of this "ED Operational Efficiency Project" was to reduce lengths of stay (LOS) for low-acuity patients. The team used lean management techniques to both improve services and shift the ED culture to prioritize continuous quality improvement. The goal to reduce LOS by 30% was met as the result of several inter=related projects (or small cycles of change). Key lessons include monitoring metrics, communicating with teams and target populations, learning from initial failures, using small wins to increase momentum, and anchoring changes.

INITIATING TRANSFORMATIVE PROCESS THROUGH COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAM: TWO CASES FROM ASIA

Community education as an intervention strategy has been criticized because it mainly focuses on fixing the individuals without addressing the structural causes behind the problems. Nevertheless, addressing the structural cause of a problem may not be desirable or feasible in some cultural or sociopolitical contexts. Presenting 2 cases from Asia (Indonesia and Hong Kong), this article argues that the community education approach, which is commonly considered to be incapable of bringing systemic change, can also facilitate small wins and develop community capacity or competence ready for some larger scale change with longer term effects.

Feedback Processing in Adolescence: An Event-Related Potential Study of Age and Gender Differences

Adolescence has frequently been characterized as a period of increased risk taking, which may be largely driven by maturational changes in neural areas that process incentives. To investigate age- and gender-related differences in reward processing, we recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) from 80 participants in a gambling game, in which monetary wins and losses were either large or small. We measured two ERP components: the feedback-related negativity (FRN) and the feedback P3 (fP3). The FRN was sensitive to the size of a win in both adult (aged 23-35 years) and adolescent (aged 13-17 years) males, but not in females. Small wins appeared to be less rewarding for males than for females, which may in part explain more approach-driven behavior in males in general. Furthermore, adolescent boys showed both delayed FRNs to high losses and less differentiation in FRN amplitude between wins and losses in comparison to girls. The fP3, which is thought to index the salience of the feedback at a more conscious level than the FRN, was also larger in boys than in girls. Taken together, these results imply that higher levels of risk taking that are commonly reported in adolescent males may be driven both by hypersensitivity to high rewards and insensitivity to punishment or losses.

Neurological correlates of slot machine win size in pathological gamblers

The present study examined the neurological correlates of slot machine gambling by pathological and nonpathological gamblers while undergoing an fMRI scanning procedure. Twenty-two total participants were exposed to a series of losses, small wins, and large wins on a computerized simulated slot machine. Results indicate that the two types of gamblers responded differently to the various game options, and that an apparent “dose effect” exists when small and big wins are compared for pathological gamblers. Specifically more neural activation occurred in the dopaminergic pathway under conditions of large wins. These data suggest that a non-drug substance such as gambling may mimic typical drug-dose effects shown in previous literature. Implications for the treatment of pathological gamblers are discussed.

Upping the Reinforcement Rate by Playing the Maximum Lines in Multi-line Slot Machine Play

Reinforcement is a key component of slot machine play. Multi-line video slot-machine play can lead to "losses disguised as wins" (LDWs) which are credit gains that total less than the wager on the spin. LDWs only occur on multi-line games, with their frequency increasing with the number of lines played. If perceived as wins, they will be reinforcing to the player despite actually being losses. It has been suggested that players may attempt to maximize their reinforcement rates by playing maximum lines with a minimum bet per line. We recorded the actual game play of 83 participants on two different machines having different LDW rates. On both machines, players, regardless of problem gambling status, seldom bet on a single line (<6% of spins), preferring to bet on the maximum number of lines available (>70% of spins). Post-reinforcement pauses indicated that players found LDWs significantly more rewarding than losses and as rewarding as small wins. Players significantly overestimated the number of times they won more than their spin wager (i.e., miscategorizing LDWs as wins). Players indicated a number of game traits that made them prefer one machine over the other. Players who preferred the game with many LDWs endorsed "lack of long losing streaks" and "frequency of wins" to a greater degree than those preferring the other game. In sum, gamblers prefer playing maximum lines. Maximum line-play increases the frequency of LDWs. Players may miscategorize LDWs as wins, thus increasing the perceived reinforcement rate of multi-line slot machine.

Subtle Strategic Agency: Organizational Cognition and Actions under Structural Constraints

I use an inductive case study of the strategy of the Ford Foundation in China to examine the processes and actions involved in pursuing an ambitious organizational goal within a constrained and adversarial environment. The study shows that the Foundation attempted to accomplish its goal of stimulating democratic values in an authoritarian China by taking strategic actions that were transparently observable, but subtle in their transformative mechanisms, which I term subtle strategic actions. Being transparent and subtle allowed the Foundation to comply with strict requirements of China’s powerful monitoring agencies safeguarding the authoritarian system, and simultaneously promote democratic values. I also find that a distinct cognitive process preceded subtle strategic actions, and this process had a future-oriented and a present-oriented component: goal-directed programming and a complex understanding of the present, respectively. Overall, this article contributes to an expanded understanding of agency as an interrelated process of cognition and actions. More specifically, my study suggests that strategic leaders, when faced with goal-inhibiting constraints in the environment, can expand their discretions by taking subtle strategic actions that attend to both organizational goals and goal-inhibiting constraints in the local context. In this specific case, such both-and solutions had the potential of facilitating radical change through strategically planned small wins.

The challenges of educational change: cultural and psychological inertia

The challenges of educational change: cultural and psychological inertia

The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work by Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer

The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work by Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer

Governance Capabilities for Dealing Wisely With Wicked Problems

This article explores an integrative approach for dealing with wicked problems. Wicked problems not only require alternative action strategies but also alternative ways of observing and enabling. Four governance capabilities are essential: (a) reflexivity, or the capability to deal with multiple frames; (b) resilience, or the capability to adjust actions to uncertain changes; (c) responsiveness, or the capability to respond to changing agendas and expectations; (d) revitalization, or the capability to unblock stagnations. These capabilities form the basis for achieving small wins in wicked problems. We illustrate our argument with examples from sustainable food production of the Common Agricultural Policy.

Skin conductance responses of problem and non-problem gamblers to large and small magnitude wins

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Planning Deep Change Through a Series of Small Wins

This paper is based on six years of action research on change dynamics in the Dutch diplomatic arena concerned with tough issues such as dispensing foreign aid to reduce poverty. The persistence of...