Today's Staff Research Articles

A Structural Equation Modelling of Organizational Culture and Total Quality Management at the Islamic University in Uganda

This study aimed at examining the influence of organisational culture (OC) towards total quality management (TQM) at the Islamic University in Uganda. The study’s research Objectives were; examine whether the hypothesized model of organizational culture and total quality management fit the data. To establish whether the items for measuring organizational culture and Total quality management fit the model? To find out whether organizational culture construct statistically influence total quality management practices as perceived by staff at Islamic University in Uganda? To arrive at the intention of this study, a quantitative research design was employed, and a cross-sectional survey technique was used to attain data from 372 randomly chosen respondents. Data analysis was done using structural equation modelling. The findings of the study reflected that; the questionnaire items for OC and TQM fitted the data whereby CMIN was 1852.328, CMIN/DF 3.750, RMSEA .086, CFI .782 and DF 494.Further analysis to establish the influence of OC towards TQM reflected that CFI was .906, RMSEA .070, CMIN/DF 2.798, CMIN 506.362 AND DF 181; thus, the model fits the data. The influence of OC towards TQM was obtained at a .94 coefficient with a p-value of .000. The factor loadings for both constructs OC and TQM and their sub-constructs deemed reasonable at above 0.70. Thus, proving the model and theory worthy of employment in the management of HEIs so as to produce quality graduates with quality skills for addressing the 21st century challenges. More studies can be done using longitudinal surveys and other data analysis techniques to establish whether the results will differ. Lastly, it is recommended that leaders and their management teams in HEIs should change their perceptions towards running institutional businesses to fit the needs of the 21st century. Today’s world requires quality graduates with quality skills and culture to transform themselves and their community into a quality nation. However, these efforts cannot be achieved if HEIs leaders do not understand TQM’s meaning towards OC. This is because today's staff, students and other stakeholders are far different from the previous ones regarding their rights, services needed, input, the process and the output.

SCIENTIFIC FOUNDATIONS OF STAFF DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT OF FORENSIC ORGANIZATIONS

Today staff is a key resource that ensures the effectiveness of organization functioning in all areas of activities, therefore its development is an integral part of the organization’s overall strategy. The staff development management system of forensic institutions is based on a set of methods that will ensure the solution of tasks in the field of personnel development, as well as staff’s education, further training, and career advancement. The analysis of foreign and domestic scientific works will enhance the improvement of the terminology that reflects the essence of the management process of workers’ performance in an organization,namely: human resources management, human-factor management, labor management, personnel policy, personnel work, etc .; their detailed characteristic is provided.
 The formation of a high-quality and stable staff of a forensic institution is a purposefully selected and organized set of activities and relations between them, which is aimed at improving the efficiency of staff development management in accordance with the institution’s goals. Special attention is paid to the fact that the quality characteristic of staff are those signs that characterize the complex of consumer properties of staff to effective work; quantitative characteristic of staff include the following indicators: qualification, age, work experience, computer skills, knowledge of foreign languages, etc. It is proved that staff development management of a forensic institution always contributes to the effective use of the labor potential of each worker as an individual by increasing his social and professional mobility, whereas vocational training contributes to the general intellectual development of the worker, expands his/her erudition and social circle, strengthens his/her self-confidence. The main tasks of planning and organizing staff development management of forensic institutions are outlined.
 A priority issue for increasing the level of staff development of a forensic institution should be acknowledged the internship and further training at leading higher education institutions or scientific institutions, as today technologies and equipment are updating rapidly, therefore, the knowledge that was obtained earlier is gradually becoming obsolete and needed to be constantly updated.

The Unexamined Staff Report: Results From an Evaluation of a National Sample

Problem, research strategy, and findings: Municipal planners write staff reports reviewing development applications to submit to planning and zoning commissions. Staff reports are probably planners' most common, but least studied, work products. A small literature provides -guidance on writing better staff reports, but questions remain: What makes a quality staff report; what are their contents; and what is the state of today's staff reports? We summarize the literature on writing staff reports and develop a tool to assess the content of a national sample of staff reports. We analyze whether staff reports include traditional and modern elements. We find that many staff reports provide traditional basic information, but do not summarize that information or use modern formatting tools to make text more comprehensible. Most staff reports reference the comprehensive plan but rarely cite the future land use map or plans of adjacent jurisdictions. Many mention checking traditional public facilities like roads, but rarely list parks or pedestrian or cycling facilities. Most do not include maps, arguments for recommendations, or references to soliciting public input.Takeaway for practice: Planning departments can improve staff reports through simple changes in report organization and graphics. Planners can use this assessment tool to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their staff reports, and scholars can use this approach to analyze how staff reports affect the quality of decision making.

Modifying the paradigm

Paradigm is an overused word, but it is highly descriptive of the controversial subject I am about to embark on. As both a chief nursing officer and chief executive officer for many years, one of the major tactics I employed to achieve a fiscally viable hospital was to control and ultimately eliminate registries for nurses and other staff. Besides the cost factor, evidence indicates that decreased use of outside agency staff correlates highly with improved quality. This correlation works particularly well with patient satisfaction. Creating a more positive work environment for staff may continue to be valid, but it may not be the most realistic approach in the future. Experience, including my own, has supported the opinion that registries should be decreased. Lately, however, I am questioning whether this paradigm can continue to last and be sustainable in today's environment. In the current and future climate, sustaining staffing levels without registries may not be feasible. This is not meant to suggest that the goal of zero registry staff is not worthwhile, but it is critical to be flexible and open to innovative ways to work with outside staff to achieve organizational goals. This shift in my thinking is primarily a result of observations and conversations with many nurses about what they deem important in their professional and social lives. One of many reasons is recognizing that young nurses and new graduates have a different value system than the baby boomers or their predecessors. Their world is much more about having balance and control over their lives. Although work life may be important, it is not the most important thing. Balancing work, play, and family life is important, but the goal may be elusive unless carefully planned for. Money becomes important as a way of meeting these goals and therefore plays a central role in recruitment and retention. Today's generation has learned to prioritize differently to meet these often diverse goals. For many years I have been an advocate of Hertzerg's theory of satisfiers and dissatisfiers. The concept is that if a salary is competitive in the marketplace, it is neither a satisfier nor a dissatisfier; in other words, it neither demotivates or motivates the worker. Obviously, if the salary is below par, it becomes a demotivator. Satisfiers generally include recognition, control, participation, and so forth. Although this theoretical construct still has its merits, it is also obvious today that a salary higher than commonly found in the marketplace is a significant recruitment and retention mechanism, particularly when combined with flexibility. In an era of nursing shortages in my former setting, we found that an analysis of the cost of eliminating registries had to take into account the rich benefits and salaries that had accrued to our workers because of their tenure. Our staff did not have problems with working requested overtime because at one and a half times their salary, it became a distinct motivator. Quality, however, can suffer when staff must regularly work overtime. This dilemma was addressed through recognition that agencies that assigned nurses on at least a 3-month basis could add to quality when permanent assignments were implemented. This strategy proved less costly than our own staff at overtime pay. The agency nurses liked the flexibility of being in different environments and appreciated the money they earned for this flexibility. In addition, after a set period based on a previously negotiated fee, these nurses could and often did get hired based on their needs and desires and the needs of the institution. Registries that can ensure competency, knowledge, and a permanent assignment are probably here to stay. As unpleasant as this new paradigm may seem at the outset, the creative nursing leader will learn to maximize this new workforce along with regular staff. Looking ahead, as leadership and entrepreneurship continue to evolve in the nursing community, the possibility (I would say probability) exists that nursing units and laboratory and other areas may be outsourced in this century, with the risks shared between the hospital and the outsourcing company. Fifty years ago, the concept of outsourcing food and nutrition services, housekeeping, and information technology was unheard of; today it is common. Outsourcing may not always be successful, but it seems to have great merit within various institutions and may well be a forerunner for nursing's new staffing paradigm. This is just an example of what leadership is all about—thinking ahead of the curve! Examine the workforce, both today's staff and the new people we will be hiring, and understand their value systems. There may be other alternatives to outsourcing, but it is worth some examination. Be proactive and open your vision to new possibilities as you lead for the future, always remembering that the patient comes first.

Teaching nursing delegation: analyzing nurse practice acts.

Teaching delegation to nurses, especially for those nurses who have mostly practiced in primary nursing, is challenging. Many staff development and continuing education instructors are teaching delegation principles to nurses today because good delegation skills are needed to effectively implement current skill-mix and patient-focused care changes. In these courses, nurses almost always want guidelines on what they can and cannot delegate to unlicensed assistive personnel and LPN/LVNs. The best foundation for teaching what can and cannot be delegated is the nursing practice act in the state, even though analyzing state practice acts can be cumbersome. Analyzing practice acts as the basis for teaching delegation principles is a critical requirement for today's staff development/continuing educator.