Unit Goals Research Articles

Towards excellence in public administration: organisation theory-based performance management model

The purpose of the paper is to develop an integrated performance management model as an important pillar of excellence in public administration. The model is based on organisation theory where an organisation is a set of dynamic relationships between people assuring the existence, development, and specific characteristics of the social unit (e.g. enterprise, public sector organisation) and rational achievement of the social unit's goals. It covers the sequential phases of the management process that consist of specific approaches and include the most useful indicators (measures) associated with the various stakeholders. The indicators reflect the effectiveness of a social unit and the efficient execution of all processes/tasks. The proposed model represented the basis for research on the use of performance management tools, approaches, and indicators on a sample of 104 public administration institutions in Slovenia. The paper provides an important contribution to the public administration performance management body of research. First, the proposed model extends and improves existing models as it consistently follows the governance-management process to assure excellence. Second, the model is developed on the basis of organisation theory which assures repetitive use of the model over many time-periods. Third, all social units' stakeholders are included in the model. The model represents an original solution and is applicable in any type of public administration organisations, with some modifications also in any kind of private or public organisations, all striving for excellence.

“What Happened Needs to Be Told”: Fostering Critical Historical Reasoning in the Classroom

Scholars often define historical reasoning as constructing defensible interpretations of past events. Drawing on critical theory, this article suggests that it also entails consciously framing one's topic of inquiry. The article examines an instructional unit that aimed to foster this expanded view of historiography. Forty students, ages 14–15, wrote histories of the Vietnam War from 12 primary accounts and compared their depictions to that of their textbook. After participating in the unit, students found the textbook factually accurate yet biased in its pattern of emphasis and omission, a conclusion that aligned with the unit's goal of helping them distinguish empirical integrity from interpretive frame. However, whereas critical theorists view all scholarship as partially subjective, the students sought to achieve objectivity by including “both sides” in their histories. The study suggests that educators should highlight the numerous dilemmas historians face, from framing their topic to selecting and analyzing evidence.

A Study On Leadership and Management Effectiveness Based on a Multi-Frame Model : A Case Study for Railway Public Enterprises

The main purpose of this study is to highlight the effects of the Bolman and Deal's multi-frame leadership on the several dependent variables such as job satisfaction, respect from subordinates, effective goal attainment, promotion speed, and recognition as more a leader than a manager. To attain this purpose, 488 questionnaires verified to be free from flaws were processed through SPSS 14 Windows. The major finding was that versatile and adroit use of multiple frames can contribute to the effectiveness and success of the leader. That is, the multi-frame leadership had strong relationships with dependent variables such as trust and respects from subordinates, effective attainment of unit's goal, job satisfaction, recognition as more a real leader than as a manager, and promotion speed of boss. When we consider the ever-increasing environmental complexity surrounding every organization and the growing levels of needs of employees, the use of multi-frame leadership is not an 'ought' but a 'must' for all the people who aspire to become effective and successful leaders.

Sounding the Nation: Martin Rennalls and the Jamaica Film Unit, 1951––1961

Under the direction of Martin Rennalls, the Jamaica Film Unit aimed to make educational films for, by and about Jamaicans. Drawing upon close analysis of selected films, an interview with Rennalls, and press reports in The Daily Gleaner , this essay shows how available sound technology challenged the Unit's goals during Jamaica's pre-independence years, 1951-1961.

‘Nehiyawewin Askîhk’: Cree Language on the Land: Language Planning Through Consultation in the Loon River Cree First Nation

This article examines the parallel development of language planning and land planning within the Loon River Cree First Nation. Loon River Cree territory, located in north-central Alberta, Canada, is an area where major oil and gas industry, as well as logging and mining are constantly encroaching. The community, who still use Cree in their daily lives, completed a Traditional Land Use Study in 2004 which documented the historical and contemporary relationship the Loon River members have with their land. The study compiled oral histories from 20 elders, all in the Cree language, and also included site visits to important locations, digital mapping and archival research. The Traditional Land Use Study has since resulted in the creation of a Consultation Unit. The role of the Consultation Unit, which consists mostly of Loon River Cree community members, is to be an intermediary between industry, the provincial government of Alberta, and the First Nation. However, the Consultation Unit's goals also include, ‘Protect[ing] the culture, language, and lifestyle of the Loon River First Nation community and membership’ (Loon River Cree First Nation, 2006, Consultation Unit, Policies and Procedures, emphasis added). The increase of industry on Loon River Cree land will inevitably lead to an increase of English being spoken in their territory, and it is the lands and resources sector of their community that is assigned the significant task of protecting the Cree language and planning for the future.

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Abstract Cover Story Attract adults by offering accelerated associate's degrees Associate's degree program caters to needs of Indiana's working adults Students may choose from a variety of programs Briefing College provides free tuition for vets' spouses Get breakdown of states' 2‐year college usage High gas prices = more online courses? Develop office procedures manual Transitions Encourage adults to get to know traditional‐aged students What Would You Do? How do you prepare faculty members to teach adults? The Board Brian Sandusky Students Speak/Resources Online courses convenient for overseas student Resources Check out latest report from CAEL on state of adult learning Get help for challenging situations from this LRP resource Washington Report Learn specifics of the law that will enhance vets' education benefits New law doubles average annual education benefit for vets, more Managing Your Office Meet your unit's goals by developing partnerships across your campus Find out if you're a time management pro Lawsuits & Rulings ACADEMIC AFFAIRS 6th Circuit upholds dismissal of nursing student's due process claims JUDICIAL AFFAIRS Court disqualifies hearing officer in 2‐year college faculty member's case ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Court upholds dismissal of doctoral student's complaint Leaders & Innovators ERIKA LAQUER, DEAN OF THE ADA COMSTOCK SCHOLARS PROGRAM, SMITH COLLEGE Develop activities for students' spouses and children Get feedback from students to create top‐notch events

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Abstract Cover Story College boosts campus safety with certified student security squad Bard offers students state security guard certification, then puts them to work on campus Bright Idea Student guards free up officers for more important tasks Use these tips to build good rapport with students Vet officers carefully to ensure they can handle anything News Briefing Tulane students face battery charges Engineering student stabbed to death Professor suspended over gun threat Drug probe lands 75 students in jail Leaders & Innovators MICHAEL O'KEEFE, DIRECTOR OF SECURITY, MOUNT SAINT MARY COLLEGE Don't be afraid to tackle inefficiencies, institute change Word of Advice Take cost considerations out of equation when evaluating different emergency alert systems Compliance Investigating flag desecration lands university in court Speech codes can fare poorly when challenged in court Did You Know? When does flag desecration become unprotected speech? Managing Your Office Use teamwork to link your unit's goals to performance Creating work teams may take time, but is worth the effort Include purpose, results, boundaries in team charter Resources Celebrate Campus Fire Safety Month to generate awareness Learn from colleagues to tackle alcohol, drug problems Lawsuits & Rulings STUDENT CONDUCT Student's disciplinary fairness claim falls flat SEXUAL HARASSMENT 2 years is too long to resolve student assault complaint PERSONNEL Verdict stands for employee denied individualized FMLA notice New discrimination standard in Mo. helps captain get trial Legislative Watch Legislative Watch: State legislative bills

The vulnerable leader

Katie is a competent 40-year-old nurse manager in a Midwestern community hospital. She is sharp, well prepared, and committed to her organization's vision of quality patient care. In the past, she frequently suggested viable ways to achieve her unit's goals and solve its problems. She made her recommendations even if they challenged the status quo.

Consumer evaluation of a head injury assessment and rehabilitation unit.

This study was undertaken to assess parents' evaluations of the services provided by a children's head injury rehabilitation unit. A questionnaire was designed to determine levels of satisfaction with seven aspects of care: physical surroundings, transfer of information, convenience and accessibility, discharge procedure, perceived technical competence, staff's interpersonal skills and general satisfaction. A sample of 16 sets of parents of former patients was identified and sent a copy of the questionnaire. Fourteen questionnaires were returned (response rate of 87.5 per cent). Results showed that overall levels of satisfaction were high, with respondents' ratings ranging from 3.23 to 4.38 (on a scale of one to five). Satisfaction with convenience/accessibility and discharge procedure was rated significantly lower than the other five sub-scales. The study focused attention on areas where improvements were needed and supported the unit's goal of providing a consumer-led service.

Mutual Support among Nurses who Provide Care to Dying Children

The purpose of this study was to explore the sources, nature, and effectiveness of mutual support among nurses who are exposed to the death of children and to compare the experiences between a group of pediatric oncology nurses and a group of critical care nurses. Semistructured interviews were conducted with sixteen pediatric oncology nurses and twenty-three critical care nurses. Qualitative analysis was used to analyze the data. Findings revealed that (1) nurses relied more on their colleagues for support than on their relatives and friends; (2) the nature of the support they sought involved informational, clinical/practical, emotional, and meaning-making support; and (3) different forms of mutual support were encouraged in the two units, depending on individual needs and the unit's goals, philosophy, and implicit rules about expected behavior in the face of death and dying. Educational and clinical implications are briefly discussed.

A strategic information system to facilitate the use of performance indicators in hospitals.

Hospital management teams receive voluminous data from a wide variety of sources, but are unable to distill the essential data they require to make good decisions. We have used a methodology which helps teams define and use important management data coupled with an information system that makes this data accessible. Results of our evaluation indicate that the process of developing a balanced scorecard (BSC) indicator system helps management teams to define meaningful strategic objectives and measurable performance indicators. The framework combined with the information acts as an integrating force, providing a shared understanding of the unit's goals. We conclude that a customized decision support system which integrates multiple measures in a BSC framework is a powerful tool for enabling complex decision making by a management team.

Evaluating the drug dependency unit

An evaluation of the St Mary's Drug Dependency Unit is described. Unit staff were interviewed and a retrospective analysis of 156 records was performed. The advent of HIV infection has led to an emphasis on public health priorities in the treatment of drug misuse. However, DDU staff retain a highly individualistic approach to their work. Staff aiming at abstinence within treatment may compromise important advice on harm minimization. The mean delay between first contact and entering treatment was 10 days; 42% of clients failed to complete the initial assessment. The need to extend access to the service is not easy to reconcile with the increasingly specialised support role for such units implied in recent strategy documents. Little is known of the effectiveness of different services for drug misusers. In this study, only 6% of clients were known to have achieved abstinence at one year. The efficiency of the DDU could be improved by closer definition of the unit's goals and target population, regular progress reviews, shortening the assessment procedure and the computerisation of data collection.

Optimal Acquisition of FMS Technology Subject to Technological Progress

In order to gain competitive advantage, a firm must link its technology choice to its total manufacturing strategy and business unit's goals. A dynamic model is presented to examine the strategic decision concerning the acquisition of flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) technology. A major contribution of this model is its ability to capture the strategic benefits of FMS with respect to economies of scope and technological progress. Decisions such as the timing and size of new technology acquisition and the scrapping of conventional capacity are explored as a firm plans for the upgrading of its facility to meet future dynamic strategic goals. This model may be used to assist with strategic planning because it identifies the critical relationships and trade-offs between various exogenous forces (such as market growth or decay, the cost of acquiring flexible manufacturing systems, and the rate of technological progress) and the decision variables considered.

Effective use of community meetings on psychiatric treatment units.

The community meeting is often established as a part of the program on a psychiatric treatment unit to enhance the therapeutic atmosphere and advance the unit's goals. Such meetings usually consist of at least 30 or more individuals, including patients, staff, and trainees, and therefore incorporate small-group dynamics as well as phenomena more typical of large groups. Leaders should try to ensure the effectiveness of their meetings by assessing tasks and boundaries, as well as the extent to which small-group dynamics and techniques used in large groups apply.

Auditing the process of care in a new geriatric unit.

To assess whether the objectives of a new Extended Care Unit were reflected in the care of the patients and in the outcome of that care, an audit of the patients' records was performed. The audit sample involved 101 geriatric patients who had been admitted to the Unit for rehabilitation therapy, and then discharged. The study included assessment of the records for compliance with individual audit criteria, examination of the records in terms of a composite audit score, and analysis of the relationship between these scores and three outcome indices. Although the audit did not show a significant correlation between recorded care processes and treatment outcomes, it did reveal the extent to which the Unit's goals were reflected in the care process.