Suicidality in detention centres: a case study

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jurgita Rimkeviciene ◽  
John O’Gorman ◽  
Diego De Leo

Purpose Recent reports raise suicidality among asylum seekers as a pertinent issue in current Australian offshore detention centres. However, knowledge on the nature of the suicidality in these centres is very limited. The purpose of this paper is to explore in depth how suicidality arises and develops in offshore detention centres. Design/methodology/approach A single case study approach was used. Findings This case study presents the findings on the suicidal process of an asylum seeker who attempted suicide three times while in Nauru Regional Processing Centre, the last of which being a near-lethal one. The prolonged mandatory detention, together with lack of clarity about the timeframes of detention and constant postponing of the legal processes were identified as the main factors driving the suicidal intent. The suicidal behaviour escalated from an interrupted attempt to a near lethal one within two years, which signals lack of adequate suicide prevention within detention. Practical implications The resources for mental health being limited in Nauru, it is likely overall changes in refugee status processing may be a more effective suicide prevention strategy rather than implementation of other additional measures. Originality/value Studies in offshore processing facilities have been scarce due to barriers for researchers to access the detention centres. This study offers a unique insight into suicidality in this hard to reach population.

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 822-843 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Le Roux ◽  
Marius Pretorius

Purpose This paper aims to explore the nexus between integrated reporting and sustainability embeddedness. It seeks to contribute to a better understanding of the nexus by obtaining in-depth insight from the sensemaking of those in practice. Design/methodology/approach A single exploratory case study design strategy was applied to a leading stock exchange listed company in the property industry in South Africa. Rich qualitative data were gathered by applying multiple data gathering techniques to a diverse group of employees within the case company. Findings This empirical study contributes a metaphor of a cog and chain and nine themes that elucidate employee sensemaking at the nexus. Integrated reporting was found to drive sustainability embeddedness and foster changes within the organisation. The themes offer in-depth insight into how employees made sense of integrated reporting as a driver for sustainability embeddedness. Research limitations/implications The findings emerged from a single case study that operated in a mandatory disclosure context and are therefore not generalisable. The findings reflect the intended outcomes of integrated reporting and further research to explore the unintended outcomes and challenges associated with integrated reporting is suggested. Practical implications The study contributes to a growing practice based agenda by offering a better understanding of how integrated reporting and sustainability are conceptualised and adopted in practice. Social implications The findings offer organisations’ guidance on integrated reporting and sustainability embeddedness adoption which can have vast implications for society and the environment. Originality/value The study responds to gaps in the literature and calls for studies to explore the intersection between integrated reporting and sustainability embeddedness by engaging those in practice.


2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Kluzek

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on current interlending and document delivery of e-books and e-journals in the UK and analyse the challenges encountered in such practices, using the experiences at King's College London as an example. Design/methodology/approach – The author uses a case study approach. Findings – Most UK libraries and higher education institutions negotiate the usage terms for their e-resources through Jisc's NESLI2 model license agreement. While the terms of this agreement work relatively well for document delivery of e-journal articles, allowing for secure electronic document transmission under prescribed circumstances, the interlending of e-books remains problematic. Research limitations/implications – The paper provides insight into how UK document supply services can better use electronic holdings to offset the costs of requesting. It discusses the dilemma of e-books and potential solutions. Practical implications – This will enable UK library professionals to better use e-resources in a legally compliant way for the purpose of document delivery. It will explain to non-UK library professionals how supplying from e-resources works in the UK. Originality/value – The paper provides insight into how UK document supply services can better use electronic holdings to offset the costs of requesting. It discusses the dilemma of e-books and potential solutions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 12-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chamsa Fendri ◽  
Pascal Nguyen

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the specific structures and routines of family firms and to highlight their strengths and weaknesses using a case study. Design/methodology/approach The case describes a French SME in the construction sector that is undergoing succession from the eighth to the ninth generation. Both generations have offered their viewpoints. The succession context allows us to better distinguish what makes a family firm uniquely resilient and what may easily turn into a weakness. Findings The case indicates that the trust that family owners have cultivated with employees allows the firm to operate less formally and with less rigid procedures. It also encourages employees to take initiatives and contributes to their greater engagement. On the other hand, it may expose the firm to more structured and well-organized competitors. Research limitations/implications The limitations are those relative to the use of a single case. Practical implications Succession is a delicate process that needs to be well prepared and executed without any haste. It involves retaining the firm’s strengths, such as the social capital that the family has patiently amassed. But it also represents an opportunity to review the firm’s practices and to introduce a good dose of innovation. Originality/value The case provides a vivid illustration of what makes family firms so distinctive. Theoretical concepts and empirical findings from the literature are put together in a single consistent picture.


2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 142-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Pace ◽  
Sandra C. Buttigieg

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse hospital dashboards’ visibility of information at different management levels to improve quality and performance in an acute general hospital. Design/methodology/approach Data were generated via 21 semi-structured interviews across different management levels. Findings All management levels had greater visibility of information, could make informed decisions, and registered performance improvement. Specifically, waiting time improved, however since introduction of hospital dashboards was work-in-progress at time of study, managers could not record improvement in terms of cost reductions, clinical effectiveness, patient safety and patient satisfaction. Different managerial levels had different visibility with top management having the greatest. Research limitations/implications In single case studies, where only one context is used, the findings cannot be reproduced in different contexts; even though most of the results could be matched with the current literature. Practical implications The need to have balanced key performance indicators that take into account other facets of improvements, apart from time, has been emphasised. Furthermore, if middle and departmental managers have greater visibility, this would allow them to work towards a strategic fit between the departments that they manage with the rest of the hospital. Originality/value There is scant literature regarding performance dashboards’ enhancement of visibility of information at different management levels. Furthermore, according to the authors’ knowledge, no other paper has tried to identify and discuss the different levels of information, which should be visible from bedside to board namely to management, clinicians and public.


Author(s):  
Jane Burdett

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on the experiences of a large Australian Government department in the successful trialling of a formal reverse mentoring project for developing information technology (IT) competence in executives. Design/methodology/approach – A case study approach was used to collect data from interviews with the organization’s project leader. Data were also sourced from relevant internal documents and appropriate literature. Findings – The results suggest that formal reverse mentoring projects can have additional reciprocal benefits for both parties such as leadership development, knowledge creation and relationship building. Furthermore, it emerged that clear procedures, effective structures and time spent on participant preparation contributed to the project’s success. Research limitations/implications – Findings from a single case study may not be generalizable to all contexts. Practical implications – This paper provides guidance to trainers and leaders in the planning and delivery of an innovative reverse mentoring project for IT competence and beyond. Originality/value – This paper contributes to an understanding of leadership development through mentoring and offers practical assistance to leaders, managers and trainers.


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 429-450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Orlagh Reynolds ◽  
Maura Sheehan ◽  
Rachel Hilliard

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to look at the role played by three archetypal constructs pertaining to the individual sustainability-oriented entrepreneur, namely prior knowledge, sustainability orientation and sustainability intention, in legitimation behavior and explores their strategic utility. Design/methodology/approach The author studies legitimacy-seeking behavior in the case of ten sustainability-oriented entrepreneurs. A qualitative case study approach is used, capturing evidence of legitimation behavior in the startup phase through interviews, participant observation and documentation analysis. Findings Prior knowledge and sustainability orientation appear to offer little value beyond their role as necessary factors in maintaining legitimacy. Both appear to have limited strategic value for legitimation in comparison to sustainability intention. Intention as a construct embodies the “paradox” of sustainability-oriented entrepreneurship, and learning to successfully overcome this paradox to strategically utilize intention in legitimation is crucial for these entrepreneurs. Practical implications Knowledge of these factors could assist sustainability-oriented entrepreneurs in strategically utilizing these factors as agency when dealing with diverse stakeholder expectations to achieve their enterprising goals. Strengthening knowledge on factors important for legitimacy is pertinent in supporting this shared value approach to entrepreneurship. Originality/value Little theoretical or empirical attention has been paid to the complexity of strategic legitimation behavior of sustainability-oriented entrepreneurs. This paper provides novel empirical insight into what role these archetypal factors play in legitimation behavior and how they can be strategically utilized.


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 972-983 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Andrew Vickers ◽  
Alice Moore ◽  
Louise Vickers

Purpose This study aims to weave together narrative analysis (hereinafter NA) and Actor-Network Theory (hereinafter ANT), in order to address recent calls for performative studies to combine approaches and specifically to use ANT. Particularly, they address how a conflicting narrative is mobilised through a network of internal–external and human–nonhuman actors. Design/methodology/approach A fragment of data, generated from a longitudinal case study, is explored using NA and ANT in combination. Findings By engaging with ANT’s rejection of dualisms (i.e. human–nonhuman and micro–macro) and its approach to relationality, the authors inform NA and performative studies. They also add to the limited literature addressing how conflicting antenarratives are mobilised and shape the organisation’s trajectory. Research limitations/implications Generalizing from a single case study is problematic, although transferability is possible. Generalisability could be achievable through multiple performative studies. Practical/implications By demonstrating how counter networks form and antenarrative is constructed to supplant hegemonic narrative, the authors are able to problematise the taken for granted and highlight the possibilities offered by divergent voices. Originality/value The performation provides a deeper understanding of organisational performance through our NA-ANT combination, and the authors provide insight into the mobilisation of conflicting narratives in organisation studies.


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 84-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Marasquini Stipp ◽  
Márcio Lopes Pimenta ◽  
Daniel Jugend

Purpose The aim of this paper is to characterize how innovation may happen through cross-functional teams (CFT) in an organization of the public sector. Design/methodology/approach A case study helped to characterize several behavior patterns, team structures and respective links with generating innovation in internal processes and public answering contexts. Findings The results highlight that formal-temporary teams present a higher capacity to generate incremental innovation in products, whereas permanent-informal teams have a higher capacity to generate innovation in the internal processes and public answering contexts. Research limitations/implications The limitations of this research relate to the fact that this is a single case study, and although it is an important case to examine innovation and CFTs, by its very nature, it is not possible to extend and generalize the obtained data to other organizations. The evaluation of its propositions was merely qualitative, and future research is needed to validate its characteristics. Practical implications Several settings of CFTs are presented, as well as their ability to generate different types of innovation, such as the computerization of documents, petitions and papers, which decreases the time to answer the taxpayer. Moreover, CFTs can help to create products, such as computer programs that can be used not only locally but also in several public organizations related to tax management. Originality/value The field research provides the perceptions of the respondents regarding CFT characteristics that can lead to specific types of innovation, as well as the types of products or services that can be generated by these processes.


2018 ◽  
Vol 118 (9) ◽  
pp. 1730-1748 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingu Kang ◽  
Kihyun Park ◽  
Ma Ga (Mark) Yang ◽  
Mark H. Haney

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how a foreign invested manufacturing company’s (FIMC) components sourcing process evolves in order to improve its supply chain outcomes in the context of China’s processing trade. Design/methodology/approach Grounded in the theory bases of the international sourcing process and supply chain integration, this study utilizes a single-case-study approach with a small- to medium-sized FIMC engaged in China’s processing trade. Findings This study identifies three stages of the components sourcing process: simple assembly stage, components localization stage and supply chain integration stage. In addition, the case study suggests that the type of processing trade evolves from processing with supplied materials to processing with imported materials as the sourcing process proceeds through the three stages and the internal and external environments change. Originality/value To our knowledge, this paper is the first to focus on an FIMC’s components sourcing process in the context of China’s processing trade. It contributes to a better understanding of how FIMCs progress through the components sourcing process and apply different types of processing trade in China to maximize their supply chain outcomes.


2014 ◽  
Vol 114 (6) ◽  
pp. 904-921 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy Andersson ◽  
Per Hilletofth ◽  
Peter Manfredsson ◽  
Olli-Pekka Hilmola

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to elaborate, how the use of a joint-use strategy of Lean and Six Sigma can improve flexibility, robustness, and agility. Telecom manufacturing has been under tremendous change after dot.com bubble burst in the early 2000, and new competition has originated from Asia. Being successful requires now more than before, and joint-use of strategies is one option to survive. Design/methodology/approach – A single case study from a Swedish company operating in the telecom manufacturing was conducted. In particular, a Six Sigma project was followed and analyzed during 2002. However, the outcome of the Six Sigma project has been studied in longitudinal manner until 2014. Findings – The Lean Six Sigma strategy ensures flexible, robust, and efficient processes. However, to make them more agile in order to sustain in today's highly competitive environment, something more is required. This could include staff training, strengthening company culture and collaborating with key partners in the supply chain. Research limitations/implications – This study is limited to large company that usually has a lot of resources and choices where to put the strategic emphasis as well as has level of control of the supply chain operations. The situation could be very different in small and medium-sized companies and thus it may be more difficult to realize the Lean Six Sigma strategy in such environment. On the other hand, the processes in these companies are often less complex. Practical implications – This research provides guidance on how to manage the Lean Six Sigma strategy in order to ensure more flexible, robust, and efficient processes as well as how to perform a Six Sigma project in Lean environment, in a proper manner. Originality/value – This research provides guidance to companies regarding the applicability and properties of the Lean Six Sigma strategy. The paper will also serve as a basis for other companies and industries, on how to survive in difficult times.


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