scholarly journals Public servants coping with competing demands on their agency in client relationships

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 595-611
Author(s):  
Tiina Tuominen ◽  
Mervi Hasu
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Public Servants ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Discursive Strategies ◽  
Client Relationships ◽  
Competing Demands ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Improve Service Quality ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis paper analyzes how public servants who work with young people discursively cope with competing demands on their agency, defined as their orientation toward and capabilities to influence their clients. Previous studies revealed how public servants treat their clients when facing competing demands but paid less attention to how public servants define their agency.Design/methodology/approachMicro-level discourse analysis is applied to analyze how public servants represent their agency in client relationships, drawing on interviews with nine individuals in a Finnish city who work with young people lacking jobs or school placements.FindingsInstead of describing their agency coherently, the interviewees applied several discourses to represent their agency differently in relation to different demands. This ability to navigate contradictory discourses is discussed as reflexive discursive coping strategy, which enables public servants to maintain a positive image of their agency despite tensions at work.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the method does not allow direct generalizations, it reveals discursive strategies likely to be found in many contemporary public organizations.Practical implicationsThe study indicates a need to better acknowledge and nurture the multifaceted nature of agency to improve service quality.Originality/valueThe findings deepen the view on tensions in public servants' work and show that diverse discourses not only create anxiety but also help individuals dealing with contradictory work.

Just why do we need school libraries? Some ideas from students

2014 ◽  
Vol 115 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 140-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Kenneth Shenton
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
School Library ◽  
School Libraries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pleasure Reading ◽  
Personal Interests ◽  
Frequency Counts ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The paper aims to explore the purposes of school libraries as they are viewed by teenagers attending a high school in northern England. Design/methodology/approach – The work is based on qualitative data contributed by 245 youngsters. Their material was coded inductively and frequency counts were generated in order to determine the balance of the data in relation to individual themes. Findings – Typically, the school library was understood as an area that made available books either for pleasure reading or academic purposes. No participant referred either to the work of librarians or to the value of libraries in enabling the user to find information in support of personal interests. Research limitations/implications – The research took place in only one school and it may well have been the case that many students who were apathetic towards school libraries simply declined the opportunity to participate in the work. Practical implications – Although the attitudes of the young people who contributed data were to an overwhelming degree constructive, key gaps were evident in their awareness of the potential of a school library. These are best rectified by managers developing their facility in such a way that it serves to demonstrate effectively to students the roles that the school library can play in a diversity of situations. Originality/value – Much of the published literature dealing with the purposes of school libraries and the prerequisites necessary to ensure their effectiveness pays little regard to the ideas of young people themselves. This paper goes some way towards remedying the deficiency.

Policing firearm violence

2014 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Wyant
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Current Method ◽  
Temporal Association ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Firearm Violence ◽  
Pair Method ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Geographically Targeted ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to generate information about the contours of police responsiveness, focussing on how quickly and precisely police make firearm arrests after a shooting incident. Design/methodology/approach – Using a modified version of the Knox close pair method, a spatio-temporal clustering technique, over 11,000 shooting incidents and firearm arrests between 2004 and 2007 in Philadelphia, PA were analyzed. Findings – Police are responding quickly and in a geographically targeted fashion to shootings. Across Philadelphia elevated patterns of firearm arrests were approximately two and a half times greater than would be expected if shootings and firearm arrests lacked a spatio-temporal association. Greater than expected patterns of firearm arrests persisted for roughly one-fourth of a mile and for about one week from the shooting incident but the strength of these associations waned over space and time. The pattern of police response varied slightly across different police divisions. Research limitations/implications – The current method uncovered spatio-temporal patterning and determined when these patterns were significantly different from what would be expected if the events were completely independent. Specific events and processes surrounding each event are not known. Practical implications – Findings can help inform the knowledge about police behavior in terms of how police produce arrests. Originality/value – The patterns observed here provide more micro-level detail than has been revealed in previous studies regarding police responsiveness to firearm violence while also introducing a more integrated spatially and temporally specific framework.

Understanding children’s non-disclosure of child sexual assault: implications for assisting parents and teachers to become effective guardians

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia Marie Wager
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Sexual Exploitation ◽  
Adult Survivors ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Child Sexual Assault ◽  
Concern For Others ◽  
The Right ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine adult survivors’ of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) retrospective reflections on their motives for not disclosing their abuse. The aim was to identify factors that might facilitate early disclosure in order to both enhance the future safety of young people who have experienced sexual victimisation and to offer a means of reducing the numbers of future victims. Design/methodology/approach – This was a retrospective web-based, mixed-methods survey which was completed by 183 adult survivors of CSA. The data presented here is in relation to answers offered in response to an open-ended question which were thematically analysed. Findings – In all, 75 per cent of the survivors of CSA indicated that they had not told anyone of the abuse whilst they were a child. Analysis of the responses revealed five barriers to disclosure which included: a lack of opportunity, normality/ambiguity of the situation, embarrassment, concern for others and a sense of hopelessness. Additionally, some respondents highlighted implicit attempts to disclose and others reported later regret over non-disclosure. Practical implications – A timely disclosure of CSA, which is appropriately responded to, has the potential to reduce the risk for subsequent sexual exploitation/revictimisation, and to foreshorten the predations of offenders. To achieve this, responsible and trusted adults in the lives of children need to learn how to invite a genuine disclosure of CSA. Originality/value – This paper offers practical suggestions for parents and teachers on what signs indicate that an invitation might be warranted and for creating the right context for their invitation to be accepted.

scholarly journals Conflict as it happens

2018 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Virpi-Liisa Kykyri ◽  
Risto Puutio
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Nonverbal Behaviors ◽  
Organizational Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Interactional Patterns ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeAlthough emotions are relevant for conflicted interactions, the role of emotions in organizational conflicts has remained understudied. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to this by looking at the role of nonverbal affective elements in conversations.Design/methodology/approachBringing together organizational “becoming” and embodiment approaches, the study focused on a conflict which emerged during a multi-actor consulting conversation. The episode in question was analyzed via a detailed, micro-level discursive method which focused specifically on the participants’ use of prosodic and nonverbal behaviors.FindingsChanges in prosody were found to have an important role in how the conflict between a consultant and an employee client emerged and was handled. Nonverbal and prosodic means had a central role in creating legitimate space for the employees’ feelings: they helped to validate the feelings and thus led the interlocutors to act in a more constructive manner in their handling of the conflicted situation.Research limitations/implicationsFindings are based on a single case study. Multi-modal analysis proved effective in capturing the relevant interactions in a comprehensive manner.Practical implicationsConversational “traps” may be observed by becoming alert to interactional patterns involving repeated chains of actions. A nonverbal response, validating the interlocutor as someone who is entitled to her/his feelings, can be sufficient in providing emotional help in consultancy.Social implicationsNonverbal elements of interactions are important in handling delicate issues in conflicts.Originality/valueTo the authors’ knowledge, no previous organizational research has provided a detailed description of a conflicted interaction “as it happened” between clients and a consultant.

Apprentices keep Dinamiks at the cutting edge of technology

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 15-17
Author(s):  
Simon Barnes
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Small Company ◽  
Business World ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Technology Innovations ◽  
New Ideas ◽  
Apprenticeship Program ◽  
Business Acumen ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – Describes the advantages that technology company Dinamiks gains from its apprenticeship program. Design/methodology/approach – Gives the managing director’s viewpoint of the benefits of apprenticeships to a small company. Findings – Reveals that apprentices have enabled Dinamiks to tap into the technology innovations and ways of working with technology that many young people take in their stride and to learn what of that needs to be included in its products. Practical implications – Details how the company has benefited from the energy of youth, a different style of conversation and innovative individuals who have the ideas to move the product, and therefore the company, on. Social implications – Explains that the program prepares apprentices to go out into the wider business world and be a valuable contributor in whatever field they ultimately choose. Originality/value – Highlights the winning combination of apprentices, who bring new ideas and ways of working, with seasoned employees, with their business acumen gained through years of experience.

Barclays blazes a trail on apprentices

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 11-13
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Young People ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Implications ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Career Options ◽  
University Degree ◽  
And Training ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – Considers the new Trailblazer apprenticeships being offered by Barclays and Santander. Design/methodology/approach – Examines the reasons for the programs and the results they are expected to achieve. Findings – Explains that the three-year Trailblazer qualification enables young people to achieve the sixth-level apprenticeship, equivalent to a university degree. Practical implications – Demonstrates the wide range of career options open to successful candidates. Social implications – Highlights a useful route into training and employment for young people, some of whom have spurned conventional higher education and training. Originality/value – Shows how two banks are implementing the government’s Trailblazer apprenticeship scheme.

Singapore aims to boost manufacturing productivity

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 22-24
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Foreign Labor ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Manufacturing Productivity ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Future prosperity in Singapore’s manufacturing sector could depend on attracting graduates and other young people to pursue a career within the industry. However, this represents a more expensive alternative for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that rely heavily on cheap foreign labor to compete on cost. Practical Implications The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

scholarly journals Travelling alone or travelling far?

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 280-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff French ◽  
Rebekah Russell-Bennett ◽  
Rory Mulcahy
Keyword(s):  
Social Marketing ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Meso Level ◽  
Four Dimensions ◽  
For Profit ◽  
The Social ◽  
Value Propositions ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the potential contributions of the for-profit sector in integrating resources with social marketing organisations for value co-creation at the meso level (midstream) of the social marketing eco-system. The paper addresses calls for further theorisation and understanding of value co-creation beyond the micro level (downstream). Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws from social marketing, value co-creation and eco-systems literature to present a conceptual model for meso-level value co-creation between social marketing and for-profit organisations. FindingsThe paper proposes four dimensions of resources which can be integrated: cognitive, labour, economic and network. Additionally, it is proposed that from these integrated resources, three co-creation outcomes can be achieved – co-learning, co-design and co-production – which lead to improved value propositions. Practical implicationsThis paper offers a framework for strategic planning and evaluation regarding partnerships and collaborations with for-profit organisations, which potentially lead to greater value propositions being offered. Originality/valueThis paper furthers the theoretical discussions and understanding of value co-creation in social marketing at the meso level. The paper identifies a new actor – for-profits – as a potential collaborator for value co-creation with social marketing organisations and contributes new understanding about value co-creation at the meso level between social marketing and for-profit organisations. Further, the paper describes and reviews the potential contributions of for-profits to social marketing efforts.

scholarly journals “… They don’t really listen to people”

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Creswick ◽  
Liz Dowthwaite ◽  
Ansgar Koene ◽  
Elvira Perez Vallejos ◽  
Virginia Portillo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Content Type ◽  
General Data Protection Regulation ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
General Data ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The voices of children and young people have been largely neglected in discussions of the extent to which the internet takes into account their needs and concerns. This paper aims to highlight young people’s lived experiences of being online. Design/methodology/approach Results are drawn from the UnBias project’s youth led discussions, “Youth Juries” with young people predominantly aged between 13 and 17 years. Findings Whilst the young people are able to use their agency online in some circumstances, many often experience feelings of disempowerment and resignation, particularly in relation to the terms and conditions and user agreements that are ubiquitous to digital technologies, social media platforms and other websites. Practical implications Although changes are afoot as part of the General Data Protection Regulation (herein the GDPR) to simplify the terms and conditions of online platforms (European Union, 2016), it offers little practical guidance on how it should be implemented to children. The voices and opinions of children and young people are put forward as suggestions for how the “clear communication to data subjects” required by Article 12 of the GDPR in particular should be implemented, for example, recommendations about how terms and conditions can be made more accessible. Originality/value Children and young people are an often overlooked demographic of online users. This paper argues for the importance of this group being involved in any changes that may affect them, by putting forward recommendations from the children and young people themselves.

Addressing the baseline or the frontline?

2012 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 687-703 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Soeparman ◽  
Casper Geurtz ◽  
Gabriel van den Brink
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Police Performance ◽  
Analysis Software ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Competing Demands ◽  
Vertical Relationship ◽  
Qualitative Data Analysis Software ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the different and competing demands on police, and how they affect the credibility of police performance. The paper also looks at a possible way out of situations with competing claims.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based on a research project that focused on the interactions of police with their environment. In total, 40 qualitative, open‐ended interviews were obtained with people who had been in contact with the police in the previous 12 months. These interviews were transcribed and analysed with the help of qualitative data analysis software.FindingsThis analysis led to the discovery of four types of facets within these interactions which the authors labelled: situational, symbolic, institutional and professional. These are aspects of the horizontal relationships within the police environment, but at the same time police also have a vertical relationship (a “baseline”) with their superiors that is highly important.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper explores these different and competing accountability claims on the police and looks at specific policing situations, in order to assess the influence of police performances on the credibility of the police. It is also a stepping stone for further research into the relationship between horizontal and vertical aspects of police performance.Practical implicationsThe paper shows why police performances can easily lack credibility and is important because it analyses different facets that police need to keep in mind when interacting with civilians.Originality/valueThe paper looks at some of the innate tensions in contemporary police work, which causes a “credibility trap” that is almost impossible to avoid, but can have severe implications for the legitimacy of the police.

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