Sharpening Occam’s razor: developing theory to explain the persistent abuse of older people living in care homes

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-60
Author(s):  
Steve Moore
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fundamental Causes ◽  
Conceptual Paper ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
Vulnerable Adults ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the relevance and importance of developing and making use of robust theory to explain and counter the tenacious social anomaly of the abuse of older people who live in care homes. Design/methodology/approach The activities of theorising and conducting research to gain revised theoretical comprehension of why abuse occurs in care homes, along with the enduring over reliance of those with an interest in safeguarding on existing theories borrowed from other fields to guide their activities are considered and discussed. Findings There is a pressing need for theory based understandings of the continuing abuse of older people and it is apparent that the development of such theory will be more productive if theorising and theory development are specific to certain types of abuse perpetrated in delineated settings. Practical implications The paper offers the opportunity for the reader to consider the significance of theorising and developing new theory in order to improve of the protection of potentially vulnerable adults by virtue of the guidance it can provide to the activities of policy makers, managers and practitioners. Originality/value This is a conceptual paper from which future theorising and research may arise to better understand the most fundamental causes of the abuse of older people in care homes (and elsewhere) in order to develop feasible and effective measures to overcome it.

The relativity of theory: applying theories of social psychology to illuminate the causes of the abuse of older people in care homes

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve Moore
Keyword(s):  
Social Psychology ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Older People ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fundamental Causes ◽  
The Social ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Vulnerable Adults

Purpose Through the lens afforded by two theories drawn from the discipline of social psychology, the purpose of this paper is to explain the evident continuing abuse of adults at risk living in care homes by the staff who should be looking after them. Design/methodology/approach By considering existing theories and research into the reasons why vulnerable adults are abused the paper proposes the relevance of other extant theories on the degradation of moral restraint and dehumanisation of victims, and on the social psychology of intergroup relations, to the perpetration of abuse. Findings The paper demonstrates how theories that explain the psychology of human behaviour in certain circumstances may be usefully applied to the inveterate social problem of the abuse of vulnerable adults living in care homes. Practical implications The paper offers the opportunity for the reader to consider how these theories of social psychology may be applied to explain and guide remedies to the persistent levels of abuse in English care homes, abuse that continues despite government oversight of care provided to adults who may be at risk by virtue of the activities of the statutory regulator and health and social care commissioners, and the interventions of safeguarding personnel. Originality/value This is a conceptual paper from which future research and theorising may arise to better understand the most fundamental causes of the abuse of older people in care homes in order to develop feasible and effective measures to overcome it.

If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always got: commissioning and regulating care homes to prevent abuse

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 418-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve Moore
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Limited Impact ◽  
Regulatory Processes ◽  
Limited Efficacy ◽  
Regulatory Functions ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a review of some of the fundamental theoretical and contextual components of commissioning and regulatory processes as applied to care home services, revisiting and examining how they impact on the potential prevention of abuse. Design/methodology/approach By revisiting a number of the theoretical bases of commissioning activity, some of which may also be applied to regulatory functions, the reasons for the apparent limited impact on the prevention of the abuse that occurs in care homes by these agencies are analysed. Findings The paper demonstrates how the application of commissioning and regulatory theory may be applied to the oversight of care homes to inform proposed preventative strategies. Practical implications The paper offers strategies to improve the prevention of abuse in care homes for older people. Originality/value A factual and “back to basics” approach is taken to demonstrate why current strategies that should contribute to tackling abuse in care homes are of limited efficacy.

Why is it important to consider so-called “invisible” older people in UK healthcare?

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 187-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthea Tinker ◽  
Nesar Gilani ◽  
Isabella Luthra ◽  
Olivia Richardson ◽  
Alexander Howells ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Preliminary Account ◽  
Government Statistics ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to start a debate about older people who are in groups that are not readily visible to policy makers and practitioners. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on information obtained from academic literature, government statistics and other publications from relevant organisations. The authors investigated one “invisible” group each and comparisons and conclusions were then made collaboratively. Findings – Many groups of older people seem to be absent from statistics and from policy making. The paper suggests that there needs to be more research to identify the scale of any problems and how they may be solved. Research limitations/implications – This is not a systematic review but a preliminary account of the problem. Practical implications – There are practical implications for health and social care professionals if they do not recognise that there are groups in society about whom little is known. Lack of knowledge and empathy may affect their approach to these groups. Social implications – There are implications for society if these groups are not taken into account in decision making and especially over the allocation of resources. Originality/value – There is little written which brings together the lack of attention paid to these groups as a whole.

Care homes lay assessor project – using volunteers to improve the quality of life of older people living in care homes

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 94-100
Author(s):  
Kenneth Walter Dolbear
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older People ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Meaningful Change ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Local Council ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to outline the learning from an innovative approach to using volunteers as lay assessors in order to secure improvements in the quality of life of older people in care homes. Design/methodology/approach – The paper describes the implementation of pilot lay assessor scheme in Bristol and systematically explores the learning from this case study. Findings – The paper concludes that despite a number of important challenges and limitations, a lay assessor approach, particularly when conducted in close co-operation with a local council, can indeed provide demonstrable quality of life benefits for older people in closed institutions such as care homes. Practical implications – The case study highlights a number of key implications for practice including: it is possible to recruit, motivate and train volunteers to provide a lay assessor scheme; working with a local council and providers of care homes can produce real improvements in quality of life; lay assessor schemes are an important way of “shining a light” into closed institutions; defining quality of life and balancing this with institutional attitudes towards risk can be extremely challenging; and working with care home managers, providing them with ideas and support can be effective in bringing about meaningful change. Originality/value – This case study reports on one of the first volunteer lay assessor initiatives in the country. There has been very little if any reporting or analysis of such schemes. This paper therefore adds significantly to this important are of public policy and provision.

Developing ASEAN India partnership for fostering technology development

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-218
Author(s):  
Sunil Sahadev ◽  
Pongsak Hoontrakul
Keyword(s):  
Technological Innovation ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Trade Flow ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Trade Agreement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Conceptual Paper ◽  
Broad Policy ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – This conceptual paper aims to discuss issues relevant to fostering cooperation between India and countries in the ASEAN region in the area of technological innovation. Design/methodology/approach – This is a conceptual paper, based on insights from the existing body of literature and secondary data. Findings – The study looks at the competitiveness of different countries in the ASEAN region and considers their technological competitiveness vis-à-vis India. Broad policy issues related to fostering technological innovation as well as the main advantages of such collaboration are discussed. Research limitations/implications – This is a conceptual paper mainly intended for discussion. Practical implications – The paper provides guidelines for fostering technological innovation and could, therefore, help policy development. Originality/value – Although the Indo-ASEAN free-trade agreement is helping trade flow between the countries in the region, the potential for technological collaborations still lies unutilised. This paper looks at the possibilities for such collaborations and is one of the few papers that consider this line of thinking.

Reflections on the theme issue outcomes

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 504-510
Author(s):  
Gunjan M. Sanjeev ◽  
Richard Teare
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Hospitality Industry ◽  
Theme Issue ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Cost Competitiveness ◽  
Hotel Sector ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Selection Of

Purpose The paper aims to profile the theme issue of Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes titled “How is the need for innovation being addressed by the Indian hospitality industry?” with reference to the experiences of the theme editor, contributors from the industry and academia and the theme issue outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses structured questions to enable the theme editor to reflect on the rationale for their theme issue question, the starting-point, the selection of the writing team and material and the editorial process. Findings It highlights recent innovations that have taken place in the Indian hospitality industry especially in the areas of customer service, cost competitiveness, culinary management, revenue management and technology. Practical implications As hotel sector investment in India intensifies, this theme issue will be of interest to hoteliers, policy makers, analysts and others interested in the role that innovation can play in helping to facilitate differentiation between competing hotel products and services. Originality/value There is limited literature available on industry innovations in the Indian context. All the papers in this theme issue were written after several cycles of interaction between academics and practitioners and so they incorporate real–time, relevant and contemporary data.

scholarly journals The social marketing theory-based (SMT) approach for designing interventions

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shamini Manikam ◽  
Rebekah Russell-Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Social Marketing ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Marketing Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Step Process ◽  
The Social ◽  
Conceptual Paper ◽  
Marketing Intervention ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Social Marketing Theory

Purpose – Despite the importance of theory as a driving framework, many social marketers either fail to explicitly use theory as the basis of designing social marketing interventions or default to familiar theories which may not accurately reflect the nature of the behavioural issue. The purpose of this paper is therefore to propose and demonstrate the social marketing theory (SMT)-based approach for designing social marketing interventions, campaigns or tools. Design/methodology/approach – This conceptual paper proposes a four-step process and illustrates this process by applying the SMT-based approach to the digital component of a social marketing intervention for preventing domestic violence. Findings – For effective social marketing interventions, the underpinning theory must reflect consumer insights and key behavioural drivers and be used explicitly in the design process. Practical implications – Social marketing practitioners do not always understand how to use theory in the design of interventions, campaigns or tools, and scholars do not always understand how to translate theories into practice. This paper outlines a process and illustrates how theory can be selected and applied. Originality/value – This paper proposes a process for theory selection and use in a social marketing context.

Gender diversity and innovation in mining – a corpus-based discourse analysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 359-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ylva Fältholm ◽  
Cathrine Norberg
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Mining Industry ◽  
Diversity Management ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Female Representation ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Gender Patterns ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this study is to gain increased knowledge about gender diversity and innovation in mining by analyzing how women are discursively represented in relation to these two concepts, and in doing so establish how diversity management is received and communicated in the industry. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on analysis of texts including references to gender diversity and innovation in mining found on the web. The tool used to retrieve the data has been WebCorpLive, a tool designed for linguistic analysis of web material. Findings Although increased female representation is communicated as a key component in the diversity management discourse, based on the idea that diversity increases innovation and creativity, closer analysis of texts on diversity and innovation in mining shows that what women are expected to contribute with has little explicit connection with innovation. Research limitations/implications The study contributes with increased knowledge about diversity management by providing an example of how it is received in a traditionally male-dominated industry. Practical implications The findings indicate that for diversity management to have a real effect in mining, it needs to be based on gender equality and social justice motives, rather than on a business case rationale – the principal motive today. To enable this change, stereotypical gender patterns, as shown in this study, need to be made visible and problematized among policy makers, practitioners and actors on all levels of the industry. Originality value The study contributes with new knowledge about gender in the mining industry previously not attended to by using a method which so far has been sparsely used in discourse analysis, although pointed out as promising.

Home country underdevelopment and internationalization

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 217-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alvaro Cuervo-Cazurra ◽  
Ravi Ramamurti
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Markets ◽  
Comparative Advantage ◽  
Home Country ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Emerging Market Multinationals ◽  
Economic Underdevelopment ◽  
Conceptual Paper ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
At Home

Purpose The purpose of this study is to use the rise of emerging-market multinationals as a vehicle to explore how a firm’s country of origin influences its internationalization. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a conceptual paper. Findings We argue that the home country’s institutional and economic underdevelopment can influence the internationalization of firms in two ways. First, emerging-market firms may leverage innovations made at home to cope with underdeveloped institutions or economic backwardness to gain a competitive advantage abroad, especially in other emerging markets; We call this innovation-based internationalization. Second, they may expand into countries that are more developed or have better institutions to escape weaknesses on these fronts at home; we call this escape-based internationalization. Research limitations/implications Comparative disadvantages influence the internationalization of the firm differently from comparative advantage, as it forces the firm to actively upgrade its firm-specific advantage and internationalize. Practical implications We explain two drivers of internationalization that managers operating in emerging markets can consider when facing disadvantages in their home countries and follow several strategies, namely, trickle-up innovation, self-reliant innovation, improvisation management, self-reliance management, technological escape, marketing escape, institutional escape and discriminatory escape. Originality/value We explain how a firm’s home country’s comparative disadvantage, not just its comparative advantage, can spur firms its internationalization.

scholarly journals Getting it right: directors’ assessment of information

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-131
Author(s):  
Kerri O’Donnell ◽  
Barry Hicks ◽  
John Streeter ◽  
Paul Shantapriyan
Keyword(s):  
Case Law ◽  
Duty Of Care ◽  
Executive Directors ◽  
Due Diligence ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Regulatory Guidance ◽  
Statutory Duty ◽  
Conceptual Paper ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Individual Interpretation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the increasing expectation against two concepts, information and process scepticism. In light of the Centro case judgement, directors’ decisions are held to increasing standards of due care and diligence. Design/methodology/approach – This is a conceptual paper, drawing upon archival material, including statute law, case law, regulatory guidance material and media releases in Australasia. The authors review the statutory duty of care, skill and diligence expected of non-executive directors. Findings – Whether a director has exercised an appropriate level of reasonable care and skill and/or due diligence has been a matter for the courts to decide. Such retrospective analysis leaves directors vulnerable to the uncertainty of whether their individual interpretation of diligence matches up to that of the presiding judge. The authors provide directors with a framework to apply scepticism to information and processes provided by those on whom the directors may rely. Research limitations/implications – Two concepts are identified: reasonable reliance on others and the business judgement rule. The authors present arguments that challenge us to understand reasonable reliance, judgement and actions of directors in light of processing and information scepticism. Practical implications – Directors do have a different role to that of auditors; incorporating scepticism can enable directors to fulfil their responsibility towards shareholders. By applying information and process scepticism, directors of companies can reduce the likelihood and magnitude of litigation costs and out-of-court settlements. Originality/value – This paper provides a framework to apply scepticism to information and processes provided by people on whom the directors may rely.

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