scholarly journals An adventurous journey: Social workers guiding customer service workers on the welfare frontline

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 25-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Greg Hall ◽  
Jennifer Boddy ◽  
Lesley Chenoweth
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Service Workers ◽  
Interpersonal Support ◽  
Self Discovery ◽  
One Year ◽  
Difficult Situations ◽  
Over Time

INTRODUCTION: This paper explores a reform to worker relationships at the frontline of the Australian income support and government service provider (Centrelink). Reform involved social workers providing guidance to customer service workers and working closely with them in order to improve interactions with people seeking assistance.METHODS: A case study traced reform in two Centrelink offices over one year, and included semi-structured interviews and observations with social workers and customer service workers. A thematic analysis highlighted the nature of changes to worker relationships over time, and how new relationships supported new organizational practices.FINDINGS: Customer service workers initially reported both anxiety and excitement, expressing admiration of social workers’ skills and knowledge. Over time, they emphasised the inspiration and interpersonal support social workers provided them, how this helped them deal with difficult situations and was missed when not available. Social workers’ initial scepticism around demands on their time and challenges to their professionalism gave way (in part) to a sense of influencing and guiding workers towards more humanising interactions, although some concerns and organizational tensions remained.CONCLUSION: Guidance to other workers is a form of leadership which fits well with social work’s relational, supportive potential. Tensions in the welfare context mean that providing guidance is both rewarding and challenging, taking social workers on an adventurous journey involving adversity and (self) discovery.

Changes in commitment to change among leaders in home help services

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 216-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina Westerberg ◽  
Susanne Tafvelin
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Change ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Change Initiatives ◽  
Commitment To Change ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Meetings ◽  
Home Help ◽  
Home Help Services ◽  
One Year ◽  
Over Time

Purpose – The purpose of the this study was to explore the development of commitment to change among leaders in the home help services during organizational change and to study this development in relation to workload and stress. During organizational change initiatives, commitment to change among leaders is important to ensure the implementation of the change. However, little is known of development of commitment of change over time. Design/methodology/approach – The study used a qualitative design with semi-structured interviews with ten leaders by the time an organizational change initiative was launched and follow-up one year later. Thematic content analysis was used to analyze the interviews. Findings – Commitment to change is not static, but seems to develop over time and during organizational change. At the first interview, leaders had a varied pattern reflecting different dimensions of commitment to change. One year later, the differences between leaders’ commitment to change was less obvious. Differences in commitment to change had no apparent relationship with workload or stress. Research limitations/implications – The data were collected from one organization, and the number of participants were small which could affect the results on workload and stress in relation to commitment to change. Practical implications – It is important to support leaders during organizational change initiatives to maintain their commitment. One way to accomplish this is to use management team meetings to monitor how leaders perceive their situation. Originality/value – Qualitative, longitudinal and leader studies on commitment to change are all unusual, and taken together, this study shows new aspects of commitment.

Three stages of entrepreneurial orientation: the founder’s role

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 285-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Torbjörn Ljungkvist ◽  
Börje Boers ◽  
Joachim Samuelsson
Keyword(s):  
Entrepreneurial Orientation ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the development of the five dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) over time by taking a founder’s perspective. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on an in-depth single-case study. It combines semi-structured interviews in the company with archival data, such as annual reports, press clips and interviews in business magazines. Findings The results indicate that the EO dimensions change from being personalized and directly solution-oriented to being intangible value-creation-oriented. Originality/value By suggesting ownership-based EO configurations, this study contributes insights into how different ownership forms propel EO. These configurations – that is, personal, administrative based and intangible focused – show the impact of the EO dimensions and provide a systematic and theoretical understanding of EO change over time.

“We Begin 300 Metres Behind the Starting Line”

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Hosseini-Nezhad ◽  
Saba Safdar ◽  
Lan Anh Nguyen Luu
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychosocial Adaptation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
One Year ◽  
Iranian Students ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Longitudinal Qualitative Research ◽  
Over Time

This longitudinal qualitative research aimed to investigate the psychosocial adaptation trajectory of Iranian international students in Hungary and the challenges they encountered. Semi-structured interviews were conducted at seven-month to one-year intervals with 20 Iranian students; inductive content analysis was utilized to analyze the interview transcripts. Three topics were identified: (1) visa and banking challenges, (2) the impact of the currency crisis in Iran on mental health, and (3) positive and negative changes in psychological well-being over time. The results revealed that almost all students’ well-being improved over time, despite facing challenges related to visas, banking, and Iran’s recent economic crisis (specifically, the drastic plunge of the Iranian currency).

Product Form Evolution

2011 ◽  
pp. 499-512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Muir Wood ◽  
James Moultrie ◽  
Claudia Eckert
Keyword(s):  
Product Design ◽  
Development Strategies ◽  
Consumer Perception ◽  
Product Form ◽  
Design Teams ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Product Forms ◽  
Over Time

Companies are coming round to the idea that function and form are complimentary factors in improving the user’s experience of a product and competing in today’s saturated consumer goods markets. However, consumer perception of form is constantly changing, and this manifests itself in the evolving forms of the products that they adopt. From clothes to cameras to cars, change in form is inevitable, and design teams must account for these trends in their product design and development strategies. Through literature, semi-structured interviews with design and trend practitioners, and an archival case study of mobile phone evolution, the authors have developed theories about the continuities that occur in product forms over time, and the forces that can disrupt this behaviour. They then go on to suggest how this view of form as evolving trajectories can benefit future product design strategies.

Social workers implementing social assistance in Spain: reshaping poverty in a familialistic welfare state

2019 ◽  
pp. 169-184
Author(s):  
Sergio Sánchez Castiñeira
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Assistance ◽  
Economic Recession ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Grey Zone ◽  
Highly Qualified ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Emotional Approach

This case study analyses some of the processes that are restructuring public social assistance in the inequality regime that emerges from the recent economic recession in Spain. It shows how social workers turn what could be an inefficient public program into an active social policy through a cognitive, normative and emotional approach. A highly qualified and vocational workforce compensates meagre institutional support and lack of opportunities by instilling in the new poor new knowledge, abilities and attitudes to access basic informal resources from the local context. However, social workers’ agency could eventually contribute to confine clients within the material and symbolic limits of an expanding grey zone with scarce opportunities and diminished well-being, between inclusion and exclusion. This research is based on semi-structured interviews (17) and focus groups (8).

scholarly journals Non-Governmental Organisations Personnel, Social Workers and Religious Leaders’ Perspectives on the Risk Factors of Alcohol Abuse Amongst the Youth: The Case of the Northern Region of the Republic of Namibia

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rapholo Selelo Frank ◽  
Makhubele Jabulani Calvin ◽  
Ananias Janetta Agnes ◽  
Svinurai Anesu ◽  
Hasheela Miriam Winnie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Alcohol Abuse ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Northern Region ◽  
Religious Leaders ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
The Republic

This qualitative study aimed to explore and describe the perceptions of Non-Governmental Organisations personnel, social workers and religious leaders on the risk factors of alcohol abuse amongst youth in the Northern region of the Republic of Namibia. In order to pursue this aim, a multiple case study design was used. Substance abuse is a predominant social and health problem which calls the attention of different partners from different disciplines across the globe to address it. Substance abuse, in particular, alcohol abuse is a global concern particularly amongst youth. Youth indulge in alcohol abuse due to numerous risk factors. Semi-structured interviews were used with Non-Governmental Organisations personnel, religious leaders and social workers who were purposively selected. Findings revealed familial, the environmental and community based and socio-economic factors as predisposing youth at Oshikango to indulge in alcohol abuse. It is therefore concluded that there are lot of opportunities at the Northern region of Namibia which predispose youth to engage in alcohol abuse. Thus, stakeholders need to develop integrated strategies to fight the abuse of alcohol amongst youth in the Northern region of Namibia.

scholarly journals The Voices of Outdoor Adventure: An Examination of the Long-Term Meanings and Impacts of Adventure Experiences for New Zealand University Students

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Deepak Dathatri
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Adventure Education ◽  
Outdoor Adventure ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Outdoor Adventure Education ◽  
Physical Education Students ◽  
Over Time

<p>The purpose of this study was to explore how past participants of a New Zealand-based university outdoor adventure programme have perceived the meanings and impacts of former adventure experiences over time. This study employed a phenomenological case-study design which used in-depth, semi-structured interviews with former participants of a New-Zealand university outdoor adventure programme called the Mountains-to-Sea expedition. Six participants, former physical education students who had gone on the expedition between four and five years ago, were chosen to gain retrospective insight. The results from this study generated detailed narratives which revealed that the perceived meanings and impacts of participants‟ experiences were generally positive but there were subtleties and nuances to these perceptions which changed over time. Individuals made meaning in finely distinctive ways and impacts tended to dissipate in perceived intensity over time, though there were some exceptions. The participants embodied a very unique culture which impacted their understanding of outdoor adventure education philosophy. These findings have far-reaching implications on the future of outdoor learning and warrant greater attention from practitioners and researchers. The results bolster an argument for more qualitative research into the long-term meaning and impact of adventure experiences, particularly for the New Zealand context.</p>

scholarly journals The Voices of Outdoor Adventure: An Examination of the Long-Term Meanings and Impacts of Adventure Experiences for New Zealand University Students

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Deepak Dathatri
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Adventure Education ◽  
Outdoor Adventure ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Outdoor Adventure Education ◽  
Physical Education Students ◽  
Over Time

<p>The purpose of this study was to explore how past participants of a New Zealand-based university outdoor adventure programme have perceived the meanings and impacts of former adventure experiences over time. This study employed a phenomenological case-study design which used in-depth, semi-structured interviews with former participants of a New-Zealand university outdoor adventure programme called the Mountains-to-Sea expedition. Six participants, former physical education students who had gone on the expedition between four and five years ago, were chosen to gain retrospective insight. The results from this study generated detailed narratives which revealed that the perceived meanings and impacts of participants‟ experiences were generally positive but there were subtleties and nuances to these perceptions which changed over time. Individuals made meaning in finely distinctive ways and impacts tended to dissipate in perceived intensity over time, though there were some exceptions. The participants embodied a very unique culture which impacted their understanding of outdoor adventure education philosophy. These findings have far-reaching implications on the future of outdoor learning and warrant greater attention from practitioners and researchers. The results bolster an argument for more qualitative research into the long-term meaning and impact of adventure experiences, particularly for the New Zealand context.</p>

Sequential multilocation auditing and the New York food stamps program

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl W. Heiner ◽  
Marc Kennedy ◽  
Anthony O'Hagan
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Hierarchical Model ◽  
Bayesian Methods ◽  
Bayesian Model ◽  
Error Rates ◽  
Food Stamps ◽  
Estimation Of Error ◽  
One Year ◽  
Over Time

This article discusses the use of Bayesian methods in analysing data that evolve over time in sequential multilocation auditing. Using the New York food stamps program as a case study, it proposes a model that incorporates a nonparametric component for the error magnitudes (taints), a hierarchical model for overall error rates across counties and parameters controlling the variation of rates from one year to the next, including an overall trend in error rates. The article first provides an overview of the New York food stamps program, along with the auditing concepts and terminology, before introducing the Bayesian model. This model is used to examine a sample of individual awards of food stamps to see if the value awarded is correct according to the rules of the scheme. The model makes it possible to smooth estimation of error rates and error classes in small counties across counties and through time.

scholarly journals Drivers for IWMS implementation in real estate management

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-87
Author(s):  
Esmir Maslesa ◽  
Per Anker Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Real Estate ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Data Exchange ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Estate Management ◽  
Real Estate Management

Purpose IT platforms such as integrated workplace management system (IWMS) gain higher importance in real estate management, but there is a lack of knowledge on what IWMS is and what the drivers are for its implementation in real estate organisations. The paper aims to provide knowledge on this. Design/methodology/approach The research combines theories of real estate management, IT implementations and change management, with a qualitative case study of IWMS implementation in a public real estate organisation in Denmark. The research data consist of customer surveys, document studies, semi-structured interviews and in-depth analysis of IWMS features. Findings The paper identifies several drivers for IWMS implementation, such as data standardisation, validation and easier data exchange, business process optimisation, decrease in IT costs and improved customer service. Furthermore, the case study reveals that the IWMS implementation is not considered as a definite IT project but as an organisational change project impacting the entire organisation. Originality/value There has so far not been any public real estate organisations in Denmark using IWMS, and the knowledge about IWMS in public real estate sector is therefore limited. To date, no one has analysed what the drivers are for IWMS implementation in real estate organisations. This research paper brings new knowledge on IWMS and presents drivers for IWMS implementation, observed from an implementation process in a public real estate organisation.

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