scholarly journals Productivity, Profits, and Pay: A Field Experiment Analyzing the Impacts of Compensation Systems in an Apparel Factory

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niklas Lollo ◽  
Dara O'Rourke
Keyword(s):  
Field Experiment ◽  
Waste Reduction ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Productivity Losses ◽  
Compensation Systems ◽  
Financial Benefits ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
The Impact

Factory worker pay in global value chains remains a contentious issue. In this paper, we evaluate a two-year field experiment in an apparel factory to analyze altered compensation systems designed to increase worker pay while supporting factory goals around productivity and profitability. Using a quasi-experimental design, with unique data on wages, hours, productivity, quality, and worker engagement, we estimate the impact of three altered compensation systems on pay, productivity, and factory profits. The compensation systems can be described as: 1) an improved productivity-based scheme, 2) a scheme that brings quality and waste reduction into the calculation; and 3) a “target wage” scheme. Overall, the treatments raised wages by 4.2-9.7% and increased productivity by 8-10% points. Management reported significant financial benefits from the experiment, including increased profits for five of six lines, and avoided costs and productivity losses due to decreased turnover. The factory workers, through focus-group interviews before, during, and after the intervention, reported improved relations with team members and managers. This study demonstrates altered factory compensation can support better factory performance and a better paid workforce, indicating a path towards advanced supply chains with improved wages.

scholarly journals Mixed Study on the Impact of a Technology-Based Retirement Preparation Program: Tech-Retired. Protocol Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 160940692110034
Author(s):  
María del Carmen Miranda-Duro ◽  
Laura Nieto-Riveiro ◽  
Patricia Concheiro-Moscoso ◽  
Betania Groba ◽  
Marta Carracedo-Vázquez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Preparation Program ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Retirement Preparation ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Euroqol 5D ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Protocol Study ◽  
The Impact

Background: Despite the increase in the older-adults’ population and recognizing retirement as one of the most changeable life stages, most Spanish people do not perform a retirement preparation program. The adaptation and preparation for retirement are needed to ensure adequate active and healthy aging. Objectives: The study aims to know about the experience with the retirement process of a retired people’s group and understand the impact on their quality-of-life and behavior change of a Personalized Retirement Preparation Program using technological devices. Participants: People retired who have enjoyed paid employment and have never done a preparation program for retirement. Methods: The present study is a mixed design consisting of a Participatory-Action-Research and a quasi-experimental study. The qualitative tools used were semi-structured individual, group interviews, and field diary, and the quantitative tools were the sociodemographic variables sheet and the EuroQol-5D-5 L scale. Action plan development: It was developed with 26 participants divided into three groups, during five presential sessions, and using technological resources. Data analysis: It consists of the comparison pre-post action plan along with analysis of the interview transcriptions with a parallel convergent analysis between qualitative and quantitative data. Ethics: The Research Ethics Committee of Galicia has approved the protocol.

Being “adopted” into a teaching community

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 228-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erinn Bentley ◽  
Madison Workman ◽  
Alex Overby
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
Mentor Teachers ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Field Placement ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
The Impact

Purpose In order to prepare new members of the education profession, it is imperative that teachers enter their classrooms with the confidence, knowledge, and skills to serve their students from day one. One method for preparing such teacher candidates or student teachers is through school-based field placements during their preparation program. The purpose of this paper is to describe one example of a yearlong field placement and the mentoring relationships that emerged among participants. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study used the following data sources: focus group interviews among the teacher candidates, focus group interviews among the mentor teachers, field placement reflections and teaching analyses composed by the teacher candidates, and interviews conducted among teacher candidates and mentor teachers. Findings Analysis of the data revealed that the yearlong field placement promoted positive mentoring relationships between teacher candidates and their classroom teachers. Specifically the following themes emerged: the “adoption” of teacher candidates into the high school classrooms, risk-taking within the classrooms, the mentor teachers’ use of constructive feedback, and collaborative “mentoring-down-the-hall.” Originality/value In recent years, various scholars have investigated the impact of field placement experiences on teacher candidates; however, these studies have lacked a detailed analysis of how such experiences impacted mentoring relationships among candidates and their mentor teachers in a collaborative setting. This paper provides an in-depth study of the perceived experiences of mentor teachers and their candidates.

scholarly journals Change in store? An investigation into the impact of the book superstore environment on use, perceptions and expectations of the public library as a space, place and experience

2009 ◽  
Vol 28 (88) ◽  
pp. 13-26
Author(s):  
Helen Cartwright
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Community Resource ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
The Public ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Perceptions And Expectations ◽  
The Impact

The book superstore is promoted not just as a place to buy books but also as a community resource in which to read, learn and socialise: traits that have in combination traditionally been the preserve of the public library. This study investigates the impact of the bookstore environment on public library space. The attitudes and behaviours of library and bookstore users were examined through focus group interviews and a self-completed questionnaire. Clear areas of overlap in the functions of the two sites were found, as was evidence of age and income-related splits in use and perception of bookstores and libraries. Results suggest attention should be paid to the beliefs and behaviours of young people and middle-income earners (the groups most noticeably increasing their use of the bookstore) and to the desired balance of education and recreation in the image and nature of the public library.

scholarly journals From Dependence to Independence

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Intan Azura Mokhtar ◽  
Shaheen Majid ◽  
Schubert Foo
Keyword(s):  
Control Group ◽  
Mediated Learning ◽  
Control Group Design ◽  
Student Responses ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Information Skills ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Library Skills ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Although it is widely believed that information literacy (IL) competencies are useful in helping students perform better in their schoolwork and beyond, limited empirical evidence is available showing the relationship between IL competencies and IL education. While a lot of research has been done worldwide and most of the findings have proven that IL is a much-needed skill by students, little research has been conducted on IL teaching approaches or what is termed IL pedagogy. To date, studies on IL have mainly focused only on students’ information skills per se, on library skills or on ICT education. None of these studies has assessed the different approaches to IL education. This paper provides an overview of a research study that investigates the impact of an IL teaching approach in the form of personalised coaching, which is grounded in the pedagogy known as mediated learning, on students’ level and applicability of IL competencies. Through the application of a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control-group design, as well as student responses in the post-experiment semi-structured group interviews, it was found that personalised coaching (or mediated learning) helps students perform better in the learning and application of IL competencies.

scholarly journals Using Simulation Training to Promote Nurses’ Effective Handling of Workplace Violence: A Quasi-Experimental Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (19) ◽  
pp. 3648 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin-Lain Ming ◽  
Hui-Mei Huang ◽  
Shiao-Pei Hung ◽  
Ching-I Chang ◽  
Yueh-Shuang Hsu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Workplace Violence ◽  
Simulation Training ◽  
Risk Group ◽  
High Risk Group ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Simulation Education ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Baseline Characteristics ◽  
Group Interviews

Background: Workplace violence in the health care sector has become a growing global problem. Research has shown that although caregivers comprise a high-risk group exposed to workplace violence, most of them lacked the skills and countermeasures against workplace violence. Therefore, through a quasi-experimental design, this study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of situational simulation training on the nursing staffs’ concept and self-confidence in coping with workplace violence. Methods: Workplace violence simulation trainings were applied based on the systematic literature review and the conclusions from focus group interviews with nursing staff. Data were obtained from structured questionnaires including: (1) baseline characteristics; (2) perception of aggression scale (POAS); and (3) confidence in coping with patient aggression. Results: The results revealed that training course intervention significantly improved the nursing staffs’ self-perception and confidence against workplace violence (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The “simulation education on workplace violence training” as the intervention significantly improved the workplace violence perception and confidence among nursing staffs in coping with aggression events.

Healthcare professionals’ perceptions of their work with patients of working age with heart failure

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 160-166
Author(s):  
Catharina Frank ◽  
Camilla Lindbäck ◽  
Christina Takman ◽  
Lena Nordgren
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Sample Population ◽  
Individual Interview ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Working Age ◽  
Returning To Work ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
The Impact

There is a lack of knowledge about healthcare professionals’ perspectives on rehabilitation in relation to heart failure. Still, collaboration between different professionals can impact patients. The purpose of this study was to describe healthcare professionals’ perceptions of their work with patients of working age with heart failure. The sample population consisted of six nurses, one physiotherapist and one cardiologist. One individual interview and two focus-group interviews were conducted. The interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Three descriptive categories were constructed: ‘the impact of heart failure on patients’ life situations’, ‘heart failure service’, and ‘patients’ process of returning to work’. To support patients, healthcare professionals need to find ways to combine patients’ personal needs with protocol-driven care.

scholarly journals A Qualitative Study of Barriers to the Implementation of a Rheumatoid Arthritis Guideline Among Generalist and Specialist Physical Therapists

2012 ◽  
Vol 92 (10) ◽  
pp. 1292-1305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leti van Bodegom-Vos ◽  
John Verhoef ◽  
Margot Dickmann ◽  
Marjon Kleijn ◽  
Ingrid van Vliet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Physical Therapists ◽  
Guideline Implementation ◽  
Implementation Strategies ◽  
The Body ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Roles And Responsibilities ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
The Impact

Background Although the increasing complexity and expansion of the body of knowledge in physical therapy have led to specialized practice areas to provide better patient care, the impact of specialization on guideline implementation has been scarcely studied. Objectives The objective of this study was to identify the similarities and differences in barriers to the implementation of a Dutch rheumatoid arthritis (RA) guideline by generalist and specialist physical therapists. Design This observational study consisted of 4 focus group interviews in which 24 physical therapists (13 generalist and 11 specialist physical therapists) participated. Methods Physical therapists were asked to discuss barriers to the implementation of the RA guideline. Data were analyzed qualitatively using a directed approach to content analysis. Both the interviews and the interview analysis were informed by a previously developed conceptual framework. Results Besides a number of similarities (eg, lack of time), the present study showed important, although subtle, differences in barriers to the implementation of the RA guideline between generalist physical therapists and specialist physical therapists. Generalist physical therapists more frequently reported difficulties in interpreting the guideline (cognitive barriers) and had less favorable opinions about the guideline (affective barriers) than specialist physical therapists. Specialist physical therapists were hampered by external barriers that are outside the scope of generalist physical therapists, such as a lack of agreement about the roles and responsibilities of medical professionals involved in the care of the same patient. Conclusions The identified differences in barriers to the implementation of the RA guideline indicated that the effectiveness of implementation strategies could be improved by tailoring them to the level of specialization of physical therapists. However, it is expected that tailoring implementation strategies to barriers that hamper both generalist and specialist physical therapists will have a larger effect on the implementation of the RA guideline.

scholarly journals Understanding Parents’ Experiences with Children with Type 1 Diabetes: A Qualitative Inquiry

2022 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 554
Author(s):  
Justin A. Haegele ◽  
Steven K. Holland ◽  
Eddie Hill
Keyword(s):  
Type 1 Diabetes ◽  
Family Planning ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Internal Conflict ◽  
Diabetes Diagnosis ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Parents Experiences

Parenting is often described as a stress-inducing experience, which can be further complicated or made more stressful and anxiety-inducing when parenting children with chronic conditions such as type 1 diabetes (T1D). The incidence of T1D among children has risen and continues to rise globally, resulting in a need to understand the experiences of parenting children with T1D. The purpose of this qualitative inquiry was to explore the lived experiences, and the meaning ascribed to those experiences, of being a parent of a child with T1D. This qualitative study was conducted through an interpretivist paradigm and includes the experiences of 29 parents (19 mothers and 10 fathers) of 24 children (aged 6 to 15 years) with T1D. Parents, and parent dyads, completed demographic questionnaires and written prompts, and participated in focus group interviews. Three themes were developed from the data, namely, a) the costs of T1D, b) the ultimate helicopter mom, and c) dealing with “being different”. Generally, the participants reported on the direct (e.g., financial and time) and indirect (e.g., family planning) costs associated with parenting children with T1D, their role as a primary provider and anxieties with relinquishing control and dealing with the stigma surrounding a diabetes diagnosis. Unique findings from this study included the impact a T1D diagnosis had on future family planning as parents navigated the fear and uncertainty of having additional children with T1D, as well as the internal conflict parents had with entrusting others to care for their child, especially if they deemed them to be unqualified or unnecessarily stigmatizing or ostracizing their child.

scholarly journals Cultivating reflexivity in social work students

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-74
Author(s):  
Grace S.M. Leung ◽  
Debbie O.B. Lam ◽  
Amy Y.M. Chow ◽  
Daniel F.K. Wong ◽  
Catherine L.P. Chung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Professional Competence ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Social Work Educators ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Work Education ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
Over Time

Social work educators are concerned about how best to equip social work students with the ability to self-reflect, because this is a core professional competence. The present study employed both quantitative and qualitative means to evaluate a course which set out to foster reflexivity among social work undergraduates. A quasi-experimental design was employed to examine the effectiveness of the course. Data were collected at pre-course, post-course, and 6 months after completion. We found that, over time, students in the experimental group gained more insight. The students disclosed in focus group interviews that the course had enhanced their understanding toward self, family, and society. The implications for social work education are discussed.

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