scholarly journals The service platform as a dualistic meta-organisation: An ethnographic account of contingency work and its organisational cultures

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver Nachtwey ◽  
Simon Schaupp
Keyword(s):  
Digital Economy ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Service Platform ◽  
Labour Relations ◽  
Delivery Platform ◽  
Organisational Sociology ◽  
Organisational Cultures

This study examines the character of service platforms in terms of economic and organisational sociology. It is based on an ethnographic study and semi-structured interviews at a delivery platform in Germany. The article argues that ser-vice platforms can be conceived of as dualistic meta-organisations. At the centre of the company is a complete organisation with membership rights and obligations. Be-yond the centre of the organisation, there is a peripheral organisation which is a hybrid between organisation and market. This partial organisation only provides limited rights and duties to its members. These conditional labour relations in the digital economy can be seen as a modern-ized organisational match of precarious labour relations in the form of contingency work. Within this structure, em-ployees thus experience new forms of insecurity.

scholarly journals Changing relationships: how does patient involvement transform professional identity? An ethnographic study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. e045520
Author(s):  
Marie-Pierre Codsi ◽  
Philippe Karazivan ◽  
Ghislaine Rouly ◽  
Marie Leclaire ◽  
Antoine Boivin
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Administrative Team ◽  
Nurse Clinician ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Relational Framework

ObjectivesTo understand identity tensions experienced by health professionals when patient partners join a quality improvement committee.DesignQualitative ethnographic study based on participatory observation.SettingAn interdisciplinary quality improvement committee of a Canadian urban academic family medicine clinic with little previous experience in patient partnership.ParticipantsTwo patient partners, seven health professionals (two family physicians, two residents, one pharmacist, one nurse clinician and one nurse practitioner) and three members of the administrative team.Data collectionData collection included compiled participatory observations, logbook notes and semi-structured interviews, collected between the summer of 2017 to the summer of 2019.Data analysisGhadiri’s identity threats theoretical framework was used to analyse qualitative material and to develop conceptualising categories, using QDA Miner software (V.5.0).ResultsAll professionals with a clinical care role and patient partners (n=9) accepted to participate in the ethnographic study and semi-structured interviews (RR=100%). Transforming the ‘caregiver–patient’ relationship into a ‘colleague–colleague’ relationship generated identity upheavals among professionals. Identity tensions included competing ideals of the ‘good professional’, challenges to the impermeability of the patient and professional categories, the interweaving of symbols associated with one or the other of these identities, and the inner balance between the roles of caregiver and colleague.ConclusionThis research provides a new perspective on understanding how working in partnership with patients transform health professionals’ identity. When they are called to work with patients outside of a simple therapeutic relationship, health professionals may feel tensions between their identity as caregivers and their identity as colleague. This allows us to better understand some underlying tensions elicited by the arrival of different patient engagement initiatives (eg, professionals’ resistance to working with patients, patients’ status and remuneration, professionals’ concerns toward patient ‘representativeness’). Partnership with patients imply the construction of a new relational framework, flexible and dynamic, that takes into account this coexistence of identities.

scholarly journals Mealtime Care for People With Dementia: What Do Nursing Home Staff Think?

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 182-183
Author(s):  
James Faraday ◽  
Clare Abley ◽  
Catherine Exley ◽  
Joanne Patterson
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Direct Care ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Direct Care Staff ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Comparison Approach ◽  
The Right

Abstract More and more people with dementia are living in nursing homes (NH). Often, they depend on NH staff for help with eating and drinking. It is important that staff have the skills and support they need to provide good care at mealtimes. This qualitative study explores mealtime care for people with dementia, from the perspective of NH staff. Semi-structured interviews with NH staff (n=16) were carried out in two nursing homes. The homes were chosen to have diverse characteristics: one home had a large number of beds and was part of a small local organization; the other had a small number of beds and was part of a large national organization. Various staff members were interviewed, including direct care staff, senior carers, nurses, managers, and kitchen staff. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. A constant comparison approach was taken, so that data from early interviews were explored in more depth subsequently. From the analysis, five themes emerged as important in mealtime care for people with dementia living in nursing homes: Setting the right tone; Working well as a team; Knowing the residents; Promoting autonomy and independence; Gently persevering. This work forms part of a larger ethnographic study on the topic, which includes data from residents with dementia, and family carers. Results will inform the development of a staff training intervention to optimize mealtime care for this population.

scholarly journals COMPREHENSIVE MEDICATION MANAGEMENT SERVICES IN A BRAZILIAN SPECIALITY PHARMACY: A QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirla Barbosa Detoni ◽  
Mariana Martins Gonzaga Do Nascimento ◽  
Isabela Viana Oliveira ◽  
Mateus Rodrigues Alves ◽  
Manoel Machuca GonzÁles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Participant Observation ◽  
Patient Flow ◽  
Medication Management ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Healthcare Team ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Manager Support

Objective: To understand and describe the implementation process of a comprehensive medication management (CMM) service in a public speciality pharmacy in Brazil.Methods: Ethnographic study conducted over 17 mo (September 2014 to February 2016) in a public speciality pharmacy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve participants. Notes on field journals, resulting from participant observation conducted by the two pharmacists directly responsible for the service implementation, were also used as a source of data.Results: Ten important conditions to improve the success of CMM service implementation were identified: manager support; evaluation of physical and material resources; evaluation of human resources practitioners’ characteristics and knowledge about the theoretical framework of CMM services; time dedicated to CMM services; redefining the work process; defining patient eligibility criteria to CMM service; defining patient flow to CMM service; communication with healthcare team; integration with the staff; and marketing the service internally.Conclusion: The results unveiled by this article can be used by pharmacists and managers as a tool to optimize the implementation of CMM services in different healthcare settings. These conditions do not consist the only aspects necessary to ensure the success of the service; however, they can contribute to optimize the implementation process of the practice

Creating communities: the use of technology in craft and DIY communities of practice

2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 277-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate Holmes ◽  
Anita Greenhill ◽  
Rachel McLean
Keyword(s):  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to gain insight into craft and do-it-yourself (DIY) communities of practice (COPs) and how the use of technology provides ways for participants to connect, share and create. Gaining deeper insights into the practices of these communities may provide new opportunities to utilise within this flourishing domain. Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative methods were adopted to collect data and analysed through an interpretivist lens. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of craft and DIY COPs to gain a deep understanding of the broader ethnographic study. Existing theoretical perspectives surrounding COPs have been applied to further current perspectives. Findings – Findings from this study suggest that being part of a COP allows participants to connect to others, build creative enterprise and learn or enhance skills. Insights gained from this study indicate some of the detailed ways in which the application of technology redefines craft and DIY COPs. Research limitations/implications – This study provides a succinct exploration of a vast and fluid domain; if presented with more time and wider resources, the research would include further exploration of virtual COPs. Originality/value – The investigation provides a rich insight into the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) within craft and DIY COPs. The application of theoretical perspectives from the area of Information Systems (IS) and Technology Management to this domain is regarded as an original research and furthers knowledge in these areas. Originality/value – The investigation provides a rich insight into the use of ICTs within craft and DIY COPs. The application of theoretical perspectives from the area of IS to the domain of craft and DIY culture is original research and extends existing concepts to include skills sharing as a previously unexplored domain.

scholarly journals "The group facilitates everything": meanings patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus assigned to health education groups

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 980-987 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas Pereira de Melo ◽  
Edemilson Antunes de Campos
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Public Health Care ◽  
Structured Interviews

OBJECTIVE: to interpret the meanings patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus assign to health education groups.METHOD: ethnographic study conducted with Hyperdia groups of a healthcare unit with 26 informants, with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and having participated in the groups for at least three years. Participant observation, social characterization, discussion groups and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. Data were analyzed through the thematic coding technique.RESULTS: four thematic categories emerged: ease of access to the service and healthcare workers; guidance on diabetes; participation in groups and the experience of diabetes; and sharing knowledge and experiences. The most relevant aspect of this study is the social use the informants in relation to the Hyperdia groups under study.CONCLUSION: the studied groups are agents producing senses and meanings concerning the process of becoming ill and the means of social navigation within the official health system. We expect this study to contribute to the actions of healthcare workers coordinating these groups given the observation of the cultural universe of these individuals seeking professional care in the various public health care services.

scholarly journals Travellers of the Caribbean: Positioning Brasília in Haitian migration routes through Latin America

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustavo Dias ◽  
João Carlos Jarochinski Silva ◽  
Sidney Antonio da Silva
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Empirical Data ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Migration Routes ◽  
Linear Movement ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Border Controls ◽  
Latin America Countries

Abstract This paper examines how Haitian migration connecting Haiti to Brasília is enacted through Latin America. The empirical data come from an ethnographic study of Haitians in Brasilia. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with 34 migrants to reconstruct their mobilities. We explore how the Haitians’ historical practice of living on the move has enabled them to deal with border controls and develop tactics to circulate through several Latin America countries, including Brazil. We argue that their migration to the Brazilian capital can neither be understood as a linear movement characterized by an established Haiti-Brasilia connection nor defined as movement to a place where these migrants attempt to settle down. Rather, we show that the recent presence of Brasilia in the mobility of these Haitians has to be understood in the context of a vast dynamic meshwork of places, people and information.

scholarly journals Interpersonal Communication among Critical Care Nurses: an Ethnographic Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-64
Author(s):  
Tayebeh Mahvar ◽  
Nooredin Mohammadi ◽  
Naima Seyedfatemi ◽  
AbouAli Vedadhir
Keyword(s):  
Critical Care ◽  
Interpersonal Communication ◽  
Critical Care Nurses ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Critical Conditions ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Critical Care Units ◽  
Effective Care ◽  
High Level ◽  
Communication Culture

Introduction: Interpersonal communication in critical care units is one of the most important factors due to complicated and critical conditions of patients. Nurses’ confrontation with ethical distresses and conflict resolution techniques are often influenced by the culture governing these units. This study aimed to explore interpersonal communication culture among critical care nurses. Methods: A focused ethnographic approach was used to conduct study in Iran. The research method was based on the research evolutionary cycle model recommended by Spradley (1980). Data were collected over six months through purposeful sampling and semi structured interviews (n=18) and participation observation (n=43). The data were obtained over six months of observation and interview with participants. Data analysis was done by Spradley method and was interpreted to discover the meaning units from the obtained themes. MAXQDA10 was used to manage data. Results: Five major domains of observations and high-level consensus were extracted in this study, including grouping, work-life interaction, professionalism, organizational atmosphere and experience. Conclusion: Development of interpersonal communication culture is influenced by various factors. Besides, the working models and nurses’ use of workspace are indispensable components of effective communication at workplace. The findings of this study can be helpful in determining appropriate strategies and practices to resolve communication problems among nurses by specifying challenges, thereby leading to proper communication among nurses, promoting this communication and finally providing high quality and more effective care.

scholarly journals A Bridge to Portugal: Language and Identity in Bridgeport, CT

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-140
Author(s):  
Fabio Scetti
Keyword(s):  
Identity Construction ◽  
Language Contact ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
American English ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Language And Identity ◽  
Speech Community ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Status

Here I present the results of BridgePORT, an ethnographic study I carried out in 2018 within the Portuguese community of Bridgeport, CT (USA). I describe language use and representation among Portuguese speakers within the community, and I investigate the integration of these speakers into the dominant American English speech community. Through my fieldwork, I observe mixing practices in day-to-day interaction, while I also consider the evolution of the Portuguese language in light of language contact and speakers’ discourse as this relates to ideologies about the status of Portuguese within the community. My findings rely on questionnaires, participant observation of verbal interaction, and semi-structured interviews. My aim is to show how verbal practice shapes the process of identity construction and how ideas of linguistic “purity” mediate the maintenance of a link to Portugal and Portuguese identity.

scholarly journals TACTICS OF BORDER CROSSING MOVEMENT: EXPLORING THE MOBILITY OF BRAZILIANS THROUGH THE SCHENGEN AND UK AIRSPACE

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustavo Dias
Keyword(s):  
Social Space ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Border Crossing ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
Research Orientation ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Embodied Practice

This paper addresses the relations between migrants, mobility, tactics, negotiation, and the contemporary definition of borders in the aftermath of 9/11.The empirical focus of this paper is how Brazilians from Alto Paranaiba journey through airports located in the Schengen area and in the British territory to London. As a main research orientation, I use the notion of journey as approached by mobility studies, where actions and skills remain an important link between the wayfarer and the social space in which s/he moves through, the embodied practice to how we grasp the world. Migrants deal and struggle against border regime, but they are not powerless social actors. They rather produce creative resistance to reinvent their journey through the surveillance apparatus, which manage and delimit places with targets and threats. In this process, I explore the notion of border crossing movement as a tactical mobility developed by migrants to overcome the border control imposed by governments in airports. The article was drawn through fieldwork conducted initially in London, between 2009 and 2013, and afterwards in Alto Paranaiba, during 2013. The ethnographic study consisted in semi-structured interviews, participant observation through snowball technique, which enabled me to access a considerable number of participants in these two regions explored. The argument that I develop is that migrants as social actors are part important in the dialogue produced between border crossing and border reinforcement.

Counting, Coping, and Navigating the Flux: A Focused Ethnographic Study of HIV and Diabetes Self-Management

2021 ◽  
pp. 104973232110642
Author(s):  
Chelsi W Ohueri ◽  
Alexandra A. García ◽  
Julie A. Zuñiga
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Self Management ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Familial Support ◽  
Multiple Observations ◽  
Dual Diagnoses ◽  
Living With Hiv

Approximately 10–15% of people living with HIV are also diagnosed with diabetes. To manage their two chronic conditions, people must undertake certain activities and adopt behaviors. Due to overlapping symptoms, complex medication regimens, and heavy patient workloads, implementing these self-management practices can be difficult. In this focused ethnography, data were collected from semi-structured interviews and limited participant-observation with a selected subset of participants to gain insight into self-management challenges and facilitators. We conducted interviews and multiple observations with 22 participants with HIV+T2DM over the period of 9 months. Participants experienced numerous barriers to self-management in the areas of diet, medication adherence, and mental health. Social and familial support, as well as consistent access to care, were facilitators for optimal self-management. At the same time participants’ lives were in a unique flux shaped by the dual diagnoses, and therefore, required constant mental and physical adjustments, thus illustrating challenges of managing chronicity.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document