scholarly journals Relocation to Activity-Based Workplaces (ABW)—Importance of the Implementation Process

Author(s):  
Eva L. Bergsten ◽  
Katarina Wijk ◽  
David M. Hallman

Activity-based workplaces (ABW) have been implemented in many organizations to offer office flexibility and decrease facility costs. Evaluations of the ABW implementation process are rare. The study aimed to examine the ABW relocation process of two offices in a Swedish governmental agency and to explore factors that influence the implementation process and satisfaction with it. Qualitative or quantitative data were collected on process variables (context, recruitment, reach, dose delivered, dose received, satisfaction), barriers and facilitators to the process were explored in focus group interviews, and immediate outcomes (perceived knowledge, understanding office rules, satisfying information and support) were measured by questionnaire before and after the relocation. The evaluation showed that recruitment was unsatisfactory and reach insufficient—and participation in activities was thus low for both offices. However, intended changes improved. Unclear aims of ABW, lack of manager support and, lack of communication were some of the reported barriers to participation, while a well-planned process, work groups, and program activities were facilitators. Thus, to increase satisfaction with the relocation, our results suggest that recruitment should be thoroughly planned, taking these factors into account to increase participation. This knowledge may be useful for planning and designing successful ABW relocations and evaluations.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela YM Leung ◽  
Cindy S. U Leong ◽  
Pak Leng Cheong ◽  
Alice S. M. Tsang ◽  
Bernice O. C. Lam Nogueira ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: As population ageing and dementia incidence continue to increase worldwide, health systems are urged to empower the public to address factors related to dementia. This study aims to assess Macau citizens’ knowledge of dementia, attitudes towards persons with dementia, and help-seeking behaviours and intention toward dementia.Methods: This is a mixed-methods study with both quantitative (cross-sectional survey) and qualitative components (focus group interviews). The Alzheimer’s Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS) and Dementia Attitude Scale (DAS) were utilized in the quantitative data collection, whereas focus group interviews were employed to gather context-specific understanding of dementia in the local setting. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were used to analyze quantitative data, while content analysis was used for qualitative data.Results: The overall level of knowledge on dementia was low (ADKS mean total score = 17.38, SD = 3.31), with the least amount of knowledge in the caregiving domain. Meanwhile, attitudes toward persons with dementia was generally positive (mean [SD] = 89.07 [11.99]). Many of the focus group participants were also uncertain regarding the availability of dementia services in the region. The general public was interested to obtain dementia information through social media.Conclusions: Efforts should be made to build up dementia literacy in Macau, especially in terms of caregiving. Information about dementia could be disseminated in social media and by healthcare professionals.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 218-226
Author(s):  
Cemile Kurt ◽  

This research aimed to present how using the drama method in high school history courses affected student achievement. The descriptive study utilized data collected with quasi-experimental design in quantitative method and made use of data based on content analysis in qualitative method. The study group of the research consisted of 59 students in 9/K (experimental) and 9/G (control) classes, selected through simple non-random sampling method from a state high school in Çankaya District of Ankara Province in the 2017-2018 academic year. The research was limited to the unit of “Eurasia in the First and Middle Ages” in the 9th grade History Course. The data obtained at the end of the eight-week implementation process were collected with pre and post academic achievement tests, focus group interviews and researcher observations. Quantitative data on academic achievement were analyzed with the SPSS 15.00 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) Package Program, focus group interview data were analyzed with content analysis and researcher observations were analyzed with descriptive analysis. The study concluded that history lessons taught with the drama method were more effective and efficient compared to history lessons taught with direct instruction method and that there was a significant difference in favor of the experimental group students in regards to academic achievement. The findings of focus group interviews and researcher observations demonstrated that use of drama in education was effective on student learning, it developed positive affect and it informed students about drama.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Hanan A. Taqi ◽  
Nada A. Algharabally ◽  
Rahima S. Akbar

Learning to speak a language does not necessarily mean learning to realize all the phonemes of that language. When a sound does not exist in a speakers’ mother tongue, s/he tends to use a phonotactic; hence, either replacing the sound with another that might sound similar, eliminating the sound, or adding a sound to make it possible to realize. In some cases, the orthography of the target language causes confusion and is considered misleading to non-native speakers. There are only 6 vowels in Arabic phonetics, long and short. Yet, there are 20 phonetic vowel symbols in Received Pronunciation, and 16 in General American. The following study investigates the realization of the English vowels by Kuwaiti speakers, and the effect of orthography on such realizations. 64 male and female Kuwaiti speakers are recorded reading 55 words and 10 sentences. The data obtained was analyzed by Praat (qualitative data), and SPSS (quantitative data). Focus group interviews were also conducted to gain further insight into the topic. It was found that not only do the speakers replace the vowels that do not exist in Arabic, but they also mispronounce vowels that exist in Arabic as they are negatively affected by the English orthography.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-117
Author(s):  
Silvia Bauer-Marschallinger

Although many studies have investigated students’ perspectives towards Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), few studies have actively involved learners when creating research-based materials. The scarcity of such studies also stems from the limited number of research projects that operationalize scientific insights for classroom implementation in the first place. This paper is connected to such a study, set within a design-based research (DBR) framework. Apart from investigating theoretical underpinnings of content and language integration, this ongoing PhD study also involves the development of research-based transdisciplinary content-and-language-integrative teaching materials over several cycles. Amongst other forms of data collection, focus group interviews with students before and after each intervention formed a central element of the design process. This work-in-progress article is concerned with the students’ role in shaping content-and-language-integrative materials, shedding light on their concerns and needs at various stages in the design process. Initial results suggest that the learners’ voices were crucial in the development of these materials. Moreover, in line with the overall thrust of DBR, it appears that a one-time intervention does not suffice even when considering the students’ beliefs and needs. Instead, several cycles of development are needed to create an approach that works for the learners.


Author(s):  
Tandin .

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors affecting the learning of grade ten students’ history. The study sample consisted of 165 students and 18 teachers from four secondary schools under Paro Dzongkhag. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analysed. Questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale was used for the quantitative data collection and focus group interviews were used for the qualitative data collection. Quantitative data analysis was done using mean scores and standard deviation. The content of the focus group interviews was transcribed and thematic analysis was conducted on the transcript. The results of the study revealed that the learning of history in grade ten students were affected most by the school related factors such as curriculum, teachers, teaching techniques and resources. Non-school factors like students’ attitude, and parental support had very less effect in learning history by grade ten students.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-67
Author(s):  
Supanee Sengsri ◽  
Kiki Juli Anggoro

e-CLIP or Content and Language Integrated Pedagogy via Electronic Communication is an innovation in the Thai education system which supports the integration of electronic media and content-based English. e-CLIP is one of the tools developed to cope with the 21st century and has been integrated into several Thai schools in recent years.  This research aims to compare students' perceptions of e-CLIP application in two distinct settings: a small and large-sized school. This study was conducted in Secondary Educational Service Area 39 Thailand. The data were collected through a survey, focus group interviews, and observations. The collected qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis. Additionally, descriptive and inferential statistics were performed to interpret the quantitative data. The quantitative findings exposed that students from both schools showed positive perceptions of integrating electronic media and content-based English in their classes.  However, qualitative data showed that small-sized students were more motivated to participate in activities utilizing the e-CLIP model than those in the large-sized school. Keywords: e-CLIP Model, electronic media, content-based English


2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hee-Jung Lee ◽  
Hugh Wilkins

The concept of the environmental bubble was introduced by Cohen to describe the ‘psychological comfort’ sought by mass tourists. However, there has been little empirical research to investigate the underlying structure of this construct. This study provides insight into the psychological motivations of those who choose mass tourism and provides a scale, named Tourist Interaction Avoidance, which measures the extent to which tourists seek to avoid uncertainty during their trips and can be used as a predictor of travel style. A sequential mixed methods research design was adopted with qualitative data collected through focus group interviews followed by a self-completion survey to collect the quantitative data. The findings identify three underlying components: ‘protection’, ‘food’ and ‘avoidance’. These provide deeper understanding of the needs of tourists from South Korea by identifying the three components that underpin the dimension and provide a means to measure individual tourist preferences.


Author(s):  
Katarina Wijk ◽  
Eva L. Bergsten ◽  
David M. Hallman

Activity-based workplaces (ABWs) are implemented with possible implications for health, well-being, and work satisfaction in the workplace. Drawing on the theoretical framework, i.e., sense of coherence (SOC), the aim was to investigate how indicators pf SOC—meaningfulness, manageability and comprehensibility—are associated with, or function as barriers or facilitators for, health, well-being and work satisfaction during relocation to an ABW. We followed the implementation of ABWs at the Swedish Transport Administration (2018–2019). Questionnaires were administered before (n = 536), 3 months (n = 409) and 9 months (n = 373) after relocation. Focus group interviews (15) were conducted before and after. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and content analysis. Relocation to an ABW was associated with a reduced work satisfaction (physical p < 0.001; psychosocial p < 0.001), and minor changes in health and occupational well-being during relocation (p > 0.001). The reduction in work satisfaction was smaller among employees with high meaningfulness in the relocation process (p < 0.001). All SOC indicators were positively associated with overall health, well-being and work satisfaction (p < 0.001). Interviews suggested that meaningfulness was facilitated by participation in the presented activities and that communication before relocation was crucial. The results indicate that organizations implementing ABWs should promote perceived meaningfulness in the process to mitigate possible declines in satisfaction with the physical and psychosocial work environment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (12) ◽  
pp. S24-S28
Author(s):  
Mette Boeg Horup ◽  
Knaerke Soegaard ◽  
Tue Kjølhede ◽  
Aase Fremmelevholm ◽  
Kristian Kidholm

Introduction: At Odense University Hospital (OUH) alternating-air mattresses (AAM) are used in the prevention of pressure ulcers (PU); however, static overlays might be more effective and have lower costs. To investigate the properties and consequences of using static overlays for prevention of PU at OUH, a hospital-based health technology assessment (HTA) was conducted. Methods: Two types of static overlays were tested in an observational study and compared with AAM for patients with a medium–high risk of PU in geriatric and orthopaedic wards at OUH. Incidence of PU was investigated 7 months before (n=720) and 6 months after implementation (n=837). Staff attitudes were examined in a questionnaire survey (n=55) and focus group interviews (n=13). Patients who had tried one of the overlays and the AAM were interviewed (n=12). Results: No statistical difference in PU incidence was found before and after the implementation of overlays (2.5% before, 2.7% after, P=0.874, n=1557) and no patients lying on overlays developed PU (n=123). Staff had mixed attitudes, but the majority preferred having overlays as an option for their patients. Interviewed patients preferred overlays due to less noise and improved mobility. Conclusion: Both types of overlay are effective in PU prevention. However, overlays introduce challenges for staff and clear guidelines for the selection of support surfaces are needed. Overall, it is recommended that static overlays are considered as an alternative to AAM for PU prevention.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 77
Author(s):  
Y Thi Le ◽  
Hieu Van Tran

The study evaluated factors affecting the selection of agricultural farming models and advantages, difficulties, and opportunities in the implementation process to propose solutions to develop appropriate agricultural sustainable farming models. The study uses secondary and primary data through KIP interviews, focus group interviews, in-depth interviews, and farmer interviews. As a result, this study found education is an important factor affecting farmers in choosing their farming models and increasing agricultural production in their farmland. For most of the considered factors, the majority of Kinh people choose to evaluate the influence of the decision in choosing a farming model higher than another ethnic group (Khmer). Besides, the Khmer ethnic group accounts for a higher proportion of poor households (18.2%) than the Kinh group. Because of low economic conditions, decisions on agricultural production of Khmer ethnic groups are less assertive than that of the Kinh people. On the other hand, there is a serious shortage of water in the dry season in the highlands, cultivated mainly by rainwater, ethnic minority accounts for 53.36% of the whole commune population, educational level makes it difficult to apply modern techniques in production. Therefore, strengthening and mobilizing people, investing in building upland irrigation systems, and using effective land conversion are essential activities to be carried out to improve the efficiency of farming models to make sustainable agricultural production that can increase income and enhance the economic life of local people.


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