scholarly journals The Learning History Methodology: An Infrastructure for Collective Reflection to Support Organizational Change and Learning

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. pp71-83
Author(s):  
Julie Béliveau ◽  
Anne-Marie Corriveau
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Change ◽  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Learning History ◽  
Action Research Approach

Organization members often complain about insufficient time to reflect collectively as they grapple with constant significant changes. The Learning History methodology can support this collective reflection. Given the scant empirical studies of this action research approach, the present paper fills this gap by giving an overview of this methodology and by presenting a qualitative study that answers the following research question: How does the Learning History methodology contribute to collective reflection among organization members during major organizational change? To answer this question, an empirical research project was led within five healthcare organizations in Canada during their implementation of the Planetree person-centered approach to management, care, and services. The data set includes 150 semi-structured interviews, 20 focus groups and 10 feedback meetings involving organization members representing all hierarchical levels in the five participating institutions. The results highlight the five types of contributions of the Learning History methodology to collective reflection within the five institutions that participated in the study: 1) a process of expression, dialogue, and reflection among organization members; 2) a portrait of the change underway; 3) a support tool for the change process; 4) a vector for mobilizing stakeholders; and 5) a source of organizational learning.  The results also show how organization members’ collective reflection is built through the various stages of the Learning History methodology. By demonstrating that this collective reflection leads to true organizational learning, the findings position the Learning History as a research-action method useful both from a research standpoint and as an organizational development tool. In the conclusion, lessons learned using the LH approach are shared from a researcher’s perspective. This paper should interest researchers and practitioners who seek research methodologies that can offer an infrastructure for collective reflection to support organizational change and learning.

scholarly journals Integrating a Sport-Based Trauma-Sensitive Program in a National Youth-Serving Organization

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Shaikh ◽  
C. Bean ◽  
L. Bergholz ◽  
M. Rojas ◽  
M. Ali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Program Development ◽  
Program Implementation ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Community Context ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Action Research Approach ◽  
Interdisciplinary Partnership

AbstractThere is a pressing need to equip youth-serving community organizations to respond to the unique needs of trauma-exposed children. Early prevention measures can be an effective means of redirecting children to self-regulatory healing, while facilitating their transition toward strength-based thriving. Sport can offer a powerful opportunity to reach these children; however there remains little information on how to effectively develop, deliver, evaluate, and sustain trauma-sensitive sport programs in a community context. The purpose of this paper is to outline a case study of integrating sport-based trauma-sensitive practices with BGC Canada’s national Bounce Back League program. An interdisciplinary partnership of academic, community, and practice experts used a community-based participatory action research approach, paired with a knowledge translational approach, to guide the process of program development. Mixed methods (e.g., surveys, logbooks, interviews, focus groups, online communications) were used to generate ongoing insights of staff’s training experiences, successes and challenges of program implementation, and potential impact of program on club members. Several stages of program development are described, including: (a) collaboratively planning the program; (b) piloting the program to three clubs; (c) adapting the program using pilot insights; (d) expanding the adapted program to ten clubs; and (e) creating opportunities to maintain, sustain, and scale-out practices throughout grant duration and beyond. Lessons learned regarding the leadership team’s experiences in terms of developing, adapting, and integrating trauma-sensitive practices in this community context are shared.

“Recognize Our Humanity”: Immigrant Youth Voices on Health Care in Arizona’s Restrictive Political Environment

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 498-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofía Gómez ◽  
Heide Castañeda
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Immigrant Youth ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Action Research Approach ◽  
Important Position

The “DACAmented Voices in Healthcare” project examined the intersection of restrictive immigration policies and health care via photovoice, a participatory action research approach, with immigrant youth living in Arizona, who were recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. These “DACAmented” youth took part in nine photovoice sessions exploring their health care experiences and accessibility to care using documentary photography and narratives. They poignantly illustrated their experiences through images identifying their main health concerns and strengths, facilitating the development of health policy recommendations. This article illustrates the thematic findings and discusses policy recommendations and lessons learned from presentations to policy makers and health care providers. Findings suggest that immigrant youth are knowledgeable of their family’s health care needs and hold a unique and important position within mixed-status households. Health care providers can benefit from the proposed recommendations by building bridges to care to address health equity in immigrant communities.

Collaboration in the Large

2011 ◽  
pp. 115-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane H. Sonnenwald ◽  
Paul Solomon ◽  
Noriko Hara ◽  
Reto Bolliger ◽  
Thomas H. Cox
Keyword(s):  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Visual Aids ◽  
Organizational Infrastructure ◽  
Geographically Dispersed ◽  
Action Research Approach ◽  
Geographically Distributed ◽  
Social Organizational ◽  
Approach Working ◽  
Videoconferencing Technology

This chapter discusses the social, organizational and technical challenges and solutions that emerged when facilitating collaboration through videoconferencing for a large, geographically dispersed research and development (R&D) organization. Collaboration is an integral component of many R&D organizations. Awareness of activities and potential contributions of others is fundamental to initiating and maintaining collaboration, yet this awareness is often difficult to sustain, especially when the organization is geographically dispersed. To address these challenges, we applied an action research approach, working with members of a large, geographically distributed R&D center to implement videoconferencing to facilitate collaboration and large group interaction within the center. We found that social, organizational and technical infrastructures needed to be adapted to compensate for limitations in videoconferencing technology. New social and organizational infrastructure included: explicit facilitation of videoconference meetings; the adaptation of visual aids; and new participant etiquette practices. New technical infrastructure included: upgrades to videoconference equipment; the use of separate networks for broadcasting camera views, presentation slides and audio; and implementation of new technical operations practices to support dynamic interaction among participants at each location. Lessons learned from this case study may help others plan and implement videoconferencing to support interaction and collaboration among large groups.

Factors Influencing Adoption of Information Technologies for Public Transportation Project Inspection: A WSDOT Case Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 2673 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Julian Yamaura ◽  
Stephen T. Muench ◽  
Kim Willoughby
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Change ◽  
Change Management ◽  
Public Transportation ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
User Study ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Structured Interviews

This paper presents a case study of the organizational change process associated with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) year-long research program that implemented a cloud-based mobile project inspection application to 18 project engineering offices (PEO) across the state. Ultimately, four out of the 18 PEOs decided to adopt the new technology. Data from semi-structured interviews and a user study conducted two months after implementation are used to identify organizational change strategies used by WSDOT, and how those relate to ideas from the general literature on change management. The loss of upper management program leaders, inadequate communication and training to prepare personnel for the change, and policy and procedural uncertainties in integrating the change with other systems and operations were found to be factors that may have influenced the outcome of the program. While this paper focuses on one DOT’s efforts, other DOTs may have similar organizational structures and implementation efforts, and the findings and lessons learned could serve as a representative model for how such implementation might best be accomplished in a DOT and how that might differ from traditional change management guidance.

scholarly journals Managing corporate identities of non-profit organisations in the social welfare sector

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lida Holtzhausen
Keyword(s):  
Social Welfare ◽  
Identity Management ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Corporate Identity ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Government

Present-day South Africa is characterised by many societal and developmental issues, such as HIV awareness and prevention, child-headed households, environmental protection, poverty alleviation, violence and victim aid. However, it is widely acknowledged that government alone cannot address these issues effectively. The role of non-profit organisations (NPOs) in addressing social and development issues is increasingly emphasised. NPOs work at grass-roots level and they can therefore, on the whole, identify societal vulnerabilities and risks earlier than the government sector. However, due to the economic recession, NPOs operate in a competitive environment where an increasing number of NPOs rely on a small number of donors and other resources. NPOs should therefore differentiate themselves from the competition in order to obtain public legitimacy and funding. Corporate identity management is important for NPOs to fulfil their role in social welfare and thus contribute to disaster risk reduction. The exploratory nature of this study dictates a qualitative research approach. Semi-structured interviews with management of five NPOs in the social welfare sector were conducted in order to provide an answer to the study’s research question: ‘To what extent do NPOs in the social welfare sector practise corporate identity management, in order to prevent and address social welfare risks?’ The research found that NPOs do not realise the full potential of managing their corporate identities. NPOs therefore do not take advantage of a strong and distinct corporate identity which would allow them to ensure their ability to assess, address, reduce and/or alleviate vulnerabilities and disaster risks.

Sustaining health education research programs in Aboriginal communities

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 49-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Wisener ◽  
Jennifer Shapka ◽  
Sandra Jarvis-Selinger
Keyword(s):  
Health Education ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Community Based Research ◽  
Education Interventions ◽  
Health Education Interventions

Despite evidence supporting the ongoing provision of health education interventions in First Nations communities, there is a paucity of research that specifically addresses how these programs should be designed to ensure sustainability and long-term effects. Using a Community-Based Research approach, a collective case study was completed with three Canadian First Nations communities to address the following research question: What factors are related to sustainable health education programs, and how do they contribute to and/or inhibit program success in an Aboriginal context? Semi-structured interviews and a sharing circle were completed with 19 participants, including members of community leadership, external partners, and program staff and users. Seven factors were identified to either promote or inhibit program sustainability, including: 1) community uptake; 2) environmental factors; 3) stakeholder awareness and support; 4) presence of a champion; 5) availability of funding; 6) fit and flexibility; and 7) capacity and capacity building. Each factor is provided with a working definition, influential moderators, and key evaluation questions. This study is grounded in, and builds on existing research, and can be used by First Nations communities and universities to support effective sustainability planning for community-based health education interventions.

Learning in home care: a digital artifact as a designated boundary object-in-use

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 577-587 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Sigridur Islind ◽  
Ulrika Lundh Snis
Keyword(s):  
Home Care ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Boundary Object ◽  
Care Practice ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Care Organization ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Action Research Approach

Purpose The aim of this paper is to understand how the role of an mHealth artifact plays out in home care settings. An mHealth artifact, in terms of a mobile app, was tested to see how the quality of home care work practice was enhanced and changed. The research question is: In what ways does an mHealth artifact re-shape a home care practice and how does this affect the interaction between caregivers and the elderly and learning opportunities for the caregivers? Design/methodology/approach An action research approach was taken and the study was conducted in a home care organization in a Swedish municipality. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and observations that were conducted during home visits. Concepts of learning and boundary objects were used to analyze and distinguish interactions and conversations with the mHealth artifact. Findings The study shows how an mHealth artifact is re-shaping a home care practice and how this affects interactions and identifies learning opportunities. Views on the mHealth artifact as a designated boundary object as well as a boundary object-in-use must co-exist. Originality/value The study provides qualitative descriptions from using an mHealth artifact for home care, which is an emerging area of concern for both research and practice. It focuses on the interactional and organizational values generated from the actual use of the designed mobile application.

scholarly journals Designing user-centred mHealth initiatives to promote healthy behaviours for children with disabilities: A feasibility/pilot study of the Jooay App (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keiko Shikako-Thomas ◽  
Ebele RI Mogo ◽  
Valerie Grand-Maison ◽  
Robert Simpson ◽  
Lesley Pritchard-Wiart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Children With Disabilities ◽  
Underserved Populations ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Health Behaviours ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Action Research Approach

BACKGROUND The gap between research and its practical application in community settings limits its impact on public health. Closing this gap has the potential to improve the well-being of underserved groups, such as children with disabilities. Mobile health holds promise in closing this gap by helping underserved populations build community and improve their access to community resources and supports that can lead to improved health behaviours. OBJECTIVE In this feasibility pilot, we describe the development of the mobile app, Jooay. Jooay was developed in partnership with stakeholders to facilitate access to leisure and physical activity community programs for children and youth with disabilities. We also reflect on the lessons learned throughout the implementation process that are relevant for improving health behaviours for children with disabilities. METHODS We used a participatory action research approach in the development of the app. We also administered a cross-sectional survey to current Jooay users and analysed various app usage indicators to explore use patterns and user feedback and preferences. Finally, we critically appraised the implementation process, using the best practices for implementation research by Peters et al. (2013). RESULTS Our analysis of usage data revealed that access to the Jooay app is concentrated in urban areas. Perceptions, attitudes, and information needs varied according to the type of user. Use of the mobile app changes over time, with usage decreasing after download, showing a need for sustained engagement of app users. Users found value in using the app to identify activities they would not otherwise know about. However, app use alone was not enough to improve participation. We also encountered challenges with survey recruitment and attrition, suggesting the need for more seamless and engaging means for data collection within this population. CONCLUSIONS Using the information gained from this study, we intend to improve the next iteration of the Jooay app to sustain user engagement and behaviour change. We will also conduct a larger study assessing the relationship between urban design and access to inclusive and adaptive leisure programs. This study will inform the improvement of app listings and an understanding of the different user groups.

“Reinventing the wheel, over and over again”. organizational learning, memory and forgetting in doing diversity work

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marieke van den Brink
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Change ◽  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Diversity Studies ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to advance knowledge of organizational change towards diversity by bringing together concepts from organizational learning and diversity studies. Design/methodology/approach This longitudinal study was conducted over two years. It involved interviews, observation of meetings and consultation of documentation and the analysis focused on organizational learning. The key research question was how do organizational members institutionalize their individual learning process to change in organizational cultures, routines and structures in a sustainable way? Findings The results showed that there had been learning at the individual level but this did not necessarily mean that participants had been able to transfer their learning into behaviour change. Research limitations/implications The research suggested that training alone may not be sufficient to promote effective organizational change regarding diversity. Additional measures are likely to be required, for example, including diversity targets in performance management plans and reviews. Practical implications In order to achieve greater diversity, organizations are likely to need to use a number of methods to supplement initial training. Social implications This research gives insight into how greater diversity may be achieved in organizations. Originality/value Previous literature understates the complexity of the change processes for enhanced diversity to be sustained in organizations. This study has originality in its focus on organizational learning.

scholarly journals Nurses’ experiences and viewpoints about the benefits of adopting information technology in health care: a qualitative study in Iran

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamileh Farokhzadian ◽  
Reza Khajouei ◽  
Arie Hasman ◽  
Leila Ahmadian
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Professional Growth ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
It Adoption ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Communication Management ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
It Integration

Abstract Background Information technology (IT) plays an important role in nursing practice. Hence, nurses’ experiences and viewpoints about IT integration into healthcare help improve nurses’ adoption of IT. This study aimed to explore the nurses’ experiences and viewpoints about the benefits of IT integration and adoption in healthcare. Methods This study was conducted with a qualitative research approach. Participants included 14 nurses from four hospitals affiliated to a large medical university in Iran, who were selected using a purposive sampling method. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the conventional content analysis of Lundman and Graneheim. Results Six categories in the study reflected the nurses’ experiences and viewpoints about the benefits of integrating IT into health care. These categories included improving the quality and efficiency of medical services and care, facilitating the communication management in the technological environment, improving information documentation, management, and monitoring, improving resource management, improving management performance and policymaking, and facilitating pathways of organizational and professional growth. Conclusions Lessons learned in this study can help overcoming the barriers of IT adoption, and developing appropriate strategies to familiarize nurses with the benefits of IT in healthcare settings. Healthcare managers are recommended to investigate the experiences of nurses with IT in their hospitals and organize courses to orient hesitant nurses toward adopting IT.

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