Psychological Needs and Resources of the Staff in a Pediatric Neurosurgery Ward: A Phenomenological-Hermeneutic Study

Brain tumors are a common form of solid tumors in children and, unfortunately, they are characterized by a very uncertain prognosis. The treatment of this pathology often includes one or more very invasive surgical procedures, quite often in the very first steps of the treatment. Cases of brain tumors in children represent one of the greatest challenges for health care professionals in the domain of pediatric neurosurgery. This is clearly due to the complexity of the therapeutic plan, but also to the nature of the bond that is established between the child, the parents, and the members of the staff during the often-dramatic initial phase of the illness. In this phenomenological-hermeneutic study, we explore both the emotional and organizational needs, as well as the available professional and personal resources of the staff in the Neurosurgery ward of the Meyer Children’s Hospital in Florence (Italy). The ward staff, composed of 7 surgeons, a pediatric neuro-oncologist, 12 nurses, and 4 auxiliary health care professionals, underwent in-depth interviews that were recorded (with the consensus of the participants). The recordings were then transcribed and submitted to content analysis according to COREQ standards. A complex picture of emotional as well as organizational demands emerged from the data. Shared experiences were pointed out, together with more specific and idiosyncratic contents characteristic of different professional roles. The focus of the present paper was twofold, first, we considered the needs that are overtly expressed by the staff, and then we discussed the main sources of their motivational drives. We found that the latter is mainly found in the quality of the therapeutic bond that is established with the children and the family members, together with the deep interest in one’s own professional activity and the effective complementarity and integration of the personal and professional qualities of the staff members within the multidisciplinary caring group.

Accepting automated news as “low-quality” journalism

This ethnographic case study explores how developers, editors, and reporters in two Norwegian newsrooms evaluate automated news and which logics underlie their assessments. Despite automation being described as the most disruptive data-centric practice of journalism, the observations and in-depth interviews show that all three groups define automated texts as journalism. At the same time, they characterize automated news as simplistic, lacking creativity and a critical approach, and argue that today’s machine-written texts are incapable of fulfilling central professional ideals such as critical scrutiny and advocating on behalf of the citizenry. Accepting automated news as journalism while simultaneously stressing its low quality shows a growing gap between what the newsroom groups are willing to accept because of organizational demands and what they ideally want journalism to be. The conflicting assessments may indicate financial motives gaining ground within Nordic media companies.

Global market and organizational management: A brief theoretical essay

The objective of this investigation is to analyze the globalization process in order to verify its effects on the organizational management environment. Globalization is a process endowed with technological, social, economic and cultural transformations, which involve increased communication and interdependence between countries that bring together world markets, societies and cultures. The article questions about the way in which the transformations were reflected in the organizational management environment. The methodology used a bibliographic survey and an analysis that associated the dynamics of the globalization process and great representatives of administrative thought. The study inferred that the changes resulting from the globalization process were absolved by management models according to organizational demands and in certain circumstances.

Predictors of Burnout Among Physicians: Evidence From a National Study in Portugal

The aims of this research on burnout among physicians were threefold, (1) to characterize the burnout symptoms’ prevalence among Portuguese physicians, (2) to test the hypothesis that organizational demands and resources add, on top of other factors, to the explanatory level of burnout; and (3) to explore the predictors of organizational demands and resources. Data collection was conducted online at the national level in Portugal, with 9,176 complete replies and a response rate of 21%. Predictors stemming from theoretical models of an intra-individual, occupational, organizational, and socio-psychological nature were measured using an online/paper survey. Results were analyzed through a significantly modified version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) after transformations to address the fit of this measure in this sample. Results show that 66% of physicians have high levels of emotional exhaustion, 33% high levels of depersonalization, and 39% high levels of decrease of personal accomplishment. Moreover, a first set of hierarchical multiple regression models with burnout symptoms reveals that organizational resources, demands of the relationship with the patients and of work schedule are consistently important predictors of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization on top of other theoretically relevant predictors. A second set of regression models with the organizational-level variables shows that, aside from organizational variables, other context variables, like procedural justice and teamwork, have the most substantial predictive value. These results highlight the importance of recognizing physicians’ burnout as a phenomenon that is predicted by a wide variety of factors, but also the importance of attending to the particular role of circumstancial factors that may be addressed in future interventions.

Editorial: business education in profound disruption

Purpose This editorial aims to discuss 11 trends that are driving changes in business education, especially for Master of Business Administration (MBA) curriculum programming. Design/methodology/approach The editorial provides introspection, personal reflections and conceptualization using current literature. Findings The authors discuss 11 drivers that are influencing graduate business education. These drivers include the demographic cliff, the K-shaped recovery, MBA degrees losing their allure, emergence of two pricing structures, the rise of online universities, certificates and micro-credentials, the massive open online course (MOOC) MBA programs, MOOCs and certification, Grow with Google, Outsourcing MBA instruction and business education relevancy. Research limitations/implications Traditional university and college graduate business education providers must realize that the educational industry is experiencing a revolutionary disruption and that many universities will fail to meet learners’ expectations for relevant skills and organizational demands for employees who have specific skills for employability. Practical implications Learners will no longer rely on traditional four-year universities to obtain business skills. Originality/value This work synthesizes a disparate set of drivers that are affecting all graduate business educational providers.

Towards a Sociological Approach to Human Rights Law

An overarching argument of the book, which connects its parts, is an epistemological one: to fully grasp the routine understandings, interpretations and practices that animate human rights law in policing, a sociological approach to law should be explored and experimented with. In sketching out what such an approach might look like, this chapter introduces the three conceptual foundations adopted and outlines the research methods deployed in the book. The first of these is how human rights law comes to be adopted and deployed as ‘vernacular’ beyond traditional legal forums and judicial audiences in order to both legitimate and challenge police power. The second is human rights law as a set of principles and standards that officers are socialized in, and engage in ‘sensemaking’ of, amidst their sub-cultures, everyday routines and organizational demands. The third is how human rights law comes to be ‘practiced’ by officers in specific roles in so far as they are professional actors required to bring a resolution to a specific factual issue through understanding, engaging with and applying human rights law principles and standards. Collectively, these features comprise the book’s sociological approach to human rights law.

Entrapment Between Narratives: The Millennial Voice and Degendering Organizational Resilience

The Covid-19 pandemic pushes organizations to innovate, adapt, and be responsive to new conditions. These demands are exacerbated as organizations respond to the triple sustainability challenge of social and environmental issues alongside economic recovery. These combined factors highlight the need for an inclusive definition of organizational resilience, the increased agility to adapt, learn, and transform to rapidly shifting external and internal conditions. This paper explores a gendered perspective of organizational resilience and the implications for degendering the concept to incorporate masculine and feminine constructs equally valuable to the theory and practices of organizational resilience during times of crisis. Viewing the organizational demands of crisis and the expectations of the millennial workforce through the degendering lens elucidates conceptualizations of gender constructions and power that limit inclusive practices and processes of organizational resilience. Data was used from focus groups of men and women between the ages of 21–35 (millennials) who have experience in the workplace and a shared knowledge of sustainability including social aspects of gender equity and inclusion. The Degendering Organizational Resilience model (DOR) was used for analysis to reveal barriers to inclusive, resilient organizational practices. The data was organized according to the three aspects of the DOR, power structures, gendering practices, and language. A unique contribution of this study is that it explores a cross-cultural gender perspective of organizational resilience focused on a specific cohort group, the millennials. Based on the findings three organizational recommendations for practice were identified. These include recommendations for policies and practices that deconstruct inequitable practices and co-create more agile structures, practices, and narratives for sustainable and resilient organizations.

Assistant Nurses’ Positioned Accounts for Prioritizations in Residential Care for Older People

Background and Objectives Swedish eldercare is strained by an increased administrative workload, which draws time away from individual care of and interaction with older people. This study explores how eldercare staff, working closely with residents in Swedish special housing (nursing homes), make accounts for how they prioritize work tasks. Research Design and Methods Openly structured, thematic interviews were conducted with 12 permanently employed, female assistant nurses, including a group interview with 3 of them. Positioned accounts (small stories) concerning prioritizations due to insufficient resources were analyzed, using Bamberg’s three-level positioning analysis. Results The analysis shows that the staff take a favorable position toward the older people by distinguishing between care and “the other things.” They also justify prioritizations at odds with their care values. The assistant nurses present themselves as doing the best they can in organizationally restricted situations. Organizational demands limit the space for care, giving rise to an idealization of “icing on the cake.” Morale is complex in residential care. A narration of “the torn carer” was found as a co-constructed storyline explaining why the staff did not perform eldercare consistent their care values. Discussion and Implications When ideals and practice differ, interaction in the peer group becomes important in order to maintain a positive professional identity. “The torn carer” is a way for the staff to escape blame for not living up to care values, but it also victimizes them. Staff could be empowered by a working environment characterized by a reflective practice.

Psychological distress among Iranian health-care providers exposed to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): a qualitative study

Background Novel corona virus, named COVID-19, has spread rapidly to other countries like Italy, Iran and South Korea and affected all people, especially health-care providers. Therefore, due to the rapid spread of the disease in Iran, the aim of the present study was to explore psychological distress experienced by Iranian health-care providers in the first few weeks of the corona virus outbreak. Methods The present qualitative study was conducted on 18 Iranian health-care providers exposed to COVID − 19 using a content analysis method. Purposeful sampling was used to select the participants and continued until data saturation was reached. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and then the qualitative data were analyzed through direct content analysis. Results By analyzing 236 primary codes, two main categories were extracted from the experiences of health-care providers during corona virus outbreak. The first category included Occupational demands with three sub-categories: nature of illness, Organizational demands and social demands. The second category was Supportive resources included personal support and social support. Conclusions The results of this study found that there were some barriers and challenges to medical personnel exposed to COVID-19 that caused psychological distress. Some of these problems related to the nature of illness, others related to social and organizational demands and some of supportive resources buffer the relationship between occupational demands and psychological distress.

Psychological Distress among Iranian Health-Care Providers Exposed to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A Qualitative Study

Background: Novel corona virus, named COVID-19, has spread rapidly to other countries like Italy, Iran and South Korea and affected all people, especially health-care providers. Therefore, due to the rapid spread of the disease in Iran, the aim of the present study was to explore psychological distress experienced by Iranian health-care providers in the first few weeks of the corona virus outbreak.Methods: The present qualitative study was conducted on 18 Iranian health-care providers exposed to COVID -19 using a content analysis method. Purposeful sampling was used to select the participants and continued until data saturation was reached. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and then the qualitative data were analyzed through direct content analysis.Results: By analyzing 236 primary codes, two main categories were extracted from the experiences of health-care providers during corona virus outbreak. The first category included Occupational demands with three sub-categories: nature of illness, Organizational demands and social demands. The second category was Supportive resources included personal support and social support.Conclusions: The results of this study found that there were some barriers and challenges to medical personnel exposed to COVID-19 that caused psychological distress. Some of these problems related to the nature of illness, others related to social and organizational demands and some of supportive resources buffer the relationship between occupational demands and psychological distress.