Background: Professionalism, in today’s context, is a determinant of fitness-to-practise of doctors. Many professional and governing bodies around the world have emphasised the need for educating medical students explicitly about professionalism. In fostering professionalism, the institutional culture plays a concealed but vital role. Although the institutional professionalism culture should be explored and understood there was no suitable measure for use in the context of UK undergraduate medical education. The aim of this project was to develop a valid, reliable and practical measure of institutional professionalism culture. Methods and results: The project was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, forty six attributes of professionalism were identified in a literature review. These attributes were surveyed among a nationally representative quota sample of 954 members of the UK general public. They identified 44 attributes as important. With a principal component analysis, three facets to professionalism were identified: the relationship of doctors with patients (clinicianship) and co-workers (workmanship), and the behaviour of doctors in society (citizenship). By analysing the survey responses of 368 UK medical professionals using the Content Validity Index, 28 attributes were identified to represent each facet (clinicianship 10, workmanship 11, and citizenship 7). In the second phase, the 28 attributes were included in an online measure (Dundee Barometer of Institutional Professionalism) with a rating scale based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), and field-tested among the faculty and students of the Dundee Medical School. Based on the TPB, questions on personal attitude, institutional expectation and achievability in relation to each attribute were included. The field-test received 212 responses. The measure demonstrated high internal consistencies at both measure and facet levels. It appeared that the professionalism culture in Dundee Medical School was patient-centred, teamwork-oriented and society oriented. A principal component analysis helped reduce the number of items to 15 with five attributes representing each facet. A generalisability study predicted a highly acceptable reliability with the 15 items. The reaction of respondents towards the measure was positive. Conclusions: The Dundee Barometer of Institutional Professionalism (DBIP) is the first quantitative measure of the culture of professionalism in UK medical schools. It was developed with the consensus of both professionals and the general public, and used a theory-based rating scale (hence high validity). It is shown to be reliable with 15 items. The DBIP is a practical measure as it is easy to administer and is acceptable to respondents. The construct validity of the DBIP and its ability to distinguish differences in professionalism culture are areas of future research.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1997. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 92-94). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1997. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 92-94). Also available on the Internet.

This is an enterpretivist cultural study on how the lively idea of assessment is enacted by the art teachers, students and administrators in Denton school art education, North Texas, the United States. This ethnographic research aims to extend understanding on assessment as vivid cultural and social dynamics that both reflects and enlivens varied and interconnected values promoted and shared among the people involved. Through a perspective of the culture of assessment, this study is expected to facilitate insights on art education as lived, purposeful experience bearing suggestions on a certain social environment and historical implications. Such insights as sought further illuminate specific understandings on art education in different cultural societies, such as China. From a Chinese native viewpoint, the researcher broadens her horizons on connection and independence important for informative performance of art education in the discourses of modern nation and schooling, as well as globalization. It is hoped that this study will interest other art educators, teachers, and researchers to make multiple and continuous efforts in further exploring the culture of assessment with cultural and historical consciousness and knowledge.

The purpose of this research is to establish an innovative organizational culture in a Turkish software company. In order to do this, the perceived current and the preferred organizational cultures of the company were studied. The preferred culture of upper management and the differences between the perceived current and preferred organizational cultures by different employee groups were also investigated. The culture assessment was performed using Cameron and Quinn&rsquo / s (1999) Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI). According to the survey results, the company&rsquo / s current culture was Hierarchy culture, and the least perceived current culture was Adhocracy. The preferred organizational culture of employees was Clan and Adhocracy was the second. Top management&rsquo / s preferred organizational culture was Adhocracy. Different from the employees, top management also believed that Adhocracy also exists in the company after Hierarchy culture. After analyzing the company&rsquo / s current and preferred cultures, a model based on Lewin&rsquo / s (1958) model of Organizational Change was adapted. Lewin&rsquo / s model was modified by removing the first stage of the model: unfreezing / it is believed that there will be no resistance to change when trying to establish an innovative culture. As for further research, a tactical plan should be established according to the proposed actions and the model established for the company should be tested if it reaches its goal or not.

From the viewpoint of the organization and especially the Public organization, the thematic of the process of Functional Performance Assessment, arises as a timely issue for the efficiency, quality in the services by the servants, gaining more space as it affects the capability of the own survival of the organization. Currently in the public, it is strongly occurring attempts to implement an assessment of performance to provide information about the civil servants which are used to subsidize a process of personal management. They are instruments that are growing to value the civil servants, and to improve working processes. A great challenge due to the organizational culture of the public sector, because according to Marconi (2004) the effective performance assessment will be possible through the development and culture focused on results, with an alignment of the goals of the individual and of the team to the goals of the organization. From this viewpoint, this dissertation project has as RESEARCH THEME The performance assessment of the public servant , in the sphere of Higher Education at UFSM Good Practices, while instrument for people management, systematizing all the work accomplished so far, regarding the performance assessment of the administrative technician in Education. According to the law N 11.091, de 12/01/2005, which deals with the structure of the Career Plan of Technical and Administrative Positions in Education, under the Federal Institutions linked to the Ministry of Education, it was brought into light the use of a functional assessment system in universities. At UFSM, the Dean of Human Resources is the organ responsible for implementing the program of performance assessment, according to what provides the Career Plan of the Technical and administrative positions in education- PCCTAE (Law 11091/05) having the challenge of instilling in the institution the performance assessment as an important tool for people management. In order to achieve this goal, there will be a research of quantitative, bibliographical and documental nature. Concerning the research strategy, there will be used the case study whose organization, object of study will be the Federal University of Santa Maria. The data collection will be through the analysis of documentation, legislation and reports provided by the Dean of Human Resources. The conclusion of my dissertation is the Pedagogical Primer, which contains all the publicizing and systematization of the process of implementation of the Program of Performance Assessment at UFSM, in order to help as studies and parameters for the Federal Institutions of Education. / Do ponto de vista da organização e em especial a Pública, a temática do processo de Avaliação de Desempenho Funcional, surgem como questão pontual para a eficiência, qualidade nos serviços prestados pelos funcionários públicos, ganhando espaço cada vez maior à medida que afeta a capacidade da própria sobrevivência da organização. Atualmente no público, está fortemente ocorrendo tentativas de implementar uma avaliação de desempenho para fornecer informações sobre os funcionários que são utilizadas para subsidiar processos de gestão de pessoas. São instrumentos que estão crescendo para valorizar os funcionários públicos, aprimorar os processos de trabalho. Um grande desafio por causa da cultura organizacional do setor público, porque segundo Marconi (2004) a avaliação de desempenho efetiva será possível a partir do desenvolvimento e uma cultura voltada para resultados, com alinhamento dos objetivos individuais e das equipes às metas da organização. Nesta ótica, esta dissertação tem como tema a Avaliação de Desempenho do servidor público, na esfera da Educação Superior da UFSM-, enquanto instrumento de gestão de pessoas, sistematizando todo o trabalho realizado até então, sobre a avaliação de desempenho dos servidores Técnico-Administrativos em Educação.Com a lei 11.091, de 12/01/2005, que dispõe sobre a estruturação do Plano de Carreira dos Cargos Técnico-Administrativos em Educação, no âmbito das Instituições Federais de Ensino vinculados ao Ministério da Educação, foi trazida a luz a utilização de um sistema de avaliação funcional nas Universidades. Na UFSM, a Pró-Reitoria de Recursos Humanos é o órgão responsável pela implantação do programa de avaliação de desempenho, de acordo com o que dispõe o Plano de Carreira dos cargos dos Técnico-administrativos em educação- PCCTAE ( Lei 11091/05), tendo o desafio de incutir na instituição a Avaliação de desempenho como ferramenta importante de gestão de pessoas. Para se alcançar esse objetivo, foi realizado uma pesquisa de caráter qualitativo, bibliográfica e documental. No que se refere à estratégia de pesquisa, foi utilizado o estudo de caso cuja organização, objeto de estudo foi a Universidade Federal de Santa Maria. A coleta de dados foi através de análise de documentações, legislações e relatórios oferecidos pela Pró-Reitoria de Recursos Humanos. A conclusão da minha Dissertação, foi a sistematização de todo o processo de implementação do Programa de Avaliação de Desempenho, através da descrição e da elaboração de uma Cartilha Pedagógica, que consta toda a divulgação e sistematização do processo de implementação do Programa de Avaliação de Desempenho na UFSM, para que possa servir de estudos e parâmetros ás Instituições Superiores de Ensino.

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less. Marie Curie Debates about how best to test people from different contexts and backgrounds continue to hold the spotlight of testing and assessment. In an effort to contribute to the debates, the purpose of the study was to develop and evaluate the viability and utility of nonverbal figural reasoning ability items that were developed based on inspirations from African cultural artefacts such as African material prints, art, decorations, beadwork, paintings, et cetera. The research was conducted in two phases, with phase 1 focused on the development of the new items, while phase 2 was used to evaluate the new items. The aims of the study were to develop items inspired by African art and cultural artefacts in order to measure general nonverbal figural reasoning ability; to evaluate the viability of the items in terms of their appropriateness in representing the African art and cultural artefacts, specifically to determine the face and content validity of the items from a cultural perspective; and to evaluate the utility of the items in terms of their psychometric properties. These elements were investigated using the exploratory sequential mixed method research design with quantitative embedded in phase 2. For sampling purposes, the sequential mixed method sampling design and non-probability sampling strategies were used, specifically the purposive and convenience sampling methods. The data collection methods that were used included interviews with a cultural expert and colour-blind person, open-ended questionnaires completed by school learners and test administration to a group of 946 participants undergoing a sponsored basic career-related training and guidance programme. Content analysis was used for the qualitative data while statistical analysis mainly based on the Rasch model was utilised for quantitative data. The results of phase 1 were positive and provided support for further development of the new items, and based on this feedback, 200 new items were developed. This final pool of items was then used for phase 2 – the evaluation of the new items. The v statistical analysis of the new items indicated acceptable psychometric properties of the general reasoning (“g” or fluid ability) construct. The item difficulty values (pvalues) for the new items were determined using classical test theory (CTT) analysis and ranged from 0.06 (most difficult item) to 0.91 (easiest item). Rasch analysis showed that the new items were unidimensional and that they were adequately targeted to the level of ability of the participants, although there were elements that would need to be improved. The reliability of the new items was determined using the Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient (α) and the person separation index (PSI), and both methods indicated similar indices of internal consistency (α = 0.97; PSI = 0.96). Gender-related differential item functioning (DIF) was investigated, and the majority of the new items did not indicate any significant differences between the gender groups. Construct validity was determined from the relationship between the new items and the Learning Potential Computerised Adaptive Test (LPCAT), which uses traditional item formats to measure fluid ability. The correlation results for the total score of the new items and the pre- and post-tests were 0.616 and 0.712 respectively. The new items were thus confirmed to be measuring fluid ability using nonverbal figural reasoning ability items. Overall, the results were satisfactory in indicating the viability and utility of the new items. The main limitation of the research was that because the sample was not representative of the South African population, there were limited for generalisation. This led to a further limitation, namely that it was not possible to conduct important analysis on DIF for various other subgroups. Further research has been recommended to build on this initiative. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology