abstract: Health and healing in the United States is in a moment of deep and broad transformation. Underpinning this transformation is a shift in focus from practitioner- and system-centric perspectives to patient and family expectations and their accompanying localized narratives. Situated within this transformation are patients and families of all kinds. This shift's interpretation lies in the converging and diverging trails of biomedicine, a patient-centric perspective of consensus between practitioner and patient, and postmodern philosophy, a break from prevailing norms and systems. Lending context is the dynamic interplay between increasing ethnic/cultural diversity, acculturation/biculturalism, and medical pluralism. Diverse populations continue to navigate multiple health and healing paradigms, engage in the process of their integration, and use health and healing practices that run corollary to them. The way this experience is viewed, whether biomedically or philosophically, has implications for the future of healthcare. Over this fluid interpenetration, with its vivid nuance, loom widespread health disparities. The adverse effects of static, fragmented healthcare systems unable to identify and answer diverse populations' emergent needs are acutely felt by these individuals. Eradication of health disparities is born from insight into how these populations experience health and healing. The resulting strategy must be one that simultaneously addresses the complex intricacies of patient-centered care, permits emergence of more localized narratives, and eschews systems that are no longer effective. It is the movement of caregivers across multiple health and healing sources, managing care for loved ones, that provides this insight and in which this project is keenly interested. Uncovering the emergent patterns of caregivers' management of these sources reveals a rich and nuanced spectrum of realities. These realities are replete with opportunities to re-frame health and healing in ways that better reflect what these diverse populations of caregivers and care recipients need. Engaging female Mexican American caregivers, a population whose experience is well-suited to aid in this re-frame, this project begins to provide that insight. Informed by a parent framework of Complexity Science, and balanced between biomedical and postmodern perspectives, this constructivist grounded theory secondary analysis charts these caregivers' processes and offers provocative findings and recommendations for understanding their experiences. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Healthcare Innovation 2013

Plataformas de mídia social têm possibilitado que indivíduos produzam, compartilhem e distribuam seu conteúdo, facilmente, pela Internet – interagindo com outros indivíduos e firmas. Atualmente, qualquer pessoa pode ter seu próprio jornal (blog), rádio (podcast) ou canal de TV (YouTube) e construir uma audiência. Redes sociais, como Facebook e Twitter, permitem que as pessoas espalhem o boca-a-boca ainda mais. Neste novo ambiente social, consumidores tornaram-se ativos produtores – influenciando seus pares, criticando produtos/serviços, co-desenvolvendo suas próprias soluções, etc. Finalmente, as firmas se deram conta de que deviam aprender como fazer uso de mídia social para participar das conversas, acessar conhecimentos externos e tentar co-criar algum valor. Mas como o uso destas plataformas de mídia social pela firma para co-criação com consumidores pode influenciar seus processos de negócio? Para responder a essa questão, este estudo utilizou dois métodos de pesquisa qualitativos interpretativos – netnografia e grounded theory – para explorar dados públicos disponíveis em plataformas de mídia social. A pesquisa empírica investigou um ecossistema de mídia social no setor de transporte aéreo. Como resultados, este estudo apresenta: um conjunto de categorias inter-relacionadas que emergiram dos dados empíricos; descrições de campo; e hipóteses teóricas propostas a respeito deste processo de co-criação no setor de transporte aéreo e suas implicações. Resultados indicam que três tipos de co-criação em plataformas de mídia social (co-criação de experiências online, de marca em tempo real e de conhecimento sobre produtos/serviços) influenciam positivamente a integração de capacidades/conhecimentos dos consumidores aos processos de negócio da empresa (como relacionamento com clientes, suporte, relações públicas, propaganda e desenvolvimento de produtos/serviços), enquanto a falta destes tipos de co-criação pode influenciar negativamente a efetividade destes processos de negócio. / Social media platforms have enabled individuals to easily produce, share and distribute their own content over the Intenet – interacting with other individuals and firms. Currently, anyone may have his own newspaper (blog), radio (podcast) or TV channel (YouTube) and build an audience. Social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, allow people to spread the word of mouth even further. In this new social environment, consumers became active producers - influencing their peers, criticizing bad products/services, codeveloping their own solutions, etc. Eventually, firms found out that they must learn how to use social media to become part of the conversation, access external knowledge and try to cocreate some value. But how could firm’s usage of social media platforms to co-create with consumers influence its business processes? In order to answer to that question, this study used two qualitative interpretive research methods – netnography and grounded theory – to explore public data available on social media platforms. The empirical research investigated a social media ecosystem of the air travel industry. As results, this study presents: a set of interrelated categories that emerged from empirical data; field descriptions; and the theoretical hypothesis regarding the co-creation process in air travel industry and its implications. Results show that three types of co-creation using social media platforms (online experiences cocreation, brand real-time co-creation and products/services knowledge co-creation) positively influence customers’ capabilities/knowledge integration to firms’ business processes (such as customers relationship, support, public relations, advertising, products/services development) - while the lack of those types of co-creation may negatively influence those business processes effectivity.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-11T14:03:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Davi Viana dos Santos.pdf: 1879718 bytes, checksum: c5d0d7175f9d9c94ab6c07ac4434fa41 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-07-21 / CNPq - Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Several factors can influence the success of Software Process Improvement (SPI) programs. Results from previous research have shown that human and social aspects influence these programs in different ways. For this reason, it is important to analyze the human aspects involved on SPI programs to gain a better understanding about their influence on such programs. This thesis presents a research about human aspects influences in software process improvement. In this work, we analyze the major findings of a qualitative research conducted in three different phases to analyze which factors were most influential from view-point of the professionals working in the organizations. Our ultimate goal is to deepen the understanding about how human aspects can influence a SPI program in order to help in the success of future SPI implementation. / Diversos fatores podem influenciar o sucesso de um programa de Melhoria de Processo de Software (MPS). Os resultados de pesquisas anteriores mostram que vários desses fatores são de natureza humana e social. Por esta razão, é importante analisar os aspectos humanos envolvidos a fim de obter uma maior compreensão da influência destes em um programa MPS. Esta dissertação apresenta uma pesquisa sobre a influência dos aspectos humanos em Programas de MPS. Neste trabalho são analisados os principais resultados de uma pesquisa qualitativa conduzida em três diferentes fases para analisar quais fatores tiveram maior influência do ponto de vista dos colaboradores das organizações. O objetivo final é aprofundar a compreensão dos aspectos humanos que podem influenciar um programa de MPS com a finalidade de auxiliar no sucesso de futuros programas de melhoria.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:30:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Bruno Felix von Borell de Araujo.pdf: 5387313 bytes, checksum: 5efd83e0ed804d085ba283e5635406b5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-12-20 / Fundo Mackenzie de Pesquisa / The objective of this study was to understand how social meanings of dignity are built in the relationship between a local community and the companies placed in its geographic area. This is a qualitative research developed by the Constructivist Grounded Theory method. The study, that is exploratory-descriptive, is based the interpretative paradigm of social research. The theoretical perspective that guided the study was the Structural Symbolic Interactionism. The local community chosen for this study was the city of Litoral (fictitious name), located in the state of Espirito Santo. In this town, there are two large companies whose relationship with the community of Litoral has been the object of the present study. We built a substantive theory from 24 interviews with 20 residents, internet content, participant observation,photographic records, official literature of the city and the companies studied and notes in a field diary. The results suggest that the meanings of dignity in the relationship among the informed social actors are built by community members according to how they interpret and evaluate the care present in the conducts of companies towards objects of dignity. In this evaluation process, the community takes into account the interpretation that they make about the benefits and the intentions that underlie the conduct of the companies. This judgement is based on the expectations that the members of the community have about how that relationship should be, what may vary according to the tangibility of the firm in question and the timing of such a judgment. This process of construction of meanings takes place in a space of interactions between people and individuals ans objects. Suggestions for future research and practice are provided. / O objetivo do estudo foi o de compreender como são socialmente construídos os significados de dignidade no âmbito da relação entre uma comunidade de local e as empresas situadas em sua imediação geográfica. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa desenvolvida pelo método da Grounded Theory Construtivista. O estudo, de natureza exploratório-descritiva, se encontra alicerçado no paradigma interpretativo de pesquisa social. A perspectiva teórica que orientou a realização do estudo foi a do Interacionismo Simbólico Estrutural. A comunidade de local escolhida foi a da cidade de Litoral (nome fictício), situada no estado do Espírito Santo. Nessa cidade,encontram-se duas empresas de grande porte cuja relação com a comunidade de Litoral foi objeto do presente estudo. A partir de 24 entrevistas com 20 moradores, conteúdos da internet, observações participantes, registros fotográficos, literatura oficial sobre a cidade e as empresas em questão e anotações no diário de campo foi construída uma teoria substantiva visando o alcance do objetivo determinado. Os resultados sugerem que os significados de dignidade no âmbito da relação entre os atores sociais de interesse nessa pesquisa são construídos pela comunidade de acordo com a forma como seus membros interpretam e avaliam o zelo presente nas condutas empresariais frente a objetos de dignidade. Nesse processo de avaliação, os membros da comunidade levam em consideração sua interpretação a respeito dos benefícios que as condutas empresariais trazem para eles e as intenções que subjazem às ações das organizações. Esse julgamento é baseado nas expectativas que os membros da comunidade possuem a respeito de como deve ser essa relação, o que pode variar de acordo com a tangibilidade da empresa em questão e o momento em que tal julgamento é realizado. Esse processo de construção de significados ocorre em um espaço de interações entre pesssoas e entre indivíduos e objetos. Sugestões para pesquisas futuras e para a prática são apresentadas.

The purpose of this Grounded Theory study is to investigate the positive and negative effects of Game Analytics and how it may affect the Game Design process within the Game Development process. This is done by reviewing and observing available source material appertaining to Triple AAA Games Industry Experts regarding the topics of Game Analytics, Gameplay, Game Design as well as Game Development. The source material consists of publications, presentations, articles and lectures directly linked to the aforementioned areas in which will be used to reinforce the theory. Through the collected data the theory will emerge which will present the potential positive and negative aspects as well as issues regarding using Game Analytics to track the player’s behavior in order to directly affect and possibly alter the Game Design process. The results highlight the positive aspects of using Game Analytics in the Game Design process in which indicate that it is helpful for the Game Designer to utilize the player’s behavioral data captured from Gameplay. This acts as a powerful extension over the traditional design process. The negative aspects have indicated that Game Analytics is a new practice and is still met with prejudice as it requires a lot of knowledge to be able to be used right in the Game Design process. The theory indicates that Game Analytics is a step in the right direction as it enables the Game Designer to gain further understanding of their players with the end goal of creating a better Gameplay experience. / Syftet med denna Grounded Theory studie är att undersöka de positiva och negativa effekterna av spelanalys och hur det kan påverka speldesign processen inom spelutvecklings processen. Detta görs genom att granska och observera tillgängligt källmaterial som är relaterat till Triple AAA spelindustrin och experter inom spelbranschen med fokus på spelanalys, spelande, speldesign och spelutveckling. Källmaterialet består av publikationer, presentationer, artiklar och föreläsningar som är direkt kopplade till ovannämnda områden som kommer att användas för att förstärka teorin. Genom det insamlade källmaterialet kommer teorin att utvecklas som presenterar de potentiella positiva och negativa aspekter om att använda spelanalys för att spåra spelarens beteende för att direkt påverka och eventuellt förändra speldesign processen. Resultaten framhäver de positiva aspekterna av att använda spelanalys i speldesign processen som tyder på att det är fördelaktigt för speldesignern att utnyttja spelarens beteenderelaterade data tagna från spelet. Detta fungerar som en kraftfull förstärkning av speldesign processen jämfört med den traditionella design processen. De negativa aspekterna har indikerat att spelanalys är en ny praxis och fortfarande kräver en hel del kunskap för att kunna användas direkt i spelet designprocessen. Teorin indikerar att spelanalys på väg i rätt riktning eftersom det gör det möjligt för speldesigners att få djupare förståelse om hur sina spelare beter sig för att nå sitt slutmål vilket är att skapa en bättre spelupplevelse.

En fungerande relation mellan chef och medarbetare skapar bättre förutsättningar för välmående på arbetsplatsen. Studiens syfte är att belysa relationen chef-medarbetare inom yrken med brukarkontakt samt att generera en teori och förklaringsmodell grundad i data, vilken manifesterar aspekter som är betydelsefulla för chefer och medarbetare kopplat till den fungerande relationen dem emellan. Med grundad teori som forskningsansats och metodologiskt angreppssätt använder vi nio intervjuer och tre skuggningar för att undersöka och lyfta chefers och medarbetares perspektiv på relationen chef-medarbetare. Resultatet visar att både chef och medarbetare framhåller relationen dem emellan som mycket viktigt. Vår teori innefattar ett flertal aspekter som enligt dem behöver vara välfungerade för att relationen ska vara fungerande, t.ex. medarbetarens förhållningssätt och atmosfären på arbetsplatsen. Resultatet visar också att det är chefen som måste ge förutsättningar för relationsskapandet. Det mest utmärkande i det insamlade materialet är vikten av tydlighet från både chef och medarbetare för att deras relation ska vara fungerande. Den genererade teorins förklaringsmodell kan användas som ett verktyg i utformandet av trivsamma arbetsplatser samt som en påminnelse om att relationen chef-medarbetare är viktig för välmående på arbetsplatsen. / A functioning relation between the employer and the employee generates better conditions for wellbeing at the workplace. The purpose of this study is to illustrate the functioning relation between employer-employee, within social work/the supporting role profession, and to generate a theory and a model. The aim with this is to illustrate the aspects of the functioning employeremployee relation, which are important according to them. With grounded theory as the research and methodological approach, we use nine interviews and three participative observations to examine and highlight employers and employees’ perspectives of their relation to each other. The result shows the importance of the functioning relation between them, according to both the employer and the employee. Our theory highlights several aspects that are all necessary if a functioning relation shall be possible, e.g. the employees approach and the working climate. The result also proves the importance of the employers’ role to obtain the prerequisites to develop a good relation. The most distinguishing feature of the collected material is the importance of clarity from both the employer and the employee. The generated theory model can be used as a tool in the strategy of acquiring good working conditions as well as a reminder of the importance of a functioning relation between the employer-employee.

Information is one of the most essential resources in our contemporary societies, as it guideshuman thinking, planning and subsequent actions, which in turn generates consequencesthat are desired or not. The Lehman Brothers bankruptcy in 2008, the tsunami in Indonesiain 2004, the Space Shuttle Challenger destruction in 1986 are just three instances ofdramatic situations, emerging continuously, where information plays a crucial role. Thisstudy investigates the phenomenon of the lack of needed information, predominantlyexperienced with difficulties in human, social and industrial affairs. Consequently, thechallenge is to understand why such situations emerge. Two approaches are utilized toexplore this challenge using an interpretivist tradition. The first is a hermeneutic approach,the second a grounded theory approach. The first approach – theoretically oriented –investigates numerous theoretical bodies, selected with the assumption that they can explainthe addressed challenge. The results show that there are no comprehensive theoreticalbodies that can fully account for the phenomenon of the lack of needed information.Furthermore, there is no consensus on what “information” is – the very core of thechallenge, which gave the foundations for a formulation of an alternative notion ofinformation and is instrumental for the present investigation. Thus, no a priori theory isused to guide the empirical investigation. The second approach – empirically oriented –investigates fifty empirical cases, where the lack of needed information is clearly manifested.The results present an initial outline for a possible future theory of information inadequacy,constituted by the dichotomy of information-lack and information-overflow. Informationlackis dominated by: “information is non-existent”, “information is insufficient”, “information is censored” and “information is undelivered”. Whereas, information-overflow isdominated by: “information is ambiguous”, “information is redundant”, “information isirrelevant” and “information is undervalued”. The two main dichotomous characteristics andtheir interrelations result in patterns of various information inadequacies. The keyconclusion of the present study is that while dramatic situations are increasing everyday,there is as yet no theoretical body designed to comprehensively account for the phenomenonin context; only partial accounts are found. Thus, the empirical investigation suggests thatthe phenomenon of the lack of needed information seems to emerge because of diversefactors, ranging from political and cultural structures, through human individualcapabilities, and ending with procedural and technological artefacts. This study advocatesthat further research is needed to fully account for and explain instances of the lack ofneeded information, and that such an account requires an innovative and interdisciplinary focus.

This thesis is an exploration of the perspectives of recipients and providers of health and criminal justice services about the transitional support needs of arrestees and remand prisoners, leaving short-term custody. The study implements Constructive Grounded Theory Methods, underpinned by the Network Theory of Social Capital as the theoretical framework. Forty-two semi-structured interviews were conducted, with five participant groups; service users (arrestees/remand prisoners), family/carers, mental health staff (criminal justice liaison and mental health in-reach, community mental health teams), criminal justice staff (police/prison officers) and mental health commissioners. Participants provided unique perspectives about the health and social support, available at the transitional points of leaving short-term custody. This was supported by the construction of 11 sociograms for service users, in both arrest (n=5) and remand (n=6) situations, to highlight the availability and functionality of support networks. Transitions are particularly problematic in relation to linking offenders with appropriate community-based mental health services. The over-arching constructed grounded theory is a need for a culture shift within health policy and practice to refocus on transitional care planning to optimise continuous care pathways. Associated themes include ‘lack of practical assistance’, ‘lack of crisis support’, ‘returning to the security of prison’ and ‘poor transition planning’. Critical Time Intervention, a variant of case management has demonstrated benefits when applied to mental health and offender populations, transiting from hospital and prison settings. The programme contains all the components of service that service users, carers and staff identified as important to effectively support transitions from short-term custody to the community.

The current context of health in Brazil has experienced important transformations in the last years and therefore new and innovator possibilities of work must emerge. The Family Health Strategy inserts itself in this context as an important tool of rearrangement of the services in the primary care. The nurse stay before this challenge once she assumes the management of the processes of work, as well the coordination and organization of the health services. This research had as general objective: to present the meanings attributed to the interaction process by nurses in their management at the Family Health Strategy, as well as their articulation with the elaboration of a theoretical matrix in their experiences of management in the Family Health Strategy. This is a Descriptive Field Research, with qualitative approach, guided by the methodological referential respectively of the Symbolic Interactionismo and Grounded Theory. The data collection occurred during the months of March, April and May of 2012 through semi structured interviews, departing from an intensive proposal. The subjects were seven nurses, who manage the Family Health Strategy in the countryside of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. To analyze the data the steps of grounded theory were used: open coding, axial code and selective coding. The research obeys the ethical principles of the Res.196/96 and was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Santa Maria. After the codification, the following categories were achieved: revealing itself as professional, living together with adversities, engaging with the organization of care, establishing the teamwork, and focusing the work on the user. The categories were organized around a central explanatory concept, with the purpose of giving the comprehension of the central phenomenon in which they are constituted: Experiencing the management of the nurse in the Family Health Strategy act: significants from the interface with the care. This phenomenon was presented through the Paradigmatic Model in order to demonstrate that the manager nurse realizes his function in the Family Health Strategy and tries to play his function putting the user as central focus of his work. / O atual contexto de saúde no Brasil tem vivenciado transformações importantes nos últimos anos, emerge a necessidade de desenvolver novas e inovadoras possibilidades de trabalho. A Estratégia Saúde da Família (ESF) insere-se nesse cenário como importante ferramenta de reorganização dos serviços na atenção primária. O enfermeiro coloca-se diante desse desafio, na medida em que assume atividades relacionadas ao gerenciamento dos processos de trabalho, bem como a coordenação e organização dos serviços de saúde. Este trabalho teve como objetivo geral apresentar os significados atribuídos pelos enfermeiros ao processo interacional no exercício gerencial das ESFs e como objetivos específicos discutir a gerência realizada pelo enfermeiro na ESF, bem como sua articulação com a assistência de enfermagem e ainda elaborar uma matriz teórica representativa da vivência do enfermeiro na gerência das ESFs. Trata-se de uma pesquisa de campo descritiva com abordagem qualitativa, guiada pelo referencial teórico-metodológico do Interacionismo Simbólico e Teoria Fundamentada nos Dados (TFD), respectivamente. A coleta de dados ocorreu nos meses de março, abril e maio de 2012 e realizou-se por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas a partir de uma proposta intensiva, os sujeitos foram sete enfermeiros gerentes das ESFs de um município do interior do Rio Grande do Sul. Para análise seguiram-se os passos propostos pela TFD: codificação aberta, axial e seletiva. A pesquisa seguiu os princípios éticos propostos pela Resolução 196/96 e foi aprovada pelo Comitê de Ética da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria. Após a codificação obteve-se as seguintes categorias: revelando-se profissional, convivendo com adversidades, envolvendo-se com a organização do cuidado, estabelecendo o trabalho em equipe e centrando o trabalho no usuário. Estas foram organizadas em torno de um conceito explanatório central, com o objetivo de proporcionar a compreensão do fenômeno central que se constitui: Vivenciando o agir gerencial do enfermeiro na estratégia saúde da família: significados a partir da interface com o cuidado. Este foi apresentado junto ao Modelo Paradigmático. Assim, foi possível vislumbrar que o enfermeiro gerente reconhece a importância da sua atuação na ESF e procura desempenhar a sua função considerando o usuário foco central do seu trabalho.

The core essence of a marketing transaction is the exchange of value between two parties. Quite often, the exchange of value describes a customer purchasing a product from a company. When purchasing products, the exchange of value can often fail due to product defects or customer dissatisfaction. When the marketing exchange fails, customers often desire an avenue for recourse to right the exchange imbalance. Accepting and quickly processing product returns represents a strategic tool companies can leverage to maintain healthy relationships with customers, despite an exchange failure. Effectively managing product returns also benefits companies financially, by reducing inventory levels, costs, and the risk of product obsolescence. Despite providing both relationship management and financial benefits, numerous companies struggle to manage product returns effectively. In a time when companies are facing a growing number of product returns due to omni-channel retailing and online shopping, implementing an effective system to manage product returns has become a vital strategic tool necessary to maintain competitiveness. First, the current research answers the question of why do companies struggle with product returns? by identifying the important components of an effective product returns system. Informed by complex adaptive systems theory and based on a qualitative, grounded theory analysis, the current research finds that the hidden complex nature of managing product returns prevents numerous companies from implementing an effective system to mange returns. Managing product returns requires five important components (firm capabilities, employees, the returns management information system, organizational climate, and the customer service boundary), which interact with each other multiple times to process a product return. After identifying the important components and interactions within a product returns system, Essay I integrates the information together to form a substantive theory of the complexity of product returns management. The substantive theory implies that companies looking to improve their management of product returns need to understand and invest in multiple components within the product returns system. Second, the current research answers the question of how do the employees, returns management information system, and climate for creativity components of a product returns system relate to a firm’s flexibility, adaptability, and performance? To answer this research question, this dissertation empirically evaluates the role these three components play in shaping a firm’s flexibility, adaptability, subjective performance and relationship quality by analyzing data collected through an online survey with 102 US managers with experience in product returns. The empirical analysis indicates that employee decision-making resources show a statistically significant negative relationship with firm adaptability, while the firm’s climate for creativity and flexibility show a statistically significant positive relationship with firm adaptability. Firm adaptability shows statistically significant positive relationships with subjective performance and relationship quality. Firm adaptability acts as a partial or full mediator in all of these relationships. The combined findings of Essay I and Essay II point to the importance of product returns as a strategic relationship management tool. Firms that can effectively manage product returns give employees more flexibility to respond to problems, are better able to make structural changes, have higher subjective performance ratings, and better quality relationships with customers.