Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 24-26).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains x, 137 p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 119-126). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 101-108).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center; full text release delayed at author's request until 2008 Sep 8

Thesis (M.S. in Community Research and Action)--Vanderbilt University, Dec. 2007. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Full text release at OhioLINK's ETD Center delayed at author's request

People who are mentally unwell and have committed a criminal offence are cared for by forensic mental health services. Their treatment is provided in secure hospitals so that any risks to the public are minimised. The complex nature of the mental health difficulties experienced by this clinical population means that they are typically treated in secure hospitals for several years, incurring high economic and personal costs. The need for meaningful approaches to treatment and management of these individuals is therefore paramount. The first paper systematically reviewed eighteen qualitative research papers that explored stakeholder perspectives on the personal recovery approach to care in forensic contexts. Principles of personal recovery were perceived to be meaningful and applicable in forensic contexts if adaptations were made to overcome inherent barriers such as restrictions due to risk management. Methodological quality of the reviewed studies was limited by shortcomings in the transparency of study procedures. The second paper explored the experiences of a significant subpopulation of forensic service users who were discharged to the community subject to conditions including ongoing monitoring, then recalled back to a secure hospital due to a relapse in their mental state or other indicators of increased risk. Using grounded theory, a theoretical model was developed of how these individuals make sense of being recalled. This was found to be a recursive process influenced by their perceptions of events before their recall, during the recall itself, and their subsequent experiences.

Critical scholars have written about the ‘squeezed middle' and the new labour process of front line and middle managers generally, but there is a gap in the literature relating to both how changes to managerial work have affected those subjected to them and how individuals and organisations have attempted to respond to, and cope with, public sector cuts and challenges. Much of contemporary HRD writing on change management suggests that leadership development has a privileged role in adjusting the ‘worker' to the situation. However, given the implicitly unitarist nature of much HRD writing, this thesis argues that insights from such literature is inadequate or incomplete because it fails to consider the interests of managers as employees. The focus of this thesis is on middle managers' (MM) ability to overcome the public sector challenges associated with work intensification; control and skills adaption via learning and development initiatives. This qualitative research comprises a data set of 17 in-depth interviews and 34 complementary semi-structured questionnaire's with middle managers in the Hong Kong Civil Service. Thematic analysis revealed that whilst managers and the organisation benefit from leadership development in terms of human capital development, power differentials and structural impediments limit the capacity to benefit from social capital and networking opportunities provided. As such LDP cannot compensate for work intensification, leading to a stressed-out, disempowered, squeezed middle management cadre, which in turn impacts on public service delivery.

In this phenomenological study, I examined the educational experiences of six international doctoral students of Education at a Midwestern university. The purpose of this study is to understand how the participants make meaning of their educational experiences. Several theories influenced this study. These include critical theory, co-cultural theory, transformative learning theory and the concept of cultural scripts. A qualitative approach was used to gather detailed data from the participants. Data collection included a series of three in-depth, semi-structured interviews with each participant and two focus group interviews. All of the data collected were carefully coded, looking for three central topics of self reflection, transformative experiences, and meaning making. The participants' understanding of their transformation as learners tied closely to their academic accomplishments, which include completing tasks and assignments, being accepted in academic community, having articles published in academic journals, and presenting their academic work at conferences. Much of their transformation and meaning making related to their instrumental learning. The study suggests that educators should encourage students to broaden their frames of reference by inviting them to engage in meaningful discussion that is beyond instrumental learning in order for the students to develop critical thinking and to be in charge and accountable for their learning towards critical consciousness.

Initiating the use of Computerised information systems (CISs) has become a global trend, including in Taiwan. Although CISs sound promising for improving clinical effectiveness and efficiency, evidence demonstrating their actual benefits is still limited. How CISs influence nursing practice and professionalism is not widely known, and the actual implementation process is not well understood. Hence, this study explores (1) the impact of CISs on the role of nurses and their practice, (2) the context of developing and implementing CISs, and (3) the practice politics underlying the use of information technologies in a Taiwanese hospital. A single, embedded, qualitative case study was conducted. Data collection used multiple methods, combining elite interviews with nurse managers (n=13) and informatics staff (n=3), five focus groups with front-line registered nurses (n=25) and 47 hours of non-participant observation in six wards in the case-study hospital. Data analysis followed a thematic approach, comparing and contrasting patterns among multiple perspectives. Four major themes emerged from the analysis. Firstly, the development of CISs was a result of negotiated order and relied upon interdisciplinary collaboration. Through interdisciplinary interactions of negotiations, covert negotiations and renegotiations, the exercise of power and power imbalances were recognised. Secondly, a top-down approach was adopted in the implementation process. In order to move computerisation forward, head nurses acted as change agents in gaining compliance from nurses. Front-line nurses showed generally positive attitudes towards computerisation. Being daily system users, front-line nurses were relatively powerless and were compliant with the top-down implementation; however, they grumbled at the same time. Thirdly, through system design strategies to structure clinical activities and increase information transparency, CISs became helpful tools in achieving standardised practice, tightening up managerial surveillance and control and clearly defining employees' accountabilities. Finally, whilst convenience and efficiency were perceived as the results of computerisation, hardware problems and the burdens of the computerisation process created hidden work in nursing practice, which required nurses to care for computers whilst caring for patients. Through the lens of several social theories, the study findings indicated that power in developing and implementing CISs was not in the hands of the nursing profession. The findings manifested the disciplinary power of computer technology and also suggest that computerisation may de-skill the nursing profession which may reignite the technology and skilling debate. Although generally believed to facilitate performance efficiency, this study found that computer technology created unfavourable consequences, for example hidden work, which seems to be unrecognised in the literature. Computers became the nurses 'co-client' and consequently took time away from patient care so computerisation may not be as efficient and effective as expected. Finally, a qualitative case study was found to be an appropriate methodology to explore this complex issue comprehensively and holistically. However, this small, single case study was conducted in one location in Taiwan. More research is needed to verify the findings which may have significant implications for management, policy and practice.