Objectives: This study examined the experiences of older parents who provide long-term care for their adult children with learning disabilities and how they conceptualise their quality of life. Method: Data were collected using semi-structured interviews during the period 2009 to 2012 with 27 older parent carers from four London boroughs and were analysed using framework technique. Findings: Findings indicate benefits as well as challenges. Most participants appraised their quality of life positively, despite the challenges they had to negotiate on a daily basis. They reported rewards and benefits from caregiving, more so in later life, such as: a connected family from shared caregiving; having a sense of belonging; purposeful living; a reciprocal relationship with their adult children; and personal transformations from providing care which improved their quality of life. The challenges that participants regularly encountered were: the added stress of the government’s Personalisation Agenda of caring services (particularly through direct payments); struggles for access to services; multiple losses (sleep, career, identity and friends); worry about future care; fear of abuse when carers are unable to continue in their role; unhelpful attitudes of health and social care professionals; and a lack of empathy from friends as well as the public towards people with learning disabilities. Conclusion: The findings indicate that caregiving and quality of life are inextricably linked. The difficulties that parent carers experienced were mainly associated with socio-structural barriers, rather than their children’s disabilities. Importantly, the findings inform the practice of social workers and others who support this unique group of carers by providing new insights into how caring impacts on quality of life and how best these parents’ needs can be met. This study makes a specific contribution to understanding the phenomenological realities of older carers and extends current conceptualisations of quality of life among older people.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate: what is the significance of professional networks for women within the IT industry. Previous research shows that there are barriers women in the field of IT face when entering and advancing in the industry. To investigate the potential connection between barriers and professional networks ten women were interviewed. Professional networks for women within the sector are examined through a qualitative lens. This study support previous research that showed that women in the IT industry face barriers. Moreover, this study highlights benefits of professional networks, representing that women receive and develop personal skills that can make them more successful at work. This study also provides criticism towards the networks and shows that there is room for improvements. The professional networks described by the respondents in this study seem to miss out on the opportunity to fundamentally discuss the barriers women face as professionals.

Magister Educationis - MEd / Insights into the experiences of students at TVET colleges can inform policies and practices. This paper focuses on an investigation into students’ experiences of access, and barriers to participation, and success at a TVET college in the Western Cape. I mainly used the theories by Margaret Archer (2003), Anthony Giddens (1979; 1984), Albert Bandura (1989; 2001; 2006), Steven Hitlin and Glen H. Elder (2006), Kjell Rubenson and Richard Desjardins (2009), and K. Patricia Cross (1981) related to structure and agency to analyse my data. Data was collected from interviews with the exit level students at a TVET college who are registered for a National Certificate (Vocational) programme. The evidence of this qualitative research revealed that students experience several institutional, dispositional and situational barriers, but find ways of overcoming these in order to complete their studies successfully. Findings show that elements of ‘agency’ such as ‘intentionality’ ‘forethought’ and self-reflectiveness are prevalent in the ways that students overcome barriers. The findings further revealed that the majority of participants accessed vocational education at a TVET college to improve their lives with the desire and intention to study further. This study generally suggests that intentionality and resilience, amongst other factors, are important elements of agency and are used to explain and interpret the positive relationship between agency, barriers to participation and success.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The topic of antiretroviral adherence remains a subject of continued importance, as it is associated with positive health outcomes amongst patients attending public healthcare facilities. Available literature on adherence behaviour mainly focuses on the psychological and behavioural barriers, while overlooking the multitude of structural barriers within the patient’s environment affecting the patient’s adherence to antiretroviral treatment and care. The present study provides a unique perspective on adherence behaviour amongst persons living with HIV and receiving antiretroviral treatment, as it identifies important structural barriers to clinical attendance and pill-taking. The sample for this study were selected from patients attending an infectious diseases clinic at a major peri-urban secondary hospital and receiving antiretroviral therapy, nurses and doctors providing health services to patients, and patient advocates providing psychosocial support to patients under the auspices of a local non-governmental organisation. The participants included in this study were selected by means of convenience sampling to participate either in semi structured interviews or focus group discussions. Participants were assured of the confidentiality of the process and their anonymity in both cases. Both semi structured interviews and focus groups were digitally recorded and transcribed after which transcriptions were entered into Atlas.ti for textual analysis. Transcriptions were thematically analysed according to the perceptions of various participants. The main themes that emerged from the present study included individual barriers, poverty-related barriers, institutionrelated barriers, and social and community-related barriers. The results of the present study were triangulated by considering the concurrences and discrepancies between the patients, clinicians and patient advocates on the main, and subthemes. These themes were then discussed according to Bronfenbrenner’s (1972) Ecological Systems Theory, which divided the main themes identified according to the different systems operating within the patient’s environment, i.e. the micro-, exo-, and macrosystem. The microsystem included both individual psychological and behavioural barriers and poverty-related barriers. Institutional barriers were considered within the exosystem of the patient’s ecological environment. And the social and community-related barriers were considered within the macrosystem of the patient’s ecological environment. The significance of this study lies in the identification of adherence behaviour as the product of the patient’s environment through the examination of triangulated data. Future research may include effective ways in which patients can be assisted in developing the necessary skills to cope with their environment and to enhance social support. The development of strategies to support newly-enrolled patients also still needs investigation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Volgehoue antiretrovirale behandeling bly ‘n onderwerp van voortdurende belang omdat dit geassosieer word met positiewe gesondheidsuitkomste onder pasiënte wat van openbare gesondheidsfasiliteite gebruik maak. Beskikbare literatuur oor volhoudings gedrag fokus grootliks op sielkundige en gedragshindernisse, terwyl veelvuldige strukturelehindernisse binne die pasiënt se omgewing steeds misgekyk word. Dié studie bied ‘n unieke perspektief op volhoudingsgedrag onder MIV-positiewe pasiënte wat tans antiretrovirale terapie ontvang, aangesien dit belangrike strukturele hindernisse tot kliniek bywoning en die neem van medikasie identifiseer. Dié steekproef sluit pasiënte in wat tans antiretrovirale terapie by ‘n aansteeklike siektes-kliniek by ‘n peri-stedelike sekondêre hospitaal ontvang. Dit sluit ook dokters en verpleegsters in wat gesondheidsdienste aan dié pasiënte verskaf, en pasiënt- advokate wat psigo-sosiale ondersteuning aan pasiënte verskaf onder die vaandel van ‘n plaaslike nieregerings organisasie. Dié deelnemers is deur middel van gerieflikheidssteekproef geselekteer om aan semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude of fokusgroepbesprekings deel te neem. Deelnemers van albei groepe is van hul anonimiteit en die vertroulikheid van die proses verseker. Beide die semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude en die fokusgroepbesprekings is digitaal opgeneem en transkripsies is daarvan gemaak, waarna die transkripsies in Atlas.ti gelaai is vir tekstuele analise. Transkripsies is tematies geanaliseer volgens die persepsies van die verskeie deelnemers. Die hooftemas wat na vore gekom het, sluit in individuele hindernisse, armoedeverwante hindernisse, institusieverwante hindernisse asook sosiale en gemeenskapsverwante hindernisse. Resultate van dié studie is getrianguleer deur die verskille en ooreenkomste te vind tussen pasiënte, klinici en pasiënt-advokate oor die hoof- en subtemas. Die hooftemas is toe volgens Bronfenbrenner (1972) se Ekologiese Sistemeteorie verdeel in die verskillende sisteme teenwoording in die pasiënt se omgewing, naamlik die mikro-, ekso-, en makrosisteem. Die mikrosisteem het individuele sielkundige en gedragshindernisse asook die armoedeverwante hindernisse ingesluit. Institusieverwante hindernisse is binne die eksosisteem van die pasiënt se ekologiese omgewing beskou en sosiale en gemeenskapsverwante hindernisse is beskou binne die makrosisteem van die pasiënt se ekologiese omgewing. Die belang van dié studie lê in die identifisering van volhoudingsgedrag as produk van die pasiënt se omgewing, soos beskou deur die Ekologiese Sistemeteorie. Toekomstige navorsing kan fokus op effektiewe maniere waarop pasiënte bygestaan kan word om die nodige vaardighede te ontwikkel om hul omgewing beter te kan hanteer en beskikbare sosiale ondersteuning te kan verbeter. Die ontwikkeling van strategieë om nuwe pasiënte by te staan, benodig ook verdere navorsing.

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Digital transformation has a significant impact on various areas of public sector organizations across the globe. While its most noticeable effect is proposed at the organizational level, digital transformation influences operational efficiency and performance. Digital transformation can enhance operational efficiency, for instance, by enabling accelerated decision-making processes through analytics and big data. Automation and improved business processes also contribute to operational efficiency. However, these organizations often encounter significant challenges in digital transformation, particularly cultural and structural barriers. While plenty of research is exploring digital transformation in private and public organizations, specific insights into the context of Swedish municipalities still need to be explored. Prior research has shown that digital transformation involves overcoming several barriers. In response to the research, this study aims to analyse the most impactful obstacles in digital transformation in public organizations: cultural and structural barriers within Swedish municipalities. The research strategy is a survey-based study involving semi-structured interviews with IT directors and managers from 14 municipalities undergoing digital transformation. The data collected was analysed using thematic analysis. The data analysis has identified a total of 19 barriers, with 11 being newly discovered and 8 reaffirmed from prior research literature and internal documents to achieve data triangulation. These findings provide a deeper understanding of these barriers, promoting the successful implementation of digital transformation strategies in the public sector.

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe registered nurse's perceptions with regard to continuing formal education. A quantitative descriptive, explorative research design was used to study registered nurses views with regard to continuing formal education and to identify the barriers to continuing formal education as experienced by registered nurses. Convenience sampling was used to select the research sample of registered nurses working at four state health institutions in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Descriptive statistics, based on calculations using the Microsoft (MS) Excel (for Windows 2000) programme, were used to summarise and describe the research results obtained from the questions completed by the registered nurses. The research results indicated that most registered nurses perceive continuing formal education as beneficial to their personal and professional growth and to improve the quality of patient/client care, but barriers exist which prevent or deter them from undertaking continuing formal education programmes. The main barriers were identified as structural barriers, including lack of funding, job and family responsibilities and lack of coherent staff development planning. / Health Studies / M. A. (Health Studies)

Alarming statistics provides that only 10,2 percentage of companies listed on the Swedish stock exchange has achieved gender equality in their top management. The fact is that women being discriminated, since men dominates these positions of power. The study is of a qualitative nature and aims to achieve a deeper understanding and knowledge contribution of how gender equal companies´ has achieved this gender diversity in their top management. Sweden's highest ranking business leaders has been interviewed in order to obtain their view, and the companies they represent, in order to get an answer to what the most important requirements has been in the achievement. The study's main result has shown that strong core values and corporate culture are basic and required condition for a successful gender equality strategy. A deliberate or emergent strategy can then be successfully implemented, and it is mainly the impact of structural barriers that determine which strategy a company uses. At a deliberate strategy, following measures are in additional to core values and corporate cultural crucial; commitment towards gender equality, a specific plan with clear objectives, and a conscious objective recruitment process. The result found aboute these two factors and three measures also identified a required specific order to follow in order to achieve gender diversity in top management. These findings, which in a near future, aims to contribute to a more gender equal Sweden.

Master thesis in marketing, 15 credits, School of business and economics, Linnaeus University, Växjö, 4FE02E, spring 2011 Author: Emma Johansson Tutor: Åsa Devine Title: Build it green – To create entry barriers with green marketing Background: In the beginning of the 21st century sustainability have become of higher importance for companies. One tool to manage sustainability is green marketing; an approach through which companies can gain competitive advantage. But is it possible to influence the market structure by using green marketing and is it possible to make it difficult for new actors to enter the market? Purpose: The purpose of this research is to investigate how companies can use green marketing to create entry barriers. Delimitations: This thesis is delimited to investigate the work of creating entry barriers, not to measure the effect of it. Furthermore the empirical research only includes companies on the Swedish market. Method: To investigate how companies use green marketing in relation to entry barriers today a quantitative approach was used and an electronic questionnaire was conducted. Conclusion: For established companies to protect their position on the market it is important to not only concentrate on the barriers most commonly related to green marketing. Rather green companies can establish a wide spectrum of barriers related to green marketing in order to make it more difficult for new entrants to establish themselves. Suggestions for further research: The next step to make within the field of green marketing as a barrier to entry is to investigate the effect of the barriers examined in this research. It is also necessary to do industry specific researches to investigate if some barriers are more important for certain industries. Keywords: Entry barriers, environmental commitment, green entry barriers, green marketing, strategic barriers to entry, structural barriers to entry, sustainability.

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe registered nurse's perceptions with regard to continuing formal education. A quantitative descriptive, explorative research design was used to study registered nurses views with regard to continuing formal education and to identify the barriers to continuing formal education as experienced by registered nurses. Convenience sampling was used to select the research sample of registered nurses working at four state health institutions in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Descriptive statistics, based on calculations using the Microsoft (MS) Excel (for Windows 2000) programme, were used to summarise and describe the research results obtained from the questions completed by the registered nurses. The research results indicated that most registered nurses perceive continuing formal education as beneficial to their personal and professional growth and to improve the quality of patient/client care, but barriers exist which prevent or deter them from undertaking continuing formal education programmes. The main barriers were identified as structural barriers, including lack of funding, job and family responsibilities and lack of coherent staff development planning. / Health Studies / M. A. (Health Studies)