All executives strive for better results in their organisations. They are always dependent on others to achieve these results and this dependency is particularly evident in large organisations. This thesis is concerned with the ways in which these better results might be achieved and the role senior executives might play in this process. The traditional view is that senior executives design and control the way their organisations function and better results therefore depend upon getting the design and the controls ‘right’. My personal experience, supported by many authors, is that this view is often far from reality. In this thesis I therefore draw on an alternative view of how organisations function, namely, the theory of complex responsive processes, in order to explore how senior executives can be more effective given their very limited ability to design and control their organisations. From a complex responsive processes perspective (Stacey, Griffin and Shaw, 2000; Stacey, 2003a), an organisation is understood, by analogy with the complexity sciences, to be processes of self-organising interaction between agents. The abstract analogy from the complexity sciences is interpreted in the case of human interaction according to the thinking of the American pragmatist G. H. Mead (1934). Mead explains the simultaneous emergence of mind and society in terms of the social act in which one person gestures to another and in doing so calls forth a response from that other in ongoing conversational processes in which patterns of communication (meaning) emerge across the organisational population. Work in organisations is accomplished in these conversational processes. In their conscious, self-conscious and responsive interaction, human agents depend on each other; according to the process sociologist N. Elias (1978), this means that all human relating is simultaneously constraining and enabling. Elias defines power as these enabling constraints between people, so that power is an aspect of all human relating. According to Elias, values, norms and ideology are the basis of power. Human choice and intention influence the shifting of power balances in which conflict, as a normal aspect of human interaction, plays an important role. Power, ideology and identity are then seen as central aspects of organisations. 4 People only interact locally with a small proportion of the total population they are part of, and do so on the basis of their own local organising principles (communication, power and choice) rather than simply obeying centrally set rules. This can be understood as self-organisation. The global patterns of communicative interaction and power relations across the organisation emerge in these local interactions rather than following a specific plan, programme or blueprint. The global patterns are unpredictable and are not under the control of any member of the organisation. Global – that is, company-wide – results are thus not directly determined by global design or control, but emerge in this local interaction. This approach means re-thinking what is involved in leadership and the roles of senior executives. From this perspective, senior executives are paradoxically in control and not in control at the same time (Streatfield, 2001). In this thesis I draw on my own personal experience over the past three years as a senior executive in a large services and transport company to identify the role a senior executive can actively play in potentially achieving better results despite not being fully in control. I emphasise the active contribution of senior executives in many local interactions in which global company-wide results emerge. Through the manner in which they participate in, and inspire, the development of local conversational interaction, senior executives can actively encourage front-line staff to take local responsibility for contributing to global, company-wide improvement of results. During these local interactions a chain reaction of local responsibilities can emerge that can contribute to the improvement of global company-wide performance. It is the responsibility of senior executives to communicate clearly in the organisation about demands on performance and results by customers and stakeholders in the market, and to encourage the taking of local responsibility for them. From a complexity view, the impact of leaders on the organisation is not less but different, with potentially better results.

Professional learning communities (PLCs) were established in a local suburban school district in 2010; however, since their inception, the value of the program has not been determined. In a K-8 school district, a qualitative case study was conducted to determine the influence of PLCs on the 4 domains of teacher responsibilities: preparation, classroom environment, teaching, and professional duties. The conceptual framework was based on Bandura's social learning theory and Danielson's framework for teaching. The research questions focused on how teacher participation and the allotment of time in a PLC, and the structure of a PLC, influence teacher classroom responsibilities. Data collected included interviews, written narratives by teachers, and a review of formative assessment documents. The participants were 5 teachers, selected through a purposeful sampling of teachers from across the grade levels of kindergarten to Grade 8, who had actively participated in a PLC for a minimum of 1 year. The data was analyzed to determine themes. The findings confirmed that PLCs allow for the exploration of ideas within a small group and that professional development is necessary to develop PLCs that influence teacher responsibilities in all 4 domains by Danielson. Based on the findings and supporting literature, a 3-day workshop was developed to provide teachers with an improved understanding of PLCs and how they can support teachers in implementing appropriate instructional practices for all students. This effort may result in a collaborative school culture for teachers and significant improvement in student achievement due to the recurring cycles of collective inquiry.

<p>The concept of citizenship was created in Greece about 600 BC, and has for most of the time been treated as a philosophical concept, or as a concept of political science. In spite of the fact that sociologists have taken an interest in the concept in the second half of the 20th century there is hardly any empirical research to substantiate how the common man perceives and defines the concept. Disabled people to a great extent perceive themselves as belonging to a forgotten sector of society in that they experience administrative barriers, shortcomings in the way individuals and institutions behave towards them, institutional discrimination, being socially dead, etc. </p><p>—The aim of this study has been to explore how citizenship is perceived and defined by disabled people in Great Britain and Sweden, focusing on the perception of rights and obligations, and how these rights and obligations have been made available to them by society.</p><p>—The study was carried out as a qualitative study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with disabled people defined as activists in a disability context (in Great Britain 19 informants, in Sweden 21 informants). The study was carried out in cooperation with the Wigforss Institute, Halmstad University, Sweden, and the Centre for Disability Studies, University of Leeds, Great Britain.</p><p>—The main conclusion of the study it that disabled people are knowledgeable on the concept of citizenship, on rights and responsibilities. They also have a strong sense of wanting to fulfill the responsibilities that are inherent in being a member of society, but that, through the lack of inclusion, institutional discrimination, and the rights that they have been denied, they are also denied the right fullfilling these responsibilities.</p>

The concept of citizenship was created in Greece about 600 BC, and has for most of the time been treated as a philosophical concept, or as a concept of political science. In spite of the fact that sociologists have taken an interest in the concept in the second half of the 20th century there is hardly any empirical research to substantiate how the common man perceives and defines the concept. Disabled people to a great extent perceive themselves as belonging to a forgotten sector of society in that they experience administrative barriers, shortcomings in the way individuals and institutions behave towards them, institutional discrimination, being socially dead, etc. —The aim of this study has been to explore how citizenship is perceived and defined by disabled people in Great Britain and Sweden, focusing on the perception of rights and obligations, and how these rights and obligations have been made available to them by society. —The study was carried out as a qualitative study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with disabled people defined as activists in a disability context (in Great Britain 19 informants, in Sweden 21 informants). The study was carried out in cooperation with the Wigforss Institute, Halmstad University, Sweden, and the Centre for Disability Studies, University of Leeds, Great Britain. —The main conclusion of the study it that disabled people are knowledgeable on the concept of citizenship, on rights and responsibilities. They also have a strong sense of wanting to fulfill the responsibilities that are inherent in being a member of society, but that, through the lack of inclusion, institutional discrimination, and the rights that they have been denied, they are also denied the right fullfilling these responsibilities.

This survey is a qualitative study about how teachers see on the concept student leverage and what they say about how they in practice work with it. We have chosen to examine the subject from a teacher’s perspective, because almost all investigations and literature, that we have found, discuss student influence from a student’s perspective. That’s why we are interested to examine what teachers think of the subject. We did three focus group interviews with teachers from preschool classes up to class 6. The teachers considered that student influence is when teachers listen to the students' interests and the lesson content then acts about that. Student influence is also that the students may influence the organization of social environment, evaluation and approaches. Evaluation was something the teachers regarded should be done, but they said that they didn’t have time to do it. All teachers expressed that when they work with student influence, it is through class - and pupil ' council. They considered that the students through this might have leverage in both classroom and school. We have come to a result that student effect means that the students should have leverage in both contents and approaches. Student effect is also that the student can have influence in his/hers situation in the school.

Continuing education (CE) in nursing is a critical element in assuring quality health care for the public. Rapid changes in technology and increasing emphasis on utilizing current research findings in practice increases the importance of participation in CE. Many nurses, however, do not attend CE sessions. As provincial professional associations are looking at ways to ensure competency in practice, the issue of who participates in CE and who does not is becoming more relevant to employers and educators. p*A review of the literature found that while many studies looked at factors that increase participation in CE, few examined deterrents or barriers to CE participation in nursing. Few studies were found comparing CE participants with nonparticipants. <p>This comparative descriptive study examined the similarities and differences between participants and nonparticipants of CE. Questionnaires, including the 40-item Deterrents to Participation Scale as well as some demographic and recent CE participation information, were distributed to a sample of acute care nurses in three different-sized hospitals in Saskatchewan. To maximize response rates, Dillmans Total Design Method for surveys was used where possible. <p>Means of the interval data was compared between the participants and nonparticipants. Cross tabulations were used to explore relationships among non-interval data. <p>This study provided valuable insights into participation and nonparticipation in CE, and will thereby help employers and educators develop a deeper understanding of possible strategies that could increase participation in CE.

Background: Although many pharmacies sell natural health products (NHPs), there is no clear definition as to the responsibilities (if any) of pharmacists towards these products. Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore and compare pharmacy and stakeholder leaders’ perceptions of pharmacists’ professional NHP responsibilities. Methods: Semi-structured key informant interviews were conducted with pharmacy leaders and stakeholder leaders representing: consumers, complementary and alternative medicine practitioners, conventional healthcare practitioners, and industry across Canada. Results: Nearly all participants believed safety monitoring was a key responsibility of pharmacists. One challenge identified was pharmacists’ general lack of NHP knowledge. Stakeholder leaders did not expect pharmacists to be NHP experts, but should have a basic level of education on NHPs. Many pharmacy leaders seemed unfamiliar with current pharmacy NHP policies. Conclusion: Participants described pharmacists’ professional responsibilities for NHPs as similar to those for over-the-counter drugs. More awareness of existing NHP-related pharmacy policies is needed.

Background: Although many pharmacies sell natural health products (NHPs), there is no clear definition as to the responsibilities (if any) of pharmacists towards these products. Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore and compare pharmacy and stakeholder leaders’ perceptions of pharmacists’ professional NHP responsibilities. Methods: Semi-structured key informant interviews were conducted with pharmacy leaders and stakeholder leaders representing: consumers, complementary and alternative medicine practitioners, conventional healthcare practitioners, and industry across Canada. Results: Nearly all participants believed safety monitoring was a key responsibility of pharmacists. One challenge identified was pharmacists’ general lack of NHP knowledge. Stakeholder leaders did not expect pharmacists to be NHP experts, but should have a basic level of education on NHPs. Many pharmacy leaders seemed unfamiliar with current pharmacy NHP policies. Conclusion: Participants described pharmacists’ professional responsibilities for NHPs as similar to those for over-the-counter drugs. More awareness of existing NHP-related pharmacy policies is needed.

Continuing education (CE) in nursing is a critical element in assuring quality health care for the public. Rapid changes in technology and increasing emphasis on utilizing current research findings in practice increases the importance of participation in CE. Many nurses, however, do not attend CE sessions. As provincial professional associations are looking at ways to ensure competency in practice, the issue of who participates in CE and who does not is becoming more relevant to employers and educators. p*A review of the literature found that while many studies looked at factors that increase participation in CE, few examined deterrents or barriers to CE participation in nursing. Few studies were found comparing CE participants with nonparticipants. <p>This comparative descriptive study examined the similarities and differences between participants and nonparticipants of CE. Questionnaires, including the 40-item Deterrents to Participation Scale as well as some demographic and recent CE participation information, were distributed to a sample of acute care nurses in three different-sized hospitals in Saskatchewan. To maximize response rates, Dillmans Total Design Method for surveys was used where possible. <p>Means of the interval data was compared between the participants and nonparticipants. Cross tabulations were used to explore relationships among non-interval data. <p>This study provided valuable insights into participation and nonparticipation in CE, and will thereby help employers and educators develop a deeper understanding of possible strategies that could increase participation in CE.

No description available.