Marjorie L. Icenogle

A Managerial Perspective: Oral Communi cation Competency Is Most Important for Business Students in the Workplace Jeanne D. Maes

Results of two studies show that oral communication is the most important competency for college graduates entering the workforce, and that the oral skills most important for entry level graduates are: following instructions, listening, conversing, and giving feedback. In the first study, 354 managers identified and ranked the competencies and characteristics they consider when hiring college graduates for entry-level positions. Findings reveal that the top three competen cies are oral communications, problem-solving, and self- motivation. No signifi cant differences were found among industries, number of employees, or management level of the responding manager. Based on the first study, Study 2 identified the most important skills associ ated with oral communication competency. From a list of 13 oral communication skills, managers rated each skill according to importance to entry-level jobs occupied by college graduates, and how frequently entry-level graduates use each skill. No significant differences were found in the ratings on importance of oral communication skills. However, graduates in companies with less than 200 employees reportedly handle customer complaints more frequently than gradu ates in larger companies, and graduates in companies with more than 200 employees use meeting skills more frequently than graduates in smaller compa nies.

The Importance of Employee Demographic Profiles for Understanding Experiences of Work-Family Interrole Conflicts

This article investigated the reported experiences of work-family interrole conflict differences between American men and women. Participants answered questions on several questionnaires and were classified according to marital status, working or non-working spouse or partner, and presence of children. Overall, men reported significantly higher levels of work-to-family and strain-based, family-to-work conflict. Married men with working spouses, with and without children, and married men with children and non-working spouses reported higher levels of time-based and strain-based, family-to-work conflict than women in each corresponding category. The highest time-based, family-to-work conflict was reported by divorced women with children.

Providing Continuity of Care for Chronic Diseases in the Aftermath of Katrina: From Field Experience to Policy Recommendations

This study sought to elicit challenges and solutions in the provision of health care to those with chronic diseases after Hurricane Katrina in coastal Alabama and Mississippi. In-depth interviews with 30 health and social service providers (key informants) and 4 focus groups with patients with chronic diseases were conducted. Subsequently an advisory panel of key informants was convened. Findings were summarized and key informants submitted additional feedback. The chronic diseases identified as medical management priorities by key informants were mental health, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, respiratory illness, end-stage renal disease, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. The most frequently mentioned barrier to providing care was maintaining continuity of medications. Contributing factors were inadequate information (inaccessible medical records, poor patient knowledge) and financial constraints. Implemented or suggested solutions included relaxation of insurance limitations preventing advance prescription refills; better predisaster patient education to improve medical knowledge; promotion of personal health records; support for information technology systems at community health centers, in particular electronic medical records; improved allocation of donated medications/medical supplies (centralized coordination, decentralized distribution); and networking between local responders and external aid.

PREPARING FOR AN AGE-DIVERSE WORKFORCE: INTERGENERATIONAL SERVICE-LEARNING IN SOCIAL GERONTOLOGY AND BUSINESS CURRICULA

Age diversity may well be the most conflict-ridden diversity issue of the early 21st century. With the impending age boom, institutions of higher education need to begin to prepare graduates in all disciplines to work in a multigenerational workforce. Younger graduates, as well as older workers returning to the classroom for retraining, need to know how to manage conflict in an age-diverse work environment. Project ALIGN (the Alabama Intergenerational Network for Service Learning) provides opportunities for students in business and the social sciences to work with older workers in a community-based training program. Data from a statewide survey of attitudes about workers at both ends of the career life cycle provided contextual information for this pilot project. Pre- and posttests of student attitudes provided data for project evaluation. Student attitudes were compared with results of the statewide survey and attitudes of older workers before participating in the project. Discussion in this article includes pedagogical strategies for building collegial relationships across disciplinary boundaries, changing attitudes through intergenerational shared activity, and meeting community needs through service-learning.

Insuring Continuity of Care for Chronic Disease Patients After a Disaster : Key Preparedness Elements

Background:Care for patients with chronic diseases is a challenge after a disaster. This is particularly true for individuals from health disparate populations as they are less likely to evacuate, have fewer financial resources and often depend on resource-strapped institutions for their care. The specific aim of the study presented here was to elicit challenges and solutions in the provision of health care to those with chronic diseases after Hurricane Katrina in coastal Alabama and Mississippi. Methods:Focusing on agencies providing care to health disparate populations, a qualitative methodology was employed using in-depth interviews with health and social service providers. Participants identified key elements essential to disaster preparedness. Results:Predisaster issues were patient education and preparedness, evacuation, special needs shelters, and health care provider preparedness. Postdisaster issues were communication, volunteer coordination, and donation management. Conclusions:Lessons learned from those on the ground administering health care during disasters should inform future disaster preparations. Furthermore, the methodological approach used in this study engendered collaboration between health care institutions and may enhance future interagency disaster preparedness.

Strategic Planning in Nonprofit Private Clubs: Fact or Fiction

This study investigates the extent to which club managers use formal planning processes and measures the impact of planning on club performance. Clubs were classified into four levels of planning sophistication: (a) nonplanners, (b) intuitive planners, (c) operational planners, and (d) strategic planners. Two significant performance differences were found among levels of planning sophistication. Operational planners reported higher quality services than intuitive planners and nonplanners offered more services than intuitive planners.

Post-disaster Gulf Coast Recovery Using Telehealth

OBJECTIVE The Gulf Coast continues to struggle with service need far outpacing available resources. Since 2005, the Regional Coordinating Center for Hurricane Response (RCC) at Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, has supported telehealth solutions designed to meet high service needs (e.g., psychiatry) within primary care and other healthcare organizations. The overall RCC vision is to support autonomous, useful, and sustainable telehealth programs towards mitigating unmet disaster-related needs. SUBJECTS AND METHODS To assess Gulf Coast telehealth experiences, we conducted semistructured interviews with both regional key informants and national organizations with Gulf Coast recovery interests. Using qualitative-descriptive analysis, interview transcripts were analyzed to identify shared development themes. RESULTS Thirty-eight key informants were interviewed, representing a 77.6% participation rate among organizations engaged by the RCC. Seven elements critical to telehealth success were identified: Funding, Regulatory, Workflow, Attitudes, Personnel, Technology, and Evaluation. These key informant accounts reveal shared insights with telehealth regarding successes, challenges, and recommendations. CONCLUSIONS The seven elements critical to telehealth success both confirm and organize development principles from a diverse collective of healthcare stakeholders. The structured nature of these insights suggests a generalizable framework upon which other organizations might develop telehealth strategies toward addressing high service needs with limited resources.

Handling the threat of organisational violence: an OD approach in a government agency

Considers the recent increase of violence in the workplace, citing specific situations. Outlines the impact on the workplace in relation to areas such as morale, productivity, communication and responsibility. Covers the legal obligations and responsibilities of employers before profiling a case study of a government department. Provides details of the assessment and the findings together with recommendations for future improvement.

Katrina’s Legacy: Processes for Patient Disaster Preparation Have Improved but Important Gaps Remain

Background: Ensuring continuity of care for patients with chronic illness, who are elderly or indigent presents unique challenges after disasters; this population has fewer financial resources, is less likely to evacuate, has limited access to recovery resources and is significantly dependent on charitable and government‐funded institutions for care. This study expands a previous investigation of the extent to which healthcare providers in coastal Mississippi and Alabama have made changes to facilitate continued care to these populations after disasters. Methods: Key informants representing healthcare and social services organizations serving health‐disparate residents of the Mississippi and Alabama Gulf Coast were interviewed regarding disaster preparation planning for the period of 2009‐2012. Interview transcripts were qualitatively coded and analyzed for emerging themes using ATLAS.ti software. Results: Participant organizations have implemented changes to ensure continuity of care for patients with chronic illness in case of disasters. Changes include patient assistance with predisaster preparation and training; evacuation planning and assistance; support to find resources in evacuation destinations; equipping patients with prescription information, diagnoses, treatment plans and advance medications when a disaster is imminent; multiple methods for patients to communicate with providers and more mandated medical needs shelters. Patients whose chronic conditions were diagnosed post‐Katrina are more likely to underestimate the need to prepare. Further, patients’ lack of compliance tends to increase as time passes from disasters. Conclusions: Although changes were implemented, results indicate that these may be inadequate to completely address patient needs. Thus, additional efforts may be needed, underscoring the complexity of adequate disaster preparation among disparate populations.