scholarly journals Content Analysis of Reference Transactions Provides Guidance Regarding Staffing of Library Service Points

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annie M. Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Question Type ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Intrarater Reliability ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Location Service ◽  
Library Staff ◽  
E Mail

A Review of: Bishop, B. W., & Bartlett, J. A. (2013). Where do we go from here? Informing academic library staffing through reference transaction analysis. College & Research Libraries, 74(5), 489-500. Objective – To identify the quantity of location-based and subject-based questions and determine the locations where those questions are asked in order to inform decision-making regarding optimal placing of staff. Design – Content analysis of location-based and subject-based reference transactions or transcripts collected using LibStats at 15 face-to-face (f2f) service points and via virtual services. Setting – Virtual and f2f service points at University of Kentucky (UK) campus libraries. Subjects – 1,852 location-based and subject-based reference transactions gathered via a systematic sample of every 70th transaction out of 129,572 transactions collected. Methods – Using LibStats, the researchers collected data on location-based and subject-based questions at all service points at UK Libraries between 2008 and 2011. The researchers eliminated transcripts that did not include complete data or questions with fields left blank. If all question fields were properly completed, identification and coding of location-based or subject-based questions took place. Usable transcripts included 1,333 questions that contained sufficient data. For this particular content analysis only the question type, reference mode, and location of question were utilized from the data collected. Unusable transactions were removed prior to content analysis, and reliability testing was conducted to determine interrater and intrarater reliability. Interrater reliability was high (Krippendorff’s alpha = .87%) and intrarater reliability was acceptable (Cohen's kappa = .880). Main Results – From the usable transcripts, 83.7% contained location-based questions and 16.3% were subject-based, and a little over 80% of location-based questions and 77.2% of subject-based questions were asked face-to-face (f2f). Of the location-based questions, 11.5% were directional questions and many of these questions were related to finding places inside the libraries. “Attribute of location” questions related to library services and resources, such as finding an item, printing, circulation, desk supplies, and computer problems, made up 72.8% of total question transactions. Researchers found that subject-based questions were difficult to categorize and noted that other methods would be needed to analyze the content of these questions. Professional librarians and library staff are better equipped to answer these questions, and the location where the question asked is irrelevant. The researchers addressed the issue of where questions were asked by recording the reference mode (chat, e-mail, phone, or f2f) and location service point at UK Libraries. Overall, 79% of questions were asked f2f, rather than via chat or e-mail. Researchers think that this is due to a lack of marketing efforts regarding those services, noting that most questions were asked in the system’s large main library, which also receives the most subject-based questions. Conclusion – This study can inform the UK Libraries system as to where their resources are most needed and allow for more strategic decision-making regarding staffing. The study could also prompt development of a mobile application to answer location-based questions, though more investigation is needed before moving forward with development of a mobile app. Due to the findings of this study, UK Libraries will deploy their professional library staff to locations where subject-based questions were most frequently asked. Because staffing of libraries is one of the “most expensive and valuable resources,” academic libraries can use this method to validate their current staffing strategies or justify the allocation of staff throughout their systems (p. 499).

scholarly journals The voice of dwellers – developing a place brand by listening to its residents

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulla Hakala
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Conceptual Development ◽  
Place Branding ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Case Examples ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
E Mail

Purpose Listening to the customers has long been a key phrase and success element in product branding. This paper aims to highlight the importance of listening to residents during the branding of a place. The study explores ways of listening to residents to ensure they are heard and also discusses the challenges and benefits related to place branding flowing from having residents participate in decision-making processes. Design/methodology/approach Listening to residents and offering opportunities to participate requires place branders to fully attend to, comprehend and respond to residents’ comments, requests, ideas and feedback. This study reports on how two Nordic cities – Turku and Helsinki – listen to their residents. The data used comprise face-to-face interviews, telephone and e-mail conversations and documentary material. Findings Residents should not be considered as one homogeneous target; participation options and channels should be adapted to the demographics and geographic issues of the different regions and resident groups. Research limitations/implications The role of residents and the importance of listening are crucial features in the emerging concept of inclusive place branding (Kavaratzis et al., 2017); its future conceptual development could benefit from the case examples at hand. Practical implications City authorities should listen to residents and provide them with opportunities to actively contribute to decision-making. Other cities could learn from the examples introduced in the paper. Originality/value This paper documents two Nordic examples of cities putting into practice a policy of listening to the residents, a previously neglected research area.

The Role of Structured Conflict and Consensus Approaches inVirtual Team Strategic Decision Making

2008 ◽  
pp. 1480-1497
Author(s):  
Jerry Fjermestad
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Group Support Systems ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Strategic Decision Making ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Computer Mediated Communications ◽  
Group Member

Do procedures that improve face-to-face decision meetings also improve virtual “meetings?” Might the effectiveness of such procedures improve with practice? This longitudinal experiment investigated the efficiency, effectiveness and group member perceptions of dialectical inquiry (DI) and constructive consensus (CC) approaches to strategic decision making in a virtual (distributed) computer-mediated- communications (CMC) environment. There were no differences between DI and CC groups in terms of decision effectiveness. However, this result has not been unusual in CMC research. DI groups had significantly higher perceived depth of evaluation than CC groups. CC groups reported greater decision acceptance and willingness to work together again than DI groups. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for group support systems research and design in the era of the World Wide Web.

scholarly journals Analysis of Question Type Can Help Inform Chat Staffing Decisions

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-158
Author(s):  
Heather MacDonald
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Question Type ◽  
General Reference ◽  
Online Chat ◽  
Chat Reference ◽  
Reference Service ◽  
High Level

A Review of: Meert-Williston, D., & Sandieson, R. (2019). Online Chat Reference: Question Type and the Implication for Staffing in a Large Academic Library. The Reference Librarian, 60(1), 51-61. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02763877.2018.1515688 Abstract Objective – Determine the type of online chat questions to help inform staffing decisions for chat reference service considering their library’s service mandate. Design – Content analysis of consortial online chat questions. Setting – Large academic library in Canada. Subjects – Analysis included 2,734 chat question transcripts. Methods – The authors analyzed chat question transcripts from patrons at the institution for the period of time from September 2013 to August 2014.  The authors coded transcripts by question type using a coding tool created by the authors. For transcripts that fit more than one question type, the authors chose the most prominent type. Main Results – The authors coded the chat questions as follows: service (51%), reference (25%), citation (9%), technology (7%), and miscellaneous (8%). The majority of service questions were informational, followed by account related questions.  Most of the reference chat questions were ready reference with only 16% (4% of the total number of chat questions) being in-depth. After removing miscellaneous questions, those that required a high level of expertise (in-depth reference, instructional, copyright, or citation) equaled 19%. Conclusion – At this institution, one in five chat questions needed a high level of expertise.  Library assistants with sufficient expertise could effectively answer circulation and general reference questions.  With training they could triage complex questions.  

scholarly journals Explaining Courage in Ethical Decision-making by Nursing Managers: A Qualitative Content Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 254-262
Author(s):  
Mostafa Roshanzadeh ◽  
◽  
Zohreh Vanaki ◽  
Afsaneh Sadooghiasl ◽  
Ali Tajabadi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Nurse Managers ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Nursing Managers

Introduction: Ethical decision-making by nursing managers is influenced by various essential factors, such as courage, without which it is impossible to act on them. Objective: This study aimed to explore the experiences of nursing managers about courage in ethical decision-making. Materials and Methods: The current study was conducted in Iran by a qualitative content analysis approach in 2018. Nineteen nurse managers were selected purposefully from hospitals in Tehran and Shahrekord cities. Data were collected using semi-structured, in-depth, face-to-face interviews, and after transcription, they were analyzed according to the Graneheim and Lundman method. Results: Based on data analysis, we extracted 2 categories (obligation, decisiveness) and 8 subcategories (clearness in expressing decisions, the ability of the manager to make decisions in critical and complex situations, authority/decision-making as a religious responsibility, follow the decision process, being responsible, making compensatory decisions, making preventive decisions). Conclusion: The findings showed that managers who are committed to ethical decision-making have enough assertiveness to make the decisions. Educating, empowering, and sensitizing managers and enhancing their insight into ethical issues through problem-solving and role-playing techniques can play an essential role in promoting their commitment and responsibility.

Virtual Group Strategic Decision Making Using Structured Conflict and Consensus Approaches

2008 ◽  
pp. 1048-1063
Author(s):  
Jerry Fjermestad
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Group Support Systems ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Strategic Decision Making ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Computer Mediated Communications ◽  
Group Member ◽  
Research And Design

Do procedures that improve face-to-face decision meetings also improve virtual “meetings”? Might the effectiveness of such procedures improve with practice? This longitudinal experiment investigated the efficiency, effectiveness and group member perceptions of dialectical inquiry (DI) and constructive consensus (CC) approaches to strategic decision making in a virtual (distributed) Computer-Mediated-Communications (CMC) environment. There were no differences between DI and CC groups in terms of decision effectiveness. However, this result has not been unusual in CMC research. DI groups had significantly higher perceived depth of evaluation than CC groups. CC groups reported greater decision acceptance and willingness to work together again than DI groups. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for Group Support Systems research and design in the era of the World Wide Web.

scholarly journals Where Do We Go from Here? Informing Academic Library Staffing through Reference Transaction Analysis

2013 ◽  
Vol 74 (5) ◽  
pp. 489-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley Wade Bishop ◽  
Jennifer A. Bartlett
Keyword(s):  
Academic Library ◽  
Library Service ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Transaction Analysis ◽  
Systematic Sample ◽  
E Mail

This study conducted a systematic sample of every 70th reference transaction from over a three-year period and analyzed 1,852 reference transactions asked at an academic library system’s fifteen face-to-face (f2f) service points as well as via telephone, e-mail, and chat. Findings indicate two-thirds of the total questions asked were location-based questions about the library. Also, 80.2 percent of location-based questions and 77.2 percent of subject-based questions were asked f2f. Analysis of location-based reference questions informs effective deployment of librarians and staff at library service points as well as the development of mobile library apps.

scholarly journals Too early to execute the strategic scenario planning: hyperbolic discounting and psychological biases of Indonesian SMEs' managers

2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (2/3) ◽  
pp. 50-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rayenda Brahmana ◽  
Widyana Verawaty Siregar ◽  
Arnawan Hsb
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Time Preference ◽  
Hyperbolic Discounting ◽  
Scenario Planning ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Early Decision ◽  
Psychological Bias

PurposeUsing the hyperbolic discounting approach in qualitative manner, the purpose of this paper is to explore the linkage of the time preference bias towards the too early execution of strategic focused planning. The paper also investigates the role of psychological bias in explaining the early execution.Design/methodology/approachThis research use qualitative methods to explore the role of hyperbolic discounting in driving the psychological bias towards too early strategic scenario planning, and its rationalization. The authors conducted a face‐to‐face survey going door‐to‐door of the small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). The samples in this research are Indonesian SMEs from the northern part of Sumatra.FindingsThis research found most of the SMEs' managers are time preference biased due to hyperbolic discounting. This hyperbolic discounting awoke manager's psychological bias and resulted in too early decision making. This psychological bias might be due to prospect theory, or the representative effect, or framing bias, or the adaptive bias.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample is only taken from Northern part of Indonesia. To have a robust generalization, the research should be conducted in the whole of Indonesia.Practical implicationsThis paper can be used by practitioners to understand their behaviour towards strategic decision making. Further, practitioners will know if their time preference bias will not generate better result.

scholarly journals Policies to Optimize Physician Billing Data in Academic Alternative Relationship Payment Plans: Practices and Perspectives

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ceara Tess Cunningham ◽  
Hude Quan ◽  
Nathalie Jette ◽  
Tom Noseworthy ◽  
Carolyn Decoster
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Prince Edward Island ◽  
Department Head ◽  
Question Type ◽  
Administrative Databases ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Fee For Service ◽  
Billing Data ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Physician Billing

ABSTRACT ObjectivesChanges in physician reimbursement policies may hinder the collection of billing claims in administrative databases. Various provincial academic alternative payment programs (APPs) use incentive- or punitive-based tools to motivate physicians to submit billing claims called shadow billings; however, these incentives are not well documented in the literature. We conducted a nation-wide survey and semi-structured face-to-face interviews in Alberta, Canada to determine existing policies and guidelines for incentivizing and promoting physician billing practices. ApproachMail and online surveys were sent out to academic department head physicians in the following provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. Face-to-face interviews were conducted in the province of Alberta with managers, government stakeholders, and physicians/administrators from academic APPs and Fee-for-Service plans. Face-to-face interviews and responses by mail and email submission were summarized using content analysis grouped by question type. ResultsIn total, there were 46 respondents (15 interviews, 26 mail/online). Content analysis revealed three primary perspectives, grouped at the level of individual physician, academic, and government. Across all of these unique perspectives, three primary themes emerged: 1) governance; 2) accountability; and 3) funding. Within these themes, findings were categorized as either (a) instruments or tools to promote physician billing in AAPPs; (b) enabling factors to support physician billing in AAPPs; and, (c) constraining factors impeding physician billing in AAPPs. ConclusionAccording to the majority of our respondents, financial disincentives (i.e. income at risk, financial clawbacks) appear to be most effective as a mechanism to motivate physicians within an academic APP to submit their billings. However, key barriers to successful implementation and delivery of academic APPs include a lack of alignment between government stakeholders, academic leadership and APP physician members and differences in the organizational and accountability structures of APP plans between academic facilities. It is necessary in moving forward to achieve commonly defined standards and frameworks between the various APP models across provinces and academic institutions.

The Role of Structured Conflict and Consensus Approaches inVirtual Team Strategic Decision Making

2011 ◽  
pp. 96-118
Author(s):  
Jerry Fjermestad
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Group Support Systems ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Strategic Decision Making ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Computer Mediated Communications ◽  
Group Member

Do procedures that improve face-to-face decision meetings also improve virtual “meetings?” Might the effectiveness of such procedures improve with practice? This longitudinal experiment investigated the efficiency, effectiveness and group member perceptions of dialectical inquiry (DI) and constructive consensus (CC) approaches to strategic decision making in a virtual (distributed) computer-mediated- communications (CMC) environment. There were no differences between DI and CC groups in terms of decision effectiveness. However, this result has not been unusual in CMC research. DI groups had significantly higher perceived depth of evaluation than CC groups. CC groups reported greater decision acceptance and willingness to work together again than DI groups. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for group support systems research and design in the era of the World Wide Web.

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