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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how a substantial organization gradually builds a management accounting system from scratch, changing its accounting routines by learning processes. The paper uses the experiential learning theory and the concept of learning style to investigate the learning process during management accounting change. The study aims to expand the domain of management accounting change theory to emphasize the learning-related aspects that can constitute it.Design/methodology/approachThe paper provides an interpretation of management accounting change based on the model of problem management proposed by Kolb (1983) and the theory of experiential learning (Kolb, 1976, 1984). The study is based on a 14-year longitudinal case study (1994‐2007). The case examined can be considered a theory illustration case. Data were obtained from a broad variety of sources including interviews, document analysis and adopting an interventionist approach during the redesign of the costing system.FindingsThe paper contributes to two important aspects of management accounting change. First, it becomes apparent that the costing information change was not a discrete event but a process of experience and learning conducted through several iterations of trial-and-error loops that extended over the years. Second, the findings reveal that the learning process can alter management accounting system design in a radical or incremental way according to the learning style of the people involved in the process of change.Research limitations/implicationsBecause of the adopted research approach, results could be extended only to other organizations presenting similar characteristics. Several further areas of research are suggested by the findings of this paper. In particular, it would be of interest to investigate the links between learning styles and communication and its effect on management accounting change.Practical implicationsThe paper includes implications for the management of learning during management accounting change, to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of this process.Originality/valueThis paper is one response to the call for an interdisciplinary research approach to the management accounting change phenomena using a “method theory” taken from the discipline of management to provide an explanation of the change in management accounting. In respect of the previous literature, it provides two main contributions, namely, the proposal of a model useful both to interpret and manage learning processes; the effect of learning style on management accounting routines change.

Background: Assessment in medical education is necessary to determine the students’ competency as well as other attributes. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the methods of assessment at the end of rotational posting examination and final professional examination at the end of the course, preferred by the undergraduate clinical medical students. Methods: This study was conducted on 89 medical students belonging to 4th and 5th year of the Faculty of Medicine, National Defense University of Malaysia (NDUM).Results: In this study 46 students were males (51.7%) and 43 (48.3%) females; the mean age was 23.5 years. Among the multiple-choice questions (MCQ), a combination that contained multiple true-false and single best answer, was preferred by 55.1% of the students. Among the essay type of written assessments “problem management patient (PMP)” questions were preferred most (46.1%) followed by modified essay questions (MEQ), short essay questions (SEQ), and key feature questions (KFQ). Among the assessments by long case, conventional long case, which had been practiced during the course, was preferred by 67.4% of the students at the end of the medical program rather than the modified or observed long case examinations. While assessment by short case, running commentary on what was being examined, was preferred by 47.2% of students, followed by no commentary (38.2%) and not sure by the rest. 56.2% of students would prefer procedure OSCEs on mannequins and the rest won’t. Picture quizzes were highly preferred (89.9%).Conclusion: At the end of the medical program the clinical medical students prefer those methods which have already been practiced by them during the academic course. For the best achievement, every tool of assessments used in the medical curriculum should be made clear to the students and the students should practice those before they proceed for final evaluation.

BACKGROUND Decreased availability of pediatric residents in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) has created demand for other neonatal medical care providers. No recent publications exist about how to approach the organization of tasks involved in that care. PURPOSE The purpose of this article is to present a structure and resources to guide the organization of tasks in the care of sick and premature infants in the NICU. METHODS The methods included a literature review to develop evidenced-based practice resources. The literature was reviewed regarding the relevant history and resources to support task organization during patient rounds and care in the NICU, and for delivery attendance by skilled providers. The goal, to establish a reference to support education about these approaches, is based upon evidence, which appears to be rooted in tradition. FINDINGS Evidence-based resources include documentation templates, problem list in order of systems, and provider tasks for NICU and delivery attendance. IMPLICATION FOR RESEARCH Future studies can measure mentor or learner perceptions of the value of these resources, critical thinking improvement, safety, and clinical outcomes. IMPLICATION FOR PRACTICE These resources may provide structure for learners and providers who have studied the physiology, pathophysiology, and problem management concepts, but need to learn how to execute their responsibilities in these busy environments.

The integration of mindfulness and character strengths is an emerging area of research and practice. The evidence-based, 8-week program, Mindfulness-Based Strengths Practice (MBSP) represents a unique approach in that the starting point and focus is on what is best in human beings – their character strengths. These qualities are then leveraged to improve one’s meditation practice or area of mindful living (referred to as “strong mindfulness”) and in turn, mindfulness is used as a lens for deepening awareness and use of strengths (referred to as “mindful strengths use”). While early controlled studies find MBSP to elicit well-being and reduce stress, and find it to be superior to popular mindfulness programs for different outcomes, we are not aware of any published qualitative analyses examining the MBSP participant’s experience. This study offers insights from a large international sample and extends the empirical data on MBSP, including the novel finding of benefit for building positive relationships, as well as confirming other findings such as the most common obstacles people confront in mindfulness practices. Additional areas discussed using qualitative and quantitative findings include the most beneficial mindfulness/character strengths practices, the use of inward and outward-oriented practices, cognizance of the integration of mindfulness and character strengths, and self-reported positive outcomes, including substantial benefits to stress and problem management and boosts to meaning, purpose, engagement, accomplishment, and sense of self.

A migráns gyerekek befogadásával kapcsolatos feladatok jelenős kihívások elé állítják a pedagógusokat. Tanulmányunk fókuszában az a kutatási kérdés áll, milyen tényezők játszanak szerepet a migráns gyerekek sikeres beillesztési folyamatában? Célunk ismertetni az integrációs kihívásokat, a kapcsolódó statisztikai adatokat és átfogó képet adni a tanulók iskolai beilleszkedését segítő tényezőkről. Megállapítható, hogy a sokszínűség elősegíti a szinergiát a közösségben, pozitívan hat az eredményességre, ugyanakkor az iskola a társadalmi problémák megoldásában kevésbé hatékony. Az iskola működéséhez igazított problémakezelés a pedagógiai gyakorlat átrendezéséhez, hosszabb távon pedig a társadalmi eredményességhez is hozzájárulhat. A pedagógiai folyamat kiegészítéseként tekintünk az iskolai szociális munka új típusú szolgáltatás rendszerére. Véleményünk szerint képzés tartalmi elemeit érdemes lenne kiterjeszteni a migráns gyerekek befogadását segítő módszerek ismertetésére.

Thesis/Objective – The developing SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic, which was announced in March 2020, has had a significant impact on the activities of universities and their academic libraries. The article aims to present the activities of academic libraries at the time of introducing restrictions on their activities and closing for several months to users and reformulating the services they provide, on the example of the Library of the Gdańsk University of Technology (GUT). First of all, attention was paid to how the principles of crisis and problem management were introduced at universities. It was also essential to examine how the changes and management decisions were perceived by the library employees who worked according to the new rules in the indicated period. Research methods – The article is based on the analysis of available scientific publications in Polish on crisis management, especially in the era of epidemiological threats. Legal acts and regulations dealing with both crisis management in general and issued in connection with the announcement of the SARS-CoV2 pandemic were also taken into account. The method of survey research based on a questionnaire was also used. The questionnaire was anonymous, provided to the employees of the GUT Library via e-mail. The respondents provided a printout of the questionnaire with answers to the GUT Library Office. Since the survey was addressed only to employees of one institution, it had a limited record. It aimed to collect the respondents’ opinions on the work of the GUT Library in the period from March 12 to May 24, 2020, when remote work in special conditions was in force. Results and conclusions – A sudden change in the work mode of the GUT Library itself and its employees, a change in tools and forms of services provided, the need to purchase appropriate equipment and personal protective equipment, the introduction of remote work and other factors became the subject of management decisions made during the emerging crisis. These decisions were in line with the applicable guidelines, both the laws and regulations issued at the national level, as well as the policies and recommendations regarding the functioning of libraries issued by various state institutions and the National Library (book quarantine). However, many of the decisions were individual due to the lack of guidelines and benchmarks on which to base. The reason was also the delayed emergence of procedures. A survey conducted among the employees of the Gdańsk University of Technology Library in May 2020, after the employees returned to stationary work, showed that the adopted solutions were well assessed. The results showed that the adopted solutions had a positive impact on the employees’ sense of safety and the work comfort in the period of changing the mode and rules of the Library’s functioning.

Purpose COVID-19 generated extensive fear and anxiety across the globe. This study aims to explore the psychological dynamics of students during COVID-19 lockdown, its impact and students’ management strategies. Design/methodology/approach This paper collected data from 891 students in Islamabad (Pakistan) using an online survey consisting of the generalized anxiety disorder scale and items on academic variables. After measuring the anxiety levels, this paper interviewed 20 students diagnosed with severe anxiety. The objective was to seek a deeper understanding of the impact of COVID-19 and students’ management. Findings This paper found students with different anxiety levels. Most students had no anxiety; however, 8.2% of students had severe anxiety. These students reported psychological, social and physical problems during the interview. The students shared their activities and avoidance behavior to manage their anxiety levels. Originality/value The study helped in understanding the psychological dynamics during the pandemic and students’ management strategies. Some students express their inability to cope with their problems. This paper recommends the intervention of clinical practitioners, policymakers and researchers to work for the mental health of such students.

The paper deals with the question of levels of language problem management on the basis of the Language Management Theory as well as other approaches to language problem management. The aim is to contribute to bringing the theoretical basis of language problem management closer to the problem management theories in general. Within language problem management three levels of management are distinguished: 1. interactional level of small‐scale management of inadequacies; 2. supra‐interactional level of small‐scale management of metaproblems and 3. supra‐interactional level of large‐scale management of metaproblems. Inadequacies are individual instances of problems rising in concrete interactions and metaproblems are types of problems which can be identified suprainteractionally, by abstracting the idiosyncratic features of inadequacies. With the help of these concepts the difference between the Language Management Theory and other theories of problem management can be made more visible: Language Management Theory builds on the small‐scale management of inadequacies on interactional level, while other theories are based on the large‐scale management of metaproblems on suprainteractional level.

Introduction. Vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia is a precancerous pathology of the vulva and is a very important medical and social problem. All the efforts of medical science are aimed at finding and developing the latest organ-preserving methods for the treatment of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia. One of them is photodynamic therapy-method that allows preserving the anatomical structure of the organ. The aim of the study. The aim of the article is to carry out an analytical review of the literature on modern views on the problem of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia, methods of its management and to present the results of the own clinical expertise of using a photodynamic method for its treatment. Materials and methods. Content analysis, method of system and comparative analysis, bibliosemantic method of studying the results of current scientific research on modern views on the problem of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia, methods of its management have been used in the article. Fifty-six literature sources in English have been studied and analyzed. The sources have been taken in the following scientometric medical databases: PubMed-NCBI, Medline, ResearchGate, CochraneLibrary, EMBASE by keywords: intraepithelial neoplasia of the vulva, vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN), photodynamic therapy (PDT), treatment of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia; VIN treatment. The results of own clinical expertise of using the photodynamic method for vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia treatment have been described in the article as well. Results. During the PS infusion and the period before the PDT session, the general condition of the patients was satisfactory, and the symptoms of cutaneous phototoxicity, allergic reactions, which were accompanied by severe dysfunctions of vital organs, were absent after it. Despite the premedication carried out before the PDT session, the patients had moderate pain syndrome (I-II degrees) after the session as well as moderately pronounced edema in the area of pathological tissues being under the influence of photoirradiation. Within 1-5 days after treatment, the beginning of the formation of a dark brown or black area of photochemical necrosis was noted. After 3, 6 and 24 months of observation of patients with precancerosis of the vulva, remission of clinical symptoms (pruritus in the vulva) in the treated pathological foci was stated. It should be noted that the insufficient effectiveness of PDT in five cases was due to the use of subtherapeutic doses of PS “Photolon®”. During the follow-up examination at 3, 6 and 24 months in 20 out of 30 patients who received a photosensibilizer session in a subtherapeutic dose followed by photoirradiation of high power (1.0 W), both clinically and morphologically complete regression was noted being justified from both treatment and financial point of view. In the post-procedural period, all patients who were treated with PDT are recommended to: observe the light regime for 3-4 days; adequate pain relief use; hygiene; sexual rest; local treatment. Conclusions. The real advantage of photodynamic therapy associated with vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia is its ability to treat the multifocal disease with minimal tissue destruction, preservation of the vulva anatomy and excellent cosmetic results. These properties confirm the photodynamic therapy to be an effective method in vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia treatment.

The need and willingness to change motivates decision-makers and practitioners in the UK to take decisive integrationoriented measures. The country has never succeeded in developing its own original policy in this area. The first steps were taken in 2004 with the publication of the Indicators of Integration, but it was onlyin recent years that work on integration management has been intensified. There is a clear departure from focusing on individual aspects of integration and implementing a problem management system in a broader context. This is reflected in the publication of the Home Office Indicators for Integration framework (2019). The document is based on the 2004 version, but presents it in terms of the Theory of Change, which was adopted as the basis for designing and verifying the integration process in the UK. The aim of the paperis to compare the Integration Indicators of 2004 with the new version in order to identify the progress of work on the integration system and the change in the approach to the problem.

PurposeIn the automotive industry, the high process complexity becomes an important issue because of the increased number of product and process variants demanded by the customers. To avoid quality defects in assembly and losses in such a complex manufacturing environment, new predictive support systems are required. This study aims to develop a multiple attribute decision support system (DSS) for the prediction and quantification of the risk of failures on the workstations of a leading Turkish automotive manufacturing company.Design/methodology/approachInitially, the factors affecting the failures in workstations and the attributes to evaluate the factors are identified. Subsequently, the relations among the attributes are specified and priorities of them are calculated. Finally, the risk of failures is calculated and tested in a pilot study and validated with real production data.FindingsTo the best of authors’ knowledge, this is a unique study that computes the risk scores on the workstations via DSS. The DSS has various advantages for improvements of the manufacturing quality: the risk of failures can be detectable and comparable, the effect of changes in the design of new workstations can be observed. Stations that have medium or high complexity scores demonstrated strong correlation with failure rates. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to predict the effect of improvement actions on the riskiness of the workstations.Originality/valueHigh level of production complexity becomes a crucial issue for companies that use various production processes. Considering this fact, it is a requirement for companies to observe and monitor the risk factors, especially in the assembly lines to be able to eliminate failures derived from complexity. Accordingly, to measure risk scores of the workstations in the assembly lines, a decision support for companies aids executives to manage the complexity level in a reliable and effective way. In this study, the authors develop such a DSS for TOFAS, a leading Turkish automotive company. The proposed DSS is verified and applied through a pilot study on a specific basic production unit. A sensitivity analysis is also conducted to see the effects of potential improvements on the risk scores. Additionally, the trend of risk scores for the stations can also give valuable information for tracing the changes in the time horizon. The proposed DSS also enables an opportunity for the executives in their decision of design processes of new production lines by allocating limited resources in an appropriate way based on the risk scores of possible workstations. The proposed DSS is the first and unique proactive failure prevention model developed in a Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) plant across the world. TOFAS executives also plan to introduce and enlarge the usage of the model to other FCA plants. It may also be possible to apply the model to other assembly lines in any sector. Another plan of the executives of TOFAS is developing a software, which manages each parameter, to constitute data to the DSS to run this system more instantly and effectively. Moreover, they can take integration actions of the software with world-class manufacturing problem management system that is currently in use in TOFAS.

The paper mirrors the rising maturity of systems thought and Systems language in managerial decision-makiııg or problem management. It is based upon the assumption that building blocks of reality are not parts but ıvholes—systems in which ill-structured and systemic problems having social and behavioral aspects and interdependeııcy cannot be worked out w'ıth the mettıods and techııiques of reductionist positivist Science. They require better-equipped ‘holism ’ to deal with. In this regard, systems thought and systems language play a significant role as a unified approach to problem management It emphasizes the complementary role of various systems metaphors and systems methodologies in managerial decision- making and liberates the consciousness of managers/problem- solvers/decision-makers to cope with organizational issues through systems idea.

The use of DevOps is a predominant attribute of businesses engaged in the development and maintenance of Information Technology systems. Although literature exploring DevOps practices has expanded, there is still much unexplored territory on its operational ramifications. This is particularly observed when considering their potential impact on ITSM frameworks such as ITIL, which governs Operations. This research aims to establish how DevOps principles and practices can be applied to Problem Management, a core Service Management process. Specifically, it explores which DevOps practices may be used throughout the Problem lifecycle, as well as benefits which may result from them. An exploratory case study was carried out with the participation of Problem Managers operating in a DevOps environment. Three data collection methods were applied: Semi structured interviews, in which participants described their experience and insight in relation to DevOps and Problem Management; documental analysis and observation, where processes and workflows were examined; and a focus group exercise in which study outcomes were discussed and systematized. This research indicates that DevOps practices have varying degrees of significance for a Problem Management process. Practices associated with continuous planning and collaboration are prone to having greater significance in a Problem lifecycle, with the potential of enabling benefits such as quicker Problem identification, higher quality Root Cause Analysis, and improved resolution times. The novelty of insight gathered in this study benefits both academics, through its contribution to an expanding body of knowledge, and professionals, considering the practical and applicable nature of findings. Future work is also presented. A utilização de metodologias DevOps é hoje uma característica predominante de organizações envolvidas no desenvolvimento e manutenção de sistemas de Tecnologia e Informação. Apesar da crescente produção de literatura a examinar práticas DevOps, existe muito território por explorar referente às suas ramificações a nível operacional. Isto é particularmente notável quando se consideram potenciais interações com frameworks de ITSM como o ITIL, que governam Operações. Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo estabelecer quais princípios e práticas DevOps podem ser aplicadas na Gestão de Problemas, um processo central para a Gestão de Serviços. Especificamente, exploramos quais práticas DevOps podem ser utilizadas ao longo do ciclo de vida de um Problema, tal como que benefícios poderão resultar da sua aplicação. Um caso de estudo exploratório foi realizado com a participação de Gestores de Problemas a operar num ambiente DevOps. Três métodos de recolha de dados foram aplicados: Entrevistas semiestruturadas, onde participantes descreveram a sua experiência e conhecimento em relação a DevOps e Gestão de Problemas; análise documental e observação, onde processos operacionais foram examinados; e uma discussão em grupo onde resultados do estudo foram discutidos e sistematizados. Esta investigação indica que práticas DevOps tem variados níveis de significância para um processo de Gestão de Problemas. Práticas associadas ao planeamento contínuo e colaboração tendem a ter maior significância no ciclo de vida de um Problema, com potencial para gerar benefícios como a mais rápida identificação de Problemas, maior qualidade na análise de causa, e melhorias nos tempos de resolução. As conclusões apresentadas neste estudo trazem benefícios tanto para académicos, expandindo o corpo de conhecimento disponível sobre o tema, como para profissionais, considerando a sua natureza prática e aplicável. Direções para trabalho futuro são também apresentadas.