Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) is a complex process involving various actors with deviating viewpoints, perceptions and approaches. This study identifies and explains different viewpoints in northern European MSP processes by contextualizing the different viewpoints of national maritime spatial planners, policymakers, scientists, consultants, and representatives of intergovernmental organizations who are involved in the MSP process. The Q Methodology, a method to study the subjectivity of participants, combines qualitative and quantitative approaches to explore people’s viewpoints has been utilized to identify the different frameworks in MSP. A total of five viewpoints have been conceptualized in MSP, based on 17 participants and 39 statements, that cover the whole range of MSP. Simultaneously, respective factor loadings of participants have been identified. This research proves that there seems to be a limited set of viewpoints among the community, despite the amount of stakeholders, their different backgrounds and origin. Results of this study could help to manage different or even conflicting viewpoints in MSP in the future.
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In January 2017, relations between Greece and Turkey were under severe strain when warships from both sides engaged in a brief standoff near a pair of uninhabited Greek ‘islets’ in the Aegean, whose sovereignty is disputed by Turkey. Theoretically informed by the literature of foreign policy analysis, we examine how the Greek diplomats, military officers and political analysts interpreted Turkey’s behaviour at that particular time. The article considers the following research question: which factors, from a Greek point of view, explain Turkey’s foreign policy in the Aegean in January 2017? Our theoretical expectation is that, in the aftermath of the coup attempt in Turkey, Greek diplomats, military officers and political analysts would ascribe domestic calculations into Turkey’s activities. We employed Q- methodology to uncover socially shared perspectives on this topic. Based on our findings, we uncovered two viewpoints: (1) Turkey’s diachronic strategy in the Aegean and (2) the strongman style. According to the former and most widely shared viewpoint, a consistent ‘rationalist’ strategy to change the status quo in the Aegean explains Turkey’s behaviour. According to the second one, the belief system of Turkey’s leadership legitimises the use of force in the conduct of foreign policy.
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The domestic use of natural gas for heating is the prevalent option in the Netherlands. However, heat pumps will be mandatory in most Dutch households by 2026. Therefore, insights are needed in how citizens perceive this technology, by taking into account various societal, technological, economic, environmental, and political aspects. Our research offers a systematic investigation of the multiple viewpoints of heat pump users and their neighbors in Groningen, northern Netherlands. Using Q-methodology, we identified three distinct but interrelated and shared viewpoints: the realistic users, the hesitant neighbors and the enthusiastic advocates. All three shared viewpoints incorporate social influence and cognitive considerations, with the positive environmental impacts of heat pumps being highlighted in unison. Cognitive considerations relate mainly to technical and economic concerns. Social influence considerations often hint at the necessity of making prior agreements with the neighbors. We argue that the findings of this study can support policymakers toward the development of an integrated heat transition strategy.
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RFID technology is a promising technology currently finding its way into the field of customer interaction strategy, supply chain accuracy and inventory management. Primarily, RFID tags are seen as substitutes of traditional barcodes, yet they can add a lot of value and functionality. Where barcodes require a scanning device to be placed directly in front of the tag to be read, RFID tag readers are able to scan all tags that are in the proximity of the scanner . The next difference is that whereas barcodes usually are the same for all articles of the of the same type (i.e. a jar of peanut butter of brand x), RFID tags will be unique for each individual product occurrence. This opens up the possibility of tracking the entire history of a specific occurrence of a product. Moreover, due to the nature of the scanning technology, it suddenly becomes achievable for manufacturers to track individual products through all stages of production and base inventory management and front office planning on real-time data at item level from production facilities.
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In Social Work research there is a strong debate on the distinctiveness and methodological quality, and how to address the dilemma of rigour and practice relevance. Given the nature of Social Work the field has developed a characteristic research culture that puts emphasis on giving voice to service users and disseminating research knowledge in practice, especially in a stream of so called practice-based research. However, there is no consensus on how to best contribute to the practice of Social Work through research and at the same time producing rigourous scientific outcomes, resulting in methodological pluralism. Studying the perceptions of Social Work researchers on their role, the aims and values of Social Work research and their research approach, provides insight into the methodological pluralism of Social Work research. Thirty-four professors specialising in practice-based Social Work research participated in a Q methodology study. Q methodology combines qualitative and quantitative methods. It helped reveal and describe divergent views as well as consensus. The analysis led to the identification of three differing viewpoints on Social Work research, which have been given the following denominators: The Substantiator, The Change Agent and The Enlightener. The viewpoints provide researchers in the field of Social Work with a framework in which they can position themselves in the methodological pluralism. Researchers state that the viewpoints are helpful in clarifying perspectives on good research, facilitate the discourse on methodological choices to further develop and strengthen Social Work research as a scientific discipline
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Introduction: Nursing students will come across stressful situations during their internships and will continue to do so in future practice. Because of the impact stress can have on performance, nursing students need to be equipped to work and collaborate in such situations. Careful consideration of the needs and desires of nursing students should be taken in account, in order to create a training environment that fosters students' ability to learn to collaborate under stress. Aim: The aim of this study is to identify viewpoints of undergraduate nursing students towards the learning of collaboration in stressful situations, to understand their needs and desires, and to improve educational designs for training to collaborate in stressful situations. Methods: We conducted a Q-methodology study, a mixed methods approach that studies and charts subjectivity, and uses a by-person factor analytical procedure to create profiles of shared viewpoints. The process of our Q-study is based on the following five steps: Q-set development (54 statements), participant selection (n = 29), Q-sorting procedure, data analysis, and factor interpretation. Results: Q-factor analysis resulted in two prevailing factors that answer our research question. Twenty-five students loaded on these two factors, and factor interpretation resulted in Profile 1 “Practice makes perfect, so let's do it” and Profile 2 “Practice is needed, but it scares me”. Whereas Profile 1 regarded learning to collaborate in stress mainly as a challenge, Profile 2 appeared anxious despite feeling the necessity to learn this. An overarching consensus factor revealed the importance of a learning environment in which mistakes can be made. Discussion: The two described profiles align with the biopsychosocial model of challenge and threat, and could help to recognize and address the individual needs of nursing students when learning to collaborate in stressful situations. Incorporating these profiles in training may guide students towards a more challenge-like appraisal of stressful situations.
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This research investigates to what extent lecturers at universities of applied sciences do regard differentiated rewards—intended to develop and/or display professionalism—to be fair, and to what extent, and in which form, do these stimulate their willingness to (further) professionalise and/or display professionalism. This was a case study research design, and a factorial survey measurement technique was used to collect data. We argue that lecturers believe it is fair that forms of differentiated rewards are used and applied in order to have them develop and/or display more professionalism. Especially the viewpoints/practices that relate to coordination, consultation, and consideration for personal circumstances have an influence on the justice perceived. This paper contributes to the HRM literature confirming that lecturers appreciate financial stimuli enhancing their professionalism; however, elements such as consultation, respect, coordination, and communication are appreciated even more. It appeals to HRM to design new practices which have more stimulating effect on personal and professional growth in subject-specific knowledge.
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Background: There is an increasing number of patients with a chronic illness demanding primary care services. This demands for effective self-management support, including collaborative goal setting. Despite the fact that primary care professionals seem to have difficulties implementing goal setting, little information is available about the factors influencing the complexity of this process in primary care. Objective: The aim of this study was to contribute to an understanding of the complexity of selfmanagement goal setting in primary care by exploring experts’ and primary care professionals’ experiences with self-management goal setting and viewpoints regarding influencing factors. Methods: A descriptive qualitative research methodology was adopted. Two focus groups and three individual interviews were conducted (total participants n = 17). Thematic content analysis was used to analyse the data. Results: The findings were categorized into four main themes with subordinated subthemes. The themes focus around the complexity of setting non-medical goals and around professionals’ skills and attitudes to negotiate and decide about goals with patients. Furthermore, patients’ skills and attitudes for goal setting and the integration of goal setting in the time available were formulated as themes. Conclusions: Setting self-management goals in primary care, especially in family medicine, might require a shift from a medical perspective to a biopsychosocial perspective, with an increasing role set aside for the professional to coach the patient in expressing his self-management goals and to take responsibility for these goals.
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In today's world, understanding different viewpoints is key for societal cohesion and progress. Robots have the potential to provide aid in discussing tough topics like ethnicity and gender. However, comparably to humans, the appearance of a robot can trigger inherent prejudices. This study delves into the interplay between robot appearance and decision-making in ethical dilemmas. Employing a Furhat robot that can change faces in an instant, we looked at how robot appearance affects decision-making and the perception of the robot itself. Pairs of participants were invited to discuss a dilemma presented by a robot, covering sensitive topics of ethnicity or gender. The robot either adopted a first-person or third-person perspective and altered its appearance accordingly. Following the explanation, participants were encouraged to discuss their choice of action in the dilemma situation. We did not find significant influences of robot appearance or dilemma topic on perceived anthropomorphism, animacy, likeability, or intelligence of the robot, partly in line with previous research. However, several participants hearing the dilemma from a first-person perspective changed their opinion because of the robot's appearance. Future work can expand with different measures such as engagement, in order to shed light on the intricate dynamics of human-robot interaction, emphasizing the need for thoughtful consideration in designing robot appearances to promote unbiased engagement in discussions of societal significance
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INTRODUCTION: To facilitate various transitions of medical residents, healthcare team members and departments may employ various organizational socialization strategies, including formal and informal onboarding methods. However, residents' preferences for these organizational socialization strategies to ease their transition can vary. This study identifies patterns (viewpoints) in these preferences.METHODS: Using Q-methodology, we asked a purposeful sample of early-career residents to rank a set of statements into a quasi-normal distributed grid. Statements were based on previous qualitative interviews and organizational socialization theory. Participants responded to the question, 'What are your preferences regarding strategies other health care professionals, departments, or hospitals should use to optimize your next transition?' Participants then explained their sorting choices in a post-sort questionnaire. We identified different viewpoints based on by-person (inverted) factor analysis and Varimax rotation. We interpreted the viewpoints using distinguishing and consensus statements, enriched by residents' comments.RESULTS: Fifty-one residents ranked 42 statements, among whom 36 residents displayed four distinct viewpoints: Dependent residents (n = 10) favored a task-oriented approach, clear guidance, and formal colleague relationships; Social Capitalizing residents (n = 9) preferred structure in the onboarding period and informal workplace social interactions; Autonomous residents (n = 12) prioritized a loosely structured onboarding period, independence, responsibility, and informal social interactions; and Development-oriented residents (n = 5) desired a balanced onboarding period that allowed independence, exploration, and development.DISCUSSION: This identification of four viewpoints highlights the inadequacy of one-size-fits-all approaches to resident transition. Healthcare professionals and departments should tailor their socialization strategies to residents' preferences for support, structure, and formal/informal social interaction.
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