A good working relationship between clients and professionals increases the chances of better intervention outcomes for clients. A longitudinal cohort study was carried out amongst clients who were ...in touch with professionals from a Dutch social street work (SSW) organisation. We used a questionnaire to examine client perspectives (n = 332) on the relational and goal‐oriented part of the working relationship after a minimum of 8 months of contact with SSW. We furthermore examined to what extent both parts of the working relationship were influenced by client characteristics and SSW metrics. Clients were asked to reflect on the relational part and the goal‐oriented part of the working relationship. Clients who only met SSW professionals in public areas perceived a weaker working relationship in both aspects. A stronger relational and goal‐oriented working relationship was perceived when receiving more practical support. Clients who had been in contact with an SSW professional for a long period of time perceived a weaker goal‐oriented working relationship. This study shows that a working relationship, with both relational and goal‐oriented aspects, can be established between workers and marginalised people in their daily environment. Frequent contact and providing practical support can improve both parts of the working relationship. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.
An integrated medication management (IMM) model was implemented in a medical center ward to improve the delivery of clinical pharmaceutical services (CPSs). This model incorporated a ward-based ...clinical pharmacist who performed medication reconciliation and medication reviews. It was perceived to promote interprofessional collaboration between pharmacists and non-pharmacist healthcare professionals (NPHPs, including attending physicians, nurse practitioners, and registered nurses). This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the IMM on NPHPs' intentions to collaborate with pharmacists and understand the mechanism of the impact of the IMM on interprofessional collaboration. A sequential explanatory mixed methods design was employed in the study. Initially, a questionnaire was administered to assess the effects of the IMM on NPHPs' intentions to collaborate with pharmacists. The NPHPs' experiences with the IMM were then documented using semi-structured interviews with inductive thematic analysis. Fifty-eight NPHPs completed the questionnaire, and NPHPs from the intervention ward reported a higher intention to discuss patient-related medication issues with pharmacists, indicating collaboration. Eleven NPHPs were interviewed, and they stated having better working relationships with pharmacists, experiencing more effective CPSs, and noting improved communication with pharmacists. The integration of quantitative and qualitative findings demonstrates that the critical mechanism of the IMM in promoting collaborative relationships is to integrate pharmacists into medical practice, which familiarizes NPHPs with pharmacists' roles, improves communication, and enables pharmacists to identify NPHPs' needs. To summarize, allowing ward-based pharmacists to engage in medical teams on a regular basis appears vital for improving interprofessional teamwork. Furthermore, stakeholders aiming to promote CPS in their institutions should consider the needs and communication channels among NPHPs.
Hard bargainers are known to dictate terms. Humanitarian frontliners confront them daily. Some state and nonstate counterparts, guided by military necessity, are deemed so overpowering that it seems ...impossible to negotiate humanitarian necessity with them. And yet, humanitarians leverage negotiations with quite an edge. They construct working relationships and creative solutions to get access and deliver humanitarian aid to those affected by conflict. Humanitarians shape a responsible approach that can enrich the understanding of negotiation power. Guided by humanitarian principles, they do not exercise a power over anyone but leverage a power of getting things done with counterparts, through relational, transactional, and process moves. The purpose of this article is both descriptive and prescriptive. On the one hand, it provides examples to document humanitarian negotiation practices of empowerment and to contribute to a general theory of negotiation power. On the other hand, the article provides some recommendations from negotiation theory to empower humanitarians. Indirectly, by analyzing and supporting the power of humanitarian frontliners, this article also aims at refining the reflection and action of every negotiator when confronted with tough bargainers.
Psychological skills training (PST) programs have been consistently reported as an important part of preparation for optimal performance in high performance sport. However, there is much less ...research about the quality and characteristics of the working relationship between a sport psychology practitioner (SPP) and an athlete and, importantly, how that relationship facilitates learning. Therefore, the purpose of the present paper was to explore the working relationship between a SPP and a volleyball player and how that working relationship facilitated the learning processes utilized by this player, as she prepared for the demands of her sport and life. An instrumental case study methodology with a qualitative description approach was employed to illustrate different aspects of the evolving relationship and the athlete's experiences. The results of this case reflect an approach that combined features of both a directive approach in teaching specific psychological skills and a less directive and more collaborative approach, which, in turn, allowed an athlete to begin to learn how to guide their own learning.
In healthcare settings, working relationships are linked to continuity of care and patient safety especially in specialized units such as operating theatres.
This study explores and describes working ...relationships between nurses and general assistants in the operating theatre.
This qualitative study used a case study design comprised of four focus group discussions to collect data. Data were analysed using the ten steps of content analysis.
Three main themes emerged from the focus group discussions: disrespect and mistrust as the core of working relationships between nurses and general assistants, poor communication in healthcare teams and generic versus specialised roles.
Following identification of challenges, participants indicated that healthy working relationships should be cultivated by treating contemporaries with respect, using open communication and clear division of labour. Participants recommended using innovative communication strategies to optimize working relationships in this digital age especially in specialized areas such as operating theatre where patient continuity and safety are essential.
This study examines the effect of gamification on workplace thriving and employee well-being in the hospitality and tourism organizations, investigating the mediating effects of conflict resolution ...and working relationships while assessing the moderating influence of top management support. We conducted a time-lagged study with 451 employees from various hospitality and tourism organizations. Our research aimed to understand how gamification affects workplace thriving and employee well-being, with a focus on the mediating roles of conflict resolution and working relationships. We also examined the moderating effect of top management support. Our results demonstrate a positive link between gamification and workplace thriving, as well as a connection between gamification and employee well-being. Conflict resolution was found to mediate the relationship between gamification and workplace thriving, while working relationships mediated the connection between gamification and employee well-being. Additionally, top management support significantly moderated the relationships between gamification, conflict resolution, and workplace thriving.
ABSTRACT
We examine how managers' accounting estimates are affected by whether they are informed about an impending critical audit matter (CAM) disclosure from a close or distant auditor. A close ...(distant) auditor is one who has a smaller (greater) social distance from the client in terms of their working relationship. We predict and find that being informed about an impending CAM by a close (distant) auditor leads to more (less) aggressive estimates than if managers are not informed. With a close auditor-client relationship, managers perceive a CAM disclosure as forewarning investors about estimate subjectivity, thus providing a moral license to report more aggressively. With a distant relationship, a CAM disclosure does not provide a moral license, but signals greater auditor scrutiny, which leads to less aggressive reporting. Our results inform regulators and standard setters about the effects of CAM on managers' reporting decisions in the presence of a close auditor-client relationship.
Objective: The therapeutic alliance has long been considered an essential part of treatment. Despite a large body of work examining the alliance-outcome relationship, very few studies have examined ...it within individuals with first episode psychosis (FEP). Method: The present study examined the alliance at Session 3, 4, or 5 and its relationship to 2-year treatment outcomes and therapy participation in a sample of 144 FEP clients who received specialized FEP treatment at U.S. clinics. Furthermore, we examined between-therapist and within-therapist (client) effects of the alliance on outcomes. Results: Results indicated that a better alliance was related to improved mental health recovery, psychological well-being, quality of life, total symptoms, negative symptoms, and disorganized symptoms at the end of treatment. In addition, the between-therapist effect of the alliance was significantly related to better mental health recovery whereas the within-therapist (client) effect of the alliance was related to better quality of life, total symptoms, and negative symptoms at the end of treatment. Conclusions: A stronger alliance was related to improved treatment outcomes in FEP. Future work should consider examining mediators of the alliance-outcome relationship as well as how changes in the alliance relate to changes in outcomes over time.
What is the public health significance of this article?
This study demonstrated that a stronger therapeutic alliance was related to improved symptoms and recovery among individuals with first episode psychosis. As such, developing a high-quality therapeutic relationship should be emphasized in first episode psychosis treatment.
Objectives
We investigated the effect of the therapeutic alliance on both change in social recovery outcomes and usage of a moderated online social therapy platform for first‐episode psychosis (FEP), ...Horyzons.
Design
Secondary analysis of a single group pilot trial.
Methods
Clients completed an alliance measure adapted for guided digital interventions at mid‐treatment. A series of multi‐level models evaluated change in outcomes by mid‐ and post‐treatment assessments (relative to baseline) as a function of the overall alliance. Quasi‐Poisson models evaluated the effect of the overall alliance on aggregated counts of platform usage. Exploratory analyses repeated these models in terms of the bond (human–human) or the task/goal (human–program) alliance.
Results
Stronger overall alliance at mid‐treatment predicted lower loneliness at mid‐treatment and lower social anxiety at mid‐ and post‐treatment. It was also associated with higher completion of therapy activities and authoring of comments and reactions. A strong bond with an online therapist was associated with lower loneliness and higher perceived social support at mid‐treatment, lower social anxiety at post‐treatment as well as a higher number of reactions made on the social network. Stronger alliance with the platform's tasks and goals facilitated lower social anxiety at both follow‐up assessments and was further associated with higher completion of therapy activities and reactions in the social network.
Conclusions
The alliance may impact aspects of social recovery and usage in digital interventions for FEP. Specific aspects of the alliance (human–human and human–program relationships) should be considered in future research.
PDF
