scholarly journals Friend or Patron? Social Relations Across the National NGO–Donor Divide in Ghana

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Kumi ◽  
James Copestake
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Informal Networks ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Conceptual Foundation ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Professional Norms ◽  
Informal Relations

AbstractThe article examines the institutions governing relations between grant using national NGOs and grant giving international donors in three regions of Ghana (Upper West, Northern and Greater Accra Region). Formal procedural rules and professional norms can be viewed as necessary to minimise opportunities for informal patronage, rent-seeking and corruption made possible by the unequal access to resources. However, semi-structured interviews, life histories and observation highlight the positive role informal networks, connections, personal contacts and friendship play in enhancing collaboration between donors and national NGOs. Friendships originating in kinship and ethnicity, school links and past collaboration offer opportunities for influencing and resource mobilisation, but can also weaken NGO sustainability. Informal contacts and face-to-face interactions also build trust and strengthen lines of accountability, with non-adherence to shared norms resulting in sanctions and reputation loss. These findings affirm the positive role of informal relations, and highlight how they can complement formal rules and professional norms governing NGO–donor relations rather than undermining them. It throws a very different light on the role of informal institutions than that fostered by a discourse of clientelism and provides a more nuanced conceptual foundation for assessing ‘formalisation’ as a normative strategy.

Evaluating the role of blat in finding graduate employment in post-Soviet Ukraine

2014 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 254-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Onoshchenko ◽  
Colin C. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Social Practice ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Graduate Employment ◽  
Personal Connections ◽  
The City ◽  
Formal Procedures

Purpose – This paper aims to evaluate the use of personal connections to circumvent formal procedures, known as blat in the Soviet era, in post-Soviet societies by studying its role in graduate employment recruitment. Design/methodology/approach – To do this, the extent to which and how blat is used by graduates to find a job in the city of Mykolayiv in Ukraine is analysed through 85 face-to-face structured interviews with those who in the past seven years have sought employment after graduating from university. Findings – The finding is that blat is widely used by graduates to find a job. However, contrary to the existing literature which suggests that blat has become commodified in post-Soviet market societies with monetary payment being requested by and given to personal connections “pulling strings”, no evidence is found that this is the case. Instead, this remains a non-monetised form of friendly help by and for close social relations, akin to the Soviet era, and is viewed in a positive or neutral manner by participants even though its consequences can be to circumvent meritocratic formal recruitment procedures and foster nepotism and cronyism. Research limitations/implications – This study of blat is limited to analysing graduate recruitment in one city in Ukraine. Broader empirical research on the contemporary role of blat in this and other spheres in post-Soviet societies and beyond is now required so as to develop a more nuanced context-bound understanding of both the positive and negative facets of this social practice in contemporary societies. Originality/value – This study reveals that blat is commonly used to find graduate jobs and is widely viewed as a socially acceptable practice, despite hindering meritocratic recruitment procedures.

scholarly journals Qualitative study to identify ethnicity-specific perceptions of and barriers to asthma management in South Asian and White British children with asthma

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. e024545 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Lakhanpaul ◽  
Lorraine Culley ◽  
Tausif Huq ◽  
Deborah Bird ◽  
Nicky Hudson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Asian ◽  
Asthma Management ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Tailored Intervention ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Asian Children ◽  
Children With Asthma ◽  
British Children

ObjectiveThis paper draws on the data from the Management and Interventions for Asthma (MIA) study to explore the perceptions and experiences of asthma in British South Asian children using semi-structured interviews. A comparable cohort of White British children was recruited to identify whether any emerging themes were subject to variation between the two groups so that generic and ethnicity-specific themes could be identified for future tailored intervention programmes for South Asian children with asthma.SettingSouth Asian and White British children with asthma took part in semi-structured interviews in Leicester, UK.ParticipantsThirty three South Asian and 14 White British children with asthma and aged 5–12 years were interviewed.ResultsBoth similar and contrasting themes emerged from the semi-structured interviews. Interviews revealed considerable similarities in the experience of asthma between the South Asian and White British children, including the lack of understanding of asthma (often confusing trigger with cause), lack of holistic discussions with healthcare professionals (HCPs), an overall neutral or positive experience of interactions with HCPs, the role of the family in children’s self-management and the positive role of school and friends. Issues pertinent to South Asian children related to a higher likelihood of feeling embarrassed and attributing physical activity to being a trigger for asthma symptoms.ConclusionsThe two ethnicity-specific factors revealed by the interviews are significant in children’s self-management of asthma and therefore, indicate the need for a tailored intervention in South Asian children.

The collective consumption network

2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 545-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elina Närvänen ◽  
Evert Gummesson ◽  
Hannu Kuusela
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Weak Links ◽  
Data Generation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Heterogeneous Consumption

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce a network perspective to the study of collective consumption. The authors examine the characteristics of heterogeneous consumption collectives formed around a Finnish footwear brand. The case is both theoretically and practically relevant. It differs from previous research by featuring consumer grassroot activities, face-to-face interaction and strong pre-existing social relationships. Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative case study research was conducted with different methods of data generation including interviews, participant observation and cultural materials such as newspaper articles and photos. Findings – A new concept of collective consumption network is introduced. Five kinds of consumption collectives are identified, including place focussed, brand focussed, activity focussed, idea focussed and social relations focussed consumption collectives. The strength of ties as well as the role of the brand varies within the collectives. Practical implications – Suppliers should find an appropriate network position, where they can enable and support shared value creation. Developing skills to identify and cultivate weak links as well as mobilize resources are important. Originality/value – The findings illustrate the heterogeneity and complexity of collective consumption. In particular, the paper discusses the way self-organizing and emergent consumption collectives and the supplier interact and integrate resources within the network.

Student paramedics' views on placements in general practice as part of a degree

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 519-525
Author(s):  
Alyesha Proctor
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
General Practice ◽  
Care Pathway ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
Alternative Care ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Uk ◽  
University Degree

Background: Frontline paramedics are increasingly attending to non-emergency problems and calls that could be managed by a primary care provider. Alongside this, there is a growing pressure to manage patients at home or use an alternative care pathway and reduce hospital conveyance. Student paramedic training, including both placement and taught elements at university, should therefore reflect this. However, placement opportunities for student paramedics in primary care settings is variable across the UK. Aim: To explore student paramedics' views on incorporating a placement within general practice as part of their degree and its effects on their learning and development as an autonomous paramedic. Method: A small pedagogic study as part of a postgraduate certificate in academic practice for higher education, involving a case study, qualitative approach using face-to-face, semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, was carried out. Findings: Student paramedics feel that incorporating a placement in general practice as part of their degree will significantly help in their learning and development as autonomous paramedics. Specifically, they feel it: will help them understand the role of the GP and what the GP expects of them; will help them to focus their assessments and improve confidence in decisions not to convey patients; may lead to better knowledge of alternative care pathways; and, finally, may provide an insight into the role of the paramedic in general practice as a future career opportunity. There are a few reservations about whether students would be able to use the skills and knowledge gained in this setting, as they feel they do not have access to the tools or the authority in a frontline ambulance service. Students would prefer to have a placement in a GP surgery in the final year of their university degree. Conclusion: Placement within a GP surgery for student paramedics should be included as part of a paramedic science degree as a priority. This is necessary, particularly given the changing role of the contemporary paramedic who attends to non-emergency problems.

scholarly journals Aspects associated with waterpipe smoking in Iranian youths: a qualitative study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamid Jafaralilou ◽  
Arman Latifi ◽  
Mehdi Khezeli ◽  
Atefeh Afshari ◽  
Farahnaz Zare
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Waterpipe Smoking ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Cultural Aspects ◽  
Mediterranean Countries ◽  
Second Category

Abstract Background Waterpipe is one of the oldest methods of tobacco smoking, which has become the public health challenge, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean countries such as Iran. This study aimed to investigate the waterpipe smoking (WPS) in the young people of Kermanshah in 2020, using a qualitative method. Methods This was a qualitative study conducted with the approach of content analysis. Participants were young waterpipe user aged 17 to 25 years selected by purposeful sampling method in Kermanshah city, located in the west of Iran. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews in face-to-face and audio-recorded methods based on an interview guideline during June to August 2020. Then researchers transcribed verbatim and analyzed the content of the interviews thematically. Results In this study, 23 young people who were waterpipe users at the time of the study participated. The results showed that social aspects in three sub-categories were involved in WPS including “socio-cultural aspects”, “socio-environmental aspects”, and “social relations”. Individual aspects of waterpipe use as second category also consisted of two sub-categories including “motivational aspects” and “lack of psycho-protective aspects”. Conclusions It seems that the implementation of the policy of reducing access to waterpipe in public environments is effective in reducing waterpipe consumption. It is suggested that educational and interventions, based on targeted models and theories be implemented in order to increase young people’s belief and perception on dangers of WPS, and to improve their self-efficacy to smoking cessation.

scholarly journals The Role of Co-Workers in the Return-to-Work Process

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debra A. Dunstan ◽  
Katrien Mortelmans ◽  
Åsa Tjulin ◽  
Ellen MacEachen
Keyword(s):  
Return To Work ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Research Training ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Injured Workers ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
The Social ◽  
Research Training Program ◽  
Canadian Research

There is a large body of research examining work disability management and the return to work (RTW) of sick or injured workers. However, although this research makes clear the roles of the returning worker and supervisor, that of the co-workers is less well understood. To increase understanding of this topic, we have identified, reviewed, and discussed three studies that emerged from our connection with a Canadian research-training program. The first study, conducted in Sweden by Tjulin, MacEachen, and Ekberg (2009), showed that co-workers can play a positive role in RTW, but this is often invisible to supervisors. The second study, undertaken by Dunstan and MacEachen (2013) in Canada, found that RTW could both positively and negatively impact co-workers. For instance, co-workers may benefit from learning new skills, but may also be burdened by the need to assume extra work to accommodate a returning worker. The third study, performed in Belgium by Mortelmans and Verjans (2012) and Mortelmans, Verjans, and Mairiaux (2012) reported the need to include the expectations and objections of co-workers in RTW plans and implemented a three-step RTW tool that involves co-workers. Taken together, these studies highlight the social context of work, the positive role played by co-workers in the RTW process, the impacts of workplace social relations on RTW outcomes, and the benefits to all of involving co-workers in RTW plans.

scholarly journals Primary care nurses' approach to cases of violence against children

2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (spe) ◽  
pp. 172-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ailton de Souza Aragão ◽  
Maria das Graças Carvalho Ferriani ◽  
Telma Sanchez Vendruscollo ◽  
Sinara de Lima Souza ◽  
Romeu Gomes
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Family Health ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Violence Against Children ◽  
The Family ◽  
Primary Care Nurses ◽  
The Face ◽  
The City

In Primary Care, the field of nursing comes face-to-face with the complexity of violence, leading these professionals to constantly re-evaluate their habitus. OBJECTIVE: to analyze how cases of violence against children and adolescents are approached by primary care nurses, identifying limits and possibilities for dealing with these cases. METHOD: a qualitative study, undertaken in 2011, through semi-structured interviews with 8 out of 48 nurses in the Family Health teams in the city of Uberaba in the state of Minas Gerais, the analysis of which followed the interpretation of meanings, based in dialectical hermeneutics. RESULTS: the following stand out: non-identification of violence as a problem for the nurses; denunciations and notifications as a role of the nurses; and the limits found in the face of violence. CONCLUSION: it is determined that the habitus of nursing directed at health promotion and prevention of violence must be restructured, overcoming the biomedical paradigm and involving intersectorial and multidisciplinary actions.

scholarly journals Adolescent development in family-based treatment for anorexia nervosa: Patients’ and parents’ narratives

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meredith Medway ◽  
Paul Rhodes ◽  
Lisa Dawson ◽  
Jane Miskovic-Wheatley ◽  
Andrew Wallis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
Young People ◽  
Adolescent Development ◽  
Developmental Trajectory ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Family Based Treatment ◽  
Family Based ◽  
Inquiry Method

Maudsley Family-Based Treatment (FBT) is currently the best supported treatment for adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN); however, little is known about whether it achieves its stated aim in the final phases of promoting the patient’s return to an expected developmental trajectory. This study aimed to explore the perspectives of young people and their parents regarding the developmental impact of AN, and the role of FBT in addressing developmental challenges. Young people ( N = 12) who ceased FBT a minimum 1 year prior, and their parents ( N = 12), completed face-to-face semi-structured interviews, and data were analysed using a narrative inquiry method. All the participants described AN as highly disruptive to adolescent development, with phase one of FBT accentuating this experience. In phases two and three, FBT helped facilitate adolescent development in three key ways: Supporting return to adolescent pursuits, facilitating autonomy and providing freedom to develop post-FBT. This study offers preliminary insights into the variety of developmental challenges and needs experienced by families, as well as approaches clinicians can take to supporting development in phases two and three of FBT.

Harmless flirtations or co-creation? Exploring flirtatious encounters in hospitable experiences

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 473-486
Author(s):  
Darryl Gibbs ◽  
Clare Haven-Tang ◽  
Caroline Ritchie
Keyword(s):  
Close Contact ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Service Work ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Complex Issue ◽  
Service Staff ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Relationship

Exploring the relationship between sexual harassment and service work in hospitality has long been considered a complex issue, due to the blurred and sometimes invisible line between flirting, harassment and the very nature of close contact hospitality service work. Little research has examined how mutual flirtations (when they are conducted in an appropriate manner and within safe boundaries) between customer and staff can play a positive role in the co-creation of hospitable experiences. This paper presents the findings of one theme from a wider PhD study which sought to explore the role of staff, customers and managers in the co-creation and performance of natural hospitable experiences. The focus of this paper is an exploration of the relationship between flirtatious encounters and the co-creation of hospitable experiences. In the wider study, three research phases were conducted. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with service staff and managers from a range of hospitality servicescapes and data was gathered from customers through a number of focus groups, and the findings suggest that harmless and appropriate flirtatious encounters between customers and staff which are initiated in a natural and safe manner can have a positive influence on the co-creation of hospitable experiences.

Informal relationships in a company’s internationalization process

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 1054-1065 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Dymitrowski ◽  
Krzysztof Fonfara ◽  
Bartosz Deszczyński
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Internationalization Process ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
External Actors ◽  
A Company ◽  
Over Time

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the role of a company’s external informal relationships in the internationalization process.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve the aim of this paper, a qualitative research was undertaken. The data used for analysis were obtained through face-to-face interviews with representatives of 20 companies.FindingsThere are two main findings of the research. First, on the basis of the analysis of the interviews, it was possible to identify 14 different outcomes of informal relationships with external actors in the internationalization process. Second, the outcomes have been assigned to different stages of the internationalization process, thereby covering the whole range of a company’s development timeline.Originality/valueThis paper illustrates and confirms the important and positive role of the informal relationships developed by a company with external actors in the internationalization process and indicates that it can change over time depending on the stage of the internationalization.

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