Describing the experiences of older persons with visual impairments during COVID-19 in rural Ghana

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 371-383
Author(s):  
Ariel Kwegyir Tsiboe

Purpose This study aims to describe the lived experiences among older persons with disability during the coronavirus pandemic in rural Ghana. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on a qualitative methodology consistent with a phenomenological approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 participants. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis. Findings During the pandemic, care rendered to older persons with disabilities by their caregivers easily declined because of the lockdown measure. This made the participants suffer in profound loneliness and hunger, and forced some to generate suicidal thoughts. On the other hand, the participants who lived with their family members were also kept indoors for several weeks to reduce their chances of contracting the virus. This was because participants’ family members loosed confidence in the Ghanaian health-care system in protecting their older relatives. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to explore the experiences of older persons with disabilities during coronavirus disease 2019 in rural Ghana. The Ghanaian Government should consider formalized care to ensure continued care of older persons with disabilities especially during pandemics and future related uncertainties.

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Çigdem Vatansever ◽  
Korhan Arun

Purpose – The dynamics of an emerging green entrepreneurship can be different in the emerging markets because the nature of the society and relations of business are different. As a result of these differences, green entrepreneurship also has distinguished dimensions and specific motivations. The purpose of this paper is to analyze individual cases of green entrepreneurs to understand local drivers and dynamics from the perspectives of ecological modernization and the network society theories. Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative methodology was followed in which the data were gathered via semi-structured interviews and a content analysis was executed to analyze the data. Findings – Time relativity, relatedness and altruism were found to be the most differentiated factors among other drivers for green entrepreneurs. Originality/value – The theories mentioned that the quality and quantity of entrepreneurs are not enough for the expected results; the society and networks of society also should push or pull. Nevertheless, to explain this, we may say Turkey has its own special dynamics. Heritage or own roots are very important and are observed for all participants. Also not legislation but practice of these legislations is another constraint in front of Turkish entrepreneurs.


2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 503-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul W Ballantine ◽  
Andrew Parsons ◽  
Katrina Comeskey

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how the holistic atmospheric cues encountered in a retail environment contribute to the creation of a retail experience. The interaction between these cues, and how they impact on the various stages of the retail experience is also explored. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative methodology was employed, using protocol analysis and in-depth semi-structured interviews that were conducted with 18 participants. Data were collected in the context of the women’s fashion sector. Findings – The findings highlight the importance of store owners ensuring atmospheric cues create a store image congruent with their target market’s self-image. A model is also developed which highlights how atmospheric cues are able to affect successive stages of the retail experience. Originality/value – This paper provides a holistic understanding of how retail atmospheric cues are able to influence the overall retail experience; from how a retail store is initially evaluated through to the intention to purchase.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 391-402
Author(s):  
Bradley Edward Roberts

Purpose Phenomenology is widely recognised for its power to generate nuanced understanding of lived experience and human existence. However, phenomenology is often made inaccessible to prospective researchers due to its specialised nomenclature and dense philosophical underpinnings. This paper explores the value of the researcher’s lived experience as a pathway into phenomenological inquiry. The purpose of this paper is to improve the accessibility of phenomenology as a method for qualitative analysis. It achieves this by aligning Husserl’s concept of phenomenological epoche, or bracketing of preconceptions, and the author’s lived experience as a practitioner of kendo, or Japanese fencing. Design/methodology/approach The paper employs the narrative vignette as a means of illuminating the intersections between kendo practice and the application of phenomenological epoche as it applies to the understanding of embodied sensemaking. Reflections on the narrative vignette identified a suite of techniques from kendo practice that were applied to a phenomenological approach for critical incident interviews. These techniques were then applied to 30 critical incident, semi-structured interviews as part of a PhD research project into embodied sensemaking. Findings The results from these interviews suggest that the kendo-derived techniques were effective in generating thick narratives from participants during semi-structured interviews. Examination of the results provided insights into the linkage between phenomenology as a continental philosophy and eastern perspectives such as those found within the Zen traditions and other aesthetic practices. Originality/value This research suggests that lived experience such as kendo practice can provide a ready-to-hand pathway to phenomenological inquiry.


2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaa Serwaa-Akoto Amoah ◽  
Fidella Nga Huong Tiew ◽  
Ching Seng Yap

Purpose This study aims to explore the internationalisation paths and strategies adopted by firms from an emerging market and serves as a step towards examining the suitability of prevailing internationalisation theories in the context of emerging market firms. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a qualitative methodology and gathered data through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 top managers of internationalised firms from the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. Data were analysed thematically. Findings The results revealed that the internationalisation strategies of firms from Sarawak can be classified under three main categories: motivations and markets, modes and measures. The constraints the firms faced were important determinants of their internationalisation strategies. The internationalisation paths and strategies of the firms were also found to exhibit both similarities to and deviations from the tenets of prevailing internationalisation theories. Originality/value The study contributes knowledge to the literature of both internationalisation theories and internationalisation strategies of emerging markets, in particular, it advances Fey et al.’s (2016) Five M Framework.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Renaud ◽  
Graham Johnson ◽  
Jacques Ophoff

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to reveal the lived experiences of dyslexics in engaging with all kinds of alphanumeric authentication mechanisms. Design/methodology/approach A significant proportion of the world’s population experiences some degree of dyslexia, which can lead to spelling, processing, sequencing and retention difficulties. Passwords, being essentially sequences of alphanumeric characters, make it likely that dyslexics will struggle with these, even more so than the rest of the population. Here, this study explores the difficulties people with dyslexia face, their general experiences with passwords, the coping strategies they use and the advice they can provide to developers and others who struggle with passwords. This paper collects empirical data through semi-structured interviews with 13 participants. Thematic analysis was used to provide an in-depth view of each participant’s experience. Findings The main contribution of this paper is to provide evidence related to the inaccessibility dimensions of passwords as an authentication mechanism, especially for dyslexics and to recommend a solution direction. Research limitations/implications There is a possible volunteer bias, as this study is dealing with self-reported data including historical and reflective elements and this paper is seeking information only from those with self-declared or diagnosed dyslexia. Furthermore, many expressed interest or curiosity in the relationship between dyslexia and password difficulties, for some a motivation for their participation. Finally, given that the participants told us that dyslexics might hide, it is possible that the experiences of those who do hide are different from those who chose to speak to us and thus were not hiding. Originality/value A few authors have written about the difficulties dyslexics face when it comes to passwords, but no one has asked dyslexics to tell them about their experiences. This paper fills that gap.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ray Wall ◽  
Nii Ankrah ◽  
Jennifer Charlson

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the views and experiences of mediators from different professional backgrounds practising in the construction industry. Previous research shows that the legal profession dominates construction mediation in both England and Wales. Design/methodology/approach The phenomenological approach was used to capture the lived experiences of the interviewees and gain insight into their views and practices. The data collection was by semi-structured interviews. The data was then analysed using software to establish themes. Findings The major difference in mediator practice discovered between the two groups is the use of the evaluative style by lawyer and facilitative style by non-lawyer mediators. Non-lawyer mediators strongly reported their criticisms of the evaluative style in mediation suggesting that it undermines the parties’ ability to self-determine their own dispute and reduces the level of satisfaction experienced by the parties in the process of mediation. Lawyer mediators supported the use of the evaluative style as an acceptable compromise on the parties’ self-determination and feelings of satisfaction in pursuit of achieving the goal of a settlement in mediation, which was significantly better than the escalation of stress and costs to the parties in the event that the dispute escalates to litigation. In addition, mandatory mediation, the role of advisors/advocates, governance and the future of mediation were explored. Originality/value The research is anticipated to be of particular benefit to parties considering referring a construction dispute to mediation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (2/3) ◽  
pp. 171-190
Author(s):  
Hajer Khedher ◽  
Muhammad Ali Asadullah

Purpose This paper aims to explore the lived experiences of Tunisian self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) for social and organizational support that they experienced during their international expatriation assignment in a host country. Design/methodology/approach This study is a qualitative research. The data were collected from Tunisian Expatriates through semi-structured interviews. Findings This study has revealed diverse some interesting insights about the lived experiences of Tunisian SIEs about the support which they received from their family members, social network and members of the host-country organization. This study has also introduced a scale that can be used for measuring the level of social and organizational support received by SIEs. Practical implications This study has offered some implications for the researchers and professionals to advance research and practice to regulate the lived experiences of SIEs. Originality/value This study has highlighted the lived experiences of SIEs for social and organizational support in the Tunisian context representing the collectivist Muslim society.


2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 207-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Edwards ◽  
Julie King ◽  
Hanna Watling ◽  
Sara Amy Hair

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to produce the views of parents and siblings of adults with intellectual or developmental disability (ID/DD) around the use of psychotropic medication to manage challenging behaviour (CB) where there is no co-existing mental illness. Design/methodology/approach Seven family members of six adults with ID/DD were interviewed using semi-structured interviews, over the telephone or face-to-face. The interviews were transcribed, coded and thematically analysed. Findings This paper identified that if used appropriately, psychotropic medication to manage CB may be of benefit to some people with ID/DD; but there is a need to ensure the medication is prescribed for the benefits of people with ID/DD rather than those around them. Drawing on the knowledge of family may allow for the use of alternative strategies and the reduction of medication to manage CB. There is the need for improved communication with family members, inclusive decision making, and access to information regarding the philosophy and legislation regarding medication used to manage CB in adults with ID/DD. Originality/value This paper presents views of a small cohort of family members of people with ID/DD in Queensland, Australia. Findings can be used to improve approaches taken by service providers in their interactions with people with ID/DD prescribed psychotropic medication to manage CB, and their family members.


2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amit Jain ◽  
Divya Sharma

Purpose This research aims to study the coping experience of visually impaired (VI) bankers in India after they have received reasonable accommodation from their employers, that is, the work process or environment has been suitably modified to ensure a barrier-free environment for them. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 VI bankers working with public sector banks in India. A phenomenological approach was adopted during data analysis. Findings Despite the provision of reasonable accommodations, VI employees often find it difficult to fulfill their job responsibilities. This is on account of extensive paperwork required for completion of their jobs and the partially accessible information systems available to them. As a result, these VI employees are found resorting to workarounds to carry out their jobs, with the nature of workarounds adopted varying with the type and extent of visual impairment. Furthermore, it is observed that VI employees require social support not only from their superiors and peers but also from their subordinates and customers to carry out their tasks. Research limitations/implications Data collection was done through snowball sampling which could have resulted in sampling bias. Due to confidentiality issues, observation of workarounds in practice by VI employees could not be carried out as part of the study. Originality/value The study contributes to the literature on integration of persons with disabilities (PwDs) by examining their coping experience after provision of reasonable accommodations. It emphasizes the role of workarounds, an under-studied area in PwD integration, as well as support of other stakeholders in the experience.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 277-287
Author(s):  
Erasmo Daniel Ferreira ◽  
Luiza Augusta Rosa Rossi-Barbosa ◽  
Lucilia Jezini Meira ◽  
Mirna Rossi Barbosa-Medeiros ◽  
Helena Jezini Meira Caldeira ◽  
...  

Objetivo: Este estudo buscou compreender a percepção dos indivíduos com problemas auditivos sobre o abandono do aparelho de amplificação sonora individual (AASI) conhecendo as situações vividas antes e após seu uso. Métodos: Foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas com abordagem fenomenológica com dez indivíduos que participaram de estudo anterior e relataram terem abandonado o uso do AASI. A análise das falas seguiu os passos de descrição, redução e interpretação fenomenológica. Resultados: Pode-se observar que os familiares são os principais incentivadores para utilização do AASI. Alguns indivíduos relataram querer ouvir algo específico, ou seja, uma situação que mais gostaria de ouvir. As principais queixas para o abandono do aparelho auditivo foram o barulho, o incômodo e a estética. O motivo do não retorno se deveu ao fato de depender de outros e esquecimento. Conclusão: A percepção da aceitação do aparelho deverá ser avaliada durante o aconselhamento e retornos ao serviço. A assistência domiciliar aos usuários de aparelho de amplificação sonora individual poderá facilitar o uso deste.Palavras-chave: Auxiliares de audição; Fonoaudiologia; Perda Auditiva; Percepção Auditiva; Pesquisa Qualitativa. PERCEPTION OF INDIVIDUALS ABOUT THE ABANDONMENT OF THE HEARING AIDABSTRACT: Purpose: This study sought to understand the perception of individual’s with hearing problems regarding the abandonment of hearing aids by coming to know the lived experiences before and after its use. Methods: Semi-structured interviews with ten individuals were conducted with a phenomenological approach. Results: It was observed that family-members were the primary motivators for use of the hearing aid. Some people explained that they wanted to hear something specific for example a situation that they wanted to hear. The main complaints for abandoning the hearing aid was the noise, discomfort and esthetic concerns. He motive for not taking up use of the aid again is blamed on others or to forgetting. Conclusion: The perception of the acceptance of the device should be evaluated during consultations and in follow-ups. Domestic health visits to users of the device could facilitate its use.Keywords: Hearing Aids; Speech; Language and Hearing Sciences; Hearing Loss; Auditory Perception.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document