Boosting Africa’s health security will be challenging

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Health Systems ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Training And Development ◽  
Health Security ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Infrastructure Systems ◽  
Regional Coordination ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Developed World

Significance Although cases and mortality per capita in Africa have been low compared to Europe and the Americas, the pandemic has exposed underlying vulnerabilities in health systems globally, and especially in Africa. Compared to the developed world, Africa has received fewer vaccines, specialised therapeutics are sparse and testing has remained low, leading to limited reporting. Impacts Better regional coordination of lab information and communication infrastructure systems would help identify and address outbreaks quicker. Investments into training and development are needed to cultivate the next generation of continental scientific research talent. Governments may make lab research more attractive for non-lab researchers to close the talent gap in diagnostic and lab staff capacity.

scholarly journals Promoting volunteer engagement in the heritage sector

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 362-371
Author(s):  
Charlotte Smithson ◽  
Jennifer Rowley ◽  
Roger Fullwood
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Training And Development ◽  
Communication Training ◽  
Case Study Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Volunteer Commitment ◽  
Volunteer Engagement

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to offer insights into the processes associated with promoting volunteer engagement adopted by a large UK heritage attraction during a period of significant change. Engaged volunteers were regarded as essential to sustain, and where appropriate, to enhance the customer experience.Design/methodology/approachA case study approach was adopted. This involved review of relevant documentation and interviews and focus groups between researchers, managers and volunteers.FindingsWorking from the philosophical stance that information and involvement are strong predecessors to “buy-in”, the managers of the attraction used a series of initiatives that kept volunteers both informed and involved. These initiatives include a values-based induction programme, information and communication, training and development, and creating new narratives.Originality/valueVolunteer engagement influences volunteer commitment to the organisation. This case study offers some insights into initiatives adopted in one heritage organisation to promote volunteer engagement, and thereby provides a basis for other organisations to reflect on their practices in this area.

scholarly journals From taxing to subsidizing farmers in China post-1978

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kym Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Policy Instruments ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Policy Regime ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Prices ◽  
Self Sufficiency ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
The Government ◽  
Northeast Asian

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to document the pace and extent to which China’s policy regime has transitioned over the past four decades from explicitly and implicitly taxing to subsidizing its farmers relative to its producers of other tradable goods; to present projections of the world economy to 2030 that suggest China will continue to become more food import-dependent under current policies and productivity growth rates; and to explore alternative policy instruments for remaining food secure and ensuring that farmers are not losers from economic growth. Design/methodology/approach The data used to estimate the extent of distortions to producer incentives come from freely available World Bank and OECD sources that allow direct comparisons of China’s policy developments with those of more- and less-advanced economies. Findings The estimates of nominal and relative rates of assistance to farmers reveal that China has made the transition from negative to positive assistance to farmers far faster than an average developing country, and almost as fast as its Northeast Asian neighbors did in earlier decades at similar levels of real per capita incomes. That helped to ensure China remained food self-sufficient during the first two decades of reform; but self-sufficiency is now declining and is projected to continue to do so over the next decade under current policies. Research limitations/implications Preventing food self-sufficiency from declining further by increasing agricultural protection would be very costly, and is now unnecessary, thanks to the information and communication technology revolution that enables the government to directly support the well-being of poor farm households with conditional cash transfers. Originality/value This review of indicators of distortions to agricultural incentives in China is based on estimates of nominal and relative rates of assistance and consumer tax equivalents that are in the public domain. Its originality is in presenting the estimates for China in a comparative perspective, showing how they have evolved over time and as real per capita incomes have grown, and relating that to developments in China’s self-sufficiency in agricultural and food products. The paper also points to more-efficient ways of achieving societal objectives than using policy instruments that distort producer and consumer prices.

Modern patterns of development of the communication and informatization sphere

2019 ◽  
pp. 14-19
Author(s):  
Maryna Demyanchuk
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Economic Resource ◽  
Telecommunication Services ◽  
The World ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Ict Development ◽  
Telecommunications Services

Information and telecommunication services are currently a full-fledged resource for social development compared to traditional resources. The growth of the level of scientific and technological progress has led to the incredibly fast development paces in the sphere of information and communication technologies, which has a significant impact on the development of the economy. On the basis of a thorough analysis of the sectors of information and communication technologies and components of the ICT development index, the article substantiates the need for accelerated digitization of the majority of enterprises of different spheres of economic activity with the aim of qualitative development of Ukrainian economy in order to increase its competitiveness in the world. This is explained by the fact that information and technology represent the main economic resource in the period of formation of information society and digital economy, and enterprises of the sphere of communication and informatization are a catalyst for social and economic development of the country as a whole. Using a methodological toolkit of the theory of systematic and correlation-regression analysis, an economic-mathematical model of the development of the sphere of communication and informatization in the regions of the world and individual countries of the world is constructed. It is based on the existing pattern of leading development of the communications sector, but takes into account the degree of economy dependence on the ICT development, which in some regions and countries is 100%. This is due to the approaching mass availability of ICT services in some countries in these regions. On the basis of the constructed model, the forecasting of GDP PPP per capita was carried out, which showed faster rates of growth of the country’s economy with the growth of the development level of the sphere of communication and informatization and accessibility of telecommunication services. In turn, the availability of telecommunication services is influenced by the digital skills of society and the level of their prices, which has necessitated determining the dependence of GDP PPP per capita on prices for communication services of countries with varying degrees of socio-economic development. This makes it possible to identify reserves for improving the productivity of individuals while increasing the availability of telecommunications services.

From digital citizen to digital professional

Kybernetes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (7) ◽  
pp. 1463-1477
Author(s):  
Olga Marino ◽  
Jaime Andres Gutierrez ◽  
Sandra Aguirre
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Cutting Edge ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Innovative Strategy ◽  
Global Issues ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Teaching Learning

Purpose This paper aims to propose and evaluate a pedagogically sound and innovative strategy to teach a higher education course that prepares future professionals to intelligently use information and communication technologies (ICTs) in their personal and professional lives. Design/methodology/approach The conceptual framework used for the design of the course was the socio-constructivism and activity theories. The implementation of the course was evaluated using the intrinsic case study methodology by including several instruments. Findings The pedagogical strategy proposed proved to be sound, as the evaluation showed that students were able to describe, use and propose innovative uses of a wide range of cutting-edge technologies in their both everyday lives and professional settings; they also had the skills to analyse the opportunities and challenges that these presented. Moreover, students liked this innovative way of learning and ended with a positive attitude towards ICT. Originality/value Although several courses prepare students to be digital citizens or use ICT to enhance the teaching-learning process, millennials are ill prepared to use cutting-edge technologies in an innovative, responsible and critical way in their future professions. The course that was designed is original in that it goes beyond preparing digital citizens to prepare professionals in any domain to use ICT in an informed and responsible way. Moreover, it is a documented, successful example of an undergraduate universal course in a highly important current society dimension. The authors believe that its pedagogical proposal could be transferred to courses dealing with other global issues such as the environment, economy and peace.

Fraud abroad

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-275
Author(s):  
Jake David Hoskins ◽  
Ryan Leick
Keyword(s):  
Sharing Economy ◽  
Gdp Per Capita ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Reviews ◽  
Online Customer Reviews ◽  
Level Of Economic Development ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Developed Nations

Purpose This study aims to investigate a sharing economy context, where vacation rental units that are owned and operated by individuals throughout the world are rented out through a common website: vrbo.com. It is posited that gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, a common indicator of the level of economic development of a nation, will impact the likelihood that prospective travelers will choose to book accommodations in the sharing economy channel (vs traditional hotels). The role of online customer reviews in this process is investigated as well, building upon a significant body of extant research which shows their level of customer decision influence. Design/methodology/approach An empirical analysis is conducted using data from the website Vacation Rentals By Owner on 1,940 rental listings across 97 countries. Findings GDP per capita serves as risk deterrent to prospective travelers, making the sharing economy an acceptable alternative to traditional hotels for the average traveler. It is also found that the total number of online customer reviews (OCR volume) is a signal of popularity to prospective travelers, while the average star rating of those online customer reviews (OCR valence) is instead a signal of accommodation quality. Originality/value This study adds to a growing agenda of research investigating the effect of online customer reviews on consumer decisions, with a particularly focus on the burgeoning sharing economy. The findings help to explain when the sharing economy may serve as a stronger disruptive threat to incumbent offerings. It also provides the following key insights for managers: sharing economy rental units in developed nations are more successful in driving booking activity, managers should look to promote volume of online customer reviews and positive online customer reviews are particularly influential for sharing economy rental booking rates in less developed nations.

ICT and sustainable tourism development: an innovative perspective

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alisha Ali ◽  
Andrew J. Frew
Keyword(s):  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Sustainable Tourism ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Tourism Development ◽  
Stakeholder Relationships ◽  
Tourism Product ◽  
Electronic Distribution ◽  
Information And Communication

Purpose – The aim of this research is to foreground information and communication technology (ICT) as an innovative approach for sustainable tourism (ST) development of destinations. ICT is the technology required for information processing which facilitates data processing, information sharing, communication, searching and selection. This paper concentrates on the Abernathy and Clark model and its usefulness in applying ICT as innovative in managing ST. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was administered to destination managers and to eTourism experts. Destination managers were selected as they were identified as the person responsible for the overall management of a Destination Management Organisation. eTourism experts were identified as someone who possesses special expertise, knowledge and skills on ICT applications to tourism and offered expertise on which ranged from such areas as electronic distribution, recommender systems, user-generated content, online communities, mobile technology, technology acceptance, tourism networks and Web 2.0. This was followed by semi-structured interviews. Findings – These ICT tools were found to be innovative for information management and distribution for critical decision-making. Innovation was fostered through the use of ICT for ST by leading to a better understanding of the tourism product, monitoring, measuring and evaluating, forecasting trends, developing partnerships and engaging and supporting stakeholder relationships. ICT would provide novel ways of approaching marketing, energy monitoring, waste management, and communication for destinations. Originality/value – This research is important in demonstrating the value that technology can have to ST and further develops the work on tourism innovation theory.

Twiga Hosting Ltd – providing affordable information and communication technologies services to small and medium enterprises

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Juma James Masele
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Innovation Management ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Medium Enterprises

TitleTwiga Hosting Ltd – providing affordable information and communication technologies services to small and medium enterprises.Subject areaThe case describes the launch of Twiga Hosting Ltd, a company providing information and communication technology (ICT) services to the underserved small and medium enterprise (SME) sector in Tanzania and in a many countries in Africa.Study level/applicabilityThis case targets a range of audience from undergraduate students taking both Bachelor of Commerce and those taking Bachelor of Business Administration; and Postgraduate students taking business‐related courses. Nonetheless, the case may be used by all other learners of advanced studies in entrepreneurship and innovation management.Case overviewThe case addresses a number of issues including: Issues to be considered when starting an ICT enterprise. Strategic management. Business revenue models.Expected learning outcomes To impart/inculcate entrepreneurial insights in ICT and related areas. To make learners aware of the business growth opportunities in ICT ventures. The success factors for fruitful ICT ventures. To enable learners to identify challenges facing entrepreneurs in ICT ventures and the ways to overcome them.Supplementary materialsTeaching notes.

An investigation of trust in e-banking

2015 ◽  
Vol 38 (12) ◽  
pp. 1267-1284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chian-Son Yu ◽  
Mehdi Asgarkhani
Keyword(s):  
Significant Influence ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Banking Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Empirical Results ◽  
Other Information ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Structural Assurance ◽  
Antecedents And Consequences ◽  
Academic Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand the connection among trust’s antecedents, dimensions and consequences in the context of e-banking. Design/methodology/approach – A survey of 510 and 122 respondents in Taiwan and New Zealand (NZ), respectively, was conducted. Findings – The empirical results indicate that, first, not all trusts’ precursors the authors considered have significant influence on generating consumers’ trust and, second, that influential weights of these precursors on building consumer trust vary across consumers and cultures. Meanwhile, all factors on the e-banking side hold greatly significant influence on consumers’ trust in both NZ and Taiwan cases. Research limitations/implications – Practical and academic implications culled from the empirical results are discussed, and these implications may also be applicable to other information and communication technology (ICT) solutions and innovation banking services. Practical implications – Before banks shift their focus on to trust resources of consumer side, banks are advised to create clients’ trust from e-banking side, such as situational normality and structural assurance. Originality/value – This paper takes a holistic view to investigate the links between trust’s dimensions, antecedents and consequences in a single research structure, and the implications may also be applicable to other ICT solutions and innovative banking services.

A fuzzy rule-based system to assess e-government technical interoperability maturity level

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 335-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreiwid Sheffer Corrêa ◽  
Alexandre de Assis Mota ◽  
Lia Toledo Moreira Mota ◽  
Pedro Luiz Pizzigatti Corrêa
Keyword(s):  
Fuzzy Rule ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Maturity Model ◽  
Maturity Level ◽  
Rule Based ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Level ◽  
Rule Based System ◽  
Brazilian Government ◽  
Information And Communication

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to present a system called NEBULOSUS, which is a fuzzy rule-based expert system for assessing the maturity level of an agency regarding technical interoperability. Design/methodology/approach – The study introduces the use of artificial intelligence and fuzzy logic to deal with the imprecision and uncertainty present in the assessment process. To validate the system proposed and demonstrate its operation, the study takes into account the Brazilian technical interoperability maturity model, based on the Brazilian Government Interoperability Framework (GIF). Findings – With the system proposed and its methodology, it could be possible to increase the assessment process to management level and to provide decision-making support without worrying about technical details that make it complex and time-consuming. Moreover, NEBULOSUS is a standalone system that offers an easy-to-use, open and flexible structuring database that can be adapted by governments throughout the world. It will serve as a tool and contribute to governments’ expectations for continuous improvement of their technologies. Originality/value – This study contributes toward filling a gap in general interoperability architectures, which is a means to provide an objective method to evaluate GIF adherence by governments. The proposed system allows governments to configure their technical models and GIF to assess information and communication technology resources.

scholarly journals Value-driven engineering of E-maintenance platforms

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 568-598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Macchi ◽  
Adolfo Crespo Márquez ◽  
Maria Holgado ◽  
Luca Fumagalli ◽  
Luis Barberá Martínez
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Industrial Applications ◽  
Maintenance Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
A Value ◽  
New Information ◽  
Information And Communication

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a methodology for the engineering of E-maintenance platforms that is based on a value-driven approach. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology assumes that a value-driven engineering approach would help foster technological innovation for maintenance management. Indeed, value-driven engineering could be easily adopted at the business level, with subsequent positive effects on the industrial applications of new information and communication technologies solutions. Findings – The methodology combines a value-driven approach with the engineering in the maintenance scope. The methodology is tested in a manufacturing case to prove its potential to support the engineering of E-maintenance solutions. In particular, the case study concerns the investment in E-maintenance solutions developed in the framework of a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system originally implemented for production purposes. Originality/value – Based on literature research, the paper presents a methodology that is implemented considering three different approaches (business theories, value-driven engineering and maintenance management). The combination of these approaches is novel and overcomes the traditional view of maintenance as an issue evaluated from a cost-benefit perspective.

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