scholarly journals COVID-19 and doctor emigration: the case of Ireland

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Niamh Humphries ◽  
Jennifer Creese ◽  
John-Paul Byrne ◽  
John Connell

Abstract Background Since the 2008 recession, Ireland has experienced large-scale doctor emigration. This paper seeks to ascertain whether (and how) the COVID-19 pandemic might disrupt or reinforce existing patterns of doctor emigration. Method This paper draws on qualitative interviews with 31 hospital doctors in Ireland, undertaken in June–July 2020. As the researchers were subject to a government mandated work-from-home order at that time, they utilised Twitter™ to contact potential respondents (snowball sampling); and conducted interviews via Zoom™ or telephone. Findings Two cohorts of doctors were identified; COVID Returners (N = 12) and COVID Would-be Emigrants (N = 19). COVID Returners are Irish-trained emigrant doctors who returned to Ireland in March 2020, just as global travel ground to a halt. They returned to be closer to home and in response to a pandemic-related recruitment call issued by the Irish government. COVID Would-be Emigrants are hospital doctors considering emigration. Some had experienced pandemic-related disruptions to their emigration plans as a result of travel restrictions and border closures. However, most of the drivers of emigration mentioned by respondents related to underlying problems in the Irish health system rather than to the pandemic, i.e. a culture of medical emigration, poor working conditions and the limited availability of posts in the Irish health system. Discussion/conclusion This paper illustrates how the pandemic intensified and reinforced, rather than radically altered, the dynamics of doctor emigration from Ireland. Ireland must begin to prioritise doctor retention and return by developing a coherent policy response to the underlying drivers of doctor emigration.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saule Burkitbayeva ◽  
Emma Janssen ◽  
Johan Swinnen

PurposeThis paper provides one of the first and most detailed accounts of the large modern dairy farms that are emerging in the dairy sector in India. Qualitative interviews are used to understand how these farms differ from their traditional smallholder counterparts and how well integrated they are into the value chains.Design/methodology/approachSnowball sampling was used to identify large farmers. In total, 49 in-depth interviews were conducted with large commercial modern farms in Punjab. A detailed description of the main characteristics of these modern dairy farms is provided. Data from previous studies conducted in Punjab is used to compare the new farms with traditional smallholder farms.FindingsThe modern dairy farms are much more advanced in their use of technology compared to their traditional counterparts. These large commercial modern farms are very well integrated into the value chains. They often, but not exclusively, sell milk to formal supply chains, sometimes on a contractual basis.Originality/valueMost of the literature on the Indian dairy sector focuses on smallholders. However, understanding and acknowledging the emergence of modern dairy farms is very important in understanding the development of value chains not only in the dairy sector in India, but in domestic food sectors in developing countries in general. This qualitative data analysis is a necessary first step if more large-scale representative information is to be collected in the future.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica L Escobar-Alegria ◽  
Edward A Frongillo ◽  
Christine E Blake

ABSTRACT Background Presidents with no possibility of re-election overvalue far-future rewards and succumb to terminal logic behavior (TLB), responding to end-of-tenure legacy concerns despite political context. Government authorities perceiving the outgoing government is losing power at the end of term behave under the logic of strategic defection (SD), dissociating from the outgoing government once it is perceived powerless. In countries where re-election is impossible and government turnover and inconstant political parties are concerns, governmental officials at all levels may show TLB and SD during transitions that affect policy sustainability. Objectives This study aimed to understand the context during presidential transitions that makes TLB and SD relevant, whether TLB and SD affect sustainability of food and nutrition security policy (FNSP), and the tactics for navigating transitions that favor sustainability. Methods A case-study design was used with semi-structured qualitative interviews and document review of news articles in Guatemala. Purposeful criteria and snowball sampling were used to recruit 52 policy actors implementing an FNSP across 2 transitions; 252 news articles from the referenced period covering topics on policy programmatic areas were purposefully sampled. Interviews were analyzed using coding and thematic analyses. News articles were analyzed using a priori thematic coding for verifying themes in interviews and data triangulation. Results Governmental officials were replaced by others during transitions; political parties were perceived as inconstant. TLB and SD occurred at all levels and had consequences for sustainability of FNSP: implementation slow-down, dysfunctional collaboration, inefficient use of resources, benefits not reaching targeted groups, and loss of momentum. These occurred through individual, institutional, and political mechanisms. Civil society, international organizations, and government adopted tactics for maximizing sustainability. Conclusions Understanding governmental officials’ experiences and the extent to which TLB and SD occur and affect sustainability could be advantageous to develop compensatory actions for reaching long-term FNSP goals.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zara Trafford ◽  
Sara Jewett ◽  
Alison Swartz ◽  
Amnesty E. LeFevre ◽  
Peter J. Winch ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Global guidelines recommend exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for the first 6 months of life. South African EBF rates have steadily increased but still only average 32% for infants below 6 months of age. Malnutrition and developmental delays continue to contribute substantially to the morbidity and mortality of South African children. MomConnect, a national mHealth messaging system used to send infant and maternal health messages during and after pregnancy, has a specific focus on improving rates of breastfeeding and has achieved high rates of population coverage. Methods For this qualitative study, we interviewed women who were registered to MomConnect to investigate their breastfeeding and other infant feeding practices, decision-making pre- and post-delivery, and the role of the health system, family members and the wider community in supporting or detracting from breastfeeding intentions. Data were collected from February–March 2018 in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal, Free State and Gauteng provinces. Framework analysis was conducted to identify common themes. Results Most women interviewed had breastfed, including HIV-positive women. Even when women had delivered by caesarean section, they had usually been able to initiate breastfeeding a few hours after birth. Understandings of EBF varied in thoroughness and there was some confusion about the best way to cease breastfeeding. Most women felt well-equipped to make infant feeding decisions and to stick to their intentions, but returning to work or school sometimes prevented 6 months of EBF. Advice from the health system (both via clinics and MomConnect) was considered helpful and supportive in encouraging EBF to 6 months, although family influences could thwart these intentions, especially for younger women. Mothers reported a range of breastfeeding information sources that influenced their choices, including social media. Conclusions Efforts to improve EBF rates must include consideration of the social and economic environment surrounding women. Interventions that focus only on improving women’s knowledge are valuable but insufficient on their own. Attention should also be paid to infant behaviors, and how these affect women’s breastfeeding choices. Finally, although there is strong local policy support for EBF, more rigorous implementation of these and other broader changes to create a more enabling structural environment ought to be prioritized.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria McCain ◽  
Allison Dowd ◽  
Dan Salzer ◽  
Erin Toothaker ◽  
Shengyin Xu

Air travel is an increasing source of global GHG emissions, yet still many organizations have struggled to reduce business travel activity. Originating out of the COVID-19 pandemic and global travel restrictions, this working paper is part of a series addressing business travel reduction opportunities. This paper discusses how various organizations can and have conducted GHG emissions measurement on air travel, set science-based reduction targets, and improved accuracy and efficiency of data over time.


2022 ◽  
Vol 6 (GROUP) ◽  
pp. 1-33
Author(s):  
Janghee Cho ◽  
Samuel Beck ◽  
Stephen Voida

The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally changed the nature of work by shifting most in-person work to a predominantly remote modality as a way to limit the spread of the coronavirus. In the process, the shift to working-from-home rapidly forced the large-scale adoption of groupware technologies. Although prior empirical research examined the experience of working-from-home within small-scale groups and for targeted kinds of work, the pandemic provides HCI and CSCW researchers with an unprecedented opportunity to understand the psycho-social impacts of a universally mandated work-from-home experience rather than an autonomously chosen one. Drawing on boundary theory and a methodological approach grounded in humanistic geography, we conducted a qualitative analysis of Reddit data drawn from two work-from-home-related subreddits between March 2020 and January 2021. In this paper, we present a characterization of the challenges and solutions discussed within these online communities for adapting work to a hybrid or fully remote modality, managing reconfigured work-life boundaries, and reconstructing the home's sense of place to serve multiple, sometimes conflicting roles. We discuss how these findings suggest an emergent interplay among adapted work practice, reimagined physical (and virtual) spaces, and the establishment and continual re-negotiation of boundaries as a means for anticipating the long-term impact of COVID on future conceptualizations of productivity and work.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 154
Author(s):  
M. Munir Syam AR ◽  
Djoko Nestri Kwartatmono

AbstrakPenelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengeksplorasi faktor yang mendorong petani garam untuk menjual garam pasca panen/pungut secara langsung atau tidak langsung dan menganalisis dampak penerapan strategi tersebut terhadap tingkat kesejahteraan petani garam. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif. Penelitian ini dilakukan di Desa Karanganyar, Kec. Kalianget, Kab. Sumenep. Objek dalam penelitian ini difokuskan pada produk garam. Teknik sampling yang digunakan adalah snowball sampling dengan informan yang berasal dari petani garam dari desa Karanganyar. Data diperoleh melalui observasi, dokumentasi dan indepth interview secara langsung kepada informan. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa terdapat empat faktor yang mempengaruhi petani garam dalam menerapkan strategi penjualan langsung atau tidak langsung yaitu harga garam, kebutuhan, kuantitas hasil produksi, dan gudang penyimpanan. Ketika harga garam mahal maka petani garam akan menggunakan strategi penjualan langsung. sebaliknya, ketika harga turun petani kecil tidak memiliki pilihan strategi selain menjual langsung tetapi petani dengan  skala besar lebih fleksibel.Kata Kunci: Garam, Kesejahteraan, Strategi AbstractThis study aims to explore the drivinf factors of salt farmers to sell salt directly or indirectly and analyze the impact of implementing this strategy on the welfare level of salt farmers. This study uses a descriptive qualitative approach. This research was conducted in Karanganyar Village, Kalianget, Sumenep district.. The object of this study is focused on salt products. The sampling technique used snowball sampling with informants who came from salt farmers from Karanganyar village. Data obtained through observation, documentation and in-depth interviews with informants. The results of this study indicate that there are four factors that influence salt farmers in implementing direct or indirect sales strategies, namely the price of salt, needs, quantity of production, and warehouse. When the price of salt is high, salt farmers will use a direct selling strategy. otherwise when prices fall small farmers have no choice of strategy other than selling directly but large scale farmers are more flexible.Keywords: Salt, Welfare, Strategy


2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zakariaou Njoumemi ◽  
Altine Fadimatou

Objective: To describe the context of, types of and approaches to monitoring and evaluation and the stakeholders’ perceptions of Performance-based financing (PBF) in Cameroon.Methods: This research used secondary data, both qualitative and quantitative, from the PBF monitoring and evaluation plan, reports and documents, and information from 380 qualitative interviews of stakeholders. Data was analysed using a systematic process of triangulation of responses in tabular form to assess the contribution of PBF towards strengthening the national system of monitoring and evaluation. Descriptive statistics were presented in form of frequencies.Results: The context of decentralisation and results-based management put monitoring and evaluation at the centre of public policy actions. Performance is measured in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, equity, accountability and transparency. The expected effect of PBF is not to reinforce the monitoring and evaluation system but to increase its performance. In conception, the design of PBF relies on substantial efforts of systematic monitoring and evaluation that can strengthen the national health system. The PBF brought changes to all the organisational systems of the supply of health services according to the monitoring and evaluation objectives, which were aligned to those of the national health system and management health information. Stakeholders were positive about the resulting performance of the central tool for monitoring and evaluation of PBF.Conclusion: Several types of monitoring and evaluation are conducted in the implementation of the PBF scheme, showing great potential to strengthen the national system through the harmonisation and standardisation of indicators and norms at all levels of the national health system pyramid.


Author(s):  
Jeliastiva Jeliastiva ◽  
Farid Fachrurazi

The COVID-19 outbreak has had a serious impact on almost all countries in the world, including Indonesia. In response to this case, various policies began to emerge. Starting from the implementation of work from home, social distancing and physical distancing, until the implementation of large-scale social restrictions (PSBB). overseas investors are busy focusing their finances on the needs of their respective countries to fight the virus. Domestic investment (PMDN) is also predicted to experience a slowdown. The social distancing policy resulted in the community not being able to run the economic system well, especially in the Indonesian investment sector so that the perokoniman namely investment in Indonesia decreased and there were some delays in investment by other countries in Indonesia.


2019 ◽  
Vol 006 (02) ◽  
pp. 134-148
Author(s):  
BJ. Al-Baiquni ◽  

The role of marketing institutions is important for conducting marketing activities, so that research has a purpose for: 1) knowing the market structure of gurame fish, 2) describing the behavior of gurame fish marketing institutions, 3) knowing the performance of marketing institutions for gurame fish in Kediri Regency. Type of research is descriptive using analysis of structure, conduct, and performance. Sampling techniques using purposive sampling and snowball sampling techniques, data collection techniques by observation, direct interviews and documentation. The results of the study are based on market structure that is influenced by the number of sellers and buyers, barriers to entry and exit markets, and market information indicating that the formed market structure is oligopoly; There are still many marketing agency behaviors that harm several parties in marketing such as accounts payable, and other fraudulent practices; The marketing of gurame fish in Kediri Regecy cannot be said to be efficient because of the uneven distribution of marketing margins, costs, and profits of each institution, as well as the high margin value, costs, and profits from one of the marketing institutions, large-scale collectors.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Whidya Utami ◽  
Hendro Susanto

This study aims to bridge the gap in the literature by examining the dimensions of Growth Orientation, Opportunity Orientation, Total customer focus dimensions, Value creation Networking, Informal Market Analysis, Closness to The Market on large and small company scale related to Entrepreneurial Marketing (EM) behavior. Thus the objectives to be developed in this study are: analyze how EM behavior in small companies compared to large companies? The dimensions of whether in entrepreneurial marketing are dominant in the context of small and large scale companies. The questionnaire was aimed at a national sample of 406 business owners in Indonesia, spread in 8 provinces. Small companies are defined as companies that employ at least 9 fewer full-time employees other than their owners, while large companies are companies that employ more than 9 full-time employees other than their owners. Snowball sampling is used to determine the selected respondent. The results showed that there are differences in entrepreneurial marketing behavior between large companies and small companies, where small scale companies have lower entrepreneurial marketing behavior compared to large scale companies. For small scale companies, it shows that opportunity orientation is the most dominant dimension, whereas in large scale companies it shows that growth orientation is the most dominant dimension.


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