scholarly journals Communication Networks as a Catalyst for Holistic Sustainability on Karst Landscapes

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3360
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Willenbrink ◽  
Leslie A. North ◽  
Vu Thi Minh Nguyet ◽  
Jason Polk ◽  
James Graham

Equitable access to communication and education is a key aspect in ensuring sustainability in any natural area. Karst landscapes are especially susceptible to environmental degradation from natural and anthropogenic forces and can benefit from sustainable economic, social, and environmental practices. This study took place in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park (PN-KB), a highly developed karst landscape in central Vietnam. Through in-depth interviews, this study explored the ways in which formal and informal communication networks between the diverse stakeholders living within the park can be used to better protect the landscape from further degradation. The research findings suggest that a lack of consistent communication between PN-KB’s residents, rangers, and governing officials has left the landscape vulnerable to extensive degradation and susceptible to catastrophic climatic events. Increasing communication between the stakeholder groups within the park will bolster economic opportunity and ensure equitable access to information and resources, both of which will promote sustainable practices and karst landscape protection.

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (7) ◽  
pp. 1257-1265
Author(s):  
Fouad El-Gamal

Intellectual capital can generate value for organizations and improve organizational innovation. This study aims to investigate the effects of intellectual capital on corporate innovation. Mixed research methodology approach has been used by combining both qualitative and quantitative analysis to explore and empirical examine the research model. The targeted population of interest is the licensed pharmaceutical manufactures, 90 organizations in the Egyptian pharmaceutical industry throughout its three main sectors (11 public, 70 local private and 9 MNCs). Statistical analyses are employed based on the questionnaires gathered from 39 pharmaceutical manufactures’ companies (44% response rate). In addition, sixty-three “63” in depth interviews have been conducted with both top and middle managers. The research findings indicate that all dimensions of intellectual capital (human, structural, and relational capital) have positive significant effects on organizational innovation of pharmaceutical manufactures’ companies. The study clarifies that the most dominant dimension is structural capital, which provides the largest and strongest support to pharmaceutical manufactures’ companies. The deep realization of the importance intellectual capital and its impact on innovation helps leaders to adopt accurate system to run organizational innovation in a better way, which lead to sustainable competitive advantage for organizations.


Author(s):  
N. S. Munung ◽  
B. M. Mayosi ◽  
J. de Vries

Africa may be heading for an era of genomics medicine. There are also expectations that genomics may play a role in reducing global health inequities. However, the near lack of genomics studies on African populations has led to concerns that genomics may widen, rather than close, the global health inequity gap. To prevent a possible genomics divide, the genomics ‘revolution’ has been extended to Africa. This is motivated, in part, by Africa's rich genetic diversity and high disease burden. What remains unclear, however, are the prospects of using genomics technology for healthcare in Africa. In this qualitative study, we explored the views of 17 genomics researchers in Africa on the prospects and challenges of genomics medicine in Africa. Interviewees were researchers in Africa who were involved in genomics research projects in Africa. Analysis of in-depth interviews suggest that genomics medicine may have an impact on disease surveillance, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. However, Africa's capacity for genomics medicine, current research priorities in genomics and the translation of research findings will be key defining factors impacting on the ability of genomics medicine to improve healthcare in Africa.


Author(s):  
Amanda Michiko Shigihara

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine restaurant employees’ engagement in identity work to manage occupational stigma consciousness.Design/methodology/approachResearch methods included ethnographic fieldwork and in-depth interviews.FindingsWidespread societal stigma attached to food service work disturbed participants’ sense of coherence. Therefore, they undertook harmonizing their present and envisioned selves with “forever talk,” a form of identity work whereby people discursively construct desired, favorable and positive identities and self-concepts by discussing what they view themselves engaged and not engaged in forever. Participants employed three forever talk strategies: conceptualizing work durations, framing legitimate careers and managing feelings about employment. Consequently, their talk simultaneously resisted and reproduced restaurant work stigmatization. Findings elucidated occupational stigma consciousness, ambivalence about jobs considered “bad,” “dirty” and “not real,” discursive tools for negotiating laudable identities, and costs of equivocal work appraisals.Originality/valueThis study provides a valuable conceptual and theoretical contribution by developing a more comprehensive understanding of occupational stigma consciousness. Moreover, an identity work framework helps explain how and why people shape identities congruent with and supportive of self-concepts. Forever talk operates as a temporal “protect and preserve” reconciliation tool whereby people are able to construct positive self-concepts while holding marginalized, stereotyped and stigmatized jobs. This paper offers a unique empirical case of the ways in which people talk about possible future selves when their employment runs counter to professions normatively evaluated as esteemed and lifelong. Notably, research findings are germane for analyzing any identities (work and non-work related) that pose incoherence between extant and desired selves.


2015 ◽  
pp. 1244-1272
Author(s):  
Ta Van Canh ◽  
Suzanne Zyngier

This chapter provides a direct view of the higher education environment in a transition economy. It reports research findings on barriers to sharing knowledge among Vietnamese academic and managerial colleagues, focusing on three factors: time, capital, and management capacity. It draws on data from focus groups and from in-depth interviews of Vietnamese members of faculty from six major universities. A key finding of this study is that work-overload leaves little time for collaborative research. Together with insufficient English skills and bureaucratic management, it contributes to measurable levels of cheating and corruption in education that in turn lead to low quality and quantity of international academic publications and of patents. This finding indicates that there is a strong link with both Existence, Relatedness, and Growth (ERG) theory and Maslow's theory of need with both the quality and quantity of international publications produced by Vietnamese academics.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-45
Author(s):  
Mansoureh Nickbakht ◽  
Carly Meyer ◽  
Nerina Scarinci ◽  
Rachael Beswick

Abstract This study aimed to explore and compare families’ and professionals’ perspectives on the implementation of family-centered care (FCC) (Moeller, Carr, Seaver, Stredler-Brown, & Holzinger, 2013) during the period between diagnosis of hearing loss (HL) and enrollment in early intervention (EI). A convergent mixed-methods study incorporating self-report questionnaires and semistructured in-depth interviews was used. Seventeen family members of children with HL and the 11 professionals who support these families participated in this study. The results suggested that the services engaged during the transition period partially adhered to the principles of FCC, including the provision of timely access to EI services and provision of emotional and social support. However, areas for improvement identified include strengthening family/professional partnerships, shared decision-making processes, collaborative teamwork, program monitoring, and consistency in the provision of information and support. Qualitative and quantitative research findings also indicated a lack of consistency in service provision during the transition period.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Tulio Zanini ◽  
Fernando Filardi ◽  
Fábio Villaça ◽  
Carmen Migueles ◽  
Aline Menezes Melo

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the attributes of shopping streets and shopping malls that influence the satisfaction and patronage intention of low-income consumers in order to understand the consumers’ preferences when it comes to shopping in these retail agglomerations.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on quantitative and qualitative research, including in-depth interviews and focus groups with low-income consumers. The research collected data from 396 consumers at 3 retail agglomerations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and used a structured questionnaire to identify 12 attributes as the factors of the agglomerations’ attractiveness.FindingsThe results show that the items “selection” and “value” affect satisfaction and patronage intention at the same intensity in both shopping streets and shopping malls. However, the item “access” proved to be important for shopping malls, and the item “security” proved to be important for shopping streets. The results indicate that shopping streets have a preference for patronage intentions, despite the greater satisfaction generated by shopping malls. In addition, the study looked at consumers’ opinions on these retail agglomerations.Originality/valueThe research findings help to build a conceptual framework on evolved retail agglomerations in comparison to created retail agglomeration, represented by shopping streets and shopping malls, respectively. The findings allow a broader view of low-income consumption, offering insights so entrepreneurs and companies can direct their efforts to better capture value and improve the supply of products and services. Likewise, these findings will help public policy decision-makers to build and provide infrastructure for the preservation of shopping streets, maintaining this option for the consumer.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 433
Author(s):  
I Putu Anom ◽  
I Gusti Agung Oka Mahagangga ◽  
I Made Bayu Ariwangssa ◽  
I Gusti Ayu Athina Wulandari

Tourism science has been recognized as a scientific discipline in Indonesia since 2008. However, because of this interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary genealogy, it creates many scientific problems. The purpose of this paper is to understanding concept and theory of tourism science that very complex. The research was conducted in Bali, using qualitative methodology with library study methods, observation and in-depth interviews. The technique of determining informants used purposive sampling and qualitative data analysis techniques. The results of the study show that the concepts and theories of tourism are still largely referring to previously established sciences with many borrowing concepts, theories and other scientific methods. This fact make “the big machine of concept and theory” trigger as a blind spot. Very natural for a new science with interest wide ranging subject / object of research. Such an approach, the research findings that blind spot phenomenon in tourism research can be solved. In the industrial revolution 4.0 era, for existence tourism science more research must produce new concepts, theories and innovations. Keywords: Concept, theory, blind spot, science, tourism


2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah P. Lonbay ◽  
Toby Brandon

Purpose The increased involvement of adults at risk in the safeguarding process has become a prominent issue within English safeguarding policy. However, there is evidence to suggest that actual levels of involvement are still low. The purpose of this paper is to present findings from a PhD study in relation to the benefits of advocacy in supporting this involvement in adult safeguarding for older people. Design/methodology/approach Participants in the study included advocates and social workers who had experience of working with older people through the safeguarding process within two North East England local authorities. A critical realist approach through in-depth interviews was taken with all the participants. Findings The research findings in relation to the benefits of advocacy in supporting older people going through safeguarding processes are reported. The practical limitations and factors which help and hinder advocacy support within the process are also considered. The theoretical implications for power, empowerment, and advocacy are also explored. Research limitations/implications A key limitation of this research is that it did not include older people who had been through safeguarding amongst the participants. Practical implications Key implications for practice and policy are discussed. Originality/value The paper provides an overview and critique of empowerment in adult safeguarding and the role that advocates play in promoting this key principle.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 77-82
Author(s):  
Bhimsen Devkota ◽  
Edwin Van Teijlingen

Nepal’s decade long violent conflict (1996-2005) between the Nepal Communist Party (Maoist) and the Government of Nepal resulted to over 14000 deaths and thousands others became disabled and lost their properties. During this violent war, the Maoists developed their own health cadres mainly to treat the combatants and the community people under their control areas to some extent. This paper is based on author’s personal account of field experiences while conducting PhD research using mixed methods study comprising in-depth interviews and self-administrated questionnaire on the former Maoist health workers in Nepal. This study suggests a few dilemmas the first author confronted with while under taking this research. First and foremost is the risk involved to both the researcher and the participants in the absence of trust and security on both sides of the conflict. Secondly, the sources of information could easily be biased either deliberately (as propaganda) or more subtly based on respondents’ perspectives. The issues of accessing the research participants, relationships, complicity, representation and being rejected by a contact are pertinent issues when carrying out independent research. Thirdly, maintaining ethics and keeping a right balance between research, humanity and sense of justice is also the dilemma that might have affected the research findings derived from dangerous environments. Fourthly, lack of precise methods that are valid and reliable to investigate certain dynamics of conflict in the politically violent and crisis environment could be equally contested. Fifthly, undertaking cross disciplinary research on a conflict-related topic during wartime by a researcher with background in allied field is even more challenging. The researcher need to have both an in depth knowledge of conflict theories as well as being able to apply these to another discipline which can be cumbersome. This article presents a personal account of a Rotary fellow who conducted his public health research among the Maoists combatant health workers of Nepal. It presents his lived experiences that could be important in carrying out appropriate and credible research during violent conflict elsewhere in future.


2020 ◽  
pp. 002087282096218
Author(s):  
Wook-Mo Kang ◽  
Jeongmi Lim ◽  
Hong-Jae Park

The purpose of this article is to present the research findings from a qualitative study on a type of second migration experienced by Korean-New Zealand immigrants in Australia. Data were collected from 16 in-depth interviews with those people who initially moved from South Korea to New Zealand, and then migrated to Australia. The study findings show that the participants were likely to experience ‘soft-landing’ relocation, ethnically internal belonging and identity flexibility. A critical reflection on this second-migration phenomenon is presented in order to help social work professionals broaden their perspectives on today’s fluid migration and its implications for practice.


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