The landowner role in beginning farmer/rancher land access: exploring predictors of landowners' views of extra-familial farm transfer to a BFR

PurposeBeginning farmers and ranchers (BFRs) are more likely to access land through an unrelated landowner than through family. Thus, farm and ranch owners who might transfer their land or businesses out of family are potential sources of land access for BFRs and are the most frequent participants in incentive programs to facilitate land transfer to BFRs. To assist in identifying landowners who might transfer out of family, the paper aims to explore similarities and differences between landowners according to their expectations for intra-familial versus extra-familial farm transfer.Design/methodology/approachPairwise and regression analysis of USA Midwestern and Plains landowners' responses to an online survey (n = 322).FindingsLandowners who might transfer out of family were likely to need the proceeds from a land sale to finance their retirement. Landowners' financial needs interacted with their widespread interest in transferring to a BFR such that 97% of owners who expected extra-familial transfer wanted to transfer to a BFR. There were also statistical patterns around the size of owners' landholdings in relation to their transfer plans.Research limitations/implicationsThis exploratory inquiry suggests patterns for future research to examine, especially around landowners' juxtaposition of their retirement income and their interest in transferring to a BFR and how to align these priorities and values.Originality/valueBy exploring the characteristics of landowners who are the most likely to provide land access to BFRs, the authors begin to examine how to target these owners in program outreach. Patterns for further exploration point to landowners' financial needs in relation to their interest in helping a BFR to get started in agriculture.

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ONLINE CONSERVATION MARKETING FOR RELATIONSHIP MARKETING BETWEEN CONSERVATION ORGANISATIONS AND BUSINESSES

Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, marketing for online conservation was increasingly used by conservationists to appeal for funds from businesses and to improve public awareness on the need to reduce the loss of biodiversity. Yet, uncertainty remains in the academic literature about the effectiveness of online conservation marketing. Given that the potential impact of online conservation marketing in the corporate sector is evident (i.e., with a clear reduction in management and maintenance costs, and an increase fund collection), knowledge of online conservation marketing is important for building and maintaining a conservation group -to-business relationship. This study serves as an exploratory inquiry and aims to understand whether Environmental Education Centers (EECs) in Malaysia use electronic platforms for conservation marketing purposes. Based on an extensive literature search on conservation marketing and a search for EEC background information, from 2015 to 2020 many EECs in Malaysia have either used, or are using (i.e., WWF Malaysia) or will soon be using (i.e., Taman Hidupan Liar Gua Musang) online conservation marketing as one of their marketing strategies. The findings hold true even for the EECs with poor Internet connections (i.e., National Elephant Conservation Centre Kuala Gandah). This exploratory study underscores the need for more research in this area, especially with regard to the effectiveness of online conservation marketing among EECs since many of the EECs are situated in locations with poor Internet connectivity. Without an understanding of electronic marketing strategy used by the EECs, the conservationists’ role will likely be limited to that of conservation research, improving the standards of animal welfare and describing the loss of biodiversity.

A qualitative study of mothers’ health literacy related to malnutrition in under 5-year-old children in southern Mozambique

Objective: To explore mothers’ perceptions of malnutrition and its causes in U-5’s in Mozambique, as well as their ability to recognise, prevent and act on signs of malnutrition. Design: A qualitative exploratory inquiry using focus group discussions and individual interviews analysed using Nutbeam’s health literacy themes. Setting: Manhiça District Hospital in Manhiça, Mozambique. Participants: Mothers of U-5’s (n 53) attending the in- and out-patient paediatric wards. Results: Different malnutrition literacy levels were identified in mothers’ responses. Mothers’ reflections on the causes of malnutrition in U-5’s were more elaborate compared to those of recognition, prevention and treatment strategies. Only severe forms of acute malnutrition were recognised by mothers, while early signs of undernutrition and stunting largely went undetected or unmentioned. Limited knowledge, time and financial resources were mentioned as contributors to suboptimal practices resulting in malnutrition. The district hospital, rather than community resources or local health posts, was indicated as the place mothers would go to seek advice and treatment for malnutrition. All mothers requested additional information on how to prevent and treat malnutrition. Conclusions: The varying literacy levels among mothers, the lack of references to community health workers as a resource in identifying and managing malnutrition, and the identification of poverty and sociocultural conditions as contributors to suboptimal practices indicate the need for in-depth research focused on the social determinants of malnutrition. A more comprehensive understanding of mothers’ health literacy would contribute to the development of holistic programmes aiming to improve community management of malnutrition.

“We Will not Get Another Chance if We Lose This Battle Now”: Populism on Ukrainian Television Political Talk Shows ahead of the Presidential Election in 2019

Against a background of increasing electoral support of populist political actors in Europe and beyond, this study offers an exploratory inquiry into modern Ukrainian populism. The article examines populist communication, broadcast on the most highly rated Ukrainian television political talk shows, on the eve of the 2019 presidential election, which was completed in two rounds. A qualitative content analysis of populist communication acts (n=283) shows that Ukrainian viewers were exposed to diverse political discourses containing empty, anti-elitist, emergency, and complete populism, depending on which channel(s) they watched. The dominance of one or another type of populism on the studied channels mirrors the dynamics of media-political parallelism typical of Ukrainian commercial television. The study also examines the roles of different actors—moderators, journalists, and politicians—in either restricting or facilitating populism in the talk show studios. The populism-related reactions collected during this analysis (n=145) are discussed through the prism of normative roles, with a focus on gatekeeping, interpretation, and initiation. Implications for the stakeholders involved in the process of production, moderation, and consumption of political talk shows are presented.

An Exploratory Inquiry into the Psychological Biases in Financial Investment Behavior Evidence from Pakistani Financial Markets

Purpose: This research aims to explore the psychological biases in the investment behavior of Pakistani investors, which refers to the natural inclination of investors towards specific financial products based on certain perceptions developed through information or news relating to the issuer of financial products Design/Methodology/Approach: A sample of twelve actively participating investors were selected in this research contacted through telephone in which the conversations were tape-recorded with the consent of the interviewee. It was then transcribed and coded into Ms. Word, or themes were developed. Findings: Thematic analysis was conducted over the responses received; the results suggest that due to lack of training, knowledge relating to an investment in financial products, the behavior of investors is highly biased; partly either because of their association in the form of employment with issuing authorities or because of the news or information floated relating to financial products of the various companies. Implications/Originality/Value: The study has many practical implications; the financial managers and consultants can design financial management behavior practical learning approach to reduce biases. Also, stock stockbrokers, investors identify such biases and reduce their impact. Furthermore, this study highlights the philosophical paradigm through ontological and epistemological understanding.

The Effect of Computer Software Interaction on Students Cognitive Abilities Enhancement: The Case of Engineering Educators’ Perspective

In this digital age, the deployment of modern technology in the workplace to mitigate global challenges has become paramount. Therefore, the academic program, as accredited by the regulatory and accreditation bodies, is to ensure the production of quality industry-ready engineering graduates. These products are expected to be technology savvy and proficiently skilled in using computer software (CS) for productivity towards engineering activities. Unfortunately, there exists a gap in the quality of the graduates produced by tertiary engineering institutions in the developing world. This gap can be associated with the lack of computational thinking (CT) skills to meet the industry needs in this age of IR 4.0. Therefore, the paper reports the engineering educators’ perceived contributions and gains achieved while employing computer software in the course of instruction towards the cognitive ability enhancement of the engineering students. It provides an in-depth exploratory inquiry into the deployment of CT and its impacts in engineering education while focusing on its integration at what level in the course of study. The research follows a phenomenographic research approach explored the experiences of engineering educators from different engineering disciplines in the higher education institutions, namely chemical, civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering, to gain valuable insights. Data collected through a semi-structured, in-depth interview was coded using NVivo 12 CAQDAS and analysed for relevant themes. The findings indicate a significant potential benefit of enhanced cognitive abilities leading to the development of special knowledge, generic intellectual abilities, and personal attributes. In addition, the integration of CS should be the focus of instruction at the most appropriate level of study to allow for considerable exposure to CS to achieve the desired learning outcome. These findings have direct implications on the engineering educators and students, engineering faculties, and other stakeholders.

Factors influencing content credibility in Facebook’s news feed

This study reports an exploratory inquiry into the problematic phenomenon of fake news on Facebook, aiming at providing an inside view on how users in the United Kingdom (UK) value the credibility of news posts on Facebook in a post-Brexit era. Participants (n = 201) were asked to review four different Brexit-related Facebook posts that linked to news articles from UK tabloids that were published between 2016 and 2019. Two of the posts were debunked as fake news, while the other two were verified as real news. The authors of each Facebook post were different: two from UK tabloids and two from unknown individuals. Respondents were asked to identify the credibility of the news posts in Facebook’s news feed. The results indicate that the author of the post significantly influences users’ perceived credibility. For instance, a fake news post from an individual is perceived as the least trustworthy, while a real news post from an individual and a fake news post from a tabloid are somewhat similarly perceived. The content of a post is seen as most trustworthy when it is a real news post from a tabloid and as least credible when it is a fake news post from an individual. Finally, in two cases, credibility can predict willingness to interact with a post. The research concludes with a set of recommendations for future research.

“It’s Been a Good Reminder That Students Are Human Beings”: An Exploratory Inquiry of Instructors’ Rhetorical and Relational Goals During COVID-19

As colleges and universities moved to remote learning during the Spring 2020 semester due to COVID-19, the traditional higher education classroom format was challenged. This study examines how instructors reconceptualized their rhetorical and relational goals in the pandemic classroom. A thematic analysis of 68 qualitative survey responses revealed that instructors adapted their rhetorical and relational approaches to instruction due to a perceived change in students’ needs. Moreover, findings suggest that instructors intend to continue to use many of these instructional changes in their post-pandemic classrooms. These conclusions confirm that instructors should consider contextual factors not only during but also after COVID-19. We close with practical recommendations for instructors beyond the pandemic classroom.