A Review of Trends and Knowledge Gaps in Latinx Outdoor Recreation on Federal and State Public Lands

The Latinx population in the United States, estimated to compose 28% of the country’s population by 2050, has a long history of public land use. Yet while research on Latinx outdoor recreation in urban green spaces has increased over the past 20 years, research on Latinx outdoor recreation on federal and state public lands has waned. This study synthesizes the literature on public land use and outdoor recreation on federal and state public lands by the Latinx population in the United States to assess the state of knowledge and to strategically identify research needs in Latinx public land use and outdoor recreation. Our analysis reveals that while institutional barriers such as policies, practices, and procedures that favor some ethnic groups over others continue to exist, barriers to access, such as distance to sites, available free time, and knowledge about how to use public lands may be shifting, offering clues that may help guide informed approaches to outdoor recreation management.

Making a Difference: Planning for Engaged Participation in Environmental Research

Despite the rapid and accelerating rate of global environmental changes, too often research that has the potential to inform more sustainable futures remains disconnected from the context in which it could be used. Though transdisciplinary approaches (TDA) are known to overcome this disconnect, institutional barriers frequently prevent their deployment. Here we use insights from a qualitative comparative analysis of five case studies to develop a process for helping researchers and funders conceptualize and implement socially engaged research within existing institutional structures. The process we propose is meant to help researchers achieve societal as well as scientific outcomes relatively early in a project, as an end in itself or en route to greater engagement later. If projects that have a strong foundation of dialog and shared power wish to use TDA within current institutional and academic structures, we suggest that they focus on three process-based factors to increase their chances for success: (1) the maturity of relationships within a collaboration, (2) the level of context knowledge present within the collaborative team, and (3) the intensity of the engagement efforts within the project.

Applying Diversity-Intelligent Organizational Strategies for Competitive Advantage

Competitive advantage is attained through talent development and leadership. Talented employees seek career advancement, change, and success. Organization leaders must integrate all employees into their strategic plans and can no longer exclude talented, diverse individuals. Key diversity improvement themes are revealed in this chapter to help leaders focus on areas within the organization to apply diversity intelligent strategies and eliminate institutional barriers that limit the success of diverse employees. Sustaining competitive advantage requires dedicated efforts of executive leaders in organizations.

The role of institutional potential and social entrepreneurship as the main drivers of business opportunity and competitiveness

Institutional potential plays a key role in creating business opportunities. However, past studies did not emphasize on the consistency and the interaction between institutional and entrepreneurial potential-shaping factors. This research aimed to explore the role of these two aspects in spotting market gaps and encouraging competitiveness. Mixed methods were used, with basic concepts focusing on new institutional economic theory. The results showed that standardization, commercialization, technology, productivity, invention, social capital, and human capital strengthened institutional potential and social entrepreneurship. This created more ventures and encouraged competition. However, there is a need to eliminate institutional barriers to improve the efficiency and productivity of the socio-cultural-economic systems.

A Center-Based Model for Self-Directed Learning in Sustainability

An innovative platform for self-directed learning around sustainability issues in higher education is achievable via a center-based framework that uses a living lab model. This chapter identifies classroom and institutional barriers and challenges to sustainability-focused self-directed learning using interview data from undergraduate students who have contributed to real change on campus and in the community. The authors posit an alternative framework for sustainability-focused self-directed learning housed in an interdisciplinary center by providing insight on the necessary structures, resources, and processes. This chapter concludes with a discussion of how self-directed learning (1) supports emerging adults' developmental processes in navigating the borderland of adolescence to adulthood and (2) contributes to potential solutions to wicked problems.

Reaching and Supporting Students with Disabilities in Study Abroad

As universities develop strategies to simultaneously boost study abroad participation and diversify participants, they are devoting more attention to understanding the unique needs of underrepresented groups. This study explores the institutional barriers and support services for students with disabilities by the 25 American institutions that offer the most robust study abroad opportunities according to the Institute of International Education (IIE). The paper offers a new way of evaluating the support and resources currently targeted at students with disabilities, points out future research needs, and concludes with recommendations for practitioners.

Identifying Potential Barriers and Solutions to Patient Partner Compensation (Payment) in Research

Research that engages patients on the research team is often supported by grant funding from different organizations and, in some cases, principal investigators (who control the grant funding) provide patient partners with compensation (or payment) for their contributions. However, we have noted a gap in resources that identify and address barriers to compensating patient partners. In this paper, we present thoughts and experiences related to barriers to compensating patient partners with the goal of helping individuals identify and find solutions to these obstacles.Based on our experiences as individuals who live with chronic conditions and are patient partners, and those who are researchers who engage patient partners, we have identified eight barriers to compensating patient partners. We discuss each of these barriers: lack of awareness about patient partnership, institutional inflexibility, policy guidance from funders, compensation not prioritized in research budgets, leadership hesitancy to create a new system, culture of research teams, preconceived beliefs about the skills and abilities of patient partners, and expectations placed on patient partners. We demonstrate these barriers with real life examples and we offer some solutions. To further demonstrate these barriers, we ask readers to reflect on some scenarios that present realistic parallel situations to those that patient partners face. The intention is to illustrate, through empathy or putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, how we might all do better with respect to institutional barriers related to patient partner compensation. Last, we issue a call to action to share resources and identify actions to overcome these barriers so we can create a resource hub.