Meeting the Needs of Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders During the COVID-19 School Closures

The COVID-19 global pandemic left many educators making an emergency transition to remote instruction when schools were initially closed. Although this transition was likely difficult for most students, it may have been particularly difficult for students with emotional or behavioral disorders who have complex and resource-intensive social, emotional, and behavioral needs. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which special educators and related service providers felt they were able to meet those needs in the context of the pandemic occurring in the Spring of 2020. Results indicated respondents’ perceptions of their ability to meet students’ needs and implement their students’ individualized education programs (IEPs) were moderated by policies on remote instruction and students’ access to technology. In addition, respondents suggested district- and school-level response strategies, professional development on remote instruction, access to the internet at home, and additional technology would be helpful in future school closures. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Exploring the impact of student developed marketing communication tools and resources on SMEs performance and satisfaction

A number of SMEs lack the essential marketing skills, knowledge, tools and resources, and financial access to ensure the survival of their businesses. Service learning could be used as an effective pedagogy for assisting SMEs with vital marketing communication (MC) strategies via the development of tools and resources that may increase business growth and sustainability. The primary research objective was to evaluate SMEs’ satisfaction regarding performance factors, and student developed MC tools and resources that were implemented via a MC service learning programme (in the form of student-run agencies). The inquiry utilized the triad service learning model and quality assurance cycle to apply an evaluation research design that was substantiated by the expectancy-disconfirmation paradigm. A survey was conducted among 107 SME owners and managers via a structured questionnaire. The student developed MC tools and resources and their perceived usefulness resulted in a positive influence on a number of performance factors among SMEs. MC tools and resources such as a customer database, email address, and Facebook page had the largest influence on performance factors. Performance factors such as an increase in sales, new customers, brand awareness, competitive advantage, business efficiency, and motivation of employees were found to have a positive influence SME satisfaction. Further inquiry could replicate the study via various marketing-related service learning programmes in different countries that have divergent cultures, economics and contexts.

Awareness and product knowledge of service stakeholders involved in the importation and distribution of HCFC-22 in Botswana

Environmental problems such as global warming, ozone depletion and climate change remain universal subjects of concern, with baneful effects on both the environment and human health. The consumption and venting of ozone depleting substances (ODS) into the atmosphere are the chief anthropogenic cause of ozone depletion. One such manmade ODS with high global warming potential Chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-22). The MP targeted to phase-out HCFC-22 with obligatory cut-off timelines for its use by 2040 for developing nations. To comply with the HCFC-22 phase-out timelines, meant at embarking on national communications to disseminate information on HCFC-22 phase-out through key stakeholders’ involvement. The achievement of HCFC-22 phase-out strategy depends on participation of key stakeholders in the implementation process. the level of awareness and product knowledge of service stakeholders in the importation and distribution of HCFC-22 in Botswana. customs officers, officers and industrial consumers. Questionnaires and interviews were used to solicit key stakeholders’ views, opinions and perceptions on HCFC-22 phase-out awareness and product knowledge. Results revealed that 87% of the stakeholders are learned and knowledgeable in ODS related service provision. The level of HCFC-22 knowledge and awareness among stakeholders is moderate with distinguished inter-group differences. In particular, industrial consumers had the highest median level of HCFC-22 awareness than other stakeholders, indicating gaps in HCFC-22 phase-out awareness raising and training. About 67% of respondents had low levels of awareness of the HPMP and alternative technologies to HCFC-22. This proposes gaps in information dissemination to key stakeholders and this remains a crucial disparity between the country’s HPMP success lead and lag indicators. There is need to carefully select communication media used in line with the media consumption habits of target markets. Use of popular and commonly accessed social-media platforms would ensure that the HCFC-22 phase-out messages have high chance of reaching targeted stakeholders and the general population.

Conceptualizing and Utilizing Board Certified Behavior Analysts as Related Services Providers in Inclusion-Oriented Schools

Although behavior analytic practices have been widely applied in schools to support students with disabilities, there remains limited guidance concerning utilization of these practices in inclusion-oriented schools and, more specifically, the role of the Board Certified Behavior Analyst in the provision of related services. The goal of this article is to encourage discussions among stakeholders hopefully leading to a clearer conceptualization and more effective utilization of behavior analytic practices in inclusion-oriented schools. In addition to discussing the conceptualization of behavior analytic services as a related service and the role of both Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts and Registered Behavior Technicians as paraprofessionals under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, we provide a set of guidelines for related services decision-making practices useful within a collaborative teamwork framework, including behavior analysts, and offer areas for future research.

“Our World Is Shaking Because of Corona”: Intersecting Crises and Disrupted Life Transitions among Young People in Ethiopia and Jordan Pre- and Post-COVID-19

Our article explores how intersecting crises, sociocultural norms around gender, age, household and community and broader political and economic shifts are affecting youth transitions. We draw on qualitative virtual research with 138 young people in Ethiopia and Jordan undertaken between April and August 2020. COVID-19 is exacerbating ongoing crises and gender inequalities in Ethiopia and Jordan and foreclosing opportunities for youth transitions. In Ethiopia, the pandemic has compounded the precarity of young people who have migrated from rural to urban areas, often to locations where they are socially marginalised. In Jordan, the confinement of young people affected by forced displacement to their households with extended family during pandemic-related service closures augments existing perceptions of an extended ‘waithood’—both psychosocially and economically. In both contexts, conservative gender norms further entrench the restrictions on adolescent girls’ mobility with consequences for their opportunities and wellbeing. This article makes an important contribution to the literature on gender, migrant youth and the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic by showing how multiple crises have sharpened the social and political (im)mobilities that already shaped young men and women’s lives in Ethiopia and Jordan and the consequences for their trajectories to adulthood.

A Review of Antecedents and Effects of Loyalty on Food Retailers toward Sustainability

With the increase in consumer awareness of sustainability and diversified retailer brands, the conceptualizations and dimensions of brand loyalty are changing. Existing research studies have focused on traditional constructs and measurements to explain new phenomena in the food retail sector but ignored the environmental and social effects on consumers’ attitudinal and behavioral loyalty. This study entails an extensive and structured review of definitions, taxonomy, dimensions, and measurements of loyalty within a food marketing context. With an additional emphasis on the notion of sustainability, it provides a perspective theory synthesis that integrates all testified antecedents of all types of loyalty to emphasize a trend of sustainability beyond brand scope, whereby sustainability values create loyalty. A systematic literature review and qualitative analysis methods were used to identify the relevant literature. The studies that qualified for inclusion were those that reported (1) research methods, (2) dimensions of brand loyalty, (3) knowledge of sustainability factors, and (4) organic marketing. This paper summarizes and compares the key constructs and measurements of loyalty to retailers. The results show inconsistencies in relation to two important attitudinal dimensions, namely, brand satisfaction and brand value. Although loyalty towards product brands, loyalty toward service organizations, store loyalty, and retailer loyalty have been studied in recent decades by marketing academics, little attention has been paid to clarifying their role in food retailing, especially regarding whether the established dimensions are relevant in conceptualizing consumer loyalty in sustainability based on organic food marketing. The theoretical implications are discussed in association with the research gap between loyalty dimensions and sustainability values, as well as multidimensional measurements development. The practical implications of this review are important for food retailers and organic food marketers that can meet the satisfaction and retain consumers’ loyalty by providing organic and sustainable products and improving related service quality involving environmental consequences and social well-being.

Developing Information Technologies to Promote Dementia e-Friendly Communities for COVID-19 and Beyond

People living with dementia (PLWD) and their caregivers often face barriers to education, support, and services that can improve their health and quality of life. Information technology (IT) has been suggested as a solution to overcoming such barriers, though the development of evidence-based IT for dementia care is still developing. This project gathered stakeholder (e.g., providers, caregivers) perspectives on the development of a proposed IT solution to support community asset mapping that would allow families to self-assess their dementia-related service needs, educate them about available services, and link them with services they need in their community. This proposed IT would create a dementia resource database that relies on crowdsourced data from community stakeholders as well as relevant data mined from existing sources (e.g., CMS certified nursing home data). As part of the planning process, this project conducted qualitative interviews with providers and caregivers in four metro areas in Alabama and their surrounding rural communities to learn more about the content and features that stakeholders perceive as being most effective for the proposed technology. Stakeholders also discussed their experience of utilizing IT solutions during the COVID-19 pandemic to promote access and continuum of care when barriers to service intensified. Thematic findings provide detail on: 1) motivating factors among stakeholders to contribute crowdsourced data that support community members affected by dementia; 2) potential barriers to implementing IT for dementia support, based on experiences with IT use during COVID-19; and 3) how stakeholders envision IT to better connect community members with needed services.

Prevalence of Mental Health and Addiction Service use Prior to and During Incarceration in Provincial Jails in Ontario, Canada: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Objective Individuals with mental illness and addiction are overrepresented in prisons. Few studies have assessed mental health and addiction (MHA)-related service use among individuals experiencing incarceration using health administrative data and most focus on service use after prison release. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of MHA-related service use in the 5 years prior to and during incarceration. Methods We used linked correctional and administrative health data for people released from Ontario provincial jails in 2010. MHA-related service use in the 5 years prior to the index incarceration was categorized hierarchically into four mutually exclusive categories based on the type of service use: psychiatric hospitalization, MHA-related emergency department (ED) visit, MHA-related outpatient visit (from psychiatrist or primary care physician), and no MHA-related service use. Demographic, diagnostic, and incarceration characteristics were compared across the four service use categories. MHA-related service use during the index incarceration was assessed by category and length of incarceration. Results A total of 48,917 individuals were included. Prior to incarceration, 6,116 (12.5%) had a psychiatric hospitalization, 8,837 (18.1%) had an MHA-related ED visit, and 15,866 (32.4%) had an MHA-related outpatient visit. Of the individuals with any MHA-related service prior to incarceration, 60.4% did not receive outpatient care from a psychiatrist prior to incarceration and 65.6% did not receive MHA-related care during incarceration. Conclusion Despite a high prevalence of mental illness and addiction among people experiencing incarceration, access to and use of MHA-related care prior to and during incarceration is poor. Increasing the accessibility and use of MHA-related services throughout the criminal justice pathway is warranted.

Investigating the moderating effect of the demographic factors on post-purchase regrets at malls in Sri Lanka

As of 2020, the retail sector faced an existential challenge with rapid changes as one of the many sectors. The recent impact was noted due to the present COVID-19 pandemic throughout the world. Most customers have moved on with e-commerce platforms, while traditional customers still struggle with in-store shopping. This study was specifically aimed at the conventional customers who do in-store shopping in complexes. The objective of this study was to investigate the moderating effect of the demographic factors on post-purchase regret at malls. Two factors affecting post-purchase regret, namely, the number of alternatives forgone and the return process experience, were considered. Accordingly, the moderating effects of demographic factors of consumers who have purchased something from a shopping mall during the past two years were targeted for this. By conducting an online survey using a structured questionnaire, 383 responses were collected. Through the moderation effect analysis, the consumer career was identified as moderating variable for this relationship. The rest of the demographic factors considered for this study did not significantly moderate this relationship. The findings suggest that the number of alternatives in showcase must be limited with a sense of marketing. Further, the staff at the shop must provide proper guidance on the return process and related service by identifying loyal and non-loyal customers’ careers and lifestyles.