What Is It Like to Be a Minority Student at a Predominantly White Institution?

This study examines the differences in experiences and perceptions of campus climate of 38 minority students enrolled in a predominantly white institution (PWI). African American students, Native American students, gender and sexually diverse students, students with disabilities, Latinx students, and international students participated in the study. About half of the participants reported negative experiences with racism and discrimination on campus whereas the other half reported the opposite. Attribution to discrimination theory informed the theoretical framework of this study and the data analysis. Policy recommendations to improve the climate of diversity on university campus are provided.

Student Behavior in an Online Learning Environment

While online courses/programs have become a critical component in the strategy of higher education institutions, the majority of the current academic discussions and evidence are from the institutional side rather than from the students' points of view. An understanding of how students behave when studying an online course can provide a great insight into the effectiveness of online delivery which is the task we embark upon in this study. The chapter per the author carried out the task by, first, summarizing the studies on the implementation strategy of online courses, the “no-significant difference” literature, and the research on the unique characteristics of online learners. Second, the author attempt to understand online learner behavior by analyzing students participation in 15 online courses during the years 2012-2015. The sample includes 106 students and their detailed log-on minutes and grades. The author applied descriptive analysis, a one-way ANOVA, and a simple regression model. The result suggests substantially discounted student attention while learning online.

Strategic Greening and Social Responsibility of Organizational Development

This study has the aim to analyze the characteristics of the strategic greening and social responsibility of organizational development. The main assumption of the analysis is based on the consideration that the strategic organizational development should take into consideration the greening of organizations and the corporate social responsibility. Using a holistic, humanistic, and critical analysis approaches on individual and organizational development, the analysis focuses on individual freedom, lifetime education and training, consciousness on human values, and ethical concerns related to the implementation of the organizational greening and corporate social responsibility. Finally, it proposes a strategic organizational development model.

Promoting Political Literacy Among Youth in the Sultanate of Oman

In Oman, as in other countries around the world, young people traditionally have low levels of interest in politics. However, young people have high levels of social media usage, and there is evidence from the literature that new forms of political engagement are emerging through the use of sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. To help ensure that social media can be used effectively to engage citizens in government decision-making process, there is a need to provide young people and other citizens with digital literacy skills. This is especially important in Oman and other Middle Eastern Arab states, where there are currently high levels of youth unemployment, to avoid the type of unrest which occurred in the form of the Arab Spring and instead promote more constructive forms of citizen engagement. The chapter reports on a review of literature which examines these issues in the context of Oman, identifies examples of best practice digital literacy initiatives from other countries, and develops a series of recommendations for Oman.

The Paradox of Increasing Women's Space and Influence in Public Life in Africa

Although women in Africa have become socially and fairly economically visible of late, African women have not been as politically noticeable as their male counterpart. Yet knowledge of their interest and expectations has made them serve as appendages to men or become actors on the sidelines of public space. This chapter takes a look at the different ideological and political interest where women's involvement in politics is mostly dictated by men. It explores African women's emerging public space and influence in politics and political participation through the office of the first lady.

Contextual Considerations for Eco-Behavioral Change Among Aquatic Recreationists

This chapter draws from Australian studies to explore policies associated with behavioral interventions for environmental stewardship. Each case focuses on attempts to influence the eco-behaviors of recreational users of aquatic environments and the division of eco-responsibility between individuals, communities, and government. The first case considers coercive policy approaches to effect change in recreational boaters' sewage disposal practices to reduce vessel-sourced marine pollution. The second case considers suasive policy approaches to encourage recreational fishers to voluntarily engage in positive eco-behaviors associated with the restoration and rehabilitation of fisheries habitats. In each case, ascriptions of causal responsibility for environmental degradation and responsibility to act are identified, and how these shape responses to eco-behavioral expectations are discussed. The chapter concludes by reflecting on the potential utility of a complex model of behavior change which pays specific attention to context in the development of the behavioral intervention policy mix.

The Impact of Financial Literacy on Financial Preparedness for Retirement in the Small and Medium Enterprises Sector in Uganda

In social economic contexts characterized by young populations largely employed in the small and medium enterprise informal sector, retirement preparedness is an individual responsibility. This chapter explores the effects of age and financial literacy (knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors) on retirement preparedness (RP). Primary data collected from a sample of n = 380 small and medium enterprise (SME) workers in Uganda is analyzed using SPSS. Measurement items are tested for validity and reliability to yield satisfactory composite reliability scores and average variance explained (AVE). Structural equation modelling (SEM) is used to test the hypotheses. The results reveal that specific behaviors, knowledge, and skills, but not attitudes, are significant predictors of RP. Also, that age does not significantly moderate the relationship between financial literacy and retirement preparedness. The chapter outlines practical implications for policymakers and financial educators in a developing country context.

Influence of the Website Features on Tourists' Choices

This study aims at analyzing the level of perceived relevance and satisfaction of customers on the websites of agritourism companies. After a literature review on the website adoption by small and medium-sized enterprises, an empirical research was conducted based on a four-stage model of website adoption. A web-based questionnaire was addressed to a sample of EU tourists who experienced a stay at an agritourism after selecting the accommodation through the agritourism website. By combining the perceived satisfaction and importance attributed to a series of features related to the website, the authors identified the main priorities to be considered when a website is being projected and on-line services have to be established. Moreover, for evaluating which variables have more influence in defining the overall evaluation of a website, a multiple linear regression analysis was conducted. This study provides useful indications at the individual firm level about the main features of a website on which investments for improvement may be addressed and which on-line services should be activated.

Rethinking the Origin of the Behavioural Policy Cube With Nudge Plus

This chapter goes beyond classic nudges in introducing public policy practitioners and researchers worldwide to a wide range of behavioural change interventions like boosts, thinks, and nudge pluses. These policy tools, much like their classic nudge counterpart, are libertarian, internality targeting and behaviourally informed policies that lie at the origin of the behavioural policy cube as originally conceived by Oliver. This chapter undertakes a review of these instruments, in systematically and holistically comparing them. Nudge pluses are truly hybrid nudge-think strategies, in that they combine the best features of the reflexive nudges and the more deliberative boosts (or, think) strategies. Going forward, the chapter prescribes the consideration of a wider policy toolkit in directing interventions to tackle societal problems and hopes to break the false synonymity of behavioural based policies with nudge-type interventions only.

Outlook on Aquaculture Community-Based Projects for Socio-Economic Development

Few studies have explored the perceptions-behavior relationship and outlook towards the sustainability of community-based agricultural projects, especially the aquaculture. Understandings the outlook and perceptions for different stakeholder groups in community-based projects can clear misconceptions, identify factors that can unleash the full potential of the community-based projects, so as to achieve sustainable societal development. In Namibia, four out of six community-based fish farm projects have failed. Hence, there is a need to explore stakeholder perceptions for improvement. Adopting a qualitative research method with an interview guide to collect primary data, the aim of the study is to understand the status quo, re-define stakeholders' roles, expectations, and perceptions about consultation, participation, empowerment, ownership, etc. of community-based aquaculture projects improvement and sustainability in Namibia.