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1 – 10 of 116Isabel Stella Schellnack-Kelly
Social media sites contribute significantly to nature conservation in, that they enlighten and educate those members of the public who would ordinarily not be in a position, or…
Abstract
Purpose
Social media sites contribute significantly to nature conservation in, that they enlighten and educate those members of the public who would ordinarily not be in a position, or would not be fortunate enough to visit the park and experience the various aspects first-hand. The purpose of this paper is to showcase social media pages related to a national game reserve in South Africa. This game reserve is the largest in the country and has a wide variety of conserved fauna and flora.
Design/methodology/approach
The theoretical framework used is the SCOPE framework that streamlines strategy development, content choice, refinement of online engagement, choice of social media platform and evaluations of social media campaigns.
Findings
The findings relate to the content found on these social media pages, as well as how members of the public interact with each other and officials from the game reserve in sharing experiences related to this wilderness area.
Research limitations/implications
The research is related to the Kruger National Park in South Africa and is limited to three social media sites.
Originality/value
Through its social media presence, this South African game reserve is able to share experiences from what is effectively a living museum, as well as from its library and archives, with members of the public and allowing individual members to share their encounters with wildlife and their historical memories of this wilderness area.
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Blessing Chiparausha, Omwoyo Bosire Onyancha and Ifeanyi Jonas Ezema
This study aims to examine the use of social media by academic librarians at universities in Zimbabwe with particular focus on the application of the four key constructs of the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the use of social media by academic librarians at universities in Zimbabwe with particular focus on the application of the four key constructs of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology model. This study assesses the degree to which academic librarians in Zimbabwe believe that using social media enhances service delivery, the extent to which academic librarians perceive social media as easy to use, the influence of peers on social media use among academic librarians and the extent to which facilitating conditions influence social media use.
Design/methodology/approach
A pragmatist worldview in which both quantitative and qualitative methods were adopted, this multiple case study used face-to-face interviews, self-administered questionnaires and content analysis for collecting data.
Findings
Academic librarians in Zimbabwe perceive social media tools to be useful and easy to use in the provision of services. Social influence had a moderate effect on academic librarians’ use of social media for service delivery at universities in Zimbabwe, but they feel that their supervisors do not provide enough help for them to use social media.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no similar study has been done previously in Zimbabwe. This multiple case study presents useful findings on the acceptance and use of social media by academic librarians in Zimbabwe.
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Kennedy Otemba Odongo and Isaac Kazungu
Amidst the scarcity of resources, it is undisputable that an effective public procurement performance measurement system (PMS) is required particularly in county governments…
Abstract
Purpose
Amidst the scarcity of resources, it is undisputable that an effective public procurement performance measurement system (PMS) is required particularly in county governments, especially for Kenya to realize its ambitions in devolved governance system. County governments cannot be effectively evaluated on their performance if the long-term, strategic impact of public procurement processes and projects is not captured. Arising from this backdrop, this study aims to determine the predictors of strategic procurement performance metrics (SPPM) adoption in public procurement PMS of county governments.
Design/methodology/approach
Anchored on institutional theory and public sector scorecard model, a survey research design was adopted where data were collected through census from 115 respondents working in procurement, finance and stores department of Kakamega county government. Data were collected using questionnaire (75.56% response rate) and key informant interviews, and analyzed by using multiple regression model and ordinal logistic regression models.
Findings
Multiple regression model and ordinal logistics regression revealed that national government support negatively and significantly, and regulatory framework positively and significantly affects the adoption of SPPM.
Practical implications
There is need for formal mechanism that will enable the national government in partnership with the council of governors to be proactively involved in developing procurement performance measurement capacity of county governments. This study’s findings also provide suggestions for a working regulatory framework required for the adoption of SPPM by county governments.
Originality/value
This work adds value to the prevailing body of knowledge on public procurement PMS in the public sector.
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Dimitar Karadzhov, Graham Wilson, Sophie Shields, Erin Lux and Jennifer C. Davidson
The purpose of this study was to explore 232 service providers’ and policymakers’ experiences of supporting children’s well-being during the pandemic, across sectors, in 22…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to explore 232 service providers’ and policymakers’ experiences of supporting children’s well-being during the pandemic, across sectors, in 22 countries – including Kenya, the Philippines, South Africa, India, Scotland, Sweden, Canada and the USA, in the last quarter of 2020.
Design/methodology/approach
A smartphone survey delivered via a custom-built app containing mostly open-ended questions was used. Respondents were recruited via professional networks, newsletters and social media. Qualitative content analysis was used.
Findings
The findings reveal numerous system-level challenges to supporting children’s well-being, particularly virus containment measures, resource deficiencies and inadequate governance and stakeholder coordination. Those challenges compounded preexisting inequalities and poorly affected the quality, effectiveness and reach of services. As a result, children’s rights to an adequate standard of living; protection from violence; education; play; and right to be heard were impinged upon. Concurrently, the findings illustrate a range of adaptive and innovative practices in humanitarian and subsistence support; child protection; capacity-building; advocacy; digitalisation; and psychosocial and educational support. Respondents identified several priority areas – increasing service capacity and equity; expanding technology use; mobilising cross-sectoral partnerships; involving children in decision-making; and ensuring more effective child protection mechanisms.
Practical implications
This study seeks to inform resilience-enabling policies and practices that foster equity, child and community empowerment and organisational resilience and innovation, particularly in anticipation of future crises.
Originality/value
Using a novel approach to gather in-the-moment insights remotely, this study offers a unique international and multi-sectoral perspective, particularly from low- and middle-income countries.
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Ahmad Alrazni Alshammari, Othman Altwijry and Andul-Hamid Abdul-Wahab
From 1979 to 2023, the takaful structure has been adopted in many jurisdictions, making the documenting of its early days of establishment relatively difficult and somewhat…
Abstract
Purpose
From 1979 to 2023, the takaful structure has been adopted in many jurisdictions, making the documenting of its early days of establishment relatively difficult and somewhat unreliable. This is unlike conventional insurance, where the history and legislation are well documented and archived in various research (Hellwege, 2016; Marano and Siri, 2017). The purpose of this paper is to provide a chronology for the establishment and development of takaful via the takaful establishment in each jurisdiction, documenting its first takaful operator and first takaful regulation.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper has used a qualitative method in the form of reviewing literature and available data such as journals, books and official resources. The data is thoroughly analysed in order to build the chronology for takaful. It adopted an exploratory research design, which is deemed suitable in situations where few works of literature have examined the subject (Neuman, 2014). The paper explores the establishment and non-establishment of takaful in 57 countries. The paper categorises the countries into seven regions starting with the GCC, Levant, Asia, Central Asia, Africa, Europe and Others.
Findings
The takaful chronology presented in this paper shows that takaful operations exist in 47 jurisdictions, starting from Sudan and the UAE in 1979, with the most recent adopters being Morocco and Iran in December 2021. It is found that 22 jurisdictions do not have takaful regulations, and the Takaful Act 1984, issued in Malaysia, is considered the first takaful regulation that sets the basis for other regulations that follow.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to the literature by providing a comprehensive chronology of takaful, especially as the few existing timelines have been found to be incomplete and consist of contradictory information.
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Marianne Jahre, Joakim Kembro, Anicet Adjahossou and Nezih Altay
An unprecedented scale of human migration has lead humanitarians to view camps as long-term settlements rather than temporary holding facilities. The purpose of this paper is to…
Abstract
Purpose
An unprecedented scale of human migration has lead humanitarians to view camps as long-term settlements rather than temporary holding facilities. The purpose of this paper is to increase the understanding of and identify challenges with this proposed new approach to camp design.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the camp design literature, the authors developed an interview guide and checklist for data collection. A multi-site case study and within- and cross-case analysis was then conducted.
Findings
The findings suggest that the proposed new approach is implemented only to a limited extent, and mostly in a stepwise manner. As camps mature, there is a shift toward the new approach, but most camps are established using the traditional top-down, temporary, and isolated approach.
Research limitations/implications
The findings are based on four camps in four different countries and do not provide an exhaustive global coverage.
Practical implications
The insights the authors derived and the challenges identified from the empirical evidence can be used to better plan future camps.
Social implications
The results can support improvements in camp design, thus alleviating suffering for both refugees and host communities, particularly in developing countries. In particular, the trade-off between a permanent solution and the temporary must be accounted for.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the literature by developing and proposing a conceptual framework to camp design. The cross-case analysis provides an initial understanding and categorization of challenges with implementing the new approach. It also suggests an evolutionary perspective of camp design.
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