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1 – 10 of 11Nusrat Husain, Nasim Chaudhry, Mohammed Husain and Waquas Waheed
Background: suicide prevention is a priority for health services in England. A high rate of suicide in South Asian women and a dramatic rise in young Afro‐Caribbean's has been…
Abstract
Background: suicide prevention is a priority for health services in England. A high rate of suicide in South Asian women and a dramatic rise in young Afro‐Caribbean's has been reported in the UK.Aims: the aim of this selected review is to present the cultural context of suicidal behavior and possible preventive strategies for the South Asian and Afro‐Caribbean's living in the UK.Methods: relevant data about the cultural context of suicidal behavior in the two ethnic groups is reviewed.Findings: our findings suggest that socio‐cultural factors in women of South Asian origin and social risk factors and situational stress in Afro Caribbean's appears to be related to acts of self‐harm.Conclusions: we could not identify any published studies of effective suicide prevention strategies or on any treatment programmes for the two ethnic minority groups. Addressing the cultural, linguistic and religious need of these groups should be of paramount importance.
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Ohoud AlMunthiri, Shaker Bani Melhem, Faridahwati Mohd Shamsudin and Shaikha Ali Al-Naqbi
Although the development of public organisations and the continual enhancement of public services depend on the creative behaviour of public employees, it is uncertain from…
Abstract
Purpose
Although the development of public organisations and the continual enhancement of public services depend on the creative behaviour of public employees, it is uncertain from earlier studies how and when inclusive leadership (IL) affects innovative behaviours (IB). This study aims to resolve the inconsistency in the literature by applying social exchange theory to examine the effect of inclusive leadership on employees’ innovative behaviour, while also examining the mediating role of work engagement and the moderating effect of psychological safety within this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
The research model’s analysis draws from a data set of 200 employee–supervisor dyads. Data was collected from employees across diverse public sector organisations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Findings
The results demonstrate that IL indirectly (via WE) and directly has a positive influence on employees’ IBs. This influence is enhanced when employees feel safe and do not have to be concerned about negative consequences.
Originality/value
Our study highlights a less-explored sector, unveiling the motivations behind IB among public sector employees. Moreover, this study provides valuable insights within a non-Western context, offering a unique perspective on the intricate relationship between IL, PS, employee engagement and IBs in the UAE public sector.
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The use of the software package mini‐micro CDS/ISIS for thecreation of the “Myco Database” is discussed. The design,development of the database and sorting of records are…
Abstract
The use of the software package mini‐micro CDS/ISIS for the creation of the “Myco Database” is discussed. The design, development of the database and sorting of records are described step by step. Details of the print format and sample printout of the printed version of the directory are given.
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Faiz ur Rahim and Nasim Shah Shirazi
The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance of local governments in Pakistan through citizen’s satisfaction with local public service delivery in the context of…
Abstract
Purpose
The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance of local governments in Pakistan through citizen’s satisfaction with local public service delivery in the context of the 2001 devolution plan.
Design/methodology/approach
Multiple-choice models are used to identify various determinants of citizen satisfaction from local governments. Demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the citizens such as age, gender, profession, education level, social status, geographical location and devolution policy (absence or presence of local government) are possible determinants of the model. While, the dependent variable is a satisfaction index constructed through exploratory factor analysis, using information obtained through a questionnaire.
Findings
The devolution policy variable is found to be statistically significant, indicating that people’s satisfaction level declined significantly when the devolution plan was rolled back. The impact of demographic and socio-economic variables on citizen satisfaction with local government is also found to be statistically significant in a majority of cases. Results indicate that people living in urban city districts are comparatively more satisfied than inhabitants of rural areas. Heterogeneity in satisfaction is found across different provinces, suggesting the need for institutional and political reforms. Moreover, people from a lower social status are more satisfied, indicating that the devolution process is in the right direction as far as reduction of income disparities is concerned.
Practical implications
The results suggest that there should be more provincial autonomy and national cohesion that will result in better understanding of the needs of federating units keeping the regional affiliation aside. Financial autonomy will give more resources, generate confidence and make the federating unit accountable. A decentralized set up will reduce the dependence of provinces on the center, which will allow the center to concentrate more on the national issues. However, the problem is how to materialize this and execute an efficient decentralization process in Pakistan.
Originality/value
This research is based on primary data collected by UNDP to conduct a social audit of local governments in Pakistan. No other research has been conducted in Pakistan to evaluate the performance of local governments using citizen satisfaction.
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Tea Collins, Juan Tello, Menno Van Hilten, Lina Mahy, Nicholas Banatvala, Guy Fones, Svetlana Akselrod, Fiona Bull, Alarcos Cieza, Jill Farrington, Jack Fisher, Cristina Gonzalez, Jaimie Guerra, Fahmy Hanna, Zsuzsanna Jakab, Alexey Kulikov, Khalid Saeed, Nisreen Abdel Latif, Bente Mikkelsen, Nasim Pourghazian, Giuseppe Troisi and Juana Willumsen
As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to spread across countries, it is becoming increasingly clear that the presence of pre-existing noncommunicable diseases…
Abstract
Purpose
As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to spread across countries, it is becoming increasingly clear that the presence of pre-existing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) dramatically increases the risk of aggravation in persons who contract the virus. The neglect in managing NCDs during emergencies may result in fatal consequences for individuals living with comorbidities. This paper aims to highlight the need for a paradigm shift in the governance of public health emergencies to simultaneously address NCD and noncommunicable disease (CD) pandemics while taking into account the needs of high-risk populations, underlying etiological factors, and the social, economic, and environmental determinants that are relevant for both CDs and NCDs.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reviews the available global frameworks for pandemic preparedness to highlight the governance challenges of addressing the dual agenda of NCDs and CDs during a public health emergency. It proposes key strategies to strengthen multilevel governance in support of countries to better prepare for public health emergencies through the engagement of a wide range of stakeholders across sectors.
Findings
Addressing both CD and NCD pandemics during public health emergencies requires (1) a new framework that unites the narratives and overcomes service and system fragmentations; (2) a multisectoral and multistakeholder governance mechanism empowered and resourced to include stakeholders across sectors and (3) a prioritized research agenda to understand the political economy of pandemics, the role played by different political systems and actors and implementation challenges, and to identify combined strategies to address the converging agendas of CDs and NCDs.
Research limitations/implications
The article is based on the review of available published evidence.
Practical implications
The uptake of the strategies proposed will better prepare countries to respond to NCD and CD pandemics during public health emergencies.
Originality/value
The article is the first of its kind addressing the governance challenges of the dual pandemic of NCDs and CDs in emergencies.
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Pakistan had never been a place of serious and nuanced debate and contestation of politics of postcolonial critique, that is, the continuity of economic, political, and cultural…
Abstract
Pakistan had never been a place of serious and nuanced debate and contestation of politics of postcolonial critique, that is, the continuity of economic, political, and cultural dependency of newly independent countries (NICs) on ex-colonizers as pointed out by neocolonialism, dependency theory, and postcolonial theory, respectively. Instead, Pakistan is presented by extant liberal academic literature as a “failed nation” and a state dominated by the military and plagued by religious extremism. As opposed to this, through the literary and activists writings of Aziz-ul-Haq, this chapter will try to illustrate how cultural contestation of the nation-building project postindependence from British rule was a lot more complex and interesting in Pakistan. This was so because the nation-building project of Pakistan was, on the one hand, an amalgamation of Indo-Persian, Arab, Indian, and Western colonial and civilizational influences and, on the other hand, entailed suppression of resilient local and national cultures of its constituent nationalities developed over centuries. This was later expressed in ethno-nationalist politics. However, when it came to the politics of the marginalized in the late 1960s, there were important political, theoretical, and literary insights which caused a change in the direction of political practice in Pakistan, which paralleled the politics expressed by writers like Fanon and early Subaltern Studies influenced by the Naxal Movement in India. The contestation and confusion arising from this dialectic also entered Pakistan's literary and cultural sphere. This chapter not only tries to give a different postcolonial critique of the failure of nation-building project in Pakistan but, though at a preliminary level, is an attempt to separate the original postcolonial theory in its radical tradition from contemporary postmodern/poststructuralist postcolonial theory marked with pessimism and resignation.
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Lapologang Sebaka and Shuliang Zhao
Synthesizing from the institutional theory and social network theory, this study investigates factors influencing green innovation performance in new ventures.
Abstract
Purpose
Synthesizing from the institutional theory and social network theory, this study investigates factors influencing green innovation performance in new ventures.
Design/methodology/approach
The findings show that the dimensions of internal social network; heterogeneous network and tie strength have significant positive effects on proactive environmental strategy based on a sample of 300 new ventures in China.
Findings
The results further support the mediating role of proactive environmental strategy on internal organizational networks and green innovation performance of new ventures. The study further investigated the moderating role of the regulatory quality as a dimension of institutional environment in China. The results show that the regulatory quality positively moderates the relationship between proactive environmental strategy and green innovation performance. Policy and managerial implications are further discussed.
Originality/value
Over the past 20 years, green innovation has increasingly attracted the attention of policymakers and scholars. However, most studies have focused on mature ventures, and little attention has been given to how newly established ventures attain green innovation performance.
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Gahana Gopal C., Yogesh B. Patil, Shibin K.T. and Anand Prakash
The purpose of this paper is to formulate frameworks for the drivers and barriers of integrated sustainable solid waste management (ISSWM) with reference to conditions prevailing…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to formulate frameworks for the drivers and barriers of integrated sustainable solid waste management (ISSWM) with reference to conditions prevailing in India.
Design/methodology/approach
A multi-phased approach was adopted in this paper to come up with the conceptual framework of the drivers and barriers of ISSWM. In the first phase, drivers and barriers of ISSWM were identified based on a systematic literature review process. In the second phase, 25 experts having 15 plus years of experience in the field of sustainable development and environmental management were consulted to get their opinion. Validation and understanding of the interrelationship among the selected drivers and barriers were done based on the insights from expert interviews. And in the final phase, structural self-interaction matrix and transitive links are defined based on the expert opinion to come up with the theoretical frameworks of drivers and barriers of ISSWM.
Findings
Findings reveal the importance to have a system view point approach by giving equal importance to social, environmental and economic pillars of sustainability along with the technology component to effectively and sustainably manage the solid waste disposal. Institutional effectiveness and the robust policy and frameworks are the two variables found to have the highest driving power. Poor social values and ethics, huge population and illiteracy are the three most critical barriers faced by developing nations in achieving the sustainability practices in the solid waste management. The proposed frameworks of drivers and barriers of ISSWM will definitely help policy makers to effectively manage the sustainable waste management practices for developing economies by focusing on the key variables listed out.
Research limitations/implications
One of the limitations is in the use of very limited sample size in the study. Another limitation is that total interpretive structural modeling fails to come up with the relative weightings of drivers and barriers used in the study. These limitations can be overcome by extending the research by using a semi-structured questionnaire survey with higher sample size for the empirical validation of the model.
Practical implications
This research will help to clearly understand the framework of drivers and barriers of variables and their hierarchical level based on the driving power and dependence. Since such articles focusing on the conceptual frameworks of drivers and barriers of ISSWM are found to be very scant, this paper will equally help academicians and waste management professionals to understand the concepts deeply, by getting answers to the fundamental questions of “what,” “why” and “how.” Developed framework of drivers explicitly shows the need to attain financial stability through the commercialization of the waste management initiatives, which will help to reduce burden on various governmental institutions. Commercialization opportunities will also help to have more successful start-up ventures in solid waste management domain that can provide improved employment opportunities and hygiene environment in the developing nations like India.
Originality/value
Based on the authors’ best knowledge, there is hardly any article that explicitly explains the conceptual frameworks of the drivers and barriers of ISSWM by considering the conditions prevailing in developing countries like India. And thus, this can be considered as one of the unique research attempts to build a clear conceptual framework of ISSWM. The study contributes significantly to the existing literature body by clearly interpreting the interrelationships and the driving power and dependence of variables of ISSWM.
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This paper aims to discover perceptions of university librarians regarding the needed competencies for collection managers in Pakistan in the emerging digital paradigm.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to discover perceptions of university librarians regarding the needed competencies for collection managers in Pakistan in the emerging digital paradigm.
Design/methodology/approach
The mixed‐method approach was followed using a questionnaire and interview to collect data. The self‐completion questionnaire was sent to central libraries of 40 major, accredited universities of Pakistan and 30 responses were obtained. Then, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 20 librarians using interview‐guide. Interviews were transcribed to analyze and categorize according to the thematic approach. The interpretation and comments of the interviewees have also been reported to strengthen the arguments.
Findings
It was found that the university libraries of Pakistan are gradually adopting a digital paradigm and providing access to hybrid collections. But, collection managers would not perceive fully the competencies needed to manage hybrid collections. It also appeared that there were meagre opportunities for university librarians to develop their competencies through regular and continuing education.
Originality/value
This is the first study on the needed competencies for collection managers in Pakistan. The paper may invoke, among academia and working professionals, the need to learn the practices of collection management in digital environment.
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Aisha Saif Al Shaer, Fauzia Jabeen, Saju Jose and Sherine Farouk
Drawing on cultural intelligence and social exchange theories, this study examines cultural intelligence and its effects on proactive service performance and the mediating role of…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on cultural intelligence and social exchange theories, this study examines cultural intelligence and its effects on proactive service performance and the mediating role of leader's collaborative nature and the moderating role of cultural training and emotional labor, particularly deep acting and surface acting, in the relationship between cultural intelligence and proactive service performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The study sample comprised 510 healthcare practitioners. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the hypotheses.
Findings
The results show that cultural intelligence positively influences proactive service performance. Additionally, leadership's collaborative nature influences proactive service performance. The moderating effect of cultural training and deep acting positively influences the relationship between cultural intelligence and proactive service performance. In contrast, surface acting reveals a reverse effect, thus exhibiting a positive effect on this relationship.
Research limitations/implications
These findings suggest that public healthcare organizations should pay more attention in improving deep acting, cultural training and leadership's collaborative nature for optimal service performance.
Originality/value
The novelty of this study lies in its presentation of an integrated framework based on cultural intelligence and social exchange theories that can solve the contemporary challenges facing healthcare firms operating in emerging markets in integrating cultural intelligence and service performance.
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