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1 – 10 of 128Md. Anwarul Islam, Rafia Sultana and Gunilla Widén
This study aims to investigate the sustainable development goals (SDGs) awareness of public librarians, their perceived understanding of public libraries to achieve United Nation…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the sustainable development goals (SDGs) awareness of public librarians, their perceived understanding of public libraries to achieve United Nation Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) and identify the challenges affect the library adoption to SDGs.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, a quantitative survey method was used to collect responses. The study population was all head of public libraries in Bangladesh. Seventy-one personalized individual e-mails with a link to a Web-based questionnaire were sent out to the public librarians (head of public libraries) inviting them to participate in this study. Fifty-nine responded to the survey, which was 83.09% of all population.
Findings
The findings revealed that public librarians working in different public libraries were generally aware of UNSDGs. The perceived understanding on the role of public libraries to achieve SDGs varies from SDG#1 to SDG1#7. However, most of the librarians’ responses ranked well in line with SDGs#1, #2, #3, #4 and #17, and they believed that their public libraries are doing well on some of these goals. Out of 17 SDGs, public libraries are working well on 7 goals. Lack of SDG-related activities, awareness, funds, implementation plan and unwillingness of the policymakers are challenges identified in this study.
Originality/value
There are not many studies on public libraries in Bangladesh, and the research areas are not diverse. There are only few studies in this area, and there is a need for different kinds of studies to reach a better overview and understanding when developing public library services to support SDGs. This could serve as the basis for a deeper study.
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Divaries Cosmas Jaravaza, Joshua Risiro, Paul Mukucha and Nomuhle Jaravaza
The main purpose of the study was to synthesise the role of COVID-19 social media messages and indigenous religious beliefs on public health promotion initiatives among rural…
Abstract
Purpose
The main purpose of the study was to synthesise the role of COVID-19 social media messages and indigenous religious beliefs on public health promotion initiatives among rural consumers in Zimbabwe.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative approach was adopted. Population consisting of 15 interviews and six focus groups was purposively sampled from Manicaland, Mashonaland Central and Masvingo provinces in Zimbabwe. A thematic approach was used to present and analyse the data.
Findings
Rural consumers believed WhatsApp messages posted by people whom they know or influential personnel like health workers. Credibility of WhatsApp messages was enhanced through its ability to send videos and audios. Teachings and indoctrination by indigenous churches and misinformation were found to be an impediment in believing COVID-19 WhatsApp messages and vaccination by rural consumers. Faith healers in indigenous churches used various practices and artefacts like holy water, stone pebbles, clay pots, flags and wooden rods to pray and treat patients suffering from COVID-19 and other ailments.
Practical implications
Social media messages, religious teachings and indoctrination may be a hindrance to rural consumers in adopting government public health promotion initiatives; hence, public health professionals need prior emic understanding and co-option of local leadership in vaccination campaigns.
Originality/value
This study outstretches the theoretical landscape in consumer behaviour and also practical contribution to health practitioners and marketers on breaking indigenous religious barriers and social media misconceptions on vaccination uptake through promotional strategies earmarked for rural consumers.
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Akinade Adebowale Adewojo, Adetola Adebisi Akanbiemu and Uloma Doris Onuoha
This study explores the implementation of personalised information access, driven by machine learning, in Nigerian public libraries. The purpose of this paper is to address…
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores the implementation of personalised information access, driven by machine learning, in Nigerian public libraries. The purpose of this paper is to address existing challenges, enhance the user experience and bridge the digital divide by leveraging advanced technologies.
Design/methodology/approach
This study assesses the current state of Nigerian public libraries, emphasising challenges such as underfunding and lack of technology adoption. It proposes the integration of machine learning to provide personalised recommendations, predictive analytics for collection development and improved information retrieval processes.
Findings
The findings underscore the transformative potential of machine learning in Nigerian public libraries, offering tailored services, optimising resource allocation and fostering inclusivity. Challenges, including financial constraints and ethical considerations, are acknowledged.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature by outlining strategies for responsible implementation and emphasising transparency, user consent and diversity. The research highlights future directions, anticipating advancements in recommendation systems and collaborative efforts for impactful solutions.
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Soohyung Joo, Maria Cahill, Luke LeFebvre, Antonio Garcia and Averi Cole
This study investigated multiple factors associated with librarians’ intentions to engage in virtual storytimes in public libraries. Based on the theory of planned behavior, the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigated multiple factors associated with librarians’ intentions to engage in virtual storytimes in public libraries. Based on the theory of planned behavior, the study examined the aspects of attitudes, social norms, behavioral controls and organizational support about librarians’ intentions to engage in virtual storytime practices.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey was conducted to investigate the perceptions of public librarians who work in children’s services across the USA. The study collected 365 valid responses to assess the impact of the selected factors on librarians’ intentions. Structural equation modeling was employed for statistical analysis.
Findings
The results revealed that attitudes, subjective norms and behavioral controls were significant factors associated with librarians’ intention to engage in virtual storytimes. Among these, attitudinal factors were the most influential; however, organizational support was not a significant factor.
Originality/value
Minimal research has been conducted to explore factors associated with online storytime practices, which served as a primary delivery mode during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study is among the first attempts to investigate various factors related to virtual storytimes in public libraries from the perspectives of librarians.
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Leah Cleghorn, Casandra Harry and Chantelle Cummings
In Trinidad and Tobago, there is significant reliance on the traditional and centralized police service to engage in crime response and suppression in urban and rural areas. In…
Abstract
Purpose
In Trinidad and Tobago, there is significant reliance on the traditional and centralized police service to engage in crime response and suppression in urban and rural areas. In this regard, policing scholarship has largely focused on the impact of policing within urban areas, producing a gap in knowledge on what policing rural spaces entails. Despite this, there is some understanding that policing rural spaces can engender diverse challenges and calls for variability in policing strategies. The current study examines the lived experiences of police officers stationed in rural communities in Trinidad and Tobago.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the descriptive phenomenological approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven police officers stationed in rural communities throughout the country.
Findings
Interviewees narrated the importance of community dynamics and community-specific needs in shaping their roles and functions when operating in and serving these communities. Three major themes were identified: (1) network activity in policing; (2) engagement in localistic and service-oriented approaches and (3) community-specific challenges.
Originality/value
The findings suggest that while there is an emphasis on traditional law enforcement responsibilities, in the rural context, police responsibilities and duties are constantly being redefined, reframed and broadened to meet the contextual community and geographic-specific diversities and demands.
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Yunlong Duan, Yan Liu, Yilin Chen, Weiqi Guo and Lisheng Yang
This study aims to focus on the impact of multi-level knowledge sharing between and within organizations on the risk control of rural inclusive finance. The paper presents…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to focus on the impact of multi-level knowledge sharing between and within organizations on the risk control of rural inclusive finance. The paper presents a synergistic risk control system integrating external and internal factors for rural inclusive finance by constructing different knowledge-sharing platforms in an environment, which is full of many uncertainties.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is based on survey methods. To achieve the research objectives, the authors adopt a single case study approach. For data collection, the authors apply a wide variety of methods such as semi-structured interviews, field visits, second-hand databases and official websites.
Findings
The results emphasize that using multi-level knowledge sharing such as the inter- and intra-organizational level, can facilitate the risk control of rural inclusive finance during the post-COVID-19 era. Furthermore, it is also noted that achieving knowledge sharing at different levels by building diverse knowledge-sharing platforms can promote the risk control of rural inclusive finance from the individual-organization level to the chain level of multi-organization collaboration, which contributes to the formation of symbiotic risk control ecology.
Research limitations/implications
The authors have formed the “Chinese wisdom” to deal with inclusive financial risks and to promote in-depth development in relation to the “last mile” practice of inclusive finance, which means the final and the most important phase of a project. The conclusions contribute to enriching the outcomes regarding the risk control of rural inclusive finance, provide experiences to its sustainable development and offer a reference to other countries with their risk control of rural inclusive finance.
Originality/value
Drawing on the knowledge-sharing approach, this study creatively resolves the persistent problems in the risk control of rural inclusive finance, which forms a powerful supplement to the extant literature. Meanwhile, the paper combines the two contextual factors of the post-COVID-19 era and emerging economies, which can be deemed as a novel attempt.
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The aim of this paper is to evaluate the progress of documentation efforts of the country, India in conserving and preserving its intangible cultural heritage (ICH) elements. This…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to evaluate the progress of documentation efforts of the country, India in conserving and preserving its intangible cultural heritage (ICH) elements. This paper also provides few suggestive measures to improve the effectiveness of documentation process.
Design/methodology/approach
Available published literature and the initiatives of galleries, libraries, archives and museums (GLAM), government, nongovernment and individual efforts on documentation of ICH have been consulted to analyze the strength and growth.
Findings
The use of information and digital technologies can effectively document and enable the communication of ICH values at global level. Community participation plays a pivotal role in conserving the living heritage for its long-term sustainability and to transmit it to future generations. Mutual recognition and respect for cultural diversity, harmony in intercultural relations and sustainable development are essential in safeguarding ICH. More research on preserving the languages, scripts, living heritage and oral traditions has to be carried out. A knowledge modeling framework for ICH has to be developed.
Research limitations/implications
This study evaluated various efforts of the country (India) pertained to the documentation of ICH. Further, it has analyzed only the information available in the published literature and the various information portals developed for this purpose.
Practical implications
In this study, prime consideration is given to discuss about various efforts on the documentation of ICH, which are generally transferred orally through generations. The recommendation aspect highlighted in the results may be useful for policymakers to effectively safeguard and improve the viability of ICH. The paper will also contribute to a better understanding of the problems and challenges faced while documenting the ICH and offer few suggestions to valorize the ICH through its Documentation.
Originality/value
This study deepens the understanding of various documentation efforts of the country. The study will also help those who have been involved in the documentation of ICH to take proper measures to enhance its visibility.
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Suneel Kumar, Varinder Kumar and Nisha Devi
This study aims to investigate the connection between digital literacy and women’s empowerment in the rural Himachal Pradesh. It explores how improved digital skills contribute to…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the connection between digital literacy and women’s empowerment in the rural Himachal Pradesh. It explores how improved digital skills contribute to increased empowerment among women with a specific focus on the role of education in enhancing digital literacy.
Design/methodology/approach
This study included 250 rural participants who completed structured questionnaires. Analytical tools, including independent-sample t-tests and partial least squares structural equation modeling, were applied to the data to gain insights into the relationship between digital literacy and women’s empowerment.
Findings
This study revealed a significant positive link between digital literacy and women’s empowerment in the rural Himachal Pradesh context. Education has emerged as a key factor that influences women’s digital skills and empowerment levels.
Originality/value
This research adds novelty by examining the digital literacy–women’s empowerment nexus in rural Himachal Pradesh and emphasizing the impact of education. The combination of statistical methods offers a robust approach to understanding this relationship and underscores the importance of digital inclusion and education for gender equality and women’s progress.
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Mahmooda Khaliq, Dove Wimbish and Angela Makris
This study aims to understand the utility of personas and illustrate, through a case study, how a persona-building exercise in a Community Based Prevention Marketing (CBPM…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to understand the utility of personas and illustrate, through a case study, how a persona-building exercise in a Community Based Prevention Marketing (CBPM) training of community leaders elicited important insights that complemented findings from ongoing formative research on vaccine hesitancy in the Hispanic/Latino population in the USA during COVID-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory concurrent parallel qualitative study design compared three personas created by community-based organization members (n = 37) to transcripts from five formative research focus groups (n = 30) from the same project. All participants in this study were recruited by the National COVID-19 Resiliency Network as part of their capacity-building and formative research activities. Grounded theory guided the content analysis.
Findings
This study found personas and focus groups to be complementary. A high degree of co-occurrence was observed when investigating the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine under the categories of barriers, culture and communication. Between the two methods, the authors found strong associations between fear, disruption to the value system, work-related barriers, inaccessibility to health care and information sources and misinformation. Areas of divergence were negligible.
Research limitations/implications
While personas provided background information about the population and sharing “how” to reach the priority population, focus groups provided the “why” behind the behavior, followed by “how”.
Practical implications
A community-driven persona-building process built on cultural community knowledge and existing data can build community capacity, provide rich information to assist in the creation of tailored messages, strategies and overall interventions during a public health crisis and provide user-centered, evidence-based information about a priority population while researchers and practitioners wait on the results from formative research.
Originality/value
This case study provided a unique opportunity to analyze the complementary effectiveness of two methods acting in tandem to understand the priority population: stakeholder-informed persona-building and participant-informed focus group interviews. Understanding their complementary nature addresses a time gap that often exists between researchers and practitioners during times of crises and builds on recommendations associated with bringing rigor into practice, promoting academic contribution to real-world issues and building collaborative partnerships. Finally, it supports the utility of a nimble tool that improves social marketers’ ability to know more about their audience for intervention design when time is of the essence and formative research is ongoing.
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Joseph Ikechukwu Uduji, Nduka Vitalis Elda Okolo-Obasi, Justitia Odinaka Nnabuko, Geraldine Egondu Ugwuonah and Josaphat Uchechukwu Onwumere
The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the multinational oil companies’ (MOCs) corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in Nigeria. Its special focus is to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the multinational oil companies’ (MOCs) corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in Nigeria. Its special focus is to investigate the impact of the global memorandum of understanding (GMoU) on mainstreaming gender sensitivity in cash crop market supply chains in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper adopts an explanatory research design with a mixed method to answer the research questions and test the hypotheses. A total of 1,200 rural women respondents were sampled across the Niger Delta region.
Findings
Results from the use of a combined logit model and propensity score matching indicate a significant relationship between the GMoU model and mainstreaming gender sensitivity in cash crop market supply chains in the Niger Delta.
Research limitations/implications
This study implies that MOCs’ CSR interventions that improve women’s access to land and encourage better integration of food markets through improved roads and increased mobile networks would enable women to engage in cash crop production.
Social implications
This implies that improving access to credit through GMoU cluster farming targeted at female farmers would improve access to finance and extension services for women in cash crop production in the Niger Delta.
Originality/value
This research contributes to the gender debate in the agricultural value chain from a CSR perspective in developing countries and is rational for demands for social projects by host communities. It concludes that businesses have an obligation to help solve problems of public concern.
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