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1 – 10 of 277Jaskirat Singh and Manjit Singh
This study investigates how enhancing slum dwellers' capabilities influences their entrepreneurship development and contributes to urban poverty reduction, providing insights for…
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates how enhancing slum dwellers' capabilities influences their entrepreneurship development and contributes to urban poverty reduction, providing insights for social policy design.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative research design is adopted applying structural equation modeling to survey data from 585 beneficiaries of social welfare schemes across Indian slums.
Findings
Educational, economic and sociocultural capabilities positively impact quantitative and qualitative dimensions of slum entrepreneurship development, which reduces urban poverty, supporting the hypothesized relationships grounded in the Capability Approach.
Research limitations/implications
The cross-sectional data limits causal inference. Wider sampling can improve generalizability. Capability antecedents of entrepreneurship merit further investigation across contexts.
Practical implications
Integrated policy initiatives focused on education, skill building, access to finance and markets can leverage entrepreneurship for sustainable urban poverty alleviation.
Social implications
Enhancing slum dweller capabilities fosters entrepreneurship and empowerment, enabling people to shape their own destinies and reduce deprivations.
Originality/value
The research provides timely empirical validation of the Capability Approach and evidence-based insights to inform social policy aiming to alleviate urban poverty via entrepreneurship in developing countries.
Peer review
The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-07-2023-0514.
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Jieyu Li, Libang Ma, Tianmin Tao, Zhihang Zhu and Sixia Li
By analyzing the mechanisms by which rural infrastructure resilience (RIR) impacted population loss in Longxi County, this study proposes measures to improve RIR, which provides a…
Abstract
Purpose
By analyzing the mechanisms by which rural infrastructure resilience (RIR) impacted population loss in Longxi County, this study proposes measures to improve RIR, which provides a practical reference for realizing China's rural revitalization strategy, besides providing ideas for alleviating population loss in similar regions around the world.
Design/methodology/approach
This study considered 213 administrative villages in Longxi County in the Longzhong loess hilly region as the evaluation unit. Based on the construction of a multidimensional RIR evaluation system, the spatial spillover effect of RIR on population loss was determined using the spatial Durbin model (SDM).
Findings
The average resilience of each subsystem of rural infrastructure in Longxi County was low, and there were large differences in the spatial distribution. The mean RIR index value was 0.2258, with obvious spatial directivity and agglomeration characteristics. The population loss index of Longxi County had a value of 0.1759, with 26.29 of villages having a high loss level. The population loss was relatively serious and was correlated with the spatial distribution of RIR. The villages with larger RIR index values had lower population loss. The RIR had a significant spatial spillover effect on population loss. Productive infrastructure resilience and living infrastructure resilience (LIR) had negative spillover effects on population loss, and social service infrastructure resilience (SSIR) had a positive spillover effect on population loss.
Originality/value
By analyzing the mechanisms by which RIR impacted on population loss in Longxi County, this study proposes measures to improve RIR, which provides a practical reference for realizing China's rural revitalization strategy, besides providing ideas for alleviating population loss in similar regions around the world.
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Mark Edward Tuah, Peter Aning Tedong and Melasutra Md Dali
This study investigated the role of community infrastructure planning in Sarawak, Malaysia, by concentrating on the obstacles that hinder effective governance of community…
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigated the role of community infrastructure planning in Sarawak, Malaysia, by concentrating on the obstacles that hinder effective governance of community infrastructure planning.
Design/methodology/approach
The qualitative approach via case study design was adopted in this study. The Song District, located in the State of Sarawak, Malaysia, was selected as the case study area. Semi-structured interview sessions were conducted with 21 respondents who belonged to the government agencies involved in rural community infrastructure planning and village community representatives to capture their views on community infrastructure development planning in the selected district. The gathered responses were analysed thematically and the outcomes are discussed.
Findings
The findings revealed that although the development of community infrastructure in Song District has progressed and has exerted transformative impacts on rural livelihood, several challenges were identified in the delivery of community infrastructure. The four main themes of challenges that emerged from the data were location factors, financial resources, cooperation and collaboration of stakeholders, as well as community involvement. The outcomes disclosed that, in terms of governance, the institutional roles of the community, stakeholders and government agencies must be integrated throughout the rural community infrastructure planning process to resolve the emerging challenges effectively so that the demands of the rural community are met meritoriously.
Social implications
An effective and efficient community infrastructure planning approach ascertains that the community infrastructure development gaps in rural areas are bridged and brings fruition to the rural communities for their livelihood transformation.
Originality/value
This paper delineates a view on the governance aspect of community infrastructure planning in Sarawak, Malaysia, that is largely untapped. The study outcomes may facilitate practitioners and academics to move forward and recommend improvements in the approach to rural community infrastructure planning.
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Yunping Hao and Wei Zhao
This study aims to empirically examine the impact of digital finance on spatial urbanization and elucidate its underlying mechanisms.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to empirically examine the impact of digital finance on spatial urbanization and elucidate its underlying mechanisms.
Design/methodology/approach
Using panel data of Chinese prefecture-level cities from 2011 to 2021, and using a spatial dynamic panel model, the authors analyzed the effects of digital finance on spatial urbanization and the mechanism of its action.
Findings
The findings of the study reveal that digital finance, along with its sub-dimensions, namely coverage breadth, usage depth and digitization degree, all contribute to the enhancement of spatial urbanization. The information channel effect generated by the development of postal and telecommunication businesses, the goods delivery effect generated by the development of retail businesses and the wealth accumulation effect generated by the accumulation of household wealth are all important channels through which digital finance promotes spatial urbanization. Digital finance exerts a significant promotional effect on spatial urbanization in second-tier cities, third-tier cities and their subsequent tiers. This observation alludes to the regionally inclusive nature of spatial urbanization promotion facilitated by digital finance.
Originality/value
The present study endeavors to fill this void by employing empirical analysis to investigate the ramifications of digital finance on spatial urbanization, thereby shedding light on the pivotal role played by digital finance in expediting the progression of spatial urbanization. This study undertakes an examination of the spatial spillover effects, thus providing a comprehensive exposition of the influence of digital finance on spatial urbanization. This study introduces this crucial dimension, and the empirical findings elucidate that digital finance fosters the evolution of spatial urbanization by broadening the coverage of information channels, augmenting the efficiency of goods distribution and enhancing wealth accumulation efficacy.
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Nahed T. Zeini, Ahmed E. Okasha and Amal S. Soliman
Using bibliometrics, this study aims to explore the intellectual structure of social segregation research, key contributors, thematic areas and hotspot topics.
Abstract
Purpose
Using bibliometrics, this study aims to explore the intellectual structure of social segregation research, key contributors, thematic areas and hotspot topics.
Design/methodology/approach
A bibliometric analysis was performed for more than 15,000 research papers listed in one of the famous, rich and widely used scientific databases: Web of Science (WoS). This review approach was used to identify social research hotspots on segregation, intellectual structure, borders and development trends. VOSviewer and Gephi software were employed for mapping and analysis.
Findings
The study indicates a marked increase in segregation research, particularly from a spatial/urban perspective. The study reveals the interrelationship between segregation and many other social concepts, such as social equality, cohesion, integration and inclusion. In conclusion, addressing the ramifications resulting from the multiple forms of segregation will help in implementing social policies and evaluating their impact on achieving inclusive social development in general and the 2030 agenda of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in specific.
Research limitations/implications
This study remains limited to the precision and thoroughness of the bibliographic data gained from WoS.
Originality/value
This study is valuable for readers to gain rich insights into the state of research on social segregation. It also provides ideas for future research that prospective authors and interested research and academic institutions can investigate.
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Katja Rinne-Koski and Merja Lähdesmäki
Municipalities seek new opportunities for co-producing services in rural areas. One potential partner is community-based social enterprises (CBSEs). However, whilst service…
Abstract
Purpose
Municipalities seek new opportunities for co-producing services in rural areas. One potential partner is community-based social enterprises (CBSEs). However, whilst service co-production through CBSEs obscures the traditional roles of actors, it may lead to a legitimation crisis in local service provision. In this paper, the ways CBSEs are legitimised as service providers in rural areas are addressed from the CBSE and municipality perspectives.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirical data combine interviews with CBSE representatives and open-ended national survey responses from municipality decision-makers. The data analysis is based on a qualitative content analysis to examine legitimation arguments.
Findings
Results show that unestablished legitimacy and un-institutionalised support structures for co-production models build mistrust between CBSEs and municipalities, which prevents the parties from seeing the benefits of cooperation in service production.
Research limitations/implications
The research focusses on the legitimation of CBSEs in service co-production in rural areas. As legitimation seems to be a context-specific process, future research is needed regarding other contexts.
Practical implications
Municipalities interested in the co-production of services might benefit from establishing a collaborative and responsive (rural) service policy forum that would institutionalise new models of co-production and enable better design and governance of service provision.
Originality/value
Results will give new theoretical and practical insights into the importance of legitimacy in the development of service co-production relationships.
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Shweta Jha and Ramesh Chandra Dangwal
This paper aims to conduct a systematic literature review on the fintech services and financial inclusion of the developing nations that particularly focuses on lower…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to conduct a systematic literature review on the fintech services and financial inclusion of the developing nations that particularly focuses on lower middle-income group nations (LMIGN) and upper middle-income group nations (UMIGN) to highlight the research areas that have not received attention and present opportunities for future research.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper adopts a systematic approach to examine 65 research articles published from 2016 to 2021, adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.
Findings
The study identifies research gaps in two key themes: backward and outward linkages. In backward linkages, the literature on UMIGN should pay attention to the behavioural patterns associated with lending, investment and market provision-related fintech services. Further research is needed to understand the relationship between fintech services on the usage and quality dimension of financial inclusion in both LMIGN and UMIGN. For outward linkages, future research work should explore the role of fintech and financial inclusion in the development of LMIGN. This study provides valuable insights and guides future research directions by comprehensively mapping the existing studies.
Research limitations/implications
This study does not use quantitative tools, such as meta and bibliometric analysis, to validate the findings.
Originality/value
This research paper offers new perspectives that introduce a novel framework for analysing literature on fintech, financial inclusion and its impact on the overall development of UMIGN and LMIGN.
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José Ignacio Sánchez-Vergara, Marko Orel, Valeria Ferreira and Andrej Rus
The objective of this study is to explore the concept of rural coworking in the scientific literature and examine how it generates community narratives based on the value of space…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of this study is to explore the concept of rural coworking in the scientific literature and examine how it generates community narratives based on the value of space and business practices. This study aims to contribute to the understanding of rural coworking as a driver of participation and relationships among diverse stakeholders.
Design/methodology/approach
To identify and analyse trends and categories in rural coworking studies, understand the concept of rural coworking and how community narratives have been focused, the authors carried out a systematic literature review following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) tool. The review was performed using Scopus, obtaining 22 papers.
Findings
The findings reveal that rural coworking is on definition, but it emphasises the role of community as a main actor in its consolidation. On the other hand, rural coworking is seen as an opportunity to create impactful new business strategies through space regeneration and revitalisation. Management perspectives prevail in this research field, highlighting the role of public administrations, entrepreneurs and policymakers, and their capacities to build a business environment to enhance coworking activity.
Originality/value
The paper establishes conceptual categories and research trends in the rural coworking literature, and how its actors have a strategic importance in defining their own practices and narratives. The interrelationship between coworking activity and local business development is continually seen as an opportunity for growth, so this paper will have value for rural coworking planners and consultants in non-urban areas.
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Ramzi Al Rousan, Samiha Siddiqui, Naseem Bano and Sujood
This study aims to evaluate the key factors affecting the behavioural intention of urban tourists towards visiting national parks by integrating the theory of planned behaviour…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to evaluate the key factors affecting the behavioural intention of urban tourists towards visiting national parks by integrating the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and expectancy theory (ET).
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from urban tourists using an online questionnaire developed through Google forms. A total of 489 valid online questionnaires were considered for this study. The proposed research model was empirically evaluated using the structural equation modelling method.
Findings
According to the results of this research, TPB constructs are significantly and positively associated with the behavioural intention of urban tourists towards visiting national parks in India and out of ET constructs, only expectancy and valence are significantly and positively associated with behavioural intention while instrumentality does not.
Research limitations/implications
This study manifests the behaviour of urban tourists towards national parks and contributes to academics by incorporating existing literature. The findings of this study also help policymakers in formulating innovative strategies for national parks. It presents an integrated framework that lays the platform for a new study domain on urban tourists' intentions to visit national parks, which will be useful to urban managers, officials and the tourism sector. Furthermore, as the scope of this study is confined to assessing the intentions of urban tourists toward visiting national parks, it is difficult to generalize the findings.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first research of its kind to provide an understanding of the behavioural intention of urban tourists towards visiting the national parks in India by optimizing the TPB and ET.
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Ani Wilujeng Suryani, Christine Helliar and Amanda Carter
Diversity and inclusion is a key focus of the profession. This paper investigates the ecological inherited niche of Indonesia and which employers accounting students choose and…
Abstract
Purpose
Diversity and inclusion is a key focus of the profession. This paper investigates the ecological inherited niche of Indonesia and which employers accounting students choose and whether this will result in a diverse and inclusive profession. The authors conceptualise diversity as the demand-from the profession encompassing professional accounting firms, and inclusion as the supply of individuals wishing to enter the profession.
Design/methodology/approach
The 1377 responses to a questionnaire survey of students deciding on their career paths were analysed using a multinomial logistic regression and path model.
Findings
The findings show that a lack of diversity in the profession is caused by the ecological background, constructing a local niche, that prevents diversity. This is manifest in ethnicity, gender and education, whereby the local niche consists of Chinese males recruited from B-rated private universities. To bring diversity and inclusivity into the workplace, the profession needs to entice people from multi-faceted groups and match ecological niche underpinnings to expectations of the professional landscape. Non-Chinese females are needed to become role models and trail blazers to establish a diverse profession. The public interest will then be better served.
Originality/value
This study uses niche construction as the theoretical framing and demonstrates that the profession needs to take action to become truly diverse and inclusive.
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