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1 – 5 of 5Charles Collins, Mayeh Omar, Damodar Adhikari, Ramji Dhakal, Nick Emmel, Megha Raj Dhakal, Padam Chand, Druba Thapa and Arjun B. Singh
The purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss policy analysis in Nepal and review the wide range of choices feasible in decentralisation decision making.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss policy analysis in Nepal and review the wide range of choices feasible in decentralisation decision making.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper an iterative qualitative method was developed and used in the research, which consisted of focus group interviews, key informant interviews, document analysis, including descriptive statistics, and analysis of the policy context. Participants in the research reflected the urban/rural mix of districts and the geography of Nepal. Analysis combined transcribed interviews with findings from document searches and analysis of the policy context. Coding was pre‐determined during the training workshop and further codes were generated during and after the fieldwork.
Findings
The paper finds that Nepal is in the process of decentralising public services from the central level to the local level, particularly to local bodies: District Development Committees (DDCs), Village Development Committees (VDCs) and Municipalities. Key contextual factors referred to are the overall structure of decentralisation, the social context of poverty and the political instability leading to a fluid political situation characterised by political tension, armed conflict, controversies and agreements while carrying out the research. The key issues identified and discussed in the paper are the policy process leading to decentralisation, the organisational structure and tension in the proposed system, the systems of resource generation, allocation, planning and management and lastly the forms of accountability, participation, public‐private relations and collaborative strategies.
Originality/value
The paper discusses the challenges faced in conducting such a policy analysis, the broad ranging and unremitting nature of the decentralisation process, and the contextual setting of the process of change.
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Keywords
Joanna K. Gordon, Nick D. Emmel, Semira Manaseki and Jacky Chambers
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the views of stove users in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on how stoves affect their health.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the views of stove users in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on how stoves affect their health.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper focus groups were conducted with improved stove users; traditional stove users; and a mix of traditional and improved stove users. Individual interviews were also held with various types of stove users. A translator moderated all discussions with a questioning route. All discussions were fully transcribed and translated. The transcripts were analysed by identifying common themes in responses to form an emerging theory.
Findings
The findings in the paper are that all stove users recognised respiratory symptoms caused by stove smoke and other health effects such as warmth, dirt and workload, which they perceived to be important. Stove users had a lack of knowledge about the diseases caused by the smoke. Public health was a key driver for the improved stove project, yet has been neglected in improved stove marketing.
Research limitations/implications
The study used in this paper was limited by the language barrier. Some of the meanings of participants' responses may have been lost in translation.
Practical implications
This paper has highlighted the importance of the health effects of stove smoke to stove users. Uptake of the improved stoves has been low. Public health should be included in marketing strategies for improved stoves to increase their uptake.
Originality/value
The paper shows that acute respiratory infections are a major cause of mortality world‐wide. Indoor air pollution from burning biomass fuels in household stoves causes a significant proportion of respiratory infections. No qualitative research has been published exploring stove users' views on the health effects of stoves. This paper provides an insight into stove users' perceptions for those interested in people‐centred approaches to tackling international health issues.
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Jenna L. Broome, Joanna K. Gordon, Ffion L. Victory, Louise A. Clarke, Daniel A. Goldstein and Nick D. Emmel
The purpose of this paper is to describe the experiences and views of the first group of medical students to complete the intercalated International Health BSc in Leeds.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe the experiences and views of the first group of medical students to complete the intercalated International Health BSc in Leeds.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper draws on experiences of international health and draws parallels with those of other international health students. The paper also discusses how studying international health may benefit future doctors and considers how medical education can take a more international approach.
Findings
The paper finds that international health education can help future doctors acquire knowledge and skills in refugees' health, patients' cultural differences, the multifactoral influences on health, policymaking, the interests of various stakeholders, problem‐solving skills and evidence‐based medicine.
Practical implications
The paper shows that international health teaching is both relevant and valuable in medical education. The medical profession should give more recognition to its worth.
Originality/value
This is the first paper to reflect on medical students' experiences of studying for an intercalated BSc at Leeds. It makes some important points about international health education for doctors and medical students world‐wide.
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Balashankar Mulloth and Stefano Rumi
Despite the prevalence of academic literature debating and proposing competing conceptions of social value creation through socially driven enterprises, there is a lack of…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite the prevalence of academic literature debating and proposing competing conceptions of social value creation through socially driven enterprises, there is a lack of empirical studies on established impact measurement methodologies in the context of real-world ventures. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate a structured process of conducting social impact assessments (SIAs) through the real-world case of Richmond, Virginia Works Enterprise Support (RVA Works), a social enterprise in Richmond, Virginia, that provides educational programming on small business ownership to minorities and lower-income individuals.
Design/methodology/approach
This qualitative research study incorporates an in-depth case study methodology. Evidence was collected through interpretive/qualitative interviews and direct observations by the researchers.
Findings
Using the example of RVA Works, the authors show that there is a lack of standardization and guidance for social entrepreneurs in choosing methods to assess their organizational performance, and that leading conceptions of social impact continue to face key weaknesses in their methodologies.
Practical implications
By incorporating a qualitative case study approach, the authors present a real-world study of a social enterprise – specifically a microenterprise development organization – that may serve as a valuable example to social entrepreneurs and not-for-profit leaders facing similar challenges of social value creation and impact measurement.
Originality/value
In studying the experience of conducting SIAs by social enterprises, the authors illustrate the real-world challenges faced by entrepreneurs in applying theoretical conceptions of social value to the outcomes of their ventures, thus illustrating a need for additional clarity and discussion around a more comprehensive, standardized and broadly applicable measurement approach.
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Boyke Rudy Purnomo, Rocky Adiguna, Widodo Widodo, Hempri Suyatna and Bangun Prajanto Nusantoro
This study aims to explore how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Indonesia display resilience in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Indonesia display resilience in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative research design was used, which involved semi-structured interviews on five creative industry-based businesses in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. A narrative inquiry approach was used to obtain an in-depth understanding of SMEs’ resilience. The data obtained were analyzed using thematic analysis via MaxQDA 2020.
Findings
The Covid-19 pandemic triggered the emergence of both new opportunities and new constraints for SMEs. These, in turn, significantly interrupt their business model. SMEs are found to navigate survival, continuity and growth by drawing from their resourcefulness and firm-level strategies to cope with the new opportunities and constraints.
Research limitations/implications
This study was conducted qualitatively based on five SMEs in the creative industry in Indonesia. This limits the ability to compare the findings across different economic sectors.
Practical implications
SMEs facing emergent constraints may need to find new ways to recombine existing resources and simultaneously seek to innovate their business model. Business owners and entrepreneurs should adopt a positive mindset such as optimism, perseverance and efficacy, to cope with adversity. Growth-oriented SMEs may make use of a competitive mindset such as flexibility, speed and innovation, to spot and exploit opportunities that emerge from the crisis.
Social implications
SMEs’ resilience should be understood not only in terms of economic survival and continuity but, more deeply, about their social contribution to the localities where they operate.
Originality/value
This study illustrates the process of how adaptive resilience is adapted and executed by SMEs. It also contributes to entrepreneurial resilience and resourcefulness literature by explaining how entrepreneurs anticipate, respond to and leverage from the crisis.
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