Enabling prosperity: success factors in Indigenous economic development

Public discussion about ‘closing the gap’ between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians tends to focus on measures such as life expectancy, child mortality, early childhood education, literacy and numeracy, and employment.  These are, rightly, essential markers of health and well-being for all people, and for decades they have provided evidence that Australia’s health and social systems have not met the needs of Indigenous Australians. However, there is another story, one that focuses on the measures of success, as evident in the many thriving Indigenous businesses and corporations around the country.  Across Australia, there is a growing story of economic security and success, in which Indigenous Australians are creating enterprises combining sound business principles with strong cultural and social foundations for the benefit of individuals, families and communities. Urbis was commissioned by Westpac to undertake research into Indigenous business development, to provide an evidence base to support the work of the Empowered Communities group. The report, Enabling Prosperity: Success Factors in Indigenous Economic Development, suggests that these factors are much the same as for any other businesses: human capital, access to capital and markets, infrastructure, location and an authorising environment created through government policy and regulation. In practice, businesses succeed because of more than one factor, and multiple factors can strengthen the capacity of a business to grow and develop.  For instance, access to capital often relies on the development of successful partnerships, while ownership of land and resources requires human capital to realise its potential. Indigenous culture can be both a support and a resource. Individual attitude and vision are also essential ingredients in business success, while government plays an important role in ensuring the regulatory environment enables rather than hinders business efforts. Much can be learned by examining successful Indigenous businesses both in Australia and internationally. Businesses are the key driver for wealth creation, helping to provide job opportunities and improve social and economic conditions. Fostering business success, therefore, has the potential to increase employment, improve living standards, and contribute to stable and nurturing communities. Current government policy frameworks, such as the Indigenous Economic Development Strategy, are largely focused on increasing education and training and generating opportunities for private sector employment and enterprise.  This is important. Just as important is the contribution that successful community or non-profit enterprises can make in providing employment, generating business investment for growth, building partnerships and demonstrating positive role models. The Empowered Communities group is such a national initiative. Formed in 2013, the group brings together Indigenous leaders from eight communities across Australia and seeks to strengthen Indigenous individuals and communities through a range of activities (see https://empoweredcomms.wordpress.com for more information). Strategies that strengthen both individual and community business initiatives will help to ensure that more Indigenous Australians have the opportunity to live successful and productive lives.  Everyone has a contribution to make in this regard. Governments can create an enabling regulatory environment. Banks can enable access to capital. Local chambers of commerce can foster business development through support and networks for new entrepreneurs. Communities and individuals can purchase goods and services from Indigenous businesses. Building a strong and vibrant Indigenous business and social enterprise sector can then contribute to improving many of the health and social indicators, such as improving nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices, and increasing employment and education.  Efforts to improve Indigenous outcomes really are everyone’s business

Enabling and Sustaining Collaborative Innovation

This paper extends the principles of open source software development to a non-industry-specific level by introducing the Open Source Innovation (OSI) model. OSI exhibits main differences to other related models and concepts such as the private-collective model, commons-based peer production, R&D networks and is therefore an innovation model in its own right. In order for OSI projects to be successful, numerous factors need to be fulfilled. We make the distinction between four categories of factors: economic, technical, legal, and social. In each category, we differentiate between enabling and sustaining factors. The enabling factors must be met at the beginning of the project, whereas the sustaining factors must be satisfied as the project progresses.OSI, open source innovation, R&D

Enabling and sustaining collaborative innovation

This paper extends the principles of open source software development to a non-industry-specific level by introducing the Open Source Innovation (OSI) model. OSI exhibits main differences to other related models and concepts such as the private-collective model, commons-based peer production, R&D networks and is therefore an innovation model in its own right. In order for OSI projects to be successful, numerous factors need to be fulfilled. We make the distinction between four categories of factors: economic, technical, legal, and social. In each category, we differentiate between enabling and sustaining factors. The enabling factors must be met at the beginning of the project, whereas the sustaining factors must be satisfied as the project progresses. --

Prevalence, Enabling Factors, and Clinical Outcome

Background: Striatocapsular infarcts (SCIs) are defined as large subcortical infarcts involving the territory of more than one lenticulostriate artery. SCI without concomitant ischemia in the more distal middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory [isolated SCI (iSCI)] has been described as a rare infarct pattern. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of iSCI in patients treated with endovascular thrombectomy (ET), to evaluate baseline and procedural parameters associated with this condition, and to describe the clinical course of iSCI patients. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 206 consecutive patients with an isolated MCA occlusion involving the lenticulostriate arteries and treated with ET was performed. Baseline patient and procedural characteristics and ischemic involvement of the striatocapsular and distal MCA territory [iSCI, as opposed to non-isolated SCI (niSCI)] were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression models. Prevalence of iSCI was assessed, and clinical course was determined with the rates of substantial neurological improvement and good functional short- and mid-term outcome (discharge/day 90 Modified Rankin Scale ≤2). Results: iSCI was detected in 53 patients (25.7%), and niSCI was detected in 153 patients (74.3%). Successful reperfusion [thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (TICI) 2b/3] [adjusted odds ration (aOR) 8.730, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.069–71.308] and good collaterals (aOR 2.100, 95% CI 1.119–3.944) were associated with iSCI. In successfully reperfused patients, TICI 3 was found to be an additional factor associated with iSCI (aOR 5.282, 1.759–15.859). Patients with iSCI had higher rates of substantial neurological improvement (71.7 vs. 37.9%, p < 0.001) and higher rates of good functional short- and mid-term outcome (58.3 vs. 23.7%, p < 0.001 and 71.4 vs. 41.7%, p < 0.001). However, while iSCI patients, in general, had a more favorable outcome, considerable heterogeneity in outcome was observed. Conclusion: High rates of successful reperfusion (TICI 2b/3) and in particular, complete reperfusion (TICI 3) are associated with iSCIs. The high prevalence of iSCI in successfully reperfused patients with good collaterals corroborates previous concepts of iSCI pathogenesis. iSCI, once considered a rare pattern of cerebral ischemia, is likely to become more prevalent with increases in endovascular stroke therapy. This may have implications for patient rehabilitation and pathophysiological analyses of ischemic damage confined to subcortical regions of the MCA territory

Black Single Custodial Fathers: Factors Influencing the Decision to Parent

This pilot study combined narrative and quantitative data to explore the factors enabling and motivating single African American fathers to take full custody of one or more of their children. The size and selection of the sample does not allow for generalization, since most of the men were college-educated and financially stable. The findings indicated a distinction between enabling and motivating factors. Factors that appeared to enable full custody included employment and secure housing, as they were present for all of the fathers before they took custody. Adult age at the time of their first child’s birth was also a factor for 9 of the 10 fathers. Prior parental involvement, previous marital status, and maternal incompetence did not appear to be highly associated with the choice to take custody. However, the narrative data indicated that the desire to embody the kind of father they themselves did not have was a strong motivating factor

Breastfeeding status during the first two years of infants’ life and its risk factors based on BASNEF model structures in Isfahan

Background: Breastfeeding depends on social and cultural conditions of societies. Behavior,Attitude, Subjective Norms, Enabling Factors (BASNEF) model is one of the comprehensive models of behavior study, especially in developing countries. This study was performed to investigate the status of breastfeeding during the first two years of infants’ life and its risk factors through BASNEF model structures. Materials and Methods: In this cross‑sectional descriptive‑analytical study, 406 mothers with 6-24‑month‑old babies were selected by multistage cluster sampling method. The data were collected using a questionnaire with five sections based on the BASNEF model structures. Demographic characteristics of the studied population were also recorded and analyzed using Chi‑square tests and analysis of variance in SPSS18 statistical software. Results: The prevalence of breastfeeding was 86.4% (351 mothers). Three hundred and thirty three mothers (82%) had good knowledge and there was a significant relationship between knowledge and breastfeeding behavior of mothers (P < 0.05). Two hundred and eighty five mothers (70.2%) had good and very good attitude in this regard. There was no significant relationship between attitude and breastfeeding behavior of mothers (P > 0.05). There was a significant relationship between breastfeeding behavior of mothers and subjective norms of husbands, mother and mother‑in‑law (P < 0.05); however, no significant relationship was found with regard to enabling factors (P > 0.05). Moreover, no significant relationship was observed between type of children nutrition and variables of delivery mode, maternal age and number of children (P > 0.05). Conclusion: In addition to knowledge of nursing mothers, supports and encouragement of husbands, mothers and mother‑in‑laws, as subjective norms of behavior, have a positive impact on the breastfeeding behavior of mothers. Thus, breastfeeding programs should pay more attention to the role of these mentioned factors. Key words: BASNEF model, breastfeeding, enabling factors, infant, subjective norm

Power-by-the-hour: the role of technology in reshaping business strategy at Rolls-Royce

There is a recognised trend of manufacturing companies offering not only products, but services and even complete solutions to business problems. Research has highlighted economic, market demand and competitiveness factors as responsible for the re-shaping of business strategies that this has involved. This study analyses the extent to which another factor, technology, has been a significant factor in the switch from product oriented to service oriented strategies. A case study of the aero engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce is used to analyse the impact of technology, which is found to have led manufacturers to re-shape their business strategies. The study finds that developments in one technology in particular, namely digital electronics, have been a powerful enabling factor facilitating the implementation of service strategies. This provided original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) like Rolls-Royce with a competitive advantage relative to conventional service providers, by enabling them to acquire new knowledge management capabilities

Building leadership capacity and future leaders in operational research in low-income countries: why and how?

Very limited operational research (OR) emerges from programme settings in low-income countries where the greatest burden of disease lies. The price paid for this void includes a lack of understanding of how health systems are actually functioning, not knowing what works and what does not, and an inability to propose adapted and innovative solutions to programme problems. We use the National Tuberculosis Control Programme as an example to advocate for strong programme-level leadership to steer OR and build viable relationships between programme managers, researchers and policy makers. We highlight the need to create a stimulating environment for conducting OR and identify some of the main practical challenges and enabling factors at programme level. We focus on the important role of an OR focal point within programmes and practical approaches to training that can deliver timely and quantifiable outputs. Finally, we emphasise the need to measure successful OR leadership development at programme level and we propose parameters by which this can be assessed. This paper 1) provides reasons why programmes should take the lead in coordinating and directing OR, 2) identifies the practical challenges and enabling factors for implementing, managing and sustaining OR and 3) proposes parameters for measuring successful leadership capacity development in OR

Enablers and Constraints in Implementing Lean Manufacturing: evidence from Brazilian SMEs

Lean Manufacturing has revolutionized the global manufacturing environment at an unprecedented rate. In scholarly and managerial literature, many works have reported that Lean Manufacturing is a very efficient approach and a straightforward way towards process improvements, in terms of productivity and value adding activities ratio. However, many studies on Lean Manufacturing have highlighted many problems in its implementation. The analysis carried out within the research project is aimed to the factors enabling or constraining the Lean Transformation of a firm’s production system, along with the most relevant tools or practices to be applied. The research methodology used is the so-called “Normative Delphi” with a panel formed by 32 experts coming from 16 Brazilian SMEs. Our results are partially consistent with what has already been discussed in the literature and we found that the most relevant tools/practices are: value stream mapping, 5S methodology, and Kaizen (Gemba walks); the top three enabling factors are: knowledge and sponsorship of senior management, focus on continuous improvement, and employee development fostered by the company; finally, the main critical constraints are: little support from the top management, resistance to change by middle management, and poor or non-qualified Lean training activities