The role of social media in the collaboration, interaction, co-creation and co-delivery of a social venture in an uncertain conflict environment

This research case study examines the creation and development of a bottom-up social enterprise immediately after the outbreak of a civil war in an Arab country by a group of young patriots in the aftermath of the Arab Spring uprisings in the 2010s. Drawing on Linders’ (2012) model of social action lifecycle, our study examines how different actors become involved and co-created a socially entrepreneurial venture (SEV), how these actors contributed to the coproduction and co-delivery of the social actions (values) over time, and how social media play roles in these processes. Drawing from the empirical evidences of citizen co-production within the existing literature, we found that SEVs operate in very different ways in which the role of social media is critical, both from their equivalents operating in a penurious but stable environment, and those intending to pursue political action within a conflict situation. In our case study, social media was not intended for mass-mobilisation, but for selected mobilisation amongst those within the network. This is due to the insecure environment and the fear of infiltration from opposing parties. We also examine how new actors were, over time, being carefully screened and selected, and potential harmful existing players being excluded, which in turn contributed to the evolving nature of the social enterprises

Ethical Practices of Educational Administrators: A Nepalese Experience

Ethics is an important part of administrative behavior for a head schoolteacher. A school often proceeds in the path of success if it is led by an ethically sound leader. However, professional ethics are largely thought to emerge from the conscience of the administrator. This article is based on a study undertaken with the purpose of identifying how the ethics of educational administrators are practiced in public secondary schools in Nepal. The study was carried out using a humanistic paradigm with a series of in-depth interviews and focus group discussion through a phenomenological approach. The study found that professional codes of conduct for school administrators need to be well defined, well internalized, and focused on the culture and context in question. One way to do this is to require representatives of all of the school’s stakeholders to discuss and develop the professional codes of school administrators. This sensitive and participatory approach in the development and adoption of the ethical rules generates a “feeling of ownership,” responsibility, and commitment among all school stakeholders. However, at present, there are no such provisions to understand social interaction in particular social settings to ensure participation of all the stakeholders in the formation of ethical codes of educational administrators

Studying resist stochastics with the multivariate poisson propagation model

Progress in the ultimate performance of extreme ultraviolet resist has arguably decelerated in recent years suggesting an approach to stochastic limits both in photon counts and material parameters. Here we report on the performance of a variety of leading extreme ultraviolet resist both with and without chemical amplification. The measured performance is compared to stochastic modeling results using the Multivariate Poisson Propagation Model. The results show that the best materials are indeed nearing modeled performance limits

How entrepreneurial are social entrepreneurship education providers? The role of universities’ entrepreneurial ecosystems in the provision of elective social entrepreneurship courses to business students

With the growing emphasis on social entrepreneurship (SE), many universities are delivering social entrepreneurship courses (SECs) to develop students’ social awareness and aspirations, and socially-entrepreneurial behaviors. This study investigates the extent to which the entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE), entailing entrepreneurism at individual, university and regional levels, may impact on universities’ decisions to offer SECs to business students. Using data from 501 US-based, AACSB-accredited business schools, the finding indicates the importance of the universities’ EE and entrepreneurialism at multi-levels in their commitment to SECs

Does social performance contribute to economic performance of social enterprises? The role of social enterprise reputation building. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research

Purpose Literature on the relationship between social performance and economic performance of social enterprises has long been inconclusive. This paper aims to investigate whether and, if so, how social performance contributes to economic performance of social enterprises. Specifically, drawing from the resource-based view and signalling theory, the study examines how the development of reputation, which enables social enterprises to signal the enterprises' stakeholders' commitment towards social causes, mediates the relationship between the two. Design/methodology/approach Employing a quantitative research design, data were collected from a sample of 164 social enterprises in the UK and analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). Findings The results illustrate that whilst the direct relationship between social and economic performance is inconclusive, social performance contributes indirectly to improve economic performance through improving social enterprise reputation. Originality/value To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first of this kind in the context of social enterprises which sheds light on the long-standing conflicting literature on the relationship between the dual objectives (i.e. social and economic) by providing reputation as the mediating variable

Trainee Characteristics Affecting Training Transfer Among the TVET Instructors

This study aims to assess whether perceived training transfer differs across personal and professional attributes of the instructors of technical vocational education and training (TVET) in Nepal. Gender, marital status and age were assessed under personal attributes and the type of institution based on ownership, the locale of the institutions and instructors’ experience were assessed within professional attributes. Survey questionnaire was sent online to 251 instructors across the country who had participated in instructional skills-based training in the past three to 15 months and were engaged in technical education as instructors during the time of the study. Data were analyzed using independent samples t-test for demographic variables with two groups, and analysis of variance along with Brown–Forsythe and Welch tests for variables with more than two groups. Statistically significant results were further substantiated using power analysis. The result concluded that perceived training transfer was higher among female instructors, married instructors, privately owned TVET institutions and instructors with five to 10 years of experience as compared to the new ones

How “Inclusive” Has the Inclusive Education Been?

The main intent of inclusive education is to include diversity in terms of access to education. Hence, inclusive education is of tremendous significance to a country like Nepal, which has so much diversity. However, the strategies formulated by the inclusive education policies in Nepal still follow a narrow definition of inclusive education, though the policies are progressive. Does inclusive education mean only a scheme for disabled learners? Through a desk review of the policies after 2000 related to inclusive education, this paper argues that the smooth transition to inclusion in education has been challenging. The paper argues that despite policy provisions, Nepal has not been able to actualize inclusion in education because its strategies and actions are not directed toward inclusion. This situation is there mainly because of the lack of uniform understanding of inclusive education, and its present practice will lead towards segregation but not towards integration

Effects of Civil Society Organizations’ Capacity-Building Factors on Their Governance

This article investigates the differential impact of six civil society organizations’ (CSO) capacity-building factors on governance, using data from a survey of 366 Nepali non-governmental organizations. The factors include Organizational Commitment to Need-based Intervention, Institutionalized Learning Process, Creative Engagement of Staff in Decision-Making, Financial Management, Legal Enabling Environment, and Education of Leaders. Results from Multiple Regression in SPSS 16 show that all six capacity-building factors, both collectively and individually, significantly and positively influence CSO governance with large effect sizes. Notably, Organizational Commitment to Need-based Intervention, Institutionalized Learning Process, Creative Engagement of Staff in Decision-Making, and Financial Management explain 68% of the variance, while Legal Enabling Environment and Education of Leaders explain 19%. Financial management (38.3%) and creative engagement of staff in decision-making (26%) stand out as significant contributors, suggesting a need for targeted capacity-building efforts in these areas to enhance CSO governance. The study provides valuable insights for Confirmatory Factor Analysis and future longitudinal studies on the role of these factors in CSO governance

Managing interactions between household food security and preschooler health:

Food security does not assure good nutrition. The nutritional status of an individual is influenced not only by food but also by nonfood factors, such as clean water, sanitation, and health care. The effect of all of these factors must be considered in efforts to rid the world of malnutrition. Food security will result in good nutrition only if nonfood factors are effectively dealt with. In this paper, Lawrence Haddad, Saroj Bhattarai, Maarten Immink, and Shubh Kumar show how malnutrition among preschool children is determined by a complex interaction of illness and lack of food. The authors look at three countries —Ethiopia, Pakistan, and the Philippines — to study how food availability and diarrhea interact and what this interaction means for preschooler malnutrition. Their results show that the links between food consumption, diarrhea, and malnutrition are stronger than most economic studies have assumed. When diarrhea is prevalent, the effects of food shortages on child malnutrition are worse, and when food is scarce, the effects of diarrhea on child malnutrition are worse.Food security Ethiopia., Malnutrition in children Ethiopia., Food security Pakistan., Malnutrition in children Pakistan., Food security Philippines., Malnutrition in children Philippines.,

Professors\u27 Informal Learning in their Workplace: The Case of Nepali University

This study explores how Nepali professors engage in informal learning practices in their workplace and identify the potential for creating a conducive learning environment We conducted in-depth interviews with five Nepali professors using a qualitative case study approach to explore their informal learning experiences at their workplace. The study revealed that professors engage in informal learning through various methods, such as enacting job roles, reflecting on work experiences, interacting with colleagues, seeking feedback, and initiating self-learning through reading, online courses, professional networks, and formal training programs. However, organizational constraints hindered their self-initiated learning activities. Future research can examine the organization constraints influencing self-initiated learning among professors. This study contributes to the limited research on informal learning among professors in the workplace of developing countries and emphasizes the importance of creating a supportive learning environment for their professional growth