Navigating the tension between fatherhood ideals and realities of a post-conflict setting: A phenomenological study of former child soldiers in Sierra Leone

The concept of “fatherhood” in many African countries has traditionally been understood in terms of instrumental support to one's family, most notably, financial provision. However, in Sierra Leone and elsewhere, this narrow understanding of fatherhood is changing as a result of shifting demographic trends and in response to crises such as civil war and the recent Ebola outbreak in west Africa. Little is understood about how males formerly associated with armed forces and armed groups during childhood (Children Associated with Armed Forces and Armed Groups/CAAFAG) are navigating fatherhood as young adults. This study uses a phenomenological approach to understand 1) the meaning and importance of fatherhood for CAAFAG and war-affected fathers, 2) what fatherhood looks like normatively and ideally, with attention to norms about nurturing care and violence, and 3) how ideals of fatherhood may or may not be in tension with socioeconomic circumstances. We find that CAAFAG and war-affected fathers are committed to providing emotional support, encouragement, and a loving upbringing in addition to striving to provide financially for their families. Fathers experienced the greatest tension between their ideals of fatherhood and their structural circumstances; in other words, they felt inhibited in becoming the types of fathers they hoped to be due to the realities of living in a post-conflict, resource-constrained environment.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmqr.2023.1002273pubpu

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Market orientation and corporate social responsibility: towards an integrated conceptual framework

Abstract The aim of this study is to develop a comprehensive framework and propositions showing the integration of market orientation (MO) as an economic-oriented strategy and corporate social responsibility (CSR), as a socially–oriented strategy for business performance (BP). A review of literature on the three constructs of  MO,  CSR and BP facilitated the development of the framework and a number of research propositions. An integrated conceptual framework of economic and social strategies is constructed based on prior conceptualisation of MO and CSR. In total, twenty-six (26) propositions are developed based on the integrated conceptual framework. An empirical examination of the model will clarify further, relations among the variables and then authenticate the developed model and propositions. The study provides practitioners with a framework and the accompanying propositions for decision making with respect to their strategic choices and performance. The conceptual framework and the proposition developed when implemented are expected to enhance both the firm and customer value which has a wider implication for the society. The novelty in this research is the common antecedents of both MO and CSR. This research augments the few studies on the integration of MO and CSR

Antecedents of corporate entrepreneurship behaviours among SMEs and competencies of the employees: A triangulation approach

This study explored the antecedents of corporate entrepreneurship behaviors among Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and employees’ competencies. The area of the study was Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, Ghana. The study was a cross-sectional survey design with a concurrent triangulation mixed methods approach. The study's sample size was 440 subjects, made up of 400 employees and 40 owners/managers of SMEs in the Metropolis. The employees and owners/managers were selected using random and purposive sampling techniques. The quantitative data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation, while the qualitative data were analyzed manually using a thematic approach. The study revealed that both employees and owners/managers of SMEs in the Metropolis perceived the operational attributes, processes, or conditions within the firms and the external business environment that affects the firms and the staff in favorable terms. Also, employees of the various SMEs are given a meaningful opportunity to acquire, develop and nurture higher-level characteristics encompassing personality traits, skills, and knowledge, which can be seen as the real ability of the entrepreneur to perform a job successfully. It was recommended that owners/managers of the firms ensure an attractive and conducive climate for intrapreneurial behavior within their firms by encouraging their employees to believe in their abilities and always try something new. Employees could also be encouraged to be confident in their ability to handle and solve problems creatively. This behavior will go a long way to help the firms grow and become competitive

Antecedents of corporate entrepreneurship behaviours among SMEs and competencies of the employees: A triangulation approach

This study explored the antecedents of corporate entrepreneurship behaviors among Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and employees’ competencies. The area of the study was Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, Ghana. The study was a cross-sectional survey design with a concurrent triangulation mixed methods approach. The study's sample size was 440 subjects, made up of 400 employees and 40 owners/managers of SMEs in the Metropolis. The employees and owners/managers were selected using random and purposive sampling techniques. The quantitative data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation, while the qualitative data were analyzed manually using a thematic approach. The study revealed that both employees and owners/managers of SMEs in the Metropolis perceived the operational attributes, processes, or conditions within the firms and the external business environment that affects the firms and the staff in favorable terms. Also, employees of the various SMEs are given a meaningful opportunity to acquire, develop and nurture higher-level characteristics encompassing personality traits, skills, and knowledge, which can be seen as the real ability of the entrepreneur to perform a job successfully. It was recommended that owners/managers of the firms ensure an attractive and conducive climate for intrapreneurial behavior within their firms by encouraging their employees to believe in their abilities and always try something new. Employees could also be encouraged to be confident in their ability to handle and solve problems creatively. This behavior will go a long way to help the firms grow and become competitive

Market Positioning of Public and Private Universities:Students Perspective

This paper concentrates on universities strategies for admitting students and the rate at which private sector universities expand in today’s higher educational setups. This paper answers the following question: to what extend are the public universities different from the private universities? In an attempt to find the answers, the whole study is developed<br />towards students’ perception of the universities positioning in terms of what they are offering to the customers, through what they prompt people to apply for admission? Therefore, this<br />paper looks at the prevailing admission strategies and potential students’ entry requirements at both public and private universities to determine the theoretical systems that are used by these universities in competition for customers (students). A quantitative survey of students in both public and private universities in Ghana was undergone In all, a total number of 255 questionnaires were printed. Only 187 were answered and returned out of 200 distributed questionnaires to the public sector universities whereas 55 questionnaires were distributed to the private sector students and 51 were answered and returned. This research was based on sampling data collection methods. The findings show that there are three categories of universities such as Publicly/Fully Independent Chartered Universities, Privately Owned Universities and Personal/Sole Proprietorship University Colleges. All these affect students’ choices for admission application. The findings clearly indicate that both public and private universities<br />purposes are related using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient formulae to that of the sole proprietorship colleges. Also, the admission requirement strategies differ between public and private universities