Capital Approach Research Articles

Improving community resilience through distributed solar energy as critical infrastructure – a case study of South Asia

Purpose The analytical framework proposed in this study aims to link the capital portfolio approach to sustaining human well-being, 2015 sustainable development goals and development action ARC-D concepts. Nepal case study is a “tribrid” power generation system that combines distributed solar, hydro and wind power generation capacities for the resilience of a community of around 500 people in a remote village with a total installed capacity of 28 kW. The second case study is about the solarization of 900 health centres in Chhattisgarh, India, with off-grid solar PV with a cumulative capacity of 3 MW. Design/methodology/approach Critical infrastructure at the community scale needs to be resilient to maintain community-level functionality in the face of adverse impacts. The present study provides two case study sites from Nepal and India to demonstrate various elements of resilience building for critical infrastructures, especially for the energy sector. Findings Granular technology and distributed generation in Nepal and India can act as critical infrastructure in providing on-demand electricity service to enhance community-level resilience along with future opportunities of scale up. Originality/value The analytical framework for evaluating community-scale resilience through critical infrastructure design and application of the framework using evidence based on case studies are the original contributions.

Building resilience to multiple climate change-related risks in QwaQwa using the community capitals approach

ABSTRACT QwaQwa, in South Africa, experiences high exposure to multiple climate change impacts. The area is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. As such, this paper aims to assess community resilience, estimate the risk of multiple climate change impacts in QwaQwa, and propose strategies to reduce risk and build resilience. Data were collected using a household survey and key informant interviews with a sample of 349 participants. An indicator method, based on the Community Capitals Framework, was used to measure resilience and estimate risk. The composite resilience indicators were weighted using Principal Component Analysis. The Cronbach's alpha (α) test indicated a very good internal consistency in the scaled items. The results indicated that medium resilience to climate change impacts in QwaQwa was mostly driven by access to all six capitals measured in this study: natural, human, social, financial, political, and infrastructural capitals. The multi-hazard risk estimate resulted in a very high index of 4.1. These results were validated at a stakeholder workshop. Strategies that use nature-based solutions, training and education for people of all ages, sectors and professions, and increased community and local government cooperation were deemed essential for boosting resilience and reducing disaster risks in the area.

The Weberian ideal type in political economy: obsolete match or fruitful encounter?

ABSTRACT This article highlights the analytical contribution of the Weberian ideal type to the field of political economy. Major strands of political economy have continued to integrate ideal type thinking to understand better the dynamics of national, regional and global economic systems. While there is an unbroken popularity of this methodological tool in the social sciences, we argue that it shows particular strengths and weaknesses in the interface between comparative and international political economy. To make this point, we first analyse the aims of the Weberian ideal type and investigate how it has been applied in the Varieties of Capitalism approach (VoC), dominant in much of comparative political economy (CPE). We then explore standard criticisms especially in the extension and reformulation of this approach to include the reasoning of international political economy (IPE). Main patterns of ideal type construction are identified to capture the CPE/IPE interaction and to point to some of the standard pitfalls when using the Weberian device. To maintain its strong position in the toolbox of political economy researchers need to take its heuristic purpose more seriously and be aware of its limitations.

Multinational enterprises' R&D commitments in Chinese provinces: A configurational approach

Multinational enterprises (MNEs) are increasingly off-shoring some of their R&D to emerging markets, including China. Much of the extant literature on MNEs' investments in R&D facilities abroad analyses technological and institutional factors at the national level, typically using regressions to examine how host-country institutions influence foreign MNEs' outlays. It, therefore, tends to downplay the importance of sub-national and non-technology-related institutions, and how configurations of home- and host-country institutions interact to influence R&D commitments abroad. Drawing on the global factory model and the Varieties of Capitalism approach, we identify five causal conditions that may influence MNEs' R&D commitments abroad. Conducting an abductive fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, we find four combinations of causal conditions are sufficient to explain substantial R&D commitments in different Chinese provinces. The combination of local corruption and provincial R&D intensity is important, as are the MNE's home-country stock-market capitalization to GDP ratio and minority investor protection. We contribute to the literature on MNEs' investments abroad by extending the importance of sub-national institutions to include those not directly related to technology. We also reveal how combinations of institutions (rather than individual ones acting independently) from the MNE's home and host contexts explain MNEs' R&D commitments in Chinese provinces.

Cognitive skills and economic growth in the twenty-first century: Evidence from PISA and cognitive ability studies

In recent years, some educational researchers have questioned the theory of a robust relationship between test scores in international large-scale assessments such as PISA and lagged economic growth. However, both the proponents and opponents of such a human capital approach have mainly focused on earlier growth patterns during the twentieth century. Hence, the current article analysed the relationship between PISA 2000 and economic growth in 2010–2019 for 31 countries, and composite cognitive skills for 80 countries and their relationships with economic growth in 2010–2019. The results indicate that PISA scores or other cognitive skill measures could to some extent predict economic growth between 2010 and 2019, even when controlling for a significant number of variables. In a consecutive analysis, the relations were substantially associated with Middle Eastern countries because many countries from this region experienced political instability and decreasing oil revenues throughout this period. Hence, it is possible that regional and contextual relationships affect these patterns.

An analysis of financial hardship faced by patients with First Episode Psychosis, and their families, in an Indian setting

BackgroundThe economic burden of psychotic disorders is not well documented in LMICs like India, due to several bottlenecks present in Indian healthcare system like lack of adequate resources, low budget for mental health services and inequity in accessibility of treatment. Hence, a large proportion of health expenditure is paid out of pocket by the households. ObjectiveTo evaluate the direct and indirect costs incurred by patients with First Episode Psychosis and their families in a North Indian setting. MethodDirect and Indirect costs were estimated for 87 patients diagnosed at AIIMS, New Delhi with first-episode psychosis (nonaffective) in the first- and sixth month following diagnosis, and the six months before diagnosis, using a bespoke questionnaire. Indirect costs were valued using the Human Capital Approach. ResultsMean total costs in month one were INR 7991 ($107.5). Indirect costs were 78.3% of this total. Productivity losses was a major component of the indirect cost. Transportation was a key component of direct costs. Costs fell substantially at six months (INR 2732, Indirect Costs 61%). Respondents incurred substantial costs pre-diagnosis, related to formal and informal care seeking and loss of income. ConclusionFamilies suffered substantial productivity loss. Care models and financial protection that address this could substantially reduce the financial burden of mental illness. Measures to address disruption to work and education during FEP are likely to have significant long-term benefits. Families also suffered prolonged income loss pre-diagnosis, highlighting the benefits of early and effective diagnosis.

Catastrophic costs for tuberculosis patients in India: Impact of methodological choices.

As financial risk protection is one of the goals towards universal health coverage, detailed information on costs, catastrophic costs and other economic consequences related to any disease are required for designing social protection measures. End Tuberculosis (TB) Strategy set a milestone of achieving zero catastrophic cost by 2020. However, a recent literature review noted that 7%-32% TB affected households in India faced catastrophic cost. Studies included in the review were small scale cross-sectional. We followed a cohort of 1482 notified drug-susceptible TB patients from four states in India: Assam, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal to provide a comprehensive picture of economic burden associated with TB treatment. Treatment cost was calculated using World Health Organization guidelines on TB patient cost survey and both human capital and output approaches of indirect cost (time, productivity, and income loss related to an episode) calculation were used to provide the range of households currently facing catastrophic cost. Depending on choice of indirect cost calculation method, 30%-61% study participants faced catastrophic cost. For over half of them, costs became catastrophic even before starting TB treatment as there was average 7-9 weeks delay from symptom onset to treatment initiation which was double the generally accepted delay of 4 weeks. During that period, they made average 8-11 visits to different providers and spent money on consultations, drugs, tests, and travel. Following the largest cohort of drug-susceptible TB patients till date, the study concluded that a significant proportion of study participants faced catastrophic cost and the proportion was much higher when income loss was considered as indirect cost calculation method. Therefore, ensuring uninterrupted livelihood during TB treatment is an absolute necessity. Another reason of high cost was the delay in diagnosis and costs incurred during pre-diagnosis period. This delay and consequently, economic burden, can be reduced by both supply side (intense private sector engagement, rapid diagnosis) and demand side (community engagement) initiatives. Reimbursement of expenses incurred before treatment initiation could be used as short-term measure for mitigating financial hardship.

The indirect costs of vaccine-preventable cancer mortality in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)

Background Infections are responsible for ∼13% of cancer cases worldwide, with human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis B (HBV) among the infections associated with cancer for which vaccines are available. The aim of this study was to estimate the indirect cost of premature mortality related to cancers caused by HPV and HBV in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries. Methods The number of deaths and years of life lost (YLL) in 2019 from four HPV-related cancers: cervical cancer, oral cavity cancer, laryngeal cancer, and oropharynx cancer, as well as HBV-related liver cancer were sourced from the Institute for Health Metrics Evaluation (IHME) Global Burden of Disease database. HPV-attributable fractions were applied to deaths and YLL. The human capital approach was used to measure productivity loss, through value of YLL (VYLL), and estimated using gross domestic product per capita (World Bank; in USD). Seventeen countries in the MENA region were included. Four countries in the region were not included due to data availability. Results In 2019, there were 11,645 potentially vaccine-preventable cancer-related deaths across the MENA region. This resulted in an indirect cost of $1,688,821,605, with 76.1% of this accrued in the Middle East ($1,284,923,633). The number of deaths in the Middle East (5,986) were similar to Northern Africa (5,659) but YLL were higher in Northern Africa (179,425) compared to the Middle East (169,207). The highest indirect cost per death occurred in Qatar ($1,378,991), compared to $14,962 in Sudan. Oral cavity cancer had the highest VYLL per death ($186,084). Conclusions There is a high burden of premature mortality and indirect costs of potentially vaccine-preventable cancer-related deaths in the MENA region. Improved vaccination program implementation, increased vaccine coverage of HPV and HBV vaccinations, and continued prioritization of public health measures, such as screening, could effectively reduce premature mortality and associated costs.

Estimates of the Lifetime Productivity Costs of Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis in the United States.

Productivity costs of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) reflect the value of lost time due to STI morbidity and mortality, including time spent traveling to, waiting for, and receiving STI treatment. The purpose of this study was to provide updated estimates of the average lifetime productivity cost for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, per incident infection. We adapted published decision tree models from recent studies of the lifetime medical costs of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis in the United States. For each possible outcome of infection, we applied productivity costs that we obtained based on published health economic studies. Productivity costs included the value of patient time spent to receive treatment for STIs and for related sequelae such as pelvic inflammatory disease in women. We used a human capital approach and included losses in market (paid) and nonmarket (unpaid) productivity. We conducted 1-way sensitivity analyses and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. The average lifetime productivity cost per infection was $28 for chlamydia in men, $205 for chlamydia in women, $37 for gonorrhea in men, $212 for gonorrhea in women, and $411 for syphilis regardless of sex, in 2023 US dollars. The estimated lifetime productivity cost of these STIs acquired in the United States in 2018 was $795 million. These estimates of the lifetime productivity costs can help in quantifying the overall economic burden of STIs in the United States beyond just the medical cost burden and can inform cost-effectiveness analyses of STI prevention activities.

Implementing a stakeholder capitalism approach through values-based leadership: case studies in the private, nonprofit and educational sectors

Purpose Stakeholder capitalism has gained attention among business practitioners and academia, often discussed within the context of corporate social responsibility, ethical practices and values-based leadership. Many societal institutions, including businesses and higher education institutions, have a role to play in the transition toward stakeholder capitalism. This study aims to discuss insights gained from a multiyear research and pedagogical project coordinated among a group of academics and an Israel-based holding company to study the implementation of a values-based leadership process focused on establishing a stakeholder-oriented model in a variety of organizations. Design/methodology/approach Conducted over a decadal period, this project relied on a qualitative case study methodology. The project was conceived as an exploratory and inductive study examining organizations that implemented a values-based leadership model and a university that used this model for curriculum and pedagogy. Semi-structured interviews, observations of leadership practices and operations, and substantive reviews of organizational documents informed the study’s iterative methodology. Findings The case studies presented explore the benefits of a stakeholder capitalism and values-based leadership transformation in organizations and highlight the importance of senior leadership engagement at the outset to set the tone and direction of implementation while also role modeling values-based behaviors for the organization. The utility of aligning the new values-based approach with existing elements of the organizational culture and priorities was also identified in addition to the benefit of individuals linking the new values initiative to their personal values and life. These practices, and a broader stakeholder dialogue on values, helped establish a transition that was inclusive within the organizational hierarchy and in its connections to the larger society. The cases also explored how stakeholder principles and values-based leadership models can be integrated into management education based on the outcomes of the organizational investigations. Originality/value These case studies offer insight into the implementation of a values-based leadership framework, which draws on stakeholder theory, in diverse organizations across a for-profit to non-profit spectrum. These studies also provide a unique opportunity to evaluate the implementation of a common values framework in different sectors. The cases further highlight the potential role of business-education sectoral partnerships in educating a workforce that is dedicated to business for good.

A prospective health economic evaluation to determine the productivity loss due to premature mortality from oral cancer in India.

India contributes two-thirds of the global mortality due to oral cancer and has a younger population at risk. The societal costs of this premature mortality are barely discussed. Using the human capital approach, we aimed to estimate the productivity lost due to premature mortality, valued using individual socioeconomic data, related to oral cancer in India. A bottom-up approach was used to prospectively collect data of 100 consecutive patients with oral cancer treated between 2019 and 2020, with a follow-up of 36 months. The disease-specific survival for early and advanced stage was 85% and 70%, with a median age of 47 years. With 671 years lost prematurely, the loss of productivity was $41 900/early and $96 044/advanced stage. Based on population level rates, the total cost of premature mortality was $5.6 billion, representing 0.18% of GDP. India needs to implement tailored strategies to reduce the economic burden from premature mortality.

Building a Hierarchical Enablers Framework for Service Business Model Innovation for Sustainable Performance: Evidence from Ghana’s Electricity Sector

Selecting an appropriate business model innovation for sustainable performance is a complex decision that requires a decision support tool. However, despite the importance of business model innovation (BMI) for sustainable performance, there has been limited investigation into how a hierarchical enabler framework grounded in service-dominant logic contributes to the sustainability of service firms. This study examines the critical enablers of service business model innovation (SBMI) for sustainable performance within the utility sector, particularly the electricity supply sector in Ghana. Using the best–worst method (BWM), this study identifies and prioritizes three main enablers and eleven sub-enablers, addressing a notable gap in understanding their impact on sustainable performance. The findings reveal that service value creation innovation is the most critical primary enabler, with human capital, technological platforms, and value-based pricing constituting the top three sub-enablers for sustainability performance. This study contributes to the service-dominant logic and BMI discourse by providing a novel hierarchical framework that aids managerial decision making in service-oriented firms, particularly in developing economies. The results underscore the need for utility companies to prioritize investments in key areas, such as human capital, technological advancements, and customer-centric approaches, to drive sustainable business practices and improve overall performance.

A Turn to Export‐Led Growth? Rethinking the Growth Models in Greece and Portugal

AbstractThe global financial crisis in 2007 and, more recently, the Covid‐19 pandemic renewed interest in capitalist divergence and the evolution of growth models in the Eurozone. The varieties of capitalism (VoC) approach and more recently post‐Keynesian research, especially the growth model (GM) perspective, have made important contributions to comparative political economy. However, the focus on either the ‘supply‐side’ or ‘demand‐side’ aspects of modern models of capitalism has offered a limited framework to explain capitalist diversity in the global economy. This article brings insights from both the VoC and GM perspectives and provides a more comprehensive understanding of the evolution of the growth models in Greece and Portugal. The argument is that although both countries implemented internal devaluation and contractionary policies to curtail domestic demand and transform their economies into export‐led ones, they have been stuck in a suppressed demand‐led growth model since the global financial crisis.

The Impact of Value Chain Financing on Profitability for South Africa's Edible Oil Manufacturing Companies: Raw Materials and Working Capital Approaches

The Impact of Value Chain Financing on Profitability for South Africa's Edible Oil Manufacturing Companies: Raw Materials and Working Capital Approaches

Institutionalization and framing of Industry 4.0: a framework for understanding stakeholders and comparing countries

PurposeThis paper aims to propose and assess a framework to analyse the institutionalization of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) through a framing analysis.Design/methodology/approachThe framework was developed by combining the institutional approach with orders of worth, drawing insights from a comprehensive literature review. To assess it, the authors conducted a qualitative analysis of annual reports from companies with the largest market capitalization over a six-year period and interviewed union representatives in Spain and Sweden.FindingsThe framework comprises five dimensions (industrial, market, civic, green and connectionist). The empirical results reveal that companies consistently frame I4.0 with an emphasis on industrial and market perspectives. In contrast, unions place a stronger emphasis on civic issues, with Spanish unions holding a more negative view of I4.0, expressing concerns about working conditions and unemployment.Research limitations/implicationsThe proposed framework brings interesting insights into the dispute over the meaning of I4.0. Although this empirical study was limited to companies and unions in Sweden and Spain, the framework can be expanded for broader investigations, involving additional stakeholders in one or more countries. The discussion outlined using the varieties of capitalism approach is relevant for understanding the connection between the meso and macro levels of this phenomenon.Practical implicationsIn navigating the landscape of I4.0, managers should remain flexible, and ready to tailor their strategies and operations to align with the distinct demands and expectations of stakeholders and their specific institutional environments. Similarly, policymakers are urged to acknowledge these contextual intricacies when crafting strategies for implementing I4.0 initiatives across national settings.Social implicationsBased on the empirical findings, this study underscores the importance of fostering social dialogue and involving stakeholders in the implementation of I4.0. Policymakers and other stakeholders should take proactive measures, tailored to each country’s context, to mitigate potential adverse effects on labour and workers.Originality/valueThe study presents a novel framework that facilitates the systematic comparison of I4.0 framing by different actors. This contribution is significant because the way actors frame I4.0 affects its interpretation and implementation. Additionally, the aggregate analysis of results enables cross-country comparisons, enhancing our understanding of regional disparities.

Lifetime costs of alcohol consumption in Thailand: protocol for an incidence-based cost-of-illness study using Markov model

IntroductionSeveral prevalence-based cost-of-illness (COI) studies have been conducted to estimate the economic burden of alcohol consumption borne by a particular society in a given year. Yet there are few studies...

Comparing apples and pears: Linking capitals and capacities to assess the resilience of commercial farming operations

CONTEXTAs the concept of social-ecological resilience gains increasing policy attention, there is growing demand for approaches that operationalise it. Amongst these demands is the need to empirically assess absorptive, adaptive and transformative capacities that underpin resilience to better understand the ways in which social-ecological systems can navigate change and uncertainty. OBJECTIVEWe explore the application of a capitals approach for assessing resilience capacities, using an example of deciduous fruit farming operations in the Western Cape region of South Africa. METHODSSemi-structured interviews were conducted, thematically coded, and analysed using causal loop diagrams and co-occurrence analyses to identify changes experienced by farming operations, their responses to these changes, and the effects of both on capital resources. We then apply the criteria developed for the classification of resilience capacities. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSA variety of changes affect farming operations at multiple points across the value chain, and have effects across capital resources. Most significant to farmers are changes which impact the amount of water available and the cashflow they require to sustain their operations. The most common responses employed by farmers consisted of activities which either increase the availability of an affected resource, or decrease its demand in order to maintain the same functions (adaptive capacity). In fewer cases, farming operations were able to absorb the depletion of their capital resources due to pre-emptive management (absorptive capacity). In similarly few cases, the potential or realised resource deficiencies caused by changes were either corrected or decoupled from the farming operation through structural reorganisation towards a different or additional function and types of output being delivered (transformative capacity). Evidence of changes being anticipated prior to their onset were also identified, leading to responses which are used in conjunction with the preceding three capacities. SIGNIFICANCEOur findings suggest that the criteria we developed for classifying resilience capacities offer a useful means of operationalising resilience. In particular, the approach we pilot in this paper enables the application of a systems perspective to identify interactions between changes and responses, which broadens the options for identifying management strategies and interventions. The approach we propose can be used to identify key leverage points to strengthen the capacities of vulnerable farmers. Further work is required to integrate consideration of cross-scale effects of farm-scale resilience strategies on the broader social-ecological system.

Potential health and economic impact of achieving Kenya’s overweight and obesity reduction target: a modelling study

IntroductionKenya has adopted the WHO target of halting the rise of overweight, including obesity, by 2025. This paper assesses the potential impact of achieving the set target on health, healthcare...

Economic burden of diabetic foot ulcer: a case of Iran

BackgroundDiabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is known as a serious complication of diabetes mellitus in patients with diabetes, imposing heavy medical costs on healthcare systems due to its chronic nature. patients with severe diabetic foot ulcer are often disabled to work, and some of them may even die, leading to associated productivity losses. Since no previous study has investigated the economic burden of DFU in Iran, this study is to estimate the economic burden of diabetic foot disease in Iran.MethodsIn this descriptive cross-sectional study, randomly selected samples consisted of 542 patients with DFU, hospitalized in the hospitals of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. The demographic profile and cost data used in this analysis were derived from a researcher-designed checklist. Lost productivity was calculated based on Human Capital Approach, and the total economic cost of DFU was determined using patient-level data on costs and prevalence data from the global burden of diseases reports. All analyses were performed using SPSS software (Version 23), and Microsoft Excel (Version 19).ResultsThe economic burden of DFU in Iran in two scenarios of discounting future costs and not discounting them was about $8.7 billion and $35 billion, respectively (about 0.59 and 2.41% of GDP). 79.25% of the estimated costs in this study were indirect costs and productivity losses, of which 99.34% (7,918.4 million Dollars) were productivity losses due to premature death. 20.75% (2,064.4 million dollars) of the estimated costs in this study were direct costs. The average length of stay (LOS) was 8.10 days (SD = 9.32), and 73.3% of patients recovered and were discharged after hospitalization and 7.6% died. The majority of the costs are imposed on the age group of 60–69 year (53.42% of the productivity lost due to hospital length of stay, 58.91% of the productivity lost due to premature death & 40.41% of direct costs).ConclusionsDFU represents a heavy burden to patients, Iran’s health system, and the economy. Early prevention strategies need to be prioritized in making public health policies. These policies and decisions can be in the area of changing lifestyle, health education, changing people's behavior, and encouraging physical activity that targeted high-risk populations in order to reduce the prevalence of diabetic foot and resulting substantial economic burden.

Applying the principles of culturally sustaining pedagogy to a model for justice-oriented school science pedagogy in England: the science capital teaching approach

There is a need to support more equitable engagement with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in schools. However, despite decades of special initiatives, mainstream science education still largely reproduces, rather than challenges, enduring social inequalities, particularly in relation to race/ethnicity, gender and social class. Valuable contributions have been made creating more inclusive science curricula, but there is a particular need to support teachers to adopt equitable (critical) pedagogical practice, not least because the values that inform and are enacted through such pedagogy shape the equitable potential of teaching, learning and interpretation of the curriculum. This article considers a pedagogical approach built on Bourdieusian theory and insights from over six years of participatory research and development work, conducted by university researchers with 43 secondary teachers, 20 primary teachers and 16 teacher educators. The article asks: In what ways does the approach engender justice-oriented teaching and resonate with the tenets of culturally sustaining pedagogy? Analysis identifies common theoretical imperatives of disrupting dominant power relations, foregrounding and valuing the cultural and social assets of learners, supporting the redistribution of cultural and social capital, and embedding professional critical reflection within school science teaching.