Challenges Of Collaboration Research Articles

Constructing a women-friendly academic ecology: understanding the push and pull forces on Pakistani women academics’ research productivity

ABSTRACT While it is often acknowledged that women academics encounter challenges in research, motivation, and collaboration compared to their male counterparts, this narrative perpetuates the widening scholarly publication disparity, especially in patriarchal societies and academia. However, recent research focusing solely on women has identified key factors influencing their research output. This study contributes to the literature by applying Bronfenbrenner's ecological system theory to explore the experiences of 10 Pakistani women academics across various academic ranks, institution types (Women vs. coeducational), and family structures. The findings underscore the critical role of familial, collegial, and institutional support in shaping women academics’ research productivity. Recognizing and addressing these factors can facilitate the creation of supportive environments conducive to enhancing the research skills, engagement, and performance of women academics, thereby promoting sustainable university development.

How to align objectives of practitioners and scientists in DBR projects?

The interaction of scientists and practitioners is an essential component within Design-Based Research. Their close collaboration is assumed to hold the potential to increase the quality of both the innovative solution of educational problems and the generation of scientific knowledge. At the same time, there are some challenges associated with realizing this potential. This paper explores the opportunities and challenges of collaboration between researchers and practitioners in DBR projects. After a broader description of the problem situation, an in-depth discussion of the interests, perspectives, and frame conditions of the project actors from science and practice takes place using the example of the determination of project goals. The paper ends with the recommendation of design principles for the cooperation of scientists and practitioners.

How can intersectoral collaboration and action help improve the education, recruitment, and retention of the health and care workforce? Ascoping review.

Inadequate numbers, maldistribution, attrition, and inadequate skill-mix are widespread health and care workforce (HCWF) challenges. Intersectoral-inclusive of different government sectors, non-state actors, and the private sector-collaboration and action are foundational to the development of a responsive and sustainable HCWF. This review presents evidence on how to work across sectors to educate, recruit, and retain a sustainable HCWF, highlighting examples of the benefits and challenges of intersectoral collaboration. We carried out a scoping review of scientific and grey literature with inclusion criteria around intersectoral governance and mechanisms for the HCWF. A framework analysis to identify and collate factors linked to the education, recruitment, and retention of the HCWF was carried out. Fifty-six documents were included. We identified a wide array of recommendations for intersectoral activity to support the education, recruitment, and retention of the HCWF. For HCWF education: formalise intersectoral decision-making bodies; align HCWF education with population health needs; expand training capacity; engage and regulate private sector training; seek international training opportunities and support; and innovate in training by leveraging digital technologies. For HCWF recruitment: ensure there is intersectoral clarity and cooperation; ensure bilateral agreements are ethical; carry out data-informed recruitment; and learn from COVID-19 about mobilising the domestic workforce. For HCWF retention: innovate around available staff, especially where staff are scarce; improve working and employment conditions; and engage the private sector. Political will and commensurate investment must underscore any intersectoral collaboration for the HCWF.

Collaboration of Heterogeneous Edge Computing Paradigms: How to Fill the Gap Between Theory and Practice

Edge computing paradigms such as cloudlet, mobile edge computing (MEC) and fog computing, are promising to reduce network transmission delay while meeting intensive computing requirements at the network edge. As always assumed in theoretical studies, to expand service capability, it is desirable to integrate edge resources into a unified resource pool and make different edge facilities collaborate. However, this collaboration is difficult in practice since the heterogeneity among paradigms leads to resource isolation. This article focuses on clarifying and shielding heterogeneity among edge computing paradigms for collaboration. First, based on cloudlet, mobile edge computing and fog computing, three main edge computing paradigms, i.e., small cloudy edge paradigm (SmallC), mobile integrated edge paradigm (MobInt) and front ad hoc edge paradigm (FrontAH), are defined. So that the heterogeneity among them can be analyzed, according to which, collaboration challenges in computing resource trading, information communication and resource sharing are identified. Promising techniques such as blockchain-based smart contract, media-independent handover (MIH), and software-defined network and network function virtualization (SDN/NFV) are then introduced and integrated into a complete collaboration solution. Finally, taking the unmanned vehicular navigation as an example, the performance of collaboration is evaluated, considering additional costs introduced by collaborations, including trading, network handoff and data transmission among edge facilities in different paradigms. Simulation results show that compared with existing schemes of the three paradigms, the collaboration can reduce the cost (i.e. weighted sum of energy consumption and delay) by at least 45.6%.

Contribution of independent smallholder RSPO certification to village-level SDGs achievements

As the world’s largest palm oil producer, Indonesia has promoted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework to assess the impacts of palm oil development. However, various literatures have only covered the conceptual discussion and potential contributions of palm oil development to SDGs, leaving the use of SDGs as an assessment tool underexplored. This research discusses how RSPO’s independent smallholder certification can contribute to SDGs’ achievements at the village level. By interviewing 88 respondents from 34 RSPO-certified smallholder organizations (as members of Indonesia Sustainable Palm Oil Smallholder Forum / Fortasbi), RSPO certification shows significant impacts on the SDGs except SDG 14 (life below water) and SDG 17 (partnerships for the goal). This finding indicates that RSPO can lead to SDGs fulfillment in different ways, either directly as the impacts at the group level simultaneously contribute to village-level SDGs achievements (for SDGs 4, 9, and 10) or indirectly as there are impacts at the group level that do not necessarily affect village-level SDGs achievements (for SDGs 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 11, 12, 13, 15 and 16) and do not cause any impact (SDG 7). This result also reflects the collaboration challenges among stakeholders, especially at the village level.

Integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance Considerations into Company Operations

This manuscript comprehensively analyzes integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations into company operations. Through an extensive literature review and case studies of industry leaders like Patagonia, Google, IKEA, Microsoft, and HSBC, the study explores the strategies adopted by corporate managers to align business practices with broader societal and environmental goals. The critique and recommendations address the effectiveness of ESG initiatives, challenges in implementation, cross-functional collaboration, balancing short-term and long-term goals, stakeholder engagement, continuous education, and risk management. The paper concludes by emphasizing the paradigm shift towards responsible and sustainable business practices, with recommendations for ongoing refinement.

Resilience in complex disasters: Florida's hurricane preparedness, response, and recovery amid COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic and active hurricane seasons posed complex challenges for coastal communities, requiring innovative and adaptive emergency management approaches. Using in-depth interviews with Florida emergency management professionals, this study examines emerging challenges and strategies implemented by governmental and nonprofit agencies during the hurricane-pandemic compound disasters of the 2020 and 2021 hurricane seasons. Our findings reveal the interconnectedness of challenges across different disasters and their interplay with existing vulnerabilities. We find that social distancing due to COVID-19 strained human and financial resources for hurricane preparedness, response, and recovery. Moreover, the increased remote work due to COVID-19 increased reliance on information communication technologies (ICTs), which intensified the negative impacts of the existing urban-rural digital divide in Florida. These ICT challenges impeded inter-agency collaboration and external funding for rural communities, further amplifying disparities in hurricane response and recovery. Our study also uncovers multifaceted strategies addressing competing priorities between hurricane evacuation and COVID-19 prevention, resource limitations, information and communication gaps, and collaboration challenges. These insights provide practical guidance to coastal communities to enhance future preparedness and response efforts in hurricane-pandemic compounding disasters.

Using a Stakeholder Analysis to Implement the Belgian One Health National Report for Antimicrobial Use and Resistance.

(1) Background. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a substantial global health threat with profound economic implications. Acknowledging the imperative for a One Health (OH) strategy to combat this menace, Belgium introduced an annual national OH report, known as the "BELMAP report," encompassing antimicrobial use (AMU) and AMR, with the first edition completed in 2021. The integration of innovations for the healthcare system demands a meticulously planned process. (2) Methods. We introduced a three-step stakeholder analysis (SA) as a prospective framework for navigating this new report process, fostering complementary collaboration, pinpointing obstacles, suggesting approaches to overcome them, and facilitating national policy development. The SA unfolds in three steps: stakeholders identify and list their relevant activities, assess their positions regarding the BELMAP report, and complete "actor mapping" of national AMR and AMU stakeholders. (3) Results. Stakeholder identification reveals a fragmented landscape of AMR and AMU activities across Belgium. Assessment of stakeholder positions uncovers diverse expectations, collaborative challenges, and resource considerations. "Actor mapping" identifies key stakeholders, emphasizing the importance of high-interest and high-power actors. (4) Conclusions. This SA approach not only provides insights into the present stakeholder landscape in Belgium, it can also serve as a blueprint for other countries in the process of developing OH reports.

Healthcare Social Workers' Scope of Practice during COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic pushed the U.S. healthcare system to its limits, resulting in the need for flexibility in care delivery. This study aimed to describe healthcare social workers' scope of practice since the start of the pandemic. Semi-structured interviews for this qualitative study were conducted using the Zoom platform between July and August 2020. This study used a basic qualitative content analysis with integrated deductive and inductive coding to explore participant perspectives. Their scope was assessed based on healthcare social work practice standards. Four practice standards and eight themes that emerged from the data were knowledge and skills (care planning and intervention and social worker-patient relationship), workload sustainability (workload expansion and workload facilitators), interdisciplinary collaboration (collaborating beyond the scope of responsibilities and collaboration challenges), and cultural competency (institutional and societal). The findings add a deeper understanding of the roles social workers perform, how they think about these roles, how they want to be understood, and how they are best utilized in ways consistent with their training and expertise. Moving forward, healthcare systems may consider well-delineated roles and responsibilities for everyday practice and during pandemics.

Stakeholders’ perspective on collaboration barriers in low-income housing provision: a case study from pakistan

The prevailing housing situation in Pakistan is alarming, as more than 47% of urban households are estimated to be living in squatters. Housing stakeholders require an enabling environment to collaborate to reduce the drastic inequity with too many housing options for the high-income and too few for the low-income groups. Existing literature reveals that Pakistan lacks stakeholder studies with a collaborative focus on providing low-income housing in urban areas. This study explores the barriers and impediments to stakeholder collaborations in the low-income housing sector through in-depth interviews within the urban setting of Lahore, the capital and the most populous city of the biggest province, Punjab, Pakistan. The findings identify the emergence of five cross-cutting collaboration challenges (GLIPP), placing government capacity, institutional complexity, and political willpower & intervention as dominant ones. This study stresses revising the organizational hierarchy of government institutions to develop a collaborative culture in the Pakistani housing sector. As part of practical implications, this paper would agitate policymakers to develop housing policies and programs for low-income groups.

Multinational collaboration in solving a European Salmonella Braenderup outbreak linked to imported melons, 2021.

A genomic cluster of Salmonella Braenderup ST22, a serovar of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica which causes symptoms of gastrointestinal illness, was notified by Danish authorities to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on 3 May 2021. By 6 July 2021, S. Braenderup outbreak cases (n=348) had been reported from 12 countries in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) and the United Kingdom (UK), including 68 hospitalised cases. With support from affected EU/EEA countries, and in partnership with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), ECDC established an international outbreak investigation team to rapidly identify the source and prevent outbreak spread. Consumption information was shared with affected countries through a standard line list, revealing that 124 of 197 cases (63%) reported having eaten (any) melons within 7 days prior to disease onset. The speed and completeness of the investigation, which identified the outbreak vehicle as galia melons imported from Honduras in June 2021, was a direct result of extensive collaboration and information sharing between countries' national food safety and public health authorities. This article describes the outbreak and the benefits, successes, and challenges of multi-country collaboration for consideration in future large foodborne outbreaks across Europe.

"How I wish we could manage such things": A qualitative assessment of barriers to postpartum hemorrhage management and referral in Kenya.

Maternal mortality rates in Kenya have remained high, with the country reporting 342 deaths per 100,000 live births. A major contributor to this is postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), responsible for 40% of maternal deaths in Kenya and the leading cause globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Timely and effective PPH care is crucial; however, challenges arise when referrals between facilities become necessary. Although Primary health care facilities (PHCs) in Kenya oversee many births and are crucial in PPH risk detection and management, they often fall short due to ill-equipped facilities and inefficient referral systems. This study traced PPH patients from tertiary institutions to their initial PHCs. Through qualitative interviews with healthcare providers, we aimed to examine the primary challenges in PPH management and referral decision-making. We found that, in addition to structural gaps, challenges in collaboration and communication between providers from different health facilities, which may also stem from inadequate training, greatly influenced referral efficacy. Our findings are pivotal for maternal health discourse and policy. Importantly, while many solutions focus on structural inputs, our study underscores the importance of communication between facilities in ensuring timely care. Our findings suggest a need for bolstered emergency preparedness, informed clinical decision-making, and strategic interventions where they are most impactful.

Nurses' and Physicians' Experiences After Implementation of a Quality Improvement Project to Improve Sepsis Awareness in Hospitals.

Previous research has explored nurses´ experience with the implementation of early detection alert systems, and nurses and physicians' perceptions of sepsis management and use of sepsis triage. As one of the first, this study aims to investigate the perceived usefulness of an interdisciplinary quality improvement project including standardized sepsis patient pathway to improve the early identification and treatment of sepsis patients. This study was a qualitative study that employed semi-structured interviews with thirteen ward nurses and five ward physicians recruited by convenience and respondent-driven sampling, respectively. The interviews explored the perceived usefulness of mutual training in sepsis care in medical hospital wards. We applied Systematic Text Condensation to analyze the experiences and knowledge of professional identification and cooperation in early identification of sepsis patients. The results revealed three main themes: Awareness of sepsis, collaboration between nurses and physicians, and clinical assessment and judgement. The findings highlighted the positive impact of the project in terms of raising awareness, improving communication, and enhancing the ability to detect and treat sepsis. The study also identified the importance of repetition and reminders to maintain awareness, the need for ongoing training for new healthcare professionals, and the challenges of collaboration and decision-making processes. The sepsis intervention seemed successful in improving awareness of sepsis and enhancing interprofessional collaboration between nurses and physicians. Health professionals continued to rely on their clinical judgment but increased the use of objective measurements and communication of vital signs. Continuous repetition and education for new colleagues were identified as important factors for the sustainability of the intervention. Overall, the study highlights the importance of standardized protocols and training for early detection and management of sepsis in healthcare settings.

The Impact of Educational Gamification on Student Learning Outcomes

This study examined the impact of educational gamification on student engagement, motivation, and academic performance in higher education. Employing a mixed-methods research approach, a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was utilized with 133 undergraduate students from three private universities in Manila, Philippines. Gamification elements, including points, badges, leaderboards, and collaborative challenges were integrated into an online learning environment. Quantitative data were collected through pre- and post-intervention test scores and motivation surveys, while qualitative insights were gathered via focus group discussions and interviews. The results revealed statistically significant improvements in academic performance and motivation following the gamification intervention. Thematic analysis of qualitative data highlighted students’ positive perceptions of the gamified learning environment, with increased engagement and enjoyment reported. However, individual differences, such as prior gaming experience, influenced responses to gamification, suggesting the need for tailored approaches. This study concluded that gamification could serve as a powerful tool for enhancing student outcomes when thoughtfully designed and aligned with educational objectives. Future research should investigate the long-term effects of gamification and its applicability across diverse educational contexts.

Challenges in Online Collaboration to Augment Industry 4.0

Challenges in Online Collaboration to Augment Industry 4.0

Challenges in online collaboration to augment Industry 4.0

Challenges in online collaboration to augment Industry 4.0

One Health in practice: Benefits and challenges of multisectoral coordination and collaboration in managing public health risks: A meta-analysis

Background and Aim: One Health (OH) approach is crucial for the effective management of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and other public health threats. A meta-analysis was conducted to explore the benefits and challenges encountered in the practical implementation of multisectoral coordination in the fight against public health threats and to identify similarities between countries in the practical implementation of multisectoral coordination and cooperation across sectors in OH. Materials and Methods: To identify relevant studies published globally between 2010 and 2023, a literature search was conducted online using Google Scholar and PubMed search engines. Inclusion criteria were adopted based on key search terms “One Health,” “multisectoral coordination,” “One Health framework,” and related terms “multisectoral collaboration” and “multidisciplinary.” Unpublished manuscripts, dissertations, and conference reports were excluded from the review. A total of 307 articles were retrieved. Titles, abstracts, and keywords were screened for inclusion criteria. We extracted and analyzed 46 full-text articles published in English. Unpublished manuscripts, dissertations, and conference reports were excluded from the study. Results: This study found that most countries have similar challenges that hamper the coordination of OH activities implementation. Of the 46 articles reviewed, 69.6% (n = 32) focused on the benefits of adopting the OH approach and 73.9% (n = 34) focused on multisectoral coordination and collaboration among sectors. In addition, 58.7% (n = 27) of the articles indicated that governments need to invest more resources in OH implementation, and 50% (n = 23) proposed that policies, guidelines, and plans should be integrated to facilitate multisectoral coordination and collaboration. In addition to inadequate coordination and funding, other reported challenges were limited knowledge (34.8%) (n = 16) and inadequate resources (32.6%) (n = 15). In addition, 21.7% (n = 10) highlighted different sectoral priorities and interests as obstacles to effective coordination in the implementation of OH activities. Conclusion: Multisectoral coordination plays a key role in the effective management of public health threats through OH. The creation of mechanisms for regular communication, the promotion of mutual trust, and the strengthening of relations between sectors will enhance cooperation. The similarity in challenges across regions observed in this study calls for countries across regions to prioritize OH operationalization and collaboration among sectors, strengthen collaboration, and synergize activities to enhance future changes in the mitigation of public health threats. Keywords: multisectoral collaboration and multidisciplinary, multisectoral coordination, One Health, One Health framework.

Perceptions regarding the multidisciplinary treatment of patients with severe trauma in Korea: a survey of trauma specialists.

Patients with multiple trauma necessitate assistance from a wide range of departments and professions for their successful reintegration into society. Historically, the primary focus of trauma treatment in Korea has been on reducing mortality rates. This study was conducted with the objective of evaluating the current state of multidisciplinary treatment for patients with severe trauma in Korea. Based on the insights of trauma specialists (i.e., medical professionals), we aim to suggest potential improvements. An online questionnaire was conducted among 871 surgical specialists who were members of the Korean Society of Traumatology. The questionnaire covered participant demographics, current multidisciplinary practices, perceived challenges in collaboration with rehabilitation, psychiatry, and anesthesiology departments, and the perceived necessity for multidisciplinary treatment. Out of the 41 hospitals with which participants were affiliated, only nine conducted multidisciplinary meetings or rounds with nonsurgical departments. The process of transferring patients to rehabilitation facilities was not widespread, and delays in these transfers were frequently observed. Financial constraints were identified by the respondents as a significant barrier to multidisciplinary collaboration. Despite these hurdles, the majority of respondents acknowledged the importance of multidisciplinary treatment, especially in relation to rehabilitation, psychiatry, and anesthesiology involvement. This survey showed that medical staff specializing in trauma care perceive several issues stemming from the absence of a multidisciplinary system for patient-centered care in Korea. There is a need to develop an effective multidisciplinary treatment system to facilitate the recovery of trauma patients.

Key success factors for stability of asymmetric technological collaborations: a bionic engineering approach

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the importance and effect of asymmetric technological collaborations’ key success factors in developing countries. The number of collaborations between large enterprises and SMEs, known as asymmetric technological collaborations (ATC) is growing considerably. But this asymmetry in itself can increase the number and intensity of collaboration challenges. So far, limited studies have been conducted on the stability of ATCs, and most of them have been in the context of developed countries. Meanwhile, studying the strength and stability of collaboration in the nano industry with growing market value and increasing newcomers is of particular importance.Design/methodology/approachHere, with bionic engineering approach, we used chemistry for the first time to identify the main stability factors of ATCs and build our hypotheses and research model. To this end, we introduced the factors affecting the stability of the dative chemical bond as a bionic counterpart of corporate venture capital (CVC), which is a type of ATC, and proposed 4 hypotheses. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) with partial least squares (PLS) method to examine the hypothesized relationships.FindingsThe analysis of survey questionnaire data from 26 asymmetric collaborations in Iran’s nanotechnology industry shows that “learning of the acceptor company” with a negative effect, “network ties” and “development of the collaboration host region” with a positive effect and “diversity in the collaboration portfolio” with an inverted U-shaped effect are the most influential factors in the stability and continuity of CVCs, respectively.Originality/valueThe findings of this research can be the beginning of a broad path leading to exploring and getting inspiration from chemistry to analyze management issues.

First steps towards a shared care model for spinal cord injury in rural Switzerland

Background: Persons with spinal cord injury regularly consult primary and secondary care physicians for their holistic needs. However, in remote areas of Switzerland general practitioners (GPs) compensate for a potential undersupply of specialized services. Building collaboration and distributing roles between GPs and specialists is needed to improve the continuity of care for persons with spinal cord injury living in rural Switzerland. This intervention study aims to develop, implement and evaluate an integrated care model as a case in point.
 Intervention: As part of the study, physicians from specialized spinal cord injury centers, specialized mobile nurses and GPs collaborate to improve patients' outcomes and providers’ experience with delivery of care. Measures to enhance collaboration include joint continuous medical education, training in the primary care practices and support for complex patients. Medical education topics cover the most prevalent secondary health conditions, as well as physicians’ priorities and interests for shared care. During the design of the intervention, persons with spinal cord injury and their families were engaged in a sounding board, where they expressed their wishes and concerns. 
 First results: Seven primary care practices were successfully recruited to expand competences in spinal cord injury care. Persons with spinal cord injury, living in the practices’ catchment area were invited to the practice. Mixed methods evaluate patient and health provider outcomes at specific time points. Baseline results on the collaboration between GPs and specialists, show high physician satisfaction ratings. Challenges in collaboration seem to be related to unclear roles and responsibilities due to different expectations among physicians. Between baseline and 1-year follow-up, significant differences were found in the average number of patients’ GP visits. 
 Next steps: As a second study phase, more primary care practices will be recruited. Healthcare professionals will discuss and negotiate their roles and responsibilities in round tables. To support a common understanding, a toolkit for primary care will be developed. Lastly, more components that enhance shared care should be introduced such as joint patient consultations or information exchange platforms.