Community Management Research Articles

Disaster Risk Management and Resilience Assessment of Small Communities in Iran

One of the main challenges facing rural areas in Iran is a lack of disaster risk management. This calls for a comprehensive framework for assessing resilience in small communities. This study seeks to establish such a framework based on the general principles of the Sendai Framework. So, an attempt is made to use a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to operationalize and score indicators and risk management components, and then choose one of the rural areas in northern Iran as a sample for the framework’s implementation. The results show that a resilience assessment on small communities should do two things: outline the resilience situation and create a platform for dialogue and mutual thinking. Residents should be able to talk about risk reduction continuously and purposefully and take small, purposeful steps in this direction. It seems that Iran’s centralized planning system is more flexible in entrusting affairs to small communities and is more likely to form active cooperative cores. For this reason, it can be seen that voluntary activities have played an essential role in providing social services during the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine period, and the volunteers themselves have also benefited from voluntary activities. As a result, volunteer groups have gained opportunities to promote local development and foster ownership and responsibility. However, there are concerns about the sustainability of these activities, which are related to the two issues of ensuring financial stability and providing volunteers in the long term.

Minorities, Women, and Radicals in the Discipline of Economics

The discipline of economics is informally managed in the United States by the American Economic Association (AEA). The AEA’s management of the economics community however was challenged starting in the 1960s by blacks, women, and radicals. Blacks, women, and radical economists each adopted a different strategy towards achieving greater empowerment in the discipline. Black economists created the Caucus of Black Economists and participated in the AEA’s Committee on the Status of Minority Groups in the Economics Profession to encourage that steps be taken towards affirmative action and create a space for the publication of black economic research. Women economists participated in the AEA’s Committee for the Status of Women in the Economics Profession in 1971 to document the number of women in the economics profession, create a network of women economists and those supporting their work, and publish a newsletter containing statistics on representation within the profession and a listing of job openings and candidate availability. Radical economists created the Union for Radical Political Economics in 1968 to serve as a scholarly home for those holding non-mainstream beliefs and undertake the publication of a research journal, and sought some degree of solace from the AEA’s Committee on Political Discrimination. In the documentation of the different approaches taken by these groups, it becomes clear that there is no optimal inclusion strategy and that the barriers to being a recognized economist remain 50 years later.

Analysis of the Role of Butler Pattern in the Community Management

In community life, problems with neighbors are inevitable, and problems with the facilities in the house are also problems that everyone will encounter at the same time. Maybe the property will not solve these problems perfectly, they are usually not efficient, or they dont have any solutions. These problems are, to a large extent, detrimental to the lives of residents, who are unhappy with the present over time. At this time, the community needs some people to use another identity to replace the property to solve the problems of the residents to maintain the harmony of the community, and improve the service of the community. In this article, these people are called butlers. This paper focuses on analyzing the application of the butler pattern in the community, and in some cases, studying its role in community management. Through the analysis of its role to further improve community management and service, more people can choose a community because of the excellent community service. It not only makes the residents more comfortable, but also makes the community more famous, achieving a win-win situation. At the same time, this paper also hopes to attract more people who are interested in this pattern to speak out and build a better society.

Protecting ancient water harvesting technologies in India: strategies for climate adaptation and sustainable development with global lessons

IntroductionAncient water harvesting systems, such as those from the Indus Valley Civilization (~3500 BCE), have been vital for irrigation and climate resilience, especially in arid regions. One such prominent system in South Asia, called tank irrigation, initially thrived through community management but declined post-independence due to colonial policies and neglect in Sri Lanka and India. This study evaluates current policy frameworks and rehabilitation programs to enhance the resilience of these systems in India, develop strategies for their protection and adaptation to climate change, and integrate global lessons for sustainable development.MethodsA systematic meta-analysis of grey literature was conducted to aggregate data on policy constraints. Policy analysis involved detailed investigations of relevant documents, regulations, and comparative analyses of frameworks at regional and national levels. Pilot projects on tank rehabilitation were assessed through reported case studies and field surveys to gauge impact. Thematic analysis was used to explore the global potential of these systems in climate resilience and overall environmental sustainability.ResultsThe analysis showed that pilot projects for tank rehabilitation had limited success in achieving sustainability under current climate conditions. Tank irrigation systems are crucial for adapting to extreme weather, including floods, droughts, and heat waves, replenishing groundwater, reducing soil erosion, and ensuring reliable water supplies. Traditional water harvesting technologies support 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including clean water access, hunger reduction, gender equality, and climate action. Integrating AI and machine learning in water management benefits disaster response, while eco-tourism aids system maintenance and cultural awareness.DiscussionThe study underscores the need for policy reforms to enhance tank rehabilitation and institutional arrangements. It calls for increased beneficiary participation and constitutional recognition of current practices. Strategic, national-scale assessments and resilience targets are recommended to improve the effectiveness of such water harvesting systems in mitigating natural hazards and enhancing environmental services.

Exploring the institutional barriers to rural water management in Ghana

ABSTRACT Framed within policy support for bottom-up community water management in development practice in the global south, this paper explores the institutional barriers that impede effective community management of water infrastructure in water-stressed rural communities in the Upper Manya District and Yilo Krobo Municipality in the Eastern region of Ghana. The study adopted a qualitative research approach, using data collection methods such as in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with local government and community water management committees and participant observation across four communities. The findings revealed that irregular and inadequate monitoring, poor financial auditing and transparency, inadequate technical support, and limited community engagement were the institutional barriers confronting sustainable rural water management. The study argues that in community water management, hybrid models are more likely to work better than models that focus entirely on either top-down or bottom-up approaches since the former can strengthen technical capacity, financial accountability, and the experimentation of infrastructure co-design initiatives. The paper concludes that by addressing institutional lapses in Africa's infrastructural management regimes, rural populations can become part of, rather than left behind, in the global quest to ensure water availability and sustainable water management for all.

Coastal Cultural Ecosystem Services: A Bridge between the Natural Ecosystem and Social Ecosystem for Sustainable Development

Cultural Ecosystem Services (CESs), as non-material benefits and well-being provided by ecosystems to humans, possess the ability to bridge nature and human society and interpret their complex interrelationships. Coastal areas are regions with concentrated human activities, where coastal zones are often subject to human development, pollution, and degradation. Compared to other ecosystems, coastal ecosystems face greater pressures and threats, and the cultural services they provide are more vulnerable. Research on coastal ecosystem cultural services needs to consider ecosystem vulnerability and find ways to protect and restore ecosystem functions. Therefore, this paper explores the intrinsic logical system and feasibility of guiding natural resource management and enhancing human well-being through coastal CESs, discussing related research data acquisition, method analysis, and perceptual application. Based on this, this paper analyzes the development trends of coastal CESs in natural resource management and enhancing human well-being from aspects such as biodiversity, human–nature interaction processes, cultural heritage conservation, local economic development, and community management. Finally, it proposes advancing the in-depth research of coastal CESs from the perspectives of integrating multi-source data, interdisciplinary development, and incorporating CESs into policy making, providing theoretical support for the systematic study of rational resource utilization and sustainable ecosystem development.

Mulching drive changes in soil microbial community assembly processes and networks across aggregate fractions

Soil microbial community assembly processes and networks in croplands have been widely explored; however, their dynamics and how they regulate winter wheat yield across distinct soil aggregate fractions under the combined effects of mulching and soil horizons have not been comprehensively understood. Therefore, based on a 9-y field experiment, the responses of soil bacterial and fungal community assembly processes and interkingdom association networks to mulching were specifically investigated at the soil aggregation level. Soil properties and microbial biomass were separated into distinct mulching in the topsoil (0–10 cm), and soil water content was considered the most critical factor. The soil bacterial community was affected mainly by mulching and soil horizon compared with the fungal community in microaggregates (<0.25 mm). Notably, the bacterial community displayed more robust stochastic processes than the fungal one, and microbial interkingdom association networks were more complex and stable in micro-than macroaggregates. Soil potential carbon mineralization, pH, and total nitrogen were the dominant properties regulating winter wheat grain yield in combination with microbial community composition, assembly processes, and networks in each soil aggregate class. Wheat yield decreased under straw mulching and was mainly regulated by bacterial community composition and assembly processes. Thus, this study enhanced our understanding of the regulations for wheat yield, which could facilitate soil microbial community management at the aggregation level for sustainable crop production in mulching conservation agroecosystems.

Green Management and Low-Carbon Communities

With the increasing severity of global climate change and environmental issues, green management and the construction of low-carbon communities have become crucial strategies for addressing climate challenges. This paper explores the role of green management in building low-carbon communities, analyzes the challenges faced, and proposes specific construction paths. The study finds that the development of low-carbon communities can be effectively promoted through the formulation and promotion of green management policies, the application of green technologies to enhance community infrastructure, and the encouragement of community participation in low-carbon activities. Despite challenges such as economic and funding issues, technological and implementation barriers, and insufficient community participation, sustainable development of low-carbon communities can be achieved through systematic infrastructure construction, resource management and utilization, lifestyle and community culture promotion, and the application of innovative technologies.

Physical education consumption and executive function among older empty nesters in urban community: A double mediation effects

ObjectiveThe main aim of this research was to determine the relationships among executive function, fitness mobile applications (APPs), physical exercise activity and physical education consumption in community-dwelling older empty nesters. MethodsA cross-sectional design was applied to evaluate the relationships. A sample of 1104 community-dwelling older empty nesters completed the experiments. Physical education consumption scale, fitness APPs by smartphone application scale, physical exercise activity scale, and executive function scale were applied for the evaluation of the elderly alone in urban communities in southeast China. To explore mediating effects, structural equation modeling of AMOS 23.0, SPSS 25.0 and Process V3.5 software packages were applied for statistical processing. ResultPhysical education consumption positively predicted executive function. Meanwhile, it was also found that physical education consumption and executive function were continuously mediated by fitness APP application and physical exercise activity, with indirect effect value of 0.267, accounting for 76 %. ConclusionThis research revealed how physical education consumption affected executive function of older empty nesters. The obtained results had certain implications for older empty nesters to better balance their executive function and life quality. Community managers should provide older empty nesters with favorable physical education environments in terms of positive physical and psychological environments, to improve their use ratio of fitness APPs usage and physical exercise activity, ultimately enhancing their executive function and life satisfaction.

Development and Psychometric Validation of Population-Based Knowledge Attitudes and Practices-Questionnaire on Fluoride (PBKAP-QF).

Fluoride exposure is a global public health concern. Understanding the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of affected populations is essential for effective community management. This study aimed to develop and validate a KAP questionnaire to assess fluoride and its risk in general population.An extensive literature review and focus group discussions were conducted to construct the questionnaire. Content validity was assessed using the Content Validity Index (CVI) based on expert feedback. Factor analysis was performed for final tool validation, and item characteristics were analyzed using IBM SPSS v. 27 and IBM AMOS v. 26.A total of 300 responses were collected. Initially, 41 items were included in the questionnaire, which were reduced to 25 after expert review. The final version included 19 items, with an I-CVI ranging from 0.80 to 1.00, indicating no issues with item difficulty or discrimination. Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.88 to 0.90, demonstrating good internal consistency. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) value was 0.848, and Bartlett's test (χ2 = 6860.978, df = 156, p < 0.01) confirmed data suitability for factor analysis. Three constructs were extracted with factor loadings greater than 0.5. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated a good model fit.This study developed and validated a robust 19-item KAP questionnaire for assessing knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to fluoride exposure. The tool demonstrated excellent reliability, validity, and internal consistency, supporting its use in guiding effective community-level management and public health interventions in fluoride-endemic areas.

A Preliminary Hazard Assessment of Kolumbo Volcano (Santorini, Greece)

Volcanic eruptions stand as destructive threats to adjacent communities, unleashing multiple hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, pyroclastic flows, and toxic gases. The imperative for proactive management of volcanic risks and communities’ adaptation cannot be overstated, particularly in densely populated areas where the potential for widespread devastation looms large. Kolumbo, an active submarine volcano located approximately 7 km northeast of Santorini Island in Greece, serves as a pertinent case. Its historical record is characterised by an eruption in 1650 CE that produced a catastrophic tsunami. The aftermath witnessed havoc on neighbouring islands, coupled with casualties stemming from noxious gases in Santorini. Eyewitness accounts mention maximum water run-up heights of 20 m on the southern coast of Ios, inundation of an area of 240 m inland on Sikinos, and a flooding of up to 2 km2 inland on the eastern coast of Santorini. Recent studies suggest that a potential future eruption of Kolumbo poses a substantial hazard to the northern and eastern coasts of Santorini. Unfortunately, the absence of a concrete management protocol leaves these areas vulnerable to an impending threat that demands immediate attention. Therefore, it is recommended that a comprehensive approach be adopted, involving scientific research (active monitoring, hazard maps), community engagement, preparedness planning with government agencies, and the development of timely response strategies to reduce the associated risks, prevent casualties, and mitigate the potential consequences on the region’s economy and infrastructure.

A data-driven model for the operation and management of prosumer markets in electric smart grids

The digital transformation of electric power systems requires forecasts and planning for optimal management, as well as real-time data streaming for the ongoing optimization of the system during operation. Recent research efforts have developed models for power system capacity planning, real-time monitoring and control, fault analysis, and energy efficiency assessment. However, those models are usually not integrated and do not combine operational data with management information and real-time decision-making. This paper conceives a data-driven model that integrates optimization and machine learning techniques for optimal operation and management of prosumer markets in electric smart grids. While classical optimization is used during day-ahead mode for operation planning, Gaussian Processes are used to predict demand forecasts for day-ahead and pre-dispatch modes while assimilating real-time measurements. The proposed approach is applied in a case study comprising a community manager coordinating a smart grid with prosumers operating thermal and renewable generators. Results highlight that the data-driven model helps achieve near-optimal operation of the smart grid in normal conditions while guaranteeing its reliability under disruptive events.

Framework to Development of Disaster Mitigation Model in Mountain Tourism Destination

The geographic position of Indonesia provides both disaster threat and natural resources potential. Indonesia is an archipelagic country located between three major tectonic plates, namely Indo-Australia; Pacific; and Eurasia. Consequently, numerous of active volcanoes and faults are spread across the islands. Indonesia’s unique landforms are often utilized as a unique tourism spot. Along the mountain ranges of Bogor and Cianjur, Bandung, and Garut to Tasikmalaya, various volcanic tourism spots exist side-by-side with the threat of volcanic eruption, mass movements, and earthquake. Therefore, disaster mitigation had to be properly planned to guarantee the sustainability of businesses and investments, as well as for tourists’ safety. This research aims to develop the mitigation model for mountain tourism destinations in West Java Province. Three of currently developing mountain tourism spots are Gede-Pangrango Mountain, Tangkuban Parahu Mountain, and Guntur Mountain. Design of this research is R&amp;D through the 4-D model, consists of Define, Design, Develop, and Disseminate. Disaster mitigation model planning involves research subjects consisting of tourism destination management and local communities. Research instruments used include interviews and observations. The data obtained consists of information regarding disaster perceptions and severity measurements through observations. The developed mitigation model is subsequently validated by experts and research subjects to assess its suitability. The output of the development is a “Conceptual Model”, which is a participative mitigation strategy between tourism destination management and local communities. This conceptual mitigation model can be utilized by policymakers as a foundation for monitoring the spread of tourist destinations in facing natural disaster threats.

International Research Collaboration Challenges in the Household Air Pollution Intervention Network Trial - Managing Ethical, Community, and Logistical Considerations

International Research Collaboration Challenges in the Household Air Pollution Intervention Network Trial - Managing Ethical, Community, and Logistical Considerations

Community efficacy for non-communicable disease management (COEN): Conceptualization and measurement.

The importance of community-based non-communicable disease (NCD) management has been internationally recognized. However, currently, no instrument is available to evaluate a community's ability to provide NCD management for its residents. This study defined such an ability as "Community Efficacy for NCD Management" (COEN), and aimed to conceptualize, develop and validate a scale to measure COEN. We first conducted literature review, expert interviews, and Delphi panels to conceptualize COEN and select scale items. Then, we conducted two rounds of community surveys and interviews to validate the COEN scale among local residents in three cities in China. We used Cronbach's alpha to test the scale's internal consistency, Kappa test for test-retest reliability, and exploratory factor analysis for structural validity. COEN was conceptualized as "the ability of a community to provide NCD management for its residents, reflected by its natural environment, social relationships, community resources, health services, and resident-engaging activities." The first community research among 345 residents yielded a 38-item COEN scale with high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.86) and acceptable test-retest reliability (Kappa value >0.2). The second community research tested a shortened COEN scale among 657 residents, yielding a final COEN scale with 14 items from five factors: community management (n = 3), social relationships (n = 4), resource accessibility (n = 3), community health services (n = 2), and resident engagement (n = 2), with an overall Cronbach's alpha of 0.79. COEN is a meaningful concept in contextualizing and evaluating NCD management anchored in the community, and the COEN scale is a multi-domain reliable tool to quantify COEN, which can be used to guide future related research and practice in public health.

Wiki communities’ management tools in conditions of digitization

The rise of local and global challenges (such as COVID-19, wars, natural disasters, etc.) requires advanced communication and information technologies to support economic development. The study aims to form a theoretical basis and practical tools for creating and functioning of wiki communities. Wiki communities are a new form of social association based on Internet communications of socio-economic subjects (individuals and organizations), in which each participant has equal rights to receive information, exchange opinions, and generate solutions. The theoretical basis involves substantiating the key principles on which wiki communities are formed, e.g., decentralization, openness, peering, sharing, and mass nature of activity. Wiki communities are represented by a set of specific types, such as professional, academic and research, custom, creative, public and non-commercial communities. The specific managing activities of wiki communities are described by several classification levels, such as operational activities, ensuring security, quality assurance, and motivation. The wiki community management toolkit includes a goal-setting algorithm, decision-making procedures, communications, rules of operation, typical tasks, areas of application, the operation and development cycle, and functional capabilities. It allows effective transfer of information, communication in real-time, and mutually enriching each other in forming knowledge and innovation. AcknowledgmentThe publication was prepared in the framework of the research project “Restructuring of the national economy in the direction of digital transformations for sustainable development” (№0122U001232) from National Research Foundation.

Research and Analysis of the Development of Live E-commerce on Xiaohongshu

This article analyzes the competitiveness and development prospects of the buyer e-commerce model on Xiaohongshu in the social e-commerce field. Firstly, by examining Xiaohongshu's community ecosystem, buyer resources, social shopping experience, and innovative brand partnerships, the unique advantages and business value of Xiaohongshu's buyer e-commerce model are revealed. Secondly, combining market demands and trends analysis with buyer resource and operational cost analysis, the feasibility and development prospects of Xiaohongshu's buyer e-commerce model are discussed. Lastly, from the perspective of competitor analysis and summarizing prospects, recommendations are provided to further optimize buyer resources, strengthen brand partnerships, control operational costs, enhance user experience, and improve community management. These suggestions aim to consolidate Xiaohongshu's leading position in the social e-commerce field, create better shopping experiences and marketing platforms for users and brand merchants, and achieve sustainable business growth.

Exploration of New Media Marketing Strategies Based on Content Marketing and Community Management

This study explores the competitiveness of multinational corporations from RCEP member countries in the context of global value chains. Through comprehensive analysis of the current situation of RCEP member country, it points out their crucial position in the process of globalization. Furthermore, this article delves into internal and external factors that affect the competitiveness of these companies, with a focus on internal factors such as corporate governance, technology research and development, innovation, human resources management, financial management, brand and marketing strategy, as well as external factors such as economic environment, policy and regulations, social culture, technological development, and supply chain management. Finally, this article proposes internal and external environmental strategies to enhance the competitiveness of RCEP member country. These strategies provide important guidance for the steady development of RCEP member country in the global value chain.

Optimal management of cooperative energy communities: impact of agent cooperation

In this work we analyse the profitability of the agents participating in a Local Energy Community (LEC); the agents in these communities can be either passive or active. The main difference is that active agents own generating units that they need to dispatch, whereas passive agents do not own any generating units. The LEC is operated and managed by a coordinating agent that is in charge of all energy exchanges between the agents in the LEC and the external Public Electricity Network (PEN). We propose a general optimization-based mathematical model to study the interactions among all the participants and to foresee strategies and optimal behaviour within the rules of the LEC. With this model we can compute optimal costs, profits, energy purchases and energy sales, assessing the best configuration for the LEC as a whole and for each individual participant.

Creative Tourism: Two Decades of Conceptual Evolution and Characterization

The concept of “creative tourism”, emerging at the century’s start, responds to the “creative turn” in tourist destinations, aligning with the evolving creative class, clusters, and cities. This study employs a bibliometric analysis to examine the evolution and academic focus on creative tourism over the past two decades. Using databases like Scopus and Web of Science, we analyzed key trends, thematic developments, and the impact of creative industries on tourism. Our study reveals significant growth in creative tourism research, emphasizing creativity’s role in enhancing tourism experiences and formulating sustainable, culturally rich models. It underscores the importance of integrating creative industries into tourism and the positive impact on local economies and community development. This analysis not only maps the academic trajectory of creative tourism but also highlights its practical implications for future tourism management and sustainable community development.