Policies In Place Research Articles

Modeling the adoption enablers of blockchain technology–based supply chain financing: An integrative dual DOI–TOE analysis

ABSTRACT This study focuses on the adoption enablers of blockchain technology–based supply chain financing (BcTSCF) using an integrative dual diffusion of innovation theory and technology–organization–environment (DOI–TOE) analysis. As a quantitative correlational study, the purposive sampling technique is used to collect data from 522 manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises in Ghana. Employing partial least squares–structural equation modeling, the results show relative advantage, compatibility, trialability, regulatory support, and market dynamics are positive and statistically significant enablers. Complexity and cost negatively impact BcTSCF. Observability, competitive pressures, and manager/owner support, while positively influencing BcTSCF, are not statistically significant. From an importance–performance analysis, cost, trialability, competitive pressure, observability, and manager/owner support are low-importance, high-performance attributes. Compatibility, complexity, and relative advantage are high-importance, high-performance attributes. Theoretically, the DOI–TOE framework is integrated to propose a model to explain BcTSCF enablers from the perspectives of developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Practically, this will help the government and other manufacturing-sector stakeholders to make corresponding policy arrangements.

Improving health and preventing cancer through a better transport system in Aotearoa/New Zealand

ABSTRACT The transport system influences health, including the onset of new cancers, in both positive and negative ways. Transport affects the frequency of cancer via access to healthcare, employment and other goods and services of society; physical (in)activity; exposure to transport-related pollution and climate change. In addition, avoidable transport health impacts overload the health system that delivers cancer care. The current transport system in Aotearoa/New Zealand is the result of policy choices made in the last 50–70 years which have privileged the private motor vehicle. We discuss examples of local work to support a healthier transport system, including action research with government partners creating infrastructure to support healthy travel, health professional advocacy in transport policy processes and involvement in coronial processes and a subsequent government advisory group. These, and other attempts at change, have had limited impact because of the elements that hold the current system in place; the weak regulatory architecture and institutions, commercial influences on policy and funding arrangements. Creating a healthy, cancer-preventing transport system requires not just focus on specific policy changes but reform of the policy making apparatus to ensure healthy people and planet are at the centre of decision making.

Stepwise methods for more nuanced adoption analysis: a case study of harvest and post-harvest mechanization in Bangladesh

The adoption of agricultural harvest and post-harvest mechanization is crucial for addressing drudgery, food losses, climate vulnerability and food security. Despite considerable efforts by government and development partners to prioritize agricultural mechanization, labour-intensive manual (post-)harvest activities continue to dominate in Bangladeshi smallholder systems. Explorations of this has been limited by simplistic binary approaches that ignore the dynamic pathways to usage outcomes. Instead, we apply non-binary analytical methods to district representative data to highlight the value in moving beyond binary adoption analysis. Results highlight that a national (post-)harvest mechanisation rate of 74% is insufficient to capture the true adoption status, given substantial disparity exists across machinery and by district. Deeper exploration of temporal and spatial differences enable the identification of key trends that warrant further in-depth explorations, while only 46% satisfaction with extension systems highlights the need to re-evaluate key information exchange mechanisms. We conclude that there is a clear need for district and machinery specific policy arrangements if Bangladesh is to achieve (post-)harvest mechanisation objectives that aim to reduce food loses and enable greater food security nationwide.

Enhancing Inclusion, Equity, and Access: An Analysis of Higher Education Policies in Nepal

Higher education is the backbone for the human resource development which are crucial for the economic and socio-cultural development of any country. Unlike other sector, higher education is imperative not only for the welfare of the human beings but also fundamental for nation building through innovation in areas that concern the society. The aim of this paper is to critically analyze the policy arrangements of higher education in Nepal and its impact on enhancing inclusion, equity and access. Adopting Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) research method which is combined with policy review, it is found that though commendable efforts by the government and the commission have been continuing, the issues of access, equity, and inclusion remain still lacking in some areas. Therefore, more policy and programmatic actions are necessary for improvement the situation. If the policy recommendations outlined above are seriously considered by the Government of Nepal, the commission, universities, and other relevant bodies, it is possible to further promote and improve the state of access, equity, and inclusion in Nepal’s higher education.

Prevalence of the Unmet Needs and its Predictors among Working Mothers of Children with Epilepsy Attending Specialist Hospitals in Kelantan

INTRODUCTION: Unmet needs arise when everyday assistance is lacking. Epilepsy's unpredictability creates significant work-family conflict for working women, potentially leading to increased unmet needs. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and the factors related with the unmet needs of working mothers with children with epilepsy (CWE) in Kelantan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A crosssectional study using the validated Malay version of the Family Needs Survey questionnaire was conducted among 204 working mothers aged 18 to 60 of CWE attending specialist hospitals in Kelantan. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression. RESULTS: The highest unmet need was for community services (81.6%), followed by information (71.9%), social support (53.1%), financial (43.2%), explaining to others (28.9%), and family functioning (28.4%). Having follow-ups at tertiary hospitals reduced the unmet need score for information (B=-0.669, 95%CI=-1.276,0.081, p=0.021) and social support (B=-1.454, 95%CI=-2.225, -0.683, p=<0.001). Living in nuclear types of family reduced the unmet need score for community services (B=-0.669, 95%CI=-1.276,0.081, p=0.021) and information (B=-1.216, 95%CI=-1.965,-0.466, p=0.002). Working in the government sector increased the unmet need score for social support (B=0.437, 95% CI=0.062, 1.454, p=0.033). Full-time employment (B=-0.761, 95%CI=-1.244,-0.279, p=0.002) reduced the unmet need score for family functioning. Contract employment status (B=0.566, 95%CI=0.074,1.058, p=0.024) increased the unmet need score for family functioning. CONCLUSION: Mothers of CWE working in the government sector, under contract employment, and seeking follow-up care in secondary hospitals were related to higher unmet needs. The study findings may assist policymakers in introducing a child-friendly employment policy and flexible working arrangements among working parents of children with chronic illnesses such as epilepsy.

Effects of trilemma policies patterns on monetary policy credibility

The open economy trilemma refers to the impossibility of a country fully and simultaneously achieving three political objectives: monetary policy independence, exchange rate stability and financial openness. However, corner configurations related to the three policies of the trilemma are increasingly rare. In fact, countries tend to choose a policy combination composed of partial financial integration, managed exchange rate flexibility and partial monetary independence. Given the possibility of intermediate choices, there exists an index able to measure the relative divergence (or convergence) regarding the policy choices of the trilemma. The index identifies whether countries are adopting similar (or divergent) policy mixes in relation to the trilemma policy options. However, the consequences of adopting a more (or less) convergent policy arrangement on monetary policy credibility are unknown. Hence, this study investigates the effects of trilemma policies convergence patterns on monetary policy credibility. The idea is to verify whether a more convergent arrangement of policies related to the trilemma in open economies helps build monetary policy credibility. Our database is formed by 94 (developed and developing) countries with different characteristics. Thus, we run estimates based on a family of Tobit models for different sub-samples of countries, and also considering different periods – before and after the Global Financial Crisis. The study brings important practical implications. In general, the findings show that a convergent strategy increases credibility. The estimates corroborate the idea that countries adopting divergent policies from the global standard tend to be more exposed to economic instability and, as a result, have difficulties in anchoring inflation expectations.

Platform advantages or "policy trap" for neighbors? Export effects of establishing free trade zone in China: A quasi-natural experiment

As the important regional policy arrangements for China to implement a new round of opening-up strategy, the free trade zone (FTZ) policy have significant impacts on export trade. Based on the quasi-natural experiment of China's establishment of FTZs, the article evaluates the impact of the FTZs on enterprises' exports by using export data from Chinese Customs database and statistics of prefecture-level cities in China from 2007 to 2018. The analyses found that the FTZs has significantly promoted local exports. The FTZs has negative spatial externalities on export activities, which reduces the export performance of neighboring cities. The export effects of FTZs present continuous and dynamic characteristics. There is heterogeneity in the marginal impact of FTZs in different locations on the exports of enterprise. These findings provide empirical evidence for a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of the establishment of FTZs on enterprises' exports in the spatial dimension.

조선시대 조선과 명의 국경인식과 조명관계

After the founding of the country, Joseon actively established foreign relations in order to stabilize the legitimacy of the dynasty and the ruling system. Joseon established friendly diplomatic relations with the Ming and established diplomatic relations with the Jurchen and Japan. The external relations of the Joseon were shaped by the international situation, and it formulated and implemented an active foreign policy to eliminate political and military threats. The Ming, which replaced the Yuan as the central state in East Asia, sought to establish a unified governance system centered on the emperor domestically during the reign of the Hongwu Emperor(洪武帝) and externally to form an international order centered on the Ming. The Ming recognized Joseon in the northeast as a neighboring country and implemented an active policy of conciliation in order to bring the Jurchen, who lived in Liaodong and the northern part of the Korean peninsula, under the influence of the Ming. Specifically, the Ming established a military government system to actively govern Liaodong and set up a loose rein policy(羈縻政策) for the surrounding Jurchen. The Ming wanted to establish a border with Joseon along the Yalu river(압록강) and Tumen river(두만강) to create a stable relationship. Joseon emerged as a state on the Korean peninsula, replacing Goryeo, and continued to have stable diplomatic relations with the Ming. In addition, Joseon wanted to keep the Jurchen, who lived in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula, under Joseon's sphere of influence in case the northern ethnic groups, including the Jurchen, were invaded by the international situation. As such, the Joseon and Ming clashed over influence over the Liaodong and the Jurchen. Basically, however, Joseon and Ming maintained mutually recognized borders and sought a stable international order. However, the concept of Joseon's borders was complicated by the consolidation of the Jurchen in the 16th century and their emergence as a new power. As the Jurchen expanded their power, Joseon, in conjunction with the Ming, actively sought to control them. However, due to the rapidly changing conditions of the Imjin War, the Joseon and Ming were unable to curb the growth of the Jurchen. The unified Jurchen founded the Later Jin(後金) and went to war with the Ming in earnest, renamed the Qing, and defeated the Ming, emerging as the center of power in East Asia. The border problems of the Joseon and Qing were both continuous and distinct from the border problems of the Joseon and Ming.

“The system allows for it to happen”: the experiences of human service workers in engaging with Aboriginal participants of the National Disability Insurance Scheme

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of human service workers (HSWs) in engaging with Aboriginal participants of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Methods Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with HSWs engaging with Aboriginal participants of the NDIS on Kaurna Country (Adelaide, South Australia). Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results In total, n = 10 HSWs participated in the study. Three themes impacting upon HSWs ability to effectively engage with Aboriginal participants were identified: (1) lack of access to training, support and supervision, (2) difficulties in navigating assessment and intervention, and (3) limited availability of culturally specific services. Conclusions This study contributes to Australian disability policy and practice with insights gained from the experiences of human service workers engaging with aboriginal participants of the NDIS. Systemic changes are required within policy and funding arrangements to create a system flexible enough to respond to the needs of Aboriginal Peoples with disability.

Blockchain technology-driven supply chain financing for Ghana’s SMEs: An evaluation of the dilemmas to adoption using a picture fuzzy preference selection index technique

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been urged to embrace blockchain technology-driven supply chain financing (BcTSCF) by the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) and the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI); however, a substantial number have not responded favourably. With the utilization of purposive non-probability sampling approach, data was collected using questionnaires from 39 respondents (owners/managers of SMEs with BcTSCF experience as well as academics with BcTSCF expertise). Adopting the Technology-Organization-Environment framework, a list of drawbacks has been prioritized using a novel multi-criteria decision-making method called the Picture Fuzzy Preference Selection Index. This method involved the computation of total preference values, creation of picture fuzzy decision matrix, ranking and the selection of the drawback with the highest value, thus the prioritization of a set of determinants serving as drawbacks to adopting BcTSCF. The top five drawbacks to BcTSCF adoption are the availability of blockchain infrastructure, inadequate regulatory framework, lack of technical expertise, compatibility concerns, and insufficient government support. This study provides valuable input to industry practitioners, which might help the government and other stakeholders make corresponding policy arrangements. The original contribution of this study is the utilization of a novel picture fuzzy preference selection and the TOE framework to prioritize BcTSCF drawbacks.

INSTITUTIONAL GOVERNANCE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OIL PALM REPLANTING POLICY ON PEATLANDS

Oil palm is one of the leading plantation commodities and has a strategic role in the national economy. Indragiri Hilir Regency is one of the areas with the fastest-growing oil palm plantations in Riau Province. The area of oil palm plantations owned by People's Plantations (RA) in Indragiri Hilir Regency in 2022 will be 308,197 Ha with a total production of 912,875 tons. The research objective was to determine institutional governance in the implementation of Palm Oil Replanting in the peat hydrological area in the Indragiri Hilir district and the role of governance in its implementation. This study uses a qualitative descriptive method with a relevant literature study approach, using a data analysis technique, namely literature analysis. The results of the study show that the management of the Palm Oil Replanting program in the Indragiri Hilir district has not been maximised because the implementation process is hampered by land status, which raises several challenges for stakeholders. The problem of palm oil governance is not only in the absence of regulations but in policy interventions in the field. Relevant institutional and policy arrangements lead to a balanced and successful implementation of the smallholder palm oil replanting program.

Social Processes of Public Sector Collaborations in Kenya: Unpacking Challenges of Realising Joint Actions in Public Administration

AbstractSocial processes behind the success or failure of collaborative implementation frameworks in African public administration contexts are under-researched. This paper addresses this gap by paying particular attention to trust attributes in collaborative implementation arrangements in Kenya. It shows how implementation challenges of policy programs and interventions may be linked to these interventions’ social characteristics in the public sector. The paper draws on a threefold approach of mutual trust and administrative data on public sector collaborative implementation arrangements for Kenyan anti-corruption policy like the Kenya Leadership Integrity Forum. Findings show that despite increased efforts to realise joint actions in public sector collaborative arrangements, they remain primarily symbolic and hierarchical and feature loose social cohesion among actors, producing challenges bordering on deficiencies in social processes of implementation. These include politicised aloofness or lack of commitment, unclear governance structures, coordination deficiencies, inter-agency conflicts, layered fragmentations, and overlapping competencies among different agencies. The paper recommends identifying and nurturing socially sensitive strategies embedded in mutual trust, like informal knowledge-sharing channels, to address primarily mandated public sector collaboration challenges in Kenya. Such efforts should consider systematic training and incentivising public managers to think outside inward-looking organisational cultures, allowing them to devise sustainable collaborative implementation approaches (promote open innovation) for policy programs, particularly anti-corruption policy.

Attention Allocation of the Sichuan Provincial Government and Chongqing Municipal Government in the Construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle: An Analysis Based on 238 Policy Documents in China

<p class="MsoBodyText" align="justify"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">The construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle holds a pivotal strategic position in China's regional development landscape. Attention is a scarce resource, the optimization of government decision-making hinges critically on effective attention allocation. This study examines 238 policy documents issued by the Sichuan Provincial Government and Chongqing Municipal Government pertaining to the Twin-City Economic Circle. Leveraging grounded theory and content analysis, we utilize Nvivo12 to process and analyze these texts, aiming to delineate the overall distribution and specific characteristics of the governments' attention allocation. Our findings reveal disparities in attention allocation across different timeframes and domains, along with issues such as imbalances in policy tool structures, attention allocation structures, and the precision of attention allocation. Consequently, we recommend that the Sichuan Provincial Government and Chongqing Municipal Government enhance the utilization of demand-oriented policy tools to refine their policy tool frameworks, prioritize non-urgent policy issues to optimize attention allocation, and refine the targets of attention allocation to enhance the precision of policy arrangements.</span></p>

“Striving to Facilitate the Achievement of the PIRA's Aims”? The Labour Government, the Army and the Crisis of the British State over Northern Ireland 1972–76

AbstractThis article argues that there was a crisis within the British state over policy towards Northern Ireland (1972–76). The Conservative then Labour government pursued a broadly bipartisan and conciliatory policy, culminating in the failed powersharing experiment (1974). By contrast, the New Right within the Conservative Party but also powerful elements in the Army and Intelligence Services, the Royal Ulster Constabulary and Unionism opposed conciliation as ‘appeasement’ and even treachery. They claimed conciliation and rumours of British political support for withdrawal encouraged the IRA and undermined the repressive approach that was necessary to win. From this perspective, the Conservative then Labour government were, in effect, ‘… striving to facilitate the achievement of the PIRA's aims’ and so they resisted government policy. The crisis intensified as more troops were killed, and the Army suffered severe problems of morale, recruitment and retention. The Army's emergency created a need to withdraw troops and Ulsterise the conflict. Although this constrained the Labour government's ability to defend powersharing, the Army also appeared reluctant to support the government's conciliatory policy. The crisis of the British state over Northern Ireland (1972–76) provides part of the context in which allegations about the undermining of Prime Minister Harold Wilson and the Labour government in the 1970s should be considered.

Effect of Grain Corridor Agreement on Grain Prices

This study investigates the impact of the Grain Corridor Agreement (GCA), particularly in the aftermath of the Russia–Ukraine conflict, on the prices of major grains (wheat, maize, and barley), pivotal for global sustenance. By delineating three significant shocks: the initiation of the conflict, the enforcement of the GCA, and Russia's subsequent withdrawal from it, we employ an Integrated GARCH (IGARCH) model to investigate the impact of the Russia–Ukraine conflict on grain prices. Our empirical findings reveal that all grain prices surged at the onset of the conflict, with barley experiencing the most pronounced increase. Additionally, volatility escalated across all grain prices during the conflict's inception, albeit subsiding upon the implementation of the GCA. Price volatility spiked initially but decreased with the GCA's enforcement. The evidence suggests that the conflict is driving up world grain prices and causing global vulnerability, and that conciliatory policies such as the GCA offer a short-term solution. However, long-term strategies should focus on reducing external dependence by reviewing agricultural policies and promoting domestic production. Moreover, policymakers are advised to consider both domestic and global market vulnerabilities when designing sound policies. Highlights International grain prices (wheat, maize and barley) spiked during the onset of the ongoing Russia–Ukraine conflict. The conflict triggered an international response to resume safe maritime humanitarian transportation of agricultural grains via GCA. We develop an empirical framework to assess the impact of the Russia–Ukraine conflict on grain prices. Empirical findings indicate that Russia–Ukraine conflict increased all grain prices.

Fragmented property rights and their risks on foreclosed housing: a qualitative comparative analysis based on judicial auctions in China

During China’s transition towards land and housing marketization in the 1980s to 1990s, a series of legal and policy arrangements led to the separation of land ownership from land-use rights, followed by the separation of housing ownership from land-use rights. This has institutionally fragmented the housing property rights, allowing properties to be financialized as collaterals. Consequently, the fragmentation of housing property rights inflicts substantial risks on judicial auctions of foreclosed housing. As China’s real estate sector is grappling with a mounting debt crisis, it becomes imperative to enhance the efficiency of judicial auctions to address bank debts and stabilize the housing financial system. By employing the cs-QCA method with a dataset comprising 136 cases of foreclosed properties, this study reveals the critical role of various configurations of property-rights risks in determining the outcome of judicial auctions. Additionally, it identifies the importance of credible commitments offered by the courts in mitigating property-rights risks. The research expects to provide practical and theoretical insights for China’s courts and financial institutions to manage foreclosed properties effectively.

The Regulation on Sexual Harassment in ASEAN Workers: Evidence from Several Countries

Despite the existence of numerous laws and regulations that govern policy arrangements for the management of sexual harassment cases, victims still lack access to justice. This research examines the rules governing the management of sexual harassment cases in the workplace, with a particular emphasis on ASEAN member countries. This research employs normative juridical methods, which include statutory, conceptual, and comparative approaches. The research results show that, despite the existence of the 1955 Employment Law and Criminal Code in Malaysia, the incidence of sexual harassment continues to rise. To address this issue, it is critical to involve all employees in the development, execution, and oversight of workplace policies. Second, Singapore's primary law for dealing with sexual harassment, the Protection from Harassment Act, is accompanied by an employment law. Nevertheless, there are apprehensions regarding the inadequate remedies, uncertainty, and statutory protections against harassment, particularly in the workplace. Third, Indonesia has implemented numerous laws and regulations to manage sexual harassment cases. However, the government still faces challenges, such as an incomplete and insufficient legal framework, which results in victims being denied justice. Fourth, the effective implementation and protection of women's rights necessitate a comprehensive approach that considers cultural sensitivities, regional dynamics, and international norms to reconstruct sexual harassment regulations in ASEAN countries. As a result, it is critical to establish an anti-sexual harassment organizational culture and restructure sexual harassment regulations to protect victims' rights.

Unlocking the tapestry of conservation: Navigating ecological resettlement policies in Nepal

Conservation initiatives involve a complex interplay of various ecological, socio-political, and economic factors. Ecological resettlement (ER), implemented within the context of nature conservation policies, stands as one of the most contested issues worldwide. This study aims to navigate the domain of ER policy in conservation through discursive institutionalism and a policy arrangement approach. Focusing on Nepal's conservation policy pathways over the last seven decades, we critically analyze policy ideas and narratives, trends, patterns of policy development, institutional arrangements, driving factors, and responses to contemporary ER policies. Methods involved a systematic literature review (n = 271), a comprehensive review of policy documents and project reports (n > 150), and expert interviews (n = 20). Over the past 50 years, >7600 households in Nepal have been displaced in the name of ER and are still persisting despite the rhetoric of participatory conservation. With changes in political regimes, conservation policy has shifted from a hunting-focused approach to landscape-level and transboundary conservation. Initially influenced by internal factors such as economic and political governance, conservation policies were later shaped by international conservation discourse. Also, the operational sphere of such policy ideas and narratives ˗ including actors, resources, discourses, and rules ˗ along with trends, priorities, institutional arrangements, and driving factors of ER policies, has changed over time. Further, the exclusion of deprived communities and the capture of conservation benefits by elites have undermined conservation values. This research stresses the importance of a judicious balance between people's welfare and nature's integrity, emphasizing community-based natural resource management models accredited to a conservation standard. We further urge the revision of displacement-oriented conservation policies to secure the rights of Indigenous people and traditional landholders, thereby ensuring conservation and sustainable development at both national and global levels.

Targeting social welfare for people with severe mental illness: A review of policies in China and a call for further action

AbstractSevere mental illness (SMI) has long been a focus of public health attention. Due to stigma, people with SMI face strong social discrimination and are one of the most vulnerable groups in a society. Building a sound social welfare system is of paramount importance to address their vulnerabilities. China has accumulated a large body of policy practice, but there is still a lack of critical review in this area. Drawing on the framework developed by WHO, this article provides a comprehensive review of China's policy progress in addressing the health care, rehabilitation, life support and social participation needs of people with SMI, as well as the collaborative governance system and detailed policy arrangements. This review raises a number of policy‐related issues for further consideration, such as strengthening community mental health services, improving life support for people with SMI, and reconciling the values of public safety and patients' rights.

Investigating the Validity of Climate Migration: Empirical Evidence from the Most Polluted Countries

The literature generally finds that lower air quality has been an important determinant of migration. This study builds a migration model employing annual data from 2010 to 2019 for the most polluted ten countries to test the validity of migration caused by air pollution through PM2.5 concentration. The Poisson Pseudo Maximum Likelihood method results show that air pollution is one of the most significant determinants of migration from the most polluted countries. Moreover, the low income level also pushes people to migrate more from their origin regions than richer ones. The study provides some policy recommendations for policy-makers in the countries where people breathe the most polluted air: (i) governments should follow growth-promoting economic policies; (ii) environment-friendly production techniques should be implemented to prevent worsening environmental quality; (iii) climate-induced mass migration should be considered while making security policy arrangements.