Contextual Drivers Research Articles

Drivers of the experience value of mobile money transfer service: Senegaleseuser perspectives

Purpose Digital service innovations have enabled service market access, transforming Africa. This paper aims to investigate individual and contextual drivers of experience value of mobile money transfer (MMT) service during post-adoption given impacts of individual/cultural characteristics in Senegal. Design/methodology/approach Mixed methods. Study 1 qualitatively investigates the effects of individual-contextual drivers on the experience value of MMT and behavioral intentions. Study 2 quantitatively tests the main causal effects between drivers and MMT. Findings Conceptual models of experience value including ethical and social dimensions proposed in MMT are positively related to behavioral intentions. Need for social interaction (NSI), self-efficacy (SEFF) and social pressure (SP) – sources of experience value creation/destruction – must be integrated into business practices. Results show the indirect positive influence of NSI on behavioral intentions through MMTs experience value. Moreover, traditional cultural orientation (TCO) is a source of value creation/destruction. Managers should build ethical relations with users, integrate social functions in MMT and understand users’ cultural and individual characteristics for better customer relationship management policy. Originality/value Few studies examine how MMT experience creates/destroys value in a Sub-Saharan African context, specifically in Senegal. The authors show that SP might destroy value and reveal how individual variables such as SEFF, NSI and TCO affect experience value creation/destruction. Surprisingly, NSI creates value, revealing MMT as hybrid self-service technology.

Choosing informal ways to acquire land

PurposeThis paper examines why some sets of people choose an informal way to acquire land. It also examines challenges and drivers within indigenous communities in South-western Nigeria. Policy recommendations were proposed for formalization. What precisely are the contextual reasons that can be established empirically for the prevailing extra-legal practices in the developing land market? What are the challenges, and how can the informal land market be graduated into the formal system?Design/methodology/approachIt begins with identifying the contextual features, drivers and challenges of the informal land market through a combination of literature synthesis and a pilot survey. Subsequently, copies of questionnaires were developed, tested and distributed to the critical actors in the informal land market. Lastly, a structured interview was conducted to elicit possible solutions from key actors (both formal and informal stakeholders). Data were analyzed using descriptive, inferential statistics and computer-aided qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS, Atlas. ti).FindingsThe absence of administrative bureaucracy was the predominant characteristic of the informal urban land market, while household income is the strongest predictor of the informal land market drivers. Informal documentation of transactions is also one of the most severe challenges in the informal urban land market. Consensus between statutory and customary institutions and other 15 governance-related recommendations is proposed to confirm informality to formality.Originality/valueThe paper's outcome will provide a rational guide to landowners, land administrators and other stakeholders on relevant information needed to develop a viable and healthy urban and rural land market.

When conflict fuels negativity. A large-scale comparative investigation of the contextual drivers of negative campaigning in elections worldwide

We investigate the contextual conditions under which campaigns in elections worldwide are fought “negatively”, that is, rely on attacks against political opponents. We test the overarching intuition that societal, political, and cultural conflicts in the country are associated with greater negativity in election campaigns; conflicts, we argue, sow political discord. We test this intuition via a large-scale comparative dataset that covers 136 national elections across more than 100 countries worldwide that happened between June 2016 and March 2020, based on the expert judgments of more than 2000 scholars - to the best of our knowledge, the single largest comparative dataset about the content of elections worldwide. Our results show that countries in which elections are fought under a majoritarian or plurality rule tend to witness higher campaign negativity, and so are countries characterized by higher income inequality, deeper ethnic fragmentation, and higher individualism. Similarly, election competitiveness and ideological diversity of competing actors both tend to be associated with a greater use of negative campaigning, and so is news media preference for sensationalism.

Perpetrated Incivility: Individual vs Contextual Antecedents – A Reflective Viewpoint

The goals of the current study are twofold. Its first goal was to provide further insight into the primary antecedents of instigated workplace incivility. The current study shows whether context or personality explains better perpetration incivility. Its second goal was to construct and validate a new reflective measurement scale for measuring incivility based on the target's emotional experience rather than on the uncivil act's frequency. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling, which distinguishes between formative and reflective measurement scales and evaluates those, relying on robust measurement theory. Results indicated that both moral disengagement and the contextual variables could predict incivility perpetration. Yet it was found that contextual antecedents predicted instigated incivility better. Additionally, a new reflective scale – the Reflective Workplace Incivility Scale (RWIS) for measuring perceived incivility, was constructed and validated. The first contribution of the current article is integrating contextual and individual drivers into one model, contributing to understanding the precursors of instigated incivility. Such an integrative viewpoint in incivility research is overlooked, although its importance to a comprehensive understanding of incivility. The second contribution is related to the measurement of experienced workplace incivility. Studies thus far, have relied mostly on formative measures to capture the different aspects of incivility. Although these measures facilitated empirical research on workplace incivility, they were centred on the frequency of the uncivil incidents and less on the individual experience, which is the essence of the construct. All in all, incivility research from different viewpoints allows us to mitigate workplace exclusion and enhance inclusion in workplaces.

Willingness to vaccinate against Covid-19: A qualitative study involving older adults from Southern Switzerland

BackgroundThe Covid-19 pandemic is causing unprecedented disruption and suffering to people across the globe, with a disproportionate toll on the elderly. The development and equitable distribution of a vaccine seems to be the most promising and sustainable route ahead. The goal of this study was to explore older adults’ attitudes towards and beliefs regarding the Covid-19 vaccination in Southern Switzerland. MethodsWe conducted a qualitative study employing telephone interviews to understand older adults’ attitudes towards and beliefs about the Covid-19 vaccine. No Covid-19 vaccine had yet been approved at the moment of data collection. A convenience and snowball sample of 19 participants was recruited. Participants had to be at least 65 years old, without any hearing impairments, and be resident in the Canton of Ticino. ResultsMost participants were women (n = 12), Swiss nationals (n = 14), retired (n = 18), resident in urban areas (n = 14), and had obtained a secondary school degree (n = 14). The average age was 75 (SD = 6.04; range = 64–85). We found that the majority of participants were in favor of the vaccination and highlighted its positive consequences, such as the abandonment of current freedom-limiting protective measures. Those participants who were against or unsure about the vaccination had concerns regarding the novelty of the vaccine and its impact on its safety and efficacy, stated they would prefer other protective measures rather than the vaccination, and identified contextual and individual drivers of their concerns. ConclusionsIndependently from the outbreak’s trajectory, efforts to foster vaccination acceptance should focus on the benefit of relapsing freedom-limiting protective measures. Vaccination strategies should be grounded in an evidence-based, participatory approach, ongoing community engagement, trust-building activities, and communication about vaccine developments and how the vaccine will be combined with other outbreak response measures.

Are landscape approaches possible under authoritarianism? Multi-stakeholder governance and social transformation in Myanmar

Landscape Approaches have been proposed as a transferable model of multi-stakeholder governance, yet assume conditions of ideal speech, trust, and transparency that seem untransferable to authoritarian regimes. This paper argues that building Landscape Approaches under authoritarian conditions cannot be based on a governance deficit model of awaiting idealized political conditions, but instead needs to pay attention to how local social and political structures influence what is deliberated, and by whom. The paper presents evidence from a multi-stakeholder environmental intervention around Lake Indawgyi in Kachin State, Myanmar, to draw lessons for transferring Landscapes Approaches under conditions of political authoritarianism, sporadic violent conflict, and rapid socio-economic change. Using information gathered from village surveys and interviews with policymakers, the paper analyzes how multifunctionality, stakeholder engagement, and deliberation are achieved, and with whose influence. The paper argues that common principles of Landscapes Approaches need to acknowledge more how state-led agendas can influence agendas and participation in conservation; but also how the composition and interests of stakeholders are not fixed under socio-economic transformation. Focusing on local and contextual drivers of environmental change and political inequality are more useful for transferring Landscape Approaches to authoritarian regimes than adhering to optimistic principles, or testing associations between variables without reference to context. Indeed, the latter risks depoliticizing conflictual processes, and implicitly endorsing political inequalities. The 2021 military coup in Myanmar has added to these inequalities.

Social impact measurement in social housing: a theory-based investigation into the context, mechanisms and outcomes of implementation

PurposeEnglish social housing providers are increasingly turning to social impact measurement to assess their social value. This paper aims to understand the contextual factors causing this rise in the practice, specifically within this sector; the mechanisms that enable it to be effectively implemented within an individual organisation and the outcomes of successful implementation for individual organisations and more widely across the sector and beyond.Design/methodology/approachA realist theory-based approach is applied to the study of a small number of social housing organisations and leaders within the sector to explore the use of social impact measurement. The paper addresses three questions: Why is social impact measurement being adopted in this sector? How is it successfully implemented? And what happens (outcomes) when it is successfully implemented? Addressing these questions necessitates deeper insight into the contextual pressures that have brought to the fore social impact measurement within the sector and the beneficial outcomes the practice provides (or is anticipated to provide) to social housing providers. The methodological approach of Realist Evaluation (Pawson and Tilley, 1997, 2004) is used to structure and analyse the empirical data and findings into a programme theory for social impact measurement. Realist Evaluation provides a programme theory perspective, seeking to answer the question “what works, for whom and in what circumstances?”. In this research, the “whom” refers to English social housing providers and the circumstances are the contextual conditions experienced by the sector over the past decade. The programme theory aims to set out the links between the contextual drivers for social impact measurement, the mechanisms that bring about its implementation and the outcomes that occur as a result. Within this, greater detail on the implementation perspective is provided by developing an implementation theory using a Theory of Change approach (Connellet al., 1995; Fulbright-Andersonet al., 1998). The implementation theory is then embedded within the wider programme theory so as to bring the two elements together, thereby creating a refinement of the overall theory for social impact measurement. In turn, this paper demonstrates its importance (the outcomes that it can achieve for organisations and the sector) and how it can effectively be implemented to bring about those outcomes.FindingsSocial housing providers use social impact measurement both internally, to determine their organisational priorities and externally, to demonstrate their value to local and national governments and cross-sector partners then to shape and influence resource allocation. The practice itself is shown to be an open and active programme, rather than a fixed calculative practice.Research limitations/implicationsThe intensive nature of the research means that only a limited number of cases were explored. Further research could test theories developed here against evidence collected from a wider range of cases, e.g. other types of providers or non-adopters.Practical implicationsThe research makes a strong contribution to practice in the form of a re-conceptualisation of how social impact measurement can be shown to be effective, based on a deeper understanding of causal mechanisms, how they interact and the outcomes that result. This is of value to the sector as such information could help other organisations both to understand the value of social impact measurement and to provide practical guidance on how to implement it effectively.Social implicationsAs the practice of impact measurement continues to develop, practitioners will need to be aware of any changes to these contextual factors and consider questions such as: is the context still supportive of impact measurement? Does the practice need to be adjusted to meet the needs of the current context? For instance, the recent tragedy at Grenfell Tower has led to a reconsideration of the role of social housing; a new Green Paper is currently being drafted (Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, 2018). This may have a number of implications for social impact measurement, such as a rebalancing of emphasis on outcomes relating to environmental improvements, towards outcomes relating to the well-being of tenants.Originality/valueExisting literature is largely limited to technical guides. This paper links theory-based evaluation to practice contributing to social housing practice.

Agile strategies for middle managers

PurposeThis paper takes a holistic and process-based view on agility from a Middle Management (MM) perspective. Its purpose is to identify subjective factors of agility emerging from people's interpretations and perceptions and to integrate them into the process of agile strategy-making.Design/methodology/approachTo provide a theoretical foundation, literature was reviewed in the area of agile diversity and strategy-making. A qualitative study based on interviews was conducted to uncover the hidden subjective factors from the personal experiences and perceptions of the participants.FindingsThe study has revealed that individual opinions in terms of agility can originate from three sources: individual understandings, contextual drivers and personal beliefs.Research limitations/implicationsThe research contributes to dynamic capability theory by providing a better understanding of agile diversity at the MM level. The findings can help mid-level executives to cope with the complexities and ambiguities in managing agility by aligning the different understandings and people's perceptions. This is crucial, as missing alignment of team members can lead to poor dynamic capabilities of business entities and thus threatens overall organisational agility.Originality/valueA model was developed to align the subjective factors of agility during the process of agile strategy-making at the MM level. The framework allows a flexible adaptation to the individual demands of organisational units, as well as concentrated measures for effective agile management. It contributes to organisational agility and business success by scaling the dynamic capabilities of MM.

African exceptions: democratic development in small island states

Small island states are much more likely to have democratic regimes than large continental states. This trend also holds across Africa, where the five island states with populations of 1.5 million or less are all rated at least ‘partly free’ by Freedom House. In this article we explore what it is about being a small island state that might explain this trend. Building on studies from other small island states, we find that the interaction between the two contextual factors is key to explaining their diversion from mainland trends in the African context. Specifically, ‘smallness’ leads to closer links between citizens and politicians in addition to more effective service delivery, while ‘islandness’ promotes community cohesion and provides a buffer against instability and conflict in neighbouring states. This results in a positive feedback loop that guards against authoritarian excess. Our focus on population size and geography thus adds to the existing studies of the contextual drivers of African democratisation.

A dynamic stochastic frontier approach with persistent and transient inefficiency and unobserved heterogeneity

AbstractThis article introduces a dynamic stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) framework with unobserved heterogeneity, persistent and transient inefficiency effects, based on recent advances in the SFA literature. The newly developed dynamic frontier model is applied on a sample of French crop‐livestock farms. The estimates provide useful insights for the estimation of the technical efficiency scores as well as for the analysis of the associations of contextual drivers, such as public subsidies and indebtedness, with technical efficiency.

Motivating antibiotic stewardship in Bangladesh: identifying audiences and target behaviours using the behaviour change wheel

BackgroundSouth Asia is a hotspot for antimicrobial resistance due largely to over-the-counter antibiotic sales for humans and animals and from a lack of policy compliance among healthcare providers. Additionally, there is high population density and high infectious disease burden. This paper describes the development of social and behavioural change communication (SBCC) to increase the appropriate use of antibiotics.MethodsWe used formative research to explore contextual drivers of antibiotic sales, purchase, consumption/use and promotion among four groups: 1) households, 2) drug shop staff, 3) registered physicians and 4) pharmaceutical companies/medical sales representatives. We used formative research findings and an intervention design workshop with stakeholders to select target behaviours, prioritise audiences and develop SBCC messages, in consultation with a creative agency, and through pilots and feedback. The behaviour change wheel was used to summarise findings.ResultsWorkshop participants identified behaviours considered amenable to change for all four groups. Household members and drug shop staff were prioritised as target audiences, both of which could be reached at drug shops. Among household members, there were two behaviours to change: suboptimal health seeking and ceasing antibiotic courses early. Thus, SBCC target behaviours included: seek registered physician consultations; ask whether the medicine provided is an antibiotic; ask for instructions on use and timing. Among drug shop staff, important antibiotic dispensing practices needed to change. SBCC target behaviours included: asking customers for prescriptions, referring them to registered physicians and increasing customer awareness by instructing that they were receiving antibiotics to take as a full course.ConclusionsWe prioritised drug shops for intervention delivery to all drug shop staff and their customers to improve antibiotic stewardship. Knowledge deficits among these groups were notable and considered amenable to change using a SBCC intervention addressing improved health seeking behaviours, improved health literacy on antibiotic use, and provision of information on policy governing shops. Further intervention refinement should consider using participatory methods and address the impact on profit and livelihoods for drug shop staff for optimal compliance.

Occupational, health and safety situation at small and medium enterprises in Kosovo, contextual factors, barriers, drivers and intervention process

AbstractThis survey has been performed as part of a wider survey within the Western Balkan Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SME) Competitiveness Support Project. It presents the current situation of occupational health and safety (OHS) management at 18 SMEs in Kosovo. SMEs in the Republic of Kosovo are facing many difficulties in identifying the real need for interventions, recruiting adequate professional staff to support their activities in OHS. Exposed to an opened market under the regional and international competition, their sustainability has become more difficult and their financial fragility leads very often to the ignorance of OHS issues within their organization.The first objective of this research aimed to understand the OHS contextual factors, barriers and drivers based on the current practice of SMEs in Kosovo. The second objective was to find out if the OHS “ideal intervention process” is applicable to achieve improvements for SMEs in Kosovo. Data collection was expedited through internal documents review, site visits and questionnaires. The statistical data were subject to descriptive analyses and inferential statistics. The findings showed that the contextual factors which influence the intervention process, were of participatory nature, cognitive and physical workplace environment, while the perceived barriers were mainly coming from lack of resources and information. Finally the features of OHS “ideal intervention process” were analyzed and compared for applicability to the SMEs in Kosovo and several interventions in this regards were proposed.

School Securitization and Its Alternatives: The Social, Political, and Contextual Drivers of School Safety Policy and Practice

A dramatic transformation of school safety practices in American public schools has occurred during the last four decades. Scholars have argued that exaggerated fears and moral panics over youth violence, changing perceptions and responses to various risks in schools and society, and broader neoliberal political agendas expanded the criminalization and securitization of schools. This article considers the utility of divergent explanations for school securitization and criminalization (and recent decriminalization and medicalization efforts), suggests potential opportunities for theoretical integration, and reviews research on the relationship between school context (such as crime rates, racial composition, population density, and resources) and school safety practices. Based on this analysis of the social, political, and contextual drivers of school safety and security, implications for future research, practice, and policy are discussed. Impact and Implications The sustained securitization of schools is an outgrowth of multiple social and political forces. By examining the onset as well as the ebbs and flows of these forces, this article reveals particular contexts and historical moments when (openings for) alternatives to securitization emerge or prevail. When fears and punitive sentiments are lessened and notions of risk are reconceptualized or redirected, school helping professionals may find new opportunities to expand school-based mental health and evidence-based violence prevention approaches.

Subnational sectarianisation: clientelism, religious authority, and intra-religious rivalry in Aceh

ABSTRACT This contribution investigates the link between clientelism and intra-religious rivalry in post-conflict Aceh, Indonesia, through a sectarianisation thesis lens. Instead of utilising a theological approach or a primordialist perspective, this contribution analyses how contextual political drivers such as clientelism can serve as an alternative approach to comprehending intra-religious rivalry. I examine how the practices associated with clientelism contribute to sectarian rivalry by focusing on religious authority contestation in Aceh. This contribution argues that in Aceh’s sharia (Islamic law) ecosystem, dominance within the official council of ulama (Islamic religious leaders) conveys the status of religious authority that, critically, confers access to state resources in both the political and economic spheres. In this context, discriminatory fatwas (legal opinion) and intolerant actions by the traditionalists directed against minority religious groups such as the Salafi community serve as essential tools in maintaining the status of religious authority. These actions are intertwined with state-based clientelism, as is seen in the allocation of funds for traditionalist-based Islamic boarding schools (dayah). The traditionalist ulama therefore have a keen interest in defending their status as religious authorities, as it secures their privileged access to state patronage.

Community perceptions and practices of early childhood development in an urban-poor setting in Nairobi: Uncovering contextual drivers beneath poverty

Worldwide, over 250 million children under five are at risk of not achieving their developmental potential due to extreme poverty, malnutrition, infections, and unstimulating environments. Caregivers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices of child care are a salient yet important factor in influencing early childhood development (ECD) outcomes. While knowledge, attitudes and practices of ECD and associated factors are indeed noticeable and contribute significantly to developmental outcomes, the chances of them being addressed are minimal as they are not being investigated. We aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of ECD, and associated challenges in an urban-poor setting in Kenya. A qualitative survey was conducted among parents and other community members in Korogocho, Nairobi within the context of a larger study which aimed to examine the feasibility and impact of a mobile phone application for monitoring child developmental milestones. We conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs) with 64 primary caregivers, 64 community health volunteers (CHVs), and 11 representatives from county and sub-county government to gauge their knowledge, attitude and practices in ECD. We also asked them about the challenges they faced in supporting child stimulation, nutrition and health care, and what their expectations were of the proposed intervention. Interviews were audio-recorded, and the data were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. The results showed that the community (parents, and CHVs) appreciated the importance of ECD. However, their perceptions and caregiving practices were generally poor and were driven by poverty and cultural and religious beliefs and practices, and family factors that act in the background of poverty. Implications of these findings for future research, policy and interventions for improving these practices are discussed.

Contextual and Psychological Predictors of Militant Extremist Mindset in Youth.

The present study aims to identify contextual and psychological factors of proneness to radicalization and violent extremism (RVE) operationalized through the Militant Extremist Mindset scale (MEM) consisting of three distinct aspects: Proviolence (PV), Vile World beliefs (VW), and trust in Divine Power (DP). A community sample of 271 high school students (72% females) from Belgrade and Sandžak regions in Serbia completed: (1) a 24-item MEM scale; (2) contextual measures including a 6-item scale of family dysfunction (FDys) and a 4-item composite measure capturing exposure to a harsh school environment and peer abuse (HSE); (3) psychological measures including the 9-item Right-Wing Authoritarianism scale (RWA), the 5-item Social Dominance Orientation scale (SDO), and the 20-item UCLA Loneliness scale (LON). A path analysis was conducted with contextual factors on the first and psychological factors on the second level of the model predicting the three factors of MEM. LON was positively predicted by FDys and HSE, SDO by HSE only, while RWA was positively predicted by FDys only. Contextual and psychological factors accounted for 27% of the variance in PV (LON, SDO), 15% of the variance in VW (FDys, SDO), and 31% of the variance in DP (RWA). Obtained findings reveal a complex interplay of contextual and psychological drivers in the prediction of different aspects of RVE and build upon existing knowledge on risk factors associated with RVE.

Digital Transformation in the Moroccan Public Sector: Drivers and Barriers

Digital transformation (DT) in the public sector is an essential necessity and a strategic imperative for governments around the world due to the growing speed with which disruptive digital technologies are changing every aspect of society and life as a whole. Through digital transformation, organizations aim to redesign their processes, create new ways of working with stakeholders, and unleash new forms of interactions with citizens who are becoming better informed and continuously demanding for more efficiency and transparency. Digital transformation is thus one of the most promising trends of the last and current decades. However, despite the high expectations, digital transformation in the public sector is a topic that is still in its infancy as there is limited evidence on the ways governments and public organizations approach DT. The paper at hand aims to explore digital transformation within the Moroccan public sector and shed light on its current status. Our theoretical background is structured in three sections. After defining DT and determining its characteristics, we use the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) Framework to study contextual drivers that influence digital technologies adoption in the public sector, and then review the different structural barriers to the implementation of digital transformation. This article is based on secondary data of digital transformation in the Moroccan public sector to highlight the drivers and obstacles of DT within the public sector and provide insights for future research.

Mapping Contextual Drivers of HIV Vulnerability: A Qualitative Study of African, Caribbean, Black Youth in Windsor, Canada

Mapping Contextual Drivers of HIV Vulnerability: A Qualitative Study of African, Caribbean, Black Youth in Windsor, Canada

Towards sustainable urban food systems: Analyzing contextual and intrapsychic drivers of growing food in small-scale urban agriculture.

Small-scale urban agriculture is associated with positive health and environmental outcomes. Previous studies examined factors that drive people to grow foods in urban areas mainly drawing on qualitative data. This research investigates quantitatively what determines consumer preferences for growing foods in community gardens, informing efforts to upscale urban agriculture. We conducted choice experiments in North America and performed latent class analysis of contextual and intrapsychic factors affecting consumers’ preferences for growing foods in cities. Results show that providing tools and guidance are the most important contextual factors affecting community garden participation. The preferences of proponents of growing foods are explained by their high subjective knowledge about growing foods and reasons tied to the benefits of participating in community gardening. Opponents of growing foods at community gardens are characterized by low knowledge. The findings can be used to design policies that promote sustainable food systems in urban areas.

A review of the cognitive and sensory cues impacting taste perceptions and consumption

AbstractFood has a daily impact on all consumers, requiring frequent evaluations and decisions pre‐consumption, during, and post‐consumption. Given the number of consumer interactions and the complexity of the food consumption process, researchers have increasingly studied food from both a sensory standpoint and cognitive standpoint. In this review, we create a framework for this existing research. Specifically, we discuss research addressing the key sensory drivers of taste perceptions and consumption, including all five senses: vision, olfaction, audition, haptic, and/or taste. We also identify key cognitive contextual drivers of taste perception and consumption within a marketing context, including social cues, atmospherics, branding, and advertising. Building from the extant literature, we generate and propose areas for future food‐related research.