Cultural Benefits Research Articles

Bridging the gap: community health workers as a vital link in humanitarian medical responses

Community Health Workers (CHWs) have proven essential in improving health outcomes and building community trust and their role in humanitarian emergency medical responses warrants further study. We illustrate this point with two case studies, the integration of community health workers into Mobile Medical Teams [MMTs] in both The Bahamas and Sierra Leone. CHWs in these examples came to the forefront of addressing community mistrust for external medical teams, health communication efforts and patient follow-up care. In Sierra Leone, this program resulted in a 32% rise in referrals to established health services. By exploring these contexts, the paper provides a new framework for enhancing humanitarian responses through CHWs, outlining the strategic, logistical, and cultural benefits of such an approach. This research suggests that integrating CHWs with MMT's can bolster health outcomes, especially in communities affected by political instability, natural disasters, and resource limitations. The paper ends by providing policy implications and recommendations for further research on the use of CHWs during a range of emergency contexts.

Examining integrated care training and practice implementation within academic medical settings: perceptions, attitudes and barriers

PurposeIntegrated care (IC) improves patient outcomes, patient and provider experiences and healthcare costs. Still, education and interprofessional experiential training in IC is limited. There is a lack of studies examining current practices, perceptions and barriers to implementing IC training. Specifically, no studies to date assess training and practice across multiple health professions and roles (student/faculty/clinicians) within an academic medical institution or university, a gap this study sought to address.Design/methodology/approachThis cross-sectional study examined current clinical and training practices, attitudes about IC and barriers to IC practice, learning and training through a survey distributed to faculty, clinicians and students (n = 220) in nine departments of health professions within a large academic health system.FindingsThe majority of respondents reported that activities promoting IC occur often, including consultation with other professions in patient care settings, incorporation of IC concepts into teachings and interprofessional learning opportunities. Respondents endorsed willingness to practice IC, high perceived benefits of IC on patient outcomes and cultural benefits of IC. The most strongly endorsed barriers were related to resources and organizational culture. Knowledge barriers were not strongly endorsed.Originality/valueIn the most comprehensive study of attitudes toward IC to date, clinicians, students and faculty alike endorsed favorable attitudes about IC, supporting the acceptability of incorporating IC education and training into curricula. IC is seen as enhancing experiences, competence and professional marketability of providers-in-training, indicating it is a desired focus of future practice for many healthcare providers.

Cost Benefits and Growth Promoting Ability of Dietary Bambara Nut (Vigna subterranean) Powder on the Rearing of Catfish (Clarias gariepinus)

The efficacy of dietary Bambara nut (Vigna subterranean) in the growth performance and cost benefit of Clarias gariepinus culture was evaluated. To this end 35% CP diet was formulated using locally available ingredients. Five different diets were prepared from the 35% CP diet, replacing Soybean with Bambara nuts at different percentage as follows: T1 (0% BN: 100 SB), T2 (25% BN: 75% SB) T3 (50% BN: 50% SB), T4 (75% BN: 25% SB) and T5 (100% BN: 0% SB), and organoleptic assessment was conducted on the diets to determine texture, aroma and color, while chemical assessment was conducted to determine the nutritional qualities of the diets. One hundred and fifty (150) sub-adult Clarias gariepinus were distributed into five (5) groups in triplicates of ten (10) using fifteen aquaria, and were fed T1 – T5, for eight (8) weeks. Length and weight of fish were evaluated fortnightly to determine: weight gain, percentage weight gain, specific growth rate, performance index and condition factor. And the cost of feed and fish were determined to evaluate the cost benefits of the various diets. At the end of the feeding trials, data were collected and analysed using ANOVA followed by a Turkey multi-companism test with SPSS 170 package software and the following results were obtained: (1) the experimental diets T1-T5 had no effects on the physico-chemical properties of the experimental waters (2) the aroma of the experimental diets were less fishy, their texture ranges from fibrous to less fibrous and the colour from dark brown to light brown as the quantity of the Bambara nut in the diets increases (T1-T5). (3) The % lipid, % proteins and % fibre decreased as the quantity of Bambara nut increased in the experimental diets (T1-T5). (4) All the growth parameters and performance index increased significantly (P<0.05) as the quantity of Bambara nuts increased in the various diets (T1-T5):- Weight gain (WG): T1 (54.61+2.11), T2 (70.96+8.47), T3 (67.82+0.63), T4 (70.90+5.90) and T5 (77.35+3.81), Percentage weight gain (PWG): T1 (30.76+0.77), T2 (40.66+1.46), T3 (35.64+1.64), T4 (37.46+1.13) and T5 (44.84+10.30); Condition factor (CF): T1 (0.55+0.13), T2 (0.62+1.02), T3 (0.70+0.41), T4 (0.64+11.4) and T5 (0.64+4.30); Specific growth rate (SGR): T1 (0.34+0.02), T2 (0.43+0.05), T3 (0.42+0.01), T4 (0.43+0.02) and T5 (0.49+0.02); Performance index (PI): T1 (158.99+2.76), T2 (208.99+25.84), T3 (210.98+2.28), T4 (203.85+11.87) and T5 (213.13+4.30). The fish fed the Bambara nut diets (T2-T5) had enhanced net profit, profit index and benefit cost ratio, but lower economic weight gain. Bambara nut is unarguably a better feed ingredient than Soybean in the culture of Clarias gariepinus.

The maturation state and density of human cartilage microtissues influence their fusion and development into scaled-up grafts.

Functional cartilaginous tissues can potentially be engineered by bringing together numerous microtissues (µTs) and allowing them to fuse and re-organize into larger, structurally organized grafts. The maturation level of individual microtissues is known to influence their capacity to fuse, however its impact on the long-term development of the resulting tissue remains unclear. The first objective of this study was to investigate the influence of the maturation state of human bone-marrow mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (hBM-MSCSs) derived microtissues on their fusion capacity and the phenotype of the final engineered tissue. Less mature (day 2) cartilage microtissues were found to fuse faster, supporting the development of a matrix that was richer in sulphated glycosaminoglycans (sGAG) and collagen, while low in calcium deposits. This enhanced fusion in less mature microtissues correlated with enhanced expression of N-cadherin, followed by a progressive increase in markers associated with cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions. We then engineered larger constructs with varying initial numbers (50, 150 or 300 µTs per well) of less mature microtissues, observing enhanced sGAG synthesis with increased microtissue density. We finally sought to engineer a scaled-up cartilage graft by fusing 4,000 microtissues and maintaining the resulting constructs under either dynamic or static culture conditions. Robust and reliable fusion was observed between microtissues at this scale, with no clear benefit of dynamic culture on the levels of matrix accumulation or the tensile modulus of the resulting construct. These results support the use of BM-MSCs derived microtissues for the development of large-scale, engineered functional cartilaginous grafts. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Microtissues are gaining attention for their use as biological building blocks in the field of tissue engineering. The fusion of multiple microtissues is crucial for achieving a cohesive engineered tissue of scale, however the impact of their maturation level on the long-term properties of the engineered graft is poorly understood. This paper emphasizes the importance of using less mature cartilage microtissues for supporting appropriate cell-cell interactions and robust chondrogenesis in vitro. We demonstrate that tissue development is not negatively impacted by increasing the initial numbers of microtissues within the graft. This biofabrication strategy has significant translation potential, as it enables the engineering of scaled-up cartilage grafts of clinically relevant sizes using bone marrow derived MSCs.

Enhancing the socio-cultural valuation of ecosystem services in Mountain animal production: a case study from piedmont’s alpine valley (North-west Italy)

The Italian Alpine region has a long-standing connection between the binary system of the tourism industry and silvopastoral sectors that offer different economic, ecological, and cultural benefits. This research investigates the perception of ecosystem services (ES) provided by mountain animal production among tourists in a specific mountain area (Upper Ellero Valley, North-West Italy). A total of 216 visitors were surveyed online between June and October 2022. The questionnaire was designed to explore the following aspects: (1) interviewees’ socio-demographic characteristics; (2) the perceived impacts of alpine livestock systems on ecosystem services, including also the animal welfare variable; (3) the heterogeneity of hikers in response to their perception of ES and (4) the assessment of the individuals’ opinion towards selected valorisation strategies of the herd-grazing production system. The responses about the ES perception were analysed using the Principal Component Analysis. The new principal components were employed to cluster the sample in the function of individuals’ perceptions of ecosystem services. Finally, the Correspondence Analysis was adopted to analyse the association between the three hikers’ groups and the proposed strategies for mountain area valorisation. This research revealed a positive perception of visitors towards the impact of herds on the ES. In addition, different opinions emerged among clusters related to the valorisation strategies adoptable for mountain area development exploiting the positive connection between animal farming and the environment. These findings could have concrete implications on the definition of social and economic development strategies for the alpine mountain valleys, representing an important source of production for national mountain pasture livestock farming.

Current perspectives on the dynamic culture of mesenchymal stromal/stem cell spheroids.

Mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) are promising candidates for regenerative medicine owing to their self-renewal properties, multilineage differentiation, immunomodulatory effects, and angiogenic potential. MSC spheroids fabricated by 3Dculture have recently shown enhanced therapeutic potential. MSC spheroids create a specialized niche with tight cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions, optimizing their cellular function by mimicking the in vivo environment. Methods for 3D cultivation of MSCs can be classified into 2 main forms: static suspension culture and dynamic suspension culture. Numerous studies have reported the beneficial influence of these methods on MSCs, which is displayed by increased differentiation, angiogenic, immunomodulatory, and anti-apoptotic effects, and stemness of MSC spheroids. Particularly, recent studies highlighted the benefits of dynamic suspension cultures of the MSC spheroids in terms of faster and more compact spheroid formation and the long-term maintenance of stemness properties. However, only a few studies have compared the behavior of MSC spheroids formed using static and dynamic suspension cultures, considering the significant differences between their culture conditions. This review summarizes the differences between static and dynamic suspension culture methods and discusses the biological outcomes of MSC spheroids reported in the literature. In particular, we highlight the advantages of the dynamic suspension culture of MSC spheroids and contemplate its future applications for various diseases.

An Exploration of The Cultural Symbolism of Some Indigenous Cosmetic Hair Variants in The Dormaa Traditional Area, Ghana.

Purpose: The usefulness of traditional cosmetic variants in enhancing good hair grooming and cultural development cannot be underestimated. This paper focused on the cultural symbolism of indigenous cosmetic hair variations among the people of the Dormaa Traditional Area in the Bono region of Ghana. Design/Methodology/Approach: This paper used interpretivism, necessitating a limited sample size and inductive reasoning. It used purposive sampling techniques to select seventeen (17) respondents. In-depth interviews and observations were used to gather data. Interpretive analysis was employed for the study. Findings: Some indigenous hair cosmetic variants include shea butter, charcoal, soot, aloe vera and coconut oil. They have undergone very little or no processing to extract the cosmetic product out of it. They signify physical, emotional and spiritual healing, protection and renewal. It unlocks spiritual gateways which have been locked for a very long time. It enhances reproductive health. It also promotes tourism. Modern factors swaying people from using Indigenous products in their original state include globalisation, conformation to current trends and convenience. Research Limitation: This research unbraids the sacred by exploring the cultural symbolism of some indigenous cosmetic hair variants at the Dormaa Traditional Area in Ghana. Practical implications: This research can provide inferences about the sacredness of indigenous cosmetics in Ghana and West Africa. Social Implication: This study will assist traditional rulers and stakeholders in educating the public on the cultural benefits of indigenous cosmetics for present and future generations. Originality/ Value: This study is based on reverence for and projecting cultural values to perpetuate African heritage.

A Simplified Integrative Approach to Assessing Productive Sustainability and Livelihoods in the “Amazonian Chakra” in Ecuador

This study integrates the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF) and the Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture Systems (SAFA) to evaluate the sustainability and livelihood dynamics of the Amazonian Chakra system, recently designated as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) by the FAO. Using data from 330 producers across three associations (Kallari, Wiñak, and Tsatsayaku) in the Ecuadorian Amazon, the study employed discriminant analysis to assess governance, environmental integrity, economic resilience, social well-being, and livelihood capitals. Results revealed significant disparities across associations in key sustainability dimensions. Kallari and Wiñak demonstrated stronger governance, environmental integrity and economic resilience, linked to mature organizational structures and effective governance mechanisms. In contrast, Tsatsayaku excelled in demographic diversity and larger landholdings but lagged in governance and environmental practices. Extreme poverty affected 82% of households, with Tsatsayaku having the lowest rate (69%) compared to Wiñak (89%) and Kallari (87%). Chakra income contributed significantly to livelihoods, accounting for 44% of total income in Kallari, 37% in Wiñak, but only 16% in Tsatsayaku, whose producers relied more on off-farm activities and livestock. The integration of SLF and SAFA methodologies offered a nuanced understanding of sustainability, highlighting the importance of governance, financial strategies, and environmental conservation in promoting resilience. Policies should prioritize participatory governance, market transparency, and credit access to address disparities and strengthen sustainability. These findings underscore the critical role of the Amazonian Chakra as a sustainable agroforestry system, providing economic and cultural benefits, while emphasizing the need for tailored interventions to enhance the sustainability of Amazonian producer associations.

Colleges as anchors of their communities: emergence and agglomeration

ABSTRACT This paper argues that colleges anchor their communities by developing knowledge and skills within their region; establishing links and exchanges outside the region; contributing to civic, political, cultural, and social activities and networks in their region; developing facilities and amenities used by the community; and, contributing to their region’s economic activity. Particularly important are colleges’ development of shared, collective or communal capacities, since these develop communities as communities, rather than individuals and organisations as discrete members of communities. We use Durkheimian sociology and critical realism to re-interpret the concept of agglomeration which we borrow from economics to trace the evolution of the concept of anchor institutions. Agglomeration is a particular type of emergence of phenomena from the interaction of components, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We argue that colleges benefit their communities through the agglomeration of activities and organisations, from which emerge distinctive characteristics of their communities. This leads to the economic, social, and cultural benefits of agglomeration or clustering of activities within a geographic area. The accumulation of knowledge and knowledgeable people in communities increases the sharing of knowledge between people and organisations, and facilitates the generation and diffusion of knowledge.

Profit sharing in practice: its prevalence and influence on job satisfaction controlling for workplace amenities

ABSTRACT This paper explores the relationship between profit sharing and employee engagement using new data from a large-scale PayScale survey from 2020 to 2023. First, I document new em- pirical patterns: although profit sharing respondents are only 4% of the sample, it is more prevalent in technical and managerial occupations, industries like manufacturing and con- struction, and higher income workers. Second, using variation within the same occupation and industry, controlling for a wide array of demographics and workplace amenities, I find that profit sharing is associated with increases in job satisfaction and declines in turnover. Incentive effects account for 16% of the overall impact. These results underscore the signifi- cance of non-pecuniary benefits in shaping corporate culture and employee retention.

Intra-Articular Injection of Human Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Reduces Radiographic Osteoarthritis in an Ovine Model.

To determine if mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) derived from human umbilical cords (hUC) could reduce degeneration developing when injected into the knee of a large animal model of osteoarthritis (OA). Ten million culture-expanded UC-MSCs (pooled from 3 human donors) were injected in 50 μL of tissue culture medium into the left stifle joints of 7 sheep whose medial meniscus was transected 4 weeks previously. Seven other sheep had only 50 μL of medium injected as the no treatment "control" group. After 8 weeks the sheep underwent euthanasia, the joints were excised and examined macroscopically, via x-ray and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), both via histology for degenerative and inflammatory changes and immunohistochemically to identify any human cells within the joint tissues. Activity monitoring both before meniscus transection and euthanasia was also undertaken. There was a significant reduction in the Kellgren-Lawrence x-ray score for joints injected with hUC-MSCs compared with the control joints. Likewise, macroscopic, MRI, synovitis and OARSI histology scores were all lower (better) in the joints injected with hUC-MSCs than in the control arm, but not significantly. Activity levels and synovitis scores were similar in both groups of animals. hUC-MSCs appear to modify and reduce the development of osteoarthritic changes in the ovine stifle joint after meniscal destabilization, an injury which commonly leads to OA in humans. These results are encouraging for the potential benefit of culture expanded UC-MSCs as an allogeneic cell therapy in patients who may have early OA following a meniscal injury of the knee.

Culture Suitability of Macrobrachium rude with Carp Polyculture in Bangladesh

The experiment assessed the production performance of Gura Chingri (Macrobrachium rude) in polyculture systems across different stocking densities over six months from February 2023 to July 2023. Three treatments (T1, T2, and T3), replicated three times each, were implemented, with varying stocking densities for Gura Chingri, Suborno Rui, Catla, and Silver carp. Following stocking, formulated feeds containing 28-30 % protein was administered, initially at 8% of biomass, gradually reduced to 3%. After six months, the highest mean final weights for individual Prawn (1.10±0.10) g, Suborno Rui (445.68±24.6) g, Catla (511.80±15.72) g, and Silver carp (560.15±13.26) g were recorded in the T2 treatment. Suborno Rui exhibited significantly lower growth performance in T1 compared to T2 and T3, while Chingri showed statistically significant higher growth performance in T2 compared to T1 and T3 (p < 0.05). The food conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly lowest in T2 (1.66) and highest in T1 (1.78) (p < 0.05). Additionally, the highest survival rates were observed in T2 for Prawn (62.21%) g, Suborno Rui (98.7%) g, Catla (98.5%) g, and Silver carp (99.82%) g. Based on these findings, carp polyculture can be an effective way for the farmers to achieve optimal production and financial benefits in Gura chingri culture. Further research is needed to develop consistant and environmentaly sustainable culture system of Gura chingri.

Multifunctionality, social benefits, and engagement: insights for forest restoration success from a study case in Brazil

Social, economic, and ecological aspects must be considered for ecological restoration projects to be successful. Multifunctionality, achieved when restored ecosystems have multiple uses, is the desired goal for these projects. Understanding people's perceptions of forest restoration is essential to advance the debate on stakeholder acceptance and engagement. Based on a 30‐year case study of forest restoration on a university campus in Brazil, we assessed (1) how project objectives relate to contemporary multifunctionality and social attributes; (2) how the current state of the forest meets social goals; and (3) how stakeholders perceive the importance of the forest and the project itself. We used documents, interviews, and questionnaires, applying content analysis and narrative interpretation with the “social benefits wheel” and the “five‐star social system” to assess how the initial project objectives corresponded to contemporary social development goals and its progress toward social goals. The results revealed that socioecological goals were incorporated from the beginning of the project, ensuring a multifunctional approach. Respondents highlighted ecological, social, and cultural functions, with 84% expressing positive feelings toward the forest. Ecosystem services, especially regulatory and cultural benefits, were recognized as the most valuable. Although academic use was significant, nonmaterial values, such as cultural and emotional connections, were more prominent. The study concludes that a well‐planned restoration project involving the local community generates lasting support for ecological restoration. This information strongly supports Brazil's voluntary reforestation targets proposed in the Paris Agreement.

Co-Developing Business Plans for Upscaled Coastal Nature-Based Solutions Restoration: An Application to the Venice Lagoon (Italy)

Upscaling coastal nature-based solutions (NbSs), from the river to sea scale, essential to the ultimate success of restoration, requires larger investments, greater socio-economic engagement and a transformative shift in governance. Consequently, the ability to catalyze blended finance from public and private investors through business model innovation and accessibly written long-range business plans is imperative. This research proposes a methodology to systematically co-design, through iterative stakeholder engagement, suitable and effective business models for upscaling NbSs coastal restoration, as well as a framework to develop business plans adaptable to different investors needs and financial criteria. This method was tested and validated in a saltmarsh restoration project coordinated by public agencies in the Venice Lagoon. It delivered an advanced business model canvas, carefully assessed through a stakeholder questionnaire and a related business case centered on ecotourism complemented by a willingness-to-pay analysis. The resulting business plan lays out the governance, management, business and financial strategies for successful restoration, addressing specific interconnected issues, improving five main ecosystem services and delivering NbS multifunctional environmental, economic, social and cultural benefits. The methodology has proven to be applicable beyond the Venice Lagoon saltmarsh case and types of restoration projects.

Outcomes of an agri-environmental scheme in the management of common pastures in northern Portugal: Social benefits and effects on local capacity for collective action

Baldios are wide areas, integrated in extensive farming systems, historically held and managed by local communities for animal grazing and other extractive activities in support of their livelihoods. This land tenure regime persisted despite successive political and socioeconomic changes that threatened its communitarian nature, profoundly influencing the socioeconomic structure of rural areas. Today, use and possession of the baldios by the local communities is safeguarded by formal legal rights. In 2007 an agri-environmental scheme (AES) designed for managing the pastures in the baldios was proposed to the commoners of two protected areas. While one was successfully implemented and is still active, the other was discontinued. This study focuses on the Peneda-Gerês National Park experience, where the AES was widely adopted, aiming to understand the effects of its implementation on local dynamics for management of baldios, looking at its social and cultural benefits, particularly regarding local capacity for collective action. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in all the baldios in the park, and a period of stay in one of the villages allowed an opportunity for deeper analysis. Other stakeholders were also interviewed (e.g., state institutions). We argue that the benefits of this scheme went beyond the direct monetary payouts, playing an important role in the revitalization of local institutions. Moreover, we conclude that in depopulated and aging rural areas, top-down site-specific agri-environmental schemes that rely on existing social and institutional structures to operate are critical to recover and/or recreate institutions and practices for local collective landscape management.

Post-pandemic positions: new perspectives on international education and public diplomacy in Australia

PurposeIn an era of internationalism, higher education and vocational training have been core to Australia’s nation-building, regional co-operation and public diplomacy. This essay examines what has become of the people-to-people aspect of Australia’s engagements in the Indo-Pacific region, as discussed in the Australian government’s influential White Paper on Australia in the Asian Century (2012). More recently, established patterns of international educational exchange, and their economic, social and cultural benefits, have been disrupted by the global COVID-19 pandemic, shifting international relations and domestic politics, with consequences for international education and public diplomacy.Design/methodology/approachThis essay introduces the scholarly context for a reappraisal of Australian histories of international education within the Indo-Pacific region since the mid-20th century, and the role of NGOs, academia and government in educational schemes and scholarships. It draws on an approach informed by international history, the history of education and diplomatic studies, to provide an overview of key themes and the past and present case studies discussed in the seven articles of this special journal issue.FindingsThe little-known histories of international education in Australia, and associated scholarship schemes, are important aspects of soft power or public diplomacy and the nation’s relations with the Indo-Pacific region. We argue that there needs to be greater acknowledgement of the vital role of these interpersonal interactions and the international organisations that facilitated such exchanges in histories of Australia’s internationalism and diplomacy. While Australian governments have initiated scholarship programmes, what is becoming clear is that understanding their significance for Australian–regional relationships demands a research focus on student expectations and experiences that often lay beyond government control.Originality/valueThis essay and the articles in this special issue offer new historic and current insights on international education policy and programmes and Australia’s diplomatic relations. Many of the highlighted case studies have not previously been analysed within this context, and fresh analysis makes an intervention into the field, revealing the complexities and limitations of international education and people-to-people relationships for Australia’s past and present connections with the Indo-Pacific region.

Budaya Leles Orang Manggarai Sebagai Suatu Fenomena Sosial Dalam Terang Filsafat Metafisika Heidegger

This research focuses on the (social) cultural phenomenon of Leles Orang Manggarai in the context of social change driven by the influence of modern technology. Current conditions indicate a decline in unity and cooperation within this culture. The study employs a qualitative approach with literature review, interviews, and Heideggerian philosophical analysis to elucidate the changes in this cooperative culture. Literature review and interviews reveal the dynamics of Leles culture that has undergone transformation due to interactions with modern technology, resulting in a decline in the previously strong values of unity and cooperation in Manggarai society. In the philosophical context of Heidegger, the research examines the metaphysical implications for the changed Leles culture. The qualitative findings provide insights into how modern technology has influenced culture and social values, and how Heideggerian thought can be applied to contemplate societal changes. This research contributes significantly to understanding the impact of technology on culture and cooperation in Manggarai society. It is essential to underline that this study does not aim to examine the entire Manggarai society or address social phenomena universally, like sociological theories. Instead, it emphasizes the social benefits of Leles culture, presenting social phenomena as a reflective framework in this context.

Responsible tourism in Thailand: Evidence from tour operators

This paper points out indicators of responsible tourism which are of strategic significance to tour operators seeking to develop their country towards achieving a competitive advantage. It looks at the extant literature covering the notions of responsible tourism and responsible tour operators. Qualitative research involved in-depth and semi-structured interview questions employed to collect responsible tourism data from tour operators’ direct experiences. The findings revealed that eighty-eight responsible tourism indicators for tour operators could be divided into five categories relating to the responsibility of tour operators, organisations’ sustainability policies, products and services, partners and clients, benefits for society and culture, economic benefits, and benefits for the environment.

If You're So Successful, Why Are You Still Working 70 Hours a Week? Exploring the Costs and Benefits of an Always-On Work Culture

This article explores the costs and benefits of working excessively long hours through an analysis of academic research and real-world industry examples. It argues that while dedication and hard work have driven success initially for many professionals, an "always on" culture risks normalizing unsustainable practices that undermine well-being in the long run. extensive research documents the negative impacts of chronic overwork on physical health, mental health, job satisfaction, and productivity. However, evidence also suggests that balanced boundaries between work and personal life can yield individual rewards like reduced stress and organizational rewards like stronger engagement and innovation. The article provides strategies for professionals and leaders to strike a balance appropriate for their context, through mechanisms like clearly communicating expectations, measuring outcomes over hours, guarding time for learning and relationships, and role modeling boundaries. With care and intention, even competitive industries can promote sustainable success over the long term.

Totally (Savannah) Bananas: The benefits of a mission-driven culture

Founded in 2016, the Savannah Bananas have quickly grown from a summertime amateur baseball team to a worldwide cultural and social media phenomenon. The Bananas have accomplished this with a laser-focused and simple mission: Fans First. While it’s well-established that being a mission-driven organization can lead to success, the mechanisms that support the mission and propagate it throughout an organization are still unclear. This study uses semi-structured interviews and observations of the team’s players and personnel to investigate how the Bananas operate and succeed, both on and off the playing field. We show how the collective synergy of the mission, organizational culture, and leadership at all levels of the organization supports the mission and allows it to guide the decision-making of every employee.