Developing World Context Research Articles

The outcomes of an audiological management programme for neonates with hyperbilirubinaemia

Background: Hyperbilirubinaemia is a contributing condition to the prevalence of neonatal hearing loss. Because of its pathophysiology, the use of Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) and Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR) testing is essential in diagnosing hearing loss. Two-tier screening models are typically used in developing world contexts; however, a combined approach to testing (using both tests) should be used for early detection. Blood serum levels should also be monitored to determine how they impact audiological test results.Objectives: To determine the outcomes of using a combined testing approach of both OAE and Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) for both screening and diagnostic testing of neonates with hyperbilirubinaemia and studying the relationship between the test results and the serum bilirubin levels.Method: A cross-sectional, comparative design was utilised. Forty neonates were tested (80 ears). Neonates underwent hearing screening and diagnostic testing (ABR and/or AABR and DPOAE tests). The study was conducted at a hospital in South Africa.Results: One-third (32.5%) of the neonates had comorbidities. Screening results indicated that the AABR test could identify more cases of abnormalities than DPOAEs (p = 0.001). Participants with a serum level greater than 10 mg/dL presented with abnormal diagnostic ABR test results while passing the DPOAE test (p 0.001).Conclusion: Combined use of ABR and DPOAE testing yielded a greater identification of auditory pathology than using either test alone. Serum bilirubin levels can be used as an indicator for combination testing.Contribution: Combined use of ABR and DPOAE testing leads to greater identification of auditory pathology.

Information systems (IS) and smallholder farming in developing countries: A systematic literature review

In the context of the fourth industrial revolution, the potential of information systems (IS) to revolutionise smallholder farming practices and enhance sustainability is a topic of growing interest, particularly in developing countries. This systematic literature review examines the intersection of agriculture and IS to explore how technology adoption can help to transform small-scale, subsistence farming enterprises into profit-generating, sustainable small businesses, while at the same time addressing the unique challenges present in developing-world contexts. The review critically examines the potential barriers and challenges faced by smallholder farmers in adopting and effectively using IS solutions in their operations. Among other things, the review investigates the assumption of basic literacy in many IS theories, and the extent to which this assumption aligns with the reality of developing-world smallholder farming communities, where literacy levels and digital proficiency may be limited.

A systemic analysis of participatory land and water governance in the Tsitsa River Catchment, South Africa

AbstractEffective governance of complex social‐ecological systems requires diverse stakeholders to be engaged in meaningful participatory processes. Meaningful participation must be intelligible and significant to local actors and coherent within a broader, multilevel governance system. This study explores the complexities of participatory land and water governance in South Africa's Tsitsa River Catchment. Embedded within a transdisciplinary landscape restoration project (the Tsitsa Project), this study combines a diagram‐based analysis of local actor mental models with a narrative‐based analysis of participant observation data. Challenges, opportunities, and general principles are identified. Limited accessibility, resource constraints, and the legacy of centralised governance impede participation. The research identifies the critical role of local actors, particularly those with deep community ties, in driving inclusive processes. Building trust through face‐to‐face interactions and culturally appropriate communication strategies also emerged as vital elements for success. This research can inform participatory projects and interventions in rural and developing world contexts.

Citizens’ pro-environmental behaviors for waste reduction using an extended theory of planned behavior in Guayas province

This study looks at pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) for waste reduction in Ecuador's heavily populated Guayas area. The research, which focuses on green consumer, recycler, and waste-preventer behaviors, applying an Extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to investigate the influence of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control on people's intentions to behave environmentally and uses external influences as moderating role variable. This research intends to contribute to targeted treatments and strategies promoting sustainable behaviors and environmental consciousness by better understanding the factors that drive waste reduction PEBs. A total of 3805 people were polled, and confirmatory analysis and structural equation modeling was utilized to review the data. The study finds that attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms significantly influence citizens' intentions to engage in green consumer and waste-preventer behaviors. However, the intention to behave ecologically does not significantly affect recycler behavior. External influences also moderate the relationship between intentions and all three-waste reduction pro-environmental behaviors. This investigation illuminates the psychological dimensions underlying the observed variability in pro-environmental waste reduction behaviors among residents in a metropolitan area situated in South America, specifically within a developing world context. Finally, the study emphasizes the importance of addressing citizens' attitudes and norms to promote green consumerism, waste prevention, and recycling. Limitations include self-report bias and demographic bias. Future research should expand to include other regions and countries.

Vicarious learning and graduates' adaptive career behaviours: the case of graduates on clinical internships

PurposeThe effect of vicarious learning during clinical or medical internships on graduates' adaptive career behaviours has attracted scant attention from healthcare researchers, particularly, in the developing world context. Drawing upon the social cognitive career theory model of career self-management (SCCT-CSM), the current study examines how vicarious learning influences the clinical graduates' adaptive career behaviours (i.e. career exploration and decision-making) via career exploration and decision-making self-efficacy (CEDSE) and career intention.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 293 nursing graduates undertaking clinical internships in 25 hospitals across Nigeria who willingly participated in this study as they were also assured of confidentiality at two-waves. The proposed hypotheses were tested using a path analysis.FindingsThe findings showed that vicarious learning during clinical internship had a direct effect on career exploration, decision-making and career decision self-efficacy among graduate trainees. Also, the findings revealed that the effects of vicarious learning on the graduates' career exploration and career decision-making were significantly mediated by career decision self-efficacy and career intentions.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study have important practical implications for higher education institutions and industries that send and receive clinical graduates for clinical internships to gain more skills. More emphasis should be on encouraging learners to learn vicariously in addition to other forms of learning experiences available during clinical internships.Originality/valueThe study explains that the graduates' higher engagement in clinical career exploration and decision-making was based on a higher level of vicarious learning during internships. The results suggest that higher education institutions and healthcare service providers can derive greater benefits from more emphasis on promoting vicarious learning during clinical internships.

Identifying an educational praxis of culturally relevant female school leadership in urban Pakistani schools

ABSTRACT Using a culturally relevant leadership lens, this phenomenological study looks at the lived experiences of two female urban school leaders in Pakistani private schools. It highlights the structural enablements and barriers they faced across two different periods – the 1990s and the 2020s providing reflectively-nuanced insight into female school leadership in a Pakistani context. The findings from this small-scale study recommend further enhancing and developing female school leaders’ skills through targeted leadership development programmes and mentoring experiences that assist in developing their strong educational praxis as they create their own practice architectures. The findings contribute towards current educational leadership literature through a feminist approach to understanding how Pakistani female school teachers and leaders can exercise educational praxis within their school systems. It is anticipated that this approach will contribute towards the discourse on improving the working conditions for female teachers and school leaders working within this developing world context.

Unconventional entrepreneurs: the non-economic motives of souvenir sellers

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine souvenir sellers as unconventional micro-entrepreneurs, focusing on non-economic motives for selling. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative methodology was used. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 20 souvenir sellers in the Romanian city of Timişoara. These were analysed using thematic analysis which identified four non-economic motives for selling souvenirs. Findings Souvenir selling was a matter of choice rather than economic necessity. While these sellers were entrepreneurs who were seeking to generate income, non-economic motives were also important. These included passion, hobbyism and interpersonal interactions with customers. Some sellers considered themselves as cultural intermediaries, representing place and tradition to their customers. Research limitations/implications In a European context, selling souvenirs can be a matter of lifestyle choice rather than economic necessity. Micro-entrepreneurs are frequently motivated by passion, hobbyism and interpersonal rewards as much as financial profit. This represents a particular form of unconventional or lifestyle entrepreneurship. Practical implications The encouragement of on-street souvenir sellers by urban managers can add vibrancy to a city, enhancing the experiences of local communities and visitors. This can also encourage the development of an artisan class to enhance a city’s reputation as a creative place. Originality/value Souvenir sellers are little researched, and this is one of few studies that has investigated this group outside Developing World contexts. This study emphasises the importance of unconventional entrepreneurship and non-economic motives for selling souvenirs in a European context.

Blockchain financialization, neo-colonialism, and Binance

This article will look at the financial geographies and legacies of neo-colonialism to critique the emergence of blockchain financialization in the developing world. Blockchain “financialization” advances through the interplay of crypto imaginaries, new platform economies, and the trading infrastructure for highly leveraged financial products. The largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, has presented itself as a champion of the blockchain for development paradigm in Africa. Its success in the region relies on the use of community leaders, hackathons, and the lobbying of governments for regulatory concessions. Binance operates on two scales. Firstly, it is part of a fintech vanguard attempting to dismantle New Deal financial regulatory systems in the Global North (Omarova, Yale Journal on Regulation, 2019, 36, 735–793; Allen, H, DeFi: Shadow Banking 2.0?, 2022). Secondly, it as an agent of financialization in the developing world, promoting DeFi to map the speculative micro-financial practices of the Global South. Crypto and blockchain thus represent extensions of “subprime empire” (Schuster, Current Anthropology, 2021, 62, 389–411) in which marginal economic activities in fragile developing world contexts feed into the North-South extraction of value. This article will outline Binance’s forays into Nigeria as an example of the micro and macro scales of neocolonial finance and the interplay of infrastructure, territory, and the social imaginary in blockchain.

The institutional impact on the digital platform ecosystem and innovation

PurposeThe digital platform (DP) develops through a network capability that combines technological infrastructure and resources to provide goods or services. This article investigates how institutions influence the development of the DP entrepreneurship ecosystem (EE) in a developing economy context.Design/methodology/approachAn exploratory qualitative approach based on interviews with 33 DP business executives in Nigeria was the chosen research method. The interview method took the form of face-to-face, telephone and zoom video meetings, depending on the respective preferences of the participants. The research philosophy is based on interpretivism. Hence, the collected data were analyzed thematically and interpreted to make sense of the business executives' perspectives about the DP landscape as well as its institutional enablers and barriers.FindingsThe findings reveal institutional elements that are either too underdeveloped or weak to nurture an effective DP system resulting in high cost of doing business. A key cultural challenge is obtaining an honest workforce and managers. Also, there is lack of effective policies, weak regulation, multiple taxation and foreign competition, which affects local digital firms. Although cultural diversity has several merits, differences in cultural values and languages create marketing and promotion challenges. Moreover, the low level of digital literacy between Generation Z, Millennials and others, such as Baby Boomers and Generation X, poses a significant challenge concerning customer segmentation.Research limitations/implicationsResearch on digital technologies, the complexity of platform architectures and institutional logic has attracted interest in recent years. This article explored the institutional logic influencing the development of DP ecosystem (providing knowledge about EE in a developing world context). Despite the institutional challenges, there are multiple opportunities for Nigerian DP sector to flourish in the fast-growing economy.Originality/valueThe value of this article is related to how micro-, meso- and macro-institutional forces combine to support or become barriers to the development of the DP ecosystem, especially in developing economies where digitalization is creeping into every business sector and society.

Dispossession by platformization: The rise of on-demand recycling in urban India

Over the past decade, urban India has seen the emergence and proliferation of startups that are offering on-demand recycling services using web- and mobile-based platforms. These firms replicate the services of informal workers known as kabadiwalas who have historically made their livelihoods through trade in recyclable materials. Existing analyses of platformization in developed world contexts fail to explain the rise of platformization in India because of the particularity of the relationship between platform firms and the informal economy. This paper contextualizes the rise of platform recycling startups within a generally conducive policy environment focused on improving sanitation, encouraging entrepreneurship, and expanding the use of information technology in India. An examination of business models deployed by these firms reveals how and why the structure of recycling markets does not allow for a ‘lean’ model typically adopted by platform firms in other sectors. Rather than merely connecting service providers to consumers, these startups rely on aggregating recyclable materials and dispossessing intermediaries such as kabadiwalas in order to generate surplus value in an otherwise saturated market. Relying on an analysis of online content about these new firms, this paper examines the strategies that firms use to legitimize themselves and delegitimize kabadiwalas in an attempt to displace and dispossess them from the market space.

Frontline Workers’ Use of Discretion in the Implementation of National Health Insurance Scheme in Ghana

ABSTRACT The article examines frontline workers’ use of discretion in the implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme in Ghana. It answers two questions: 1) how does discretion affect service delivery? 2) Whose interest does discretion serve in service delivery? The article provides three contributions. First, it brings a new direction in the use of discretion in organisations in a developing world context. Second, it adds to ‘how’ and ‘why’ frontline workers use discretion. Finally, it reveals whose interest the use of discretion serves. It utilises qualitative methods to reveal both positively motivated and negatively motivated discretion relationships that exist between frontline workers and clients. Most of the negatively inclined discretion is exercised largely by frontline workers in public organisations. It concludes that most of the frontline workers’ discretion serves the interest of their clients rather than service providers’ self-interest or the interest of their organisations.

Teaching and cognitive presences: The mediating effect of social presence in a developing world context

Online learning has become a significant trend in education due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Online educators, course designers and institutions need to understand the importance of social presence in the dynamics of a community of inquiry and its association with teaching and cognitive presence. This study examined whether social presence mediated the relationship between teaching and cognitive presence. The participants were a random sample of 572 postgraduate honours students (mean age of 35.4 years; SD = 8.39 years). Participants were registered in the College of Economic and Management Sciences and the College of Science, Engineering and Technology at the University of South Africa, an Open Distance e-Learning (ODeL) institution. The students completed a standardised measure of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) instrument. The results indicated that social presence mediated the relationship between teaching and cognitive presence. The findings highlight the importance of social presence as a fundamental aspect of collaborative online learning as institutions turn to fully online teaching platforms. By implication, academic institutions and teachers must provide a more collaborative and interactive online learning environment and promote productive online communities.

The exploitation of Nigeria’s Chibok girls and the creation of a social problem industry

ABSTRACT Scholarship on the #BringBackOurGirls (#BBOG) movement mainly focuses on its success in generating global attention to the 2014 kidnapping of Nigeria’s Chibok girls. This paper focuses on an unintended consequence of the movement—the establishment of a social problem industry around the Chibok girls and their community. The paper draws on a dataset with over 160 interviewees and focus group discussion (FGD) participants, including 42 #BBOG activists. The findings demonstrate the interplay of contextually situated actors with particular values and interests engaged in claims-making regarding the Chibok girls. The #BBOG turned the Chibok kidnapping into a social problem in a sociological sense. In the process, the BBOG engaged in an ideational battlefield with three other entities. The paper contributes to the sociology of social problems by articulating weaknesses in social problem theory. This helps to suggest how to make social problems theory more applicable to developing world contexts. The paper’s approach avoids the unilinearism and determinism of existing theory. It argues that not all social problems are resolved in ways that are favourable to those affected. The exploitation of the Chibok girls and their community provides an example of the persistence of social problems: social problems are useful in appropriate hands.

Internal communication in a diverse and developing world context: Challenges for corporate South Africa

Internal communication plays a pivotal part in an organisation’s survival. It is regarded as an investment in an organisation’s success and underpins organisational effectiveness. However, when organisations face internal communication challenges, these can threaten internal relationships, with dire consequences for the organisation. This is particularly so in the volatile, uncertain, complicated and ambiguous South African corporate context, which presents direct challenges for internal communication management. Internationally there has been an increase in studies exploring challenges for internal communication, with various authors indicating a need for further research. Our study addresses this gap by probing the internal communication challenges experienced in the South African corporate environment as a developing world view, to make recommendations for mitigating action. This exploratory qualitative interview-based study focused on the perceptions of practitioners working in large organisations, as well as consultants with acknowledged expertise in the field of internal communication. The findings confirmed that internal communication is a complex and multifaceted profession full of challenges. We identified 12 challenges, grouped into four clusters, namely access to technology, lack of formal communication training, parameters for inclusion of internal stakeholders, and management styles and structures. Contributions include recommendations for practice, together with suggestions for further research.

Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of Electricity Generation from Municipal Solid Waste in Nigeria: A Prospective Study

Globally, rising population and rapid urbanisation have resulted in the dual issues of increased electricity demand and waste generation. These exacerbate diverse global problems, ranging from irregular electricity supply and inadequate waste management systems to water/air/soil pollution, climate change, etc. Waste-to-Energy (WtE) approaches have been proposed and developed to address simultaneously these two issues through energy recovery from waste. However, the variety of available waste materials and different WtE technologies make the choice of an appropriate technology challenging for decision-makers. The evaluation of the different WtE technologies in terms of their sustainability could provide a solid comparative base for strategic decision making in the power and waste management domains. This paper presents research conducted using a multidimensional Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) approach to estimate and compare the environmental, economic, and social impacts associated with the generation of electricity from Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in two major cities, Lagos and Abuja, in Nigeria. These cities provide case studies in a developing world context to explore how their similarities and differences may influence the LCSA impacts for four WtE systems (Anaerobic Digestion, Incineration, Gasification, and Landfill Gas to Energy), and this is the first research of its kind. An LCSA ranking and scoring system and a muti-attribute value theory (MAVT) multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) were employed to evaluate the overall sustainability of the prospective use of WtE over a 20-year timeframe. The results from both approaches indicated that the adoption of WtE offered sustainability benefits for both cities, marginally more so for Lagos than Abuja. It was concluded that, for optimal benefits to be achieved, it is vital for decision-makers to think about the various trade-offs revealed by this type of analysis and the varying priorities of relevant stakeholders.

Recovery of phosphate from municipal wastewater as calcium phosphate and its subsequent application for the treatment of acid mine drainage

Here, the co-managment of municipal wastewater (MWW) and acid mine drainage (AMD) is proposed, where the recovered low-value phosphorus from MWW is used for the treatment of AMD. Specifically, MWW was treated using calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2), a low-cost and readily available material, with the ammonia content being greatly reduced (89%) through stripping and phosphates practically eliminated (>99%). The recovered low-value phosphorus material, in the form of calcium phosphate (Ca3(PO4)2), was then used for the treatment of AMD from coal mining. Metals contained in AMD scavenged phosphorous, forming new minerals, and the increased alkalinity led to their precipitation. The optimum treatment conditions were 90 min contact time, 10 g L−1 Ca3(PO4)2 dosage, and room temperature and ambient pH. Under these conditions, AMD's metal content (Fe, Mn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Al, and Zn) was practically depleted (>99% removal) and sulphate (SO₄) greatly reduced (90.6%). Results were underpinned by FTIR, FIB/SEM, EDS/SEM, XRF, and XRD. Overall, this indirect co-treatment method holds great promise for the sustainable management of both wastewater matrices and can provide a simple and effective solution for their co-management, particularly in the developing world context where it could also help in advancing the UN's sustainable development goals.

Soil carbon sequestration as a climate strategy: what do farmers think?

Countries and companies with net-zero emissions targets are considering carbon removal strategies to compensate for remaining greenhouse gas emissions. Soil carbon sequestration is one such carbon removal strategy, and policy and corporate interest is growing in figuring out how to motivate farmers to sequester more carbon. But how do farmers in various cultural and geographic contexts view soil carbon sequestration as a climate mitigation or carbon removal strategy? This article systematically reviews the empirical social science literature on farmer adoption of soil carbon sequestration practices and participation in carbon markets or programs. The article finds thirty-seven studies over the past decade that involve empirical research with soil carbon sequestering practices in a climate context, with just over a quarter of those focusing on the Global South. A central finding is co-benefits are a strong motivator for adoption, especially given minimal carbon policies and low carbon prices. Other themes in the literature include educational and cultural barriers to adoption, the difference between developing and developed world contexts, and policy preferences among farmers for soil carbon sequestration incentives. However, we argue that given the rising profile of technical potentials and carbon credits, this peer-reviewed literature on the social aspects of scaling soil carbon sequestration is quite limited. We discuss why the social science literature is so small, and what this research gap means for efforts to achieve higher levels of soil carbon sequestration. We conclude with a ten-point social science research agenda for social science on soil carbon—and some cautions about centering carbon too strongly in research and policy.

Use of research evidence in the policy domain: A best‐evidence synthesis of social science research in Africa, Asia, and Latin America

AbstractThe use of research evidence in policymaking provides policymakers with a sound basis for policy decisions and actions. While the use of research evidence is on the rise, its evidence remains largely under‐reported especially from social sciences and developing world context. This may perpetuate the prevailing myth that policymakers do not use research evidence in policy deliberations and, thus, discourage researchers, funders, and policymakers from making greater investment in producing, disseminating, and using research evidence. Using the intersection of Weiss’ typology of research use and a best‐evidence synthesis approach, this paper reviews and reports evidence on the use of research evidence in the policy domain from four national level studies undertaken in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Conceptual and instrumental uses of research evidence are evident through a demand for research evidence, research‐based policy products, and citations of research in policy documents. The paper broadens our understanding on the use of research evidence from developing countries context and social science research, and informs different funders, researchers, and policymakers about the potential utility of research they respectively fund and/or undertake.

Leading schools in the face of great adversity

ABSTRACT The study of disadvantages in education at all levels in Ireland is a well-researched field (Doyle and Keane 2019; Fleming and Harford 2021; Kellaghan 1995; Skerritt 2017; Tormey 2010). A variety of research approaches have been used by those involved in the endeavour to provide a range of valuable associated insights. We offer this paper at a time when other approaches yet again are called for as Ireland, like many other European countries, is hosting Ukranian children in schools as they seek to gain refuge from atrocities at home. In particular, we offer it as a response to an invitation to indicate how those insights can be enriched through the provision of expositions of a comparative nature so that Irish educationists can gain an international perspective on the national situation. Such expositions can be of various types, including those relating to the situation in other OECD nations. Expositions that provide stark contrasts are also helpful in that they can indicate where one’s own circumstances are situated on a spectrum between those demonstrating extreme egalitarianism and those of extreme deprivation. This paper provides an exposition of the latter variety by detailing the results of a long-running research project orchestrated by the present authors on issues related to school leadership by school principals, deputy principals and local school-board members, in three such situations, namely, post-conflict contexts, extremely remote developing world contexts and disadvantaged post-communist societies.

Financial Investment Modes and Strategic Readiness of Star-Rated Hotels in the COVID-19 Pandemic Environment in Kenya

The hotel industry in general is a great investment option for generating income and building long-term wealth. The hospitality industry, especially in the developing world context, is fraught with risks that limit investment in the industry and these risks have been further compounded by the emergence of the COVID-19 global pandemic which, though under control, presently has put the levels of strategic readiness of the industry into question. This paper, therefore, explores the influence of financial investment modes on strategic readiness of star-rated hotels in Kenya in the COVID-19 context. The study was guided by the Modern Portfolio Theory and used a cross-sectional study design targeting star-rated hotels in Kenya from which 120 were selected using systematic random sampling. Using data collected through questionnaires and interview schedules, the study found that financial investment modes have a significant influence on strategic readiness of star-rated hotels in the COVID-19 pandemic environment in Kenya. Most hotels were working on a mix of financing instruments that will ensure financial sustainability even after the pandemic. The hotels’ levels of readiness have an important impact on their financial instrumentation prospects. The study recommends that the star-rated hotels should also reposition themselves strategically in the investment market so as to enable them attract more investment from both the private sector and the public sector to enable them build more resilience in times of crisis.