General Support Research Articles

The King Is Dead – Long Live Who? A Family and Firm Embeddedness Perspective on Succession after the CEO‐Owner's Sudden Death

AbstractWhen the CEO‐owner of an SME suddenly dies, who should take over? Integrating the social embeddedness perspective with research on crisis management, we theorize that an SME's financial health gets progressively worse before it stabilizes and recovers, reflecting an inverse U‐shaped relationship between time since the CEO‐owner's sudden death and an SME's financial distress. We then explore how successors' family and firm embeddedness moderate this relationship. Using a longitudinal sample of Swedish SMEs, we find general support for our theorizing. While nonfamily successors lead to less financial distress than family successors immediately following a CEO‐owner's sudden death, the opposite occurs in the long term. Further, successors with high firm embeddedness are associated with less financial distress than those with low firm embeddedness in both the short‐ and long‐term. Additionally, our post‐hoc analyses reveal that successors with high firm embeddedness, independent of their family embeddedness, outperform those low in firm embeddedness. Family successors lacking firm embeddedness report the highest financial distress, whereas family successors with high firm embeddedness experience the lowest. Our social embeddedness perspective on succession after the CEO‐owner's sudden death therefore contends that successor embeddedness explains differences in an SME's financial health, with the importance of successor firm tenure overshadowing the effect of family status.

Self-Perceptions of Aging and Physical Activity in Older Adults with Arthritis: Impact of General Health.

How negative self-perceptions of aging relate to physical activity (PA) in older adults with arthritis is unclear. We examined whether general health mediated the relationship between Awareness of Age-Related change (AARC) losses and PA. We analyzed baseline data from a randomized controlled trial of a PA intervention for adults ≥60 years who self-reported PA, AARC, general health, pain, and social support. We evaluated point-biserial correlations between PA and other factors in participants with self-reported arthritis and developed a mediation model incorporating AARC losses, general health, and PA. We observed significant correlations between PA and general health, social support, and AARC losses in this physically active sample. General health mediated the effect of AARC losses on PA. While negative self-perceptions of aging were associated with less PA in older adults with arthritis, their impact was attenuated by general health. PA interventions for this population may benefit by targeting perceived general health.

“There's just a lot of numbers and I just want to have a drink”: The challenge of communicating the energy content of alcohol products

Various governments are considering the implementation of energy labelling on alcohol products as one element of obesity prevention policies. However, little is known about the most effective ways to communicate energy information to consumers. The aim of the present study was to explore consumers’ reactions to different energy information provision formats to assist the development of effective energy labels. Nine focus groups (n=83 participants) were conducted with Australian adults who reported drinking alcohol at least twice per month. Participants were exposed to an energy-only information label and labels displaying full nutrition information panels. A thematic analysis approach was used to identify key issues. While few participants were overtly enthusiastic about the mandatory display of energy values on alcohol products, there was general support for the provision of this information to assist those drinkers who could benefit from it. Substantial confusion was apparent as participants attempted to distil meaning from the provided information, particularly where it was expressed in terms of serving sizes and standard drinks. Full nutrition panels were especially problematic in terms of creating a health halo due to the nil or low values for multiple nutrients listed. This was especially notable for information relating to sugar content. Overall, there appears to be inadequate public understanding of the concept of dietary energy in alcoholic beverages and the various terms used to quantify its presence, which is likely to limit the utility of mandatory energy information provision requirements unless they are accompanied by effective community education.

Longitudinal reciprocal relations between general basic psychological need satisfaction, social support, and academic engagement among Chinese adolescents

Longitudinal reciprocal relations between general basic psychological need satisfaction, social support, and academic engagement among Chinese adolescents

Attitudes of Slovenian students towards whole-body donation, organ donation, and the use of donated bodies in medical education

BackgroundAnatomical dissection of whole bodies donated for teaching and research purposes remains a cornerstone of medical education. However, evolving sociocultural and ethical landscapes have historically influenced this practice, necessitating ongoing research to inform and enhance donation programs. This study examines the Slovenian students’ attitudes and factors influencing their decision-making regarding body and organ donation for medical education.Materials and MethodsAn anonymous cross-sectional cohort study was conducted at the University of Ljubljana using a 28-item questionnaire to assess student attitudes toward post-mortem whole-body and organ donation, as well as their perceptions of anatomical dissection in medical training and research. A five-point Likert scale was employed to evaluate attitudinal responses and identify underlying influencing factors.ResultsAnalysis of 1528 student responses revealed significant differences in attitudes toward body and organ donation based on religious affiliation and anatomy course completion. Catholic students exhibited statistically lower levels of support and registration for donation compared to agnostic and atheist students (p < 0.001). A willingness to donate their bodies for teaching and research purposes was reported by 33.1% of participants. Notably, 26.3% would recommend whole-body donation to a family member, 27.9% to a friend, and 31.8% to a member of the general public. Students who had completed an anatomy course demonstrated a significantly higher likelihood of registering for organ donation (p = 0.003), yet were less inclined to donate their bodies for teaching and research due to concerns regarding the treatment of donated bodies.ConclusionDespite general support for organ and body donation, registration rates among Slovenian students remain low, including among those exposed to anatomy courses. We propose integrating end-of-life education, humanistic perspectives, and donor commemorative ceremonies into medical curricula to foster trust, ethical awareness, and advocacy for donation.

CLASSES OF CLOSE-TO-STARLIKE FUNCTIONS BASED ON THE REFERENCE FUNCTION OF A GENERAL FORM

The purpose of the article is to introduce and explore a wide class of doubly close-to-starlike functions, while demonstrating a unified approach to solving a certain range of extreme problems. The article defines a reference function of a general form – a starlike function, on the basis of which classes of close-to-starlike and doubly close-to-starlike functions can be constructed. On the basis of a general support function containing three parameters and new estimates of analytical functions, a generalization of various classes of close-to-starlike and doubly close-to-starlike functions is introduced, considered in a number of articles published in recent years, including the introduced class contains a generalized class of typically real functions. The properties of the introduced class of functions are studied, for example, the growth theorem, estimates of the modulus of the logarithmic derivative of the function and the radius of starlikeness are obtained, in particular cases leading to previously known results and representing new results. All the results of the article are accurate.

The Oxford House Stability Questionnaire: An Effort to Classify Recovery Homes.

Recovery homes are located throughout the United States, with the self-governed Oxford Houses representing one of the largest networks with over 3000 homes. Although there is a growing literature on the characteristics and outcomes of these recovery homes, far less is known about differences among the homes. The current study used a set of characteristics that had been proposed by a leader within the Oxford House recovery movement, and a university research team operationalized them into what is now called the Oxford House Stability Questionnaire. This scale was administered to attendees at their annual convention. Results of a sample of 397 respondents who completed over 95% of the scale validated the notion that there are four different types of Oxford House recovery houses, including Survival, Stable, Successful, and Significant. This scale examined activities that might occur in these homes related to enhancing stability, and we were able to identify mechanisms related to general involvement, social support, and self-help. The findings suggest that these ecological and structural house characteristics are valuable ways to better understand these settings that are providing thousands of people with substance use disorders with distinctive environments for recovery.

‘Help me be myself’—How identity-specific support promotes LGBTQ+ employees’ authenticity via basic need satisfaction

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) individuals continue to struggle to be their true selves at work. Therefore, effective workplace support is required to enable LGBTQ+ employees to feel authentic—both for their own good and to unlock their full potential for organizations. While research has amply demonstrated the benefits of general workplace support, we lack an understanding of identity-specific support (e.g. related to ‘coming out’). To advance social support theory with an identity lens, we examine the associations of LGBTQ+ support from supervisors, colleagues, and LGBTQ+ employee resource group (ERG) members as well as LGBTQ+-supportive organizational practices with authenticity. Additionally, we investigate basic need satisfaction as a mechanism proposed by self-determination theory. Based on 952 responses from 47 countries, we find that LGBTQ+ support from colleagues and supervisors is more strongly associated with authenticity than organizational practices and support from ERG members. Further, basic need satisfaction mediates these relationships. We extend social support theory toward identity specificity by tailoring social support to LGBTQ+ employees and delineating how strongly such support from identity-specific and -agnostic support sources is associated with authenticity. Our findings are a call to action for human resource management to encourage LGBTQ+ support across the workforce.

Supportive but suspicious: Ideology, institutional trust, electoral participation and gender shape public opinion on citizenship education in the UK

AbstractCitizenship Education (CE) has been found to be an effective tool in preparing young people to participate actively in a democracy. However, recent years have seen a decline in both the quality and provision of CE, coupled with a notable absence of public input on the subject. This paper provides an initial exploration of the British public's views on citizenship education through an exploratory survey conducted with a nationally representative sample of 1003 individuals. The survey examined public perceptions of the current quality of CE, general support for the subject, and specific educational aims. Our findings indicate that while CE is generally regarded as important, its quality is perceived as lacking. Respondents highlighted critical thinking skills, as well as financial and digital literacy as the most crucial components of CE, whereas communitarian aspects of citizenship were deemed less significant. Additionally, the study found that ideology, demographic factors, and political attitudes significantly influence public views on CE. The paper concludes with a discussion of policy and research implications, emphasising the need to incorporate public perceptions in the design of citizenship education and suggesting ways that CE can be developed to support democratic engagement.

The morality of state priorities and refugee admission

ABSTRACT In this article, I argue that there are good reasons to permit states to engage in their own forms of prioritization of refugees for admission, if doing so enables more refugees overall to find safety. I identify three distinct clusters of programs that states operate, those that emphasize contribution-based reciprocity, those that emphasize anticipated benefit, and those that elevate cultural considerations. I assess the legitimacy of these programs separately, and then consider them together, to defend the view that – overall, considering the profound need for resettlement spots – they warrant our normative support. At least at first glance, the reason that these programs are legitimate is that they are all underpinned by principles in moral philosophy that in general command widespread support. In the final section, I examine the discomfort they generate, and suggest that the discomfort has three related sources: (i) that there is something wrong with considering the benefits refugees may bring when at issue is simply whether states are carrying out their moral duties towards them; (ii) that the result of permitting such prioritization is that those who are most vulnerable are left behind; and (iii) that cultural considerations can easily slide into racist considerations. While I agree that we must be attentive to how these programs operate in practice, and whether they generate harm (in particular, more harm than good), I believe that in the current context, these objections can be adequately countered so that we should in general offer these programs our cautious, and conditional, support.

A little less concentration, a little more actors, please? Exploring the relationship between populist attitudes and perceptions of concentration of political power practices

ABSTRACT Demand-side studies of populism, adapting a citizen perspective, have grown exponentially during the last decade as a result of a growing political and academic concern over the potential effects of populism on the political system. Nevertheless, how populist attitudes at the citizen level are related to actual proposals for system-change is a surprisingly neglected research topic. One such proposal concerns the future of multiple-mandate-holding (MMH), i.e. the simultaneous exercise of at least two directly elected political functions, a controversial practice in many parts of Europe. By utilizing cross-sectional panel data gathered in Finland in 2022–2023, a country characterized by extensive MMH among Members of Parliament, this study seeks to explore whether and how populist attitudes are related to the idea of representational pluralism in the political system, defined as the level of diversity among directly elected political representatives active within the political system. Using statistical analyses, we confirm our hypothesis that stronger populist attitudes are clearly associated with weaker support for MMH in general and stronger support for limiting the scope of MMH specifically. Our findings contribute to the theory-building of demand-side populism by showing that populist attitudes are also associated with the idea of representational pluralism.

Psychosocial Outcomes of Supported Living for People with Severe Mental Illness: A One Year Evaluation of Floating Outreach in Germany.

Supported living plays an important role in the community-based care for people with mental illness. However, support services like floating outreach have hardly been the subject of longer-term research to date, especially with regard to Germany. Thus, the main aim of this prospective observational study was to evaluate the psychosocial outcomes of floating outreach support for non-homeless people with severe mental illness across a one-year period. In a group of n = 119 people (M = 41 years old, 36% with affective disorders) the quantitative analyses revealed significant improvements in quality of life (MANSA), overall social functioning (SFS), as well as general support and care needs (CAN-EU). Nevertheless, there were still some unmet (and even increasing) care needs among the respondents after one year, especially in the domains of "physical health" and "company of others". These findings therefore indicate areas of support that should be given more attention in the future.

Effectiveness of the Sub-Acute Care for Frail Elderly (SAFE) Transitional Care Unit on Short-Term Functional Independence in Frail Older Patients Discharged from Hospital.

Transitional care programs help improve continuity of care and post-discharge outcomes for frail older adults who are hospitalized. In this study, we examined the effectiveness of a transitional care model, based in a long-term care (LTC) home, on the functional independence of older hospitalized patients post-discharge. We used a propensity-score matched cohort, whereby cases comprised patients who were admitted to a transitional care program-called the Sub-Acute Care for Frail Elderly (SAFE) Unit-following a hospitalization between March 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019. Controls were matched to Usual Care patients discharged from hospitals within the same health region and accrual period who did not receive transitional care in the SAFE Unit. Outcomes included acute care, LTC, and home care use within six-month post-discharge. Compared to Usual Care, SAFE Unit patients were less likely to be admitted into an LTC home (RR 0.44, 95% CI 0.23-0.86) within six months post-discharge. Additionally, on average, SAFE Unit patients spent 34 fewer days in LTC homes than controls. SAFE Unit patients also incurred significantly fewer home care service days (median: 52 days, IQR: 12-132 days) than Usual Care patients (median: 65.5 days, IQR: 19-158 days), particularly in terms of their reliance on general nursing and personal support. Both groups had similar risks of six-month hospital readmission and having an ED visit. Rehabilitative and restorative-focused care provided through transitional programs, such as the SAFE Unit, have the potential to enable independent living for older hospitalized patients discharged to the community.

Determinants of First Practice Location among Canadian Geriatric Medicine Trainees and Recent Graduates: Findings of a Cross-sectional Survey in 2023.

There is a projected and growing gap of geriatricians in Canada. Geriatricians play a crucial role in addressing the health needs of older adults. We aimed to understand the factors that influence the choice of first-practice location for new geriatricians in the context of an aging Canadian population. We distributed an online survey to geriatric medicine subspecialty residents and recently licensed geriatricians in Canada. The survey was developed through expert opinions, career planning sessions, and a literature review. There were nine survey sections: general characteristics, location determinants, practice determinants, colleague determinants, support and space, non-clinical opportunities, income models, lifestyle factors, and recruitment determinants. The data were analyzed descriptively. A total of 61 respondents (51 English, 10 French) completed the survey. The respondents were new practicing geriatricians (37) and geriatric medicine residents (24). Most planned to practice in Ontario (26.2%) or Quebec (27.9%), and 75.4% were women. Flexibility in work-life balance (95.1%), collegiality (93.4%) and reasonable call schedules (93.4%) were the most important factors influencing first practice location. Income did not rank among the highest priorities for choosing the first practice location relative to other factors but was mentioned in open-ended responses to recruitment questions. This is the first survey identifying the determinants of first practice location in geriatric medicine in Canada. Work-life balance and collegial support are a priority for new geriatricians and may be the strongest incentives a program can provide. For recruitment, income incentives may be beneficial to building new specialized geriatric services. Future research will examine determinants of first practice location among Care of the Elderly clinicians.

From Diagnosis to Management of Oral Manifestations Associated with Crohn’s Disease: A Case Report

In addition to the intestinal manifestations, the inflammatory bowel disease of Crohn’s disease (CD) is also associated with some extra-intestinal symptoms, such as ulcers in the oral cavity, which tend to aggravate the general care and compromise the patient’s general well-being. The following case presents a 23-year-old patient with a CD complicated by severe oral symptoms persisting despite early treatments, including recalcitrant recurrent aphthous stomatitis, mucosal swelling, and gingivitis. The patient was treated using a multidisciplinary approach that integrated both gastroenterology and dental aspects. Systemic corticosteroids, immunosuppressive therapy, topical corticosteroids, antibacterial mouth rinses, dietary advice, and general support were among the treatment modalities provided. This comprehensive plan, which significantly enhanced the patient’s quality of life, also demonstrated improvement in oral health and a decrease in signs and symptoms. This case demonstrates how interdisciplinary strategies can help in CD oral manifestations management, given the enhancement of the patient’s health. Further investigation and case studies are needed to refine treatment strategies and expand understanding of these oral lesions and concerns regarding them.

What Works to Retain Beginning Teachers in the Profession? A Mixed Methods Approach to Detect Determining Factors

This study investigates the determinants of teacher retention, focusing on the Flemish region of Belgium, where early-career teacher attrition presents a significant challenge. Employing a mixed methods approach, the research combines quantitative survey data (N = 133) and qualitative interviews (N = 12) to examine variables related to initial guidance (general support, learning and sharing with colleagues, mentoring) and the supportive school context (sense of belonging at school, cooperation, clear goals and support, appreciative school leadership). The findings demonstrate that key elements within the supportive school context—particularly sense of belonging, cooperation, clear goals, and appreciative leadership—have a positive influence on teacher retention. Conversely, general support within initial guidance exhibits a comparatively weaker predictive value. The qualitative analysis reveals inconsistencies in the provision and quality of initial guidance support across schools, which adversely impacts teachers’ professional integration and job satisfaction. The study concludes that the implementation of structured support systems, well-defined goals, and appreciative leadership are critical for improving retention rates. These findings underscore the necessity for schools to adopt both individualized and institutional strategies to address early-career teacher attrition effectively.

The Moderating Role of Educational Attainment in the Association Between Social Support and Depressive Symptoms Among African Americans

ABSTRACT General social support is commonly studied as a psychosocial resource that improves African Americans’ well-being; we know less about how varied indicators of social support influence African Americans’ depressive symptoms. Further, it is unclear how social support affects depressive symptoms differently when considering the moderating role of education. Using the National Survey of American Life (NSAL) (n = 3,278), we examined (1) the association between educational attainment and depressive symptoms, (2) the association between social support and depressive symptoms, and (3) whether education moderates the social support—depressive symptoms relationship among African Americans. Results revealed that higher educational attainment; emotional support from family, friends, and church members; and receiving instrumental support from family were associated with lower depressive symptoms. Receiving instrumental support from church members and providing instrumental support to friends were associated with higher depressive symptoms. Finally, educational attainment moderated the association between five indicators of social support, such that individuals with some college education or degrees psychologically benefitted while those with a high school education or less generally did not. Findings highlight ongoing disadvantages for African Americans with less formal education and suggest that psychological benefits of social support are elusive for the most educationally disadvantaged African Americans.

Grandmothers matter: how grandmothers promote maternal perinatal mental health and child development.

Low social support has been identified as a risk factor for maternal perinatal mental health problems. However, previous studies have predominantly focused on general social support or support from the partner, often overlooking the roles of grandparents. This mini review discusses recent developments in perinatal health research showing that supportive grandparents may constitute a protective factor against the development of maternal perinatal mental health problems. In addition, we will discuss how grandparental support may promote fetal and child health. The mini review concludes with a call for more research on the role of grandparents in perinatal health. Recognizing grandmothers as collaborators in maternal and child health may afford more effective perinatal health programs and clinical practice, thereby reducing the risk of adaptational and developmental problems.

Validation of the 10-Item Social Provision Scale (SPS-10): Evaluating Factor Structure, Reliability, Measurement Invariance, and Nomological Network Across 38 Countries.

The 24-item Social Provision Scale is among the most frequently used self-report scales to assess perceived social support. A shortened 10-item version (SPS-10) with promising psychometric properties has been proposed. However, so far only a few studies in specific cultural contexts investigated its psychometric properties. Thus, the aim of the current study was an extensive investigation of the psychometric properties of the SPS-10 among 38 countries (N = 88,857 respondents) using the COVIDiSTRESS Global Survey data. Item response theory bifactor analysis revealed that the general factor accounts for the largest part of the covariance among the items in all countries (explained common variance ≥ .75) and that the mean/sum score of the SPS-10 can be used as a total score of perceived general social support. Reliability was high for all countries (ρunidimensional GRM ≥ .89). Measurement invariance and differential item/test functioning analysis of the unidimensional graded response model indicated negligible differential test functioning across countries. The association with the external criteria mainly supported its construct validity. The SPS-10 is a psychometrically sound measure of perceived social support for large-scale cross-cultural studies.

The relationship between personal networks of parents and children's behavioral and school‐related problems in family interventions

AbstractStudies in the field of child welfare services have shown that children's externalizing problems are linked to the immediate social relationships in which they are embedded. However, most studies that examined this association focused on specific dyads or general social support, ignoring more diverse and complex patterns of relationships in which children are embedded. Therefore, this study used Social Network Analysis to analyze how compositional and structural properties of parents' personal networks predict externalizing problems of children in vulnerable family contexts. The sample consists of 70 parents who were enrolled in a home‐based family intervention in Switzerland. A hierarchical cluster analysis revealed three clusters based on the network composition: mixed, child‐oriented, and family of orientation. Child behavior problems were associated with the network clusters; school‐related problems, on the other hand, were additionally linked with support density in the personal networks of parents. The results show that children in vulnerable families are embedded in diverse network compositions and relational structures, which influence their externalizing problems in different ways.