Interpretive Research Approach Research Articles

Accounting as a social and moral practice: bridging cultures, balancing indigenous factors, and fostering social accountability

Purpose This study aims to investigate accounting practices within a non-Western (indigenous) context and provide insights into alternative accounting approaches and perspectives. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts an interpretive research approach to gain an in-depth insight into the functioning of accounting in Solomon Islands’ unique cultural and social-political context. In-depth interviews were conducted to gain insights into the perceptions and meanings held by participants concerning Western accounting practices and their limitations. Findings The findings provide unique insights into different interpretations of accounting and accountability through two distinct cultural lenses – Western and non-Western. The complimentary and rival explanations on what accounting and accountability are doing and what accounting and accountability should be doing will help close the gap in knowledge and contribute to shaping a better world for indigenous people. Practical implications Implications for practice involve fostering collaborative efforts among individuals, communities, leaders and institutions to harness cultural strengths through accounting. Additionally, continuous capacity building and education are essential to develop accounting skills, enhance financial literacy, promote professional expertise and build a pool of skilled accountants with local knowledge to support indigenous communities. Originality/value This study is original and provides novel insights supporting the need for accounting to recognise the importance of indigenous perspectives, adapt to cultural sensitivity and integrate cultural norms and values into accounting practices to make an impact and achieve greater social and moral accountability.

Effectiveness of Environmental Leadership Indicators Based on Local Wisdom in Development Horticultural Agriculture in Ngada - Indonesia

This research delves into the pivotal role of farmer groups in driving the development of horticultural agriculture in Ngada Regency, Flores, Indonesia, under the leadership of their respective group chairmen who adopt an environmental leadership approach rooted in local wisdom, recognizing its significance in fostering effective agricultural development. Employing an interpretive phenomenological qualitative research approach, the study unravels the intricate dynamics of environmental leadership by delving into the lived experiences and perceptions of participants. Data collection involves diverse methods including observations, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions (FGD) within horticultural farmer groups, highlighting nuances of their organizational structure and practices. Findings elucidate a spectrum of indicators emblematic of effective environmental leadership within the context of agricultural development, such as possessing an ecological vision, adeptness in motivating others, exemplifying leadership through personal conduct, effective communication skills, and a steadfast commitment to goal attainment, underscoring the interconnectedness between local wisdom, ecological stewardship, and leadership efficacy.

“Navigating chaos”: Urban, Rural, and Remote Patient Experiences in Accessing Healthcare with Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Perspectives of Living with Chronic Low Back Pain

ABSTRACT Background Healthcare access for chronic low back pain is complex and should consider not only the health system, but patient care seeking experiences as well. People who live in rural and remote communities and/or identify as being Indigenous may often encounter additional barriers to accessing care for chronic low back pain; thus, these contexts must be considered to fully understand barriers and facilitators. Aims The aim of this study was to understand care-seeking experiences of people living with chronic back pain in Saskatchewan and determine unique experiences facing urban, rural, remote, and/or Indigenous peoples. Methods Thirty-three participants with chronic low back pain completed a preliminary survey followed by individual semistructured interviews. Participants were categorized as urban, rural, or remote including Indigenous status. A qualitative interpretive research approach with inductive thematic analysis was employed. Results Three overarching themes were identified with the following subthemes: (1) healthcare access challenges: challenges to accessing care, challenges within the health system, and challenges leading to self-directed management/coping strategies; (2) healthcare access facilitators: funded care, participant education and knowledge, patient–provider communication, and care closer to home; and (3) participant recommendations for improved care provision: coordination of care, integrative and holistic care, and patient-centered care and support. Rural and remote participants highlighted travel as a main barrier. Indigenous participant experiences emphasized communication with healthcare providers and past experiences influencing desire to access care. Conclusion Participants identified a range of challenges and facilitators as well as recommendations for improving access to care for chronic low back pain, with unique barriers for rural, remote, and Indigenous participants.

Investigating indigenous knowledge awareness among South African science teachers for developing a guideline

AbstractThis research article explores the development of preliminary guidelines for the integration of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) into science classrooms. The study addresses the need for such guidelines to enhance learning outcomes in STEM. Grounded in Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, the research investigates science teachers’ familiarity with IKS, their beliefs about its relevance, and their proposed strategies for its effective incorporation into science education. The study employed an interpretive qualitative research approach, conducting two independent case studies with a total of five teachers from primary and secondary schools in Hazyview, Mpumalanga. Through surveys and interviews, teachers’ perspectives were explored. A combination of inductive and deductive thematic analysis was used. The findings reveal varied levels of familiarity among teachers, differing perceptions of IKS relevance, and few proposed strategies for IKS integration. Additionally, preliminary guidelines were developed to bridge a gap between cultural knowledge and scientific understanding. These guidelines aim to empower teachers to transition from the familiar (IKS) to the unfamiliar (Western science), fostering a more culturally responsive science education environment. The study acknowledges the limitations of a small sample size, emphasizing the depth of qualitative awareness over generalizability. The proposed guidelines offer a foundation for further research and practical implementation, contributing to the advancement of inclusive and culturally relevant science education.

Digital Servitization and Business Model Innovation in SMEs: A Model to Escape From Market Disruption

The progress and the adoption of digital technologies can rapidly make products, processes, and business models obsolete, until disrupting entire markets. In this context, small–medium enterprises (SMEs) operating in manufacturing are especially challenged due to their limited resources and smallness liabilities. Firms can implement, design, and deliver new smart and connected products that change the way they compete and trigger the provision of services—until redesigning the entire business model. However, little knowledge is available on how SMEs may effectively trigger and catalyze such transition. Using an interpretative research approach inspired by the design research methodology, in this article, we explore how SMEs may leverage digital servitization to escape from a disrupted market. Based on our findings, an original digital servitization model tailored for SMEs is proposed. Finally, the study provides a set of research and managerial implications on how SMEs can overcome market disruption in the manufacturing context through digital servitization and business model innovation.

Implications of ideology on school buildings and cultural pluralistic context of Gazimağusa, North Cyprus

This paper aims to answer the pertinent question: What are the implications of ideology on school buildings and the culturally pluralistic context of Gazimağusa in Northern Cyprus? It traces the social and communication qualities of architecture to restructure the architectural identity of schools and the cultural patterns of this city during the British Period (1878–1960). The colonialists relied on education as an ideological tool for perceiving social and economic stability through training a new, educated middle class to replace the existing traditional authorities: Ottoman leaders and Church structures. Their failure to recognize the diverse cultural layers of the context led to unsustainable outcomes. An interpretative case research approach that involved descriptive and historical techniques was utilized to investigate this situation. Ideology had two separate but related consequences in the context chosen at both urban and architectural scales. Resulting in a cultural shift from intrinsic to extrinsic living that contradicts previous cultural alignments of the place. The urban syntax for communal life shifted to exclusivity, and cultural coexistence was divided between Turkish and Greek Cypriots on the one side; on the other, schools copied a globalized character of transformation. Based on contextual perceptions, the study advocates for a creative cultural mix of local and global concepts. The island went through modernization, hosting the two communities under British Colonial Rule who were both struggling with the colonizers on one hand and experiencing ethnic and political clashes on the other; they formed the conditions for a wide variety of school buildings. Within this context, the paper highlights school buildings as an ideological space, symbol, and tool of nationalism and colonization/decolonization.

Motivations and expectations of generation Z nursing students: A post-pandemic career choice qualitative analysis

BackgroundThe global nursing shortage is a growing concern so recruiting and retaining Generation Z (Gen Z) students is vital to the sustainability of the profession. PurposeTo explore the perceptions and expectations of first-year nursing students regarding the nursing profession, its working conditions, and how these factors influenced their career choices. MethodDescriptive qualitative research design, employing an interpretive research approach and content analysis conducted following Graneheim & Lundman's method. Our study involved 105 Generation Z nursing degree students enrolled in first year at the Mar Nursing School in Barcelona, Spain in 2021. Data collection included voluntary written narratives about their career choice and questionnaires of demographic information and their healthcare experiences. ResultsIt became evident that Generation Z students' perceptions and expectations of nursing don't align with the actual professional experience. This mismatch could lead to disillusionment and attrition among these students. ConclusionsSeveral factors (economic, aspirational, perception of nursing during the COVID-19, or gender) influence new students' career choice. These factors shape their expectations and often do not match actual working conditions in nursing. Educational institutions must prepare students by transferring cross-cutting competencies to effectively meet these challenges and avoid potential dropout from the profession.

Going digital: Developing social capital through online social networks in regional SMEs—An Australian study

AbstractIn an increasingly competitive and digitalized business environment, regional SMEs have multiple opportunities to extend their face‐to‐face networking activities to the digital realm. However, there is scant research on regional Australian SMEs use of online social networks (OSNs) to network and develop social capital. This paper follows an interpretive qualitative research approach to identify how 13 regional Australian SMEs from four sparsely populated regional areas use OSNs to enable knowledge sharing and the development of social capital. Our empirical findings classified regional Australian SMEs' use of OSNs into three categories: low, medium, and high, while also identifying OSN use opportunities. We propose four propositions related to OSN adoption and use to share knowledge and develop SC: (i) implementing an OSN adoption and use strategy as part of a larger digital strategy, (ii) investing in and adopting a variety of OSN channels for knowledge sharing, (iii) gradually replacing face‐to‐face knowledge sharing with OSNs, and (iv) controlling the sharing of competitive SME knowledge when using different OSN channels. These findings are significant to encourage regional Australian SMEs to adopt and use OSN to improve innovation opportunities through networking and collaboration in an increasingly digitalized realm.

Cybersecurity Awareness on Cybercrime Among the Youth in Gauteng Province

The increased independence on Internet has raised growing concerns that cyber security is becoming difficult to maintain. Not only do businesses depend on the internet for all types of electronic transactions, but home users increasingly also experience the immense benefit of the internet especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cyber security awareness and education are central to any attempt to secure cyber space. In the education system, youth must be made aware of the possible attacks and types of intruders. The rapid growth in the use of cyber space is not matched by the necessary skills. Therefore, there is a need for broad-based education initiatives on Internet safety and security to tackle the issues of child protection and social security in general. Cyber security and awareness become a vital issue because promoting awareness would contribute greatly towards cyber security as a whole. An interpretive research approach was adopted using a qualitative research method. The semi-structured interviews were conducted with 37 participants, eight from the SAPS Crime Intelligence Unit. Five participants from Crime Intelligence Unit, which constituted of males, participated in this study and for the youth, the first author interviewed 29 participants, which consisted of 17 female and 12 male participants who were between the ages of 19 to 35 years. The findings indicated that there are currently no existing initiatives in the field of policing cybercrime in South Africa. There are currently no cyber security awareness programmes or preventive techniques by the SAPS targeting the youth. South Africa is still lacking behind in the strategy development regarding cybercrime and cyber security.

Transformation of Traditional Colonial Bazaars: Case of Malcolm Peth Bazaar, Mahabaleshwar, India

ABSTRACT A bazaar is a market place that contributes to the economy as well as the spatial, cultural, political, educational, and social determinants of the society and its settlement. Bazaars, specifically in British colonial hill towns of India due to their unique characteristics, have showcased significant transformation in social and physical attributes. The potential reasons include the pressures of industrialization, tourism, consumerism, and continuously evolving identities. In this context, the paper examines the case of Malcolm Peth bazaar at Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra, India. It aims to comprehend the socio-cultural and spatial transformation of the bazaar, from its British colonial beginnings to the present differential scenario, emphasizing the perception and representation of the traditional place. The methodology follows the descriptive and interpretive research approach. The process commences with exploring the available theory and literature, followed by the development of a theoretical framework through the literature discourse to holistically investigate the complexities of the traditional bazaar. On-site data collection includes spatial information represented through maps and illustrations and stakeholders’ perceptions recorded in interviews. Subsequently, the data is analyzed by forming domains and categories through tabular frameworks and further narrated to abstract the findings. Focusing on the changing traditions and heritage value, the interpretation of the result elucidates the bazaar’s socio-spatial character in diverse time-place environments that the bazaar has reflected in its evolution process. Highlighting the insensitive approach towards the culturally sensitive traditional bazaar, the research concludes by accentuating the need to react cautiously toward preserving the historical notions of the place.

Fear and Architecture: Learning from Mega-Projects and Canal Istanbul as a Case

Fear has been a fundamental aspect of human existence throughout history, and its connection with architecture has evolved as cities and the built environment have changed. Mega-projects, such as Canal Istanbul, play a significant role in shaping urban fear. Considering this fact, this study explores the relationship between fear and architecture in the context of mega-projects, with a focus on the case of Canal Istanbul, to define fear, identify its different types (environmental, socio-economic, technological), and examine their common underlying factor: generating a situation of uncertainty. The research investigates the Canal Istanbul project as a case study, presenting arguments supported by theoretical sources to explore the relationship between fear, architecture, and uncertainty. In this regard, this study adopts a qualitative and interpretive research approach. It provides insights into the potential consequences of the Canal Istanbul project concerning fear and architecture by emphasizing the importance of transparency and public participation in mega-projects, highlighting the need for detailed analysis and scientific references. Overall, the research contributes to understanding the interplay between fear, architecture, and mega-projects, offering valuable insights for future urban planning and development.

Content Creators Between Platform Control and User Autonomy

Content creators generate and upload content on social media platforms. If these platforms have a revenue-sharing policy, content creators earn income from advertising revenue. This income is heavily dependent on the distribution of the content and the resulting view counts. Platform owners may exert algorithmic control that impacts content distribution, advertising income, and, consequently, the behaviour of content creators. The objectives of the platform owners combined with the interests of the content creators may lead to paradoxical tensions between the aims of control and autonomy. The opaque nature of algorithms coupled with the need to be recognised by the algorithm further reinforces this phenomenon. This study follows an interpretive qualitative research approach applying grounded theory methodology. This research uses semi-structured interviews with content creators to develop a theory explaining the tension between control and autonomy on revenue-sharing social media platforms. The study shows that algorithmic control and incentivisation create paradoxical tensions that affect the autonomy of content creators. Content creators attempt to minimise tensions of algorithm versus audience, regularity versus scheduling autonomy, and analytics versus decision-making autonomy in two ways: through self-centred measures such as improving metrics, pre-production, and being a pioneer and extraneous measures involving their own businesses, products, and sponsorships. This study sheds some light on the phenomenon of paradoxical tensions and provides guidance and strategies for content creators and platform owners about proceeding with their relationship. This study’s findings provide platform owners and decision-makers with a deeper understanding of the behaviour of content creators and the hurdles they face in platform work. The findings help them identify challenges, draw conclusions, and implement changes.

Learning-centered lesson design and learning about teaching in a pre-service teacher education course

Designing lessons is a prominent means in pre-service teacher education for developing student teachers’ understanding of what good teaching involves and how to plan for such teaching. A new approach to teaching lesson design in a pre-service teacher education program has prompted research on what and how student teachers learn from this new approach to prepare them for teaching. This article reports on practitioner research that draws on principles derived from the body of scholarship dubbed the “science of learning”. An interpretive research approach was followed, and data was collected via semi-structured interviews that were juxtaposed with lessons that student teachers designed. The pattern that emerged from the analyzed data was that this new lesson design approach helped student teachers to develop a good understanding of the nature of learning; and that such understanding is important because teaching is ultimately about helping learners to learn. In addition, participants articulated that invoking the principles used forced them to be more metacognitive and intentional in designing the lessons. Thus, moving beyond teaching methods and classroom discipline to a focus on how to best guide and support the intended learning of specific learners. Participants were also of the view that the approach is suitable to use in varying contexts because it is not dependent on the availability of resources. The authors conclude that a lesson design approach that draws on the science of learning has much to offer student teachers towards becoming adaptive experts who are able to create significant learning experiences for learners. Additionally, pre-service teachers will benefit from an approach that is modelled by teacher educators, and which employs an iterative process that uses deliberate practice to work towards adaptive expertise.

Market violence through destructive entrepreneurship: Assessing institutional responses to the proliferation of counterfeit traditional and alternative medicines in Ghana

PurposeThis multidisciplinary study seeks to determine the nature and structure of the informal markets for counterfeit medicines, the co-factors underpinning the demand and supply of counterfeit Western allopathic medicines (WAM), traditional and alternative medicines (TAM), and potential institutional responses in Ghana. MethodThis study is based on an interpretive research approach. It deploys a synthesis of a longitudinal ethnographic fieldwork, with multiple repeated visits for observations, analysis of documents, interviews, and focus group discussions. FindingsThe study identifies five major inter-related discoveries that point to the need for urgent institutional responses: Approaches to global health governance pay little attention to the complex economic gamut of TAM, including herbal medicines. The rise in necessity entrepreneurship and the availability of easy-to-use packaging and advertising technologies have made TAM a major competitor of WAM. The informal markets for WAM and TAM are structured in ways that allow them to evade formalized interventions and regulations. Standardization allows destructive entrepreneurs to derive advantage from economies of scale and reduce production costs, allowing the sector to flourish with little economic risk while inflicting violence on consumers. Personalization and co-creation of medicine with consumers has the added psychological effect of increasing consumer confidence. This, however, enlists consumers in the market violence against themselves. Social implicationsDestructive entrepreneurship, whether inadvertent or criminal creates benefits for groups and individuals but negatively affects public health on various levels. OriginalityMitigation and interventions that ignore the informal TAM market of destructive entrepreneurship only answer a part of the big question of how to guarantee patient/consumer safety from the threats of all counterfeits.

It “Made Me Who I Am”: Using Interpretive and Narrative Research to Develop a Model for Understanding Associate Deans’ Application and Development of Academic Identity

Interpretive and narrative research approaches, the experiences of academic administrators other than deans, chairs, and presi-dents, and academic identity work beyond graduate students and beginning professors are all areas that are underrepresented in the literature on higher educational administration. This article builds on recent narrative research by applying higher educational admin-istrative theories as interpretive lenses to propose a model for helping to understand the development and application of associate deans’ academic identities. Among the findings were that academic identities helped explain associate deans’ approaches to their roles, their views of their surrounding organizations, and their reasons for assuming the role. Further, the associate deans who partic-ipated in this research did not experience their transition to the role as an identity crisis in the ways typically described and assumed by higher educational leadership scholars. Instead, they drew upon their well-established academic identities and, in keeping with the nascent research on academic identity work, were intentional in their efforts to maintain their academic identities.

Procurement of artificial intelligence for radiology practice

The development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology for radiology has accelerated in the past decade, but its deployment in radiology practices has been slow. We take a sociotechnical approach and suggest that the limited use of AI in radiology practices can be attributed to a recurring tension between planned and emergent change. The paper contributes with a conceptualization and understanding of the tension during the procurement of AI for radiology. To balance this tension, we suggest that health organizations need to redefine the concept and scope of traditional procurement projects, with well-defined goals and project time. Instead, we propose that health organizations need to conceptualize their procurement and implementation projects of AI technology as evolving change processes. The study is based on an interpretive research approach and informed by the Information Infrastructure framework. Empirically, we study the procurement of AI solutions for radiology at a large health trust in Norway.

Using VR technology in the pre-onboarding of temporary employees in a Norwegian SME

European industry is currently facing extensive transformations. The well-being of the employees is an essential element in this transition, which is part of what we now call Industry 5.0. A challenge is to find and maintain a balance between human-centered manufacturing and focus on innovation and the implementation of new technology. The purpose of this article is to show how a Norwegian manufacturing industry SME (small and medium-sized business) can use VR (virtual reality) technology to prepare and empower temporary workers, by letting them see and experience a 360-degree video in VR of the assembly tasks even before they show up for their first day at work. A pilot case based on this technology is used as a platform for an immersive experience of 360 video in a pre-onboarding situation in the manufacturing industry company, will be presented in detail. The research is based on a case-study methodology, combined with Interpretive Field Study Research approach. Individual interviews with company management and involved employees (both temporary workers and permanent employees) have been conducted and analyzed.

ADDRESSING ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY CHALLENGES IN WAQF MANAGEMENT USING BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY

This study identifies how blockchain technology can address accountability and transparency challenges in waqf management system by using institutional theory and Islamic institutional logic. An interpretative qualitative research approach is employed, with case studies of Malaysian public university waqf administrators, and data analysis is performed using open, axial, and selective coding. The findings suggest that in terms of coercive isomorphism there are two transparency challenges related to blockchain solutions in the waqf management system: 1) errors in the issuance of receipts (process), which are expected to be overcome by blockchain solutions in the form of individual network technology and ID identifiers; and 2) difficulties in waqf distribution (process), which are predicted to be solved by blockchain solutions in the form of controlling tools, public ledgers, and obtaining waqf distribution data. In normative isomorphism, there are two accountability challenges with blockchain solutions in the waqf management system: 1) difficulties in controlling waqf activities (process), which are expected to be overcome by blockchain solutions which allow internal control; and 2) decisions on waqf distribution (output), which should be solved by blockchain solutions which allow awareness among stakeholders of waqf distribution. In mimetic isomorphism, there is one accountability challenge in the process which has blockchain solutions in the waqf management system, namely system integration, which is predicted to be overcome by a blockchain solution related to traceability. The contributions of the study include extending institutional theory and Islamic institutional logic, and providing blockchain best practices for waqf institutions in addressing accountability and transparency challenges.

Representation of Girl Power in Music Video of K-Pop Girlband ITZY

Music video is one form of communication media that contains audio and visual. Through music videos, creators can convey messages which are a form of self- expression of phenomena that occur around them. One phenomenon that is widely discussed today is the case of discrimination against women, this is something that is still being fought for in South Korea and throughout the world. More and more young women today are uniting to fight the views that tend to hinder women from expressing themselves. Based on this phenomenon, the South Korean entertainment industry has participated in fighting for women's rights through music videos from K-Pop with the theme Girl Power. This study aims to determine the representation of Girl Power in ITZY's music video entitled ICY and WANNABE. This research method uses an interpretive qualitative research approach, data collection through documentation, and literature study is then analyzed using Roland Barthes' semiotics. The results showed that there were depictions of scenes in two ITZY music videos entitled ICY and WANNABE which were denotative, connotative, and mystical signs as a representation of Girl Power. This study concludes that ICY and WANNABE's music videos illustrate that women must be confident and strong, and have choices in life.

Adoption of Blockchain Technology: Exploring the Factors Affecting Organizational Decision

Blockchain (BCT) is an emerging technology that promises many benefits for organizations, for instance, disintermediation, data security, data transparency, a single version of the truth, and trust among trading partners. Despite its multiple benefits, the adoption rate of BCT among organizations has not reached a significantly high level worldwide, thus requiring further research in this space. The present study addresses this issue in the Australian context. There is a knowledge gap in what specific factors, among the plethora of factors reported in the extant literature, affect the organizational adoption of BCT in Australia. To fill this gap, the study uses the qualitative interpretative research approach along with the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework as a theoretical lens. The data was mainly drawn from the literature review and semi-structured interviews of the decision-makers and senior IT people from the BCT adopter and potential adopter organizations in Australia. According to the findings, perceived information transparency, perceived risks, organization innovativeness, organization learning capability, standards uncertainty, and competition intensity influence organizational adoption of BCT in Australia. These factors are exclusively identified in this study. The study also validates the influence of perceived benefits and perceived compatibility on BCT adoption that are reported in the past studies. Practically, these findings are helpful for the Australian government and public and private organizations to develop better policies and make informed decisions for the organizational adoption of BCT. The findings would guide decision-makers to think about the adoption of BCT strategically. The study also has theoretical implications explained in the discussion section.