Local Support Research Articles

Women leadership effectiveness and underrepresentation – a skills theory perspective in a Ghanaian public higher education institution

PurposeFrom a skills theory perspective, we explore the disparity between women's perceived leadership effectiveness and their underrepresentation in a public higher education institution (HEI) in Ghana. We identify the factors limiting women leaders' support and offer locally driven solutions.Design/methodology/approachA triangulated approach was used to analyse qualitative and quantitative data collected at a public HEI leadership workshop assessing perceptions of women leaders' education, communication, personality, emotional intelligence, skills and support dimensions. T-tests were used to test the perception variables, while thematic analysis elucidated factors contributing to women's underrepresentation in top positions.FindingsThe study found positive perceptions of female leadership, which differed among the genders, and the preference for female leaders stems from their perceived skills, abilities and education. However, religious and cultural beliefs perpetuate stereotypes that hinder women's advancement in leadership, which contradicts the skills-based approach to leadership.Practical implicationsCreating local awareness and support is necessary to reduce the fear of criticism and negative labelling from cultural beliefs hindering women from pursuing top leadership positions.Originality/valueThis study fills the literature gap on perceptions of women's leadership from a skills theory perspective. It contributes locally driven solutions to the challenges of underrepresentation of female leadership and women empowerment, providing local insights into female leadership effectiveness discourse.

Health care workers’ knowledge and perceptions on WHO hand hygiene guidelines, and the perceived barriers to compliance with hand hygiene in Cyprus

BackgroundHand hygiene (HH) is recognized as an important measure to avoid the transmission of harmful germs, and assists significantly in preventing healthcare-associated infections. HH compliance among health care workers (HCWs) is a result of their knowledge and perceptions.AimTo investigate the knowledge and perceptions of WHO hand hygiene guidelines among HCWs, and the perceived barriers to compliance with hand hygiene in a major public hospital in Cyprus.MethodsA descriptive correlational study was conducted in September of 2019. The target population was all of the HCWs in Nicosia General Hospital (N = 1,386). The final sample consisted of 820 participants (119 physicians, 613 nurses, 27 physiotherapists, 59 ward assistants, 2 unidentified). This study used the HH knowledge and perception questionnaire that was developed by the WHO.ResultsThe results revealed that the average percentage score for knowledge among our sample was 61%, and statistically significant differences were observed among HCWs with regard to certain questions. It was found that HCWs, in most of their responses, presented high percentages of correct answers regarding their perceptions on hand hygiene guidelines but several perceived barriers to compliance on HH guidelines were identified as well.ConclusionsKnowledge and perceptions of HH guidelines among HCWs were moderate and good respectively. In addition, several perceived barriers to compliance on HH recommendations were identified. HH education is recognized as an important tool for removing these barriers but the recommended HH strategy should be multi-modal and consider local resources, administrative support and barriers to compliance with HH.

Birdwatching preferences reveal synergies and tradeoffs among recreation, carbon, and fisheries ecosystem services in Pacific Northwest estuaries, USA

Coastal ecosystems provide multiple ecosystem services that are valued in diverse ways. The Nisqually River Delta (the Delta), an estuary in Puget Sound, Washington, U.S.A., is co-managed by the Nisqually Indian Tribe and the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. In an ecosystem services assessment, we used different service-appropriate methods including citizen science, statistical and geospatial models, and scenario analysis to evaluate three ecosystem services – recreational birdwatching, soil carbon accumulation and fishery production – indicated as priorities for the Refuge, Nisqually Indian Tribe, and surrounding communities. We developed a generalized additive mixed model set based on eBird mobile application birdwatching observations to understand the biological and landscape features that influence birdwatching and to project birdwatching visitation based on scenarios of Delta habitat change. We evaluated ecosystem service synergies and tradeoffs associated with habitat change for three coastal habitat types using scenario outputs from the birdwatching model and published results on Delta soil carbon accumulation and fishery production. The highest-ranked birdwatching models explained 88 % of the deviance and showed that visitation was greatest in winter months when distance to major cities was approximately 20 km. Recreational birdwatching increased with increasing area of forested wetland, emergent wetland, aquatic vegetation bed, open access, and total estuary. With increasing forested and emergent wetland area, recreational birdwatching, out-migrating juvenile Chinook salmon weight and soil carbon accumulation all increased. With increasing aquatic vegetation bed (resulting from sea level rise), recreational birdwatching increased, but salmon weight and soil carbon accumulation decreased. We identified practical ways in which ecosystem services may be incorporated into adaptive management frameworks that support climate adaptation decision making. This study illustrated how use of ecosystem services can help managers make decisions that have greater benefit for wildlife and people, communicate the societal value of decisions and increase local support and participation.

Recommendations for Policing Established Drug Markets

The implementation of the Philadelphia Police Department’s Kensington Bicycle Unit resulted in fewer social disorder crimes, but more drug offences in comparison to a control area. These results were expected considering the directives of the unit. Increases in violent person crimes and shootings were also observed following the introduction of the unit compared to the expected amount in the control area. This study supports past research that has documented increased violence in areas after law enforcement efforts to disrupt well-established drug markets. These findings emphasize the importance of tailoring drug enforcement efforts to address specific local concerns/factors. Such efforts should include detailed crime analyses and intelligence gathering, coupled with patrols that are designated to break up drug markets; increased workforce to support the operations; and localized support with directed patrol operations.

Acculturation in China: acculturation strategies, social support, and self-assessment of Mandarin learning performance of international students in Chinese universities

ABSTRACT Acculturation strategies contribute to international students’ self-assessment of Mandarin learning (ML) performance, but the mechanism remains unclear. This study employed a convergent design of mixed methods and explored the roles of acculturation strategies and local support resources in international students’ (ISs) self-assessed ML performance in Chinese universities. The quantitative findings based on the questionnaire survey (N = 520) found that ISs’ Mandarin level was positively associated with the integration strategy and local support resources (i.e. Chinese teachers and Chinese friends). Besides, integration and marginalisation mediated the relationship between support resources and self-assessed ML performance, with integration acting as a more positive mediator compared with marginalisation. Further qualitative findings based on the longitudinal data (i.e. reflective journals) supported the positive roles of integration and local support resources in self-assessed ML performance. Moreover, this study identified how ISs improved their Mandarin through positive adjustments in their acculturation strategies (e.g. from separation to integration) and active mobilisation of local support resources. These findings provide a richer understanding of the complexity and dynamism of ISs’ self-assessed ML performance. Implications were provided for ISs and Chinese universities concerning ML and support services.

Maximum Local Density-Driven Non-overlapping Radial Basis Function Support Kernel Neural Network

The learning and optimization of kernels in the radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) are crucial. However, in existing methods, there are issues of overfitting when learning kernel parameters. The learned kernels are also sensitive to outliers. This paper proposes a general kernel learning strategy for RBFNN called non-overlapping maximum local density support kernel learning (MLD-SKL), which contains two modules, the non-overlapping maximum local density (MLD) kernel learning module and support kernel learning (SKL) module. In the MLD kernel learning stage, the candidate set of kernels is incrementally determined based on the local density of samples. Meanwhile, it is required that the coverage ranges of kernels from different classes do not overlap with each other. This module is effective in reducing the impact of outliers. In the SKL stage, kernel importance indicator is defined to measure the importance of kernels. The learned support kernels are utilized to construct a maximum local density-driven non-overlapping radial basis function support kernel neural network (MLD-RBFSKNN). The RBFNN constructed through MLD-SKL exhibits a more compact structure. The experiments demonstrate that the proposed MLD-RBFSKNN improves accuracy in recognition task. Furthermore, while achieving superior recognition performance, the final constructed network also has the minimum number of kernels.

Understanding practices and support needs of family caregivers of people with dementia in Africa: a scoping review

Caregiving for people with dementia is a growing challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where 60 per cent of people with dementia globally reside. Yet the experiences and needs of caregivers supporting this population in African regions have not received adequate policy and practice attention. As a first step toward addressing this issue, we aimed to describe key challenges and solutions, and attend to knowledge gaps related to the needs and experiences of caregivers of persons with dementia across Africa. Informed by Arskey and O’Malley’s five-stage framework, we conducted a scoping review of empirical literatures, without year restriction. We included studies focusing on family caregivers supporting people with dementia in Africa. We reviewed five databases and screened titles and abstracts using Rayyan before extracting full texts. Our initial search yielded 3,982 articles, of which 29 met the inclusion criteria. Most of the selected dementia caregiving studies were conducted in South Africa, did not attend to the diverse ethnic beliefs and practices of the region in question and drew their samples from hospitals. While many studies explored caregiver support types, only a few focused on local support systems, like traditional and spiritual healing centres. Some studies addressed stigma and positive aspects of caregiving, offering insights for policy and practice. Future research should broaden regional and ethnic representation, investigate various support networks, such as community elders and healing centres, and examine the impact of local beliefs on stigma and caregiving positivity.

Exploiting locality in sparse polynomial approximation of parametric elliptic PDEs and application to parameterized domains

This work studies how the choice of the representation for parametric, spatially distributed inputs to elliptic partial differential equations (PDEs) affects the efficiency of a polynomial surrogate, based on Taylor expansion, for the parameter-to-solution map. In particular, we show potential advantages of representations using functions with localized supports. As model problem, we consider the steady-state diffusion equation, where the diffusion coefficient and right-hand side depend smoothly but potentially in a highly nonlinear way on a parameter y ∈ [−1, 1]N. Following previous work for affine parameter dependence and for the lognormal case, we use pointwise instead of norm-wise bounds to prove ℓp-summability of the Taylor coefficients of the solution. As application, we consider surrogates for solutions to elliptic PDEs on parametric domains. Using a mapping to a nominal configuration, this case fits in the general framework, and higher convergence rates can be attained when modeling the parametric boundary via spatially localized functions. The theoretical results are supported by numerical experiments for the parametric domain problem, illustrating the efficiency of the proposed approach and providing further insight on numerical aspects. Although the methods and ideas are carried out for the steady-state diffusion equation, they extend easily to other elliptic and parabolic PDEs.

Community in the Open: Supports, Challenges, and Impacts of Local Learning Communities of K-12 Adolescent MOOC Learners from Nepal

This exploratory qualitative study investigates the obstacles, local support, and learning outcomes for adolescent learners in Nepal taking massive open online courses (MOOCs). This study found that the major difficulties these learners faced were a lack of scaffolding, language barriers, limited technology and internet access, and unmatched learning capacity and MOOC learning objectives that were designed for adults originally. To address these challenges, a local community of teachers, peers, schools, and families played a significant role in inspiring learning, providing scaffolding and guidance, fostering a collective and open local learning environment, instilling motivation, and offering both emotional and technical support. MOOC learning increases the independence of these adolescent learners, supplementing school learning, supporting their career paths, providing practical skills beyond theories, and achieving mental well-being.

Teacher-Coaches in an Australian Regional Independent School: An Exploratory Case Study

Grounded in role socialization theory, we examined the perceptions of teacher-coaches at an Australian independent, regional school regarding the challenges and opportunities associated with performing this dual role. This interpretivist exploratory case study was conducted with 10 teacher-coaches of various backgrounds and experience levels. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and analyzed using a data-driven reflexive thematic analysis. Three themes were identified: (a) teacher-coaches preferred teaching over coaching, and a mismatch existed between administrators’ position and teacher-coaches’ perceptions of school practice; (b) participants identified enhanced relationships with students and career enhancement as opportunities in performing the dual roles; and (c) perceived challenges included time pressures, insufficient coaching preparation, and development opportunities. Findings highlight the complexities in successfully navigating the dual role in this context. Consideration of role preferences, challenges and opportunities, and localized coaching supports may help optimize teacher-coach, student, and school outcomes.

Local Support Practices Contribute into Strengthening Entrepreneurs Capacity

The pandemic severely affected local and small enterprises. During the lockdown, local entrepreneurs suffered due to low earnings and savings, weak informal support practices, inadequate risk transfer measures, and insufficient state recovery policies and budgets. This paper investigates the primary self-supporting practices of entrepreneurs during the pandemic, assesses how available informal support contributed to building resilience, and examines how local entrepreneurs sustained themselves during the crisis. It explores whether local practices such as self-saving, community support, and state assistance were adequate for resilience building. The study employed convenience sampling of over forty-one micro, small, and medium entrepreneurs across various districts in Nepal. Research methods included closed-ended questionnaires, phone interviews, and in-person discussions. Data analysis involved qualitative and quantitative methods, revealing that self-saving was crucial for resilience, followed by risk transfer practices. The study concludes that local self-saving capacities, coupled with community support, significantly enhance resilience among entrepreneurs. However, informal support practices and state policies for pandemic recovery fell short of expectations.

지방의회 정책지원관제도의 운영실태 분석:지방의회 자치법규를 중심으로

In the 30 years since the revival of local autonomy, the Local Self-Government Act has made significant progress through the introduction and supplementation of systems related to resident autonomy and organizational autonomy. In the process, local demands and the transfer of authority from the center were negotiated and struggled for, and were incorporated into the law and system one by one, culminating in the complete revision of the Local Self-Government Act in January 2021. The basis for the operation of local council policy support officers was also laid at this time, and the policy support officer system was introduced in response to the demand for responsibility and authority to 'strengthen local council professionalism' and is currently operating within the range of one in two local council members. Research on local council policy support professionals has been conducted steadily before the introduction of the policy support officer system, and after the introduction of the system, studies have centered on the effectiveness of the system, but comparative studies on the autonomy law, which is the basis for the operation of the system, are rare. Therefore, this study examines the issues surrounding the policy support officer before and after the introduction of the policy support officer system, and draws out the main issues through a comparative analysis of the operation of the policy support officer system based on the autonomy law. The results showed that the main issues surrounding the policy support officer system, which was introduced to improve the professionalism of local councils' legislative activities, are: (i) similar organizations, (ii) the scope of duties, (iii) performance evaluation, and (iv) office management process.

Rapid regional mobile laboratory response and genomic monkeypox virus (MPXV) surveillance in seven East African Community partner states, August 2024: preparedness activities for the ongoing outbreak.

The East African Community (EAC) is experiencing an unprecedented, emerging mpox outbreak since July 2024 in five of eight partner states. We highlight rapid regional response measures, initiated August 2024 coordinated by EAC: field deployment of six mobile laboratories in Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, South Sudan to high-risk areas, donation of one mobile laboratory to Democratic Republic of the Congo and genomic monkeypox virus (MPXV) surveillance support. These interventions aim to limit local mpox spread and support international containment.

Bridging the Gap: Reducing Health Inequities in Access to Preventive Health Care Services in Rural Communities in the Philippines.

We used an implementation science framework to investigate perceived health inequities in preventive health care initiatives in rural communities in the Philippines. We also identified health equity-focused quality improvement strategies. Three health care providers and 12 barangay clinic patients were interviewed. Patient interviews showed that social determinants of health, respect, and attitudes toward health care providers affected patient empowerment to engage in self-management for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Health care providers identified six challenges in managing NCDs: (a) inefficient work processes; (b) staffing shortages; (c) insufficient access to low-cost medications; (d) inadequate primary preventive health education from the schools; (e) health care not considered a priority; and (f) lack of local government support. Inadequate preventive health care and education intensify health access and resource inequities in rural communities in the Philippines. A multi-sectoral plan may improve rural health infrastructure and education toward improving health care access and decreasing care disparities.

Welcome back! The impact of ‘return initiatives’ on return migration to rural regions

Abstract This article studies the effect of return initiatives in rural regions of Germany on interregional return migration. The initiatives aim to increase return migration by, amongst other things, providing information on local employment opportunities and personal support to workers interested in returning to find a job in the former rural region of residence. Analysing administrative data on individual labour market trajectories through survival analysis and difference-in-differences estimation, we find that return initiatives, on average, promote interregional return migration. Among the considered workers, particularly those in the middle and at the top of the wage distribution are more likely to return.

Exploring factors influencing the microfinance program sustainability

Ensuring the sustainability of development interventions such as microfinance programs is essential for making sure that the financial access is available for the poor in long term. However, many project-based microfinance have faced sustainability issues. Therefore, exploring the factors affecting the sustainability of the programs is essential. Using institutionalist view of microfinance sustainability and considering project implementation aspects, this study aims to explore the factors that influence the sustainability of project-based microfinance institutions (MFIs). Quantitative approach by using a statistical tool is used to analyse the survey of the 85 microfinance bankers from 65 Microfinance institutions (MFIs). The result showed that project-based microfinance sustainability is influenced by local project characteristics, community support and project management. It implies that project implementation and its sustainability is concomitant. Project implementation that considers local community and is supported by project management could hold an important role in the sustainability of the project. Furthermore, developing sustainability strategies in planning and implementation stages is crucial. Hence, international development project actors should take them into account.

FROM PERCEPTION TO SUPPORT: THE ROLE OF POLITICAL BUREAUCRACY IN RURAL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN LOMBOK, INDONESIA

Numerous studies emphasise the importance of local governance and governmental support in promoting long-term rural tourist growth. Political bureaucracy, which encompasses the duties and activities of government officials and institutions, plays an important role in developing policies, providing required infrastructure, and fostering stakeholder collaboration. The challenge at hand is the ambiguous relationship between perceived benefits (economic, social, and environmental) and community support influenced by political structures. This study explores moderating role of political bureaucracy on the relationship between the impact of perceived tourism benefits and the community support for rural tourism development in Lombok, Indonesia. The objective is to understand how these perceptions affect support when moderated by political bureaucracy. Data were collected using quantitative methods from 183 residents via online surveys and analysed using SmartPLS SEM for measurement and structural model assessments. The findings revealed no significant relationship between perceived economic and social benefits and community support. However, environmental benefits showed a positive influence. The moderating role of political bureaucracy was found to be minimal. The study suggests that enhancing awareness and empowerment of local communities could improve support for tourism. These insights are vital for policymakers and stakeholders to develop strategies that foster sustainable rural tourism.

Residents’ Perceptions of the Benefits and Costs of Tourism Development: A Case Study of Riyadh City (Saudi Arabia)

This study examines residents’ perceptions of tourism development in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia, focusing on its benefits and costs, guided by social exchange theory. The objective is to explore how the perceived impacts of tourism development, along with external factors such as community attachment, residents’ knowledge of tourism development, and community involvement, affect locals’ satisfaction with tourism and their intention to support tourism development. A survey of 427 locals, analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM), reveals a positive correlation between community attachment and the perceived benefits from tourism. Residents’ knowledge about tourism is linked to perceived benefits, but not to perceived costs, and community involvement does not significantly impact perceptions. Perceived benefits positively influence support for tourism, while perceived costs have a negative effect. Residents’ satisfaction with tourism, shaped by their perceptions of the benefits and costs, influences their future support for tourism initiatives. The theoretical implications highlight social exchange theory’s role in understanding community perceptions, while the practical implications emphasize inclusive and transparent tourism planning to gain local support. These results underscore the importance of considering locals’ perceptions and satisfaction in both current and future tourism planning and development strategies.

Revealing the Protective Dynamics of an Ecologically Engineered Wetland against Acid Mine Drainage: A Case Study in South Africa

This study investigated the Zaalklapspruit valley bottom wetland in South Africa, an ecologically engineered site influenced by acid mine drainage (AMD) from a defunct coal mine upstream. Conducted in 2022, the research aimed to elucidate the dynamics of contaminant dispersal within this wetland, focusing on the sources, pathways, and receptors of metals and sulfur compounds. The analysis revealed that the wetland’s bottom sediment is rich in organic material, with pH values ranging from 6.05 to 6.59 and low oxidation-reduction potentials reaching −219.67 mV at Site S3. The significant findings included the highest adsorption rates of manganese, contrasted with iron, which was primarily absorbed by the roots of Typha capensis and the algae Klebsormidium acidophilum. The macrophyte rhizospheres were found to host diverse microbiota, including families such as Helicobacteraceae and Hydrogenophilaceae, pivotal in metal and sulfur processing. This study highlighted the complex biogeochemical interactions involving sediment, macrophyte root systems, periphyton, and microbial populations. These interactions demonstrate the efficacy of ecologically engineered wetlands in mitigating the impacts of acid mine drainage, underscoring their potential for environmental remediation. Importantly, the sustainability of such interventions highlights the need for community involvement and acceptance, acknowledging that local support is essential for the long-term success of ecological engineering solutions that address environmental challenges like AMD.

The Transition in Economic Theory from Linear to Circular for the Sustainability - A Case Study

The ability of our society to endure and expand while preserving enough natural resources for future generations to live is known as sustainability. Sustainable development, which combines structures, procedures, and local, national, and international support, supports its long-term goal. It is the high time, when the world is looking for the environmental conservation, conservation of the planet's biodiversity, social progress and better life style for the environment means a transition for the sustainability. The economy needs to undergo a profound transition because it was built on the principles of "take, make, consume, and discard" and the so-called "linear model," which was based on the idea that resources were infinite and easily accessible from the start of capital accumulation and the industrial revolution. According to this study, a product's value can only be increased by staying within the circularity loop, which means moving from the current linear model paradigm to a circular model. Study also reveals that the businesses and production units that want to generate a competitive edge while using fewer resources need to redesign and restructure their current processes. And it is highly required that the very last resort should be resource disposal and incineration. It is therefore highlighted that the program for the usage of material resources in respect to the global 2030 plan will not be implemented effectively unless the concept of a "circular economy" is adopted in place of the "linear economy." The author of this article examines how the "linear" to "circular" economy changes using a few chosen cases, offering a comprehensive grasp of the topic and the mechanisms of global transformation.