Long-term Commitment Research Articles

From Participatory Research to the Co-construction of Actions – Reflections on how to Reinforce Action Research for Social Inclusion

An important part of the action research literature focuses on the participatory dimension of the research process and is much less explicit on the connection of research and action or on how researchers contribute to tangible transformations, in particular outside organizational or education settings. Drawing from seven years of experience as an action researcher within an anti-poverty organization dedicated to improving living conditions in a low-income neighborhood in Montreal (Canada), this article seeks to enhance our comprehension of how action researchers can more effectively contribute to transformational action. Our study identifies four primary functions of research within the examined model and underscores three core characteristics to strengthen the integration of knowledge production and action. These characteristics encompass expanding the role of researchers to actively participate in both the co-development and implementation of action; engaging in long-term commitments and partnerships in a given setting, preferably being even a researcher based in the setting; and fostering collaborations with universities. By elucidating these key elements, this article intends to offer insights into improving the impact of action research, ultimately advancing our ability to contribute to transformative change for more inclusive and sustainable societies.

Brief transition-focused education for families of autistic youth: preliminary mixed-methods investigation

Purpose The transition to adulthood is one of the most challenging and complex processes for autistic youth and their families. Few evidence-based transition support programs exist, and those that have garnered support require long-term commitments and resources that may prohibit participation by families with financial and time limitations. The current study investigated the feasibility and initial promise of a brief, caregiver-focused educational transition program for families of autistic youth delivered in the community over a single day. Methods Quantitative informant-report and qualitative interview data were collected from 12 caregivers of autistic youth before and after program participation. Using a partially mixed sequential equal status design, quantitative and qualitative data were integrated to evaluate change in caregiver transition knowledge and empowerment, as well as caregivers’ perceptions of program feasibility, acceptability, and usefulness. Results Caregivers reported significant increases in knowledge of transition-related topics and sense of empowerment regarding their family life. Caregiver perceptions of the intervention suggest they found it feasible, acceptable, and useful. Conclusions Short-term transition programming may be a helpful option for caregivers who seek transition supports for autistic youth.

Determinants of Human Development Index in South Africa: A Comparative Analysis of Different Time Periods

The Human Development Index is a useful measure of a country’s overall prosperity and standard of living (HDI). The Human Development Index (HDI) provides data on the social and economic progress of a nation by accounting for variables such as life expectancy, education attainment, and per capita income. This research delves into the intricate correlation of a nation’s historical background, policy framework, and advancements on the Human Development Index. The remarkable journey of South Africa, from apartheid to inclusive growth, is an important example. The study uses an average yearly growth rate to examine how changes in political ideologies, ongoing development initiatives, and historical contexts of inequality have shaped South Africa’s HDI trajectory. By examining crucial turning points and policy influences, the study aims to reveal the complex relationship of factors affecting human development results. Despite improvement, challenges like unemployment and poverty continue. The study stresses the relevance of understanding historical context and policy changes in shaping HDI outcomes. Ultimately, the study emphasises the need of maintaining a long-term commitment to effective and inclusive human development policies. Understanding the complex relationship of factors influencing South Africa’s HDI will help policymakers make better informed decisions that will lead to a more prosperous and fair society for all South Africans.

The Nature and Norms of Vigilance

Abstract Many people have long-term commitments that require coordination and cooperation with others. To achieve this, we construct plans to settle when, how, and for how long to pursue certain goals rather than others. This raises an interesting cognitive problem, namely that individuals can, at any given moment, manage significantly less information than they will need to accomplish their goals. Call this the Problem of Scarce Information. The solution requires a special self-regulatory system that strategically manages the varying informational demands of one's activity. This paper argues that vigilance has structural and functional characteristics that make it apt to play this role. This paper illuminates both crucial aspects of temporally extended agency, but also the unique practical norms that structure how we act over time.

Monopsony Power and Cost Structure: Evidence from the U.S. Hospital Industry

ABSTRACT We examine the association between monopsony power and hospital cost structure using data from more than 2,000 U.S. hospitals. Monopsony characterizes a market with a single buyer and many suppliers. Accordingly, monopsony power is a potentially critical determinant of cost structure because it affects managers’ resource procurement decisions. Results indicate that hospitals with monopsony power adopt more elastic cost structures, and monopsony power magnifies the positive relationship between demand uncertainty and cost elasticity identified in prior research. These findings suggest monopsony power lowers the costs of procuring resources on flexible, short-term, and variable bases as opposed to making long-term commitments. Therefore, due to the high fixed-cost nature of the industry, hospitals with monopsony power choose more variable cost structures and make larger cost structure adjustments in response to demand uncertainty. Although we conduct this research using hospitals, our theory and results have implications for other industries. Data Availability: Data are publicly available from the sources cited in this study. JEL Classifications: D22; D23; I11; M20; M40.

Exploring the Synergy of Web Usage Data and Content Mining for Personalized Effectiveness

In light of the exponential growth of web data and user volume, individuals are increasingly overwhelmed by information overload on the internet. Addressing this challenge, our study focuses on enhancing web information retrieval and presentation by leveraging web data mining techniques to uncover intrinsic relationships within textual, linkage, and usability data. Specifically, we aim to improve the performance of web information retrieval and presentation by analysing web data features. Our approach centres on web usage mining to identify usage patterns and integrate this knowledge with user profiles for personalized content delivery. Personalization, tailored to user’s characteristics and behaviours, serves to enhance engagement, conversion, and long-term commitment to websites. The objective of our research is to develop a web personalization system that enables users to access relevant website content without the need for explicit queries. This paper presents an extensive survey of various approaches proposed by researchers in the field of web personalization. It highlights the diverse methodologies and techniques employed to enhance user experience and engagement on the web. The paper identifies key challenges that require urgent attention to advance the field of web personalization.

Going the distance: benefits and challenges of a long-term study of working-class, first-in-family university students

ABSTRACT This paper draws on experiences gained in a 16-year qualitative study of the experiences of working-class students who were the first in their family to attend university. Although the study suffered from attrition and analysis was complicated because it became increasingly difficult to understand the data through any one theoretical or conceptual framework, this complexity also offered the opportunity for a more nuanced approach, to become reassured in earlier interpretations, and to correct past misinterpretations. Their long-term commitment to the research project led many of the participants to articulate benefits they gained from being in the study for 16 years. The opportunity to tell their stories and have their experiences as first-in-family students validated was something they identified as especially important and valuable to them. QLR thus offers unique benefits that are not possible in cross-sectional research.

Development and Feasibility of a Telerehabilitation Programme Combined with or without Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation tDCS Among Older Adults with Post-Stroke Mild Cognitive Impairment

Objective: Stroke rehabilitation is clinically and economically complex and requires a long-term commitment from patients and their support systems. Therefore, there is a need for an intervention that addresses the cost and accessibility needs of stroke survivors and their caregivers. This study aimed to gain expert consensus on the feasibility of Brunnstrom Movement Therapy (BRS) telerehabilitation for older adult patients with post-stroke mild cognitive impairment. Methods: A Delphi study was conducted to provide a BRS telerehabilitation programme for older adult patients with post-stroke mild cognitive impairment. The stages involved were literature review, items-modelling, expert review, and video modelling of the consented items. The feasibility of the video was tested among selected patients. Results: Consensus on the structure and content of the BRS telerehabilitation with and without tDCS was achieved in three rounds. The final telerehabilitation programme comprised eight exercise regimens, including repetition and progression of the exercise programme. The programmes had a good feasibility score among the study participants. The USE questionnaire data revealed high scores for the telerehabilitation programme, with usefulness at 89.28%, ease of use at 88.52%, ease of learning at 93.25%, and satisfaction at 89.80%. When combined with tDCS, the programme's usefulness increased to 93%, ease of use to 90%, ease of learning remained high at 92%, and retention was at 91%. Conclusion: The BRS telerehabilitation programme was developed for older adult patients with post-stroke mild cognitive impairment, with experts’ consensus that it is feasible to use among older adult patients with post-stroke mild cognitive impairment.

An Interdisciplinary Approach to Understand the Resilience of Agrosystems in the Sahel and West Africa

Sub-Saharan African farmers have long been portrayed with very negative representations, at least since the beginning of coordinated European colonialism in the late 19th century. In the Sahel-Sudan area, agrosystems have been described as overgrazed, forests as endangered, and soils as overexploited, with local and traditional “archaic” practices. Against this background, the objective of this article is to focus on these agrosystems’ resilience, for which several criteria have been monitored. The approach used in this research was to synthesize observations from a large amount of material gathered over multiple years by the authors, drawing on our long-term commitment to, and inter-disciplinary study of, the evolution of surface hydrology, ecosystems, and agrosystems of West Africa. The positive trends in rainfall and streamflows, reinforced by farmer’s practices, confirm the overall regreening and reforestation of the Sahel-Sudan strip, especially in areas with high population densities, including the mangrove areas. The intensification of agricultural systems and the recovery of the water-holding capacity of soils and catchments explain the recorded general increase in terms of food self-sufficiency in the Sahel, as well as in crops yields and food production. Finally, we compare the neo-Malthusian discourse to the actual resilience of these agrosystems. The article concludes with a recommendation calling for the empowerment of smallholder farmers to take greater advantage of the current wet period. Overall, the speed of change in knowledge and know-how transfer and implementation, and the farmers’ ability to adapt to ecological and economic crises, must be highlighted. Far from being resistant to change, West African agriculturalists innovate, experiment, borrow, transform, and choose according to their situation, projects, and social issues.

Building bridges and preserving voices: key factors in community oral history stewardship

PurposeThe study aims to enhance our understanding of shared community oral history stewardship by exploring its practices and challenges from the perspectives of the stakeholders involved.Design/methodology/approachThis study employed in-depth semi-structured interviews with community oral history stewards. Each interview focused on their experiences and perspectives regarding community-based oral history projects. The interview data were transcribed and analyzed using a grounded theory approach.FindingsCommunity oral history stewards found oral history stewardship entails substantial effort, long-term commitment, and challenges. They concurred on the importance of partnerships between communities and archives in preserving community stories, with institutional archives providing valuable support, resources, and engagement beyond mere preservation platforms. Establishing trust between communities and archives emerged as a fundamental requirement for fruitful collaboration.Originality/valueCommunity oral history has stood out as the prevailing form within the theory and practice of oral history, but its shared stewardship practices have not been thoroughly explored from the stakeholders' viewpoints.

The Role of Women in Political Participation in Cambodia: A Case Study of Svay Rieng Province

The government considers women as the backbone of Cambodia's economy and society. Despite a good sign, the female parliamentary representation in Svay Rieng fluctuated in the last three mandates (60% in 2008 and 2013, 80% in 2018, and 60% in 2023). The study aims to investigate the “socioeconomic”, “traditional-cultural”, “family”, and “personal” factors affecting gender roles in political involvement in Svay Rieng province, to assess perceptions and attitudes regarding women's political engagement. A mixed-methods approach was utilized, administering surveys to 119 participants and semi-structured interviews with 8 women actively participating in politics and leadership roles, using snowball sampling. The findings emphasize 1) Family-factors (domestic responsibilities, violence, and lack of support) hinder women's political participation the most, 2) Personal factors: limited education and self-confidence, 3) Socio-economic obstacles (the social devaluation of women, violence against women, limited outreach initiatives, and the impact of economic crises), and 4) Traditional customs, cultural norms including prescribed gender roles further contribute to the challenges faced by women in politics. Despite these obstacles, the study identifies positive perceptions and attitudes towards women's political participation. Participants underlined the need to empower women at both the national and sub-national levels, as well as fostering capacity development and extending possibilities. The recommendations include adopting gender equality legislation, increasing awareness, improving capacity-building programs, providing supportive infrastructure, engaging male allies, promoting cooperation, and assuring long-term commitment. A future study should look at additional elements that may impact women's political engagement, as well as evaluate the efficiency of existing policies for empowering women in Svay Rieng.

Undergraduate Ancillaries in the Economics Department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The Economics Department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) has had a long-term commitment to offering extra-curricular opportunities for undergraduate students to enhance their learning beyond the classroom. These opportunities include research, problem-solving, leadership development, Undergraduate Learning Assistance (ULA), peer tutoring, and networking events, among others. Given the Economics program’s substantial size within UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences—with over 1400 declared or intended majors in recent years—it is important to structure the activities in a manner that accommodates students’ diverse interests as well as their time constraints. In this paper, we introduce these different activities and discuss their scope, skill objectives, and time commitment. The benefits to students include opportunities for community, networking, exposure, application, teamwork, presentation, analysis, and research. We also discuss several challenges a department faces to successfully offer these diverse opportunities.

Boosting Employee Loyalty at XYZ Consulting: Strategies for Long-Term Commitment

Boosting Employee Loyalty at XYZ Consulting: Strategies for Long-Term Commitment

Soil carbon tonne-year accounting: Crediting the additional time-integrated amount of carbon captured in soil

Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration has become a critical component of climate change mitigation strategies, offering a natural and economically viable means to mitigate atmospheric CO2 levels. Current practices in SOC sequestration auditing face limitations due to the requirement for carbon permanence, which can discourage landholders from participating due to long-term commitments and uncertainties. We propose the concept of the Soil Carbon Tonne-Year as a new unit of measurement for assessing SOC sequestration, focusing on the time-integrated amount of carbon stored in the soil. Soil carbon tonne-year measures SOC stock across different operational soil carbon pools (such as Mineral Associated Organic Carbon and Particulate Organic Carbon), each with its own mean residence time. This approach, based on physical rather than economic or climatic metrics, aims to offer a more accurate, flexible, and realistic method of accounting for SOC. Our examples suggest that the Soil Carbon Tonne-Year approach could significantly enhance management flexibility, potentially increasing land value and leading to sustainable gains over the long term.

The key reasons for dropout in Slovenian music schools - a qualitative study.

Music education often struggles to sustain students' long-term commitment, with many perceiving lessons as frustrating or unengaging, leading to discontinuation. To address this gap, our study aimed to elucidate the primary reasons for dropout from the perspectives of various stakeholders, including students, parents, teachers, and principals. Drawing upon the self-determination theory, our research comprehensively investigated external and internal factors contributing to dropout. Among external factors, competing extracurricular commitments, music theory and solfége lessons, and teacher's approach emerge as the most prominent. Among internal factors, our findings highlighted the critical role of autonomy, competency, and relatedness in shaping students' decisions to continue or discontinue music education. Inadequate teacher-student relationships, limited peer interactions, and uninspiring classroom atmospheres significantly impacted dropout. Moreover, challenges in the music school curriculum, such as difficulties with music theory and solfège, resource limitations, and excessive workloads, emerged as prominent barriers to student engagement. By addressing these multifaceted issues, our study underscores the importance of fostering supportive environments that cater to individual needs and interests, ultimately enhancing the overall music education experience and reducing dropout rates. This research represents the first systematic empirical study in Slovenian music education, laying the groundwork for future quantitative investigations to advance education practices in Slovenia.

EU carbon prices signal high policy credibility and farsighted actors

AbstractCarbon prices in the EU emissions trading system are a key instrument driving Europe’s decarbonization. Between 2017 and 2021, they surged tenfold, exceeding €80 tCO2−1 and reshaping investment decisions across the electricity and industry sectors. What has driven this increase is an open question. While it coincided with two significant reforms tightening the cap (‘MSR reform’ and ‘Fit for 55’), we argue that a reduced supply of allowances alone cannot fully explain the price rise. A further crucial aspect is that actors must have become more farsighted as the reform signalled policymakers’ credible long-term commitment to climate targets. This is consistent with model results that show historic prices can be better explained with myopic actors, whereas explaining prices after the reforms requires actors to be farsighted. To underline the role of credibility, we test what would happen if a crisis undermines policy credibility such that actors become myopic again, demonstrating that carbon prices could plummet and endanger the energy transition.

Finding the right one: understanding the supplier selection process of social enterprises

PurposeThis study aims to develop an in-depth understanding of how supplier selection helps social enterprises achieve their social missions while maintaining commercial viability.Design/methodology/approachThe paper applies a multiple-case design to study the supplier selection processes of 15 Dutch social enterprises.FindingsSocial enterprises tend to build supply relationships through existing networks and evaluate suppliers based on value alignment, relationship commitment, resource complementarity, and cost. Depending on the possibility of social value creation in supplier selection, the importance of these criteria varies across different social enterprise models and between key and non-key suppliers. Moreover, suppliers’ long-term relationship commitment can help reconcile tensions between the social and commercial logic of a social enterprise and facilitate impact creation.Research limitations/implicationsData collection is limited to the perspectives of buyers – the social enterprises. Future research could collect supplier-side data to explore how they engage with social enterprises during the selection process.Practical implicationsManagers of social enterprises can use our research findings as guidance for selecting the most suitable suppliers, while organizations that want to collaborate with social enterprises should actively build network ties to be identified.Originality/valueWe contribute to the cross-sector collaboration literature by showing the underlying reasons for the preference for network reinforcing and indirect networking in supplier identification. We contribute to the social impact supply chain literature by revealing the critical role of supplier selection in shaping collaboration outcomes.

Drawing up the public national Rational Pharmacotherapy Action Plan as part of social and health services reform in Finland: a bottom-up approach involving stakeholders

BackgroundEnsuring equal access to medicines and their appropriate and safe use at reasonable costs are core functions of health systems. Despite that, few descriptions of national medicines policies' development processes and implementation strategies have been published. This study aimed to describe the government program-based development of the Rational Pharmacotherapy Action Plan in Finland as a part of the undergoing major health and social service system reform, also covering the implementation of rational pharmacotherapy in the reformed system and processes.MethodsThe data of this qualitative study consisted of public reports and Steering Group meeting memos related to the development of the national Rational Pharmacotherapy Action Plan that the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health coordinated. Qualitative content analysis applying systems theory and the conceptual framework of integrated services as theoretical frameworks was used as an analysis method.ResultsThe national Rational Pharmacotherapy Action Plan covering 2018–2022 was created in a bottom-up development process involving a wide range of stakeholders. Rational pharmacotherapy was redefined by adding equality as the fifth pillar to complement the previously defined pillars of being effective, safe, high-quality, and cost-effective. The Action Plan formed a normative framework for long-term development, with a vision and principles focusing on people-centeredness, better coordination and management of the medication use processes, the continuity of treatment paths and the flow of patient and medicines information through partnerships, and evidence-informed policies and practices.ConclusionThrough intensive stakeholder participation, the bottom-up approach created a national vision and principles of rational pharmacotherapy along with strong commitment to implementing the goals and measures. The concern lies in ensuring the continuity of the Action Plan implementation and achieving a balanced long-term development aligned with the integrated and reformed national social and health services system. The development of the pharmaceutical system has several national and EU-level dependencies requiring political long-term commitment. While the Action Plan differs from the national medicines policy, it forms a good basis for long-term development covering important parts of medicine policy at the micro, meso, and macro levels of the service system.

Gender and organizational commitment: evidence from a nationwide survey in Poland

Purpose The study examines whether affective organizational commitment and its drivers differ between Polish female and male employees.Design/methodology/approach Our proprietary data are from ongoing surveys conducted by a major Polish HR consulting firm. The nationwide survey of nearly 3,000 Polish workers in 2020 constitutes the data set in this analysis. Regression analysis is applied to analyze the relationship between organizational commitment, gender and other variables.Findings The study provides support for the job model, that is, women and men have similar levels of commitment once all other factors are controlled. Although the results show that, ceteris paribus, the organizational commitment of women is statistically significantly higher than that of men, the effect size is trivial in practical terms. The study also discloses the fact that the determinants of organizational commitment of men and women are similar, thus refuting a commonly held notion about gendered job attribute preferences. Support for gender as a moderator between organizational commitment and its antecedents is not found. COVID-19-related work adjustments do not seem to have affected the commitment of Polish male and female workers to their employers.Originality/value The study adds to the scarce empirical literature on organizational commitment in Poland. To date, only a small number of such studies exist for Poland, and all of them use small homogeneous samples and limited questionnaires. The results are of value to researchers as well as HR managers seeking to improve long-term commitment to organizations.

High retention HR systems: Bridging employee wellbeing and organizational commitment for sustainable success

This paper explores the shift in Human Resource (HR) management towards high retention HR systems, crucial for enhancing organizational commitment and employee well-being. Traditional HR models focused on performance metrics have struggled to maintain long-term employee retention and overall organizational health. In response, high retention HR systems prioritize the holistic needs of employees, fostering supportive and engaging environments that encourage long-term commitment and satisfaction. These systems integrate practices focused on employee well-being, work-life balance, and inclusivity, aiming to build sustainable, mutually beneficial relationships between employees and organizations. Through detailed analysis, this paper underscores the importance of prioritizing employee well-being and organizational commitment for sustainable success. It provides insights into the significance of high retention HR systems in the modern workforce, suggesting directions for future research and practice in this area.