Multi-method Research Design Research Articles

Developing comic strips promoting diabetic retinopathy screening in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, using Intervention Mapping.

IntroductionIntervention Mapping is the protocol used by the Kilimanjaro Diabetic Programme to plan, develop, implement, and evaluate an evidence-based screening programme for diabetic retinopathy. Two comic strips were developed to deliver the message on the need for diabetic retinopathy screening.ObjectivesThe first objective was to develop a culturally appropriate and accessible health message to promote diabetic retinopathy screening for the target audience. The second objective was to deliver a motivational message to promote acceptance of diabetic retinopathy screening irrespective of past eye health behaviour.MethodsA multi-method research design was used. Social cognitive theory provided the theoretical basis for the intervention, involving community participation to promote positive eye health behaviour.ResultsFor the Draughts Comic Strip, Flesch-Kincaid readability was 75.7% and comprehension was 87.04%, and for the Soap Opera Comic Strip Flesch-Kincaid readability was 75.6% and comprehension was 86.54%.ConclusionThe development of the diabetic retinopathy comic strips was a positive health education strategy implemented during a clinical trial comparing methods of screening for diabetic retinopathy at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre Hospital. The level of comprehension of the comic strips by stakeholders indicated their understanding of the message. Patients enroled in the clinical trial requested the comic strips. No discarded comic strips were found in the clinic during the clinical trial.Trial registrationTrial registration number: ISRCTN31439939. Details available at https://www.isrctn.com/.

An integrated primary care-based programme of PRE-Pregnancy cARE to improve pregnancy outcomes in women with type 2 Diabetes (The\xa0PREPARED\xa0study): protocol for a multi-method study of implementation, system adaptation and performance

BackgroundThe number of women of childbearing age with Type 2 diabetes(T2DM) is increasing, and they now account for > 50% of pregnancies in women with pre-existing diabetes. Diabetes pregnancies without adequate pre-pregnancy care have higher risk for poor outcomes (miscarriages, birth-defects, stillbirths) and are associated with increased complications (caesarean deliveries, macrosomic babies, neonatal intensive-care admissions). The risks and costs of these pregnancies can be reduced with pregnancy preparation (HbA1c, ≤ 6.5%, 5 mg folic acid and stopping potentially harmful medicines). However, 90% of women with T2DM, most of whom are based in primary care, are not adequately prepared for pregnancy. This study will evaluate a programme of primary care-based interventions (decision-support systems; pre-pregnancy care-pathways; pregnancy-awareness resources; professional training; and performance monitoring) to improve pregnancy preparation in women with T2DM.MethodsThe study aims to optimise the programme interventions and estimate their impact on pregnancy preparation, pre-pregnancy care uptake and pregnancy outcomes. To evaluate this multimodal intervention, we will use a multi-method research design following Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) theory, refining the interventions iteratively during the study. Thirty GP practices with ≥ 25 women with T2DM of reproductive age (18–45 years) from two South London boroughs will be exposed to the intervention. This will provide > 750 women with an estimated pregnancy incidence of 80–100 to study. The research involves: a clinical audit of processes and outcomes; a process evaluation informing intervention feasibility, implementation, and behaviour change; and a cost-consequences analysis informing future economic evaluation. Performance data will be collected via audits of GP systems, hospital antenatal clinics and pregnancy outcomes. Following CAS theory, we will use repeated measurements to monitor intervention impact on pregnancy preparation markers at 4-monthly intervals over 18-months. We will use performance and feasibility data to optimise intervention effects iteratively. The target performance for the intervention is a 30% increase in the proportion of women meeting pre-pregnancy care criteria.DiscussionThe primary output will be development of an integrated programme of interventions to improve pregnancy preparation, pre-pregnancy care uptake, and reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with T2DM. We will also develop an implementation plan to support the introduction of the interventions across the NHS.Trial registrationISRCTN47576591; February 8, 2022.

Antecedents of emotional labour for holiday representatives: A framework for tourism workers

Despite advances in the tourism literature on emotional labour (EL), there is still a need to provide a detailed understanding of the antecedents because of their impact on tourism employees’ workplace performance. This research presents a comprehensive framework of these antecedents by adopting a multi-method qualitative research design. Data was collected from 21 holiday representatives employed overseas by UK based tour operators. These employees were selected because they experience one of the highest levels of EL in customer service roles. The findings reveal that EL is multifaceted and complex. It identifies a new category of antecedents related to the work context and the myriad of workplace relationships which impact how these employees construct their EL. It provides insights into job roles where there are no clear distinctions between work and leisure, increasingly identified as typical for tourism workers. The findings inform tour operator policies on recruitment, training, and employee support.

Perception of Filipino Physicians on The Roles and Scope of Practice of Physical Therapy in the Philippines

Aim: To report the existing perceptions of Filipino physicians on the practice of physical therapy through the validated Perception on Physical Therapists Questionnaire (PoPTQ). Methods: This study utilized a multi-method quantitative research design. For Phase 1 (psychometric), 18 questionnaires were used to compute the Cronbach’s α of PoPTQ. A total of 134 questionnaires from Filipino physicians were analyzed for Phase 2 (cross-sectional), in which descriptive statistics and cross tab analysis were used to report the respondents’ perceptions. Both phases utilized online means of data gathering done via convenience sampling. Results: Phase 1 revealed an acceptable Cronbach's α value of 0.528 for all items of PoPTQ. Phase 2 showed that physicians who have attended lectures discussing the roles of physical therapists (PTs) or have experience with working with them have a higher referral rate than those with no prior exposure to PTs. Physicians believe that PTs can establish strong patient-therapist relationships and treat different patients. Furthermore, physicians positively acknowledge the roles of PTs in clinical and research settings. Conclusion and Implications: Adequate foundational knowledge, positive perceptions, and high awareness of PTs' roles and scope of practice are observed among physicians practicing locally. However, there is a need to increase collaboration opportunities between physical therapy students and physicians in their academic years and promote physical therapy roles specific to different medical specialties. Results of this study may assist in determining areas where the promotion of physical therapy roles is needed. This study can also aid in establishing a gold standard assessment tool for quantitative perception studies.

Strategies for successful deployment and sustainment of Lean Six Sigma in healthcare sector in India: a multi-level perspective

PurposeThis study aims to present Lean Six Sigma (LSS) deployment and sustainment strategies for the healthcare sector from a multi-level perspective. The objective is to present LSS implementation insights to enable policymakers, practitioners and academicians to test and develop an LSS framework for healthcare sectors.Design/methodology/approachThe strategies identified are the result of a multi-method research design involving literature review, action research (AR) and Delphi study. Further, the AR portion of the study involved more than 10 years of projects focused on the deployment of LSS in the healthcare sector.FindingsThe strategies include a holistic view from the multi-level perspective, considering the Top Management Level, Middle Management Level and Operational Level. The authors ascertained 27 strategies across the three levels of organizational structure for the effective deployment of LSS. Further, the authors present a customized LSS “pocket guide” from the healthcare perspective for quick reference.Research limitations/implicationsThe strategies delineated in this study are based on the Indian healthcare section only; thus, further research in additional geographic contexts is needed. Also, further research is necessary to provide additional empirical validation of the effects of the identified strategies on LSS program outcomes and to verify that the strategies operate at the proposed organizational levels. Future research should also focus on identifying the interrelationships between strategies within and across levels, developing a “road map” for LSS implementation in hospitals and designing the LSS curriculum for medical schools and other medical training programs.Practical implicationsObservations of this study can contribute to developing a holistic framework for successful LSS implementation in the healthcare sector for academicians, practitioners and policymakers. This, in turn, ensures an enhanced value proposition, improved quality of life and reduced healthcare operational costs. Thus, it ensures a win-win situation among all the stakeholders of the healthcare sector.Originality/valueThe strategies put forth will enable the LSS researchers, academicians and, more particularly, practitioners to delve deeper into specific enablers and safeguard the LSS deployment from backlash. The research has two significant benefits. Firstly, it enhances the understanding of LSS from the healthcare perspective. Secondly, it provides direction for future studies with specific components for hospitals’ LSS framework, which can be further tested, refined and improved.

Gender Differentials in Entrepreneurship: Insights from a Multi-method Study

Gender inequality is an obstacle to inclusive growth, and literature reveals shortcomings in the basic entrepreneurial assumption of equal access to resources, support and economic opportunities for women. International bodies have emphasised the need to examine gender differentials at various levels like, country, organisational and individual levels. Our study is a novel attempt in this direction and aims to build a comprehensive understanding of gender differentials in entrepreneurship using multi-method research design. We analyse and integrate findings from the macro-level using national level datasets (NSSO and Economic Census) and the micro-level using surveys (primary data and GEM India data). Our results note a gender equality lacuna, calling for the need to include meaningful sex-disaggregated data in national surveys, the entrepreneurial intentions of women, behavioural traits impacting women entrepreneurs, the importance of entrepreneurship education, fear of failure, self-confidence and the need for role models. We propose a model of macro and micro factors impacting women entrepreneurship in developing countries.

Perception of Filipino physicians on the roles and scope of practice of physical therapy in the Philippines: A multi-method quantitative study

Introduction: Physical therapists (PTs) are licensed practitioners who can assess, diagnose, and provide treatment interventions that restore patients to optimal function. While PTs can deliver complete management plans, the practice of physical therapy (PT) in the Philippines follows a referral system where physicians are the first contact of the patient, emphasizing the importance of physician's perception towards the role of PTs and scope of PT service. This study aimed to determine the internal consistency of the Perception on Physical Therapists Questionnaire (PoPTQ), and to use this tool to report the existing perceptions of Filipino physicians on the practice of PT. Method: This study was divided into two phases and utilized a multi-method quantitative research design. For Phase 1 (psychometric), 18 questionnaires administered to Filipino physicians were used to compute Cronbach's α of PoPTQ. A total of 134 questionnaires of the same population were analyzed for Phase 2 (cross-sectional), in which descriptive statistics and cross tab analysis were used to report the respondents' perceptions. Both phases utilized online means of data gathering done via convenience sampling. Results: Phase 1 revealed a Cronbach's α value of 0.528 for all items of PoPTQ. Phase 2 showed that physicians who have attended lectures discussing the roles of PTs or have experience with working with them have a higher referral rate than those with no prior exposure to PTs. Discussion: Filipino physicians believe that PTs can establish strong patient-therapist relationships, treat different patients, and acknowledge the roles of PTs in clinical and research settings. Data suggest that adequate foundational knowledge, positive perceptions, and high awareness of PTs' roles and scope of practice are observed among Filipino physicians. However, there remains a need to increase collaboration opportunities between PTs and physicians in their academic years and programs that focus on the promotion of PT roles and scope of practice.

A preliminary study of current situation and competences of doctoral nursing education in Taiwan: A multi-methods research design.

AimTo explore the status and overall competency of Taiwan’s doctoral nursing programs. BackgroundTaiwan has 11 universities offer doctoral degree programs in nursing from 1997 to 2020. As the demand for educators of higher nursing education increases, whether the nursing talent requirements have been satisfactorily fulfilled. DesignA two-stage data collection based on a multi-methods survey was conducted. MethodsThe first stage from December 2017 to the end of December 2019, involved collecting admission brochures for 12 doctoral nursing programs provided by 11 universities and 14 Internet databases. In the second stage, convenience sampling was performed to recruit 115 graduates of national doctoral nursing programs to collect data through a self-administered questionnaire online survey from July to the end of September 2018. ResultsA systematic review of the vision and core competencies of each university revealed a general emphasis on nursing knowledge, research, leadership, international perspective and competence, innovation, social practice and policy. More specifically, universities aim to cultivate five core competencies in students, for example, nursing knowledge, scientific and innovative research capabilities and participation in the formulation and promotion of nursing policies. Of the 115 graduates of national doctoral nursing programs surveyed, the online questionnaire revealed that more than half of the respondents were aged 41–50 years (n = 62, 53.9%), 81.8% occupied a teaching position and most had 2.4–9.8 years of study in the program (mean = 6.09 ± 1.81 years). Respondents who completed a doctoral nursing program in Taiwan could learn orderly teaching, research and leadership capabilities with scored 4.12, 4.11 and 3.65, respectively. ConclusionsThe overall orientation of the doctoral nursing programs in Taiwan aligns approximately with global trends in nursing. This study suggests that international and national resources should be incorporated into the cultivation of various competencies and curriculum quality control; moreover, industry, academia and the government should hold regular meetings to formulate suitable evaluation mechanisms.

A multi-method examination of sluggish cognitive tempo in relation to adolescent sleep, daytime sleepiness, and circadian preference.

The field's understanding of the association between sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) and sleep is severely limited by the lack of multi-method and multi-informant research designs that move beyond global ratings, often focused on a limited number of sleep-related domains, such as daytime sleepiness. The current study begins to address these limitations by using actigraphy, daily sleep diary, and self- and parent-report global ratings of sleep in adolescents, a developmental period marked by changes in SCT, sleep, and circadian function. As SCT and sleep are also associated with ADHD symptoms, we tested these associations in a sample of adolescents with and without ADHD. Adolescents (N = 302; M age = 13.17 years, 44.7% female) with (n = 162) and without ADHD (n = 140) and parents completed global ratings of sleep and daytime sleepiness, and adolescents completed a measure of circadian preference. Adolescents also wore actigraphs for approximately two weeks, during which daily diaries were completed. Above and beyond demographic characteristics (i.e., sex, race, and family income), pubertal development, medication use, and ADHD group status, adolescents' self-reported SCT symptoms were uniquely associated with shorter sleep duration and later sleep onset per both actigraphy and daily diary. SCT symptoms were also uniquely associated with longer sleep onset latency and poorer overall sleep (per daily diary), more sleep/wake problems and daytime sleepiness (per adolescent rating), more difficulties initiating and maintaining sleep (per parent rating), and later eveningness preference (per adolescent rating). Nearly all significant effects remained in sensitivity analyses controlling for adolescent- or parent-reported ADHD symptom dimensions. Findings provide the strongest evidence to date for SCT being uniquely linked to poorer sleep, greater daytime sleepiness, and a later evening circadian preference across subjective and objective measures. Longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate predictive and bidirectional associations.

University accelerators and entrepreneurship education in Australia: substantive and symbolic motives

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the status of university accelerators (UAs) in Australia, expanding a similar paper on related entrepreneurship education (EE) in 2019. The aim is to review neoteric global best practice UA, aligning context and specific inference to the impact of UAs in Australia.Design/methodology/approach The authors introduce an iterative and emergent inquiry into multi-method research, including a quantitative examination of Australian UAs, Leximancer algorithmic analyses of entrepreneurial strategic intent and narratives from best practice applications.Findings The paper highlights the sparse and inconsistent distribution across UAs in Australia, further characterized by significant symbolic motives of operation. Furthermore, the integration of EE evidenced on global UA is not as evident in Australia, highlighting outcomes more specific to the success of nascent (student) startups as opposed to educational outcomes.Research limitations/implications Limitations include the availability and accuracy of online documents and data, although implications have been mitigated using multi-method research design.Practical implications Despite the provision of critical grounding for practitioners and researchers in developing UAs, further research is recommended regarding the efficacy and impact of these accelerators.Originality/value This study is the first multi-methods emergent inquiry into UAs in Australia, coupled with integration of EE. The authors provide guidelines and inferences for researchers, educators, policymakers and practitioners alike as they seek to explore and act upon the impact of UAs.

METACOGNITIVE AWARENESS OF LISTENING STRATEGIES AND PERCEPTION OF LISTENING SKILL DURING REMOTE LEARNING

The online classes associated with the Covid-19 pandemic have resulted in the magnitude of remote learning of ESL (English as a second language). Sustaining the quality of teaching and learning of listening skills has become more challenging for everyone. Listening is one of the fundamental skills to acquire knowledge in an academic setting. Every instructor and learner need to perceive that listening is not an innate skill, understand the processes involved in listening comprehension, and integrate strategies while listening. The present study explores Metacognitive Awareness of Listening Strategies (MALS) and students’ perceptions about learning listening skills during remote learning. The current study was conducted through a multimethod research design where both quantitative and qualitative data were involved. Two instruments were utilised, which are the Metacognitive Awareness of Listening Questionnaire (MALQ) and the online discussion board. The participants were chosen based on simple random sampling consisting of 51 pre-university students enrolled in the Science Foundation programme in the 2020/2021 session. The first part of the results depicted students had an average level of MALS with directed attention strategies as the factor with the highest average. The second part of the results reported that students who scored a higher average score of MALS tend to use problem-solving strategies. Lastly, the board postings were analysed thematically and categorised to three different themes which are challenges, strategies, and activities of learning skills. It is hoped that this study will shed light on empirical strategies and evidence of listening practices during online classes. Both teachers and learners may have clearer insights on how to manage listening comprehension effort and use learning inherent to tackle remote learning.

Removing modifications to the New Zealand Early Warning Score- does ethnicity matter? A multimethod research design

BackgroundPrevious research on a modified New Zealand Early Warning Score (M-NZEWS) used in predominately medical ward patients identified removing the modifications would significantly reduce the number of M-NZEWSs triggering the medical emergency team (MET), particularly in Māori patients. AimTo firstly, explore the impact of removing the modifications from the M-NZEWS on medical and surgical ward patients’ early warning score MET triggers and secondly, determine if the M-NZEWS MET triggers resulted in MET activations and if the MET activations were a result of M-NZEWS MET triggers. MethodThe study used a multimethod research design. Phase one analysed ward electronic vital sign data and phase two analysed MET and critical care outreach data from the critical care outreach data base. ResultsData of 353 patients and 1004 M-NZEWS MET triggers were analysed. Removing the modifications would result in 26.9% fewer patients with MET triggers, with the biggest impact on Māori. Only 45.8% of M-NZEWS MET triggers were escalated to the MET with 58.9% escalated to critical care outreach. Review of the MET activations identified only 59.2% had M-NZEWSs triggering the MET recorded in the electronic vital sign system; however the critical care outreach data base identified most of the MET activations were because of M-NZEWS MET triggers. ConclusionRemoving the modifications would significantly reduce the number of MET triggers, particularly in Māori patients. Analysing solely electronic vital sign data may not reflect the number of medical emergency team triggers or activations.

Union Affiliation and Civic Engagement: Teachers in Bogotá, Colombia

ABSTRACTDo labor unions still motivate their members to participate in politics, or have social and economic changes undermined their political importance? This question is important to revisit, as globalization and economic reform have weakened many popular sector organizations in Latin America, reducing some to mere patronage machines. This article examines the case of the teachers’ union in Bogotá, Colombia to assess whether and how labor unions are able to promote the political activation of their members. Employing a multimethod research design that begins with a quantitative analysis of a survey of Colombian teachers, this study finds that union affiliation is associated with higher levels of motivation to vote. It then uses evidence from interviews to show how union advocacy and internal elections for leadership positions shape political behavior, contributing to civic engagement. This research engages with broader debates about democratic quality and political representation in contemporary Latin America.

"You Still Want to Go Lots of Places": Exploring Walking Interviews in Research With Older Migrants.

Walking interviews have become prevalent in social sciences; however, their use in research with older people is limited. This article offers a reflexive account of our ethical and methodological choices and practices while conducting walking interviews with older migrants, and considers the potential of this method in researching migrants' aging in place. The study had a longitudinal, multisited (London and Yorkshire), qualitatively driven multimethod research design. In 2018-2019, in-depth interviews were conducted with 45 older migrants originally from the Caribbean, Ireland, and Poland, followed by walking interviews with a subsample of 9 participants 6-12 months later. The majority of participants were older than 80 years. Our study demonstrated that walking interviews are a promising method to explore in depth a variety of relevant issues including older migrants' mobility, and health and well-being; navigating places through everyday activities; interactions with local neighborhoods over time; and the meanings associated with such experiences. Through direct exposure to the physicality of places, walking interviews can elicit rich and complex data that would be difficult to collect through other methods. Conducting walking interviews with older migrants has unique thematic potential. However, a range of ethical and practical challenges need to be considered, including a risk to revealing participants' identities and adopting an ethics-in-practice approach. The method has some limitations, especially with less-mobile participants. Implications for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners are suggested.

Residential Constraints and the Political Geography of the Populist Radical Right: Evidence from France

What explains variation in populist radical right (PRR) support within Western democracies? Specifically, why is contemporary PRR support often and increasingly stronger in areas seemingly detached from the effects of globalization, transnationalism, or immigration, the key issues these parties emphasize? This study articulates a theory of residential constraints to deepen understanding of these spatial patterns. I hypothesize that when citizens are residentially constrained—that is, when their means of reacting to local conditions and “voting with their feet” are limited—they are more likely to support PRR parties. To test this claim, I use a multimethod research design and exploit both quantitative and qualitative evidence from France, an important case of long-standing and geographically divided PRR support. I demonstrate that the PRR performs well in areas where locals’ access to services and opportunities is compromised and where opportunities and incentives to relocate are blocked by residential constraints. Residential constraints thus generate a set of relative economic grievances and render them highly salient in localities that may otherwise appear unaffected by more objective hardships and structural decay.

A Multimethod Investigation of Sex, Romantic Relationships, and Interpersonal Dependency.

An individual's level of interpersonal dependency influences the way they engage with others, and researchers have achieved a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between dependency and interpersonal relationships across an array of social situations. This knowledge has improved the efficacy of medical and psychotherapeutic work with dependent clients and has informed approaches taken to reduce the societal costs of dependent personality disorder (e.g., increased risk for suicide and self-harm, perpetration of child abuse, perpetration of domestic violence, victimization by a partner, and physical illness). Relatively little research, however, has explored dependency's links to sexual activity and sexual functioning, the findings of which stand to offer knowledge valuable to sex counseling, couples therapy, sexual health, and our overall understanding of sexuality. The current study utilized a multimethod research design to explore dependency as it relates to sexual and romantic relationships and sexual activity. Multiple associations emerged between dependency, both interpersonal dependency and a healthy variant of dependency, and sexual activity. Based upon these findings and contemporary literature, an initial discussion of some of the therapeutic implications of this knowledge and suggestions for working with dependent clients are offered.

The meaning of participative implementation processes for local energy balancing in a systemic approach

Within an interdisciplinary, participatory and transformative research approach, a multi-method research design was used to examine acceptance criteria of energy balancing technologies. Energy balancing is important to integrate the increasing amount of renewable energies efficiently into the energy supply system: due to the fluctuating power production from wind and solar power plants flexibilities are needed. The study applied a holistic, systemic perspective, not only focused on the technologies, but also on consumers, producers and the interwining of both. Within the study, a mixture of balancing technologies, suitable for decentralized energy systems on a regional or local level, took center stage. The most relevant stakeholders to define acceptable pathways for planning and realization processes for decentralized energy balancing concepts are in the focus of interest. They are identified as decision holders to foster the implementation of energy balancing. For environmental planning, regional participation and related governance processes results state a lack of awareness for the necessity of energy balancing. A shared understanding of future energy balancing needs and possibilities within respective regarded areas is crucial besides administrative boundaries of e.g. municipalities. Furthermore, different levels to integrate municipal stakeholders and citizens in an adapted planning process for energy balancing concepts have been identified and a prototype of a strategic planning tool was developed and tested.

Towards a Data-Driven Public Administration: An Empirical Analysis of Nascent Phase Implementation

This paper aims to demystify the concept of data-driven public administration and lay bare the complexity involved in its implementation. It asks the overall research question of what challenges are encountered and problematised in a nascent phase of data-driven public administration implementation. The analysis is based on a multi-method research design, including a survey, follow-up interviews with practitioners and an analysis of key policy documents in the context of the Norwegian public sector. It highlights areas of both discrepancy and harmony between what has been prioritised at the policy level and the reality of implementation on the ground. In addition, unseen issues are discussed in order to broaden this perspective. Data-driven administrative reform touches upon everything from organisational culture to technical infrastructure and legal and regulatory frameworks. The complexity laid out in the analysis thus has implications for theory and practice. Nordic countries provide an interesting object of investigation, as they hold vast amounts of data and are highly digitalised, yet, in common with many other governments, they are still in a nascent phase of implementation. This paper should therefore be relevant to other jurisdictions and it provides a call to arms for civil servants and public administration scholars to engage more deeply in this phenomenon.

Should practical usefulness be considered for theory building in HRD? Traditional versus pragmatism approach

Globalization has led to an increasing emphasis on the critical role of the workforce in the success of organizations. This has resulted in the shift of focus on human resource development (HRD) as the center of attention in the current paradigm. Hence, this article suggests a need to use a comprehensive philosophical paradigm to develop practical theories in HRD and compares the usefulness of positivism, interpretivism and pragmatism philosophies in the theory-building process. Based on fragmented literature in philosophy and HRD disciplines, this theoretical manuscript has assembled and thoroughly reviewed the existing literature to propose new ways of theory building in HRD. The findings guide that despite the usefulness of positivism and interpretivism philosophical paradigms in knowledge generation, these philosophies lead to practically weak theories. Hence, theory building in HRD should be driven by a problem-solving approach rather than only relying on plausibility criteria. It further guides how multi-method and mixed-method research designs might help provide answers to complex and newly emerged challenges in HRD. Overall, this research adds value to a body of knowledge by proposing a unique five-stage framework to develop new theories in HRD using the pragmatism approach. The use of the proposed framework might be beneficial in developing practically and theoretically useful theories in the future.

Measuring the Creative Capital and its Development in the Regions of France

Since the publication of the highly cited book of Richard Florida (“The Rise of the Creative Class. And How it's Transforming Work, Leisure and Everyday Life”), creativity has been considered as a new paradigm for economic development of cities and regions. In this context, evaluating the creative class and the creative capital has become an increasingly important concern. At the same time, measuring creative capital, in European countries in particular, remains underinvestigated. This paper is aimed at redressing this gap by evaluating the creative capital index for several regions of France. A multi-method research design was based on the Creative Capital Index project by PwC Russia. It was used to analyze both primary and secondary data on five main variables – “Regional development”, “Population”, “Business environment”, “Government” and “Brands” – from several French regions (Île-de-France, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bretagne, Occitanie and Pays de la Loire) obtained from European, national and regional open databases, official websites of governmental and non-governmental organizations and other online resources. The analysis of the results of creative capital index estimation and the investigation of creative projects, strategies and programs that were implemented in the regions under study has shown that each region has its competitive advantage in terms of specific aspects of creative capital. The results of the study may be of use to economists and policymakers by enabling them to recognize the key factors of creativity in their regions.