Multidimensional Conceptual Framework Research Articles

A process‐oriented, multilevel, multidimensional conceptual framework of work–life balance support: A multidisciplinary systematic literature review and future research agenda

AbstractWork–life balance is shaped not only by how individuals manage their personal demands and resources, but also by stressors and work–life balance support mechanisms from external environment encompassing multilevel social systems. Our systematic literature review focuses particularly on the role of work–life balance support, drawing on 384 journal articles and book chapters published between 1960 and 2019 across five research disciplines, including management, applied psychology, industrial relations, family studies and sociology. We make four major contributions to the literature, including: (1) conceptualizing work–life balance support from a process‐oriented perspective pertinent to a virtuous cycle of resource investment and return, drawing on the conservation of resources theory and the personal resource allocation framework; (2) adopting a multilevel approach that construes the interactions in terms of resource changes between individuals’ work–life experiences and their surrounding social systems nested at multiple levels, applying the socio‐ecological systems theory; (3) proposing a multidimensional typology that differentiates the role of actual existence versus subjective perception of support mechanisms as inspired by social support literature; and (4) advocating a pluralist, multi‐stakeholder approach to comprehending and reconciling multiple stakeholders’ shared and competing interests around provision/utilization of support mechanisms based on insights from multidisciplinary literature. Our process‐oriented, multilevel and multidimensional framework conceptualizes the critical role of work–life balance support in iterative interactions between individuals and their multilevel social environment through resource changes and reality–perception transformation. This conceptual framework also underscores the importance of pluralist thinking, context specification and cost‐effectiveness analysis for future research.

Community leadership as multi‐dimensional capacities: A conceptual framework and preliminary findings for community foundations

AbstractCommunity foundations are increasingly looked to as community leaders that coalesce money, people, knowledge, and networks for addressing public problems at the local level. However, the field remains difficult to grasp—what it is and how it materializes in practice. Drawing from both academic and practitioner literature, this article proposes a multidimensional conceptual framework that construes community leadership in six capacities ranging from (a) strategizing, (b) convening, (c) knowledge building, (d) capacity building, (e) partnering, to (f) policy engagement. I applied this conceptual framework to analyze 539 annual reports of U.S. community foundations using semi‐automated content analysis. The empirical analysis shows that they tend to specialize in one or a few leadership capacities, but not necessarily all six components. In particular, the capability approach to community leadership through capacity building, partnering, and policy engagement is more favorable among community foundations than a participatory approach through convening and knowledge building. This article contributes to building the conceptual foundation and provides preliminary evidence to advance future research on the foundations' role in community leadership.

The Performance of Internal Shariah Auditor in Islamic Financial Institutions

Purpose –It is this study’s objective to examine the correlations between internal Shariah auditors’ independence, qualifications and performance in Islamic financial institutions (IFIs), conceptually.
 Design/methodology/approach – This paper is theoretical in its approach; whereby it also undertakes an extensive literature review. From a general agency theory, an Islamic agency theory is articulated and applied to ascertain the attributes of internal Shariah auditor performance revolving around the concept of independence and qualifications.
 Findings – Performance of internal Shariahauditing, as a mechanism of assuring Shariahcompliance by IFIs varies directly with the degree of independence and qualifications enjoyed by internal Shariah auditors themselves. The study finds that in evaluating the freedom and qualifications of FIs’internalShariah auditors, Islamic agency theory can potentially serve as the theoretical foundation in developing a multi-dimensional conceptual framework.
 Research Limitations/implications – Evidence is drawn strictly from secondary sources.
 Practical implications –To ensure that internal Shariahauditor is effectively performing, IFIs ought to improve the degree of independence and qualifications of their auditors.
 Originality/value –The studies on the performance of internal and external Shariahauditorsin conventional financial institutions have been extensively researched. However, research on the performance of IFIs’ internal Shariah audit is yet to be conducted extensively.

Independence and effectiveness in internal Shariah audit with insights drawn from Islamic agency theory

PurposeThis paper aims to examine bases of effectiveness in internal Shariah auditing undertaken in Islamic financial institutions (IFIs).Design/methodology/approachThis paper is theoretical in approach taking, as its starting-point, an extensive literature review. From a general agency theory, an Islamic agency theory is articulated and then applied to ascertain attributes of internal Shariah audit effectiveness revolving around the concept of independence.FindingsEffective internal Shariah auditing, as a mechanism of assuring Shariah compliance by IFIs, varies directly with the degree of independence enjoyed by internal Shariah auditors themselves. The research propounds that an articulated Islamic agency theory holds potential to serve as a theoretical foundation to build a multi-dimensional conceptual framework based on independence utile for evaluating internal Shariah audit effectiveness.Research limitations/implicationsEvidence is drawn strictly from secondary sources.Practical implicationsTo assure effectiveness of internal Shariah auditing, IFIs ought to increase the level of independence of internal Shariah auditors.Originality/valueInternal Shariah audit effectiveness in IFIs has not been extensively studied in comparison with both studies of external Shariah audit effectiveness in IFIs and internal audit effectiveness undertaken by conventional financial institutions. This research fills that gap.

Circular economy research: A bibliometric analysis (2000–2019) and future research insights

This study undertakes an empirical analysis of the circular economy (CE) literature published between 2000 and 2019 and articulates the key research themes on the basis of content analysis and citation mapping of the top-cited CE-related articles. HistCite software was used to perform bibliometric citation meta-analysis on a sample of 2279 articles, obtained from the ISI Web of Science database, having 89,995 global cited references. Influential journals, articles, yearly trends, institutions, and authors in CE research were identified and presented in this study. Content analysis and citation mapping of the top-cited 33 articles revealed the following key research themes: 1) CE assessment methods and frameworks, 2) CE concept and sustainability, 3) Inter-disciplinary research in circular context, 4) CE adoption – country, region or firm level, 5) CE recycling, recovery, and reuse, 6) CE and environmental economics, 7) CE and eco-industrial parks, 8) CE and resource life extension, 9) CE and design of circular products and 10) CE rebound. Subsequently, a knowledge synthesis approach was applied to develop an integrated, multi-dimensional conceptual framework depicting the linkage between CE drivers, stakeholders, CE practice indicators, and performance measures. Finally, future research directions from recent articles were analyzed, and suggestions are made for future CE research themes.

Women\u2019s experiences of decision-making and informed choice about pregnancy and birth care: a systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative research

BackgroundThe purpose of this systematic review (PROSPERO Ref: CRD42017053264) was to describe and interpret the qualitative research on parent’s decision-making and informed choice about their pregnancy and birth care. Given the growing evidence on the benefits of different models of maternity care and the prominence of informed choice in health policy, the review aimed to shed light on the research to date and what the findings indicate.Methodsa systematic search and screening of qualitative research concerning parents’ decision-making and informed choice experiences about pregnancy and birth care was conducted using PRISMA guidelines. A meta-synthesis approach was taken for the extraction and analysis of data and generation of the findings. Studies from 1990s onwards were included to reflect an era of policies promoting choice in maternity care in high-income countries.ResultsThirty-seven original studies were included in the review. A multi-dimensional conceptual framework was developed, consisting of three analytical themes (‘Uncertainty’, ‘Bodily autonomy and integrity’ and ‘Performing good motherhood’) and three inter-linking actions (‘Information gathering,’ ‘Aligning with a birth philosophy,’ and ‘Balancing aspects of a choice’).ConclusionsDespite the increasing research on decision-making, informed choice is not often a primary research aim, and its development in literature published since the 1990s was difficult to ascertain. The meta-synthesis suggests that decision-making is a dynamic and temporal process, in that it is made within a defined period and invokes both the past, whether this is personal, familial, social or historical, and the future. Our findings also highlighted the importance of embodiment in maternal health experiences, particularly when it comes to decision-making about care. Policymakers and practitioners alike should examine critically current choice frameworks to ascertain whether they truly allow for flexibility in decision-making. Health systems should embrace more fluid, personalised models of care to augment service users’ decision-making agency.

An expert‐generated tool for assessing policy capacity

Abstract“Policy capacity” describes the ability of policy‐making systems to do quality work. Better‐quality policy work leads to more successful policies. There have been limited attempts to operationalize theoretical understanding of policy capacity, resulting in a lack of shared understanding and assessment metrics. In this Delphi study, health policy experts validated an existing multidimensional conceptual framework for policy capacity. Factors that contribute to policy success were identified and rated to represent aspects of policy capacity, and arranged within the conceptual framework, as were factor indicators. The resulting tool provides expert‐generated items for transparently and systematically assessing policy capacity.

Interoceptive awareness and self-regulation contribute to psychosomatic competence as measured by a new inventory.

BackgroundThe interrelation of interoception, cognitive appraisal of bodily signals and conscious self-regulatory behavior is insufficiently understood although it may be relevant for health and disease. Therefore, it was intended to develop a novel self-report measure targeting this link.MethodsItem development was theoretically based on the multidimensional conceptual framework of the psychosomatic intelligence hypothesis and included an iterative process of refinement of items. In a preliminary test a principal components analysis (PROMAX rotation) and item analysis were calculated for item reduction. In the field test an item response theory approach was used for development of final scales and items. For validation purposes, associations with established measures of related constructs were analyzed.ResultsThe final 44-item questionnaire consisted of 6 interrelated scales: (1) interoceptive awareness, (2) mentalization, (3) body-related cognitive congruence, (4) body-related health literacy, (5) general self-regulation, and (6) stress experience and stress regulation. Psychometric properties of this instrument demonstrated good model fit, internal consistency and construct validity. According to the validation, the final instrument measures a form of competence rather than intelligence and was termed the psychosomatic competence inventory.ConclusionInteroceptive awareness and conscious body-related self-regulation seem to jointly contribute to a basic competence which may serve homeostatic/allostatic control; however, further research is needed to confirm the reported preliminary findings in a large-scale test.

A sustained multidimensional conceptual change intervention in grade 9 and 10 science classes

ABSTRACTAlthough the benefits of addressing cognitive, social and affective aspects of learning in order to support conceptual change have been discussed in the literature, there are few studies of such interventions in the normal classroom. This study used a multidimensional conceptual change framework in order to teach five biology and physics topics over one year to two classes, one from Grade 9 and one in Grade 10. Pre- and post-tests were administered to determine the degree of conceptual change. Results were compared with those from teaching comparison classes using more traditional methods. Interviews were conducted with students at various points throughout the year to determine their perceptions of the learning framework. Significant positive changes in conceptual test results were observed for all topics. In most cases these changes were significantly greater than those of students in comparison classes. Students also reported increased interest in studying science, adoption of mastery goals for learning and confidence in being able to understand concepts and write scientific explanations. This study has presented research findings within a framework that can be adopted to effectively teach a variety of topics through a multidimensional conceptual change lens.

Sustainable consumption and production: a conceptual framework and agenda for research

This paper presents a novel multidimensional conceptual framework for achieving sustainable consumption and production. The paper adopts a qualitative approach through literature and theoretical reviews. The paper argues that while current research on SCP is dominated by a market-oriented philosophical configuration, the quest for sustainability has to integrate non-market considerations, which drives consumerism. After exploring the theoretical dimensions and the literature review, the paper leans on these to develop a new framework, which this paper refers to as 'multidimensional framework for sustainable consumption and production'; this is followed by a proposal of five new research models for further researching of sustainable sourcing of materials, sustainable production, sustainable consumption, sustainable distribution and sustainable waste management. The suggested framework and the five models provide new insight for improved policy and practice. This paper contributes new framework and models, which is absent in the literature.

Models of everywhere revisited: A technological perspective

The concept ‘models of everywhere’ was first introduced in the mid 2000s as a means of reasoning about the environmental science of a place, changing the nature of the underlying modelling process, from one in which general model structures are used to one in which modelling becomes a learning process about specific places, in particular capturing the idiosyncrasies of that place. At one level, this is a straightforward concept, but at another it is a rich multi-dimensional conceptual framework involving the following key dimensions: models of everywhere, models of everything and models at all times, being constantly re-evaluated against the most current evidence. This is a compelling approach with the potential to deal with epistemic uncertainties and non-linearities. However, the approach has, as yet, not been fully utilised or explored. This paper examines the concept of models of everywhere in the light of recent advances in technology. The paper argues that, when first proposed, technology was a limiting factor but now, with advances in areas such as Internet of Things, cloud computing and data analytics, many of the barriers have been alleviated. Consequently, it is timely to look again at the concept of models of everywhere in practical conditions as part of a trans-disciplinary effort to tackle the remaining research questions. The paper concludes by identifying the key elements of a research agenda that should underpin such experimentation and deployment.

The making of smart cities: Are Songdo, Masdar, Amsterdam, San Francisco and Brisbane the best we could build?

Transforming urban areas into prosperous, liveable, and sustainable settlements is a longstanding goal for local governments. Today, countless urban settlements across the globe have jumped into the so-called ‘smart city’ bandwagon to achieve this goal. Under the smart city agenda, presently, many government agencies are attempting to engineer an urban transformation to tackle urban prosperity, liveability, and sustainability issues mostly through the means of technology solutions. Nonetheless, the notion of smart cities is ambiguous, and there are limited conceptual frameworks to assist cities and their administrations in understanding the big picture view of this urban development paradigm. The aim of this paper is to generate a clear understanding on the making of successful smart city practices. This is done by elaborating the smart cities notion through a multidimensional conceptual framework, examining smart city best practices across the globe—i.e., Songdo, Masdar, Amsterdam, San Francisco, Brisbane—, and providing insights of smart city approaches from these cases. The findings of the study disclose the need for a comprehensive smart city conceptualisation to inform policymaking and consequently the practice. This will help in the formation of a much-needed smart urbanism model for the resilient settlements of the climate emergency era.

Assessing the Content Validity of a New Patient-Reported Measure of Barriers to Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence for Electronic Administration in Routine HIV Care: Proposal for a Web-Based Delphi Study.

BackgroundAdherence to lifesaving antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV infection remains a challenge for many patients. Routine screening for barriers to ART adherence could help make HIV care more patient-centered and prevent virologic rebound or failure. Our team is currently developing a new HIV-specific patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) of these barriers for use in Canada and France along with a digital app for its electronic administration. In our previous work, we developed the PROM’s multidimensional conceptual framework and generated 100 English items, which have been translated to French.ObjectiveThis study aims to use a Web-based Delphi to help validate and select the content of this new HIV-specific PROM, based on the perspective of anglophone and francophone patients and providers in Canada and France. Here, we present the proposal for this Delphi.MethodsThis modified Delphi will involve a diverse panel of patients (n=32) and providers (n=52) recruited especially from the 9 sites of the PROM development study (site locations in Canada: Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver; in France: Paris, Nantes, Clermont-Ferrand, Saint-Martin, Cayenne). Overall, 2 rounds of Web-based questionnaires will be conducted. The threshold for consensus is set at 60% and will determine which items are carried forward to the second round. Per item, 3 aspects will be rated: importance as a barrier to ART adherence, relevance for HIV care, and clarity. In both rounds, space will be available for free text comments. Overall comprehensiveness will be assessed in the second round.ResultsThis study has undergone a methodological review by experts in patient-oriented research. It has received approval from a research ethics board of the McGill University Health Centre. It is financially supported, in part, by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research-Quebec Support Unit (M006). As of May 21, 2019, 15 people living with HIV and 25 providers completed the first round of the Delphi (24 from Canada and 16 from France).ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first Delphi to seek consensus on the most relevant and clinically actionable barriers to ART adherence, collecting opinions on an extensive list of barriers. Drawing on a relatively large and diverse panel of HIV patients and providers, it essentially engages key stakeholders in decision making about the PROM’s final content, helping to ensure its utility and adoption.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)PRR1-10.2196/12836

Toward a Multidimensional Conceptual Framework for Understanding “Servingness” in Hispanic-Serving Institutions: A Synthesis of the Research

Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) are colleges and universities that enroll at least 25% Latinx students. Despite being recognized by the federal government since 1992, HSIs lack a historical mission to serve Latinxs. As such the idea of “servingness” has become an elusive concept. An abundance of literature centering HSIs has been published, yet there continues to be a debate about what it means to serve students. We conducted a systematic review of 148 journal articles and book chapters to better understand how researchers conceptualize the idea of servingness at HSIs. We identified four major themes used by researchers to conceptualize servingness: (1) outcomes, (2) experiences, (3) internal organizational dimensions, and (4) external influences. We also found that researchers are often unintentional in their efforts to conceptualize what it means to be an HSI. We offer a multidimensional conceptual framework of servingness to be used in research, policy, and practice.

Port labour, competitiveness and drivers of change in the Mediterranean Sea: a conceptual framework

Despite the progressive shift towards the capital-intensive paradigm, the human factor is still considered as one of most valuable assets in the port domain. Port labour from ship-to-shore and yard crane drivers to harbour pilots may lead to the success in port competition, affecting the quality, reliability and flexibility of port service. Several scholars started to address the major drivers shaping the causal relation between port labour and competitiveness. While some individual determinants have been already discussed, including port governance settings, innovation and technology, shifts in the demand needs, etc., extant literature fails to provide a multidimensional conceptual framework. The article addresses this literature gap by proposing an ad hoc theoretical model that identifies valuable drivers of change, which shape the relationship between port labour and competitiveness in the Mediterranean port systems. Grounded on two case studies in the Mediterranean Sea, i.e. the Port of Genoa and the Port of Marseille, the conceptual framework is tested and empirically validated. Managerial and organizational implications for port competitiveness are discussed, providing useful insights for both academics and practitioners.

Patient safety culture assessment in Iran using the “Hospital survey on patient safety culture” tool: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundPaying attention to patient safety is a crucial aspect of the healthcare provision delivery. Integrating and coordinating the different parts of the health system can ensure a safe, high-quality and efficient care. Patient safety culture (PSC) is a broad, complex and multi-dimensional conceptual framework. In recent years, several studies have been conducted to evaluate PSC using the “Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture” (HSOPSC) tool. The aim of this study was to examine the level of PSC in Iranian hospitals. MethodsISI/Web of Sciences (WoS), PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsychINFO and Scopus as well as Iranian databases including MagIran and SID were searched from January 2000 to July 2018. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale checklist was used to assess the quality of the studies. The mean score of the participants' responses for each dimension of the questionnaire was calculated using the DerSimonian-Laird's random model with a 95% confidence interval. ResultsIn the current systematic review and meta-analysis, 27 studies conducted between 2012 and 2017 were included. The participants were 9264. Low scores (in the range 37.79–65.43) were found, especially when compared to other countries such as Lebanon, Turkey and the USA. ConclusionOur results showed that in Iran the level of PSC is low and requires special attention from healthcare managers and providers. PSC should be a very important priority in Iran's health sector. Health decision- and policy-makers should pay particular attention to offering training programs to promote and develop PSC.

Dynamic capabilities

PurposeThe growth, diversity and applications of research into dynamic capabilities (DCs) have resulted in the whole literature on DCs becoming a complex and disconnected body of knowledge. This has led to criticisms of the subject of DCs as being vague, tautological and without practical value. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to synthesize the diverse scholarly literature about DCs and develop a more integrated understanding to minimize the reported apparent vagueness.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, the authors review various relevant themes on DCs using a selection of 133 articles published in 22 recognized, top-tier management journals during the period between 1990 and 2016, with an aim to build a structured and integrated theory. For this, morphological analysis (MA), a systems-thinking technique, is applied.FindingsMA is applied to develop a multi-dimensional conceptual framework comprising five dimensions and 26 variants that enable a structured representation of the conceptual foundations of DCs. Further, the authors identify 81 individual DCs noted by various scholars; elucidate assumptions and antecedents relevant to the DCs approach; structure the key characteristics; and expound the input factors, impacting factors, desired outcomes and assessment yardsticks.Research limitations/implicationsThis would be a useful resource for researchers working in the area of DCs to explore opportunities for future research.Practical implicationsThe MA framework helps managers to look at DCs more holistically, and hence would help them in developing, managing and retaining DCs in organizations.Originality/valueThis study is the original work contributed by the authors and has no specific organizational reference. This research implies new directions to look beyond individual DCs in firms toward a more integrated theory building.

The Relationship between Operational and Market Efficiency Improvement Towards Financial Performance

Purpose –The purpose of this study is to identify and explore the relationship between operational and market efficiency improvement towards financial performance in Malaysia as well as including multidimensional conceptual framework. Design/Methodology/Approach–The data for this quantitative study were gathered from 100 companies. Quality managers were used as key respondent as the reliability and the validity of the questionnaire were thoroughly examined. The results are based on regression analysis and equation modelling by using SPSS software. Then, the data will be analysed in the relationship of each construct using the structural equation modelling approach. Findings – The findings of the study provide strong grounds that operation and market efficiency improvement are highly connected with advances in involved in quality awareness, productivity, the better execution of operations performance, market share, customer satisfaction and sales revenues support were found to be the relations of a firm’s financial performance. Practical Implications – As analytical effort in order to point out area that companies should emphasize as to improvement the financial performance that give the potential benefit. Originality/Value – The report projects an enhanced conceptual framework that examines critical issues concerning the successful relationship of operational and market efficiency, thus, providing valuable outcomes for decision makers and academics. This theoretical study found that the framework could explain better each variable which has a relationship with the operational and market efficiency improvement towards firm’s financial performance.

Surgical quality indicators in low-resource settings: A new evidence-based tool

Worldwide efforts to improve access to surgical care must be accompanied by improvements in the quality of surgical care; however, these efforts are contingent on the ability to measure quality. This report describes a novel, evidence-based tool to measure quality of surgical care in low-resource settings. We defined a widely applicable, multidimensional conceptual framework for quality. The suitability of currently available quality metrics to low-resource settings was evaluated. Then we developed new indicators with sufficient supportive evidence to complete the framework. The complete set of metrics was condensed into four collection sources and tools. The following 15 final evidence-based indicators were defined: (1) Safe structure: morbidity and mortality conference; (2) safe process: use of the safe surgery checklist; (3) (4) safe outcomes: perioperative mortality rate and proportion of cases with complications graded >2 on the Clavien-Dindo scale; (5) effective structure: provider density; (6) effective process: procedure rate; (7) effective outcome: rate of caesarean sections; (8) patient-centered process: use of informed consent; (9) patient-centered outcome: patient hospital satisfaction questionnaire; (10) timely structure: travel time to hospital; (11) timely process: time from emergency department presentation to non-elective abdominal surgery; (12) timely outcome: patient follow-up plan; (13) efficient process: daily operating room usage; (14) equitable outcome: comparative income of patients compared with population; and (15) proportion of patients facing catastrophic expenditure because of surgical care. This tool provides an evidence-based conceptual tool to assess the quality of surgical care in diverse low-resource settings.

What makes rural teachers happy? An investigation on the subjective well-being (SWB) of Chinese rural teachers

Through an interdisciplinary lens, this study proposes a multi-dimensional conceptual framework for analyzing rural teacher subjective well-being (SWB) and examines it with survey data from rural teachers across 29 counties in 10 provinces in mainland China. The results demonstrate that an array of factors significantly impact rural teacher SWB, including gender, age, administrative position (in the individual dimension), and marriage (in the family dimension), as well as class size, wages, and professional training (in the school dimension). More prominently, compared with absolute wages, rural teachers’ perception of relative wages is far more important. Additionally, rural teachers in administrative positions tend to have a higher SWB, which demonstrates their needs to be involved in school management. Some policy implications for China and other developing countries are also provided.