Organizational Affiliation Research Articles

Community perception of watershed management as a strategy for food security improvement: Case study of Qersa District, Ethiopia

The importance of community-based watershed management for food security and rural development is increasingly recognized. However, the comprehensive nature of the strategy is not well understood. The study examined the perspectives of different stakeholders and their level of coordination in implementing the watershed approach. Data was collected from 63 individuals with diverse professional backgrounds at different organizational hierarchies and 337 farmers from three different micro watersheds. The findings of the study showed that professionals and farmers have different views. About 36.0% of professionals and 12.6% of farmers see it as a holistic strategy for rural development, 7.0% of professionals and 40.0% of farmers see it as a way to conserve soil and water, and the rest see it as natural resource management. The chi-square test analysis revealed significant correlations between organizational affiliation, hierarchies, work experience, and field of study among professionals at significance levels of 0.05 and 0.01, with no significant differences observed among farmers in the three micro watersheds. The diverse viewpoints of professionals and farmers highlight the inadequate understanding and lack of consensus among stakeholders regarding watershed management principles, hindering the transformation of this strategy into a comprehensive food security initiative. The study also revealed limited collaboration among various organizations and departments in supporting the management of local watersheds, which can be attributed to the lack of accountability. This highlighted the need for improved collaboration and communication among different groups involved in implementing watershed management plans. The study also identified the need for capacity-building to enhance the knowledge and skills of professionals and farmers involved in watershed management. To effectively use the watershed approach as a holistic strategy to address food security, fostering greater coordination and communication among stakeholders, robust institutional arrangement, education, and awareness-creation initiatives must be strengthened at all levels.

Youth participation in SDG-Oriented Volunteerism: Insights from Malaysia’s APPGM-SDG Platform

Engaging youth is paramount for progressing towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This quantitative research studies the active involvement of Malaysian youth as volunteers in initiatives centred around the SDGs, with a specific focus on the All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia on Sustainable Development Goals (APPGM-SDG) platform. Data was gathered from 323 volunteers who applied as volunteers at the Malaysian Youth SDG Summits, the Young Asian Voices for the United Nations We Need, and the Malaysian Youth SDG Agent 22/23 and 23/24 Cohort initiatives. The objective of the study is to identify the demographic involvement of youths in volunteerism through the initiatives of APPGM-SDG. This research analyses the nature of youth participation in SDG-oriented volunteerism, investigating their demographic concentration in active engagement, including engagement by gender, organisational affiliation, and prior experience in volunteerism and how these factors contribute to voluntary work related to the SDGs. Descriptive analysis was conducted to identify the demographic distribution of youths toward the involvement in SDG-oriented volunteerism. Findings indicated a moderate distribution between males and females, a greater number of participants affiliated in organisations, and a greater number of participants with prior experience in volunteerism. By examining the quantitative nature of these volunteers with the comprehensive study of literature and discussion, we gain valuable insights into the dynamics of youth engagement in localising the SDGs. These insights, rooted in the context of Malaysia, can inform strategies for fostering youth-driven progress toward the SDGs both nationally and globally, providing recommendations to parliamentarians, civil societies, and youth groups as a whole.

Role of Venture Organization Affiliation on Startup Innovation

Role of Venture Organization Affiliation on Startup Innovation

Repositioning Religious Organization Activism in The Digital Era

The rise of the digital world poses a challenge to the position of religious organizations. This is evident in the emergence of new authorities, both individuals and groups, outside traditional religious structures. Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), a mainstream traditional organization, has also been impacted by this shift. However, several studies indicate that NU has effectively adapted to various challenges and situations over time. This analysis focuses on how NU, as a representative of traditional mainstream Islamic organizations, has repositioned itself in response to the digital era, using the example of its activities in Mojokerto. This work addresses two key issues: first, how NU adapts to the presence of social media; second, what strategies NU employs to reposition itself in the face of these new challenges on social media. To explore these questions, this work employs a qualitative methodology, collecting data through interviews, observations, and documentation. The data is then analyzed and presented using a digital religion approach. The findings suggest that NU has repositioned itself in two main ways. First, through adaptation, by adopting and actively using social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube via the organization’s official accounts. Second, through a form of resistance, by having NU activists engage on social media without prominently displaying their organizational affiliation.

Safeguarding scientific integrity: A case study in examining manipulation in the peer review process

ABSTRACT This case study analyzes the expertise, potential conflicts of interest, and objectivity of editors, authors, and peer reviewers involved in a 2022 special journal issue on fertility, pregnancy, and mental health. Data were collected on qualifications, organizational affiliations, and relationships among six papers’ authors, three guest editors, and twelve peer reviewers. Two articles were found to have undisclosed conflicts of interest between authors, an editor, and multiple peer reviewers affiliated with anti-abortion advocacy and lobbying groups, indicating compromised objectivity. This lack of transparency undermines the peer review process and enables biased research and disinformation proliferation.Our study is limited by a few factors including: difficulty collecting peer reviewer data, potentially missing affiliations, and a small sample without comparisons. While this is a case study of one special issue, we do have suggestions for increasing integrity.

Spirituality, Religiosity, and Mental Health in Patients with Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies: A Brazilian Multicentric Case-Control Study.

No published studies have investigated the correlation between religiosity, spirituality, mental health, and idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) or systemic autoimmune myopathy. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the association between religiosity/spirituality, sociodemographic factors, and the mental health of IIM patients. This is a multicenter case-control study that included 151 patients with IIMs and 95 individuals without autoimmune diseases (controls), held between August 2022 and April 2023. This study used a semi-structured questionnaire that included sociodemographic information and the juxtaposition of the following questionnaires: the Attitudes Related to Spirituality Scale (ARES); the Duke University Religion Index (DUKE), which is composed of the organizational religious affiliation (ORA), non-organizational religious affiliation (NORA), and intrinsic religiosity (IR) domains; and the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12). Data were analyzed using Epi Info software 7.2.5 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA). A comparison between the mean values of the ARES, DUKE, and GHQ-12 scales was made using the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests. A logistic regression test was used with the variables whose difference was statistically significant in the univariate analysis. Correlation analysis was performed using the Spearman rho coefficient. A higher prevalence of evangelicals and a lower prevalence of Catholics (p < 0.050) were seen in the IIM group compared to controls. Positive association was demonstrated between IIMs and the pardo ethnicity (OR = 2.26, 95% CI = 1.20-4.25, p = 0.011), highest ORA (OR = 2.81, 95% CI = 1.53-5.15, p < 0.001), NORA (OR = 3.99, 95% CI = 1.94-8·18, p < 0.001), IR (OR = 5.27, 95% CI = 2.32-11.97, p < 0.001), and ARES values (OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.04-1.13, p < 0.001). Mental health levels were compared between the groups (p > 0.999). Therefore, higher levels of religiosity and spirituality were observed in the IIM group than in the control group, but there was a similar distribution of mental health levels. The following can be cited as advantages of the present study: (i) the large sample for a rare disease with the presence of a control group; (ii) the multicenter characteristic with participation from three regions of Brazil; (iii) being the first study to map aspects of religiosity, spirituality, and mental health in IIMs.

Understanding academia-industry collaboration in a developing economic environment: Determinants and implications from Bariloche, Argentina

This study examines the determinants of academia-industry collaboration (AIC) in the context of Bariloche, Argentina, and provides valuable insights into collaboration dynamics in a developing economy. Using a quantitative research approach, data was collected through a survey administered to academic researchers in Bariloche. The survey included questions on researcher characteristics, organizational attributes, and disciplinary norms, which were then tested through eight hypotheses related to factors influencing AIC. Data analysis, including descriptive and inferential statistics, revealed significant relationships between independent variables (e.g., prior career experience, organizational affiliation, disciplinary norms) and researchers’ involvement in AIC. The study’s limitations, such as reliance on self-reported data and non-probabilistic sampling, are acknowledged. Nevertheless, the findings contribute to the understanding of AIC in Bariloche and have implications for promoting effective academia-industry partnerships. Future research should consider longitudinal studies and explore additional factors to inform evidence-based policies in developing economies.

Antecedents of changes in an organization's affiliation with group purchasing organization(s)

This paper focuses on the membership aspect of collaborative purchasing by examining the factors related to an organization's decision to change its affiliation with group purchasing organizations (GPOs), the most commonly practiced organizational form of collaborative purchasing. Specifically, this paper empirically investigates the relationships among environmental conditions (i.e., market competition), organizational conditions (i.e., analytics advantage and collaborative linkage), and GPO change, building on strategic change and resource perspectives. Our results reveal that environmental and organizational conditions relate to the change in GPO membership and interactively affect its propensity. This study brings the membership aspect of collaborative purchasing to the forefront as a strategic decision area in the context of strategic purchasing. Given the lack of empirical research addressing GPO membership change, this study enhances our understanding of the nature of the membership aspect of collaborative purchasing. This paper also offers insights into strategic procurement decisions, as manifested in the change in GPO memberships.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND MODERN INTERPRETATION OF THE FACTORS OF THE PROFESSIONAL SPORTS DEVELOPMENT IN NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE

Background and Study Aim. Today, professional sports are a powerful social phenomenon that is developing at a high rate both in terms of sports and in terms of business. It is natural that various factors influence this process throughout the history of its formation and development. Study Aim: to identify the key factors that influenced and influence the formation and development of professional sport in Europe and North America. Material and Methods. The main materials for the research were data from historical and modern materials regarding various factors that determined and determine now the peculiarities of professional sport development in Europe and North America. Methods: analysis and synthesis, historical method, systematic approach, theoretical interpretation and explanation. Results. Given the global phenomenon of professional sport in the modern world, it should be noted that its structure and effectiveness depend from a wide range of factors, both the external environment and those related to the construction of internal mechanisms of professional sports organizations. Among them: globalization, geopolitical and economic trends, transformation of information and communication technologies, crisis social factors, sports migration, population and demographic ratios in the country, monopoly and competition in the professional sports arena in relation to the coexistence of different organizations in one sport, the focus of professional leagues on higher efficiency. Among the factors that have a negative impact on the development of professional sport today should be noted corruption aspects of professional sports activities. Conclusions. The nature of the influence of these factors is determined by the territorial affiliation of professional sport organizations, as there are certain traditions and legal frameworks of their operation in the United States and various European countries, which have significant differences. At the same time, today the North American remains a more effective model of professional sport development in terms of organizational and economic efficiency.

Preliminary assessment of the Healthy Early Life Moments (HELMS) webinars in empowering Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) concept among healthcare professionals- a pragmatic serial cross-sectional study.

The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) concept has gained prominence in maternal and child health (MCH), emphasizing how early-life factors impact later-life non-communicable diseases. However, a knowledge-practice gap exists in applying DOHaD principles among healthcare professionals. Healthy Early Life Moments in Singapore (HELMS) introduced webinars to bridge this gap and empower healthcare professionals. We aimed to conduct a preliminary assessment to gain early insights into the outreach and effectiveness of the educational initiative offered with the HELMS webinars. We employed a pragmatic serial cross-sectional study approach and targeted healthcare professionals involved in MCH care. We also collected and analyzed data on webinar registration and attendance, participants' profession and organizational affiliations, and post-webinar survey responses. The median webinar attendance rate was 59.6 % (25th-75th percentile: 58.4-60.8 %). Nurses represented 68.6 % of attendees (n=2,589 out of 3,774). Post-webinar surveys revealed over 75 % of the participants providing positive responses to 14 out of 15 survey questions concerning content, delivery, applicability to work, and organization. Assessment of the HELMS webinars provided insight into the outreach and early effectiveness in enhancing healthcare professionals' knowledge and confidence in delivering DOHaD education. Bridging the knowledge-practice gap remains a crucial goal.

Dental Service Organization affiliation: Understanding key aspects of State Dental Practice Act compliance.

Dental Service Organizations (DSOs) are an increasingly visible and available practice option for new dental graduates. While guidance has been published to help dental students make informed decisions when considering a DSO affiliation, they have not focused on the complexities of assessing compliance with controlling state laws. Accordingly, this Perspectives article provides a concise summary of the common components of state regulatory provisions across the United States to support an understanding of the corporate practice of dentistry and compliance considerations. The guiding principles to consider include ownership or proprietorship of and control over a dental practice; control over dental offices, equipment, and materials; employment of dental personnel; and control over clinical judgment. This article should be helpful to students who are considering a DSO affiliation and educators who prepare them to enter dental practice.

Translating purpose and mindset into positive impact through shared vision, compassion, and energy—a comparative study of seven organizations

How do organizations that explicitly state the intention to be “positive impact companies” differ from traditional entrepreneurial companies? How does the quality of relationships in those companies affect the ability to deliver positive impact? This study explores the conditions under which business leaders turn their organizations toward generating prosperity for all stakeholders, achieving positive societal outcomes, improving human wellbeing, and delivering great business results. Seven case study companies are examined based on interviews with three executives from each firm, including the CEO. All seven companies are privately owned small/medium sized businesses from a cross section of industries and diverse geographic bases, ranging from Michigan to the Pacific Northwest, to Singapore, Egypt, and Florida. Four of the companies are considered “positive impact companies” (PICs) based on their organizational affiliations, while the other three are considered traditional entrepreneurial companies (TECs). The overall findings suggest that the core of positive impact leadership resides in a shift in the mindset of leaders toward one of connectedness and purpose, and that these factors influence the quality of relationships in organizations in a positive way whether the company is considered a PIC or a TEC. The results also suggest a close relationship between several core indicators of a fundamental shift in understanding about the role of business in society: shared values of human wellbeing, a common shared vision, an emphasis on collaboration and caring in organizations, and a long-term perspective toward the creation of shared economic prosperity.

A Pragmatic Approach to Identifying and Profiling Primary Care Clinicians and Primary Care Practices in the USA.

There are no consistent data on US primary care clinicians and primary care practices owing to the lack of standard methods to identify them, hampering efforts in primary care improvement. We develop a pragmatic framework that identifies primary care clinicians and practices in the context of the US healthcare system, and applied the framework to the IQVIA OneKey Healthcare Professional database to identify and profile primary care clinicians and practices in the USA. Our framework prescribes sequential steps to identify primary care clinicians by cross-examining clinician specialties and organizational affiliations, and then identify primary care practices based on organization types and presence of primary care clinicians. Applying this framework to the 2021 IQVIA data, we identified 365,751 physicians with a primary specialty in primary care, and after excluding those who further specialized (24%), served as hospitalists (5%), or worked in non-primary care settings (41%), we determined that 179,369 (49%) of them were actually practicing primary care. We identified 287,506 nurse practitioners and 134,083 physician assistants and determined that 88,574 (31%) and 29,781 (22%), respectively, were delivering primary care. We identified 94,489 primary care practices, and found that 45% of them were with one primary care physician, 15% had two physicians, 12% employed nurse practitioners or physician assistants only, and 19% employed both primary care physicians and specialists. Our approach offers a pragmatic and consistent alternative to the diverse methods currently used to identify and profile primary care workforce and organizations in the USA.

A professional blog as a special structural hypertext unit in the space of Internet communications

The purpose of the study is to identify the hypertext features of a professional blog in the space of the Internet environment. The professional type of blog is a separate unit of the Internet environment and is characterized by a hypertext structure within the framework of Internet communication. The article analyzes the main structural and content characteristics of a professional blog from the point of view of the hypertext organization of the Internet environment. The study is based on the material of the English language. The theoretical significance is determined by the fact that the data obtained make it possible to deepen knowledge about such important aspects of modern linguistics as the linguistic nature of electronic hypertext, its structural and substantive aspects. In addition, the study of hypertext features of professional English-language blogs contributes to the development of the theory of speech genres in the context of Internet communication. The practical significance of the research is reflected in the fact that its results can be used in the process of teaching general language theory, the basics of computational linguistics, sociolinguistics, pragmalinguistics, as well as in the development of elective courses on Internet communication. Using the methods of continuous sampling and description, the study analyzed the text units of 3 professional blogs of large foreign companies conducted in English. As a result, it was revealed that the professional type of blog is a hypertext unit of the Internet environment, representing a frame model with periodically updated author's posts, hypertext links, and comments. Despite the large number of works devoted to the study of hypertext, its organization and genre affiliation, there is currently no single and generally recognized typology of hypertext in the context of the professional variety of blogs, its creation is one of the priorities of modern researchers due to the rapid development of blog technologies. The scientific novelty lies in the approach that was taken to study the structural and content features of hypertext in the context of other types of blogs. In this regard, the basic principles of this approach are analyzed, the defining features of a blog are identified, taking into account its professional variety. Special attention was paid to the structure of electronic hypertext: the functional differentiation of hypertext links and ways of organizing links between hypertexts were considered.

Indicators of production use and yaks immunity of the Central Ciscaucasia

The purpose of the research is to study the main production indicators and immunological status of the breeding stock of yaks of the Sarlyk breed living in the Central Ciscaucasia. The object of the investigation was the animals of LLC «Mountain-Alpine», LLC «Garant A», LLC «Selskie Dary», and LLC «Business Group», located in Chereksky district of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. The breeding population of yaks in the region is more than 7,500 heads, of which 4,123 are yak-cows. The share of breeding sires is accounted of 217 heads, which is 2.9% more than the total yak population. Milk production of yak-cows is fluctuated on approximately the same level on farms and amount to 179-184 kg. For every 100 yak-cows in analyzed organizations were obtained at least 88 calves, and more than 98% of young animals were preserved for weaning. Species from all farms were distinguished by the optimal duration of the calving intervals, which made it possible to produce one calf per year from them within 12-13 months. More preferable values for the period between calving were observed among representatives from LLC Garant A (358 days) for all other things being equal. It was established that cows were eliminated from the herds at the age of 3.2-3.8 calving, and they were used longer by 0.4-0.6 calving in LLC «Selskie Dary» and LLC «Garant A» regardless of organizational affiliation. The most common reasons for attrition were injuries and diseases of the limbs. Yak -cows of all breeding reproducers were characterized by high humoral and cellular immunity.

Bureaucracy and Cyber Coercion

Abstract States are increasingly incorporating militarized cyber technologies, or cyber weapons, into their defense arsenals, but there is vigorous debate about their coercive utility. Existing scholarship often adjudicates the debate by parsing technical differences between cyber and conventional weapons. This technical approach overlooks a critical consideration: bureaucrats who inform state assessments may hold unique perspectives on coercion due to their organizational affiliation. We make an empirical intervention by fielding a survey experiment on bureaucrats inside US Cyber Command, offering a rare glimpse into elite perceptions. We find little evidence that technical differences between weapons yield systematically different assessments. Bureaucrats perceive that conventional and cyber weapons have statistically indistinguishable coercive utility and battlefield effects. Replicating the study on a public sample, we find that bureaucrats are more optimistic about coercion across all domains and their optimism stems from organizational culture, rather than parochial interests or technical expertise. The findings show how who is responsible for assessing a technology's coercive value can shape estimates even more than which technology is being assessed. Unique perspectives clustered within influential bureaucracies may shape state assessments and policies in ways that diverge from the expectations of analyses that emphasize technical characteristics of military capabilities.

Much new research, and advances for the IQ

Welcome to this special double issue of IASSIST Quarterly for the year 2023, IQ vol. 47(3-4). &#x0D; We are delighted to close out the year by offering the second special issue of the IASSIST Quarterly to showcase articles from the Africa workshop. Articles in this issue were presented in the second Africa Workshop which was held in Ibadan, Nigeria, in October 2022. Guest editors Winny Nekesa and Robert Burosta have again expertly steered the editorial process to bring us this research. &#x0D; While their Guest Editors’ Notes describe the included articles, we would like to use this space to share a number of announcements about administrative work on the journal. First, please join us in welcoming four new Editorial Board members for a four-year term: &#x0D; Robert Stalone Buwule, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda&#x0D; Winny Nekesa, National Social Security Fund, Uganda&#x0D; Deborah Wiltshire, GESIS, Germany, and&#x0D; Ryan Womack, Rutgers University, United States&#x0D; With these appointments, we achieve two goals. First, we stagger the terms of service of Board members so that only half will roll off the Board at any one time, ensuring continuity of knowledge moving forward. Second, we better diversify geographic representation on the Board to reflect IASSIST’s international membership. Winny and Robert bring experience as IQ guest editors to the Board. Deborah and Ryan bring perspective from the IASSIST Administrative Committee.&#x0D; Over the coming year, IQ editorial staff and Board members will be exploring a variety of changes to the journal, many of which were proposed by you, the membership. We’ll keep you informed as we make decisions on various of those suggestions. Several advances that we have already accomplished are to behind-the-scenes processes but may directly benefit authors who publish with us as well you, our readers. &#x0D; Working retrospectively to the last issue, 47(2), as well as for all issues going forward, the editorial staff have published the reference lists of all articles as metadata. This complies with I4OC, a standard that asks for citations to be structured, separable, shareable, and freely accessible (to both human and automated harvesting), resulting in citations that are index-able and searchable. Citation-tracking services like Crossref also require this. The end result is that people searching for any of the sources listed in our articles will find our articles, which over time may result in greater research impact for our authors. Reference linking will also expose articles to new tools, such as OpenAlex, an open citation metrics tool that can help measure impact. We thank our managing editor, Phillip Ndhlovu, for his effort in effecting this change.&#x0D; The second change was made by the Library Open Publishing and Open Education staff at the University of Alberta, whose work supports the Open Journal System platform on which the journal is hosted. Their efforts not only keep journal production flowing smoothly, they work continually to improve the technical systems to uphold and improve open access to our content. In this case, they have implemented a Research Organization Registry (ROR) feature to allow authors to select their organizational affiliations from the list of organizations in ROR. This will not only speed the information input authors must complete during submission, but also standardize it to be represented consistently within the journal, and make it clear and accurate for sharing in external systems such as DOAJ and CrossRef.&#x0D; Finally, we want to mention a new content feature premiering in this issue. Following the receipt of a Letter to the Editor (to our knowledge the first ever), we’ve added a new section to the journal’s infrastructure to accommodate such conversations. We hope you will enjoy reading this commentary which extends the implications of the Hertzog, et al. article in 47(2) to a different type of personally identifiable data, DNA. We invite you to take advantage of the option to use this feature in future to correspond with our articles. &#x0D; We wish you all the best for whichever end-of-year holidays you celebrate! We look forward to showcasing your work through the IQ in the coming new year, both in the research you submit for publication and in implementing your ideas for evolving the journal’s content and production.&#x0D; Ofira Schwartz and Michele Hayslett, December 2023

Performance and Professional Identity Construal in Inter-industry Networking Using Four Identity Categories

‘What do you do?’ is a stereotypical networking question. How professionals answer acquaintancing questions like this when first meeting sheds light on how identity is construed. Using data from a naturally occurring networking event for elite professional services in Hong Kong, this paper uses a close study of interaction and follow-up interviews to identify and examine proximal networking mechanisms and processes. Consistently, participants used some amalgam of emblems, things that convey a social persona, from four different categories: industry (e.g., finance), professional role (e.g., FX trader), organizational affiliation (e.g., Morgan Stanley), and hierarchical position (e.g., associate). These generate evaluations of projected/absent instrumental gain, holistic eliteness, ‘interestingness’, and social proficiency (based on how they are deployed), resulting in symbolic capital transforming into (un)realized and projectible material outcomes. Theoretically, these findings contribute to our understanding of networking mechanisms. Practically, they can improve self-presentation, inform organizations of exclusionary effects, and enhance networking strategies.

Services, Quality of Life And Satisfaction of Senior Citizens in Bacolod City

The main purpose of this study was to come up with a general description and relationship among the extent of services, quality of life and satisfaction of senior citizens in Bacolod city. The areas of services include; health social access to public transport, utility discount and mandatory Philhealth coverage. Areas in the quality of life includes; health status, financial security, organizational affiliation, household relations and access to senior citizens’ benefits. Areas on satisfaction includes; appreciation of good health, social support, emotional security, contentment and leisure and activity. The study employed the descriptive, comparative and relational analytical schemes in coming up with a general description, comparison and relationship among the selected variables. The mean, t-test and Pearson Product Moment of Correlation formula was used. Findings of the duty revealed that senior citizens were adequately provided with all these services particularly on health, social public transport, utility discount and mandatory Philhealth services. They are experiencing quality living with regards ti their relationship in their household and access to Philhealth benefits. However, findings showed that they are not adequately contented with regards to health condition and financial security. They were having high level of satisfaction on the aspect of social support, emotional security, and leisure activities. Moreover, study showed that there was significant relationship between services and quality of life of senior citizens. Likewise, a significant relationship between the services and satisfaction of senior citizens and a significant relationship between the satisfaction and quality of life of senior citizens has existed. The study concluded that on services, although the extent was not at its highest degree of contentment to the services but senior citizens were contented of all the services provided to them. On quality of life, senior citizens were not fully contented and happy about the quality of life they were experiencing to note that a moderate extent on contentment was perceived by the senior citizens. On satisfaction, senior citizens degree of satisfaction was high considering that majority of life satisfaction was perceived by them to be high particularly in social, emotional, leisure and contentment. It was concluded further that senior citizens were not fully satisfied or contented about their health condition. The study highly recommends that medical programs/project shall provide greater emphasis on the following; married, low income, rural areas, male, without college degree senior citizens. Social services programs/project shall provide greater emphasis on the following; married, low income, rural areas, without college degree. Access to public transport programs/project shall provide greater emphasis on the following; married, low income. Utility discount programs/project shall provide greater emphasis on the following; married, without college degree, low income and leisure activity with greater emphasis on married, without college degree and low income senior citizens

Map functions to facilitate situational awareness during emergency events

ABSTRACT Emergency events such as floods and wildfires are handled by various responders and at various levels: strategic, tactical, and operational. To facilitate situational awareness, emergency responders require customized map-based decision support systems that are tailored to specific needs depending on the responders’ organizational affiliation, role, objectives, and occupationally specific knowledge. As a result, the systems are equipped with manifold map functions. However, the diversity of map-based emergency tools in use impedes gaining common user skills among their target audiences and thus, requires a systematic overview. Through a multistep research process, this study was to: investigate the requirements for support from map-based tools expressed by various emergency responders in Norway, identify desired map functions, and categorize those functions to facilitate an overview. Six stages constituted our workflow: meetings with Norwegian emergency responders, survey on selected map-based tools, interviews with designers and users of tools, a table-top exercise, theoretical considerations, and validation with stakeholders. This study contributes to the state of the art by systematizing and structuring knowledge about map functions that facilitate situational awareness. In turn, it helps developing and optimizing functionality of map-based tools depending on needs of specific emergency responders.