Perceptions Of Multiple Stakeholders Research Articles

Facilitators and barriers for creating a sustainable working life for first-generation immigrants – perceptions of multiple stakeholders in Sweden

ABSTRACT Employment is of high priority in the Swedish integration policy, but immigrants are disadvantaged when it comes to pathways into the labour market, and also to stay in the labour market. This study aimed to explore various stakeholders’ perceptions of facilitators and barriers for a sustainable working life among first-generation immigrants and to understand their reasoning regarding how a sustainable working life might be achieved from their perspectives. It is a qualitative study based on seven focus group interviews with participants representing various stakeholders in society. The data were analysed using thematic analysis with an inductive approach. The main theme identified that creating a sustainable working life is a matter that concerns several stakeholders. Aspects related to both society, workplace and the individual have been highlighted in order to promote a sustainable work participation. By increasing collaboration between different stakeholders and providing support to both individuals and workplaces, a sustainable work participation can be facilitated. This study highlights the workplace as an important arena for preparing first-generation immigrants for a sustainable work participation. There is a need to develop supportive solutions to be used at workplaces, formalise long-term support to first-generation immigrants and strengthen the collaboration among involved stakeholders.

Technological, Organizational, and Environmental Factors Affecting the Adoption of Electric Vehicle Battery Recycling

The rising usage of electric vehicle batteries (EVBs) has led to the unprecedented accumulation of battery waste—creating environmental problems and raw material shortages as the batteries approach their end of life (EOL). This article examines the critical enablers of EVB recycling adoption. Using a theoretical lens for technology adoption, the article further explains the enablers of EVB recycling by extending the technological, organizational, and environmental framework. The present article adopts a hybrid Delphi approach to explore the interdependent cause-and-effect relationships of the enablers. The integrated framework has been tested by obtaining data from multiple stakeholder groups consisting of academic researchers, practitioners, and policy planners in India. The framework is followed by a comparative assessment of the multiple stakeholder perceptions, highlighting the similarities and differences. A consensus among all stakeholders is observed regarding the significance of a business model with take-back systems to enable EVB recycling adoption. This article shows how organizational factors strongly enable favorable decisions more than the technological and environmental counterparts. Differences were observed between the practitioners favoring technological enablers over other dimensions, while the policy planners equitably considered all dimensions, and the academic researchers showed an intermediate perspective for EVB recycling innovations. The findings offer theoretical and practical insights to help managers, organizations, and policy planners prioritize their efforts to promote EVB recycling adoption.

Stakeholder Perspectives of the Inflation Reduction Act's (2022) Impact on Prescription Drugs: A Narrative Review.

In this review, we examine the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 on pharmaceutical drugs in the United States, drawing on a diverse range of sources to understand the perceptions of multiple stakeholders and professionals. Findings suggest that the Act, while aiming to control price inflation, has had a multifaceted impact on the pharmaceutical sector. Stakeholders, including pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers, patient advocacy groups, and policymakers, offered varied perspectives: while some laud the Act for its potential in controlling runaway drug prices and making healthcare more accessible, others raise concerns about possible reductions in drug innovation, disruptions to supply chains, and the sustainability of smaller pharmaceutical companies. The review identified four underlying constructs (themes) in the literature surrounding healthcare stakeholders' perceptions of the IRA's impact upon prescription drugs: pricing and/or dictation pricing issues, topics related to patent law and pharmaceuticals, processes surrounding the IRA's (2022) rules and regulations, and potential threats to the pharmaceutical industry concerning the research and development of future medications. The complex interplay of the Act's implications underscores the importance of ongoing assessment and potential iterative policy refinements as implementation endures.

Multiple-Stakeholder Perspectives on Accessibility Data and the Use of Socio-Technical Tools to Improve Sidewalk Accessibility

For people with disabilities, accessible pedestrian infrastructure can support independence, mobility, and improved quality of life. Yet, most pedestrian infrastructure presents barriers that impede movement. A major challenge for cities to improve pedestrian accessibility is the lack of reliable data on sidewalk accessibility. Little is known about the type of data needed for cities, as well as how different stakeholders perceive and use sidewalk data. Therefore, this study seeks to explore the perceptions of multiple stakeholders on the use, gathering, and application of sidewalk accessibility data. We conducted a series of workshops with 51 participants, including people with disabilities, caregivers, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) coordinators, and urban planners, to discuss sidewalk accessibility data and data collection tools. We used the socio-technological tool Project Sidewalk as an example. Participants identified various uses for the accessibility data such as route planning, barrier removal plans, and advocacy, and discussed issues of usability, trust, access, and accessibility of the data and tools. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of important factors that impact the use and application of accessibility data and how to implement accessibility data collection initiatives that utilize socio-technological approaches such as crowdsourcing.

What are the perceived barriers for building and maintaining a culture of mental health support in Australian competitive youth sport?

The mental health of young people in youth sport has received growing academic attention and sporting clubs are identified as important settings for prevention and early intervention. Despite this, very few studies have explored the perceptions of multiple stakeholders about youth sporting clubs as spaces for mental health awareness, education, and training. The purpose of the study was to understand the capacity of youth sporting clubs 1 to become a site for general mental health support and explore parents, coaches, club leaders and youth participants perceptions about their sporting club’s readiness for mental health awareness, education, and training initiatives. Using an Interpretive Description (ID) research methodology, 26 participants (parents, youth, club leaders/coaches) involved in community-level youth sport participated in a qualitative telephone interview. Data was analyzed thematically, leading to the construction of three themes about the barriers for building and maintaining a culture of mental health support in youth sport: (a) initial resistance, (b) teething issues and (c) turbulence. The themes reflected perceptions about varying levels of club readiness for meaningfully supporting positive mental health and indicated that many youth sporting clubs may find it difficult to sustain long-term, positive change. The study suggests that while sport can be a promising avenue to promote positive mental health, it is not without multiple forms of resistance, which if not navigated, may discourage efforts to establish and maintain club settings as sites for mental health, education, awareness, and first aid training. Implications for the field are discussed. Lay Summary: Parents, youth sport participants and club leaders/coaches were interviewed for the purpose of understanding their views of youth sporting clubs’ capacity to become a site for mental health support. The thematic findings suggest that clubs are differentially equipped to support meaningful cultural change surrounding mental health and sport. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Clubs seeking to become a site for mental health support encounter various barriers and therefore display differential levels of “readiness” for change. To meaningfully and sustainably create clubs that support mental health, additional intervention methods are necessary to support mental health education, awareness-raising activities and first aid training in youth sport.

Multistakeholder Perceptions on Lower-Limb Prosthetic User Requirements and the Development of Neuroprostheses: A Contextual Inquiry

ABSTRACT Introduction Neuroprosthetic systems that can work with prosthetic legs are currently being developed to provide individuals with lower-limb amputation with intent control over their device and sensory feedback. No such system is commercially available, and the effects of providing functions that have previously not been available to lower-limb prosthetic users are unclear. Methods Here we present investigations of the perceptions of multiple stakeholders (prosthetic users, physician, psychologist, physiotherapist, prosthetist, and groups of prosthetic designers and engineers) on prosthetic user problems and the development of neuroprosthetics. The investigation entailed semistructured interviews, focus group discussions, and a contextual inquiry. Results Our findings indicate that prosthetic users may face several challenges that can potentially be addressed via neurological interfacing. We further identified criteria perceived as integral for the development of lower-limb neuroprostheses as well as considerations for the actualization of a usable system that reaches end users. Conclusions On the whole, the field of neuroprosthetics has great potential to increase the wellbeing, mobility, and quality of life of persons with lower-limb amputation.

A Multi-Stakeholder Perspective on Barriers to a Fossil-Free Urban Freight System

The purpose of this study is to provide a system perspective on the barriers to the development of a fossil-free and thus more sustainable urban freight system and to provide insights regarding these barriers and how they impede progress. The system perspective complements earlier research, where barriers were identified in delimited parts of freight systems. Here, the urban freight system in a Swedish city is explored using an inductive and qualitative approach, according to which barriers are both detailed and categorized. This study is based on empirical data concerning the perceptions of multiple stakeholders in one system. The interrelationships between barrier categories and changes to the urban freight system are explored through management theory. This study provides a unique overview of the barriers to development in one system and insights concerning these barriers and how they impede development of the system. Ten categories of barriers are identified: technology, infrastructure, economy, knowledge, policy, goals, organization, cooperation, politics, and societal factors. The categories can be divided into four different types, which are related to each other and to the overall system in various ways, based on how they impede the development toward sustainability. Future research could advance this theoretical knowledge by continuing to study urban freight system development processes and by adding insights from other contexts, stakeholders, and theoretical areas.

Drone imagery to create a common understanding of landscapes

Negotiated solutions among contrasting land use interests in the nexus of water, energy, food and ecosystems require cooperation between actors with different viewpoints and backgrounds. We suggest aerial imagery and videos, captured by drones, to be “boundary objects”, easily interpretable landscape representations that might create a common understanding across stakeholders through their universal interpretability. We collected drone imagery and videos from different angles of a wide range of landscapes in Zambia, showing agricultural areas, forests, wetlands and water infrastructure. Then, we took the imagery back to the field to probe the perceptions of multiple stakeholders, including staff from both governmental and non-governmental organizations, hydropower operators, small- and large-scale farmers. In focus group discussions, we assessed the interpretability of oblique images, taken at an angle by a video drone, compared to nadir (vertical) imagery from Google Earth and from a high-end mapping drone. We show that oblique images produced better identification results across all groups of stakeholders, but especially from small-scale farmers, suggesting this type of imagery is helpful to empower people who lack previous experience in interpreting nadir images. Overall, the appreciation of the aesthetic value and the perceived professional benefits of drone imagery are high, but technical and legal barriers impede a wider adoption of the technology. While we highlight ethical concerns and technical limitations, we suggest that conservationists and environmental planners could benefit from a critical use of affordable video drones so as to produce intuitive landscape representations useful for more effective multi-stakeholder collaborations.

Factors affecting utilization of noncommunicable diseases clinics: effectiveness and role-efficacy

Background: The growing burden of noncommunicable diseases has been seen as one of the most significant developmental and health systems challenges of the 21st century. Most of these deaths have been caused by the four main NCDs, namely: cardiovascular disease accounts for 44% of all deaths from NCDs, cancer accounts for 22%, chronic respiratory disease accounts for 9%, and diabetes accounts for 4%.India is also experiencing a rapid transition. To comprehend the beneficiaries on factors affecting the utilization of healthcare services and service provisioning at the NCDs clinics. To explore perceptions of multiple stakeholders on the role efficacy and effectiveness of NCD clinicsMethods: The current study uses a concurrent mix-methodological approach, which provides equal weightage to qualitative and quantitative methods. The study has adopted explorative concurrent mixed methods research design, Results: The majority of the diseases identifies are cardiovascular diseases which accounts for 30.9%, chronic respiratory diseases are the second-highest among the populations, which accounts for 26.9%, and diabetes is the next with a slight difference of 25.3%, cancer cases also seem to be high 3.9%. The chi-square test for independence was conducted to assess the association or relation between the beneficiary’s level of satisfaction and service utilization. Cramer’s V was computed as the measure of the strength of association for the observed significant associations.Conclusions: The NCD clinics effectively deal with the emerging NCDs, but certain limitations exist in the forms of barriers. The service utilization is also very high right now.

Incorporating Perceptions of Multiple Stakeholders while Assessing Architectural Heritage Value: A Case of Odishan Temple Architecture in India

Stakeholder participation for the value assessment of Indian architectural heritage, especially the temple architecture, is rare due to the lack of published methodologies. Therefore, considering Odishan Temple Architecture as a case study, this research focuses on stakeholders’ perceptions while assessing the value of architectural heritage. This study identified five groups of stakeholders for evaluating parameters. Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests were used to derive the results. Sixteen parameters showed discrepancies in opinions; the opinions of the current decision-makers differed significantly from other groups. However, this study identified the scope for involving the opinions of all stakeholders for an unbiased and robust decision-making process.

In the Eye of the Beholder: The Impact of Intergenerational Programs from the Perspectives of Their Different Stakeholders.

Since most evaluations of intergenerational programs (IGPs) focus on the perspective of a single stakeholder group concerning the benefit for themselves, we compared perceptions of multiple stakeholders: older adults, younger adults, and IGP organizers concerning the impact of IGPs on older and young participants. Using a mixed-methods approach, we collected data from thirteen community-based IGPs. The quantitative analyses included a comparison of the different stakeholder groups via ANOVAs and chi-square analyses. In order to identify the reasons for different attribution ratings among stakeholders, we conducted a qualitative analysis of the stakeholders’ comments and responses to open-ended questions using a thematic analysis approach. Overall, participants rated benefits to themselves lower than attributed to them by their counterparts. Differences in ratings may be explained by differences in expectations and needs, cognitive dissonance, as well as a lack of awareness about other participants’ experiences. Given the discrepancies in perception of impact, it is vital to seek input from all stakeholders in order to understand their respective needs and expectations, construct a balanced evaluation, and improve IGP processes and outcomes. Studying a single stakeholder group for project evaluation is likely to provide only one perspective, whereas including all points of view provides a more complete picture.

Improving graduateness: addressing the gap between employer needs and graduate employability in Palestine

PurposeThis research paper seeks to identify multiple stakeholder perceptions relating to the level of graduateness of a group of business school graduates in Palestine.Design/methodology/approachAn exploratory mixed method approach was employed. Survey data provided the quantitative information that was analysed using statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS). Interviews of 1.5–2 h duration were conducted to gather the qualitative data. The study utilised an inductive thematic approach to analyse these data.FindingsEmployers were resolute in the view that despite the high level of youth unemployment in Palestine, they still had difficulty in sourcing suitably qualified graduates. Collaboration between employers and higher education providers is not of a level that supports the development of graduateness. The identified key skill shortages occurred in the soft skills area, for example, written and verbal communication, language and problem-solving skills, negotiation and conflict resolution.Research limitations/implicationsAs an exploratory research study, there are opportunities for future research investigating more deeply the themes identified and the success or otherwise of the recommended initiatives.Practical implicationsThis study has implications for both educationalists and policymakers, regarding the prioritisation of development funding and of policies and practices aimed at improving youth employment. There are implications for all stakeholders with regard to collaboration in curriculum development, provision of education, and training and development programmes targeting young people to ensure that they are work ready.Originality/valueThis paper is one of the first to examine the skills gap between business schools' graduates and employment in Palestine.

Why is Anatomy Difficult to Learn? The Implications for Undergraduate Medical Curricula.

The impact of the medical curricular reform on anatomy education has been inconclusive. A pervasive perception is that graduates do not possess a sufficient level of anatomical knowledge for safe medical practice; however, the reason is less well-studied. This qualitative study investigated the perceived challenges in learning anatomy, possible explanations, and ways to overcome these challenges. Unlike previous work, it explored the perceptions of multiple stakeholders in anatomy learning. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and the transcripts were analyzed by a grounded theory approach. Three main themes emerged from the data: (1) visualization of structures, (2) body of information, and (3) issues with curriculum design. The decreasing time spent in anatomy laboratories forced students to rely on alternative resources to learn anatomy but they lacked the opportunities to apply to human specimens, which impeded the "near" transfer of learning. The lack of clinical integration failed to facilitate the "far" transfer of learning. Learners also struggled to cope with the large amount of surface knowledge, which was pre-requisite to successful deep and transfer of learning. It was theorized that the perceived decline in anatomical knowledge was derived from this combination of insufficient surface knowledge and impeded "near" transfer resulting in impeded deep and "far" transfer of learning. Moving forward, anatomy learning should still be cadaveric-based coupled with complementary technological innovations that demonstrate "hidden" structures. A constant review of anatomical disciplinary knowledge with incremental integration of clinical contexts should also be adopted in medical curricula which could promote deep and far transfer of learning.

International multi-stakeholder consensus for the capabilities most important to employability in the veterinary profession.

Employability has been defined within the veterinary context as a set of personal and professional capabilities that enable a veterinarian to gain employment, contribute meaningfully to the profession, and develop a career pathway that achieves satisfaction and success. This study explicitly addressed the construct of veterinary employability by exploring the perceptions of multiple stakeholders (recent graduates, employee veterinarians, veterinarian and non-veterinarian employers, para-veterinary staff, academics and policy makers). A four-part online survey was distributed internationally via various agencies. Free-text responses, ratings of capabilities and rankings of categories were analysed. The congruence of stakeholder responses was notable, regardless of age and geographical location, with minor differences noted in academics' and para-veterinary staff responses, and gender. The most important capabilities were honesty, ethical behaviour, communicating effectively and collaboratively with clients, knowing when to ask for help, and the willingness to learn. The categories of communication and teamwork ranked highest. This study adds granularity to the existing evidence for the importance of communication and teamwork. The relationship between the veterinarian (self) and their work, enabled by engagement, meaning and purpose, and respect for their profession was a key finding, and illustrative of how to achieve personal satisfaction and well-being within the profession.

Supportive care needs of men with prostate cancer after hospital discharge: multi-stakeholder perspectives

ABSTRACT Purpose This study explored the supportive care needs of men with prostate cancer (PCa) after hospital discharge based on the perceptions of multiple stakeholders. Methods Eight semi-structured focus groups and three individual interviews were conducted between September 2019 and January 2020, with 34 participants representing men with PCa, primary and secondary healthcare professionals, and cancer organizations in western Norway. Data was analysed using systematic text condensation. Results Four categories emerged: 1) men with PCa have many information needs which should be optimally provided throughout the cancer care process; 2) various coordination efforts among stakeholders are needed to support men with PCa during follow-up; 3) supportive care resources supplement the healthcare services but knowledge about them is random; and 4) structured healthcare processes are needed to improve the services offered to men with PCa. Variations were described regarding priority, optimal mode and timeliness of supportive care needs, while alignment was concerned with establishing structures within and between stakeholders to improve patient care and coordination. Conclusions Despite alignment among stakeholders’ regarding the necessity for standardization of information and coordination practices, the mixed prioritization of supportive care needs of men with PCa indicate the need for additional individualized and adapted measures.

‘To the Arabic Community Disability Is Not Normal’: Multiple Stakeholder Perceptions of the Understandings of Disability among Iraqi and Syrian People from Refugee Backgrounds

AbstractIn 2015, the Australian government committed to take an additional 12,000 refugees from Syria and Iraq prioritizing those considered most vulnerable including people with disability. The aim of this preliminary study was to understand, from multiple stakeholder perspectives, the experiences of settling in Australia for people with disability from Syrian and Iraqi refugee backgrounds living in Sydney. Interviews were conducted with nine family members of 11 people with disability from Iraqi and Syrian refugee backgrounds; eight Iraqi and Syrian community organization leaders; and seven community and health refugee service practitioners. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using the thematic analysis. Three themes were identified that contribute to understandings of disability based on the perceptions of the multiple stakeholders interviewed: Iraqi and Syrian perceptions of ‘disability’; beliefs about who is ‘responsible for’ the disability; and comparisons between Iraqi/Syrian and Australian views, attitudes, and approaches to disability. Understandings of disability are shaped by fluid and dynamic factors, including culture. It is essential that services are offered to people with disability and their family members using a whole-of-person, culturally informed approach to community support.

Bullying Prevention in Schools

Since bullying is an ecological and systemic phenomenon that occurs in multiple contexts with multiple actors, it makes sense to consider the perceptions of multiple stakeholders and their relationships with one another and in relation to bullying prevention in schools. Using a non-probability, purposive sample, this study examined the perspectives of 45 school stakeholders, namely, principals, school social workers, bus drivers, and parents from an urban school district in the Midwest. The study unveils some of the implicit and explicit challenges associated with bullying prevention efforts. For example, bullying can be quite nebulous because people tend to look at the issue through the prism of their own experiences and positions, limiting their understanding of other stakeholders. Some stakeholders’ perspectives may be muted when bullying behaviors are discussed or reported. Overall, the findings support the use of multi-stakeholder approaches in developing a more holistic view of bullying. Recommendations include avoiding the reification of the views and voices of a select few and having a more open system of dialogue among stakeholders to create inclusion when addressing bullying.

How youth mentoring relationships end and why it matters: a mixed-methods, multi-informant study.

Scant empirical attention has been devoted to understanding endings in youth mentoring relationships, despite the frequency with which they occur. This study examined data from a mixed-methods study of mentoring relationship endings in which youth mentees, the youth's parents or guardians, mentors, and program staff were surveyed about the closure process, and a subsample of program staff, mentors, and parents or guardians also participated in in-depth qualitative interviews. Findings from a descriptive analysis detailing the perceptions of multiple stakeholders in the closure process as reported in surveys are presented along with case studies derived from a case-based analysis of in-depth qualitative interview data. Most relationship endings were initiated by the mentors, and although some matches engaged in an intentional and direct closure process, more often the endings were unclear or even confusing to program participants. Implications for practice are discussed, including recommendations for more training and greater involvement of program staff in the closure process, as are implications for future research.

Perceptions of Multiple Stakeholders about Environmental Issues at a Nature-Based Tourism Destination: The Case of Yakushima Island, Japan

The success of nature-based tourism destinations depends on the sustainable use of common pool resources (CPRs). More often than not, tourism demands compete for these resources, exerting pressure on them, resulting in decline of the CPRs. Managing tourism and environmental resources has become extremely important, but also more complex, as the interests of different stakeholders are intertwined across international, national, and local levels. Hence, this study aimed to investigate how stakeholder groups perceive the issues relating to the environment using Yakushima Island, Japan for a case study. Quantitative data were collected by administering a questionnaire to residents and tourism practitioners, while qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews conducted with organizations involved with tourism and environmental management in Yakushima. The study reveals that the underlying environmental issues in Yakushima result from an increase in tourists and controversial management of deer populations. Both residents and tourism practitioners indicated that more trash in the community was the most significant impact of tourism on the environment. Some perceptions were contradictory. Management authorities noted an increase in the deer population, which needs to be controlled to prevent damage to natural vegetation. Most tour guides reported a decrease in the sighting of deer along hiking trails, frustrating the genuine expectations of the tourist. The connection of the deer issue to tourism turned out to be very complex, as an overabundance of deer endangers parts of the vegetation tourists come to enjoy, while at the same time deer are an important part of the tourists’ experience. Different perceptions on deer by different stakeholders add to this complexity, which needs to be taken into consideration for proper management of tourists and deer in the future.

Partial information and complex development decisions: Illustrations from infrastructure projects

This study assesses the theoretical and practical limitations of evaluations of infrastructure projects. Existing tools used in such evaluations typically exhibit two main limitations. Firstly, they tend to accommodate only two dimensions at once and rely on extensive use of averages for additional dimensions. Secondly, they mostly produce a narrow (project exclusive) or information that is too general, thereby precluding both broader and more detailed interpretations at once.Development decisions so informed are consequently based on partial information. Too often this has produced unsatisfactory outcomes for some stakeholders along with increased risks and heightened uncertainties. This is particularly the case for infrastructure projects.This paper proposes an alternative approach to development decision-making called ‘complex stakeholder perception mapping’ (CSPM). CSPM's evaluations inclusively involve a spectrum of insights and perception maps which offer flexibility, combined with complex perceptions of multiple stakeholders on multiple aspects of development.Applicability of CSPM is demonstrated using four perceptual dimensions in infrastructure development evaluation. Different perception combinations and individual group perceptions generate patterns which indicate aspects and groups that need attention. This approach generates rigorous interpretations of information at both the micro and macro level of the project environment, thereby supporting well-informed strategic decision making to advance project outcomes.