Policy Support Research Articles

System justification drives Latino support for nativist policies

System justification drives Latino support for nativist policies

Satisfaction with Government Recommended Pre-Procedural Mouth Rinses in the Mitigation of Covid-19 in Hong Kong SAR: A Triple Blind Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

To evaluate satisfaction and acceptability with three pre-procedural mouthrinses recommended by the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) during the COVID-19 pandemic. A triple-blind parallel-arm randomised controlled clinical trial was conducted. Following eligibility assessment, participants were block-randomised to the three intervention pre-procedural mouthrinses groups: Povidone-iodine, Hydrogen Peroxide and Chlorhexidine Digluconate. Participants rinsed with one of the mouthrinses assigned prior to any dental treatment. Participants, operators and assessors were blind to the assigned mouthrinses (triple blind). Satisfaction ratings were assessed on a 10cm visual analogue scale (VAS) and acceptability of the mouthrinses were determined. Following clinical screening, 228 participants were involved in the trial. The mean overall VAS satisfaction was 7.35 (SD 1.68). There was no significant difference in VAS satisfaction ratings among the three groups (p>0.05) nor in between groups. Acceptability of the mouthrinses was high with the vast majority (89.5%, 204) willing to use the mouthrinses again if pre-procedural mouthrinsing is required. There was no significant difference in acceptability ratings (p>0.05). There were some aspects such as taste and smell that participants commented on (on average, 24.6%, 56), although no significant difference in prevalence of reports among groups (p>0.05). There were high rates of satisfaction and acceptability of the HKSAR Government recommended pre-procedural mouthrinses for the mitigation of COVID-19 transmission in the dental setting. There was no significant difference in satisfaction and acceptability rates among the three recommended pre-procedural mouthrinses. The high satisfaction and acceptability rates of the HKSAR Government recommended pre-procedural mouthrinses in the mitigation of COVID-19 in this clinical trial lends support for the HKSAR's policy on pre-procedural mouthrinses in the dental setting and this has implications for practice and policy during pandemics.

Driving Climate Action via Government Public Relations: The Role of Government-Citizen Relationships and Situational Perceptions

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to predict the active communication behaviors and their Behavioral Intentions to Support Federal Climate Policies from the view of government public relations. Using data from an online survey of 548 adults living in the United States, this study investigated the roles of Government-Citizen Relationships (GCR) and situational perceptions (i.e. Problem Recognition, Constraint Recognition, and Involvement Recognition) in predicting active communication behaviors (i.e. information seeking, forefending, and forwarding) and federal climate policies in the framework of situational theory of problem solving (STOPS). The results of this study indicate that GCR is critical in predicting active communication behaviors and public support. While Involvement Recognition among situational perceptions is significant to predict active communication behaviors and public support, program recognition and Constraint Recognition are partially significant. The results highlight the pivotal mediating roles of situational perceptions – Problem Recognition, Constraint Recognition, and Involvement Recognition – in the link between GCR and public support for federal climate policies.

Catch me if you can: how episodic and thematic multimodal news frames shape policy support by stimulating visual attention and responsibility attributions

Catch me if you can: how episodic and thematic multimodal news frames shape policy support by stimulating visual attention and responsibility attributions

Younger Americans are less politically polarized than older Americans about climate policies (but not about other policy domains).

Political polarization of Americans' support for climate policies often impedes the adoption of new, urgently needed climate solutions. However, recent polls suggest that younger conservatives favor adopting pro-climate policies to a greater degree than older conservatives, resulting in less political polarization among younger Americans relative to older Americans. To better understand these patterns, we analyzed Americans' support for various climate policies from 1982-2020, across 16 waves of historical, nationally representative survey data from the American National Election Studies (total N = 29,467). Regression models consistently show that, since 2012, younger Americans have been less politically polarized than older Americans on support for climate policies. Before 2012 and on non-climate policy topics, we did not find consistent statistical evidence for political polarization varying with age. These findings can inform policy debates about climate change and offer hope to environmentalists and policymakers who seek to build broad consensus for climate action at the policy level.

Ecological construction status of photovoltaic power plants in China’s deserts

Solar photovoltaic (PV) is one of the most environmental-friendly and promising resources for achieving carbon peak and neutrality targets. Despite their ecological fragility, China’s vast desert regions have become the most promising areas for PV plant development due to their extensive land area and relatively low utilization value. Artificial ecological measures in the PV plants can reduce the environmental damage caused by the construction activity and promote the ecological condition of fragile desert ecosystems, therefore yield both ecological and economic benefits. However, the understanding of the current status and ecological benefits of this approach in existing desert PV plants is limited. Here we surveyed 40 PV plants in northern China’s deserts to identify the ecological construction modes and their influencing factors. We quantified the ecosystem service value (ESV) provided by these PV plants using remote sensing data and estimated the potential for ESV enhancement. Our results show that PV plant construction in desert regions can significantly improve the ecosystem, even with natural restoration measures (M1) alone, resulting in a 74% increase in average fractional vegetation cover (FVC) during the growing season, although the maximum average FVC of only about 10%. The integrated mode M4, which combined artificial vegetation planting M2 and sand control measures M3, further enhance the average growing season FVC to 14.53%. Currently, 22.5% of plants lack ecological measures, 40% employ only a single measure, but 92% of new plants since 2017 have adopted at least one ecological construction mode. The main influencing factors include surface type, policy support, water resources, ecological construction costs, and scientific management guidance. If artificial ecological construction were incorporated, a significant ESV could be achieved in these PV plants, reaching $8.9 million (a 7.7-fold increase) if assuming a targeted 50% vegetation coverage. This study provides evidence for evaluating the ecological benefit and planning of large-scale PV farms in deserts.

Harnessing Anger to Persuade: The Moderating Roles of Retributive Efficacy and Prior Attitudes

ABSTRACT Given unresolved questions about the conditions under which anger appeals persuade, this investigation examined whether an anger appeal is more persuasive if it includes efficacy content emphasizing retribution. It also examined whether effects hinge on initial attitudes toward the advocated issue – here, regulation of soda marketing to improve children’s health. Findings from this 3 (offense component: high, low, none) × 3 (efficacy component: retributive, non-retributive, none) between-subjects experiment (N=1,244) indicated a high offense component unintentionally generated anger toward the message source among counterattitudinal individuals but, intriguingly, also boosted their behavioral intentions. Exposure to any efficacy cues increased policy support. Although the offense and efficacy components did not interact, post hoc analyses revealed the expected pattern whereby message-intended anger more strongly predicted policy support at higher levels of retributive efficacy beliefs. These findings suggest promising new directions to revisit predictions made by extant theories of anger appeals.

SAFE – A risk management tool to protect both people and pets in residential aged care facilities

Abstract Pet ownership has known health and well-being benefits for people of all ages. Most previous research on pet ownership among older people has focussed on older people with pets living independently in their own homes or the effects of visiting pet programs in residential aged care. With structural ageing of populations globally, the number of humans living into old age is increasing. Even with home support and care policies, an increasing number will need to live in communal aged care settings. Currently, pets rarely accompany older persons into communal residential aged care. This article presents a risk management tool – Safe Animal Friendly Environments (SAFE) – designed to facilitate and maintain private pet ownership among older people living in residential aged care facilities. SAFE was developed to identify best practice for both human and animal well-being in residential aged care. The tool supports both human and animal well-being during a human stage of life with many losses and pains while reducing the number of pet animals needlessly relinquished or even euthanised when owners need to ‘go into care’. It was developed using a Delphi process with multidisciplinary expert input. We identify the different types of risks for stakeholders (residents with pets, aged care facility staff and pets), including physical, zoonotic and psychological risks. None of the identified risks of pets in aged care are unmanageable. SAFE reduces risks to acceptable levels and directs how to remove them where possible. SAFE has a summative table listing 17 general risks: from animals to humans, humans to animals and animals to animals. Each identified risk has a pre-mitigation risk assessment (low, medium or high), recommended mitigation actions and a post-mitigation risk rating (low, medium or high). Post-mitigation risk is reduced to ‘low’ in almost all scenarios. SAFE has separate tables for dogs, cats, small mammals, birds and fish, each preceded by a best practice case study. The discussion links the Ottawa Charter for (human) health promotion and use of SAFE. SAFE contributes to the inclusion of residential aged care as a context for the personal human-animal bond.

Green hydrogen prospects in Peninsular Malaysia: a techno-economic analysis via Monte Carlo simulations

According to Malaysia's National Energy Transition Roadmap, hydrogen is a critical component of the country's energy transition. However, there is a scarcity of hydrogen studies for Peninsular Malaysian states, which limits discussions on green hydrogen production. This study employs a Monte Carlo model to assess the economic and technical factors influencing the success of green hydrogen in Peninsular Malaysia. The study focuses on three target years: 2023, 2030, and 2050, representing various stages of technological development and market adoption. The levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) of a 1-MW Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyzer system ranges from $5.39 to $10.97 per kg in 2023, highlighting early-stage challenges and uncertainties. A 6-MW PEM electrolyzer system could achieve an LCOH of $3.50 to $4.72 per kg by 2030, indicating better prospects. Because of technological advancements and cost reductions, a 20-MW PEM electrolyzer system could achieve an LCOH of $3.12 to $3.64 per kg in 2050. The findings indicate that the northern regions of Peninsular Malaysia have consistently low LCOH values due to favorable geographical conditions. Due to minor variations in solar capacity factors, uncertainty distributions in LCOH remain stable across different regions. Some states may face increased uncertainty, emphasizing the need for additional policy support mechanisms to mitigate risks associated with green hydrogen investments. The sensitivity analysis shows that key cost drivers are shifting, with early-stage electrolyzer investments dominating in 2023 and electricity prices becoming more important in 2030 and 2050. Future research could focus on optimizing green hydrogen systems for areas with underdeveloped green hydrogen industries. This study contributes to informed discussions about green hydrogen production by emphasizing the importance of tailored strategies that consider local conditions and highlighting the role of Peninsular Malaysia in the energy transition.

Assessing the market opportunities for pesticide-free vegetables in Bangladesh: consumers’ preferences and willingness to pay

The excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture poses threats to ecosystems and human health. To mitigate these risks, researchers have turned their attention to pesticide-free production methods. This study aimed to assess the market opportunities for pesticide-free vegetables (PFVs) through determining consumers’ preferences and willingness to pay (WTP), along with identifying factors influencing consumers' WTP decision in three major cities of the country, namely Dhaka, Khulna, and Mymensingh. Employing a multistage cluster sampling method, 150 samples were selected and data collection utilized the android-based app Kobo through direct interviews. The contingent valuation method (CVM) and double-bounded dichotomous choice model (DBDC) were used to estimate WTP and preferences while ordered logit model were employed to identify influencing factors. The findings indicated that over 90% of consumers in Mymensingh and over 92% in Dhaka and Khulna were willing to pay a premium for pesticide-free tomatoes and brinjal. Additionally, more than 18% and 19% of consumers expressed willingness to pay a 20% premium for brinjal and tomato, while over 39% were willing to pay for both a 10% premium. The study revealed that factors such as age, sex, education, household size, and income significantly influenced consumers’ WTP decisions, with age showing a negative correlation, while education and income were positively associated with interest in consuming pesticide-free vegetables. Overall, the study underscores the increasing demand for pesticide-free vegetables in urban areas, emphasizing the need for governments and stakeholders to develop supportive policies for sustainable market development. Res. Agric. Livest. Fish. Vol. 11, No. 1, April 2024: 69-77

Can Credibility Overcome Elite Polarization?

Can Credibility Overcome Elite Polarization?

Impact of Left Ventricular Unloading on Outcome of Heart Transplant Bridging With Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support in New Allocation Policy.

The new heart allocation policy places veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO)-supported heart transplant (HT) candidates at the highest priority status. Despite increasing evidence supporting left ventricular (LV) unloading during VA-ECMO, the effect of LV unloading on transplant outcomes following bridging to HT with VA-ECMO remains unknown. From October 18, 2018 to March 21, 2023, 624 patients on VA-ECMO at the time of HT were identified in the United Network for Organ Sharing database and were divided into 2 groups: VA-ECMO alone (N=384) versus VA-ECMO with LV unloading (N=240). Subanalysis was performed in the LV unloading group: Impella (N=106) versus intra-aortic balloon pump (N=134). Recipient age was younger in the VA-ECMO alone group (48 versus 53 years, P=0.018), as was donor age (VA-ECMO alone, 29 years versus LV unloading, 32 years, P=0.041). One-year survival was comparable between groups (VA-ECMO alone, 88.0±1.8% versus LV unloading, 90.4±2.1%; P=0.92). Multivariable Cox hazard model showed LV unloading was not associated with posttransplant mortality after HT (hazard ratio, 0.92; P=0.70). Different LV unloading methods had similar 1-year survival (intra-aortic balloon pump, 89.2±3.0% versus Impella, 92.4±2.8%; P=0.65). Posttransplant survival was comparable between different Impella versions (Impella 2.5, versus Impella CP, versus Impella 5.0, versus Impella 5.5). Under the current allocation policy, LV unloading did not impact waitlist outcome and posttransplant survival in patients bridged to HT with VA-ECMO, nor did mode of LV unloading. This highlights the importance of a tailored approach in HT candidates on VA-ECMO, where routine LV unloading may not be universally necessary.

FINTECH SERVICE BUSINESS IN INDIA TREND AND PRACTICE -A THEORETICAL OUTLOOK

Fintech (Financial Technology) an advance payment-based technology is a growing service in India. With the introduction of number of innovative payment platforms that are alternative to cash transactions, people are motivated to choose best of best payment options. Fintech technology adoption rate in India is noticed as 87 per cent compared to 64 per cent of the world average. Growth of fintech services is influenced by number of factors like: nation having huge underserved financially excluded population, rising youth population, educated and rapid urbanisation, easily available of workforce, supportive Government policies and scope for raising capital for investments. Digital payments and fintech service market is expected to grow multi-fold in the near future, with active support from the user, Government and financial institution. The financial market is found be less matured and large number of people are still uncovered by various financial service, through enhancing their knowledge on easy and safe mode of payment either for physical or online shopping or for money transfer with support the fintech services to growth in India. KEY WORDS: Fintech Services, Digital Payment, Financial Literacy of Fintech Service

A Review of the AGE Barometer 2023: EU Good Practices and Barriers in the Empowerment of Elderly in the Labour Market - The Case of Hungary

The 2023 edition of the AGE Barometer was released by the Age Platform Europe, aimed at consolidating data from European statistics and national-level sources and enriched by feedback from 19 European countries, including Hungary. The publication aimed at empowering older people in the labour market and promoting sustainable and high-quality working lives for them. The Barometer revealed that the European Union (EU) is far from reaching its 78% employment target for adults aged 20 to 64 with its current state of just 62.3%. This could be due to various barriers to the integration of older people in the labour market, which include inadequate supportive policies, ageism, and unfavourable workplace conditions. Conversely, these are broadly stated in the context of the EU; hence, a deeper analysis of these results, with a special focus on the case of a single country, such as Hungary, is relevant to establish a clearer understanding of the national and local framework of these findings and in determining facilitating policies and programmes as well as gaps in promoting elderly inclusion in the labour sector. Using various methods such as critical analysis, desk and literature review, and thematic analysis, this article examined the Barometer report and other relevant publications. The Barometer 2023 effectively provided general issues and actionable areas in supporting older people in the labour market, combating ageism, and ensuring an age-friendly work environment in the EU landscape. Moreover, it revealed that Hungary performed better in employing older persons compared to the EU average, likely associated with a favourable environment for older workers through its legal protection systems, financial incentives, equal treatment policy, and initiatives such as pensioner cooperatives and information technology education. However, this still falls below the target, and based on the analysis and review of existing relevant publications, this could be associated with some unfavourable policies, gender disparities, a continuous rise in the ageing population, an increased number of migrant workers, technology challenges, ageism, political mayhems, cultural and traditional constraints, and other challenges that continue to threaten the marketability of older people, thereby resulting in consequences for their financial, physical, social, psychological, and environmental wellbeing. Moreover, the report also stated few good practices in promoting elderly employment in the county, contrary to numerous efforts implemented by both the Hungarian government, non-government organisations, and other institutions, which remained unrecognised, perhaps due to limited data availability and gaps in the reporting schemes. Finally, the Barometer 2023 report was realized to be included and used as a part of the technical working papers of the European Economic and Social Committee, being the EU advisory body that deals on the issues and opinions regarding this matter. The latest edition of the Barometer has the potential to spark positive changes among policymakers and decision-makers in acknowledging the economic potential of the elderly and in eliminating barriers that hinder elderly integration in the labour market. In the case of Hungary, substantial policies, programmes, and welfare services exist that facilitate elderly employment; however, challenges were also identified, hence the precise recommendations provided in the Barometer report must transform into reality, taking into consideration the unique national, local, and cultural peculiarities of Hungary and its local communities. It is also suggested that systematic data collection and good practice documentation must be facilitated in Hungary, and feedback from the other 18 countries in the Barometer report must be thoroughly reviewed or benchmarked for possible inspiration and replication. Lastly, the potentials of the Barometer 2023 to be used at all levels of decision-making must be maximized.

How membership of a farmer organization can support farmers in adapting to climate change in the Pacific Island region

Abstract Climate projections for the Pacific Island region serve to emphasize the climate unpredictability, variability and intensity that farmers will have to adapt to in the future. The impact that climate change is having on agriculture in the Pacific is evident from the data around agriculture loss and damage from extreme weather events such as flooding and cyclones. It is clear that food systems will have to be resilient and farmers will have to adapt, if food security in the region is not to be seriously threatened. The factors considered as essential for building adaptive capacity are: (a) social capital; (b) ability of communities to engage effectively with external agents; (c) access to knowledge including how knowledge is generated, shared and exchanged; (d) merging of local and external knowledge; (e) space for farmers to interact, communicate, experiment and learn from each other; (f) trust in the adaptation measure(s)being promoted; (g) effective capacity building; (h) decentralized research; and (i) supportive policy. This article explores these factors and proposes that membership of a farmer organization (FO) provides an enabling platform for the effective and efficient delivery of these conditions, thereby providing farmers with the tools essential for adaptation to a changing climate. Examples illustrating how farmers around the Pacific Island region are working together to put in place measures that will strengthen the resilience of their farming systems are provided from national and regional farmer organizations in the region.

Investigating the impact of fear of COVID-19 on intention to quit: do supervisor support and government support matter?

Purpose This study aims to examine the relationships among fear of COVID-19, job stress, job commitment and intention to quit. It also investigates the boundary conditions of the impact of fear of COVID-19 on job stress and intention to quit, a research gap that has not been addressed yet. Design/methodology/approach This research focused on full-time frontline hotel employees who have been working in four- and five-star hotels in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. A pilot test was performed before collecting formal data. The survey was conducted face-to-face on site so that any potential confusion could be clarified right away. 487 valid responses were analyzed using SPSS 28 and SmartPLS 4. Findings The majority of hypotheses were supported, with the results suggested that supervisor support contributes to reducing the tendency of hotel employees to quit their job and their job stress. Besides, government support is necessary to make staff feel secure during the pandemic. Practical implications This study contributes to pointing out central priorities in making decisions by hotel managers when facing crises. Managers need to focus more on measures to help their employees feel secure and should be available for guidance and feedback when nedeed. Additionally, supportive policies from the government, especially financial support, can provide hotel employees with resources they need to maintain a basic level of living in the face of a severe drop in their income. The study provides the hotel industry not only in Vietnam but also in countries with comparable settings with strategies to cope with unexpected events. Originality/value Research on intention to quit a job has mainly focused on a complex interplay of internal factors. However, the influence of fear of COVID-19 on intention to quit a job has not been studied in the context of Vietnamese hotel industry yet. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of hotels in Vietnam had to close due to a lack of visitors, which had a negative impact on human resources. Accordingly, fear, stress, commitment and intention to quit a job are the issues faced by staff.

Investigating the Institutional Embedding of Social Innovation at Five Leading Technical Universities in Europe

Although the relevance of social innovation has been increasingly discussed in politics and science in recent years, the role of universities in social innovation ecosystems still needs to be determined. In particular, there is little research on the role of European technical universities in promoting social innovations. Thus, this article uses a document analysis to conduct a cross-country analysis based on five European technical universities. The results show differences in promoting social innovation at five European technical universities and can thus provide an overview of the situation at technical universities. In brief, the results indicate that, in line with previous research on social innovation at universities, the five technical universities have not established holistic approaches to promote social innovation and that implementing social innovation in research and teaching could depend on policy instruments and support mechanisms for social innovation at the national and university levels.

Assessing the equilibrium of food supply and demand in China’s food security framework: a comprehensive evaluation, 1980–2017

The continuous upward trajectory observed in total grain production serves as a fundamental pillar for guaranteeing food security. Nevertheless, relying solely on the measurement of China’s overall food security status through total grain output is inherently biased and neglects to capture the comprehensive nature of food security. This study adopts a food supply and demand balance perspective and constructs an evaluation indicator system for food security based on indicators such as grain yield per unit area, per capita grain possession, grain inventory, and inventory ratio. The weight of each indicator in the food security system is calculated using the entropy value method, and a comprehensive evaluation of China’s food security level from 1980 to 2017 is conducted. The study revealed that China’s food supply and demand exhibited a discernible upward trajectory in development. Notably, the food supply demonstrated greater volatility, whereas the food demand remained relatively stable but experienced incremental growth. Between approximately 1985 and 1993, China’s food supply and demand subsystem briefly experienced a state of mild imbalance, followed by a state of moderate imbalance around 2003. These imbalances were primarily attributed to insufficient effective food supply. In terms of the equilibrium between supply and demand in the context of food security, China’s food supply and demand exhibit a predominantly balanced condition with a slight surplus, wherein the adequacy of food supply significantly influences food security. Furthermore, the provision of policy support serves as a robust assurance for food security, and China’s existing policy framework for food security demonstrates a constructive impact.

The Role of Business Management in the Innovative Development of the Cultural Tourism and Education Industry

As China's comprehensive strength continues to grow, along with the rapid development of information technology, new opportunities have emerged for the development of the cultural tourism and education industry. With an increasing demand for cultural tourism and lifelong learning, this industry is facing unprecedented development opportunities. The market size is continuously expanding, and the range of cultural tourism and education products and services is becoming more diverse, meeting the needs of various consumer groups. Innovation has become mainstream; companies and institutions within the industry are constantly exploring new development models, which promote the transformation and upgrading of the cultural tourism and education industry. Increased policy support has provided a solid guarantee for the innovative development of this industry. Thus, in the process of formulating operational strategies, it is essential to first conduct an in-depth market analysis to understand consumer needs, competitive situations, and industry trends. Subsequently, product strategies that align with market laws should be developed, including product positioning, unique feature creation, and the enhancement of product lines. Simultaneously, a reasonable pricing strategy must be established to ensure that product pricing is competitive while achieving the profit goals of the enterprise. Through the formulation and implementation of these strategies, business management can help the cultural tourism and education industry achieve sustainable development.

Study of the Impact of New Rural Cooperatives on the Implementation of the Rural Revitalisation Strategy

This study aims to explore the impact of new rural cooperatives on the implementation of China's rural revitalisation strategy, focusing on the roles and challenges of new cooperatives in promoting agricultural modernisation, facilitating the optimisation of socio-economic structures, and achieving an ecological civilisation. Through literature review, case study analysis and field research, this study comprehensively assesses the importance and impact of new rural cooperatives in rural revitalisation. The study finds that new rural cooperatives have significantly improved agricultural productivity and product quality and contributed to agricultural modernisation by pooling farmers' efforts and introducing modern agricultural technologies and management models. These cooperatives have also contributed to the optimisation of rural socio-economic structures by providing employment opportunities, skills training and increasing farmers' incomes. In addition, co-operatives have demonstrated a positive role in promoting rural ecological environment protection and sustainable development, such as promoting green agriculture, conserving resources and protecting the ecological environment. At the same time, this study also points out the challenges faced by new rural co-operatives in the process of development, including management and operational efficiency, market adaptability, balance between environmental protection and sustainable development, fund raising and resource allocation. In response to these challenges, the study proposes a series of countermeasures, such as strengthening the internal management of cooperatives, broadening market channels, promoting environmentally friendly agricultural practices, enhancing the effective use of funds and resources, and strengthening policy support and guidance. Overall, new rural cooperatives play an important role in promoting rural revitalisation strategies, and their successful experiences and challenges are of great reference value in guiding the implementation of rural revitalisation strategies. Through an in-depth study of new rural cooperatives, this paper provides practical insights and suggestions for policymakers, cooperative managers and rural development researchers.