Sense Of Opportunity Research Articles

Sanitising India or Cementing Injustice? Scrutinising the Swachh Bharat Mission in India

Occupational competence and division of labour in India have historically been linked to social institutions of caste, class and gender. Labour related to sanitation and waste disposal has perpetually been assigned to the most backward caste groups. The reality of the caste system and the revulsion of upper caste groups from any physical contact with dirt and human waste, or with people dealing with waste and sewage, has had many implications for the state of sanitation and cleanliness in India. The national policy on sanitation and its flagship program the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), seems to ignore this caste reality and the conditions of people involved in waste and sanitation-related activities. SBM focuses on infrastructure building for ownership and access of toilets and not on dealing with sludge and sewage, conditions of sanitary workers and their rehabilitation. The technology used in the toilets being constructed, their sustainability, safety and retrofitting needs also requires critical assessment. Any policy for a sanitised India or Swachh Bharat will only be successful if it considers the notion of caste, of ritual pollution associated with human waste and dirt in India and removes the shackles of caste that have chained few marginal communities to such occupations, thereby making the enterprise of sanitation and cleaning in India truly egalitarian and democratic, in the sense of opportunities and participation.

Relationship between Entrepreneurial Talents and Social Motives: A Study of Teacher Trainees

Educational entrepreneurship seeks to provide teachers with the knowledge, skills and motivation to encourage entrepreneurial success invarious settings. Their sense of opportunities, innovativeness and capabilities for accomplishment have become the standard by which freeeducational enterprise is measured. Social motives are learnt in social groups because of interaction with the family and society. Teacher traineeswith their talents create a pool of young people who are able to create jobs by virtue of their hard work and their dexterity of hands and winthe hearts of people around the world through their skills.

A Systematic Review on Leadership Styles in Small and Medium Enterprises

Earlier notions of leadership opined that leadership can be found in one's genes that determine how an individual behaves and reacts to his/her surrounding (Bass, 1985). That is, a leader can still be detected in a group of people although nobody may be appointed to lead at the outset. In the past, an individual became a leader through inheritance of a rank or the throne in a country or in an institution. However, the temperament or characteristic of an individual determine whether one can lead or not. A leader acts as a conflict contributor, a resolver or peacemaker, and a punisher (King et al., 2009). Besides being dominant over the rest of the group members, a leader needs to influence the followers too with his/her leadership style. The leadership style of a leader depends on the attitude of him/her to influencing followers in the organisation. The modern era indicates that an uncertainty or complex situations are not uncommon. In a context of a small and medium enterprises (SMEs), turbulences arising in an enterprise require an effective leader to sustain a strong sense of opportunity for all followers. Such participation allows followers to share opinions, make better decisions and control the resources. In fact, followers and the leader cannot be separated. Likewise, leadership runs in tandem with development. Development occurs as leadership pushes it (Banyai, 2009). Hence, without proper leadership to lead the followers, it would be rather difficult to reach the mutual goals of the enterprise (Poskas & Messer, 2015). Also, a good leadership through guidance and effective communication enables followers to improve themselves. Hence, to conduct a relevant systematic review, the current paper is guided by the following main research question: how are leadership styles practiced among leaders in the context of small and medium enterprises? The focus of this paper is on the leaders of small and medium enterprises where followers are working together towards achieving the mutual goals of the enterprise. Keywords: leader; leadership style; PRISMA; small and medium enterprises; systematic literature review

The Lasting Influence of a Peer-led Adolescent Relationship Abuse Prevention Program on Former Peer Leaders' Relationships, Identities, and Trajectories in Emerging Adulthood.

Adolescent relationship abuse (ARA) has well-documented detrimental health effects. Adolescence is a window of opportunity to promote development of healthy relationship behaviors. Although peer-led interventions have a history of use in the health education field, there are few rigorously evaluated peer-led interventions targeting ARA. Start Strong leverages peer support by training adolescents to deliver ARA prevention curriculum to younger peers. Although the program has shown positive results in recipients, little is known about the impact on the peer leaders themselves. This qualitative study describes the impact of being an ARA prevention peer leader on former peer leaders' relationships and trajectories in emerging adulthood. Specific objectives include: (a) how being a peer leader shaped participants' norms around romantic relationships and ARA, and (b) the impact of participating in a peer leadership program on their emerging adult lives. Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with former peer leaders and coded transcripts using thematic analysis. Fourteen former peer leaders aged 18-26 participated. Most participants (99%) identified as Black or Afro-Latinx. Participants described a lasting impact on their relationships, identity formation, future orientation, and professional lives. Participants highlighted the skills they use to avoid unhealthy relationships and help friends and family navigate their relationships. They identified unexpected challenges, including a sense of isolation around how their relationship expectations differ from same-aged peers, and trepidation about dating partners without advanced healthy relationship knowledge. Participants highlighted positive impacts beyond those pertaining to relationships, including their identity development and expanded sense of opportunity. Finally, they identified tangible skills gained from program participation and relevance to their professional paths. This study suggests that peer-led ARA prevention programs have a far-reaching impact on participants' lives that lasts into adulthood. Future studies may examine how professional development within peer-led interventions can influence future orientation and thus bolster protective factors against ARA.

Making the most of international conferences as an ECR

Conferences in academia are unique spaces. They can be enriching and exciting, filled with a sense of opportunity. However, they can also be overwhelming and daunting. This is especially true in international settings, where cultural differences of social codes are subtle yet pervasive. In this article, I share some insights from my first venture abroad as a first-year PhD student. I offer advice to those preparing for a trip away and reflect on the benefits of international travel as an Early Career Researcher.

Impact of absorptive capacity and dominant logic on ERP assimilation in Chinese firms

Firms belong to social communities that are experts in creation of new knowledge from environment. Knowledge that is generated from past experience and from environment can affect firm’s process positively. Processing knowledge assimilation in a better way, strong leadership abilities are needed. That can recognize knowledge from environment in the sense of opportunities and threats. In this article, we discuss the effect of absorptive capacity (ACAP) and dominant logic (DL) on enterprise resource planning (ERP). Dynamic capabilities (DC) of top managers to absorb the knowledge from the environment and assimilate it according to their needs that improve firm’s enterprise resource planning (ERP). Our main focus in this article is knowledge and how top-level managers routine that knowledge to get the future benefits for their respective firms. The model was adopted from past literature that shows the effect of absorptive capacity its subsets and dominant logic and its dimensions on ERP assimilation. For this study we examined the Chinese firms located in Hefei city (Anhui province) China. Hefei is one of the fastest developing and emerging economic hub in China. Employees from top level are the target group in this study. The results prove our hypotheses that absorptive capacity and dominant logic have a positive influence on ERP in Chinese firms, that not only increases the productivity and performance of the firm, but also helps in the allocation of resources and decision making processes to stand in the dynamic market and oppose any kind of threats. Our results showed positive correlation between all the variables.

BEYOND SYMPTOMS? INVESTIGATING PREDICTORS OF SENSE OF CAMPUS BELONGING AMONG POSTSECONDARY STUDENTS WITH PSYCHIATRIC DISABILITIES

This study investigated predictors of sense of campus belonging among postsecondary students with psychiatric disabilities. Participants were 566 current or past students with self-reported diagnoses of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression. Descriptive statistics, multiple regression, and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the data. Regression results showed that campus engagement and psychosocial inclusion variables accounted for substantially more of the variance in sense of campus belonging than available symptomatological variables. Follow-up path modeling demonstrated the strong mediating role of sense of social exclusion, sense of opportunity, student relationships, and participation in clubs and organizations in the relationship of symptoms factors with sense of belonging. Implications for future research and program development are discussed, with an emphasis on moving beyond symptom-centered interventions to those that stress robust campus integration and engagement.

El videojuego político en México como género editorializado para la exhibición, burla y toma de postura del quehacer de los políticos

Con el propósito de reflexionar sobre las posibilidades de incidencia del videojuego político en la opinión pública, se analizaron 42 interactivos realizados en México entre de 2006 y febrero de 2013. Se par- tió de la hipótesis de que el videojuego político puede comprenderse como una forma emergente de crítica editorializada vinculada en su función comunicativa a la caricatura política. Para analizar el corpus, se utilizaron cuatro categorías relacionadas con el proceso productivo del videojuego: noticiabilidad, simbolismo/referencialidad, usabilidad y sentido de oportunidad. Se concluye que, para comprender el impacto del videojuego político en la opinión pública, es necesario conocer los procesos de redistribución por parte de los usuarios, los contextos y comentarios que les dotan de un nuevo sentido y avanzar en una indagación de corte hermenéutico que dé cuenta de las formas de apropiación de dichos videojuegos.

A community officer's perspective of a rural hospital in KwaZulu-Natal

Amidst the seeming desolation here, I feel inspired each morning when I wake up to the sound of the cock crowing, and the morning star twinkling above the mountain backdrop. This feeling has been matched only by the sense of opportunity I perceive at the hospital every day. There might be a lot more hospital now than some 20 years ago, but there is still so much that can and must be done here. It is not surprising that the revolutionary work of Sydney Kark, and many others, emanated from their experiences in this very setting. Necessity is, after all, the mother of invention.

For your Eyes Only: A Q-Methodology on the Ontology of Happiness Among Chronically Ill Filipino Elderly in a Penal Institution

Happiness is a positive phenomenon that is universal in nature and is therefore, pertinent to all human beings. However, the definition of happiness differs from person to person, and varies among cultures, economic status, social connectedness, spiritual upbringing and daily situations. An individual’s contextual perception of happiness can change when subjected to bleak conditions such as incarceration wherein inmates, especially those who are old and are experiencing health impairments are stripped off with their customary source of happiness. Since Filipinos are known to be as “happy people,” this study purports to surface the different facets of what constitute happiness in the context of a penal institution in the Philippine setting. The Q-methodology is the primary design used in the study. It combines the objectivity of quantitative approach with the essence of human experiences as explored in qualitative studies. The participants (P-sample) were twenty elderly inmates suffering from chronic ailments. They were asked to arrange 32 statements (Q-sample), derived from the initial interview, in the Q-sort table based on their degree of agreement, which were then further explicated in the post-sort interviews. The results were then subjected to by-person factor analysis with varimax rotation using the PQ Method version 2.11. Five profiles emerged from the by-person factor analysis, namely: (1) ‘Sense of Affinity’, (2) ‘Sense of Opportunity’, (3) ‘Sense of Indemnity’, (4) ‘Sense of Positivity’ and (5) ‘Sense of Resiliency’. The discussion focused on similarities and differences among profiles regarding the four principal themes (familial, social, internal and spiritual components of happiness) derived from the statements used as the Q-sample. The perception of happiness varies from profile to profile. The differences in views on what constitutes happiness among profiles are more prominent than their said similarities. Most leanings are directed toward the familial and spiritual aspects of happiness however, happiness can also be internally motivated and cognitively construed. While happiness has a direct relationship to an individual’s overall perception of well-being, the nurse, being the primary provider of holistic care, plays a pivotal role in promoting optimum health through awareness, knowledge, and appreciation of vis-a vis an unwavering involvement with the unique and distinct psychological and emotional needs of the elderly inmates characterized by respect, openness, authenticity and inter-subjectivity.

On leaving a job

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to celebrate the sense of opportunity arising from realising that one is not trapped in a toxic job.Design/methodology/approachSatirical poem.FindingsDeciding to leave a job can be uplifting.Originality/valueAddresses the relief felt when an unhappy employee resolves to leave a job that has turned sour.

International Crisis Response and a Canadian Role

INTRODUCTIONIn the immediate aftermath of the end of the Cold War, there was a sense of general optimism that the end of the east-west struggle would open up new possibilities for dealing with international problems. There was talk of a peace dividend, of the spread of democracy, and of the prospect that together these would contribute to peace and development. Even in the early days of the post-Cold War period, however, there were indications that the surge of optimism was opposed by some hard realities. Writing in 1992, the secretary-general of the United Nations characterized the situation as follows:We have entered a time of global transition marked by uniquely contradictory trends. Regional and continental associations of States are evolving ways to deepen cooperation and ease some of the contentious characteristics of sovereign and nationalistic rivalries. National boundaries are blurred by advanced communications and global commerce, and by the decisions of States to yield some sovereign prerogatives to larger, common political associations. At the same time, however, fierce new assertions of nationalism and sovereignty spring up, and the cohesion of States is threatened by brutal ethnic, religious, social, cultural or linguistic strife. Social peace is challenged on the one hand by new assertions of discrimination and exclusion and, on the other, by acts of terrorism seeking to undermine evolution and change through democratic means.1More than ten years later, those contradictory trends and the blurring of national boundaries continue to generate a sense of opportunity and threat, hope and crisis. For states, these trends challenge government and society in new and unexpected ways. This has particularly been the case for Canada. The effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the attacks of 11 September 2001 have combined to prompt new thinking about national security and how to respond to such threats. These challenges, and their connection to the apparently accelerating interconnectedness of states, also raise questions about international responses.It is in that context that I was asked to explore the question of international or multilateral crisis response and emergency preparedness and whether Canada might play a role in advocating such an approach. This article proceeds in three sections. The first section explores the idea of crisis within the current international system. It discusses the idea of modern crises as a threat to the state and provides an overview of existing crisis response mechanisms within the United Nations system. Given that I focus on state-based responses, I have considered the United Nations, but not the role of NGOs or organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross. Similarly, I leave aside the whole question of international responses to humanitarian crises. Since the end of the Cold War, the nature and criteria for international responses to humanitarian crises has become an issue of considerable debate and study.2 While humanitarian crises are related to the issues discussed here, I have focused on a broader definition of crisis.The second section outlines the nature of the requirement for an international response to crisis management and discusses the advantages and disadvantages inherent in such an approach. The concluding section then addresses what form a Canadian effort might take and whether such an initiative is desirable.CRISIS AND THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEMInherent in the secretary-general's reference to blurred boundaries is an assumption about the interconnectedness of states and societies that has now become part and parcel of academic and policy thinking on security issues. While the extent, nature, and implications of various globalizing tendencies can be debated, few would argue that the phenomenon does not exist. The result is an outlook that sees events and crises as newly threatening in two ways. …

Work Satisfaction and Stress in the First and Third Year of Academic Appointment

Introduction Organizations within and outside of academe have become increasingly interested in the training and socialization of successful professionals. Interest has been fueled by growing evidence that the socialization process exercises important effects on a host of work-related variables, for example, work commitment, motivation, performance, productivity, stress, satisfaction, and turnover |for example, 11, 15, 16, 23, 24, 26~. Schein and others have identified a spiral syndrome, according to which early career successes generate both the opportunities and the desire for later success |34~. Work on organizational demography has suggested that early socialization experiences are important because of the heightened receptivity of the individual to the norms and values of the organization and profession and the lasting effects of socialization over the course of a career (cohort effects) |31~. Various arguments for the importance of early adaptation and achievement can be found in the literature on higher education as well |for example, 3, 4, 10~. Moreover, scholarly arguments appear to be buttressed by the first-hand impressions of both faculty and administrators who perceive faculty's ability to hit the ground running as critical to later success and satisfaction within academe |36, 39~. The faculty development literature shows that the early years of a faculty appointment, in particular, the first three years, are a period of intense socialization |4, 18~. Retrospectively, faculty report the early years to be the most difficult period of an academic career, a time of high stress and low satisfaction |3~. Yet, it remains unclear precisely what lessons faculty learn during their first years, what professional hurdles remain, and what issues pose the most significant threat to future satisfaction and success |4, 18~. We know a fair amount about the kinds of satisfactions, dissatisfactions and stresses faculty experience overall, but have little understanding of the specific sources of stress and satisfaction that shape faculty development at different career stages or how these stresses and satisfactions interact. Given evidence in the literature of a perceptibly weakened morale among faculty and a declining pool of faculty applicants, the question of how junior faculty successfully adapt and even manage to excel in the first years of appointment would seem to be particularly critical at the present time |6~. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Rewards of a Faculty Career The intrinsic rewards of an academic career have traditionally been viewed as central to faculty satisfaction |1, 5, 6, 18, 30~. Intrinsic rewards have been variously defined but, in general, pertain to the nature of the work itself |1~. Hackman and Lawler cite as examples of intrinsic rewards, the opportunity for independent thought and action, feelings of worthwhile accomplishment, opportunities for personal growth and development, and job-related self-esteem |20~. Internal rewards are particularly salient for professionals, like academics, who experience higher order need satisfaction (e.g., needs for personal growth and development or for feelings of worthwhile accomplishment) on a continuing basis without the strength of desire for additional satisfaction of these needs diminishing. Indeed, it may be that additional satisfaction of higher order needs actually increases their strength (Alderfer, 1969). This is an important possibility since it suggests that the opportunity for the development of continuing (and even increasing) motivation is much more a reality when higher order needs are engaged than is the case for more easily satisfied lower order needs |20, p. 262~. Empirical work indicates that new recruits to a profession may actually experience substantial dissatisfaction and higher rates of turnover when their work fails to provide them with a sense of opportunity, challenge, and accomplishment |14~. …

Lenses and Insight: Paradigm Changes and Different Kinds of Religious Consciousness

Crisis and opportunity are two notions that have been used to describe the impact of the Buddhist-Christian dialogue. Participants have sensed that they are in personal and communal crises requiring redefinition of human capacity and responsibility, new self-images, and new social-political structures. However, not only are these redefinitions and changes in self-images and social structures required to keep up with newly acquired information, expanded communication with other people, and a growing network of political interdependence; many people have the experience that transiency of ideas, social relationships, and ways of doing things is a way of life. The sense of crisis is an expression of the awareness that change, interrelatedness, and continual shifting of one's position are a necessity; this is in the nature of contemporary life whether one likes it or not. The sense of opportunity, on the other hand, reflects an affirmation that the conditions of modern living permit a freedom, an exploration, and an engagement with life within a dynamic horizon of human experience. The focus on paradigm changes at this conference can help to clarify the dynamism and interrelatedness which are characteristic of the contemporary experience. Such a focus also provides new vistas on past human life. It calls attention to the fact that religious traditions, the age-old quest for truth, and personal expression of authentic existence constitute a process, or better, a matrix of processes. I would like to address our theme by giving a brief analysis of the variety of paradigm shifts in the present Buddhist-Christian dialogue. What can we learn by engaging each other at the deepest levels of awareness? Can we learn something by examining diverse approaches to ultimate truth? Can we discover something about ourselves, about the historical-social matrix of religious traditions, and about the dynamics of our own religious lives when we engage each other in the last quarter of the twentieth century? I believe we can.

Creating the Conditions for Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations

The article conceptualizes a prenegotiation process, designed to create the political and psychological conditions for beginning Israeli-Palestinian negotiations toward a mutually satisfactory settlement, conducive to stable peace and reconciliation. The goal is direct negotiation of a win-win formula for sharing the land, within a framework utilizing the legitimacy achieved by each side. To mobilize existing incentives for such negotiations (despite severe political and psychological constraints) requires steps that increase the sense of opportunity and decrease the sense of danger associated with negotiations. Such steps confront a dilemma, rooted in the conflict's special zero-sum character: Acceptance of the other party's identity and rights (which it needs to feel reassured) is profoundly threatening to each side's own identity and rights. To overcome the resulting barriers to negotiation, a process of successive approximations is outlined, which enables each party to offer the other sufficient reassurance to begin communication without thereby threatening its own vital interests.