Qualitative Data Sets Research Articles

Shared sources and mechanisms of healthcare worker distress in COVID-19: a comparative qualitative study in Canada and the UK

ABSTRACT Background: COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the wellbeing of healthcare workers, with quantitative studies identifying increased stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and PTSD in a wide range of settings. Limited qualitative data so far has offered in-depth details concerning what underlies these challenges, but none provide comprehensive comparison across different healthcare systems. Objective: To explore qualitative findings relating to healthcare worker distress from two different countries to understand the nuanced similarities and differences with respect to the sources and impact of distress relating to COVID-19. Method: A comparative interpretive thematic analysis was carried out between two qualitative data sets examining healthcare workers’ experiences of distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from Canada and the UK were collected in parallel and analyzed in an iterative, collaborative process. Results: A number of sources of distress cut across both study settings including concerns about safety and patient care, challenges at home or in one’s personal life, communication issues, work environment, media and public perception, and government responses to the pandemic. These sit on a spectrum from individual to institutional sources and were mutually reinforcing. Our analysis also suggested that common mechanisms such as exacerbations in uncertainty, hypervigilance, and moral injury underpinned these sources, which contributed to how they were experienced as distressing. Conclusion: This is the first international collaboration utilising qualitative data to examine this pressing issue. Despite differences in the political, social, health service, and pandemic-related context, the sources and mechanisms of distress experienced by healthcare workers in Canada and the UK were remarkably similar. HIGHLIGHTS This international comparative qualitative study explores how mechanisms that lead to distress are shared across different geographies and cultures, even as the local context shapes the sources of distress themselves.

Scarlet Letters: Rehabilitation Through Transgression Transparency and Personal Narrative Control

When employees commit transgressions, organizations often use tools of organizational control to prevent them from transgressing again. We investigate whether organizations can use transgression transparency to rehabilitate transgressors. Although making transgressions transparent—which may result in stigmatization or public shaming—is generally assumed to be purely punitive, we show when and how it can foster rehabilitation. We draw on a longitudinal, qualitative dataset of 23 similarly situated transgressors at a military academy that added transparency to traditional punishment by requiring transgressors to wear a pin that signaled their transgression. Data from transgressors and from other organizational members revealed that instead of prompting persistent stigmatization, social awareness of the transgression prompted others’ inquiry, gradually engaging transgressors in a coactive process to develop a mutually acceptable narrative of their transgression through a mechanism we call personal narrative control. For that personal narrative to endure, transgressors needed to exercise self-control and avoid further transgressions, as they did in our study even after the pin was removed, signaling rehabilitation. We induce four contextual conditions for transgression transparency to trigger personal narrative control and theorize how they might generalize to other organizations seeking to rehabilitate transgressors.

Dimensions of e-return service quality: conceptual refinement and directions for measurement

PurposeResearch regarding the quality of e-tailers’ service during product returns is sparse and the little that has been performed treats returns as recovery from failure. However, that view is outdated. E-tailers' product return practices have substantially evolved and customers' return behavior has considerably increased, in turn, influencing expectations of customers. Thus, a need arises to revise the understanding of how customers evaluate the quality of e-tailers' service during product returns. This study conceptualizes customer-perceived e-return service quality, identifies e-return's current dimensions, and offers directions for measurement.Design/methodology/approachThis study is conducted in two stages. The first stage follows an abductive approach, with a continuous back-and-forth movement between existing theory and two qualitative data sets to identify the dimensions of e-return service quality. Scale development process is started in the second stage to offer directions for measurement based on the empirically grounded dimensions.FindingsThe conceptualization of e-return service quality identifies six dimensions: (1) owning of responsibility, (2) return convenience, (3) return remedies, (4) service team support, (5) site's return friendliness, and (6) returns diligence. The factor analysis supports the six-factor solution that can be employed for developing a valid scale in future.Practical implicationsThe study suggests that e-tailers who are looking to differentiate themselves through superior e-return service quality should focus on customizing their service through excellent performance on these dimensions.Originality/valueThe paper updates and refines the understanding of service quality in the context of product returns service provided by e-tailers and thus offers a novel contribution.

Views, Experiences, and Challenges of Anesthetists and Anesthesia Technologists on Parental Presence During Induction of Anesthesia in Children: A Mixed Method Study.

Parental presence during induction of anesthesia (PPIA) has a potential positive impact on the pediatric patient, parents, and anesthesia staff. Several studies have explored the effectiveness of PPIA. However, there are no recent studies that explore the anesthesia staff's views, experiences, and challenges toward PPIA. The aim of this study was to discover the views, experiences, and challenges of anesthetists and anesthesia technologists regarding PPIA within a hospital in Saudi Arabia. This study followed a mixed-method design with a qualitative descriptive approach. A methodologic triangulation of data collection, comprising phase one, quantitative Likert-scale questionnaires, and phase two, qualitative semi-structured interviews. Thirteen anesthetic practitioners were recruited in the questionnaire phase, and then six anesthetic practitioners participated in the interviews. The quantitative data set was analyzed using Microsoft Excel and results are given using descriptive statistics. The qualitative data set used thematic analysis and results are given using themes and participants' quotes. The data analysis identified representative themes and revealed no major differences in the opinions and experiences of anesthetists and anesthesia technologists on PPIA support. Based on the anesthesia staff's experiences, they believed in PPIA benefits, such as reduction in sedation use, minimizing the child's anxiety, and enhanced level of cooperation with the staff. Several points were raised indicating that there were challenges of PPIA with anxious parents and hospital policy being the main concern. The study provides evidence from anesthetic practitioners that PPIA is seen in a positive light within the Saudi hospital. The study's findings support further research to improve pediatric anesthesia practice, including a review of the hospital guidelines and policy.

Future Past Tense and Storytelling: Can Victims of Supervisory Abuse Envision Brighter Futures?

Abusive supervision has been a persistent issue for workers across the world. An important area of interest for organizational behavior researchers is to understand the past, present, and future of supervisory abuse. The current research examines the utility of different forms of sensemaking through storytelling that allows the victims of supervisory abuse to extract meaning from the episode of abuse. By conducting semi-structured, in-depth interviews with (N=30) victims of supervisory abuse, we identified ways by which sensemaking allows victims to derive meanings from the experiences of abuse. To our surprise, both retrospective and prospective sensemaking allow individuals to reframe the experiences of abuse. Four broader themes (namely: reasoning, attributions, psychological capital, and self-realization) were extracted from the thematic analysis of our qualitative dataset. This suggested sensemaking to be a powerful tool to shift the victims’ narrative to a more powerful one. Managerial implications and limitations are discussed.

Factors affecting vaccination demand in Indonesia: a secondary analysis and multimethods national assessment

ObjectivesVaccine hesitancy remains a major barrier to immunisation coverage worldwide. We explored influence of hesitancy on coverage and factors contributing to vaccine uptake during a national measles–rubella (MR) campaign in...

“I did whatever they wanted me to do”: a qualitative secondary analysis using reproductive justice to explore sexual violence among justice-involved Latina mothers

BackgroundOne in three women experience sexual violence during their lifetime; however, little is known about this phenomenon with respect to justice-involved Latina mothers. Using the reproductive justice framework as a theoretical lens, we examined sexual violence in Latina mothers who had experienced incarceration and were thus involved in the justice system.MethodsThis was a secondary analysis of a qualitative data set. The reproductive justice framework provided a theoretical lens for examining the women’s rights to bodily autonomy, to have or not have children, and to live in safe, sustainable environments given the intersection of incarceration and sexual violence.ResultsWomen (N = 12) recounted their experiences of sexual violence after having been incarcerated. Incarceration and resulting sexual violence led to discrimination, limited bodily autonomy, sexual exploitation, substance use, depression, anxiety, re-traumatization, recidivism, underreporting of violence, underutilization of healthcare resources, strained relationships, family separation, and unsafe environments.ConclusionsMore research is needed to understand the social, economic, and political contexts that perpetuate sexual violence among justice-involved women. Universal healthcare, participatory research, changing cultural mindsets, decriminalization of sex work, and more comprehensive tracking and prosecution of sexual predators may be key to ending sexual violence in justice-involved mothers.

Financial Technology as a Basis for Financial Inclusion and its Impact on Profitability: Evidence from Commercial Banks

The purpose of this study was to show how financial technology tools can be used to reinforce financial inclusion indicators on the profitability indicators of a Jordanian commercial bank listed on the Amman stock exchange. Between 2010 and 2020, a quantitative and qualitative panel data set was used. The study population is represented by all the banks listed on the Amman stock exchange (n = 16). The study found that financial technology through its multitools changed the structure of the overall financial services, besides the diversity and style of financial services for the commercial banks' clients, thus reinforcing and increasing the availability for a wider social group that did not have access to that service. Further, it was found that there is a significant effect of the financial technology tools to reinforce the financial inclusion indicators over the studies' profitability indicators that include return on assets, return on equity, and earnings per share (JD). It is recommended to adopt effective and modern financial and technological strategies that provide marginalized social groups and small and medium enterprises reasonable access to the financial services and products that meet their needs, including transactions, payments, savings, credit, and insurance. Thus, getting the added value of the data and investing it to increase the financial inclusion indicators improves the profitability indicators and income for commercial banks. Keywords: Financial Technology, Profitability, Financial Inclusion, Commercial Banks.

Developments of Special Education Policies of Various Countries: A Literature Review

Special education is defined as programs that cater to children with disabilities, giftedness, and talents separately from their same-age peers. Globally, there is an increasing awareness about social inclusion which led to promoting and aiming for inclusive education for all children. This study aims to review the literature regarding the progress of special education policies in countries from various regions. Also, it seeks to answer the question, “Where do countries from different regions’ policies in special education are comparable?”. This literature review used a qualitative approach and employed thematic analysis to analyze a qualitative dataset. There are four (4) themes that emerge from the data analysis namely 1) Progress on Special Education Policies; 2) Objectives in Achieving Inclusion; 3) Inclusion as a Solution and 4) Barriers to Inclusive Education. The study suggests that various countries are recognizing inclusive education as a better way to address the needs of children with disabilities.

The loss of peri-urban agricultural land and the state-local tensions in managing its demise: The case of Greater Western Sydney, Australia

Cities globally have witnessed rapid growth, with the world’s population becoming more urban than rural over the last decade. In Australia, this has led to rapid urban expansion into the peri-urban fringes to provide housing and services for its population. The subsequent loss of agricultural land is largely seen as a market driven process, however increasing attention has been given to the contributory role of land use planning policy, systems, and public actors in specific contexts. This study examines the drivers of peri-urban agricultural land loss in Greater Western Sydney (GWS), one of the fastest growing peri-urban regions in Australia, with a particular attention on the role of government agencies. Drawing together a comprehensive set of quantitative and qualitative data, we chart the various tensions in managing population growth and housing pressures whilst at the same time seeking to protect existing peri-urban agricultural land. The research sheds light on the size, value, and extent of peri-urban agricultural activity in GWS. It then shows the extent to which such land is being converted to more profitable end uses, like housing. It contends that competing housing priorities and private market interests will continue to take precedence, unless the current pro-urbanisation narrative and associated political priorities change. To this end, the study also found evidence that the rapid succession of shocks and stresses experienced in city regions such as Sydney has now led to some fruitful questioning of that agenda, and the placing of urban growth imperatives above the preservation of agricultural and rural lands, and other natural resources.

Strategic intent constellations in market expansion of a Chinese firm: the case of Dalian Wanda

ABSTRACT This article examines the strategic intent behind foreign acquisitions made by the Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda (‘Wanda’) in the global film and cinema industry. It develops new theory on the existence and nature of strategic intent constellations using basic propositions on (1) business and financial intent, and (2) political intent during market expansion. A mixed methods approach encompassing qualitative and quantitative datasets is used to show the complexity and interrelatedness of business and financial, and political motivators for Wanda’s foreign acquisitions. A strategic intent constellation is inducted and defined as a complex system, order or host of an organization’s strategy, structures and shared value systems that interact with each other providing direction for the organization. The study provides empirical richness in a relevant marketing strategy setting related to global market expansion and helps develop novel theory about broader strategic intent constellations in corporate China that help understand differences in the notion of strategic intent across the globe.

Recovery of Health and Wellbeing in Rural Cancer Survivors Following Primary Treatment: Analysis of UK Qualitative Interview Data.

Purpose: Rural cancer survivors have poorer experiences and health outcomes compared to their urban counterparts. There is limited research on the post-treatment experiences of UK cancer survivors residing in rural areas. This study aimed to provide an understanding of the specific challenges and opportunities faced by rural cancer survivors and to provide insight into how rurality influences experiences post-primary treatment, ultimately to inform service provision. Methods: A secondary analysis of in-depth interview transcripts (n = 16) from a wider study on self-management in cancer survivors was conducted. An adapted version of Foster and Fenlon’s recovery of health and wellbeing in cancer survivorship framework informed the data coding. Results: Health and wellbeing were interrupted by a variety of problem incidents, and the subsequent steps to recovery were influenced by pre-existing, personal, environmental, and healthcare factors. A prominent theme was support, both from local communities and family as well as from healthcare professionals, with many survivors feeling that their rural setting had a positive influence on their health and wellbeing. Close relationships with local GPs were seen as fundamental to supporting recovery. Access to healthcare was frequently mentioned as a challenge with an emphasis on lengthy travel times and limited bespoke support in rural areas. Conclusions: This study is novel in that it applied a well-established theoretical framework to a rich qualitative dataset on the lived experiences of rural cancer survivors. Rural residency influenced recovery from cancer both positively and negatively. Implications for Cancer Survivors: Future practitioners and policy makers should consider working with local communities to tailor interventions to the specific characteristics of the rural environment.

“I had so many life-changing decisions I had to make without support”: a qualitative analysis of women’s pregnant and postpartum experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has posed profound challenges for pregnant patients and their families. Studies conducted early in the pandemic found that pregnant individuals reported increased mental health concerns in response to pandemic-related stress. Many obstetric practices changed their healthcare delivery models, further impacting the experiences of pregnant patients. We conducted a survey study to explore the ways in which COVID-19 impacted the lives of pregnant and newly postpartum people.MethodsA mixed-methods survey was distributed to all patients ≥18 years old who were pregnant between January 1st, 2020 – April 28, 2021 in a large Midwest health system. Open-ended survey responses were analyzed for common themes using standard qualitative methodology.ResultsAmong the 1182 survey respondents, 647 women provided an open-ended response. Of these, 77% were in the postpartum period. The majority of respondents identified as white, were partnered or married, and owned their own home. Respondents reported feeling greater uncertainty, social isolation, as though they had limited social and practical support, and negative mental health effects as a result of the pandemic. Many cited sudden or arbitrary changes to their medical care as a contributing factor. Though in the minority, some respondents also reported benefits from the changes to daily life, including perceived improvements to medical care, better work-life balance, and opportunities for new perspectives.ConclusionsThis large qualitative dataset provides insight into how healthcare policy and lifestyle changes impacted pregnant and postpartum people. Respondents expressed similar levels of uncertainty and mental health concerns compared to other cohorts but less overall positivity. Our findings suggest greater attention be given to the impact of pandemic-related stress on pregnant and postpartum women. As the pandemic continues, these data identify areas where investment in additional support may have the greatest impact.

Designing a Social Robot Companion to Support Homecare: Usability Results.

Earlier studies show frail seniors often experience loneliness and depression. Moreover, frailty can lead problems with medication and nutrition patterns. The availability of family care and/or nursing care at home is limited. Digital companions, such as social robots, could complement homecare nurses, thereby improving the quality of care to frail seniors. The Guardian project has co- designed with end-users, a social robot providing social company and health support. To assess the digital and co-created solution, usability evaluations have been conducted with 43 participants distributed as fairly as possible between frail seniors, family carers and professional nurses; in three different European areas: The Netherlands, Italy and Switzerland. The goal of this study is to evaluate if the GUARDIAN solution is accepted by the target users and also gather data on how to improve the system for ensuring added-value in home care. The iterative method based on user-centered approach put the end-users at the centre of the usability evaluation. Through thematic analysis of the qualitative datasets, we conclude that a high number of users accept the solution and describe it as useful. End-user needs have been mainly addressed but some new improvements have been pointed out by the participants and some other needs have been uncovered.

Application of Warnings and Reprimands by Heads of Schools In Managing Teachers’ Professional Misconduct Among Public Secondary Schools in Mara Region, Tanzania

This study assessed the application of warning and reprimands by heads of schools on the management of professional misconduct among public secondary school teachers in Mara region, Tanzania. The reviewed literature indicated that there is a high rate of teachers’ professional misconduct and there was need of assessing the application of warnings and reprimands and find a way that can be properly used to manage teachers’ professional in the school environment. The study was guided by Transformation Leadership Theory which guides the HOSs to use different strategies in managing of teachers’ professional misconduct including warning and reprimands. The study used mixed methods approach and the convergent mixed research design whereby quantitative and qualitative data sets were collected simultaneously. The target population involved 300 students, 138 teachers, 25 heads of schools and 5 District TSC Officers. Stratified, simple random and purposeful sampling techniques were used to determine the study sample that consisted of 468 respondents. Questionnaires, interview guides, interview schedule, and document analysis guide were used to collect the required data. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics using independent t-test. Narrations and direct quotations were used to present qualitative the study findings. However, the study also revealed that there was a significant relationship between the level of application warnings and reprimands strategy and management of teachers’ professional misconduct. The study concluded that warnings and reprimands were not properly applied due to unfairness, favouritism and insufficient of knowledge and skills by HOSs in dealing with management of teachers’ professional misconduct. The study recommended that TSC under the government should give education to the heads of schools on the proper usage of warnings and reprimands to avoid favouritism to the teachers when issuing warnings and reprimands.

How alternative foods become affordable: The co-construction of economic value on a direct-to-customer market

The imposition of premium prices is one of the most influential barriers to sustainable food consumption. Yet studies of alternative food networks and sustainable consumption have paid sparse attention to how and why some customers overcome the price barrier. This article addresses this issue, posing the question: How do alternative foods become affordable to the customers purchasing them? The article draws on an extensive qualitative dataset that shows how the participants – suppliers, administrators, and customers – in Swedish REKO-rings, a direct-to-customer food market arrangement, co-construct alternative foods as affordable to customers. The study uses the sociology of markets and valuation studies to analyse how these market participants enable some economic comparisons but disqualify others. The findings suggest that they co-construct a distinct economic practice for their customers, called ‘affordacity’. This practice treats liberal spending on alternative foods as the prudent use of money, while deeming spending on conventional foods as imprudent regardless of their prices. These findings complement existing scholarship on sustainable food consumption and alternative food networks.

Spatial Imaginaries and Geographic Division within the UK: Uneven Economic Development, Ethnicity and National Identity

This article provides an account of how spatial divisions permeate imaginaries of the UK’s geography, drawing on a large qualitative data-set on the locational choices of young adults. The data we draw from are unique in their multi-sited design, which includes accounts of how young people look upon the UK’s internal geography from 17 geographic vantage points, that span the four UK nations and each region of England. Data collection involved an innovative mapping exercise capturing how their spatial imaginaries are relationally constructed, and the demarcation of spatial boundaries. Drawing parallels with research on the way divisions are constructed globally by internationally mobile students, we argue that the young adults’ spatial imaginaries were infused with intranational boundaries of uneven economic development, national identity and ethnicity. Their spatial imaginaries and the geographic divisions they embody have important implications for public policy that seeks to redress spatial inequality within nations like the UK.

Study on the morpho-anatomy of Lepisorus species through light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy and its systematic implications.

The genus Lepisorus is often associated with complex lineages in Polypodiaceae, which leads to difficulty in understanding taxonomic relationships among the species. The taxa is mostly epiphytic with some distinct features like rhizomes covered with clathrate scales, simple fronds, sori in a single row, intermixed with peltate paraphyses. In this study, we precisely focus on the Lepisorus species and seek a broader understanding of the taxonomic relationships that prevail in this genus. The morpho-anatomical traits of rhizomes, stipe, lamina, and sporangia were explored in nine species with the aid of light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy techniques for gathering the qualitative and quantitative data sets. These character traits were resolved into groups based on degree of similarity and principal component analysis to comprehend the covariance among the variables. The data were then employed to prepare an artificial dichotomous key and hierarchical cluster analysis was established that revealed five related clades with eight members whereas one member emerged as outgroup. The results correspond with other recent phylogenetic studies of the concerned genus hence confirming immense reliability and thrust of light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and morphology-based studies that are being less utilized in fern taxonomy.

Enforcing Hopelessness: Complicity, Dependence, and Organizing in Frontline Oil and Gas Communities.

Fossil fuel companies hold enormous political, economic, and knowledge production power. Recently, industry operators have pivoted from pushing climate denialism to campaigns aimed at individualizing responsibility for climate crisis. In this paper, we focus on one related outcome of such efforts - people's experiences of complicity - here in the context of unconventional oil and gas (UOG) production. We ask: How do mobilized activists experience fossil fuel scapegoating, and what does it mean for their goals as they organize against UOG production? We show that even activists fighting UOG production feel complicit in fossil fuel production, and these feelings of complicity diminish their demands for UOG accountability. We argue that these outcomes have been especially pernicious in cultural contexts like that of the United States, where neoliberal ideologies are normalized, centering personal responsibility, individualization, and identification as consumers rather than citizens. We marshal an extensive qualitative dataset and advance a theory of complicity as a way to understand: a) how social movements intersect with neoliberalized patterns of life; b) how experiences of complicity affect activism; and c) how this may contribute to fossil fuel firms' goals of undercutting organizing. We end by examining how a sub-set of activists works to dismantle this complicity narrative.

Effectiveness of a CL-informed approach to English preposition acquisition by young Chinese learners

Abstract While increasing efforts have been made to teach English prepositions to EFL learners from a Cognitive Linguistics (CL) perspective, the bulk of the extant research has focused on adult learners at the advanced English proficiency level and reported only quantitative results. Limited attention has been paid to elementary learners, and there has been little qualitative evidence of the pedagogical effectiveness of CL-informed approaches. This study aims to address these issues with a quasi-experiment embedded in an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. Twenty-two young Chinese learners received two types of instruction, respectively, to learn locative prepositions in, on, and at. A conceptual metaphor time as space that originates in CL was exploited as the intervention for the experimental group, whereas a data-driven approach was adopted for the control group. Quantitative data collected from the participants through a set of tests and qualitative data collected from the instructor with a semi-structured interview generally supported the effectiveness and, to a lesser extent, the efficiency of the CL-informed approach. The paper concludes with a discussion of the pedagogical implications derived from the empirical results.