Policy Tensions Research Articles

Surviving the educational landscape: a case study of leadership, policy tensions and marketisation

Within a neoliberal educational policy context, we are increasingly witness to educational leaders compelled to become strategic operators to ensure the survival of their schools. Drawing on the tenets of institutional ethnography (IE), this article traces the everyday work and experience of a school leader in one Australian private school site that was in ‘survival mode’ after experiencing an unprecedented decline in enrolment numbers. By tracing the power of global and local market forces informing the work of one educational leader, our intention is to capture how a school leader’s subjectivity was influenced by market demands and how he invested his time in strategizing to ensure his school would survive. The article makes two main contributions; first, the case study complements research exploring the impact of neoliberal reform on schooling and, second, we highlight the role of IE in furthering our understanding of the pressures schools face and the lived experience of school leaders.

The Impact of Two-pillar Policies on Real Estate Prices in China

Since the turn of the 20th century, China's real estate industry has been expanding, playing an increasingly vital role in fostering the growth of the national economy. On the one hand, rising housing costs can stimulate the growth of linked companies. Nonetheless, it also causes a number of social issues. Through theoretical research, this study examines the impact of two-pillar policies (monetary policy and macroprudential regulations) on real estate values in China. The analysis reveals that quantitative monetary policy influences real estate prices via credit scale, whereas price-based monetary policy influences real estate prices via loan interest rate. However, there is a tension in monetary policy between "boosting the economy" and "stabilizing property prices". When monetary policies govern housing prices, macroprudential policies, particularly LTV instruments, can avert systemic problems and compensate for the spillover effects on the real economy. Consequently, it is imperative to establish and enhance the regulatory framework for two-pillar policies.

Impact of institutional quality on ecological footprint: New insights from G20 countries

The complex relationship between institutional quality and ecological footprint (ECF) has been verified in prior literature; however, the subject is still inadequately explored and often disregarded to highlight areas where specific policy tensions exist. Therefore, this study aims to delve into the significance of institutional quality on ECF through a limited information maximum likelihood (LIML) panel analysis in the G20 countries from 2000 to 2022. For a precise evaluation, the study innovatively constructs a composite institutional quality index (IQI) and three indices under the accountability, transparency, and participation dimensions. Additionally, the study develops an economic uncertainty predictor to capture the effects of external economic shocks on the subject. The results obtained from the LIML estimation demonstrate that IQI is substantive in reducing ECF in the recipient panel. Further, the findings highlight that all three dimensions of IQI are significant in abating ECF, while the transparency index yields a higher influence on abating ECF. It is also observed that IQI plays an effective role in modulating the relationships between ECF, financial development, human development, growth, and energy consumption, while it is found to be insignificant in reducing the negative effects of globalization on ECF. Finally, the results indicate that IQI is highly influential in eliminating the adverse impact of external shocks on ECF. The results are robust and have specific policy implications.

College Students and Class Attendance: How Poverty and Illbeing Affect Student Success through Punitive Attendance Policies

This study examines the prevalence of poverty and illbeing among students attending a large urban university and investigates how these challenges affect attendance, including how failure to meet attendance requirements may negatively influence course outcomes for these students. Through an anonymous survey, 520 students responded to questions asking about professor inflexibility, food insecurity, housing insecurity, depression, anxiety, and chronic illness. Over half of survey respondents reported having some degree of food and housing insecurity, and over half reported having anxiety, depression, or chronic illness. A multiple regression analysis demonstrated that punitive attendance policies disproportionally impact students living in poverty and those who experience anxiety, depression, or other forms of chronic illness. Several students reported that inflexible attendance policies have led them to a lowered grade, course failure, or course withdrawal to avoid failure, even when they otherwise had a passing grade. Examining professorial power through French and Raven’s six power bases, I invite faculty to think about the ways in which their power intersects with students and the opportunities that course policies provide to actively contribute to social mobility for students facing opportunity gaps.

Staying safe, feeling welcome, being seen: How spatio-temporal configurations affect relations of care at an inclusive health and wellness centre.

People experiencing homelessness also experience poorer health and frequently attend acute care settings when primary health care would be better equipped to meet their needs. Existing scholarship identifies a complex mix of individual and structural-level factors affecting primary health care engagement driving this pattern of health services utilisation. We build on this existing knowledge, by bringing the spatio-temporal configurations of primary health care into focus. Specifically, we interrogate how space and time inflect situated practices and relations of care. This study took an ethnographic approach and was conducted 2021-2022 at an inclusive health and wellness centre ("the Centre") in Southeast Queensland, Australia. The data consists of 46 interviews with 48 people with lived experience of homelessness, including participants who use the services offered at the Centre (n = 26) and participants who do not (n = 19). We also interviewed 20 clinical and non-clinical service providers affiliated with the Centre and observed how service delivery took place. Interviews and observations were complemented by visual data, including participant-produced photography. All data were analysed employing a narrative framework. We present three interrelated themes demonstrating how space and time affect care, that is 'staying safe', 'feeling welcome' and 'being seen'. 'Staying safe' captures the perceptions and practices around safety, which sit in tension with making service users feel welcome. 'Feeling welcome' attends to the sense of being invited to use services free of judgment. 'Being seen' depicts capacities to see a health care provider as well as being understood in one's lived experience. Spatio-temporal configurations, such as attendance policies, consultation modalities and time allocated to care encounters afford differential opportunities to nurture reciprocal relations. We conclude that flexible service configurations can leverage a relational model of care. Service providers were consulted during the design stage of the project and had opportunities to inform data collection instruments. Two service providers contributed to the manuscript as co-authors. People with lived experience of homelessness who use the services at the inclusive health centre contributed as research participants and provided input into the dissemination of findings. The photography they produced has been featured in an in-person exhibition, to which some have contributed as consultants or curators. It is hoped that their insights into experiences of welcomeness, safety and being seen will inform flexible and relational primary health care design, delivery, and evaluation to better cater for people experiencing housing instability and poverty.

The Japanese textile sector and the influenza pandemic of 1918–1920

AbstractThe ongoing global pandemic has brought into sharp relief the possible interactions between the epidemiology of a virus, the structure of the economy and society that becomes exposed to it, and the actions chosen by government, individuals, and communities to combat it or ameliorate its economic impact. Surprisingly, there has not been sufficient research on these economic and policy interactions of the 1918–1920 influenza pandemic—the deadliest pandemic of the 20th century. This paper focuses on Japan, which as a minor participant of and was not directly affected by World War I. We exploit the diversity of experiences with the pandemic and its attendant policy responses across Japanese prefectures; and investigate the importance of the pandemic's toll (measured by excess mortality), and of nonpharmaceutical policy interventions (NPIs), in determining the pandemic's economic impact. We do so by focusing on the production and employment in the textile sector, given the availability of data and the general importance of the textile sector for emerging economies (as Japan was at the time). We find a significant adverse impact of the pandemic on textiles (almost 30% for an average prefectural excess mortality shock) and indeed find that the implemented NPIs were effective in ameliorating around one half of the pandemic's adverse economic consequences, especially for textile output (rather than employment). Furthermore, these NPIs were more effective when the excess mortality was higher. In this case, there was no trade‐off between money and life, but rather the two were complimentary.

Mobile money innovations and health performance in sub-Saharan Africa

This study assesses nexuses between mobile money innovations and health performance in terms of total life expectancy in 43 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa employing data for the period 2004–2018. Four mobile money innovation dynamics are proxied with registered mobile money agents and active mobile money agents. The empirical evidence is based on quantile regressions. The findings overwhelmingly show that mobile money innovations are relevant in improving health performance or total life expectancy exclusively in bottom quantiles of the conditional distribution of total life expectancy. In other words, countries with below-median levels of total life expectancy are more susceptible to benefit from mobile money innovations compared to countries with above-median levels of total life expectancy. It follows that common or general policy measures on the linkage between mobile money innovations and health performance are unlikely to succeed unless attendant policies are contingent on initial levels of health performance and hence, tailored differently across countries with various initial levels of health performance. More policy implications are discussed.

Policy tensions in demolition: Dutch social housing and circularity

The circular economy principles in Dutch housing policy are examined through the intersection of national policies in local governance. The performance agreement between municipality, housing corporation and tenant organisations is a central instrument to achieve municipal housing policy objectives. A case study of Rotterdam shows the dominant discourse revolves around notions of social housing oversupply and the benefits of social mix. The policy goal is to achieve ‘balanced neighbourhoods’ by 2030. This discourse is challenged by actors that dismiss social housing oversupply and rather note a social housing shortage. The dominant discourse is also challenged by the financial capacity of housing corporations to create social housing and the effects of policy on their market segment. An emerging second discourse revolves around the role of circular demolition and how it can fulfil goals at the intersection of housing and climate policy. Circularity is shown to be based largely on the inventory of materials resulting from the demolition of social housing. It is framed not only as a solution to reducing emissions but also as a political issue with negative consequences for the social acceptability of climate policies. Policy relevance The discourses and challenges identified in this case study show policymaking is based on both framing and facts. The social meaning of circular and social housing policy is different for different actors. In the context of demolition of social housing, the Dutch policy instrument of performance agreements is not ideal for developing participation because it is based on policy decisions that lack tenant involvement. Circular demolition (deconstruction) may impact the situation of many actors. Circular demolition could relieve financial pressure on housing corporations from an investment and building cost perspective, given an otherwise suitable policy environment. However, circular deconstruction could reduce the social acceptability of demolition of social housing if the materials harvested by ‘urban mining’ predominantly come from social housing but do not benefit social housing development. Future policymaking should focus on the interaction between different policy environments and its social and political consequences.

Water and welfare: Free basic water revisited

ABSTRACT This paper reviews South Africa’s efforts to realise the right to water from a welfare policy perspective. ‘Free basic water’ (FBW), initially a water sector policy, was later recognised to be part of the country’s wider social protection framework. However, while the principle of providing poor households with free basic services has been sustained, FBW has not provided reliable access for many of its intended beneficiaries. Analysis of the policy, implementation and performance of the programme identifies unresolved policy tensions between welfare objectives and other government priorities, reflected in the choice of targeted rather than universal welfare strategies. It is concluded that these welfare policy tensions have weakened the outcomes of the free basic water policy which are more usually blamed on operational and institutional failures. While the FBW principle is generally accepted, practical performance is often weak.

Educator-Perceived Barriers and Facilitators to Structured-Physical Activity in Early Childhood Centres: A Systematic Review

ABSTRACT Purpose: Physical activity (PA) and motor competence development are vital for young children, yet many early childhood education and care (ECEC) centers struggle to successfully implement PA programs, particularly those organized and led by educators. This review aimed to synthesize qualitative literature to (1) identify educator-perceived barriers and facilitators to structured-PA in ECEC centers, and (2) map these to the COM-B model and Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search of five databases was conducted in April 2021 and updated in August 2022. Records were screened in Covidence software using predefined eligibility criteria. Using the framework synthesis method, data extraction and synthesis were conducted in coding forms in Excel and NVivo. Results: Of 2382 records identified, 35 studies were included, representing 2,365 educators across 268 ECEC centers in 10 countries. Using the COM-B model and TDF, an evidence-informed framework was developed. Findings revealed the greatest barriers concerned educator “opportunity” (e.g. competing time and priorities, policy tensions, indoor/outdoor space constraints) and “capability” (e.g. lack of PA knowledge and practical, hands-on skills) to implement structured-PA. Although fewer studies reported factors that influenced educator “motivation”, several themes intersected across the three COM-B components illustrating the complexity of behavioral determinants in this setting. Conclusions: Interventions grounded in theory that utilize a systems approach to target multiple levels of influence on educator behavior, and are flexible and adaptable locally, are recommended. Future work should seek to address societal barriers, structural challenges in the sector, and the PA educational needs of educators. PROSPERO Registration: CRD42021247977

State and university tensions in Baltic higher education language policy

Abstract This article explores state and university language policy (LP) agents in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to illuminate their relationship and standpoints in higher education language management. Being interested in who stands for what and whose positions are legitimised, we study the higher education LPs of each state, language principles of universities, and public debates. We conceptualise active LP agents as people with power, people with expertise, people with influence, and people with interest, and consider them to exercise agency in five stages: policy initiation, involvement, influence, intervention, and implementation. By means of argumentation analysis we examine the nature of agents together with the standpoints they express. The findings reveal the central role of most of the nationally oriented state policymakers in university language management in all three settings. Other state policymakers, university administrators, staff, and students become active agents when they disagree with the policies. Agents in each setting share the overarching policy goal, but the main difference of opinion that arises among them is about agency: Should the state or universities implement higher education LPs? And is the state capable of achieving the common policy goal when it takes the task upon itself?

Transcultural pathways to the will to fight

In 2022, the "Will to Fight Act" was referred to the US Congress urging attention to measuring and assessing will to fight. That Bill was not enacted, and evaluation efforts within the political and military establishment remain contentious, fragmented, and meager. This likely will persist, along with attendant policy failures and grievous costs, without awareness of research that the social and psychological sciences reveal on the will to fight [S. Atran, Science 373, 1063 (2021)]. We illustrate such research using converging data from a multimethod and multicultural approach, including field and online studies from the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe. These studies reveal specific psychosocial pathways, within a general causal framework, that predict willingness to make costly sacrifices, including to cooperate, fight, and die in war and sustained conflict. From the continuing strife in Iraq to embattled Ukraine, 31 studies were conducted in 9 countries with nearly 12,000 participants. These include people in longstanding conflicts, refugees, imprisoned jihadists and gangs, US military, studies in Ukraine before and during the current war, and rolling studies with a European ally of Ukraine. Results provide evidence for a mediation model of transcultural pathways to the will to fight. Building on our previous behavioral and brain research, on the battlefield in Iraq, with violent extremists, and with US military, the linear mediation yielding the will to fight involves identity fusion, perceived spiritual formidability, and trust. The model, a variation on "The Devoted Actor Framework," applies to primary reference groups, core cultural values, and leaders.

Effect of commuting on the academic performance of students in higher technical education and their physical and emotional state

ABSTRACT This study establishes a relationship between commuting time and academic attainment of Bachelor of Technology students in face-to-face lectures and labs. A group of 244 students from a private university in India participated in this study. Surveys were conducted to know the specific effect of commuting time on students’ academic performance and their physical and mental state. This study reveals that commuting time has a negative correlation and a weak or moderate effect on academic performance. The results exhibited that 53% of commuting students found commuting a hindrance in class punctuality and regularity while 86% of students felt constant stress of getting debarred in the exam, in case of failing to maintain required attendance. This study will help academic administrators to frame academic policies to create a better academic environment for higher education students in India as well as in the countries having compulsory attendance policies.

Contested representations: A comparative analysis of palm oil sustainability in Malaysian and Dutch media

The emergence of palm oil as the world's most produced and consumed vegetable oil has prompted various policy initiatives to help govern the industry in a sustainable manner. These initiatives include transnational sustainable certification schemes, such as the Roundtable of Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), and national level sustainability standards, such as Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil. To date, attempts to find consensus on sustainable policy and processes has been characterised by tension and disagreement. Most notably, stakeholders participating in policy dialogue from producing countries are unsatisfied with the outcomes of transnational palm oil governance. Tension stems from observations that sustainability is understood differently in the palm oil producing countries of the Global South compared with Northern consumption markets. To understand the different framings of palm oil and potential governance solutions, we investigate media coverage of palm oil sustainability in two different countries: the Netherlands – the largest importer of palm oil in Europe – and Malaysia – the second largest exporter of palm oil in the world after Indonesia. From a sample of 397 Malaysian and Dutch newspaper articles between 2000 and 2015, we employ framing analysis to examine the similarities and differences in media representations of palm oil sustainability. Our findings reveal considerable differences in the way palm oil sustainability is framed in the two countries. Malaysian media frame palm oil as a sustainable industry yet underpinned by a distrust towards transnational sustainability governance (e.g. RSPO) and a perception of unfair treatment towards producing countries by the West. Conversely, Dutch media frame the West as proud consumers of palm oil, who are driving up sustainability standards through NGO scrutiny and participation in transnational processes. We argue that a comparative analysis of media frames offers instructive insights for understanding processes of transnational sustainability governance. In particular, we posit that reconciling policy tensions between North and South palm oil stakeholders could be achieved by highlighting the differences in sustainability framings at different points in the value chain to identify contestation and consensus.

Regulating During Crisis: A Qualitative Comparative Case Study of Nursing Regulatory Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic placed intense pressure on nursing regulatory bodies to ensure an adequate healthcare workforce while maintaining public safety. Our objectives were to analyze regulatory bodies' responses during the pandemic, examine how nursing regulators conceptualize the public interest during a public health crisis, and explore the influence of a public health crisis on the balancing of regulatory principles. We aimed to develop a clearer understanding of regulating during a crisis by identifying themes within regulatory responses. We conducted a qualitative comparative case study examining the pandemic responses of eight nursing regulators in three Canadian provinces and three U.S. states. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with 19 representatives of nursing regulatory bodies and 206 publicly available documents and analyzed thematically. Five themes were constructed from the data: (1) risk-based responses to reduce regulatory burden; (2) agility and flexibility in regulatory pandemic responses; (3) working with stakeholders for a systems-based approach; (4) valuing consistency in regulatory approaches across jurisdictions; and (5) the pandemic as a catalyst for innovation. Specifically, we identified that the meaning of "public interest" in the context of high workforce demand was a key consideration for regulators. Our results demonstrate the intensity of effort involved in nursing regulatory responses and the significant contribution of nursing regulation to the healthcare system's pandemic response. Our results also indicate a shift in thinking around broader public interest issues, beyond the conduct and competence of individual nurses, to include pressing societal issues. Regulators are beginning to grapple with these longer-term issues and policy tensions.

Anti-Blackness and Attendance Policy Implementation: Evidence From a Midwestern School District

This study considers the degree to which attendance policies and practices to address chronic absenteeism in a large Midwestern urban school district create suffering in Black parents’ experiences. In a secondary analysis of longitudinal qualitative data conducted through Afro-pessimist conceptualizations of anti-Blackness, we found that the district’s attendance policies antagonize Black parents in ways that create psychological and material distress; and that educators characterize Black parents as problems they must overcome. These findings demonstrate how attendance policies and practices are imbricated in anti-Black social processes, inviting social death into Black family life. In the ongoing struggle to realize Black freedom, the paper calls for abandoning incentivize-and-punish approaches that assume Black parents and students are inadequately committed to schooling.

The Adoption and Safe Families Act is not worth saving: The case for repeal

AbstractThe controlling federal family regulation law, the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 (“ASFA”), has long been criticized for unnecessarily terminating the rights of parents and leaving thousands of children in its wake without legal parents or any prospect for adoption. Critics highlight the irreparable destruction ASFA has caused the Black community, and many suggest that this result is by design, not disproportionate impact. As a result, a growing movement of impacted parents, advocates, and scholars have called for ASFA's total repeal. This article draws on the work of these parents, advocates, and scholars to argue that a law whose foundation is built on inherently prejudicial policies cannot be repaired; it must be dismantled in its entirety. Dismantling is necessary not only for practical legal reasons, but also because of the symbolic importance of repeal to those most impacted by the law and its attendant policies. Laws have expressive value, and as such, the repeal of harmful laws demonstrates our priorities, our beliefs and who we are as a society. This article examines previous attempts at reform to demonstrate that any attempt to amend ASFA would be insufficient to address its fundamental flaws. Finally, the article concludes by proposing a path forward that is led by impacted families, respects the right to family integrity and recognizes the importance of supporting and investing in communities.

Remittances and fertility in Jamaica

ABSTRACT While Jamaica’s fertility rate has been declining, remittance inflows have been increasing. To elucidate the empirical causal impact of remittances on fertility in Jamaica, we test for cointegration with structural break and by bounds testing using annual data from 1976 to 2019. There are two key findings. First, we find cointegration running from remittances to the fertility rate. Second, we find that after controlling for potentially confounding factors, increases in remittances are associated with a decline in the fertility rate in the long run. Important attendant policy implications arising are discussed.

(Re‐)Discoveries in a time of disruption

(Re‐)Discoveries in a time of disruption

Online learning in business education: key lessons from COVID-19 pandemic

PurposeThis study aims to review the literature on online based learning in business education published in Development and Learning in Organizations between 2019 and 2022. The results of this study can present a better understanding of work-based business learning and offers new insights for future studies.Design/methodology/approachRecently the COVID-19 crisis has accelerated online learning. The pandemic’s pace and scale have led many universities and business schools to adopt popular e-learning tools such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or other online platforms. As a result, faculty and students needed new skills and resources in business education. Hence, the design and execution of online content were under scrutiny (Singh, 2022). After several months (almost two years) of operating in a highly virtual state during the COVID-19 crisis, there is little understanding of online learning in business education. In addition, asking about online teaching quality and student satisfaction is vital, as unsolved concerns may have long-term implications for future business programs (Szopiński and Bachnik, 2022). Therefore, this study aims to critically discuss the current literature to investigate the effects of online learning in business education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results could present a better understanding of business learning and offers new insights for future research.FindingsThe results from reviewing the selected articles showed several methodologies adopted in the field of business education. In this regard, universities must adopt an attendance policy for students with unreasonable excuses and those who cannot attend for technical issues. In this regard, facial recognition technologies and in-class tests that require attendance could assist. In addition, to encourage participation, business schools should build algorithms to measure student engagement and link it to the grading system. Finally, universities and business schools should have continuous assessment measures to ensure quality online learning matches higher education institutions in a specific country (Szopiński and Bachnik, 2022).Originality/valueAlong with the benefits of online learning, business schools must be aware of the risks of extending their online courses. First, digital platforms must be introduced to support all online teaching and learning courses and allow information sharing. This demands institutional reforms and resources, which may be unavailable if a university lacks facilities, administrative support, or a training coordination program. The second challenge is the faculty’s attitude toward online learning and the IT support needed to provide an online environment. While distance learning must offer the same knowledge and skills as traditional learning, faculty should embrace technology as a teaching instrument. Therefore, perceived usefulness is a significant determinant of faculty approval of online education. A post-2020 pandemic study is needed to assess faculty opinions in future studies (Szopiński and Bachnik, 2022).