Unexpected Circumstances Research Articles (Page 1)

ABSTRACTFamily members may be impacted by complex care requirements around childhood disability, although little research provides guidance on the changing needs of families under unexpected circumstances. This study investigated parents' experiences and reports of the impact of COVID‐19 lockdowns in Australia on family members in families raising a child with a disability and at least one other child. This study focused on parents' perspectives of their own, their child without disability and overall family experiences. This mixed‐methods study included measures of the impact on siblings, parent distress and four open‐ended questions about family impacts, from parents' perspectives. Thematic analysis guided qualitative data analysis. Eighty parents/carers participated. Parents/caregivers reported high distress and that siblings increased their participation in direct caregiving and household tasks but received minimal educational support. Findings revealed challenging impacts on all family members, changes to relationships within the family and impacts on family functioning. Overall, COVID‐19 lockdowns impacted family ecology and well‐being for parents and siblings. This study recommends that families raising children with disabilities and other children need more support and individualized accommodations for each family member, especially siblings, when the family is impacted by extreme service disruption and multi‐system changes as occurred over the COVID‐19 pandemic lockdowns.

Innovation is about developing new ways to improve productivity and quality of service and achieve business goalsand objectives. It is becoming critical for property enterprises to innovate and work smart to scale up and stay ahead of thecompetition. This could be achieved by utilising digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support management activities,streamlining investment ventures, or opening new venues for cost-effective solutions. It is becoming essential for propertySMEs to ensure that they deliver on time, meet the regulations’ requirements, and their customers’ demands, and achievetheir business goals. New innovative products or services could disrupt current property business activities and operations,and present new challenges for SMEs. Moreover, innovation can help property businesses implement smart methods andnew, more efficient procedures in their operations and add value to their products and/or services that can lead to highreturns. This paper introduces our family business innovation framework and system, which was adapted from Kashny et al.(2015). Our enterprise uses an innovation strategy to support the business teams in implementing the necessary tools andsystematisation and achieving strategic advantage while managing risk. This helps us deal with business management andfinancial challenges, market changes, and unexpected circumstances. The lack of planning and strategy could impact thebusiness, generating revenues and maintaining growth. This paper presents the entrepreneurial aspects of applyinginnovative solutions to property enterprises' business management and operations. It aims to introduce a real-life case studyabout some of the challenges property enterprises face in general and Anzar Property Group in particular. The paper willpresent ongoing entrepreneurial activities in a family-owned business that specialises in the residential property business. Itwill also show the innovation process and practices applied by Anzar Property Group in its entrepreneurial business activities,operations, and development.

Formal Modelling is often used as part of the design and testing process of software development to ensure that components operate within suitable bounds even in unexpected circumstances. We conducted a user study evaluation of predictive formal modelling (PFM) at runtime in a human-swarm mission to determine the benefit of PFM on performance and human-swarm interaction. A total of 180 participants were recruited to perform the role of aerial swarm operators delivering parcels to target locations in a simulation environment. The PFM model was integrated into the simulation software to inform the operator of the estimated mission completion time given the current number of drones deployed. The operator could increase the number of parcels delivered in any timestep by adding drones, which also increased costs, thus requiring the use of the minimum number of drones necessary to complete the task in the given time. We collected user feedback using standard survey questionnaires and measured performance using data obtained from the Human and Robot Interactive Swarm (HARIS) simulator. Our results show that PFM increased the performance of the human swarm team without significantly increasing the operators’ workload or affecting the system’s usability.

Understanding the drivers of innovative behavior is critical to fostering creativity, increasing productivity, and adapting to an ever-evolving landscape. This research aims to uncover the intricacies of what drives individuals and organizations toward innovative thinking and action. This research uses a multiple-case study to answer the research objective, namely understanding the process of librarians’ innovative behavior. Determining research informants was carried out by applying purposive sampling. The results of this research show that at least several factors can influence the innovative behavior of librarians both internally and externally. All the factors driving the innovative behavior of librarians in libraries are described and narrowed down into basic factors, which are simply divided into internal factors that can be influenced from within the library, such as organization, mandatory leadership, motivation and career development, duties and functions, and self-actualization. The next factor is the opposite aspect, namely external factors that can only be influenced by circumstances outside the scope of the library such as public stigma, changes in user characteristics, developments in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), disasters and unexpected circumstances. The pressure to provide more effective and efficient library services requires librarians to think outside the box. This implies the need for librarians to be creative and innovative in providing services to achieve user satisfaction. This study provides valuable insights and implications for public libraries in Indonesia, especially for library managers or leaders regarding human resource management policies, apart from technical operational aspects in libraries.

Background: The pandemic crisis prompted the world to adopt unexpected approaches to continue life as normally as possible. The education sector, including professors, students, and the overall teaching system, has been particularly affected. Objective: This study seeks to evaluate the benefits, challenges, and strategies related to COVID-19 from the perspectives of college students, particularly those in higher education in Iraq. Method: The online survey questionnaire was distributed via Google Forms and specifically aimed at undergraduate dental students. Results: A total of 348 students participated in the survey. There was a significant correlation (P > 0.01) between student satisfaction with hybrid learning and their experience with electronic teaching during the COVID-19 isolation period. Additionally, the majority of students (62.6%) reported enjoying E-learning during the pandemic. Conclusions: Online education has been a crucial lifeline for many students' academic experiences and is becoming increasingly important in the new landscape of higher education. It requires greater attention and appropriate investment from institutions, instructors, and students alike. Additionally, educational systems worldwide should adopt online learning programs to effectively address unexpected circumstances.

Research demonstrates that student mobility, or students transferring schools, significantly affects student academic outcomes, making it a critical concern for policymakers and practitioners. Within-school-year transfers, in particular, often reflect sudden, unexpected circumstances. However, research on the prevalence, risk factors, and patterns of student mobility remains limited. This study leverages an ecological framework to identify student, school, and neighborhood characteristics linked to within-year school transfers and to examine whether these patterns differ across urban and suburban/rural contexts. Using regression modeling with Missouri state data spanning 15 years, we examined who moved and where students moved. The results reveal both expected and novel patterns, such as higher transfer rates among students with unstable housing and special education needs, as well as among students that attend high-suspension schools. These results have important implications for policy, practice, and future research.

This research reveals the essence of crisis management, defining the purpose and objectives of enterprise crisis management during wartime. This management consists of operational and least risky decision-making that achieves desired results with minimal additional efforts and minimal negative consequences. Crisis management measures differ between the pre-war and post-war periods. Researchers have determined that during the pre-war period, crisis management measures included taking preventive actions to avert the escalation of crises. These measures involved systematically analysing external environmental conditions to track crisis symptoms, ensuring enterprises were prepared to respond to force majeure situations, limiting economic costs during crisis periods, and managing personnel effectively. Post-war enterprises should implement crisis management measures such as developing and executing evacuation plans to ensure the safety of employees and company property. They should diversify and search for new markets to minimise their dependence on markets affected by military-political crises. Businesses should identify potential threats and create risk management strategies to tackle crises effectively. They should ensure sufficient raw materials and energy to maintain production despite supply disruptions. Additionally, they should cooperate with government bodies through agreements to secure support in complex geopolitical conditions. In crisis management, managers understand strategy as a model of actions necessary to achieve the set goal based on the coordination and distribution of company resources. The research substantiates and explains competitive strategies for enterprise development within the crisis management system: concentrated growth strategy, integrated growth strategy, diversified growth strategy, production reduction strategy, or liquidation strategy. The current strategy should consider the need for modifications based on changes in both external and internal environments. It should be prepared to adapt quickly to unexpected future circumstances, connect with historical indicators and factors, and align with the fundamental objectives of the enterprise.

We introduce methodology to bridge scenario analysis and model-based risk forecasting, leveraging their respective strengths in policy settings. Our Bayesian framework addresses the fundamental challenge of reconciling judgmental narrative approaches with statistical forecasting. Analysis evaluates explicit measures of concordance of scenarios with a reference forecasting model, delivers Bayesian predictive synthesis of the scenarios to best match that reference, and addresses scenario set incompleteness. This underlies systematic evaluation and integration of risks from different scenarios, and quantifies relative support for scenarios modulo the defined reference forecasts. The framework offers advances in forecasting in policy institutions that supports clear and rigorous communication of evolving risks. We also discuss broader questions of integrating judgmental information with statistical model-based forecasts in the face of unexpected circumstances.

This article examines the current challenges facing life insurance companies as they adapt to rapid changes in insurance market conditions and consumer preferences. It also explores the integration of advanced sales management technologies into the sales process for life insurance products. Life insurance is characterized as a significant tool for financial protection against unexpected circumstances, fulfilling several key functions: social, protective, accumulative, and investment. The analysis evaluates the state of the life insurance market in Ukraine and the positioning of life insurance companies within it, noting that life insurance currently constitutes only about a tenth of the overall insurance market volume. The life insurance market faces various contemporary risks, including demographic factors, economic risks (related to inflation, currency fluctuations, and market instability), legal risks associated with legislative changes regulating the life insurance market, and significant geopolitical risks, notably the ongoing aggression from Russia. Special attention is given to the sales management of life insurance products, emphasizing it as a continuous and purposeful process that significantly impacts the financial standing of insurance companies and enhances public trust in life insurance offerings. The article highlights that modern sales management in life insurance is currently in a developmental stage, presenting both advantages and disadvantages, and argues for the necessity of adapting these management practices to rapid technological innovations. It discusses various sales channels for insurance products within the life insurance sector, approaches to their enhancement using modern digital tools, and underscores the importance of integrating digital channels with traditional sales methods to construct a multi-channel delivery system for insurance services.

Abstract Introduction Bowel obstruction following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is observed in 1.5% to 11% of patients, with small bowel obstruction (SBO) compromising only 1.8% of these cases. SBO is categorized by time of onset as either early, within 30 days post-surgery, or late. Early obstruction typically involves surgical technical errors or dietary noncompliance. Phytobezoars, such as the one observed in our case, account for less than 1% of SBOs post-RYGB. Zopiclone, a nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic, has a maximum recommended dosage of 7.5 mg daily. Anterograde amnesia is a rare side effect of zopiclone, particularly at higher doses. Although the patient did not initially report zopiclone use, a psychiatric evaluation following the complication revealed frequent self-medication with this hypnotic. This case report is unique because phytobezoar-induced SBOs are rare and generally manifest months or years after the initial surgery. However, in our case, the obstruction occurred within the first 48 postoperative hours, in a technically correct surgery, and under unexpected circumstances. Case Presentation A laparoscopic revisional Roux-en-Y gastric bypass was successfully performed on a 59-year-old woman. The patient was discharged 24 hours after the procedure with detailed medical and nutritional instructions. However, she was readmitted 24 hours later due to acute epigastric pain and multiple episodes of vomiting. She denied any dietary indiscretions or taking non-prescribed medications. On physical examination, the patient had abdominal distension and epigastric tenderness, without signs of peritonitis. Blood analysis revealed leukocytosis with neutrophilia. A contrast CT scan showed dilated small bowel loops, right pleural effusion, and some free gas in the mediastinum. An emergency diagnostic laparoscopy revealed a normal gastric pouch and preserved anastomoses, along with dilated small bowel loops. The jejunojejunal anastomosis was disassembled, revealing undigested solid food content, including seeds, causing intestinal obstruction. The organic material was removed, and the anastomosis was reconstructed. Additionally, mesenteric gaps were closed, abdominal lavage was performed, and a left subphrenic drain was inserted. Postoperatively, the patient developed oliguria and was diagnosed with abdominal sepsis and Acute Kidney Injury (AKIN) II by the critical care team. Antibiotic and diuretic therapies were adjusted, and parenteral nutrition was started. A psychiatric consultation revealed the patient had been self-medicating with zopiclone at four times the recommended dose (30 mg each night). This had caused an anterograde amnesic episode due to the overmedication, resulting in her inability to remember her alimentary transgression. The patient was hospitalized for 10 days, during which she overcame her sepsis and achieved oral tolerance. Psychiatric, medical, and nutritional follow-up were arranged for her thereafter. Conclusion This case underscores the critical importance of obtaining a comprehensive medical history during initial patient evaluation. Patients must be informed of the necessity of disclosing all medications, including over the counter and self-prescribed drugs. In this instance, zopiclone-induced anterograde amnesia was identified as the precipitating factor for intestinal obstruction. Early identification of medication misuse is essential to prevent such complications and to ensure optimal patient outcomes.

This article expounds on the chronology of a PhD programme in design hosted by the University of Porto in cooperation with the University of Aveiro since 2011. Scientific, strategic, pedagogical and administrative occurrences and decisions are narrated and substantiated. Various challenges, as well as approaches for their resolution and/or mitigation, are presented. It is argued that an affective component is crucial to the success of the programme, made possible by the development of immersive research environments and working partnerships between student projects and external contexts (research centres, businesses, cultural agents, multidisciplinarity and internationalisation). A focus on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on course management and narratives is presented. It is argued that, in the post-pandemic era, the core challenges now reside in the maintenance of weak ties and affective components towards a stronger sense of community.

BackgroundIn randomized controlled trials (RCTs), unplanned design modifications due to unexpected circumstances are seldom reported. Naively lumping data from pre- and post-design changes to estimate the size of the treatment effect, as planned in the original study, can introduce systematic bias and limit interpretability of the trial findings. There has been limited discussion on how to estimate the treatment effect when an RCT undergoes major design changes during the trial. Using our recently completed RCT, which underwent multiple design changes, as an example, we examined the statistical implications of design changes on the treatment effect estimates.MethodsOur example RCT aimed to test an advance care planning intervention targeting dementia patients and their surrogate decision-makers compared to usual care. The original trial underwent two major mid-trial design changes resulting in three smaller studies. The changes included altering the number of study arms and adding new recruitment sites, thus perturbing the initial statistical assumptions. We used a simulation study to mimic these design modifications in our RCT, generate independent patient-level data and evaluate naïve lumping of data, a two-stage fixed-effect and random-effect meta-analysis model to obtain an average effect size estimate from all studies. Standardized mean-difference and odds-ratio estimates at post-intervention were used as effect sizes for continuous and binary outcomes, respectively. The performance of the estimates from different methods were compared by studying their statistical properties (e.g. bias, mean squared error, and coverage probability of 95% confidence intervals).ResultsWhen between-design heterogeneity is negligible, the fixed- and random-effect meta-analysis models yielded accurate and precise effect-size estimates for both continuous and binary data. As between-design heterogeneity increased, the estimates from random meta-analysis methods indicated less bias and higher coverage probability compared to the naïve and fixed-effect methods, however the mean squared error was higher indicating greater uncertainty arising from a small number of studies. The between-study heterogeneity parameter was not precisely estimable due to fewer studies. With increasing sample sizes within each study, the effect-size estimates showed improved precision and statistical power.ConclusionsWhen a trial undergoes unplanned major design changes, the statistical approach to estimate the treatment effect needs to be determined carefully. Naïve lumping of data across designs is not appropriate even when the overall goal of the trial remains unchanged. Understanding the implications of the different aspects of design changes and accounting for them in the analysis of the data are essential for internal validity and reporting of the trial findings. Importantly, investigators must disclose the design changes clearly in their study reports.

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to propose an integrated ethnographic approach (IEA) to explore familial consumption practices from an Islamic marketing perspective. It also offers a critical reflection on the advantages of ethnographic approaches and provides guidance for future researchers.Design/methodology/approachThis ethnographic study explores the consumption practices of eight families. Through interviews, observations and documentation, the study chronicles and analyses day-to-day activities to examine how consumption practices among followers of a certain religion are influenced by their religious beliefs.FindingsEthnographies are applicable for studying sensitive topics such as religious adherence and its influence on consumption choices. Their flexibility provides researchers with the agility to continue the study despite unexpected circumstances, such as pandemics. Through this approach, the researcher was able to discover the struggles of family members between balancing their religious practices with their consumption experiences.Practical implicationsThe implications of this study suggest that researchers immerse themselves in participants’ worlds if they want to generate insights about sensitive topics. The procedures explained in this study could guide future researchers.Originality/valueThis study had the privilege of adapting an IEA during the COVID-19 pandemic, which allowed the author to obtain novel insights in such unusual circumstances and to discover the agility of ethnographic methodology in exploring religion and consumption.

The emergency due to the pandemic of COVID-19 has required great adaptability and resilience from teachers and students. This study explores teachers’ experiences with distance learning during the first Italian lockdown, investigating their personal and professional responsiveness to unexpected circumstances. A sample of 32 primary and 24 secondary school teachers responded to a narrative survey created ad hoc to highlight the differences between the experience factors that characterized the impact and the resilience in the state of emergency. Narratives were explored through T-Lab software, aiming to extract the main themes and their significance. Content analysis of teachers’ narratives indicated significant differences between the affective resources invested in primary and secondary teachers. If primary teachers were supported by affective relationships with students in handling their personal and professional resilience, secondary teachers based their management of emergency on the continuity of teaching methods and scholastic tasks.

Semoga laris tofu factory is one of the food industry businesses, where the factory processes soybeans into tofu products. The problem that occurs in the management of inventory at the semoga laris tofu factory is that the factory tends to be unprepared for unexpected circumstances, which is caused by the fact that the value of safety stock on raw material inventory has not been determined. At the semoga laris tofu factory hopefully laris there are also capital restrictions on the purchase of raw materials, where the available capital is IDR 30,000,000. This study aims to evaluate the inventory management carried out by the factory by comparing the Min-Max Method, the Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) Method with the tofu factory policy, which after obtaining the optimal Q is then calculated using the working capital constraint method if the results of the optimal Q cannot be met by the available capital. Based on the results of calculations carried out in this study, calculations with the Basic EOQ method have more optimal Q results compared to other methods. However, the basic EOQ calculation exceeds the existing capital limit, because the cost of purchasing raw materials costs IDR 105,450,000. Based on the existence of capital-related restrictions, the calculation is continued with the capital constraint EOQ method. EOQ with this capital constraint has a quantity for one order of 52 bags with a capital cost of IDR 29,640,000.

Abstract Introduction Finland is often defined as a Nordic welfare state, characterised by universal access to healthcare and an emphasis on national and local politics in the governance of the system. In 2023, the Finnish health system was reformed by centralising organisation (purchasing and service delivery) to regional entities, as well as funding and overall governance to the state from 200 local organisations. The aims of the reform were to improve accessibility, decrease inequities, promote population health and curb growing costs. In the Finnish health system, as in other fields of society, we “find a huge number of very small changes, and a very small number of huge changes” (Cairney 2016). This makes the Finnish health system reform a rare opportunity to use a large-scale reform as a context for a study on reform implementation. Methods This research is based on document analysis and interview data collected from top regional managers. The data was analysed using a political determinants of health framework and thematic analysis. Findings The Finnish reforms were introduced by a left-centre government but implemented by a right-wing government with strong opposition to the reforms, which made full implementation challenging. The results highlight the importance of political commitment to implementation, demonstrate that reforms shape power relations at all levels of the health system and highlight how health system reforms are essentially about redistributions of power between different actors. The results also highlight the importance of contextual factors and suggest that large-scale reform should be treated as a system shock for which health systems need to prepare. Conclusions Understanding the political determinants of health and political commitment to reform is essential to implementation, as is the importance of resilience and preparedness to unexpected circumstances either due to reform-related factors or to external and contextual factors.

The article proposes a re-interpretation of the shoreless seascape through a concept the author terms ‘aimlessness’. This concept can function as a hybrid metaphor suitable for investigating the failures of human transcendence. Essentially, every multidisciplinary practice in contemporary artistic, technological and scientific culture is a series of failed geopolitical setbacks. Related actions may well be reversed, interrupted or even recalled at any time with new acquisitions, discoveries or experiments. The understanding of the sea as a theatrical stage can offer spatial observatory mechanisms for decentred perspectives in order to decipher and invent contemporary notions and symbols that are floating into this hydro forest. The article develops a critical reflection based on a series of sea-oriented artworks. Drawing on the ubiquity of the water, these artworks – through representational and performative actions of drifting and floating – examine the concept of aimless floatation. Through an analysis of artistic methodologies interacting with water, the text offers a series of reflections on how such actions become performative, playful and open to unexpected circumstances that lie on the surface or the depths of the water world.

Research Question: The key research question is what the key positive and negative perceptions of students from the Republic of Serbia regarding workplace robots are. Motivation: Academics, practitioners, and decision-makers are more and more interested in the impact of new technological solutions in the field of robotics on organizations and their functioning. Ongoing technological advancements have accelerated the adoption and use of robots in the workplace. As a result, organizations that plan to introduce robots should consider all effects on employees, both positive and negative. Idea: The main idea is to examine and analyse the perceptions and attitudes of students from the Republic of Serbia regarding robots at the workplace. The results of this study regarding students' perceptions and attitudes towards robots in the workplace are crucial for the future of work and job design. Data: Data were collected via online questionnaire consisting of five profile questions and 13 statements organized in two five-point Likert scales. From January to March 2023, the questionnaire was completed by 164 students from the Republic of Serbia. Tools: The collected answers were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences – SPSS, version 21.0. (Armonk, NY: IBM Corporation). The Cronbach's Alpha coefficient, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, descriptive statistics, student t-test and one-way ANOVA test was used for data analysis. Findings: Research results showed that most respondents believe that robots can do dangerous jobs that humans cannot, that robots can free humans from routine and monotonous jobs, and that humans will have more time for creative tasks. Robots in the workplace, on the other hand, will have some negative consequences. Many respondents agree that working with robots without people would make them feel lonely; robots would not know how to react in some unexpected circumstances; and they are not as flexible and mobile as humans. Contribution: The findings of this study could make a significant contribution to a better understanding of students’ attitudes towards robots in the workplace and they may help decision makers, employers, leaders, and managers on how to increase workplace acceptance of robots.

This research investigates how international educational collaboration (IEC) as a social activity adapts to global crises: COVID-19 and the Russian’s invasion in Ukraine. We focus on Finnish higher education institutions (HEIs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that actively provide IEC activities, such as student exchange, education export and educational capacity building abroad. Drawing from the sociology of conventions (SC) and the concept of social practices, we formulate a multidimensional framework that connects regimes of justification, and social practices that emerge in crises. Considering crises as a critical test, we analyse how IEC cope with unexpected situations that require establishing new justifications of public accountability and morality, and practices that fit the crises situation. Our empirical data collected through a two-stage open-ended questionnaire in 2021 and 2022 enables us to consider the recent trends and potential future(s) of IEC. Empirically, we conclude that coping with global crises requires IEC actors to make changes in IEC practices. Analytically, we theorise that regimes of justification and social practices that emerge during crises (crisis practices) are interconnected. Thus, this study contributes to practice-oriented frame by considering accountability of practices in the unexpected circumstances, enhancing the understanding of how different organisations adapt to turbulent times.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the home healthcare industry, with increased rates of burnout and stress among homecare rehabilitation professionals (hcRPs). This study aimed to (1) examine the nature of burnout and occupational stress among homecare rehabilitation professionals at a large home care organization in Ontario, Canada, transitioning out of the pandemic, and (2) assess its impact on work participation and engagement. We conducted a cross-sectional survey using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Generic Job Stress Questionnaire and Copenhagen Burnout Inventory to examine burnout and job stress. One hundred thirty-nine participants identified that work stress and burnout are more likely to occur when one struggles to cope, experiences unexpected circumstances, and feels a lack of control, which can lead to anger and emotional exhaustion. The adjusted odds ratio for emotional exhaustion was 5.46, indicating that the probability of experiencing work stress among homecare rehabilitation professionals increases as emotional exhaustion increases. Significant associations were found between coping with daily tasks and levels of burnout. Work stress and burnout influence coping, unexpected circumstances in homecare rehabilitation professionals work-life. Furthermore, highlighting the need to provide organizational support and policies that specifically address these issues in the home care sector.