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Purpose: This study seeks to estimate union wage effect in the public and private sectors of Ghana, respectively. It also seeks to ascertain whether the union wage effect in the two sectors varies. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use data from the Ghana Living Standards Survey 6 (GLSS 6, 2012/2013) and Ghana Labour Force Survey (GLFS, 2015). In terms of estimation technique, the authors employ the Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition technique to estimate union wage effect in public and private sectors, respectively. Findings: The findings indicate that union wage effect in the public sector is positive and higher relative to that of the private sector. Practical implications: The findings imply that strict enforcement of Section 82 of Labour Act 2003 (Act 651) will curb the political influence of public sector unions over their employer (Government). Originality/value: This research paper has not been presented to any journal for publication and it is the authors' original work. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-01-2023-0045 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study investigates the impact of international remittances on the economic growth of remittance-receiving countries, using data from 113 developing countries between 1990 and 2015. Design/methodology/approach: The authors used a novel approach to address the potential endogeneity of remittances. The authors estimated bilateral remittances and use them to create weighted indicators of remittance-sending countries, which the authors then use as instruments for remittance inflows to remittance-receiving countries. Findings: The results indicate that while remittances have a positive impact on economic growth in developing countries with high human capital, they do not contribute to growth in developing countries with low human capital. The authors also examined the channels through which remittances affect growth. The findings suggested that remittances do not impact labor supply in developing countries with high human capital, but they reduce labor supply in countries with low human capital. Additionally, remittances increase investment in physical capital in developing countries with high human capital, but they do not have an effect on investment in developing countries with low human capital. Originality/value: The authors investigated the impact of remittances on economic growth using a novel approach to address the endogeneity of remittances. Additionally, the authors examined the different indirect channels through which remittances can impact economic growth, such as their effect on labor supply and investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This phenomenological study, conducted within the discourse on the underrepresentation of women in academia, examined the factors influencing the advancement of women academics in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Design/methodology/approach: The sample comprised twenty-one women academics from both public and private universities in Peru. Data were collected through in-depth interviews based on the women's experiences and subsequently processed using Moustakas' (1994) stages for encoding, categorization, and analysis. Findings: The study introduces a conceptual framework of nine factors – personal tastes and preferences, attitudes towards science as a vocation, care work, work–life balance, congruent gender roles, occupational segregation, lack of opportunities, low salaries, and lack of gender equality policies – that impact the career progression of women in STEM fields. Originality/value: The results offer valuable insights for policymakers and academic authorities to address the barriers affecting women academics in STEM. The uniqueness of this paper lies in its investigation in Peru, a country with the highest female labor force participation in Latin America, where women constitute the majority of undergraduate program graduates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper sets out why reskilling is an essential element of an effective talent strategy and outlines the key steps to successful reskilling. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative review of methodologies and practices for reskilling is presented in this paper. Findings: Reskilling is an essential organisational practice allowing employers to respond effectively to turbulent business conditions. Organisations need to engage in three priority actions: strategic workforce planning, adopting flexible work design practices and developing targeted upskilling and reskilling programmes. Originality/value: This is a synthesis of a variety of ideas about how to approach reskilling and reflects practices adopted by organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: India has been on the pathway of improvement concerning healthcare and health outcomes of its population. However, India must overcome its unique challenges and cover a long journey ahead. This mandates a need for a high-quality, contemporary and community-based health system that promises consistent and quality healthcare, is trusted and valued by all its citizens, considers the changing population needs and should be affordable and accessible. Design/methodology/approach: The study examines various dimensions and elements associated with the integrated healthcare system in India and uses input, process and output structural measures. Findings: The present paper proposes an integrated, comprehensive healthcare system in India that endorses participation from diverse stakeholders such as the government, organizations, the community and individuals who can contribute uniquely. It also focuses on defined and measurable output that can make health a topic of social movement or "Jan Andolan" and create a sustainable and integrated care system. Originality/value: The study is unique as it focuses on the role of stakeholders in health care. The research emphasized the involvement of the government, community, people and organizations in developing an integrated healthcare ecosystem that includes modern technology, skilled employees, enough finance, governance, efficient delivery platforms and top-tier infrastructure. The model's output is focused on healthcare that is inexpensive, accessible, available, accountable and user-centered. This would gradually improve everyone's health and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper demystifies the fluid workforce phenomenon increasingly discussed in the circles of organizational innovators and explores the characteristic aspects of the fluid workforce in the healthcare sector. Design/methodology/approach: We analyze the concept and provide a generic review of definitions of a fluid workforce in relation to other similar concepts established in the academic and practitioner literature, contextualize the fluid workforce phenomenon in healthcare and distinguish relevant drivers and categories of fluid workers in this sector. We also discuss the implications of a fluid workforce for healthcare organizations, drawing on the health labor market and human resource management (HRM) practices frameworks. Findings: The fluid workforce in healthcare is not new. Today's main novelties are related to the wide diversity of types of fluid workforce that have emerged, the expanding scale of diffusion of the fluid workforce and the emergence of digital technologies to support HRM decisions. While a fluid workforce may provide solutions to address mismatches in the supply and demand of health workers, it can also worsen working conditions, increase dual practice and have implications for existing HRM practices. Originality/value: We disentangle a novel term for the public sector, healthcare and HRM literature. We discern similarities and distinctions, presenting a framework for managing and analyzing this workforce at organizational and labor market levels in the healthcare sector. Acknowledging the challenges in estimating the existing fluid workforce labor market size, we offer practical methodologies to empirically estimate its prevalence within the healthcare industry and build an agenda for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This work examines the returns to education for workers who pursue additional education after time out of the labor force. It compares those who remain in the labor force during additional education with those who drop out of the labor force during additional education. It compares two cohorts of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY). Design/methodology/approach: This work utilizes a difference equation to estimate the returns to education for workers who pursue additional education after time spent out of school and in the labor force. Findings: The results indicate a sheepskin return of approximately 14% for those who remain in the labor force and a return of approximately 9% to years of additional education for those who drop out of the labor force. This contrasting pattern of returns is robust to sample selection correction and a variety of checks. Research limitations/implications: This work does not fully account for all threats to causation. Further research could pursue these and make use of data from more clearly defined periods of education. Practical implications: This work finds key differences between the internal labor market faced by those remaining in the labor force and the external labor market faced by those dropping out of the labor force. A policy focused on re-training workers should account for these differences. Originality/value: This is the first work to compare workers who pursue additional education while remaining in the labor force to workers who pursue additional education and drop out of the labor force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to better understand how to interact with the five generations that currently make up our workforce. Design/methodology/approach: The author bases her article on 8+ years of HR experience and research. Findings: The five generations are more similar than we think. They want many of the same things, but they want them in different ways. Communication is the biggest difference between the groups. Originality/value: The paper will better enable readers to engage workers from multiple generations in their own organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Various health systems are challenged by a multifaceted crisis of increased service demand and workforce shortages. The effects are devastating and may end up in decreased access to care, poor quality of patient care and extreme demands on the workforce. The introduction of the physician assistant (PA) profession provided an avenue to address such challenges in several countries. In Germany, the integration of PAs has been proceeding slowly. Design/methodology/approach: To understand the integration of the profession in Germany, we conducted 15 expert interviews to reveal how the PA profession is perceived among healthcare experts as well as the barriers and facilitators of integration in inpatient care. Findings: Our results highlight a generally positive perception of PAs, particularly in terms of workload relief and bridging the gap between healthcare professionals. Nonetheless, barriers include resistance from healthcare workers unfamiliar with the PA role, while workforce shortages and collaborative teamwork facilitate integration. Originality/value: These findings lay the groundwork for potential integration-enhancing strategies in Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study investigates how enhancing information and communication technology (ICT) affects female economic participation in sub-Saharan African nations. Design/methodology/approach: Three female economic participation indicators are used, namely female labour force participation, female unemployment and female employment rates. The engaged ICT variables are fixed broadband subscriptions, mobile phone penetration and Internet penetration. The Generalized Method of Moments is used for the empirical analysis. Findings: The following main findings are established: First, there is a (1) negative net effect in the relevance of fixed broadband subscriptions in female labour force participation and female unemployment and (2) positive net effects from the importance of fixed broadband subscriptions on the female employment rate. Secondly, an extended analysis is used to establish thresholds at which the undesirable net negative effect on female labour force participation can be avoided. From the corresponding findings, a fixed broadband subscription rate of 9.187 per 100 people is necessary to completely dampen the established net negative effect. Hence, the established threshold is the critical mass necessary for the enhancement of fixed broadband subscriptions to induce an overall positive net effect on the female labour force participation rate. Originality/value: This study complements the extant literature by assessing how increasing penetration levels of ICT affect female economic inclusion and by extension, thresholds necessary for the promotion of ICT to increase female economic inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Unemployment is one of the major challenges facing most countries, including Africa as a continent. Seeking how to reduce unemployment, debt, inflation and increase gross domestic product (GDP), foreign direct investment (FDI) and gross capital formation in the continent has been an agenda of governments, policy makers and economists to. This study examines the relationship between economic growth, inflation, debt, FDI, gross capital formation, labor force, population and unemployment in Africa. Design/methodology/approach: An updated panel dataset of 29 African countries was selected from different regions from 1991 to 2019. These countries were selected based on their unemployment, population growth and inflation rates. The Pesaran cross-sectional dependence and panel unit root test (the Dickey–Fuller cross-sectional supplemented and the Im-Pesaran-Shin cross-sectional) were applied. Further, the panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model (Bounds test) and pooled mean group (PMG) estimator were utilized in this work. Findings: This shows that economic growth, debt, labor force and population have a positive relationship with unemployment in the long run. Therefore, an increase in these variables generates an increase in the selected African countries' unemployment growth. In contrast, inflation, FDI and gross capital formation have a negative relationship with unemployment in the long run, which implies that an increase in these variables reduces unemployment in the selected African countries. Research limitations/implications: This study has potential limitations because some data from the countries are not up to date and some years are missing from the data. Practical implications: This study contributes to understanding unemployment and Okun's law in the African economy. This study shows that an increase in economic growth leads to a rise in unemployment, while an increase in inflation leads to a decrease in unemployment. Originality/value: This paper provides an insight into the major factors that increase and reduces unemployment for government and policy marker to take the adequate measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The development and implementation of a provider collaborative (PC) represents an ambitious and complex piece of work to be delivered across a geographical area for a vulnerable patient cohort. The UK East Midlands Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) PC was established in April 2021, and the current study aimed to explore the views of a variety of staff members about its functioning over the first twelve months. Specifically, it explored whether the intended aims has been achieved and identified the challenges that it faced during its introduction. Design/methodology/approach: Feedback was collected through in-depth qualitative interviews and surveys with frontline (n = 20) and senior staff (n = 19) that were conducted to explore the experiences of a variety of stakeholders within the collaborative. Findings: Two main themes were identified – the achievement of the key aims and the barriers to success. A thematic analysis has shown that whilst the aim of the PC is well intentioned and is generally welcomed by the multiple stakeholders across the geographical region, it is clear that changes are required in order to ensure the inception of an efficient care service that is able to achieve the ultimate goal of providing the ultimate goal of "right care at the right time". Originality/value: This is the first study, to the authors' knowledge, to explore collaborative working in CAMHs services. The study involved staff feedback from Phases 1 and 2 of a 4-years-long evaluation. The findings demonstrate the overall aims are being met as well as identifying areas of concern; this, in turn, allows the authors to develop a series of recommendations to implement and improve collaborative working before assessing their impact in the subsequent phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The recommended public healthcare infrastructure and human resources are essential to deliver healthcare services, particularly in tribal areas, as the country's tribal population depends mainly on the public healthcare system for their medical needs. India has a substantial share of the tribal population, accounting for approximately 9% of the total population. The paper reviews the state of public healthcare infrastructure and human resources in tribal areas for a period that spreads over a decade. Design/methodology/approach: The paper relied on data from the Government of India's Rural Health Statistics (RHS) reports (2011–2012 and 2021–2022). From these reports, data on the physical infrastructure and human resources in the tribal areas were extracted. The extracted data were compiled and analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Findings: The analysis showed that the improvement in public healthcare infrastructure and human resource situation in tribal areas of the country was not commensurate with the tribal population growth seen in the last decade. As a result, the average population covered by a health facility was greater than the prescribed norms in the tribal-dominated geographies. The health worker-population ratio at the primary healthcare level was also higher than the national norms. However, there was a substantial improvement in the doctor-population ratio at the primary health center level. In comparison to tribal-lean states, tribal-dominated states faced the concurrent challenge of a growing population and strained healthcare facilities and human resources. As a result, the healthcare infrastructure and human resource gap continued in the tribal-dominated states of the country. The gaps in health infrastructure and human resources in tribal-dominated states must be addressed as a priority under the health infrastructure strengthening efforts to ensure that the tribal population receives and has access to quality health care from publicly funded health facilities, leading to improved health outcomes in the tribal population and the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Originality/value: We have not come across any paper that has carried out pancountry analysis of healthcare infrastructure and human resources in tribal areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive analysis on the economic relationship between trade openness and economic growth and to identify current developments, potential research area and future directions. The emphasis is on the identification of annual growth of publications, country-wise distribution, publication pattern, intellectual structure and cluster analysis of scientific production in this field. Design/methodology/approach: This study used evaluative techniques, text mining approach and performance analysis to identify possible patterns and correlation and to measure the impact of authors/citations/scientific production. Further, this study used the bibliometric mapping to represent the structural features of scientific production. This study emphasized on identification of the research hotspots based on occurrence of indexed keywords, productive researchers and journals during 2000–2022. Further, cluster analysis is performed using VOS viewer to analyze the current dynamics and future direction of the association between trade openness and economic growth (Eck and Waltman, 2011). Also, co-citation analysis is used in this study to identify the relations among authors or journals or documents using citation data, whereas the bibliographic coupling/mapping is intended to analyze the citing documents. Similarly, co-word analysis is used to study the article keywords that are mainly used to assess the conceptual structure of a concerning subject. Findings: Economic growth is a function of trade openness, and it is important to analyze the relationship between trade openness and economic growth. Trade openness tends to become more liberalized over time, to contribute more to economic growth. Empirical evidence suggested that there exists a strong association between trade openness and economic growth. Further, keyword timeline analysis illustrated that the linkage between trade openness and economic growth is current area of interest among researchers. As per bibliometric analysis, China, Pakistan and Malaysia are the three most prolific countries in the terms of published articles on this theme. However, the most influential publications based on h-index and citation on trade openness–economic growth relationship is produced by Turkey. Based on cluster analysis, this study suggests that researchers are currently working on trade openness–economic growth relationship with other variables such as FDI, financial development, labor force, environment degradation and carbon emission, while in future, researchers could work on variables such as technology and sustainable development. Research limitations/implications: There are some limitations of this study. The first limitation is the authors have used Scopus database, leaving the possibility for future research to use Web of Science, Google Scholar or other similar sources. The second limitation is that the authors have used search terms "trade openness "and "economic growth," although research could be performed using synonyms or even relevant terms in other languages. Practical implications: Cluster analysis suggested that researchers are currently working on trade openness–economic growth relationship with other variables such as FDI, financial development, labor force, environment degradation and carbon emission, while in future, researchers could work on variables such as technology and sustainable development. Therefore, this study identified the potential research area in this research domain. Originality/value: To confirm the originality of this study, to the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to combine bibliometric analysis and cluster analysis on trade openness–economic growth relationship. This study makes a comparison with phenomena/processes/events in contemporary economic and social reality in the field of trade openness and economic growth relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study is to examine and develop sector skills strategies and action plans for the textile and apparel (T&A) sector. Design/methodology/approach: The paper used a participatory action qualitative method anchored on the Skills for Trade and Economic Diversification (STED) framework, utilising the workshop-based approach with 24 key stakeholders of the sector. Content analysis was used with the help of Nvivo software. Findings: The findings revealed that there are skills shortages, skills gaps, skills mismatches and skills diversification programmes available through higher education and work-based learning. Further, there are labour supply challenges such as national skills policy and strategy, government and stakeholder coordination, funding, relevance of curriculum and qualifications, access to practicals and the absence of a clear national vision for the sector. Research limitations/implications: This study possesses an inherent limitation in terms of generalising the findings derived from qualitative research. Originality/value: This research is among the first of its kind to assess skills needs and gaps through the lens of STED framework, which has been overlooked in previous literature. Importantly, this study provides vocational insights into skill needs in the sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to develop an adapted collaborative governance model for aviation human resource development in Indonesia's approved training organisations (ATO), considering the expected changes in the industry due to advanced technologies. The model, based on Ansell and Gash's approach, emphasizes multi-stakeholder collaboration to ensure workforce development aligns with industry and regulatory standards and accommodates technological advancements. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative methods, such as in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, were employed to collect and analyse data. Findings: The results indicated that collaborative governance is a valuable tool for cultivating competent human resources and facilitating industry improvement in the face of rapid technological change. Originality/value: The proposed model contributes significantly to the field by promoting inclusive and effective human resource development through the Centre for Aviation Human Resource Development (CAHRD), thereby preparing the Indonesian aviation industry for the impact of advanced technologies. Furthermore, this study contributes to the enhancement of Ansell and Gash's collaborative governance theoretical framework by effectively addressing its empirical gaps concerning vocational education and training challenges within Indonesia's air transportation sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The early care and education (ECE) workforce plays a pivotal role in shaping early childhood developmental trajectories and simultaneously experiences significant mental health disparities. The purpose of this study is to investigate how social determinants of health and external stressors are associated with the mental health of ECE staff, which represent a low-resourced segment of the workforce; how psychological capital (psycap) can mitigate these associations. Design/methodology/approach: The authors administered an 89-item survey to 332 ECE staff employed in 42 Head Start centers in the USA. The authors ran three hierarchical linear regression models to analyze associations between social determinants of health, external sources of stress, psycap and potential moderation effects and mental health outcomes. Findings: Individuals experiencing greater finance-related stress reported 0.15 higher scores on the depression scale and 0.20 higher scores on the anxiety scale than those experiencing less finance-related stress (p < 0.05). Individuals experiencing greater work-related stress reported 1.26 more days of poorer mental health in the past month than those experiencing less work-related stress (p < 0.01). After controlling for all sociodemographic variables and sources of stress, psycap was significantly and negatively associated with depressive symptomology (b-weight = −0.02, p < 0.01) and the number of poor mental health days reported in the past month (b-weight = −0.13, p < 0.05). Moderation models suggest that higher levels of psycap may mitigate the association between work-related stress and the number of poor mental health days reported in the past month (b-weight = −0.06, p = 0.02). Originality/value: The implications of these findings suggest a need for policy change to mitigate social determinants of health and promote pay equity and multi-level interventio ns that target workplace-related stressors and psycap to combat poor mental health of the ECE workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tourism Review is the property of Emerald Publishing Limited and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: This viewpoint piece will highlight the contribution of trained lay community health workers to the integrated workforce in rural, remote and island settings, drawing on experience from a system strengthening project involving community health agents (CHAs) in four municipalities in Litoral Norte, a remote coastal and island region in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Design/methodology/approach: This viewpoint reflects on experiential learning from a unique north–south collaboration that spanned the period of a global pandemic. It adds to the international literature on the value of community health workers in public health and chronic disease management and highlights their potential pivotal role as integrators at point of care. Findings: CHAs took forward actions that touched the lives of thousands of vulnerable families with low income and complex needs in communities with high levels of social and health inequalities. They acted as a bridge between patients and families at home, primary healthcare professionals and wider community partners and services. Their valuable insight into the healthcare issues and social challenges experienced by the community informed and supported family centred practice and population health goals. The CHAs rapidly pivoted to became an essential public health workforce during the Covid-19 pandemic. Practical implications: As the authors establish integrated care systems and embrace proactive care and population health, the conditions are favourable for introducing a similar role in the UK. For psychological safety and avoidance of burnout people in such new roles will require training, supervision and full integration within community teams. Originality/value: This viewpoint reflects experiential learning from a unique north–south collaboration that spanned the period of a global pandemic. It adds to the international literature on the value of community health workers in public health and chronic disease management and highlights their potential pivotal role as integrators at point of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Recruitment to social care roles can be the weakest link in many integrated systems, with vacancy rates being very high compared to other sectors, especially in remote and rural places. Analysis of Employer Value Propositions (EVPs) in social care can capture and challenge perceptions of care work. Design/methodology/approach: This study of EVP in four organisations in a rural setting in Scotland focussed on young people as a target demographic. This study interprets recruitment challenges in social care in three contexts, the technical-instrumental, the hermeneutic and the emancipatory. Findings: EVP articulation is at present not effective. Refreshed and new messaging has potential to attract, employ and nurture young people to the social care sector in remote and rural places. Research limitations/implications: Recruiting to social care vacancies is crucial for sustainable social care. Improving the recruitment of young people is a key part of the longer-term solution. More studies on recruitment in a variety of remote and rural contexts, with a range of demographics, are needed. Practical implications: The potential impact is attracting more young people to the social care workforce, enhancing capacity for integrated care improving lives for people who receive care and for paid care workers and unpaid carers. Social implications: Remote and rural areas often feature a generational imbalance, with more older people from in-migration and fewer young people from out-migration. Employment in social care has the capacity to redress that to some extent. Originality/value: This study is original in outlining the messages and methods that can be adopted to boost recruitment to social care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Due to high demand for international talents and skilful workforces, many countries around the world, especially the ageing populations are now looking for new ways and strategies to attract more international talent. Drawing on push-pull factor theory, integrated with theory of reasoned action (TRA), this research examines international students' intention to stay or to leave the host country after completion of the students' studies. Design/methodology/approach: A conceptual model has been proposed and evaluated aimed at understanding the factors that influence the decision-making of international students studying in Finland. Data were collected from a sample of 292 international students in Finland and structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the data and examine the relationships between various constructs in the model. Findings: The SEM results show that several factors influence students' decision to stay or leave the host country after graduation. Aspects related to host country, institutional and economic factors and social influence (norms) directly impact students' attitude towards staying. In addition, attitude towards staying not only has a direct impact on the intention to stay, but also mediates the relationship between different pulling factors and students' intention to stay in the host country. Moreover, challenges and barriers (such as local language, challenge of finding employment and challenge of assimilating into the community or making friends) have a negative impact on the decision to stay in the host country. Originality/value: This study uses push-pull theory in the Finnish context, contributing to the growing body of literature on international education policies and practices. The findings highlight the need for a more holistic approach to supporting international students, one that considers the students' unique needs and experiences in the host country and provides the students with the necessary resources and support to succeed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper investigates the relationship between health and labour market participation considering the potential role played by the presence of children and elderly persons (with/without disabilities) in Italian households. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use longitudinal data from the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions and full-information maximum likelihood to estimate a two-equation model (one equation for labour force participation and one for health status) with instruments to address the endogeneity of the labour force participation choice. The model is estimated separately by gender. Findings: The authors find that while the presence of children, elderly persons or both is positively associated with the health status of both genders, the presence of disabled elderly persons exerts a negative role. As for participation, interesting differences emerge. The presence of children discourages women's participation but is positively associated with men's labour force participation. Interestingly, a caring role for elderly persons without disability emerges for both genders when the presence of children is combined with that of elderly people. Gender differences are also at work for the role of childcare services and elderly and/or disabled home care/assistance. Originality/value: The findings indicate a possible caring role for elderly persons without disabilities, neutralizing the effect of the presence of children on the labour force participation of both genders. The results also suggest that greater coverage of care services should increase the active participation of women in the labour market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The value of transverse skills, including human capabilities, has been acknowledged for a significant period of time by major organisations such as UNESCO and the World Economic Forum. This paper reports on the application of microcredentials linked to the Human Capability Framework in a major telecommunications organisation that has a vision to establish a baseline to develop the levels of capability for both individual employees and the entire workforce. In this case study, capability is evidenced through learning and applied performance specified in a microcredential that carries a credit-entry score into higher education qualifications. The value of the microcredentials lies not in recognising learning outcomes; rather, it lies in an individual's ability to validate their full potential, open sustainable employment opportunities and prepare for emergent new roles. Design/methodology/approach: This commentary offers a case study of how a major Australian telecommunications organisation implemented microcredentials that are aligned to the Human Capability Framework Standards reference model. Findings: The approach in this case study demonstrates how a company that confidently invests in non-traditional learning approaches that increase the value of human capital can tangibly grow the capacity of the workforce to deliver not only its strategy but also its cultural values. Originality/value: The multi-award-winning model described in this case study is novel and clearly informs current research and thinking addressing this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Since new digital micro-credential technologies emerged a decade ago, there has been a rapid rise in micro-credentials in the education landscape. Much has been promised about these educational technologies, yet there is much confusion by key stakeholders in the digital micro-credential ecosystem. This confusion has led to significant efforts globally to define micro-credentials to ensure quality learning and generate beneficial impacts to learners, employers, education providers and edtech organisations. Design/methodology/approach: This commentary reviews relevant literature on digital micro-credentials and other alternative credentials to determine how these educational technologies can meet the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to nurture lifelong learning for working learners. Findings: Universities are being challenged to address the changing needs and uncertainty being introduced by the Fourth and Fifth Industrial Revolutions, particularly with implications for workforce upskilling and lifelong learning. To adapt, universities will need to rethink their roles and shift their institutional mindsets in how they may approach the challenges through mechanisms such as digital micro-credntials. Research limitations/implications: This paper focuses on the analysis of five policy statements about micro-credentials. While these policy statements represent a sample, there is a representation of Western education-related systems. Thus, they skew the findings towards Western education systems thinking. Practical implications: Understanding how micro-credentials are being positioned within education-related systems is useful for applying the educational technologies by, for example, universities, learners and employers. Social implications: Provides an overview of how these educational technologies may provide beneficial impacts for society as it plans to adapt to economic uncertainty and change. Originality/value: The commentary provides a policy context for the emerging use of micro-credential technologies to examine demands for workforce upskilling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The world of work is constantly evolving such that the Workforce in the previous era was driven by the need for stability and is now driven by the desire for creative disruption. While firms must respond to the challenges and dynamics continuously, employees must be ready for any upcoming change to progress despite the turbulence and attain a competitive position. This paper's focal theme is Workforce agility – the ability of employees to respond to and make the most out of changes. Studies on the personal factors affected by changes, in turn, influencing Workforce agility have been scarce. The authors propose a conceptual model with propositions to address this gap. Additionally, the authors propose an employee-centric experiential training practice to foster agility. Design/methodology/approach: The authors have employed conceptual description methodology to build propositions about the personal factors influencing Workforce agility and an arts-based intervention to enhance it. Findings: Intermodal arts-based intervention (IABI) can influence employees' epistemic curiosity, which aids with managing ruminative thoughts, thus enhancing Workforce agility, while dispositional joy moderates this relationship. Practical implications: The proposed "Intermodal Arts-Based Intervention (IABI)" can help firms move from a traditional training-based approach to an experiential one to foster their Workforce's agile capacities. Considerations for its implementation are explained. Originality/value: This study is one of the first attempts to integrate multiple art forms as a change management practice. The conceptualized model also brings out the adaptive and maladaptive aspects of epistemic curiosity and rumination and the role of joy in promoting agile behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose: This paper aims to study the reaction of construction project managers in coping with workforce productivity challenges that arise from the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: Quantitative research via questionnaires targeting the project managers from G7 contractor companies in Malaysia was carried out in the data collection process. In total, 182 responses have been analysed descriptively and inferentially using SPSS software. Findings: The research discovers that most of the construction projects and their workforce productivity were adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides, the strategies adopted by project managers in Malaysia and the ranking of strategies based on their effectiveness were indicated. Originality/value: The findings of this research have contributed to a new understanding of the construction workforce productivity during the COVID-19 era from the perspective of project managers in Malaysia. A guideline established from the ranking of strategies would be useful to ensure the survival of the industry in Malaysia aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted 222 countries across the globe, with millions of people losing their lives. The threat from the virus may be assessed from the fact that most countries across the world have been forced to order partial or complete shutdown of their economies for a period of time to contain the spread of the virus. The fallout of this action manifested in loss of livelihood, migration of the labor force and severe impact on mental health due to the long duration of confinement to homes or residences. Design/methodology/approach: The current study identifies the focus areas of the research conducted on the COVID-19 pandemic. Abstracts of papers on the subject were collated from the SCOPUS database for the period December 2019 to June 2020. The collected sample data (after preprocessing) was analyzed using Topic Modeling with Latent Dirichlet Allocation. Findings: Based on the research papers published within the mentioned timeframe, the study identifies the 10 most prominent topics that formed the area of interest for the COVID-19 pandemic research. Originality/value: While similar studies exist, no other work has used topic modeling to comprehensively analyze the COVID-19 literature by considering diverse fields and domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Despite continuing workforce challenges over the last decade, the social care system is considered a key enabler in keeping older people out of hospital. In response to the workforce challenges, White Paper was released, which acknowledged the opportunities afforded by digital technology to assist older people ageing at home, often supported by informal caregivers. Given the policy emphasis on digital-enabled care, the most appropriate methods for evaluating its impact on social care outcomes have yet to be determined. The purpose this study was to review the current literature using a systematic approach to understand the methodological limitations to inform more robust evaluations in their use in future research. Design/methodology/approach: This scoping review used a systematic approach adopting the framework of Arksey and O'Malley to examine studies examining the adoption of digital technologies to assist in older people's ability to age in place. Findings: The 21 relevant studies identified on digital technology to assist ageing-in-place are evolving. To date, it has focused on the efficacy and usability of the digital technologies themselves rather than investigating the impact of such technologies on re/enablement outcomes for older people. To rebalance this emphasis, there needs to be more research investigating the factors that enhance useability of digital technologies by older people and exploiting narrative data gained from qualitative research as they can provide valuable insights. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first scoping review to consider qualitative methodological approaches for exploring ageing in place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper evaluates the short-term impact of childcare centres' closures, due to COVID-19 restrictions, on Brazilian mothers' labour force participation and employment rates. Design/methodology/approach: Formal education is non-mandatory according to Brazilian law until the age of four, allowing the identification of children that attend childcare centres and of those that do not attend. Using data from the Brazilian Household Survey, PNAD Contínua/IBGE, the authors construct a two-period panel with women sampled in the second quarter of 2019 and 2020. The authors apply propensity score matching and differences-in-differences methods to control selection into treatment. Findings: The results show a negative impact in terms of employment for mothers whose children attended a childcare centre before the COVID-19 pandemic. But there was no impact in terms of labour force participation rates. Investigating heterogeneous effects associated with childcare centres' closures, the authors find that women with fewer years of schooling, with children aged two or three years old and located in urban areas, suffered greater penalties in the labour market due to the closure of childcare centres. Originality/value: Few studies could distinguish the pandemic effects directly associated with childcare centres' closures. The paper is the first to analyse the Brazilian case, undertaking an original approach to handle the problem of selection bias. The results help identify the most vulnerable groups of women in the labour market, shedding light on the importance of childcare centres on women's labour supply and of compensating mechanisms to serve as protection during the crisis. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-11-2022-0748. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study investigates the frequency and specificity of health-related issues discussed during the East Java Indonesia Gubernatorial Election Campaign 2018. Design/methodology/approach: The research utilized a mixed-methods approach, combining topic modeling and qualitative thematic analysis, to analyze 4,023 online news articles from March to June 2018. From the data sources obtained in terms of time frame, this research can be categorized as a retrospective study because it examines origins from events that have already occurred. Findings: The study found that health issues accounted for only 6% of all gubernatorial election news in each selected online media portal. The health issues identified were categorised into eight groups: health financing and facilities, health workforce, malnutrition and stunting, leprosy, cigarettes and tobacco, healthy lifestyles, pregnancy and breastfeeding, and disability. The study also reveals a need for increased attention to health-related issues in political campaigns and media. By focusing on the health-related issues raised during the campaign, the study provides valuable insights into the gaps and priorities in addressing the health needs of the East Java population. The research framework used in this study offers a valuable approach for analyzing online data sources using qualitative analysis capacity. The study can improve health policies and outcomes in the local election campaign by raising awareness of health issues and promoting informed decision-making among voters. Research limitations/implications: This research limitation is a local political campaign case in Indonesia. The research indicates that health issues receive limited coverage during election campaigns, suggesting a lack of emphasis on health as a critical issue among East Java's electorate. Originality/value: The study can improve health policies and outcomes in the local election campaign by raising awareness of health issues and promoting informed decision-making among voters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to analyse COVID-19's effects on job loss and job finding rate in Serbia, focusing on groups with already low employment before the pandemic, such as youth, women, low-educated and rural areas. Design/methodology/approach: The authors exploit the panel structure of the Labour Force Survey (LFS) data for Serbia to analyse if the impact of the pandemic on transition probabilities was different for vulnerable groups and their counterparts during the first year of the pandemic. Findings: The results indicate that stagnation in overall employment growth in Serbia during the first year of the COVID-19 crisis resulted from decreases in new hiring rather than increases in job losses. However, trends differed for vulnerable groups. Young workers faced the highest increase in job losses, partly due to their higher shares in informal wage employment. In contrast, decreases in job finding rates were particularly high among low-educated and in rural areas. Practical implications: After the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, employment opportunities of vulnerable groups further deteriorated, and already existing labour market inequalities were exacerbated. These effects are partially due to policies implemented to mitigate the crisis, which focused on preserving permanent employment while leaving vulnerable workers and groups unprotected. Originality/value: The authors investigate the annual effects of the first year of the pandemic in a country with a large informal sector and explore the role of vulnerable groups' job characteristics in transition changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This article aims to build on the insights from the systematic reviews included in this special issue (SI) on frontline service employees (FLE) by adding practitioner perspectives. Its purpose is to gauge knowledge, awareness and practices from industry and government regarding topics related to frontline workers and to offer critical and, in places, provocative insights on the relevance of scholarly focus in serving the needs of industry. Design/methodology/approach: Insights were developed through consultation with managers who are responsible for leading frontline employees, who offered insights on the important issues affecting their workforce as well as direct comments on each of the key topics covered in this SI articles. Additional insights were gathered through a review of policy document reviews with relevant government agencies and trade publications, a review of a body of conference topics and speakers and personal reflections developed over decades of consulting work. Findings: This paper presents insights from industry about looming challenges facing managers of frontline service employees, including a forecasted worsening of labor force availability to perform many frontline jobs; growing competition for workers from other sectors; a relatively shallow understanding by industry of academic research topics on workforce in service; the emerging increased cooperation between industry and governments to address these challenges and a clear deficit in necessary frontline skills. Originality/value: This paper provides rare and direct insights from industry practitioners about current and critical topics investigated by academic researchers and offers opportunities for further collaboration and collective thought on addressing global challenges faced by frontline service employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to explore the relationship between tourism and women's employment in 32 South American and Caribbean countries from 1996 to 2020. Design/methodology/approach: In this paper, both static (fixed effects and random effects) and dynamic panel data models (system and differenced generalized method of moments) are used. In addition to gross domestic product, trade, education and urban population are also considered in this study. Findings: According to the findings, a boost in tourism led to an increase in women's engagement in the economy and service sectors. This paper also explores the efficiency of alternate methods to deal with various models of women labor force (WLF) involvement in various sectors. Women's employment opportunities in the service sector expand as a result of tourism, but in the agricultural and industrial sectors, that employment opportunity is reduced. Research limitations/implications: This study investigated the impact of tourism on WLF participation and found that it had a significant impact. This study, on the other hand, specifically contributed to the tourism sector in some specific study areas, such as tourism and agriculture, service and industry sectors. This study also displays that female participation in South America and the Caribbean countries is increasing and women are shifting away from traditional economic sectors. Originality/value: This is the pioneering study to discover tourism and female participation in employment in South American and Caribbean countries. The findings of this study have important implications for future studies and policy debates examining the consequence of the tourism industry on WLF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to describe the role of HR in people-related transformation. Design/methodology/approach: Bringing together multiple databases, and the experience of a major consulting firm, this study finds that HR only occasionally is tasked to lead these important changes despite HR's functional expertise in workforce management and change management. Findings: The paper explores why HR is often asked to play a secondary rather than primary role in these transformative initiatives, what improvements would help set HR up for a more consistently critical role in transformations and how HR organization structure and resourcing changes may be additionally productive. Originality/value: The paper provides an original and valuable insight into the practical challenges HR faces as it seeks to create greater value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the association between employment status and financial resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: This study employed US nationally representative data. A financial resilience index was created based on households' ability to pay for basic living expenses and the resources used to meet such needs. Employment status was categorized into seven groups based on whether the respondent worked for pay in the last seven days, experience of income shock since the start of the pandemic for workers' household and reasons for not working for non-workers' household. A generalized linear model (GLM) model was used to examine the relationship between respondent employment status and household financial resilience. An ordinary least square (OLS) logistic regression with no proportional odds assumption was employed to investigate the association between the respondent's employment status and household ability to pay for basic living expenses. A logistic regression was utilized to explore the relationship between respondent employment status and resources used by the household to pay for basic living expenses. Findings: The top three least financially resilient households include those in which the respondent's work was affected by the pandemic, the respondent did not work due to being sick with COVID or caring for someone with COVID and the respondent did not work due to fear of COVID. Research limitations/implications: Future research should distinguish the reasons for not working when examining the association between unemployment and household financial resilience as well as their overall financial wellbeing. Cross-sectional data cannot establish a causal relationship. Findings using US data may not be generalized to other countries. Practical implications: Workers with health and employment risks and financial professionals working with these clients should consider these risks when building household financial safety net. Policymakers should develop measures to allow normal business operations while effectively contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Originality/value: This study created a financial resilience index that considers various household situations, allows both internal and external resources to be utilized to cover basic living expenses and reflects the diverse nature of financial resilience. This study is the first to look into voluntary and involuntary labor force separation for COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 related reasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to clarify an impact of Maternity Benefits Act, 1961 (Amendment 2017) on job employment of working mothers. It proposes the certain facts that has positive impact on employment of women from the point of view of Government of India, but at the same time it highlights some negative implications that are faced by the employers and working mothers. The objective of this act is to provide a woman with a financial assistance and make her free from engaging in any work so as to protect health of "New Mother" and "New Born child". Also, the act ensures women to take care of her child without having worry about loss of her job and loss of her employment. Design/methodology/approach: This paper carries efforts of researcher done on the topic of "Impact of Maternity Benefits Act, 1961 (Amendment 2017)" and measures its impact on employers and job employment of working mothers in India through literature review from various sources like SCOPUS, EMERALD, EBSCO, PROQUEST, SAGE, etc. The paper opted for an exploratory study using the questionnaire approach of grounded theory, including 50 in-depth interviews of working mothers. Findings: Outcome of this describes both positive and negative implications of this amendment on businesses and job employment of working mothers. It throws the limelight on implementation of this act in real life and identification of problems and stress faced by women employee either to get the job or to retain the job during pregnancy period which is very hazardous to the health of women and her inborn child also. Research limitations/implications: Because of the chosen research approach, the research results may lack generalizability. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further. Practical implications: The paper includes implications of the Maternity Benefits Act, 1961 (Amendment 2017) on employers whether to hire women employee or not and on women though they are having capability to do work but because of ignorance of government on ensuring proper implementation of act, women are not getting opportunity to work after baby birth. Originality/value: This paper fulfils an identified need to study and find some measures for effective implantation of Maternity Benefits Act, 1961 (Amendment 2017) so as to protect and regulate employment of women workers before and after child birth so as to increase female labour force participation rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to contribute to the field of Human Resource Management (HRM) by providing a critical review of existing scholarly research and a thematic analysis of the workforce nationalization domain in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. To strengthen the literature on this topic, it seeks to identify key gaps and areas for further exploration. Design/methodology/approach: A two-step systematic research methodology (qualitative and quantitative) and a thematic analysis of empirical and theoretical studies were used in this study. The quantitative review was conducted using a predesigned coding framework. Findings: The study identified and discussed four perspectives of workforce nationalization in the GCC countries. These were (1) the conceptualization of workforce nationalization; (2) the role of institutional policies in achieving it; (3) the practices and outcomes of nationalization efforts and (4) the impact of gender and women in the nationalization process. Research limitations/implications: This study has several limitations, which the authors have addressed by proposing several future research avenues. For example, the reviewed studies are skewed toward certain countries (e.g. UAE and Saudi Arabia), which limits the generalizability of their findings. Practical implications: A more comprehensive definition of nationalization, development of qualitative and quantitative measures to enhance HRM practices and outcomes, and the identification of alternative approaches to improve the employment of locals are emphasized as needs. Additionally, revised measures and mechanisms to rectify negative perceptions about entitlement and the revision of policies to integrate females in the national labor force are suggested. Originality/value: Workforce nationalization initiatives in the GCC region offer a unique and rich research phenomenon replete with managerial, organizational, economic and political dilemmas. The investigation of this phenomenon would profoundly enlighten employers, policymakers and scholars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper explores how education and training systems can support a digitally-enabled workforce for the Australian manufacturing sector. Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on interviews with 17 sector-level manufacturing stakeholders from industry, government and education/training organisations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain an in-depth understanding of how education and training systems currently support a digitally-enabled manufacturing workforce as well as opportunities for alternative configurations or developments. Findings: Analysis revealed three themes reflecting core dimensions of a supportive education and training system: partnerships, pedagogy and prospects. Cooperative, integrated and sustained partnerships are needed between vocational education and training (VET) institutions, universities, government, industry, high schools and private training providers. Pedagogy emphasises the vital importance of infusing curriculum with digital and technology skills and capabilities, alongside innovative and experiential delivery modes including simulated environments, online learning, on-the-job training, flexible delivery and micro-credentials. Prospects reflects the need for forward-looking assessment and planning to respond to industry trends and develop associated qualifications, skills and investments required to meet future industry needs. Originality/value: With growing demand for digitally-enabled skills to support manufacturing, an industry which is acknowledged as critical for economic prosperity and national sovereignty, the findings contribute novel insights into current limitations and future opportunities to bridge the gap between skills shortages in the manufacturing industry, and education and training systems that deliver graduate readiness and a digitally-enabled workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The health costs associated with obesity are increasing in developed and emerging economies. Particularly important, though remaining underexplored, is the overall impact of health risks associated with being obese and overweight on the productivity of firms in a cross-country setting. The purpose of this paper is to address these issues. Design/methodology/approach: This paper exploits the natural variation in the percentage of obese males in the population as an exogenous health risk randomly distributed across firms in each country. Findings: Investigating this link for a sample of around 80 emerging countries, the evidence suggests a significant negative effect of health risks on productivity. Research limitations/implications: The identification assumptions are checked using different approaches to establish the robustness of the empirical link. Originality/value: This study helps us understand the microlevel effects of the rising average obesity rate. This knowledge is rare in emerging economies which are facing the highest risks of obesity and cardiovascular diseases associated with it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Sensory modulation is an emerging approach that aims to reduce distress and agitation in mental health service users and potentially avoid the necessity for coercive practices such as seclusion and restraint. Despite the growing use of this intervention, there has been limited research exploring the implementation of sensory modulation at an organisational level, both internationally and within the New Zealand context. The purpose of this study is to investigate the implementation of a sensory modulation programme in two New Zealand inpatient mental health services using an exploratory organisational case study design. Design/methodology/approach: Organisational case study design methodology was used to explore the implementation of a sensory modulation programme in two New Zealand acute adult inpatient mental health services. This study explored how key organisational and staff factors (including policies and practices related to de-escalation and seclusion reduction) influence sensory modulation implementation. Cases were described and examined the pattern of findings. Findings: Strategies found to support implementation were identified at environmental, organisational, group and individual staff levels. Aspects highlighted as being particularly important included taking an inter-professional approach in leadership and training, rostering flexibility and leeway in staffing levels to support training attendance and responsiveness to crises. Practical implications: The facilitators and strategies highlighted in this study may be used to support the design and implementation of future sensory modulation programmes in New Zealand and internationally. Originality/value: The complexity of factors that influenced the implementation of the sensory modulation approach within an inpatient setting made determining the effectiveness of the approach challenging. However, the general principles and strategies identified in this study offer useful insights for the design and implementation of future sensory modulation programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to answer if inter-state migrants in India play a more active role than their intra-state counterparts in labor force participation and entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach: A recursive bivariate probit model is used with an instrumental variable (IV) of the total of inter-state migrants in a city over their historical numbers to tackle the endogeneity issue of the migration decision of the migrants. Findings: Inter-state migrants did a better job than their intra-state counterparts in labor force participation and female inter-state migrants did a better job than their counterparts in wage employment and being day laborers. Research limitations/implications: The data are from IPUMS and there is no updated nationwide data regrading migration and employment for recent years. Practical implications: A randomized controlled trail can be carried out near the borders of two states where there are both significant amounts of inter-state and intra-state migrants. Social implications: The government and international organizations shall focus on cultivating the skills of the female migrants as well as encouraging the entrepreneurship of both types of migrants. Originality/value: The study focus is on the comparison between intra- and inter-state migrants based on nationwide survey data and the usage of recursive bivariate model and an effective Instrumental Variable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]