Johan van Ophem

Changing families and their lifestyles

Changing families and their lifestyles , Changing families and their lifestyles , کتابخانه مرکزی دانشگاه علوم پزشکی ایران

Contexts, Mechanisms, and Outcomes That Matter in Dutch Community-Based Physical Activity Programs Targeting Socially Vulnerable Groups

This article presents a practitioner-based approach to identify key combinations of contextual factors (C) and mechanisms (M) that trigger outcomes (O) in Dutch community-based health-enhancing physical activity (CBHEPA) programs targeting socially vulnerable groups. Data were collected in six programs using semi-structured interviews and focus groups using a timeline technique. Sessions were recorded, anonymized, and transcribed. A realist synthesis protocol was used for data-driven and thematic analysis of CMO configurations. CMO configurations related to community outreach, program sustainability, intersectoral collaboration, and enhancing participants’ active lifestyles. We have refined the CBHEPA program theory by showing that actors’ passion for, and past experiences with, physical activity programs trigger outcomes, alongside their commitment to socially vulnerable target groups. Project discontinuity, limited access to resources, and a trainer’s stand-alone position were negative configurations. The authors conclude that local governance structures appear often to lack adaptive capacity to accommodate multilevel processes to sustain programs.

A Framework for Responsible Innovation in the Business Context: Lessons from Responsible-, Social- and Sustainable Innovation

While the concept of Responsible Innovation is increasingly common among researchers and policy makers, it is still unknown what it means in a business context. This study aims to identify which aspects of Responsible Innovation are conceptually similar and dissimilar from social- and sustainable innovation. Our conceptual analysis is based on literature reviews of responsible-, social-, and sustainable innovation. The insights obtained are used for conceptualising Responsible Innovation in a business context. The main conclusion is that Responsible Innovation differs from social- and sustainable innovation as it: (1) also considers possible detrimental implications of innovation, (2) includes a mechanism for responding to uncertainties associated with innovation and (3) achieves a democratic governance of the innovation. However, achieving the latter will not be realistic in a business context. The results of this study are relevant for researchers, managers and policy makers who are interested in responsible innovation in the business context.

Women and microcredit in rural agrarian households of Uganda: match or mismatch between lender and borrower?

The alignment of microfinance programs with the context and expectations of the recipients is critical for ensuring clients’ satisfaction and desired program outcomes. This study sought to investigate the extent to which the objectives and design of the BRAC microfinance program match the expectations, context and characteristics of female borrowers in a rural agrarian setting in Uganda. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to obtain socio-demographic, personality and microenterprise (ME) characteristics of existing borrowers, incoming borrowers and non-borrowers and to obtain information about the microcredit program. We found that BRAC uses a modified Grameen group-lending model to provide small, high-interest rate production loans and follows a rigorous loan processing and recovery procedure. BRAC clients are mainly poor subsistence farmers who derive income from diverse farming and non-farm activities. The major objective to borrow is to meet lump-sum monetary needs usually for school fees and for investment in informal small non-farm businesses. Many borrowers use diverse sources of funds to meet repayment obligations. Defaulting on loans is quite low. The stress caused by weekly loan repayment and resolution of lump-sum cash needs were identified as reasons for women to stop borrowing. The limited loan amounts, the diversions of loans to non-production activities, the stages of the businesses and the weekly recovery program without a grace period may limit the contribution of these loans to ME expansion and increase in income.

Innovation for Society: Towards a Typology of Developing Innovations by Social Entrepreneurs

ABSTRACT Social entrepreneurs develop important innovative solutions for complex societal challenges. This exploratory article provides a typology of different approaches by which social entrepreneurs develop such innovations. This typology is based on their engagement in anticipation, reflexivity, stakeholder inclusion and deliberation, responsiveness and knowledge management, during the development of their innovation. Following from quantitative analyses of data from self-assessment questionnaires and subsequent contextualization, the findings reveal four distinctive ways to successfully develop innovative solutions for societal problems. This article therefore contributes to our understanding of the innovation process by which social entrepreneurs develop social innovations.

A NOTE ON THE MEASUREMENT OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HAPPINESS AND GDP

This research note compares the results of the measurement of the relationship between happiness and GDP in the EU based upon unweighted data with the results based upon weighted data. The data are weighted in order to correct for the different sizes of the populations in the EU countries concerned. The result of the weighing is an even stronger relationship between happiness and GDP per capita than in the case with unweighted data.

Changes in the Dutch Welfare State: The Case of the Disablement Act

Critically examines the 1993‐reform in the Disablement Act for employees in The Netherlands. Demonstrates that the new measures, which are mainly directed at lowering the benefit and at limiting the duration, are not as effective in reducing expenditures in this field as they were meant to be. In addition, by means of a simulation model shows that almost the same degree of savings can be achieved by a different type of policy, namely prevention policy, without lowering the benefit and limiting the duration of it. Examines the conditions for a successful prevention policy. Finally, discusses the social security changes in The Netherlands within a European socio‐economic perspective.