Michael Zisuh Ngoasong

The emergence of global health partnerships as facilitators of access to medication in Africa: A narrative policy analysis

Over the last decade global health partnerships (GHPs) have been formed to provide a better policy response to Africas health problems. This paper uses narrative policy analysis to explain the historical processes and challenges facing national and global health policy in facilitating access to medication in African countries. An overview of the historical context of events leading to the creation of GHPs is followed by a content and context analysis of two GHPs - Roll Back Malaria partnership and the Accelerating Access Initiative. The historical narratives implicitly reflect the context in which policy decisions are produced and implemented. The deployment of GHPs in Africa reflects a convergence of the competing and conflicting narratives, in relating to strategies previously promoted by various multilateral and bilateral development agencies, international civil society organizations, and the private commercial industry to facilitate access to medication.

Determinants of personal resilience in the workplace: nurse prescribing in an African work context

This article explores the determinants of personal resilience using the case of nurse prescribing in the North West Region of Cameroon. Nurse prescribing has long been identified as a practical solution to the severe shortage of well-trained doctors and high incidence of diseases in developing countries. However, the working conditions of nurses are risky and vulnerable due to major constraints, such as inadequate training, poor reward systems, limited access to medical facilities/equipment, and high workloads. Building on the resilience concept and using narrative analysis of in-depth interviews with nurses and nursing managers in public, private, and faith-based hospitals, the article develops a framework depicting three interrelated determinants of personal resilience, namely organisational plans and procedures, personal work context, and personal perception of an individual employee. The determinants are discussed further, and implications for human resource development theory and practice are critically examined.

Understanding the Developing Role of Global Health Partnerships on Access to Medication: An STS Perspective.

A conceptual framework for studying the role of global health partnerships (GHPs) in determining policy practices on access to medication is presented. Although GHPs are of a practical nature, they are implicitly theory informed. The narratives used by GHP partners in relating to access to medication have theoretical origins. Building on the theoretical literature on models and the notion of embodied knowledge found in science and technology studies, GHPs are conceptualized as models that mediate between theory and practice. The proposed framework can be used to investigate the role of theory in the creation of GHP models and how the models shape global and national policy practices. A social constructivist approach is suggested as a suitable method for empirical analysis.A conceptual framework for studying the role of global health partnerships (GHPs) in determining policy practices on access to medication is presented. Although GHPs are of a practical nature, they are implicitly theory informed. The narratives used by GHP partners in relating to access to medication have theoretical origins. Building on the theoretical literature on models and the notion of embodied knowledge found in science and technology studies, GHPs are conceptualized as models that mediate between theory and practice. The proposed framework can be used to investigate the role of theory in the creation of GHP models and how the models shape global and national policy practices. A social constructivist approach is suggested as a suitable method for empirical analysis.

Digital entrepreneurship in a resource-scarce context: A focus on entrepreneurial digital competencies

The purpose of this paper is to critically explore how context as an antecedent to entrepreneurial digital competencies (EDCs) influences digital entrepreneurship in a resource-scarce environment.,The data comprises semi-structured interviews with 16 digital entrepreneurs, as owner-managers of small digital businesses in Cameroon.,The results reveal the ways in which EDCs shape the entry (or start-up) choices and post-entry strategic decisions of digital entrepreneurs in response to context-specific opportunities and challenges associated with digital entrepreneurship.,The data comes from one African country and 16 digital businesses thus the research setting limits the generalisability of the results.,This paper highlights important implications for encouraging digital entrepreneurship by focussing on institutional, technology and local dimensions of context and measures to develop the entrepreneurial and digital competencies. This includes policy interventions to develop the information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure, transport and local distribution infrastructure, and training opportunities to develop the EDCs of digital entrepreneurs.,Whereas the capabilities to adopt and use ICTs and the internet by small businesses have been examined, this is among the first theoretically sensitised study linking context, EDCs and digital entrepreneurship.

The Gender Question and Family Entrepreneurship Research

Gender in family entrepreneurship is still exploratory and, despite an increase in family entrepreneurship research, most of the studies give little or no information role of gender in family business. Existing research on family entrepreneurship tends to focus only or primarily on men, and the women appear invisible in the studies. However, there is little evidence that of extensive research focus on the issue of family entrepreneurship with the aim of building a cohesive understanding of gender in family entrepreneurship and the interactions existing between the different dimensions and components. Consequently, this chapter examines how gender issues are addressed in family entrepreneurship research. In particular, the chapter provides a critical review of the literature around the gender question in entrepreneurship, focusing on the resource-based view, organizational studies and gender in family entrepreneurship. Based on the review, a gender-aware framework is developed depicting three key areas for understanding the gendered process in family entrepreneurship: the determinants of women’s entry into family businesses, their gendered roles and the associated outcomes. Finally, implications and future research opportunities are identified and discussed.