Vehicle Maintenance Contracting in Developing Economies: The Role of Social Enterprise

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Chen ◽  
Sang-Hyun Kim ◽  
Hau L. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Operations Management ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Problem Definition ◽  
Solution Approach ◽  
Social Mission

Problem definition: Difficulties in healthcare delivery in developing economies arise from poor road infrastructure of rural communities, where the bulk of the population resides. Although motorcycles are an effective means for delivering healthcare products, governments in developing economies lack expertise in proper maintenance, resulting in frequent vehicle breakdowns. Riders for Health, a nonprofit social enterprise (SE), has developed specialized capabilities that enable significant enhancements in vehicle maintenance. Riders for Health has engaged with the governments and provided its services using different contracting approaches. However, the effect of such practice on improving vehicle availability—the main social mission of Riders for Health—is not well understood. Academic/practical relevance: This paper presents one of the first rigorous analyses of how SEs achieve their goals through innovations in operations. Our analysis highlights the relationship between a social mission objective and a service contract choice, contrasting it with the choice by a profit-maximizing organization traditionally assumed in the service contracting literature in operations management. Methodology: We construct and analyze a stylized model that combines the elements of reliability theory and contract theory, explicitly accounting for the SE’s social mission in her objective function. Results: We find that the “total solution” approach of providing all aspects of vehicle maintenance, including fleet ownership, is a preferred choice for an SE that prioritizes improving vehicle availability; by contrast, an organization that focuses on profit maximization would find this approach less attractive. Moreover, we show that the total solution approach induces the SE to exert more efforts on failure prevention and repair lead time reduction in equilibrium. Our analysis also suggests that the SE could further improve vehicle availability by the total solution approach if it manages a large fleet that consists of vehicles with high resale values. Managerial implications: Our findings provide theoretical support for Riders for Health’s recent move toward the total solution approach as it expands its service into wider rural areas in many countries. The insights obtained from our analysis offer actionable guidelines to other SEs operating in developing economies.

scholarly journals Telemedicine in Community Cancer Care: How Technology Helps Patients With Cancer Navigate a Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. e11-e15
Author(s):  
Debra A. Patt ◽  
Lalan Wilfong ◽  
Sara Toth ◽  
Stephanie Broussard ◽  
Kristen Kanipe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Psychosocial Care ◽  
Broadband Access ◽  
Healthcare Delivery System ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Qualitative Feedback ◽  
Policy Priority

COVID-19 places unprecedented demands on the oncology ecosystem. The extensive pressure of managing health care during the pandemic establishes the need for rapid implementation of telemedicine. Across our large statewide practice of 640 practitioners at 221 sites of service, an aggressive multidisciplinary telemedicine strategy was implemented in March by coordinating and training many different parts of our healthcare delivery system. From March to September, telemedicine grew to serve 15%-20% of new patients and 20%-25% of established patients, permitting the practice to implement safety protocols and reduce volumes in clinic while continuing to manage the acute and chronic care needs of our patient population. We surveyed practice leaders, queried for qualitative feedback, and established 76% were satisfied with the platform. The common challenges for patients were the first-time use and technology function, and patients were, in general, grateful and happy to have the option to visit their clinicians on a telemedicine platform. In addition to conducting new and established visits remotely, telemedicine allows risk assessments, avoidance of hospitalization, family education, psychosocial care, and improved pharmacy support. The implementation has limitations including technical complexity; increased burden on patients and staff; and broadband access, particularly in rural communities. For telemedicine to improve as a solution to enhance the longitudinal care of patients with cancer, payment coverage policies need to continue after the pandemic, technologic adoption needs to be easy for patients, and broadband access in rural areas needs to be a policy priority. Further research to optimize the patient and clinician experience is required to continue to make progress.

scholarly journals Attitudes of rural communities towards the use of technology for health purposes in New Zealand: a focus group study

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. e037892
Author(s):  
Duncan R Babbage ◽  
Kirsten van Kessel ◽  
Agnes Terraschke ◽  
Juliet Drown ◽  
Hinemoa Elder
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Health Centre ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Youth Workers ◽  
Health And Wellness ◽  
Focus Group Study

ObjectivesExamine attitudes to using online health and wellness services, and determine what barriers may exist to this in two rural communities in New Zealand.DesignA thematic analysis informed by a social constructivist paradigm explored the attitudes of youth and adults to give voice to these communities. Eighteen focus groups—nine in each region—were held for an hour each, with between three and nine participants in each group.SettingTwo rural areas at the Northern and Southern ends of New Zealand were chosen. In each area, we partnered with a local health centre providing primary care services. Three localities were identified within each region where we conducted the data collection.ParticipantsParticipants were youth aged 12–15 years, aged 16–20 years and adults over 21 years. Overall, 74 females and 40 males were recruited. Recruitment occurred through schools, community organisations or personal contacts of the facilitators, who were youth workers in their respective communities. Ethnicity of the participants was representative of each area, with a higher percentage of Māori participants in Northland.ResultsEight themes were identified which described participants’ attitudes to technology use in healthcare. Themes covered accessibility, cost, independence, anonymity and awareness issues: technology makes health information easily accessible; access to technology can be limited in rural communities; technology can reduce the cost of healthcare but it is too expensive for some; technology increases independence and autonomy of people’s own health; independent healthcare decisions come with risks; anonymity encourages people to seek help online; technology can help raise awareness and provide peer-support for people with health issues; technology impacts on social relationships.ConclusionsParticipants—particularly youth—were generally positive about the role of technology in healthcare delivery, and interested in ways technology could improve autonomy and access to health and wellness services.

scholarly journals Landscape planning for Ukrainian rural communities: challenges, outputs, prospects

Geoadria ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonid Rudenko ◽  
Eugenia Maruniak ◽  
Sergiy Lisovskiy
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Landscape Planning ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Planning Tools ◽  
Village Council ◽  
First Time ◽  
The Village ◽  
Management Issues

A significant number of economic, social and environmental problems have accumulated in all areas of Ukraine and pose a serious obstacle to sustainable development. Those problems are particularly acute in the rural areas. The local rural communities in Ukraine have the lowest indicators of economic development, significant social problems, including particularly acute demographic and employment problems, and an unfavorable ecological situation caused by poor municipal infrastructure, land degradation, etc. The vast majority of the rural communities in Ukraine have no plans for their own territories’ development. In such circumstances, the introduction of landscape planning tools is an effective means of identifying the existing development problems and environmental management issues, as well as of defining the best ways for the integrated development of the local rural communities. A number of reasons prevents introduction of such planning in Ukraine, including the flaws in the legislation, lack of interest among managers of rural communities and low activity of local people on the issues which determine the future of their settlements. However, there are examples of successful implementation of landscape planning tools in designing of the plans of rural communities’ development. The authors were a part of the team which, for the first time in Ukraine, undertook this research in the Stepanetsky rural council in Cherkassy region. The results of the research have been welcomed by the management, the residence and the members of the village council and they are being practically implemented. The foregoing demonstrates the relevance and feasibility of landscape planning tools implementation in Ukraine directed at addressing and resolving the problems of the rural communities.

scholarly journals FRAMEWORK FOR ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE OF RURAL AREAS IN MALAYSIA: A TERRITORIAL APPROACH

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Mohamad Fadhli Rashid ◽  
Ibrahim Ngah ◽  
Siti Hajar Misnan
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Economic Performance ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Rural Populations ◽  
Economic Stability ◽  
Economic Equality ◽  
Depth Interview ◽  
Territorial Approach ◽  
Direct Measures

Rural, poor and marginalized community often face many challenges in achieving economic equality and attaining socio-economic sustainability, especially among rural communities who have limited sources of income. Although it involves complex issues, it cannot be disregarded. Rural areas and its communities are important aspects of a country’s political and economic stability. In countries with emerging and developing economies such as Malaysia, rural populations constitute the majority of citizens. They are generally poorer and more disadvantaged than their urban counterparts. The study determines the factors for the differences in economic performance of the rural areas in Malaysia. The study also provides the framework to revitalize rural areas and the methods to use this framework that measure rural economic performance. Several methods were used to collect the information from rural communities using in-depth interview and structured survey. These two methods are important for this research in order to understand how the rural areas and its communities faced situation of growth or decline. By using this framework, the analysis of differentiation of economic performance provides understanding on how variation of factor influencing economic performance in rural areas and direct measures should be implemented in solving issues of rural decline.

scholarly journals Budgeting in International Humanitarian Organizations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milad Keshvari Fard ◽  
Ivana Ljubić ◽  
Felix Papier
Keyword(s):  
Utility Function ◽  
Operations Management ◽  
Benders Decomposition ◽  
International Committee ◽  
Problem Definition ◽  
Red Cross ◽  
Solution Approach ◽  
Humanitarian Organizations ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Using Data

Problem definition: International humanitarian organizations (IHOs) prepare a detailed annual allocation plan for operations that are conducted in the countries they serve. The annual plan is strongly affected by the available financial budget. The budget of IHOs is derived from donations, which are typically limited, uncertain, and to a large extent earmarked for specific countries or programs. These factors, together with the specific utility function of IHOs, render budgeting for IHOs a challenging managerial problem. In this paper, we develop an approach to optimize budget allocation plans for each country of operations. Academic/practical relevance: The current research provides a better understanding of the budgeting problem in IHOs given the increasing interest of the operations management community for nonprofit operations. Methodology: We model the problem as a two-stage stochastic optimization model with a concave utility function and identify a number of analytical properties for the problem. We develop an efficient generalized Benders decomposition algorithm as well as a fast heuristic. Results: Using data from the International Committee of the Red Cross, our results indicate 21.3% improvement in the IHO’s utility by adopting stochastic programming instead of the expected value solution. Moreover, our solution approach is computationally more efficient than other approaches. Managerial implications: Our analysis highlights the importance of nonearmarked donations for the overall performance of IHOs. We also find that putting pressure on IHOs to fulfill the targeted missions (e.g., by donors or media) results in lower beneficiaries’ welfare. Moreover, the IHOs benefit from negative correlation among donations. Finally, our findings indicate that, if donors allow the IHO to allocate unused earmarked donations to other delegations, the performance of the IHO improves significantly.

scholarly journals Robust E-Health Communication Architecture for Rural Communities in Developing Countries

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 237-240
Author(s):  
F. E. Idachaba ◽  
E. M. Idachaba
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Communication Architecture ◽  
Quality Healthcare ◽  
Communication Devices

The lack of access to quality healthcare and the lack of sufficient manpower, especially doctors, in rural areas is a major healthcare challenge faced by dwellers in rural communities in most developing countries. The intervention of governments, which range from the introduction of training programs aimed at producing health workers from schools of health technology and nursing to the recalling and deployment of retired nurses to rural areas, has still not been able to generate the desired improvement in healthcare delivery, as outbreaks of epidemics are still being reported in such areas. This work presents an E-Health architecture which utilizes low cost sensors and communication devices to link the doctors in the urban areas with the patients in rural areas enabling doctors-patients interaction. The system enables accurate and timely diagnosis of the patients and facilitates proper treatment plans. It also incorporates an epidemic alert which enables the tracking of diseases and the early detection and control of epidemics.

Mobile Money - A Catalyst for Financial Inclusion in Developing Economies: A Case Study of Zimbabwe using FinScope Survey Data

GIS Business ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 45-56
Author(s):  
Kingstone Mutsonziwa ◽  
Obert K. Maposa
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Financial System ◽  
Financial Inclusion ◽  
Viable Option ◽  
Mobile Money ◽  
Bank Branches ◽  
Financial Transactions

Mobile money in Zimbabwe has extensively extended the frontiers of financial inclusion to reach millions who were earlier excluded within a relatively short space of time. The growing use of mobile phones in transferring money and making payments has significantly altered the countrys financial inclusion landscape as millions who had been hitherto excluded can now perform financial transactions in a relatively cheap, reliable and secure way. The FinScope results found out that 45% of the adult population use mobile money services. Of those using mobile money, 65% mentioned that is convenient, while 36% mentioned that it is cheap. Mobile money is accessible. These drivers are in the backdrop of few or no bank branches in rural communities as well as time and cost of accessing the bank branches. In Zimbabwe, mobile money is mostly used as a vehicle for remittances. While some people are enjoying mobile money services, it is important to mention that there are still people who are excluded from the formal financial system. The reasons why people do not use mobile money are mainly related to poverty issues. Mobile money remains a viable option to push the landscape of financial inclusion in Zimbabwe and other emerging markets where the formal financial system might not be strong.

TURNING FARMERS INTO SOCIAL FARMER ENTREPRENEURS FOR DISADVANTAGED PEOPLE

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Remus Runcan
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Physical Work ◽  
Healthy Environment ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
Rural Development Programme ◽  
Rural And Urban

According to Romania’s National Rural Development Programme, the socio-economic situation of the rural environment has a large number of weaknesses – among which low access to financial resources for small entrepreneurs and new business initiatives in rural areas and poorly developed entrepreneurial culture, characterized by a lack of basic managerial knowledge – but also a large number of opportunities – among which access of the rural population to lifelong learning and entrepreneurial skills development programmes and entrepreneurs’ access to financial instruments. The population in rural areas depends mainly on agricultural activities which give them subsistence living conditions. The gap between rural and urban areas is due to low income levels and employment rates, hence the need to obtain additional income for the population employed in subsistence and semi-subsistence farming, especially in the context of the depopulation trend. At the same time, the need to stimulate entrepreneurship in rural areas is high and is at a resonance with the need to increase the potential of rural communities from the perspective of landscape, culture, traditional activities and local resources. A solution could be to turn vegetal and / or animal farms into social farms – farms on which people with disabilities (but also adolescents and young people with anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicide, and alexithymia issues) might find a “foster” family, bed and meals in a natural, healthy environment, and share the farm’s activities with the farmer and the farmer’s family: “committing to a regular day / days and times for a mutually agreed period involves complying with any required health and safety practices (including use of protective clothing and equipment), engaging socially with the farm family members and other people working on and around the farm, and taking on tasks which would include working on the land, taking care of animals, or helping out with maintenance and other physical work”

scholarly journals Tackling Rural Health, Energy, … and Technological Issues All at Once: A Call for a Global Interdisciplinary Platform for Strengthening Rural Setting Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Challenges ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 16
Author(s):  
Farshad Amiraslani
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Health ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Rural Setting ◽  
Global Challenges ◽  
Rural Settings ◽  
Research Studies

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has revealed flaws in rural settings where most people live without the necessary tools, income, and knowledge to tackle such unprecedented global challenges. Here, I argue that despite the research studies conducted on rural areas, these have not solved rising rural issues, notably poverty and illiteracy. I propound a global institute to be formed by governments that provides a platform for empowering rural communities through better training, skills, and competencies. Such global endeavour will ensure the remaining rural communities withstand future pandemics if they occur.

scholarly journals Solid Biomass Energy Potential as a Development Opportunity for Rural Communities

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 3398
Author(s):  
Mariusz Jerzy Stolarski ◽  
Paweł Dudziec ◽  
Michał Krzyżaniak ◽  
Ewelina Olba-Zięty
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Biomass Energy ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Energy Potential ◽  
Development Opportunity ◽  
Biomass Resources ◽  
Administrative Units ◽  
Solid Biomass

Conventional energy sources often do not fully satisfy the needs of a modern economy, especially given the climate changes associated with them. These issues should be addressed by diversification of energy generation, including the development of renewable energy sources (RES). Solid biomass will play a major part in the process in Poland. The function of rural areas, along with a well-developed agricultural and forest economy sector, will be a key aspect in this as these areas are suitable for solid biomass acquisition in various ways. This study aimed to determine the solid biomass energy potential in the commune of Goworowo to illustrate the potential in the smallest administrative units of Poland. This research determined the environmental and natural conditions in the commune, which helped to identify the crucial usable solid biomass resources. The total energy potential of solid biomass resources in the commune of Goworowo amounted to 97,672 GJ y−1. The highest potential was accumulated in straw surplus (37,288 GJ y−1) and the lowest was in wood from roadside maintenance (113 GJ y−1). This study showed that rural areas could soon play a significant role in obtaining solid biomass, and individual communes could become spaces for the diversification of energy feedstock.

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