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1.
Appl Ergon ; 119: 104303, 2024 Sep.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38714103

OBJECTIVE: To describe implementation strategies for preventive health measures in SMEs and the effectiveness of the strategies on implementation outcomes. METHODS: A literature search was performed in multiple electronic databases. Studies published between 2000 and 2021 that evaluated the implementation of preventive health measures in SMEs were included. Classification of implementation strategies was based on two complementary classification systems. RESULTS: Nineteen studies, of which 5 RCTs were included. Eighteen distinct implementation strategies were reported. All studies applied a combination of implementation strategies, and nearly all reported a positive effect on one or more implementation outcomes: sustainability, acceptability, feasibility, penetration, fidelity, adoption, and appropriateness. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, a positive effect of combined implementation strategies on the implementation outcome(s) was found. The 'distribution of educational materials' and 'provide ongoing consultation' combined show positive effects on sustainability.


Occupational Health , Humans , Small Business , Occupational Diseases/prevention & control , Health Promotion/methods , Preventive Health Services/organization & administration , Preventive Health Services/methods
2.
J Occup Rehabil ; 34(2): 359-372, 2024 Jun.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38740678

PURPOSE: Despite existing employment-related legislation and governmental programs, people with disabilities continue to face significant barriers to competitive employment. These obstacles are partially due to biases among employers regarding the contributions of people with disabilities and perceptions about accommodation costs, which can affect their hiring decisions. Existing research on employment barriers and facilitators often treats people with disabilities homogenously and focuses mainly on large companies. This study helps to fill these gaps by exploring the motivations and challenges small employers face when hiring people with disabilities and how their attitudes and willingness to hire vary based on disability type. METHODS: We surveyed business owners and decision-makers at companies with fewer than 100 employees resulting in a sample of 393 company respondents. Through descriptive analyses, we examined variations in respondents' willingness to hire and the prevailing attitudes among the company leaders sampled. We explored how employer attitudes can either hinder or support the hiring of people with disabilities. We conducted multivariate analysis to explore the connections among attitudinal barriers, facilitators, and willingness to hire individuals with various disabilities, reflecting disability's heterogeneous nature. RESULTS: Our findings reveal that, in terms of hiring people with disabilities, the most important concerns among employers are: inability to discipline, being unfamiliar with how to hire and accommodate, and uncertainty over accommodation costs. These concerns do not differ between employers covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and non-covered employers. However, ADA-coverage may make a difference as ADA-covered employers are more likely to say they would hire an applicant with a disability. We find that for small companies (less than 15 employees), the positive effect of the facilitators (positive perceptions about workers with disabilities) almost completely offsets the negative effect of the barriers. However, for the larger companies, the marginal effect for an additional barrier is significantly more predictive than for an additional facilitator. Among the disabilities we examined, employers are least likely to hire someone with blindness, followed by mental health disabilities, intellectual disabilities, deafness, and physical disabilities, underscoring that employers do not view all types of disabilities as equally desirable at work. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding small employers' underlying concerns and effectively addressing those factors is crucial for developing effective intervention strategies to encourage small employers to hire and retain people with different disabilities. Our results suggest greater openness among ADA-covered employers to hiring people with disabilities, but the perceived barriers indicate a need for ongoing information on effective intervention strategies to increase disability hiring among all small employers.


Disabled Persons , Humans , Disabled Persons/psychology , Small Business , Male , Personnel Selection , Female , Employment/psychology , Surveys and Questionnaires , Attitude , Adult , Middle Aged , Leadership
3.
Drug Discov Today ; 29(4): 103944, 2024 Apr.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38460570

The Allotrope Foundation (AF) started as a group of pharmaceutical companies, instrument, and software vendors that set out to simplify the exchange of data in the laboratory. After a decade of work, they released products that have found adoption in various companies. Most recently, the Allotrope Simple Model (ASM) was developed to speed up and widen the adoption. As a result, the Foundation has recently added chemical companies and, importantly, is reworking its business model to lower the entry barrier for smaller companies. Here, we present the proceedings from the Allotrope Connect Fall 2023 conference and summarize the technical and organizational developments at the Foundation since 2020.


Commerce , Small Business
4.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int ; 31(11): 16865-16883, 2024 Mar.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38324151

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) increasingly know the benefits of improving resource efficiency and closing loops. These benefits include lowering material costs, establishing competitive advantages, and gaining access to new markets. As a consequence of implementing new regulations, manufacturing companies, particularly those in the automobile industry, are compelled to modify and change their business practices related to the circular economy (CE). More stringent the implementation of environmentally responsible policies and strengthening environmental regulations. CE is the most important factor in improving environmental conditions since it reduces waste and boosts output. This facet calls for the attention of fresh academics and policymakers with years of relevant expertise. Recent studies have investigated how green logistics management might improve a company's overall performance in terms of environmental responsibility. However, we believe that the connection between environmentally responsible companies is not a direct one but rather one that is mediated by the practices of circular economies. We investigate the direct and indirect effects of the environmentally responsible impact of proper logistics management on organizations' overall environmental performance via the application of circular economy practices. Our theoretical underpinnings are the resource-based viewpoint and the resource dependence theory. This research also investigates whether or not the traceability of the supply chain has a mitigating influence on the connections. We evaluated the hypotheses using the PLS-SEM method, drawing on the empirical data provided by 245 Chinese factories considered modest or medium size. The results demonstrate that the management of green logistics has a constructive effect on circular economy practices and businesses' sustainability performance. In addition, although it greatly impacts circular economy practice among SMEs, supply chain traceability does not attenuate the connection between eco-friendly supply chain management and environmental impact. Green logistics management in SMEs is linked to improved sustainability performance via the circular economy practice. To further verify the efficacy of the mediation, we also ran the sober test. Our results strengthen knowledge of circular economy, environmentally friendly logistics management practices, and sustainability performance while advancing natural resource-based planning and the resource dependence theory, which are the two approaches. Given the scarcity of information research analyzing the interplay between these factors, our results are very significant.


Commerce , Industry , Environment , Small Business , Organizations
5.
PLoS One ; 19(1): e0296667, 2024.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38215177

This study tests for potential bias in self-reported innovation due to the inclusion of a research and development (R&D) module that only microbusinesses (less than 10 employees) receive in the Annual Business Survey (ABS). Previous research found that respondents to combined innovation/R&D surveys reported innovation at lower rates than respondents to innovation-only surveys. A regression discontinuity design is used to test whether microbusinesses, which constitute a significant portion of U.S. firms with employees, are less likely to report innovation compared to other small businesses. In the vicinity of the 10-employee threshold, the study does not detect statistically significant biases for new-to-market and new-to-business product innovation. Statistical power analysis confirms the nonexistence of biases with a high power. Comparing the survey design of ABS to earlier combined innovation/R&D surveys provides valuable insights for the proposed integration of multiple Federal surveys into a single enterprise platform survey. The findings also have important implications for the accuracy and reliability of innovation data used as an input to policymaking and business development strategies in the United States.


Commerce , Small Business , Humans , United States , Self Report , Reproducibility of Results , Surveys and Questionnaires
6.
J Subst Use Addict Treat ; 157: 209181, 2024 02.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37858794

BACKGROUND: Most patients in opioid treatment programs (OTPs) attend daily for observed dosing. A Stage IA (create and adapt) and a Stage IB (feasibility and pilot) mixed method studies tested a web-application (app) designed to facilitate access to take-home methadone. METHODS: A Stage IA, intervention development study, used qualitative interviews to assess the usability (ease of use) and feasibility (ability to implement) of a take-home methadone app. The Stage IA market research was a two-week test with 96 patient participants from four OTPs. Qualitative interviews were completed with 20 systematically selected individuals who used the take-home app and 20 OTP clinicians (five each from the four OTPs). The Stage IB Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) study (24 patients and 8 clinicians in a single OTP) included quantitative assessments of the app's usability, acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility. Thematic analysis coded participant and staff assessments of the take-home app. RESULTS: Stage IA patients (mean age = 41 years; 52 % men, 57 % White) and IB patients (mean age = 38 years, 54 % men, 79 % White) described the app as "easy to use." Compared to unsupervised take-homes, some patients preferred using the take-home app. In Stage IB, patients rated the app highly on standardized measures of usability, acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility. Clinician ratings were more ambivalent. Patients rated in-clinic dosing as more disruptive than unsupervised take-homes and take-homes using the app. DISCUSSION: A Stage IA study informed the development and maturation of a Stage IB feasibility pilot study. Overall, the take-home app's usability, acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility were rated positively. Clinical staff ratings were less positive, but individuals commented that using the app a) enhanced patient quality of life, b) provided new tools for counselors, and c) offered competitive advantages. The SBIR award enhanced market research with more complete and systematic data collection and analysis.


Analgesics, Opioid , Mobile Applications , Male , Humans , Adult , Female , Analgesics, Opioid/therapeutic use , Methadone/therapeutic use , Feasibility Studies , Pilot Projects , Quality of Life , Small Business
7.
Drug Discov Today ; 29(2): 103866, 2024 Feb.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38145871

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have significantly boosted innovative drug discovery, whereas large pharmaceutical companies have focused on incremental drug innovation. I explored the evolving role of SMEs in late-entry drug discovery. A comparative analysis of new drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during the 2020s with those approved previously revealed that SMEs have expanded their role to late-entry drug discovery while maintaining their contribution to first-in-target drug discovery. I analyzed the characteristics of SMEs responsible for the discovery of late-entry drugs approved during the 2020s, and the modality, market entry timing, and differentiation points of the drugs. I also discuss encompassing opportunities for SMEs, pharmaceutical industry future alliance strategies, and the importance of startup promotion measures.


Drug Industry , Small Business , United States , Pharmaceutical Preparations , United States Food and Drug Administration , Drug Discovery
8.
Inquiry ; 60: 469580231210726, 2023.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37961981

Low-wage workers and those employed by small businesses are least likely to be offered health insurance coverage and they are over-represented among the uninsured. Two new forms of health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) that allow employers to help fund individual market coverage for workers have been touted as breakthrough strategies to help fill this gap. Despite several years of experience and low adoption, little is known about employer understanding of or views about these HRA options. Consistent with other evidence, only 11.8% of New Jersey employers we surveyed offer or plan to offer either of the HRA options. Few respondents (18.5%) report familiarity with either option. Even among businesses that offer or plan to offer this form of HRA, under half (47.6%) say that they are familiar with them. Other reasons cited for not offering these options include broker advice and complexity. While more investigation is needed, these findings suggest that new strategies should be explored to fill the gap in health insurance for low-wage and small business employees.


Health Benefit Plans, Employee , Small Business , Humans , United States , New Jersey , Insurance, Health , Salaries and Fringe Benefits , Insurance Coverage
9.
Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being ; 18(1): 2286669, 2023 Dec.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38010829

PURPOSE: Given the importance of small businesses for society, and the significance of managers' wellbeing for employee health, leadership, and business performance, more knowledge is needed on the sources of managers' wellbeing. This study explored factors within the small business context that were perceived by managers to hinder or enable their wellbeing. METHODS: Data were collected through qualitative semi-structured interviews with 20 managers from 12 small companies, and analysed with content analysis. RESULTS: The factors that these managers in small businesses experienced as enhancing or hindering their personal wellbeing covered five categories: demands and resources in the daily managerial work, achievement of results, social factors, organizational factors, and individual factors. CONCLUSIONS: The specific context of managerial work in small companies encompasses unique factors. For instance, the small company managers' wellbeing was affected by vulnerability due to the smallness of the business and the absence of available resources. Simultaneously, a small company context provided a strong social climate and close relationships with employees and customers that strengthened the managers' wellbeing. The findings suggest that the availability of financial, personnel, and organizational resources varies between small companies of different size, which may have implications for small business managers' work and wellbeing.


Small Business , Social Environment , Humans , Commerce
10.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int ; 30(38): 88876-88890, 2023 Aug.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37440136

As a new industry derived from the traditional financial system and enhanced by emerging technologies, digital finance is significant in microenterprise development. Based on the 2011-2018 Digital Inclusive Finance Index of Peking University, we examine the mechanism-inventory optimization and incremental innovation. We use the data of small and medium-sized enterprises to reveal the effect of digital finance-mismatch correction and defect improvement. The study results show that digital financing significantly improves enterprises' high-quality development. Further research has revealed that digital finance can effectively correct scale, attribute, phase, and industry mismatches. Digital finance alleviates financing constraints, solves the expensive financing problem, and pushes enterprises to deleverage in the economic development process. However, digital finance is still limited for companies with high financing constraints and leverage. Moreover, financial regulation can significantly improve the economic performance of digital finance. The findings provide reliable empirical evidence and policy inspiration for promoting digital finance development, deepening the supply-side structural reform of finance, better serving the real economy, and achieving high-quality economic development.


Economic Development , Industry , Humans , China , Policy , Small Business
11.
Sociol Health Illn ; 45(8): 1591-1608, 2023 11.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37209298

Paid carers play an important role in helping older adults with care needs to remain living in their own homes. This paper examines changes in the home care field, specifically the emergence of self-employed care entrepreneurs ('microentrepreneurs'). To do this, it employs Bourdieu's concepts of field, capital and habitus. Drawing on 105 semi-structured interviews with stakeholders working in home care, the paper describes how the interaction of changes to field structures, and altered practices of care have challenged the taken-for-granted acceptance of traditional, transactional forms of care provision. This process has been highly dependent on local state actors, their ability to mobilise relevant forms of capital and the factors which shaped their habitus. It should be seen within the context of changes to local field structures and the hierarchical classification processes which underpin them. These changes threaten the distribution of capital in the home care field in ways that are beneficial to microentrepreneurs. Bourdieu might categorise these developments as 'partial revolutions', which do not challenge the fundamental axioms of the field. However, for care entrepreneurs, formerly employed as low-paid home-care workers, a revolution that is only partial may be better than none at all.


Home Care Services , Small Business , Humans , Aged , Wales , England
12.
Transl Behav Med ; 13(11): 845-850, 2023 11 05.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37210084

Culinary medicine is a popular approach to health promotion, but most programs focus on patient or provider-facing education. While laudable, these efforts do not represent the full potential for culinary medicine to impact community health. We describe a novel approach to culinary medicine at a federally qualified health center (FQHC), the HOPE Clinic: Bite of HOPE Small Food Business Development (SFBD) program. Describe the design and implementation of the Bite of HOPE SFBD program and examine initial response to the program through interviews and focus groups with past participants. The SFBD program aims to create healthy food outlets by supporting local small businesses with education, resources, and mentorship support. Former participants in the SFBD program were invited to participate in focus groups and interviews exploring their experience and perceived program impact. Three focus groups (n = 10) and nine in-depth interviews were conducted. Most participants were Black or Hispanic and all operated their businesses in the community surrounding HOPE Clinic. Five themes emerged from the data including perceived program purpose, program discovery, motivating factors to participation, perceived program impact, and suggestions for improvement. Participants expressed high satisfaction with the program and positive changes in both business development and personal eating habits. There is an opportunity to leverage the culinary medicine model to support local small food business and improve community health. The Bite of HOPE SFBD program offers an example of how clinic-based resources can expand into the surrounding environment.


Culinary medicine is an increasingly popular way to teach individuals about healthy eating, but most programs offer classes only to patients or healthcare providers. This study explores a new type of culinary medicine program that focuses on improving community health by teaching small food business owners about healthy eating and sustainability. In this paper, we describe the small food business program and explore how business owners reacted to participating in the program. We discussed the small food business development (SFBD) program with 19 former participants through focus groups and interviews. Former participants expressed high satisfaction with the program and positive changes in both business development and personal eating habits. Program suggestions were focused on ways to increase access to the program information. The SFBD program described here offers an example of how culinary medicine can be used to enhance community nutrition and economic health by offering education and support to local food purveyors and professionals.


Health Promotion , Small Business , Humans , Commerce , Feeding Behavior
13.
Drug Discov Today ; 28(7): 103611, 2023 07.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37164307

Pharmaceutical companies face challenges in business continuity resulting from declining research and development productivity. This study examines the relationship between two strategic pillars: region and therapeutic area, while considering company size. The results indicate that a therapeutic area focus is an effective strategy for small/medium-sized companies, whereas a regional focus is effective for larger companies. These findings highlight the limitations of the traditional global pharmaceutical model from 2004 to 2018 and aim to contribute to the future corporate strategic planning of these companies.


Commerce , Drug Industry , Drug Industry/methods , Small Business , Pharmaceutical Preparations
14.
Drug Discov Today ; 28(6): 103553, 2023 06.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36921669

Many small pharmaceutical companies find that they lack the resources, knowledge and expertise of the regulatory landscape for adequate vendor management in clinical trials, making the organization vulnerable. Recent research suggests that some pharmaceutical companies have found themselves out of compliance with ICH, FDA or EMA guidelines. This paper aims to perform a comprehensive review of the regulatory landscape for vendor selection, oversight and ongoing evaluation in clinical trials. In addition, the case study performed studies the practices recently implemented at small pharmaceutical company Faron Pharmaceuticals to assess regulatory compliance and identify any potential best practices. Faron Pharmaceuticals conducted a process improvement activity at the beginning of 2022 to improve the vendor selection, oversight and evaluation of their clinical trial partners. The results of this case study indicate that Faron Pharmaceuticals' processes are regulatory compliant, suggesting that QTLs, KPIs, SOPs and communication plans are effective vendor oversight mechanisms for small pharmaceutical companies to utilize.


Communication , Drug Industry , Small Business , Pharmaceutical Preparations
15.
IISE Trans Occup Ergon Hum Factors ; 11(1-2): 14-31, 2023.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36866842

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONWe found that small business enterprises (SBEs) face intra- and extra-organizational barriers in different dimensions related to their work system to practically implement human factors/ergonomics (HFE) knowledge transfer and to achieve its benefits in an industrially developing country. Utilizing a three-zone lens, we evaluated the feasibility of overcoming the barriers identified by stakeholders, especially ergonomists. To overcome the identified barriers in practice, three types of macroergonomics interventions (top-down, middle-out, and bottom-up) were distinguished through macroergonomics theory. The bottom-up approach of macroergonomics, as a participatory HFE intervention, was considered as the entry point to overcome the perceived barriers in the first zone of the lens, which included such themes as lack of competence, lack of involvement and interaction, and inefficient training and learning approaches. This approach focused on improving emotional literacy as a care zone among the small business enterprise personnel.


Background: The human factors/ergonomics (HFE) knowledge transfer process is one of the potential challenges for organizations in industrially developing countries (IDCs), especially in small business enterprises (SBEs).Purpose: We explored perceived barriers and challenges to the practical implementation of HFE knowledge transfer to SBEs in Iran, as an IDC, to improve their work systems.Methods: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted using a conventional content analysis. To identify perceived barriers, we conducted individual interviews (n = 38) and a focus-group discussion (n = 17) with the participation of the SBEs personnel and the officials of related organizations. Inductive content analysis was used for data analysis. We then categorized the identified perceived barriers (themes) to determine the feasibility of overcoming them.Results: Regarding perceived barriers, the following nine themes were extracted: lack of competence, resistance to change, technological infrastructure problems, lack of involvement and interaction, using an inappropriate mode of knowledge, lack of culture-building about HFE, inefficient training and learning approaches, lack of scientific management, and extra-organizational problems. Further, a three-zone lens was identified for the extracted themes to check the feasibility of overcoming them.Conclusions: We identified nine intra- and extra-organizational barriers in the HFE knowledge transfer process to SBEs. We further evaluated the ways of overcoming perceived barriers defined in the three-zone lens to adapt them for building creative workplace culture zones (care, creative, and improvement). We distinguished three types of macroergonomics interventions (top-down, middle-out, and bottom-up) and three supporting strategies, including, knowledge, management and employees, and participatory HFE.


Developing Countries , Small Business , Humans , Ergonomics
16.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36767609

As green management practices (GMPs) matter not only for improving the organizations' tribble line performance (environmental, economic, and social) but also can sustain a competitive advantage. Since the tourism and hospitality industry is subject to environmental expectations from visitors, governments, and the community, it is vital to understand what motivates GMPs to overcome environmental obstacles and satisfy those demands. However, the current literature fails to comprehensively justify how small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) tackle green management difficulties when implementing their plans, even though these SMEs could be a leading contributor to environmental concerns. Although many scholars assert that employees' pro-environmental behaviours are decisive in boosting efforts of green management to improve corporate sustainable performance, only limited studies probed the importance of employees' pro-environmental behaviours in SMEs in developing countries. To fill this research gap, the data was gathered from 304 small- and medium-sized hotels and travel agency middle managers using a self-administered survey approach. The collected data was analysed using the Smart PLS-structural equation modelling technique. The PLS-SEM results demonstrated that GMPs can improve environmental, economic, and social performance and these relationships can be strengthened through the moderating effects of employees' pro-environmental behaviour. The study findings revealed that small- and medium-sized hospitality businesses should focus on creating a culture of environmental stewardship and actively involve employees in green initiatives to enhance sustainable performance. The study is important as it helps to understand the role of employee pro-environmental behaviour in green management and sustainable performance in small- and medium-sized hospitality businesses and can help the industry to adopt more sustainable practices. Several theoretical and practical implications were discussed and opportunities for further research were elaborated.


Industry , Small Business , Humans , Organizations , Government
17.
Clin Transl Sci ; 16(3): 412-421, 2023 03.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36601678

The National Cancer Institute's Small Business Innovation Research Development Center (NCI SBIR) supports the commercialization of novel cancer-related technologies by providing resources to 300-400 small businesses each year. Whereas Federal funding is crucial for the translation of technologies to the clinic, the majority of these technologies will need to undergo regulatory review to reach clinical testing. Many small businesses find navigating their regulatory pathway challenging, largely due to lack of regulatory expertise on small startup teams with limited revenue. In collaboration with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), NCI SBIR launched a new regulatory assistance program called Connecting Awardees with Regulatory Experts (CARE). The goal of the CARE program is to connect NCI-funded small businesses with the FDA to receive feedback on their regulatory questions during early-stage product development. The program has a multipronged support approach and also educates companies about the FDA process and existing resources. To date, 141 companies have participated in the interagency program. Follow-up surveys indicate that the program guided the companies in planning the next regulatory steps for their technology development (89%) and provided critical information that changed their future NCI small business grant project aims (81%). Overall, companies reported they would recommend the program to other companies (90%). This paper will discuss the CARE program outcomes as well as other NCI and FDA collaborations that support early-stage small businesses, including the joint development of funding opportunities and online resources that focus on the oncology startup community.


Medical Oncology , Small Business , United States , Humans , United States Food and Drug Administration
18.
Work ; 75(1): 97-112, 2023.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36591688

BACKGROUND: There is a growing interest in managers' wellbeing due to the observed associations between their wellbeing and leadership behaviours, and between leadership behaviours and employees' wellbeing. However, it is still unclear how managers' wellbeing influences their practiced leadership across different workplace contexts, which specific behaviours are affected, and how this varies across time. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was therefore to explore managers' and employees' experiences and perceptions regarding the consequences of managers' wellbeing for their leadership behaviours in small businesses. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 39 participants (20 managers and 19 employees) working at 12 Swedish small firms, and analysed using content analysis. RESULTS: The findings show that managers were more constructive when they felt well, and more passively destructive when unwell. Variations in managers' wellbeing influenced their mood, energy level, and performance, as well as the company's working climate. However, these destructive leadership variations did not have a substantial impact, because several protective factors were present. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the wellbeing of managers in small businesses has perceptible consequences for their leadership behaviours. The study also shows that sustained leadership behaviours may coexist with temporary variations of these behaviours on a constructive-destructive continuum depending on the leader's wellbeing. Overall, the findings contribute to a more nuanced and dynamic understanding of how the interaction between managers' wellbeing and their behaviours unfolds in the particular context of small companies.


Leadership , Small Business , Humans , Sweden , Workplace
19.
Health Care Women Int ; 44(1): 4-27, 2023 01.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31999221

More than 115 million women across the world are borrowers of microfinance loans. However, there is concern that women from poor backgrounds who take loans may suffer from multiple challenges of physical and mental health burdens. In this qualitative study we aimed to identify the types of health challenges faced by active women borrowers of microfinance loans. Open ended questions were asked from 442 women across seven cities and four provinces of Pakistan. Categories were developed through the content analysis approach using NVIVO. We have been able to identify thirteen different health challenges faced by poor women borrowers under two broad headings of "environmental factors" and "healthcare delivery system." We recommend the introduction and expansion of different health and social development services by microfinance provider's to support the health needs of poor women clients. Women also need support from the Government of Pakistan in improving access to education, health coverage, and formal sector work opportunities. Our study implies increased health policy support for disadvantaged women borrowers of microfinance across the world.


Cost of Illness , Small Business , Female , Humans , Pakistan
20.
Sangyo Eiseigaku Zasshi ; 65(2): 63-73, 2023 Mar 25.
Article Ja | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35466120

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to examine the association between a cooperative work climate and a positive attitude toward seeking help from others and the change in help-seeking intentions for balancing medical treatment and job (BTJ) before and after providing information about the support system to employees of small- and medium-sized companies. METHODS: In October 2021, we conducted an online survey among 3,200 full-time employees aged 20-64 years who worked in small- and medium-sized companies, had no experience of work restriction due to illness, and did not know the contents of the support system for BTJ in Japan. First, as a condition of "before information provision," respondents were asked to imagine a situation in which they suffered from cancer or stroke and their doctor indicated that it would be difficult for them to work regularly and, subsequently, were asked about their help-seeking intentions for BTJ under such circumstances. Next, as a condition of "after information provision," they were shown a leaflet on the support system for BTJ in Japan and asked about their help-seeking intentions for BTJ again. A binomial logistic regression analysis was conducted with help-seeking intentions for BTJ as the dependent variable. RESULTS: In total, 2,531 respondents (79.7%) indicated that they would seek help for BTJ both before and after receiving information. In logistic regression analyses, help-seeking intentions for BTJ were more frequently reported when there was a strong cooperative climate and a precedent for support in the workplace. Among participants who indicated that they would not seek help for BTJ before receiving information, those who worked in a company with 50-299 employees and experienced a cooperative climate and/or a precedent of support in the workplace demonstrated significantly more changes in their responses that they would seek help for BTJ after receiving information. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 80% of employees in small- and medium-sized companies indicated that they would seek help for BTJ both before and after receiving information. In employees who had a cooperative climate and had a precedent of support regarding BTJ in their workplace, there was a significant change in the response that they would seek help for BTJ after receiving information. These findings suggest that workplace environmental factors such as a cooperative work climate and supported cases regarding BTJ may increase the usefulness of information provision on BTJ and help-seeking intentions for BTJ among employees working for small businesses.


Intention , Small Business , Humans , Organizational Culture , Workplace , Employment , Surveys and Questionnaires
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