Flexible work arrangements and gender differences in research during the COVID-19 period in Zimbabwean higher learning institutions

This study sought to investigate the impact of COVID-19-induced flexible work arrangements (FWAs) on gender differences in research outputs during COVID-19. A mixed research methodology was used, focusing on higher learning institutions in Zimbabwe. Purposive sampling was applied to select 250 researchers from the 21 registered universities in Zimbabwe. The study's findings revealed that institutions of higher learning in Zimbabwe did not provide the necessary affordances to enable both male and female academics to work from home effectively. The study also established that FWAs were preferred and appreciated by both male and female academics. However, whilst both male and female academics performed their teaching responsibilities without incident, unlike males, females struggled to find time for research, thus affecting professional growth and development negatively for female academics. Cultural traditions were found to subordinate females to domestic and caregiving responsibilities unrelated to their professions. The findings raise questions on the feasibility of the much-recommended FWAs for future work on female academics' research careers. Thus, without the necessary systems and processes to support female researchers, FWAs can only widen the gender gap in research outputs. This study contributes to the Zimbabwean higher learning institutions' perspective on how FWAs' policies and practices could be re-configured to assist female researchers in enhancing their research outputs as well as their career growth.

Sustainable Enterprise Development in the Manufacturing Sector: Flexible Employment and Innovation in China

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the scope and market size of flexible employment in sustainable enterprise development have significantly increased worldwide, yet academic literature offer little information about the outcomes and moderators of flexible employment in China. The paper advances current knowledge and empirically addresses this gap by examining the effects of flexible employment on enterprise innovation input and output, with information technology capability and labor regulation as unexplored moderators. Based on data from 1179 manufacturing enterprises in China, this paper uses the OLS method to conduct empirical tests. The results show that (1) flexible employment has positively contributed to sustainable enterprise development by facilitating innovation inputs and outputs;(2) superior enterprise information technology capabilities and strict labor regulations were significant moderating factors in this relationship. The findings provide credible evidence for enterprises to pursue flexible employment as an inexhaustible impetus for sustainable economic and enterprise development.

Subsidy strategy for reserving flexible capacity of emergency supply production

This paper investigates a government's subsidy strategy for motivating a manufacturer to set up a flexible production line for emergency supplies. Four subsidy strategies are proposed to ensure a desired service level in case of an emergency: zero subsidy, a fixed subsidy, a marginal subsidy, and a hybrid subsidy. We develop a game theoretical model to examine how the government can induce a manufacturer to set up a flexible production line that can respond promptly to an emergency, based on the manufacturer's cost structure (fixed and marginal costs). We find that when the marginal profit of an emergency product is higher than that of the manufacturer's regular product, a fixed (marginal) subsidy is the dominant strategy if the manufacturer's fixed (marginal) cost is high, while a hybrid subsidy strategy is dominant if both costs are high. When the marginal profit of an emergency product is lower than that of the manufacturer's regular product, neither a fixed subsidy nor a zero subsidy will be the dominant strategy. We also find that a marginal subsidy can ensure the effectiveness of the strategy, while a fixed subsidy helps improve strategy efficiency. We use government subsidy strategies implemented for Chinese COVID-19 emergency supplies as examples to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the subsidy strategies under the proposed framework. We also extend the discussion by considering the manufacturer's social consciousness.

Undertanding the Experience of Universities Flexible Learning in the Time of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case for Two Universities in the Philippines

The school system was greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a need to assess the implementation of flexible learning in academic institutions. The study intends to describe the flexible learning as practiced in the highly urbanized University and the countryside University during the COVID-19 pandemic. This survey research aims to explore students' and faculty members' perceptions of the flexible learning modality implemented in the two institutions of higher learning. It also aims to discover the challenges, preferences, and support students and faculty need. Based on the results, learning becomes not workable given reasonable factors: strength of internet connectivity, quality of modules provided, the validity of the assessment, availability of learning devices such as smartphones, availability of budget for net data subscription, conduciveness of respective households for learning, et cetera. There should be standardized, normativized, and effective modules that are produced out of the intervention of various stakeholders. Requirements must be simple, reasonable, and workable given the students' time, resources, and capacity. Assessments should not be traditional and objective but should be authentic assessments. The digital divide should never be promoted directly or indirectly. The default system for all degree programs has to be the modules. The synchronous and/or asynchronous sessions should be made available to students but not mandatory;the University and teachers have to monitor every student's learning progress effectively. © 2022 IEEE.

Mainstreaming disaster risk management technical and vocational education and training (DRM-TVET) program in higher education institutions: flexible ladderized capacity building model amid COVID-19

Disasters are increasingly becoming more destructive in their impacts. Lives have been lost and properties damaged due to the lack of institutional and personnel coping and adaptive capacities. Several policies in the Philippines have noted the importance of capacity development in implementing Disaster Risk Management (DRM). To meet the above necessity, in 2017, Philippine School of Business Administration (PSBA), Manila, one of the higher education institutions pioneered a specialization of DRM in its existing Master in Business Administration program. However, meeting the demand for Disaster Risk Management Technical and Vocational Education and Training (DRM-TVET) through Formal Degree Program (FDP) and keeping FDP sustainable is still facing a number of challenges. The main drivers of these challenges include but are not limited to the following: time constraint on the part of participants to complete 2–4 years' FDP;lack of institutions offering DRM-TVET programs;and unavailability of a Learning Management System. The main objective of this research is to develop an Alpha-Flexible Ladderized Capacity Building Model (A-FLCBM) amid COVID-19. Further, the study should also provide logical flow and recommendations to operationalize the remaining activities of the Conceptual Framework in developing the Beta (B)-FLCBM amidst COVID-19. In this regard, the researchers collected pertinent data through a substantive, thorough, sophisticated literature review and examined the available mandates on existing Flexible ladderized models. Further, a Conceptual Framework (CF) is also developed and partially operationalized. The output allowed researchers to develop A- FLCBM amidst COVID-19 using the PSBA curriculum as a pilot case. However, the framework activities, i.e., dry run, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) registration for National Certification (NC), development of B-FLCBM, and the empirical assessment of DRM-TVET and FDP sustainability will be covered in future studies. The A-FLCBM comprises of interrelated activities including mode of learning and well-designed DRM NC short courses, workshops, and trainings for the trainers. The Model is aligned with the Executive Order 358, promulgated in 2004. Further, the Ladderized Education (LE) system introduced through Commission on Higher Education Memorandum Order No. 43, 2008 Series, was also considered for wider-scale and accelerated implementation of LE nationwide and globally. The implementation of B-FLCBM will provide a unique opportunity to develop the skills required to be a professional in the DRM and business continuity field, improving the quality of life and raising awareness on the importance of preventing and mitigating disasters and reducing the loss incurred by countries in terms of lives, property, and economy. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sentiment analysis of student feedback on flexible learning

The World Health Organization declares COVID-19 as a global pandemic, which disrupts classes around the world. This study aims to reveal the sentiment of the students on flexible learning, specifically about online education. The Public Relations and Publication Office of Pangasinan State University (PRPIO) posted a thread on its Facebook page asking the students how they feel about the flexible learning modality implemented by the institution. All Students are invited to comment on possible problems that they may encounter in synchronous online delivery of instruction. Automated extraction was used to mine comments from the specific post on the official page per quarter. Most of the respondents mentioned that they faced issues during the first quarter, and most of the respondents were worried about internet connectivity during the first quarter. While students provided negative sentiments during the first quarter of the year 2021, the trendline was changed to the last quarter. © 2023 Author(s).

Academic rope to cope: Teachers' coping strategy to academic anxiety

The pandemic drove an abrupt global change that brought anxiety and distress to individuals. As such, the study explored the coping strategies used by higher education faculty members in dealing with academic anxiety. A concurrent triangulation mixed method was employed. Data were gathered from the faculty members of a state university using questionnaires and interviews. The faculty members primarily employed religiosity, problem-solving, cognitive reappraisal, and relaxation/recreation as their coping mechanisms. Furthermore, the females were more inclined to use emotional release, and the young adults employed social support and overactivity. Henceforth, the female faculty members may be exposed to peer counseling where they will be able to freely release their anger because of academic anxiety and the young adults may be showered with care and understanding from the people who are close to them and they may be provided with activities to do that may lessen their academic anxiety. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Navigating crisis, navigating ICTs: A study of Indian migrant workers during the pandemic

In this note, we present the preliminary findings from a qualitative interview-based study among migrant workers in India who went through much hardship in the wake of one of most strict pandemic-induced lockdown in 2020. Through this study, we narrate the four ways in which digital technologies enabled the relief and crisis mitigation efforts targeted to migrant workers and how that in turn shaped the workers' experience of the crisis and associated relief efforts. We argue that more flexible use of familiar digital tools and channels, collaboration across state and non-state actors and assistance from human intermediaries in navigating ICTs make for more effective and inclusive relief measures. © 2022 ACM.

Human capital and legal perspectives on remote work: recommendations for organizations

PurposeAs a result of COVID-19 and associated stay-at-home orders, the number of employees working remotely reached unprecedented levels during early periods of the pandemic. Since that time, some employees have returned to the office;yet, there is a lasting impact on employees' desires for remote work. In response, decision-makers in organizations should be equipped with knowledge regarding what makes remote work beneficial for both employees and the organization and also fair and compliant with the law. This paper aims to take a dual perspective spanning human capital and legal aspects of remote work to offer six practical recommendations to organizations. Design/methodology/approachThis paper reviews the human resources (HR) scholarly literature on remote work, using principles from evidence-based management to select valid and reliable findings in which to base practical recommendations for organizations. Associated legal risks are identified through a review of the legal literature on remote work and integrated into the recommendations. FindingsBuilding on a multilevel model of HR practices, the authors offer the following six practical recommendations to organizations: offer hybrid work and both location and schedule flexibility;ensure fair and compliant work schedules;acknowledge manager perceptions;ensure fair approval and evaluation of remote workers;acknowledge individual workers;and align remote work practices with diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Originality/valueThe multilevel model of remote work practices discussed in this paper offers an organizing framework for identifying advantages and disadvantages of remote work that future research may build upon. The six recommendations help bridge the research-practice gap by providing organizations with knowledge on how to maximize the benefits of remote work while mitigating potential legal risks.

Identifying and analysis of key flexible sustainable supply chain management strategies toward overcoming the post-COVID-19 impacts

PurposeThe emerging markets are facing a lot of risks and disruptions across their supply chains (SCs) due to the deadly coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. To mitigate the significant post-COVID-19 consequences, organizations should modify their existing strategies and focus more on the key flexible sustainable SC (SSC) strategies. Still now, a limited number of studies have highlighted about the flexible strategies what firms should adopt to reduce the rampant effects in the context of emerging markets.Design/methodology/approachThis study presents an integrated approach including Delphi method, Bayesian, and the Best-Worst-Method (BWM) to identify, assess and evaluate the importance of the key flexible SSC strategies for the footwear industry in the emerging market context.FindingsThe results found the manufacturing flexibility through automation integration as the most important flexible SSC strategy to improve the flexibility and sustainability of modern SCs. Also, developing omni-channel distribution and retailing strategies and increasing the level of preparedness by using artificial intelligent are crucial strategies for overcoming the post-COVID-19 impacts.Originality/valueThe novelty of this research is that the research connects a link among flexible strategies, SCs sustainability, and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the research proposes a novel and intelligent framework based on Delphi and Bayesian-BWM to identify and analyze the key flexible SSC strategies to build up sustainable and robust SCs which can withstand in the post-COVID-19 world.

The Struggle to Balance Work and Family Life During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights Based on the Situations of Working Women in Delhi.

The COVID-19 pandemic generated economic contraction across the world. In India, the stringent lockdown led to extreme distress. The unprecedented situation adversely affected the women's efforts to balance professional life with family life because of a disproportionate increase in their domestic work burden and a shift in their workstation to home. Since every job cannot be performed remotely, women employed in healthcare services, banks and media witnessed additional risks of commuting and physical interaction at the workplace. Based on personal interviews of women in the Delhi-NCR region, the study aims to explore the commonalities and variances in the challenges experienced by the women engaged in diverse occupations. Using the qualitative methodology of flexible coding, the study finds that a relatively larger section of women travelling to their office during the pandemic, rather than those working from home, had an effective familial support system that helped them navigate this tough time.

"I've Got More of a Role to Play": Australian Fathers' Perspectives on Parenting Through the Lens of COVID-19 Lockdown

Using interviews with 15 Australian fathers, we explored the impact of having spent time in COVID-19 lockdown on men's views of their relationship with their children and family-work life balance. All interviewees were married to women and living with their children, most were employed and working full-time. Three themes were identified from the interviews: an ongoing desire to be present as a father, benefits to being present through COVID-19 lockdowns for self as a father and for the children, and conflicting pressures from workplaces and at home which were barriers to being present. Survey data 1 year later revealed that many of these fathers had shifted their work patterns because of their lockdown experience. Shifts in workplace culture and behavior were identified as supporting flexible working arrangements. Despite the immediate challenges of lockdown, it provided the opportunity for some fathers to reevaluate their priorities resulting in long-term changes in working patterns.

Design Experience of Laboratory Practices in COVID Times

The development of laboratory practices is necessary for training mechatronics engineering students because they must learn in scenarios that allow checking the theories reviewed in class and implementing their solutions to real-world challenges posed in a course. Unexpectedly, the COVID pandemic caused a rethinking of how to develop the laboratory as a form of teaching, looking for online alternatives using simulation platforms, portable instruments, and 3D printing to design prototypes. This work presents the experience of two online laboratory practice activities in two mechatronics engineering subjects, which allowed students to complement their training without the risk of contagion, develop the planned competencies, and acquire skills in this form of teaching. © 2023 IEEE.

Biodegradable Bio-based Material for Wearable Air Filtering Skin

COVID-19, imagine having a temporary lip sticker that offers the protection of an n95 mask without the uncomfortable bulk. Using green electrospun nanofibers the lip sticker filters the virus and can communicate geospatial data to your phone using embedded NFC technology. Available in different designs and skins, some fiber formations can display temperature changes on your face. This paper investigates several prototypes of the described product. © 2022 Owner/Author.

Flexible working during the COVID-19 pandemic: gains and strains in a Chinese state-owned organisation

PurposeThis study aims to identify and analyse the gains and strains associated with flexible working practices (FWPs) introduced and adopted prior to and during the pandemic and consider how these experiences are likely to shape the future of workplace flexibility post-pandemic. Design/methodology/approachA case study research strategy was adopted to explore the FWPs implemented by a state-owned organisation in the Chinese publishing industry. A mixed data collection method was used. Quantitative data was collected from 50 valid questionnaires, which was followed by 7 qualitative interviews to gain rich insights into the availability and effectiveness of various FWPs and associated benefits and drawbacks. FindingsWhile the results confirm positive effects FWPs have on employee engagement and retention and on business continuity and employee well-being during the pandemic, the empirical analysis highlights the performance-driven patterns in use and impacts of some FWPs, which caused concerns and dilemmas. Besides the increasing intense market competition, the changing face of state-owned enterprises and managerial attitudes have been found to have significant effects on the use of FWPs. Originality/valueThis paper has contributed to a better understanding of flexible working in an under-researched setting, reflected in changes before and during the pandemic, offering an insight into the commercialised nature of flexible working in the Chinese context. It has implications for organisations and HR practitioners as they envision future workplace flexibility.

Employment and Teleworking in the Argentine Tourism Sector: a Case Study Based on the COVID-19 Pandemic

We analyze the viability of teleworking in the tourism sector in Argentina by using the COVID-19 shock on employment as a case study. We pay special attention to the tourism sector and its sub-sectors because they comprise activities with low teleworking potential and high informality rates, which could further condition the effective implementation of new work arrangements, such as remote work. By using estimates of teleworking potential at the sectoral level, we study its relationship with the evolution of employment during the quarantines implemented in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina. We find a positive effect of teleworking potential on employment in the tourism subsectors, such as food and accommodation and travel agencies activities, but more pronounced in the other services subsectors (sports, cultural, and entertainment service activities). This suggests that, despite having a low telework potential, certain tourism activities could be performed remotely. Surprisingly, we find that teleworking potential had a positive effect on employment in some tourism subsectors only for informal workers. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

Conjoint Analysis based Predictive Analytics to study the employee attitude towards virtual and digital work practices in IoT work environments

Covid-19 has been one of the most disruptive pandemics to date. Among the other aspects of disruption, it also disrupted the way people work in organizations. Many of the organizations surrendered their offices for good. However, there are many ill effects of these unconventional work practices also. This research study aims to explore the perception of the employees towards the adoption of Virtual and flexible work practices. The study uses a conjoint analysis approach on different possible Work Practice Profiles, that specify the nature of work (Virtual, offline, or hybrid), nature of work schedule (flexible, or fixed), nature of ownership (individual, or team), and length of working hours (8.5 hours, or 9.5 hours or 10.5 hours). The study finds that the number of working hours is the most important criterion for the employees followed by mode of work, responsibility, and work schedule. © 2023 IEEE.

An Analysis of the COVID-19-Induced Flexible Grading Policy at a Public University.

To help students cope with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education institutions offered students flexible grading policies that blended traditional letter grades with alternative grading options such as the pass-fail or credit-no credit options. This study conducted an in-depth analysis of the flexible grading policy at a medium-sized university in the USA. We studied the differential selection of flexible grading options by course characteristics and students' sociodemographics and academic profiles between Spring 2020 and Spring 2021. We also examined the impacts of the policy on sequential courses. Our analysis utilized administrative and transcript data for undergraduate students at the study institution and employed a combination of descriptive statistics and regression models. The analysis revealed that the flexible grading policy was utilized differently depending on course characteristics, with core courses and subjects like mathematics, chemistry, and economics having higher rates of usage. Additionally, sociodemographic and academic profile factors led to varying degrees of utilization, with males, urban students, freshmen, and non-STEM majors using the policy more frequently. Furthermore, the analysis suggested that the policy may have disadvantaged some students as they struggled in subsequent courses after using the pass option. Several implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Effect of COVID-19 on the incidence of postintubation laryngeal lesions.

Background: Critically ill patients intubated in the intensive care unit experience prolonged intubation leading to increased frequency of laryngeal injuries. This study aimed to demonstrate a suspected increase in vocal fold injury in patients who were intubated with COVID-19 as compared with patients intubated for other reasons. Methods: A retrospective review of medical records was performed to identify patients examined using flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing exams. The study included 25 patients with COVID-19 and 27 without COVID-19 at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Temple, Texas. Various injuries were evaluated, ranging from granulation tissue to vocal cord paralysis. Severe lesions were those causing clinically significant airway obstruction or requiring operative intervention. The incidence of laryngeal injury in patients intubated for COVID-19 was then compared with that of patients intubated for other reasons. Results: The increased presence of severe injury in COVID-positive patients appeared clinically significant but was not statistically significant (P = 0.06). Interestingly, patients who received pronation therapy had 4.6 times the odds of more severe injury compared with patients who did not (P = 0.009). Conclusion: Lower thresholds for performing flexible laryngoscopy on postintubated patients who are proned may allow for earlier intervention and reduce morbidity in an already at-risk population.

Electrospun film composed of pearl-string-like microfibers exhibiting excellent radiative cooling performance, moisture permeability and self-cleaning function

The double threat of extremely hot summer and the pandemic of Covid-19 makes it important to develop protective clothing with remarkable advantage of personal thermal management. Meanwhile, radiative coolers with strong solar reflection and atmospheric window (8–13 μm) emission can cool objects without the requirement of extra energy input. Passive daytime radiative cooling has attracted extensive attention in the field of personal thermal management. However, radiative cooling textile for protective clothing remains to be explored. In this work, electrospinning technique was applied to prepare radiative cooling flexible film for protective clothing. The prepared film is composed of microfibers with pearl-string-like structures that result in high average solar reflectance (98.1%) and high average atmospheric window emittance (94.9%). The film delivers an average temperature drop of 6.1 °C and an average radiative cooling power of 79 W m−2. The radiative cooling film has good moisture permeability and self-cleaning function. This study has opened up a promising way for the design and fabrication of protective clothing that has excellent passive daytime radiative cooling performance.