Breeding Hope during the Crisis: A Study on Unemployed Laborers' Willingness to Receive Educational Compensation under the Chinese "Zero-COVID” Policy

Under the Chinese "Zero-COVID” policy, many laborers were forced out of work. Participating in educational compensation can effectively help unemployed laborers achieve re-employment. This paper selected Jining, Shandong Province, as the research area, analyzed the data using a questionnaire survey and key interviews, and observed factors that affect and change willingness to receive educational compensation (WTEC) and the willingness to accept the training duration (WTTD) of unemployed laborers. The study found that 77.78% of unemployed laborers are willing to receive educational compensation, and the WTTD is 12.05 days. Among them, eight factors affect WTEC, such as the years of education, the duration of unemployment, whether there are dependents in the family, and the family's size. Nine factors such as gender, age, education, unemployed duration, dependents, and other supportable incomes affect WTTD. Based on this, by taking measures from the government and laborers, WTEC and WTTD can be improved, and then the rate of re-employment can be enhanced, and finally, the employment problem can be ameliorated.

Analysis Of the Effectiveness of Risk- Based Internal Audit Implementation: A Case Study: Acces la Success

Background: Risk Based internal audit is a control and supervision activity carried out by internal auditors using the output of risk management. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the implementation of risk based internal audit at BPJS Ketenagakerjaan. Internal auditors need to know about risk management and risk maturity to identify key areas that require immediate supervision and follow-up. Method: This research is a case study qualitative research with a descriptive approach. Data was collected by means of interviews, observation and documentation. The analysis technique using triangulation is to collect data, reduce and draw conclusions. Results and findings: Researchers found that Social Security Agency while in Indonesian term is Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Sosial (BPJS) Ketenagakerjaan as an institution that is mandated to manage labor social security membership fees and implement good governance and manage business risks. The risk management output is then used as the basis for conducting an internal audit. Discussion: BPJS Ketenagakerjaan carries out risk management to identify risks, identify areas that have potential risks and carry out risk profiling. This makes it easier for internal auditors to carry out the internal audit process. Impact: The results of risk management make it easier for auditors to identify risks and identify specific areas so that internal audits can run effectively and efficiently.

Love of Empire by Dissociations

In the past two years, as the whole world has been deeply mired in the COVID-19 pandemic, we may have observed neoliberal capitalism's crisis of care: exposed and exacerbated by the global pandemic, made explicit alongside examples such as the collapsing of health systems, the shortage of care labor and overwork of nurses, the serious outbreaks in aged care facilities, the increased burden of domestic labor and care work due to school closures, and the worldwide rise of domestic abuse. Feminist calls for economic independence for (mostly middle-class) women to work for equal pay as men certainly do not resolve the care problem but, instead, further obscure colonial divisions of labor under which the racialized labor mostly from formerly colonized nations is made to fill up the gap.2 I consider the discursive formations of love as a point of departure to review how the global pandemic bears on our everyday practices of intimacy. The historical effects of racialized displacement can be seen as consisting of three sets of often-dissociated social relations during the pandemic crisis: archetypical angel-heroines in white (nurses), angels in the house (housewife and mother), and fallen angels (prostitutes).3 During the pandemic, many of us constantly experience fears about the health systems being overwhelmed, even while we express growing appreciation for the essential care provided by health workers. The virus eventually spread to the teahouses of Taipei's Wanhua neighborhood—also known as an adult entertainment red-light district in Taipei. Since Wanhua was reported as the center of a major cluster, the workers in the sexual venues, in particular, became a singularized target of public criticism.

Rural Entrepreneurship as a Sustainable Livelihood Alternative for the Returnee Migrants: Reviewing the Potentials and Challenges

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the earnings of migrant workers decreased due to joblessness and the lack of new work. Against this backdrop, this paper aims to look at the potential of rural entrepreneurship as a form of financially managing the insecurity and vulnerabilities caused by the pandemic. The literature review shows that although international migration has played a crucial role in economic growth in Bangladesh, remittance has been underutilized and not translated into investment usually. The qualitative research methodology of the paper followed the thematic analysis design method to apprehend and explain the research findings. The findings of the study indicate that despite several challenges, rural entrepreneurship can indeed be a sustainable livelihood alternative that improves the resilience of returnee migrants. The right kinds of skillsets and adequate measures to tackle the infrastructural and socio-political barriers can boost rural entrepreneurship appreciably. Other recently published research works also highlight that entrepreneurship can be an effective tool for the reintegration of returnee migrants. This paper concludes that the sustainability of rural entrepreneurship will require engaging local development organizations, forming incubation and support centers, and organizing peer support groups.

Reconsidering adaptive industrialized construction in Chinese rural areas: responding to the challenge of COVID-19

The spread of COVID-19 has caused an increasing demand for public medical rooms, especially in Chinese rural regions. Industrialized building techniques have been shown as capable of fulfilling this demand through the case of the Leishenshan Hospital. However, industrialized construction requires developed technologies and infrastructures, which are often non-existent in rural areas, thus making it difficult to replicate such a feat. Therefore, more suitable solutions for Chinese rural project delivery in the pandemic scenario are needed. Considering the constraints of pandemic prevention and rural applicability, the adaptive industrialized construction (AIC) method has potential as an alternative. This study evaluates the application of AIC by comparing simulated results using AIC and a conventional method, based on five evaluation indicators: construction speed, labourer distribution, material consumption, equipment utilization, and cost. Taking an actual project as the sample building, the results indicate that the AIC method has several advantages. These include a shorter construction period, less labourer gathering onsite, and a lower cost, suggesting it may be an effective solution for rural project delivery during the pandemic. Architects and contractors could employ the same evaluation method to explore more solutions and optimize the construction schedule for future rapid construction needs in rural areas in a pandemic.

Evaluation of a workplace suicide prevention program in the Australian manufacturing industry: protocol for a cluster-randomised trial of MATES in manufacturing.

Males are at higher risk of death by suicide than females in Australia, and among men, blue-collar males are at higher risk compared to other working males. In response, MATES in Construction developed a workplace suicide prevention program for the construction sector in 2007 that has been widely implemented in Australia. In the current project, this program is being adapted and trialled in the manufacturing sector. The common aims of MATES programs are to improve suicide prevention literacy, help-seeking intentions, and helping behaviours. The program will be evaluated using a cluster randomised-controlled trial design with waitlist controls across up to 12 manufacturing worksites in Australia. We hypothesise that after 8 months of the MATES in Manufacturing program, there will be significantly greater improvements in help-seeking intentions (primary outcome) compared to waitlist controls. The project is led by Deakin University in collaboration with the University of Melbourne, and in partnership with MATES in Construction and a joint labour-management Steering Group.Trial registration: The trial was registered retrospectively with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry on 25 January 2022 (ACTRN12622000122752).Protocol version: 2.0, November 2022.

The Empirical Study on the Role of MSMEs Cluster to the Local Economic Development

Purpose: The present empirical study attempted to analyze various factors and stakeholders of the Liluah metal casting cluster and its impact on local economic development. In addition, we explained the role of COVID-19 in this MSMEs cluster. Design/Methodology/Approach: To achieve the set of objectives, the research has used purposive sampling. The data were collected through structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews with firm owners. The primary data have been used and secondary data collected through various sources for the study. Findings: Liluah metal casting cluster plays a crucial role in the local economy in terms of employment and business prospect. The study also found that the manufacturing units and annual turnover increased in the last two decades, and the number of laborers decreased rapidly. Despite the huge scope of improvement in the market, technology, skill training, etc., the present cluster is suffering from a lack of capital, the latest technology, skilled workers, pollution, and competition with foreign products. Further, possibilities of innovation practices in the cluster can be achieved as far as the development of the cluster is concerned. Research Limitations: The study has several limitations. For instance, the study has analyzed the impact of the cluster on the local economic development based on the firm owners' perspective and attempted to explain various challenges and prospects. Future, there is a need to integrate various stakeholders like laborers, government institutions, and intermediaries with other allied manufacturing sectors. The sample was selected only for the Howrah district's Liluah metal casting cluster owners. Managerial Implications: Practically, it highlighted the challenges and prospects of the present cluster. Therefore, the study suggested that innovation practices can be led to positive growth of the cluster where research and development can play an important role. Originality/Value: The empirical study mainly focuses on the Liluah metal casting cluster of the Howrah district. The research paper is based on the Ph.D. thesis, and all the data and information mentioned here are original.

Coverage of Farmers' Issues in Newspapers during COVID-19: An Analysis of Major Kannada Dailies

[...]in this background, the present study aimed to explore the farmers' subjects covered in Kannada significant dailies, the presentation of the problems and which newspaper emphasizes more farmers' issues. In India, 50 per cent of working labourers are involved in agricultural activities, and 68 per cent of household income is dependent on agriculture. Because of COVID-19, they are suffering from marketing their product and earning money for livelihood [1]. Even though various programmers such as renting agricultural equipment, Kisan call centers to guide the farmers, PM Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana, etc., farmers struggle to get seeds and fertilizers quickly. Since its beginning, newspapers have played a vital role in drawing public and administration attention to many social issues. Many people lost their jobs and returned to their villages to lead safe lives. Because of the inverse migration, villages get infected, and COVID-19 started spreading among village communities.

Reimagining Cities: Assuring the Right to Food for the Migrant Poor in Pune City

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is seeking to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture. It guarantees every citizen with access to adequate food throughout the year through sustainable food systems. Although India has made considerable progress in tackling hunger and poor nutrition in the past two decades, the Global Hunger Index indicates that India suffers from a level of hunger that is 'serious'. During lockdown, the poor food security structure and its functioning have been observed. The urban informal migrant labourers are the most vulnerable to hunger and experienced acute food scarcity. By addressing food security and rights interventions, our cities would be inclusive. The paper discusses the issue of rights to food with regard to the urban informal sector, migrant labourers and experiences during COVID-19 response work in Pune city.

Migrants and the Inclusive Policy Framework: Has Kerala Set the Precedent for Others to Emulate?

Migrants are subjects that are often left out in the policy discourse, even though India has one of the largest floating populations in the world. At times when the migrant communities are facing scornful events at different quarters of their lives, the State of Kerala has addressed similar concerns through policy deliberations framed with the utmost care and importance, thus emerging as the pro-migrant State in the country. The article incorporates a discussion on the various policy initiatives adopted by the State machinery for the welfare and betterment of inter-state migrant workers employed in the State. Expanding the scope, the study deals with the different policy interventions adopted by the State machinery to address the vulnerabilities of in-migrants which emerged during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. An evaluation of the State's existing migrant related policy framework points to the extent of its effectiveness in sensitising and improving the lives of inter-state migrants. Through these efforts, the Government of Kerala sends a strong message on the inevitability of having an inclusive and unified approach in identifying and addressing the needs of the migrant community by transcending the trivial human-made distinctions while keeping human beings and humanity at the centre of all actions.

Dark Store Expansion: Ultrafast Logistics for Q-Commerce

[...]Gorillas in Germany has doubled its range of fruit and vegetables from 50 to 100 items, while signing numerous partnerships with butchers, fishmongers, cheese dairies, breweries and bakeries operating near its dark stores, in order to offer up to 30% of items from small shops or local brands. Is this the main limitation of the dark store model? A Windfall Effect Due to the Health Crisis The Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 led many countries to resort to lockdown of populations to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, while hospital capacity to accommodate patients in respiratory distress was too limited (Paché, 2021). [...]dark (or "ghost") kitchens, food preparation centers that are not attached to a physical restaurant, have multiplied in Europe to replace the food outlets closed during the successive lockdowns. The secret of q-commerce consists in knowing how to minimize the time that elapses between the purchase of a product online and its availability, in other words, knowing how to win the battle of the deadline, including sacrificing the working conditions of the deliverers, even if this means taking major risks in terms of brand reputation (Ariker, 2021).

Who Can Become a Teleworker during the COVID-19 Pandemic?: The Inequality Structure and Access to Telework in Japan

This study examines which factors affect participation in telework during the COVID-19 pandemic. Inequality in access to telework is a sociologically relevant research topic because it also generates inequality in life chances in other important domains: employment, income, and health. This study focuses specifically on workers with young children because telework can produce a flexible workstyle and is very helpful to those people. The results of our analysis show that the utilization of ICT plays a critical role in explaining participation in telework. Professionals and managers are more likely to engage in telework than manual workers, and the telework participation rate in the professional service sector is higher than that of the manufacturing, construction, and agriculture sectors. In addition, the well-known factors that traditionally contribute to the expansion of inequality also affect telework participation. Workers who have graduated from university, work as regular workers, or work at large firms are more likely to engage in telework. We also explore how the intersection between occupation and industry affects access to telework and how telework participation differs by gender. Given that engagement in telework is related to inequality in the risk of infection in the COVID-19 pandemic era, we conclude that the spread of telework has reinforced existing inequality rather than alleviated it.

A curriculum guide model to the next normal in developing construction supervisory training programmes

Purpose>This study aims to develop a curriculum guide model to upgrade the construction supervision practices, considering evolving challenges and thereby the next normal of the industry.Design/methodology/approach>Both qualitative and quantitative research designs were adopted to identify productivity-related challenges that can be addressed through effective supervision in construction. Meetings, discussions, workshops and surveys were conducted among construction experts to systematically develop the competencies of construction supervision. The necessary mapping models were used to identify the level of outcomes for each competency element along with the learning domains and programme outcomes.Findings>A curriculum guide model consisting of 64 competency elements has been introduced with corresponding assessment weightages and mapping outcomes. Using this model, a new training programme has been designed and tested with weightage percentages on learning domains.Research limitations/implications>Although the scope of the study is limited to Sri Lanka, the findings can be interpreted for critical learning in other developing countries too.Practical implications>The study outcomes are expected to make a high impact on improving the standards of vocational training education in the country, thereby upgrading the current industry practices.Originality/value>The developed guide model is expected to be a valuable tool for training providers/organisations in upgrading their programmes/practices with the scope of productivity improvement. The obtained mapping outcomes are significant for the evolving next normal situations in teaching, learning and assessment methods with regard to construction supervision practices.

EDITORIAL FOREWORD

MENA MIGRANTS AND DIASPORAS IN TWENTY-FIRST-CENTURY MEDIA The first two decades of the twenty-first century put the 1990s accounts of globalization, multiculturalism, clash of civilizations, and transnational mobility of peoples and ideas through the rigorous tests of the 9/11 attacks and the global war on terror, the information revolution, the Arab uprisings, the "migration crisis," and the COVID-19 pandemic. The contributions in this special issue deal with various media produced in the first two decades of the twenty-first century: social media videos, newspapers, films, poetry, fictional and nonfictional writing, performance, visual art, and graphic novels. [...]the special issue features six critical interventions in their respective areas of inquiry. Additionally, the essay accentuates the importance of the "cultural" in addition to the economic, social, and political layers that have received much of the attention of contemporary scholarship examining South Asian labor in the GCC.2 Dakkak situates these comedic videos within a disruptive sociopolitical milieu that may readily seem to engage the kafeel (sponsor) image as the site for the laborers' experiences with hardship but simultaneously draws attention to the subtlety of these engagements in critiquing state-level institutionalization of antiimmigrant (mis)treatment. Changing the narration from a focus on Turkish chivalry to a focus on Turkish governance, the authors argue, was associated with the changing nature of the Turkish government's restrictions on the newspaper as a venue for the opposition.

The Sino - U.S. Trade War And Way Forward For US President Joe Biden

China and the U.S. have the biggest markets in the world. They both established diplomatic links in 1979 and the bilateral trade was developed swiftly just after China joined the United Nations Organization (UNO) in 1971. America is the Chinese top one export market and the most significant source of foreign investment. However, the main worldwide economic event in 2018 was the Sino-U.S. trade war. In March 2018, the U.S. threatened to levy high duties on Chinese imports. The equivocal shift of import and export of the Sino-US trade relations were distinctively caught in China's trade surplus with the United States, which brought divergence to the trade relations. Consequently, the Sino-U.S. trade imbalance was the main reason behind why Trump incited the trade war. This paper actually analytically discusses the phenomenon of Sino-U.S. trade war as it is considered as a test case for the new American President Joe Biden.

Impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the economic situation and food security of rural households in India

Purpose>The purpose of the study is to understand what impact the first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 had on the income and food security of rural households in India and whether it differed across socioeconomic factors. Moreover, the study assesses the needs of rural households and determines whether they had received adequate support services during the lockdown.Design/methodology/approach>The study adopted a repeated-measures quantitative survey design with 1,319 rural women from 16 states of India and conducted a telephonic survey.Findings>The lockdown had directly impacted rural households' employment status and income but the impact differed depending on the type of employment. For example, working in a salaried job or on one's farm led to a lower likelihood of a complete decline in income in states other than Kerala as the lockdown continued. The study also revealed a change in the pattern of food consumption, with higher consumption of subsidized staple foods. It also became evident that the aid announced by the government reached the rural population with some delay.Research limitations/implications>A limitation of the study was that many respondents refused to participate in phase 2, which reduced the sample size when comparing the two phases because the women did not own mobile phones. Instead, they were using their husbands' phones.Originality/value>The study's findings can help better understand the needs of rural populations during crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This can help to plan better and build preventive actions for such populations once their needs are understood. In addition, this can aid disadvantaged people for a minimal level of preparedness and security during such a crisis in the future.

Productivity to Precarity on Instagram: Digital Feminism in India during the Covid-19 Pandemic

This paper examines how digital feminism deconstructed neo-liberal ideals of technological productivity in India during the Covid-19 pandemic. By creating a productivity scale, I delineate new social disparities and risk factors brought on by the unprecedented shift to a work-from-home digital economy. Through theories of biopower, I argue that technology is not neutral, apolitical, or unequivocally in favour of equal access and human rights. The creation of a new social group termed the 'technoprecariat' during lockdown is discussed using a 'cripqueer' approach to digital feminism. I extend Judith Butler's early work on gender performativity to the neo-liberal ideal of gender productivity, where the onus of appearing perpetually 'productive' in lockdown was mainly on women. By analyzing how women debunked productivity on social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram, I examine queer influencers whose profiles demonstrated the cost of social non-conformism. I reveal how three feminist activists Priyanka Paul, Durga Gawde, and Roshni Kumar subverted gender productivity during lockdown through their distinct aesthetic and political standpoints.

Improving Construction Safety: Lessons Learned from COVID-19 in the United States

During the COVID-19 pandemic, construction accidents in the United States (US) dropped dramatically compared to previous years. This research uses Saunders’ research onion approach to conduct a deep and systematic analysis of pre- and post-COVID-19 data to understand this phenomenon. The proposed research framework examines safety and prevention measures implemented by the US government, using data collected from various US government agencies, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and US Bureau of Labor Statistics. COVID-19’s effects on construction site health and safety were analyzed and ranked in order of efficacy in a hierarchy of control, and findings reveal a number of safety measures that can potentially be implemented to promote improved construction safety even after COVID-19 is over.

Exploring the Fluidity Quotient of Cognitive and Affective Art of Self Change During Pandemic: A Psycho – Social Analysis

Change and Vulnerability are inescapable. Sometimes it may be a positive - substantial achieve-ment, business development, or a salary increase. On different occasions, it tends to be difficult - losing your employment or an individual misfortune. Regularly the hardest changes to comprehend and acclimate to are the ones that are sudden and out of our control, for instance. Changes of this greatness can be hard to grapple with, however, you'll frequently find that your experience of them can be exacerbated better or rely upon your response and your disposition. You won't act like a "casualty" of progress. All things being equal, you deal with your sentiments, get support, and do whatever you can to be essential for the change. Today, regardless of how developed we think we are, our minds work in this primitive way when confronted with an abrupt change and a future that we're uncertain about. Since the human cerebrum detests vulnerability so much, it attempts to make sureness where it doesn't exist by endeavoring to sort out what may occur. Our cerebrum's inclination for sureness over equivocalness implies that it makes a progression of most pessimistic scenario situations around what could befall us, yet this does little to console us and can leave us restless and stressed. To gauge individuals' discernments, assess their encounters, perceive their boundaries, difficulties of picking up during the Coronavirus pandemic, and explore factors affecting and tolerating in this tough season of the pandemic. As we rise out of Covid lockdowns, we need to develop the dated outlook that being in an office full-time is a real business basic;before the pandemic, the ordinary/customary way of thinking had been that workplaces were basic to efficiency, culture, ability and high rivalry among the representatives. Organizations finished strongly for the space in the workplace in the major metropolitan bases on the world. What's more, many centered on arrangements that apparently promoted the joint effort. The world will see the ascent of a sans contact economy. In three regions specifically-computerized business, telemedicine, and robotization - the Coronavirus pandemic could end up being an unequivocal defining moment. This system can help how to learn through change and vulnerability;in which individuals will in the general move toward change, the responses that you may have, and how to best adapt to it.

Older people's feelings of isolation and low morale during the COVID-19 crisis

Isolated and restricted in their social relations and activities during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than half of pensioners under the general pension scheme reported a decline in their mental well-being following the outbreak and lockdowns. For those stating they had needed help, moral or emotional support came first. Those living alone felt the consequences of health policies more so than those living with a partner. Individuals' mental well-being also differed by sex, health status, economic level, and age. Those having the worst experience of lockdown were among the youngest pensioners and those living alone.