Experiences of Sex Workers in Chicago during COVID-19: A Qualitative Study.

COVID-19 exacerbated health disparities, financial insecurity, and occupational safety for many within marginalized populations. This study, which took place between 2019 and 2022, aimed to explore the way in which sex workers (n = 36) in Chicago were impacted by COVID-19. We analyzed the transcripts of 36 individual interviews with a diverse group of sex workers using thematic analysis. Five general themes emerged regarding the detrimental impact of COVID-19 on sex workers: (1) the impact of COVID-19 on physical health; (2) the economic impact of COVID-19; (3) the impact of COVID-19 on safety; (4) the impact of COVID-19 on mental health; and (5) adaptive strategies for working during COVID-19. Participants reported that their physical and mental health, economic stability, and safety worsened due to COVID-19 and that adaptive strategies did not serve to improve working conditions. Findings highlight the ways in which sex workers are particularly vulnerable during a public health crisis, such as COVID-19. In response to these findings, targeted resources, an increased access to funding, community-empowered interventions and policy changes are needed to protect the health and safety of sex workers in Chicago.

Pedagogical Dimensions as Drivers in the Functionality of the Flipped Pedagogy during the COVID-19 Pandemic

In recent decades, research studies on the flipped class pedagogy strategy have shown significant educational benefits in student learning across subjects and contexts. This investigation determines students' views of pedagogical dimensions as drivers of the functionality of the flipped pedagogy in a teaching methodology course at an Open and Distance eLearning (ODeL) university. An explanatory qualitative design was employed using virtual videoconferencing to collect data. Fourth-year Bachelor of Education (BEd) and Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) (n = 12) student teachers were purposively selected. This study contributes to the literature of pedagogical dimensions that drives the functionality of the flipped learning in an ODeL context. Furthermore, this exploratory study makes an educational contribution to the practical implementation for future research purposes. Future research may extend the inquiry into other pedagogical dimensions by examining the effect of motivational factors such as self-efficacy of student teachers.

Creative adolescent experiences of education and mental health during COVID-19: A qualitative study.

This qualitative study investigated creative adolescent perceptions of their educational and mental health experiences during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Participants were 25 English-speaking adolescents from the Midwest in the United States. They were identified as creative by their teachers according to known creative profiles. Participants attended an all-day creative career workshop in the Spring 2021 semester. The five focus groups guided by semi-structured interviews conducted for this study occurred during the workshop. This study was phenomenological in nature with constructivist and transformative paradigms, and transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis by the first, second, and third authors. Creative adolescents' education during the pandemic was marked by classroom changes based on COVID-19 policies, experiences of disconnection, disengagement, and disappointment, as well as feelings of empathy and appreciation for their educators. Creative adolescents experienced mental health challenges related to adjustment issues, powerlessness and hopelessness, and isolation. Implications of results are discussed.

Adolescent technology-use and creative activities during COVID-19: A qualitative study.

This study investigated how COVID-19 impacted creative adolescent engagement with their creative activities, as well as how they utilized technology to cope with the pandemic. Using qualitative methods, this study was guided by phenomenology using both constructivist and transformative paradigms. Participants were English-speaking adolescents from the Midwest in the United States. They were identified as creative by their teachers according to known creative profiles and were invited to attend an all-day creative career workshop over Zoom, where the focus groups occurred for this study. Five focus groups, consisting of 25 participants, were conducted, guided by semi-structured interviews. The transcripts from the focus groups were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis by the first, second, and third authors. Results indicated that COVID-19 affected creative adolescent engagement with creative activities in positive and negative ways, caused changes in emotions and motivation, and increased virtual creative engagement. Creative adolescents coped with COVID-19 using digital technology to connect with others virtually, to engage in virtual creative expression, inspiration, and growth, and to meet their personal needs. Implication of results is discussed.

Impact of COVID-19 on commercial banking risk management practice: Survey evidence recommendations for practitioners

This study aims to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on commercial banking risk management practice. The study used a qualitative study design based on three different approaches: use of primary sources such as journal articles, focus groups and observations on digital trends. The impact of COVID-19 on risk management in commercial banks manifested in many areas such as deteriorating credit quality, increased cash outflows and reliance on digital systems. This study offers practical solutions for mitigating risk in various areas for the banking industry through survey evidence recommendations for practitioners. Although other studies identify the major risks, this study focuses on how to deal with each of these risks. © Henry Stewart Publications.

Managing reputational risk during supply chain disruption recovery: A triadic logistics outsourcing perspective

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has opened the world’s eyes to the impact that supply chain disruptions have on our society. Supply chain disruptions can result in various long-term effects, of which reputational risk is one of the biggest. A good reputation can create value for all stakeholders of a firm, however it can also expose a firm to risk. Reputational risk has been extensively studied in supply chain management;however, the management of reputational risk during supply chain disruption recovery (SCDR) has been neglected. Objective: This study explores reputational risk management during SCDR, between a logistics triad consisting of third party logistics providers (3PLs), their upstream suppliers and downstream customers within a South African context. Method: A generic qualitative design was employed to collect data from five logistics triads using semi-structured interviews. Results: The study found that reputational risk has a predominantly positive influence on the SCDR process. Furthermore, the study expands on existing literature by identifying additional approaches to manage corporate reputation during SCDR not evident in literature. These approaches include the use of control centres and involvement of the key account manager. Conclusion: This study creates awareness for the importance of reputational risk during SCDR and also provides managers with valuable insight into how reputational risk should be managed during SCDR. © 2022. The Authors.