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We study research designs where a binary treatment changes discontinuously at the border between administrative units such as states, counties, or municipalities, creating a treated and a control area. This type of geographically discontinuous treatment assignment can be analyzed in a standard regression discontinuity (RD) framework if the exact geographic location of each unit in the dataset is known. Such data, however, is often unavailable due to privacy considerations or measurement limitations. In the absence of geo-referenced individual-level data, two scenarios can arise depending on what kind of geographic information is available. If researchers have information about each observation’s location within aggregate but small geographic units, a modified RD framework can be applied, where the running variable is treated as discrete instead of continuous. If researchers lack this type of information and instead only have access to the location of units within coarse aggregate geographic units that are too large to be considered in an RD framework, the available coarse geographic information can be used to create a band or buffer around the border, only including in the analysis observations that fall within this band. We characterize each scenario, and also discuss several methodological challenges that are common to all research designs based on geographically discontinuous treatment assignments. We illustrate these issues with an original geographic application that studies the effect of introducing copayments for the use of the Children’s Health Insurance Program in the United States, focusing on the border between Illinois and Wisconsin.

Micro and small enterprises (MSEs) represent 99% of Peruvian firms, contribute 42% of Peru's Gross Domestic Product, and employ half of the country's labor force. Despite their relevance for the Peruvian Economy, they have low survival rates and are characterized by low productivity and processes inefficiencies. This chapter explores whether the adoption of Business and Supply Chain Management (SCM) practices influences MSEs' performance. We conducted a field study using data from 50 MSEs located in Piura, Peru, specifically from trade, service, and manufacturing sectors. We used the data collection guidelines from the MIT GeneSys to measure the firms' adoption of Business and SCM practices. Our results show that MSEs with higher adoption of Financial Planning, Supply Chain Planning, Supplier Relationship Management, Marketing, Procurement, and Stock Control practices are more likely to have higher revenue (i.e., sales). In addition, a multiple regression analysis reveals that while SCM practices do not seem to directly explain productivity growth in MSEs (as business practices do), they, however, seem to influence the performance of business practices, and, thus, have an indirect effect on the productivity growth of MSEs.

The field of Supply Chain Management (SCM) has mainly focused on applications for large firms, where significant amount of theory has been developed in the last decades. Little attention has been received by micro and small enterprises (MSEs) that in Latin America represent approximately 99% of all businesses and are the key for the development of the economy, employment, and growth of the region. Due to MSEs' lack of productivity, only a fraction of them survive and thus contribute to Latin America's economic growth. In this chapter, we discuss the connection between MSEs' productivity growth and SCM. We present key takeaways from the literature and summarized different research approaches used to study this emerging field, specifically related to the impact of the size of the company, the use of surveys to gather data, and the importance of field interventions. We also present a large-scale project (i.e., MIT GeneSys) that focuses on improving survival of MSEs in developing countries and discuss some preliminary learnings gained via conducting shadowing/immersion of ∼250 MSEs from Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. We conclude the chapter by presenting some recommendations for the future research agenda for the emerging field of SCM for MSEs in Latin America.

Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are vital for economic growth in developing countries. Yet, little research has explored the link between Islamic principles and MSME performance, especially in Uganda. This study aims to investigate the relationship between Islamic financial principles and MSMEs’ performance in Makindye Division Kampala – Uganda.

This study used a correlational research design involving 86 respondents from 30 MSMEs between January and May 2023. Data collected through questionnaires was analyzed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences, examining three independent variables: ethicality, Halal investment and prohibition of riba, in relation to MSME performance.

The results revealed significant relationships between these variables and MSME performance. Prohibition of riba (r = 0.296, n = 86, p = 0.006), Halal investments (r = 0.308, n = 86, p = 0.004) and ethical principles (r = 0.283, n = 86, p = 0.008) all exhibited a statistically significant relationship. Regression analysis with R = 0.405, R² = 0.164 and adjusted R² = 0.134 indicated that all hypothesized variables were significant predictors of MSME performance. Based on findings, this study rejected the null hypothesis, confirming a moderately positive and significant relationship between Islamic financial principles and MSME performance.

This study underscores the importance of active involvement from key stakeholders such as the Uganda Halal Bureau, Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, Islamic financial institutions and government agencies in integrating robust support mechanisms for MSMEs into their strategic frameworks. Such efforts could enhance Uganda’s economic landscape, aligning with the experiences of Malaysia and Indonesia in leveraging Islamic principles for economic growth.

Learning outcomes of this study are as follows: formulate an external analysis of INAPOL; and develop a strategic analysis to identify strategic alternatives.

INAPOL is a manufacturing company dedicated to the production of polyethylene sleeves and the manufacture of plastic bags, which faced a crisis because of the new environmental regulations in Chile. This rule prohibits the delivery of plastic bags in commerce, which leads directly to a decrease in the demand for bags by its main customers. This is why it is necessary to conduct a strategic analysis and reformulate a development plan. The reader is expected to be able to identify the external factors that limit the company and the internal factors that affect the company. In addition, the reader is expected to develop strategic analysis tools such as PESTEL and SWOT and identify background information to propose strategic alternatives.

The present case study presents a low complexity and can be applied in introductory courses of strategy or management for undergraduate students in administration.

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

CSS 11: Strategy.

In‐depth interviews with eight female victims of rape in Ibadan, Nigeria were used to explore the context in which the coercive incident occurred, the health‐seeking behaviours that followed and the consequences of this experience in victims' lives. The mean age of the women was 17 years. In all cases, perpetrators of rape were persons with whom the women were acquainted. Rape occurred mainly in familiar and private settings. Rarely do victims communicate the incident to family or friends or report the incident to the enforcement authorities. The stigma associated with rape is a primary barrier to seeking care. Interventions are proposed to address these problems.

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the critical role of triangulation to create authentic analytical frameworks amidst contradictory participant narratives in sensitive art-based research (ABR) with children.

Multiple qualitative case study research included three months of participant observation, individual semi-structured teacher interviews and open-ended art-based interviews using the Draw-Write-Narrate method (Ogina and Nieuwenhuis, 2010) with upper primary students in two schools in Kirinyaga County, Kenya.

The art-based approach to student interviews, combined with participant observation and teacher interviews, provided a child-centred process that illuminated students’ understandings and experiences while minimizing risks to participants. Its application requires researchers to recognize data collection and analysis as subjective processes that strongly benefit from triangulation to interpret a diversity of perspectives that may not easily align.

As ABR with children increases in popularity, it is important to identify challenges in the process of analysis and meaning-making. This paper identifies triangulation as a valuable tool for handling the challenge of diverse perspectives from child participants, particularly in conducting sensitive research that may increase the likelihood of contradictory narratives.