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The self-employed are an essential segment of society who contribute to economic growth and stabilisation in their communities. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate whether they enjoy a work–life balance (WLB) and life satisfaction (LS), which are two separate concerns of the self-employed in this study. Existing literature indicates that household income (HI) is a significant determinant of WLB and LS. This study investigates the levels and relationship of WLB and LS among the self-employed in the USA and the possible influence of HI on this relationship.

Data are from an online panel survey of 435 self-employed persons residing in the USA. The authors test the hypotheses via regression analysis and ANOVA.

This study revealed that WLB is a significant predictor of LS for the self-employed. Further, it showed that HI has a statistically significant direct effect on LS and moderates the relationship between WLB and LS. Among the control variables, only firm size was seen to contribute positively to a high level of LS. Gender, education, age, the number of dependent children, industry and hours worked were not found to be statistically significant. The study also found that WLB was most important in predicting LS of the self-employed followed by HI and then firm size.

This study is among the first to investigate the relations between WLB and LS among the self-employed and extends the scant existing scholarship on this issue.

For women entrepreneurs, personal wealth is seen as a promoter, but lack of affordable child care is viewed as an inhibitor. Based on data from 1,284 nascent women entrepreneurs in the state of Alabama, the authors aim to investigate the linkage between personal wealth and barriers to start a business for women entrepreneurs in the state of Alabama. The mediating effect of affordable child care is also examined. Results reveal that lack of personal wealth can thwart business start-ups, and lack of affordable child care mediates this adverse relationship. The authors conclude their study with implications for policy makers and future research.

This is a quantitative survey-based study. This is the largest survey ever done in any state in the USA on the subject of nascent women entrepreneurs. The sample size is 1,284 aspiring women entrepreneurs. (Baron and Kenny 1986) method is used for testing mediating effects. Main effects are tested using regression and ANOVA analyses.

Results reveal that lack of personal wealth can thwart business start-ups, and lack of affordable child care mediates this adverse relationship. The mediating effect is strong and, thus, becomes a focus for any proposed structural reforms that are suggested in the discussion section of the paper.

No experimental design. Findings pertain to the state of Alabama and hence generalizability is low. Variables are measured as perceptions of respondents.

To mitigate the lack of personal wealth, policy makers should increase resource allocations that will increase external funding for women entrepreneurs through such mechanisms as small business administration grants, minority purchase programs, guaranteed loans, government subsidies, angel investments and venture capital, capturing the amount of capital available to start a business (Jennings et al,, 2013). Even infrastructural support such as incubators and university based entrepreneurial programs would reduce the barriers to start a new business. Affordable child care, via its mediating effect, is another issue that needs to be looked into to promote women entrepreneurship in state of Alabama. Less-expensive community-based child-care programs could provide the necessary fillip to encourage women entrepreneurships to take the initial leap into entrepreneurship. Government funded incubators should include onsite child-care facilities to mitigate the concern about affordable child care.

Promoting women entrepreneurship is an integral part of promoting entrepreneurship in the state of Alabama. This study suggests some directions for structural reforms to promote women entrepreneurship in the state of Alabama.

The largest survey on aspiring women entrepreneurs in any state in the USA. In total, 1,284 women completed responses from the survey. This paper provides empirically rooted suggestions for structural reforms to promote women entrepreneurship in the state of Alabama. This paper corroborates a priori hypotheses drawn from extant literature.

In 2007, Best Buy was the leading electronics retailer in the United States with more than 941 stores, revenue totaling $31 billion, and a market cap of $21 billion. In 2005, Best Buy had adopted a new business model, culture, and customer-segmentation template called Customer Centricity. This move created volatility in the price of Best Buy stock because of the higher-than-expected employee costs that went with this new way of doing business and the difficulty of executing the old and the new business models simultaneously while the new model was rolled out. Best Buy responded to Wall Street's short-term focus in a myriad of ways. It first asked for investor patience, and stressed the strong operating results achieved in Best Buy stores operating under the new model. But in June 2007, after the stock dropped again, the CEO knew he had to decide whether to open more Best Buy stores, increase the company's dividend, or increase the stock-repurchase program.

Professionals working with community populations are often presented with complicated cases where it is difficult to determine which diagnosis or diagnoses are appropriate. Differentiating among neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and intellectual disability can be a complex process, especially, as these disorders have some overlapping symptoms and often co-occur in young children. This series of case studies aims to present commonly overlapping symptoms in children who present to clinics with developmental concerns.

This paper presents three case studies that were completed at a free community ASD screening clinic in Southern California.

The case studies have common presenting behaviors and symptoms (e.g. social communication difficulties) that often co-occur across diagnoses; explanations for the final diagnoses are given in each case.

Conclusions from these three cases cannot generalize to all children being seen in clinics for neurodevelopmental concerns.

This series of case studies highlights commonly overlapping symptoms in children who present for differential diagnosis with social and/or behavioral concerns. Implications for educational placement and intervention are discussed.

These cases highlight the challenges involved in the differential and dual diagnostic process for young children with developmental concerns. Diagnostic considerations can affect later educational placement and opportunities for socialization.

This series of case studies provide practical information for clinicians about how to effectively differentiate between commonly occurring neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly given recent changes to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th edition (DSM-5).

Rural indigenous schools in Malaysia can be far from equipped with facilities and conducive learning environments, especially in schools serving a large and diverse community. SK RPS (Rancangan Penempatan Semula/Resettlement Programme) Banun is an all-indigenous school located in the interiors of Gerik, Perak in Malaysia. Being the only school in the vicinity of an Orang Asli settlement comprising 18 villages of the Je hai and Temiar tribes, this public school is said to be a one stop hub for the community. Despite the school's existence, there are several challenges which hinders children of the Orang Asli community to attain a quality education or in some cases to even go to school. This paper is written based on the lived experiences of three teachers from mid-2022 to mid-2023 and amplifies the day-to-day challenges of the school and its community. The paper also discusses the initiatives implemented to tackle some of the challenges, highlighting key successes and suggestions to improve some areas particularly in enhancing and reimagining pedagogical approaches as well as learning environments in Orang Asli schools in Malaysia.

Purpose – The study reported here analyzed the meanings that 8-year-old children of different demographic backgrounds constructed about poverty.

Methodology/approach – Six children with different demographic profiles were selected from a larger study for closer examination of their conceptions of poverty (Chafel & Neitzel, 2004, 2005). Content analysis was used to arrive at an in-depth interpretation of the children's ideas expressed in response to a story about poverty and interview questions.

Findings – The children communicated perspectives about poverty that appear to reflect their demographic profiles. Yet, they also shared a common ideology about the poor different from the dominant societal view.

Research implications – By selecting typical children, recognizing the interrelatedness of sources of influence, and considering the data holistically, it was possible to achieve an in-depth understanding of the children's conceptions.

Originality/value of paper – With insight into the more humane conceptions that children have about the poor, adults can take steps to nurture these ideas so that as they grow older children continue to oppose discrimination and challenge the status quo.

Globally, traditional and online doctoral programs face difficulties with student persistence and progression. An online doctoral school implemented a first-year program sequence taught by a cadre of 20 specialized faculty members who engage in best practices to assist students in persisting and progressing toward program completion.

This qualitative program assessment using content analysis examined the program effectiveness of one online doctoral program's first-year program sequence. Two research questions guided this program assessment, they were: RQ1. Based on online doctoral students' perspectives, what motivators contribute to online doctoral student persistence and progression in an online doctoral program? RQ2. How do online faculty contribute to online doctoral student persistence and progression? Data collection included myriad of program metrics: content area meetings (CAMs); closing the loop assessment data; faculty and student end of course survey data; and faculty and student semistructured interviews.

The resultant themes indicated that students are motivated by support from family, friends and religious beliefs; and students persist based on support from fellow doctoral students and faculty members. Additional themes revealed that faculty members motivate students through building faculty–student relationships, individual coaching, providing university resources and through clarification of program requirements; and faculty members perceive that face-to-face doctoral residencies greatly contribute to student persistence and progression through interpersonal interaction and through improved clarity.

Implications of this program assessment have far-reaching impact on how doctoral granting institutions can structure small cadres of faculty to develop interpersonal relationships with doctoral students with focus on support and development.

Offshoring, the process of relocating discrete business functions or processes to foreign locations, is rapidly expanding. Offshoring integrally links real estate decisions to business strategy, offering corporate real estate (CRE) professionals an opportunity to advise and perform at the highest levels of their organisations. Fulfilling this degree of strategic leadership requires knowledge of the issues, opportunities, challenges and tactics involved in the offshoring process. This paper analyses the views and experience of CRE executives involved in offshoring, and prepares the reader to think strategically, act proactively and employ best practices to achieve future success with offshoring.