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Objective This mixed‐methods study examined whether higher‐socioeconomic status (SES) children's digital technology use adhered to contemporaneous pediatric guidelines, how it compared to lower‐SES children, and why, as analyses showed, higher‐SES children's technology use far exceeded pediatric recommendations. Background 2013 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines recommended limited “screen time” for children. Higher SES families tend to follow guidelines, but digital technology use—simultaneously a health behavior and a pathway for building human capital—has complex implications. Method Quantitative analyses provide new nationally representative estimates of the relationship between social class and 9‐ to 13‐year‐old children's technology time (including television), device access, and parenting rules (2014 PSID Child Development Supplement, N = 427). Qualitative analyses of 77 longitudinal higher‐SES parent interviews articulated explanatory processes. Results Higher‐SES children used technology as frequently as others and in excess of recommendations. Their device access, activities, and agency in adhering to rules, however, differed from others. Qualitative analysis uncovered processes that helped explain these findings: parents' ambivalence about technology and perception that expert guidance is absent or unrealistic, and children's exercise of agency to use technology facilitated by “concerted cultivation” parenting styles, led to higher‐SES individualistic parenting practices that supported children's increased non‐television technology use. Conclusion Cultures and structures related to children's technology use are in flux, and classed norms and understandings are emerging to construct relevant class‐based distinctions around parenting.

Objective This study investigates gender differences in the effect of parents' deaths on sibling tension among bereaved adult children. Background Previous scholarship on adult sibling relations following the deaths of parents presents inconsistent results. These disparate findings may stem from past studies not taking into consideration the gender of both the deceased parent and the bereaved child. Method Analyses are based on three harmonized waves of quantitative and qualitative data collected from 654 adult children nested within 303 families as part of the Within‐Family Differences Study. Results Multilevel models revealed that for daughters, but not sons, mothers' deaths in the past 5 years were associated with increases in sibling tension, whereas fathers' deaths did not predict changes in either sons' or daughters' sibling tension, regardless of timing. Qualitative analyses showed marked differences by child's gender in perceptions of patterns of shared work and support surrounding parents' deaths. Typically, sons expressed solidarity with siblings when mothers died and felt that the division of caregiving prior to mothers' deaths and arrangements following their deaths were fair. In contrast, daughters expressed increased solidarity with sisters surrounding mothers' deaths and disdain toward brothers who failed to contribute caregiving, support, or instrumental tasks. Conclusion These findings underscore how gender of both parents and adult children differentially shape changes in adult children's relationships with their siblings in the face parental deaths, much as they do in other contexts across the life course.

Objective: This article investigates marital sorting by household registration status (hukou) and education in contemporary urban China, paying special attention to individuals who have achieved rural-to-urban hukou mobility before marriage. Background: Existing theoretical frameworks of assortative mating have highlighted economic resources and cultural matching as two key dimensions. These two frameworks place a different emphasis on individuals' achieved versus ascriptive characteristics and hold different implications for understanding the link between marital sorting patterns and social openness or closure. With a focus on hukou converters, this study examines the relative importance of achieved versus ascriptive traits in China's marriage market and contributes to the evaluation of the two frameworks. Method: This study adopts a mixed-methods approach. The quantitative analysis uses the harmonic mean marriage function to analyze the nationally representative 2006 China General Social Survey. The qualitative data consist of 115 in-depth interviews collected in two Chinese metropolitan areas between 2016 and 2017. Results: Quantitative results showed that hukou converters and urban-born individuals had the highest propensity of marrying a spouse of the same hukou trajectory. Qualitative results further revealed the gap between converters and their urban-born peers to be hierarchical. Although both groups emphasized the importance of shared values and habitus in evaluating prospective partners, urban-born individuals regarded hukou converters as a culturally distinct and less desirable option. Conclusion: The findings highlight the power of cultural matching in China's urban marriage market. Hukou converters' rural origin remains visible and acts as a source of lasting symbolic distinction despite adulthood status attainment.

ObjectiveThis study contributes to a better understanding of the role of Christianity in the persistence of polygyny in sub‐Saharan Africa. BackgroundMarital systems and practices are closely connected to religious norms, but these connections are often complex and contradictory. Polygynous marriage remains widespread in sub‐Saharan Africa, including its heavily Christianized parts, where public opposition to it should be strongest. MethodsThe study analyzes a rich combination of quantitative and qualitative data from a predominantly Christian district in Mozambique. The data include a household‐based survey, a census of the district's religious congregations, and focus group discussions and individual interviews with leaders and rank‐and‐file members of various churches. ResultsThe multivariate statistical tests point to instructive denominational differences in the prevalence and acceptance of polygyny, with the starkest contrast being between two types of African Initiated Churches—one that is more lenient on pre‐Christian practices and the other that is vehemently opposed to them. These tests also show a contrast between church leaders and rank‐and‐file members, the latter being generally more accepting of polygyny, and illustrate variations in acceptability of polygyny across different church membership scenarios. The analysis of the qualitative data complements the statistical tests by highlighting ideological and social mechanisms through which polygynous marriage is both rejected and legitimized in Christian communities. ConclusionBoth condemnation and toleration of polygyny by Christian churches reflect the complexities of the transformation of sub‐Saharan marital systems and of the role that religion plays in that process.

PurposeAs the world emerges from the COVID-19 global pandemic and medical emergency, the author looks at the impacts on the world of work and its management and also tries to set them in some context. This study aims to discuss the aforementioned idea.Design/methodology/approachThe author uses some of the latest global and comparative media and survey research as well as some theories to explore the topic of post-pandemic work and management.FindingsWork – and its management – is impacted on by crisis, such as the pandemic, for twin inter-locking reasons. First, it engenders uncertainty, which comes in different degrees and levels and variability in people's comfortableness with it. Second, the commensurate jolt of a crisis can block existing models and force common experimentation, even in areas previously resisted, such as more flexible working patterns. There are a variety of short and longer term reasons for both changes to work and management and also responses and commitment to them by management and organisations.Originality/valueThe author details the impact of both the COVID-19 pandemic and wider contextual changes on the world of work. The author notes a set of reasons, both practical and theoretical, as to why flexible or hybrid working, while sometimes seen as a problem, can work. The author shows that rather than a simple “either-or” dichotomy in choice and support for post-pandemic work arrangements, there is a range of options.

Pragmatic competence covers a range of skills, including the ability to interpret indirect meaning (i.e., any instance where there is a mismatch between literal and intended meaning). Past research has suggested that indirect meaning poses comprehension challenges for learners of a second language (L2). This result has been explained with reference to the influence of proficiency and the linguistic/discourse‐level conventionality of indirect meaning types. To verify and potentially extend these results, we conducted a close replication of a 2016 study of indirect meaning comprehension in L2 Spanish by Taguchi and colleagues, for which we used a group of L2 French learners. Results confirmed most of the study's findings. In our interpretation, we suggest that our results are consistent with the idea that difficulties with indirect meaning comprehension largely stem from lacunae in general oral comprehension, thus calling into question the idea that indirect meaning may be globally more difficult to interpret. The Challenge Understanding indirect meaning (e.g., indirect refusals and irony) in a second language (L2) is part of learners' pragmatic competence. Is indirect meaning really more difficult for L2 learners to understand than literal meaning? To what extent do L2 learners gain access to indirect meaning as proficiency improves?

Literature on the combination of qualitative and quantitative research components at the primary empirical study level has recently accumulated exponentially. However, this combination is only rarely discussed and applied at the research synthesis level. The purpose of this paper is to explore the possible contribution of mixed methods research to the integration of qualitative and quantitative research at the synthesis level. In order to contribute to the methodology and utilization of mixed methods at the synthesis level, we present a framework to perform mixed methods research syntheses (MMRS). The presented classification framework can help to inform researchers intending to carry out MMRS, and to provide ideas for conceptualizing and developing those syntheses. We illustrate the use of this framework by applying it to the planning of MMRS on effectiveness studies concerning interventions for challenging behavior in persons with intellectual disabilities, presenting two hypothetical examples. Finally, we discuss possible strengths of MMRS and note some remaining challenges concerning the implementation of these syntheses.

PurposeSustainable human resource management highlights the importance of the eighth sustainable development goal, “decent work and economic growth”. Thus, the purpose of this study is to align human resource practices and policies with Industry 4.0 is imperative.Design/methodology/approachThe authors aimed to identify key challenges of sustainable human resource implementation in view of Industry 4.0 and to analyse these identified challenges by prioritising them for effective Industry 4.0 implementation in an emerging economy such as India. A mixed-methods approach was utilised to prioritise identified challenges. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with experts, academicians and industry mangers. Transcribed interviews were run in NVivo to emerge into broad themes/challenges, which were prioritised using fuzzy best–worst methodology.FindingsThe performance appraisal challenge holds maximum importance, followed by learning and development. This finding signifies the need for instilling job security and continuous learning opportunities for employees amidst all disruption caused by Industry 4.0.Practical implicationsThis work enhances the link between sustainability, disruptive technologies and Industry 4.0 to transform economic outlooks, leading to improvement under economic aspects through the adoption of sustainable human resource practices into workplaces and society.Originality/valueSustainable human resource management has mostly focused on employee welfare. However, the major challenges of disruption caused by Industry 4.0 have not been addressed in the literature. The upskilling and reskilling requirements due to disruptions by Industry 4.0 range from recruitment to performance appraisal and every facet that relates to an employee's cycle in a company. Hence, there is a need to identify critical challenges for optimum adaptation to upcoming industry demands.

Background Continuing medical education (CME), as a systematic attempt to facilitate change in General Practitioners’ (GPs) practices, is considered crucial, assuming that if physicians are up-to-date, they will change and improve their practice, resulting in better performance and ultimately better patient care. However, studies continue to demonstrate considerable gaps between the real and ideal performance and patient-related outcomes. The objective of this study was to explore GP’s perception of the factors affecting the implementation of a CME digital platform in a primary health care setting in Portugal. Methods Our work is framed in a larger effectiveness-implementation hybrid type 1 study, where a Digital Behaviour Change Intervention (DBCI), called ePrimaPrescribe, was developed and implemented with the aim of changing benzodiazepines (BZD) prescribing patterns. Our design used mixed methodologies to obtain an enriched knowledge on GPs’ perspectives on the facilitators and barriers to implementing a Digital Behaviour Change Intervention (DBCI) applied to CME. To do so, we used data coming from an onsite questionnaire, an adapted version of the Barriers and Facilitators Assessment Instrument (BaFAI) and in-depth interviews. Results From the 47 GPs successfully included in the intervention arm of our cluster-randomized effectiveness study, we collected 37 onsite questionnaires, 24 BaFAIs, and performed 12 in-depth interviews. GPs reported as the main barriers to CME a lack of time, a perception of work overload, a lack of digital competence, a lack of digital infrastructure, and motivational and emotional factors. They reported as facilitators to CME delivered through a DBCI the convenience of the delivery method, the practical and pragmatic characteristics of the content, and the possibility for CME to be mandatory. Conclusions The perceptions of the barriers and facilitators reported by GPs represent an important contribution to improving knowledge regarding the factors influencing the implementation of CME in primary health care settings. We consider that our study might bring useful insights to other countries where primary health care plays a central role in the provision of care. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT04925596 .

Excessive use of hedonic information technologies can cause various adverse consequences. To alleviate the consequences, some users abstain (take a break) from them. While previous studies examined the intentions to abstain, our knowledge of how abstinence is maintained is limited. This paper uses a mixed-method approach to examine this issue. Based on a review of prior literature, a framework is proposed, highlighting the role of individuals’ motivations, habits, self-control, and the socio-environmental forces that influence the maintenance of hedonic IT abstinence. The framework is fine-tuned based on a qualitative study of individuals who took up to a week-long break from social networking sites (SNS) as a prominent case of hedonic IT. The refined model captures the roles of self-efficacy to abstain, IT habit, IT abstinence habit, and peer pressure on hedonic IT abstinence maintenance, which in turn explains positive changes in productivity and intention to moderate future use. The refined research model is tested via a quantitative study among a separate group of SNS users.