Narrow Results

This study investigated the critical problems encountered by African American and White-owned formation and early growth firms in rural businesses. Analyses were conducted to determine the most critical types of problems encountered by these businesses and the relationship between the types of problems reported and the owner's race and firm's developmental stage. Strategic problems were the most critical problems by business owners in the sample, regardless of race or developmental stage, followed by administrative and operations. Although no significant relationship was found between the type of problems and the owner's race, a significant relationship was found between problem type and the firm's developmental stage, such that businesses in the formation stage are more likely to encounter strategic problems and early growth firms more often experience administrative problems.

This chapter will aim to present a broader picture of the current situation in the Arctic region, including military, economic, minority security etc. Considerations will be given to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and as a result, this chapter will present a more pessimistic assessment concerning the potential for cooperation and engagement between the western countries and Russia in the light of the Russian aggression. The combination of threats to and in the Arctic region will accelerate global warming and natural disasters in a way that could further increase the security threats and necessitate new and stronger measures form the international community.

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• Biopolitics, Stigma, and Religion
• Social Stigma and Vaccination Controversy in Hong Kong
• Vaccine Pass and Reactions from Religious Communities
• Concluding Remarks
• References