Evidence in Times of Crisis

Ecological behaviour in times of crisis and economic well-being through a comparative longitudinal study

ABSTRACTThis paper focuses on the difficulties that diasporas face in relation to mobilising around helping the homeland at a time of crisis, using qualitative research on the Greek and Palestinian diasporas. Rather than assume that long-distance nationalism, emotional attachment to the homeland and diasporic obligation will galvanise diasporic populations into assisting, and mobilising around, the homeland, the paper argues that those in diasporas do not necessarily help their homelands in times of crisis, even if they have strong socio-cultural connections to it. At times of crisis these feelings are heightened but not do not always translate into direct action; this may especially be the case at times of prolonged crisis when past efforts to help do not seem to have worked. This paper argues that it is often hard for those in diaspora to find meaningful ways to help at a time of crisis and many question the effectiveness of their actions if they do not see positive outcomes over time. The paper demonstrates that trying to help the homeland can therefore be a frustrating process and can make those in diaspora feel distanced and isolated from the homeland due to their inability to find concrete ways to help.

This paper seeks to address and develop the conceptual framework for dealing with socio-economic rights in times of economic crisis. Section 2 explores a peculiar but important conceptual feature of socio-economic rights, namely, the fact that they generally only give rise to positive obligations in circumstances in which individuals are unable to provide for their own needs. After distinguishing three different notions of crisis, I reach the conclusion that socio-economic rights do not lose their application in times of crisis: indeed, it is in these circumstances that they often become most important. In Section 3, I consider the legal doctrines that are most likely to render these rights meaningful in these difficult circumstances. First, a variety of negative obligations persist at times of crisis and, importantly, can result in a duty on the part of private parties to compensate for harms they cause. Second, the minimum core approach is best placed to provide the doctrinal basis necessary to give effect to the state's positive obligations with its emphasis on prioritization, clear standards, and accountability. Finally, I counter the argument recently raised by two authors in this journal that the doctrine of proportionality can provide content to social rights in times of crisis. Proportionality cannot conceptually provide content to rights and, rather, requires, for its very coherence, supplementation by a doctrine of content. Correctly used, it provides a structured test to determine the justifiability of any limitations the government places on its socio-economic rights obligations in times of crisis.

This paper seeks to address and develop the conceptual framework for dealing with socio-economic rights in times of economic crisis. Part I explores a peculiar but important conceptual feature of socio-economic rights, namely, the fact that they generally only give rise to positive obligations in circumstances in which individuals are unable to provide for their own needs. After distinguishing three different notions of crisis, I reach the conclusion that socio-economic rights do not lose their application in times of crisis: indeed, it is in these circumstances, that they often become most important. In Part II, I consider the legal doctrines that are most likely to render these rights meaningful in these difficult circumstances. First, a variety of negative obligations persist at times of crisis and, importantly, can result in a duty on the part of private parties to compensate for harms they cause. Secondly, the minimum core approach is best placed to provide the doctrinal basis necessary to give effect to the state’s positive obligations with its emphasis on prioritization, clear standards and accountability. Finally, I counter the argument recently raised by two authors in this journal that the doctrine of proportionality can provide content to social rights in times of crisis. Proportionality cannot conceptually provide content to rights and, rather, requires, for its very coherence, supplementation by a doctrine of content. Correctly used, it simply provides a structured test to determine the justifiability of any limitations the government places on its socio-economic rights obligations in times of crisis.

This study uses textual analysis of annual reports to evaluate the presence of stakeholder theory in times of economic crises. Although the literature on stakeholder tendency in times of crises is scarce and predominantly focused on U.S. and Austrian data, it suggests that adopting the principles of a stakeholder model may lead companies to a more successful crises management outcome. Academic contributions to German-listed companies utilizing textual analysis are limited. Hence, we start by proposing a qualitative textual approach to analyze annual reports of German-listed companies in the DAX from the period 2000 to 2020 to extract relevant information on the tendency to apply shareholder- or stakeholder-theory-related aspects in times of economic crises such as the Global Financial Crises and more recently the COVID-19 crises. We examine our gathered word extractions with a well-found methodological approach based on a comprehensive literature review and perform a logit regression to test formulated hypotheses. By analyzing word frequencies in annual reports that refer to either shareholders or stakeholders we aim to assess the importance that the management of listed companies attaches to each management approach in times of crises. Based on existing literature, we formulate the central research question of whether the word frequency of shareholder-related words in years of economic crises increases compared to years without economic crises. In line with Asel, Posch, and Speckbacher (2011), our research reconfirms that there is no tendency or conflict of both shareholder and stakeholder management in times of economic crises. In a nutshell, our empirical results indicate that there is no statistically significant increase in word frequencies of either shareholder- or stakeholder-related words in years of economic crises present. Finally, we conclude by challenging the effectiveness of either the shareholder or stakeholder orientation in economic crises-like situations and encouraging further empirical research contributions on this field, and utilizing the proposed textual analysis for other essential research questions, such as the presence of AI-related aspects amongst German-listed companies or indications about price increases in times of high inflation.

This editorial serves as an introduction to <em>Media and Communication</em>’s thematic issue Policy Framing and Branding in Times of Constant Crisis. Crises cast challenges for political actors and concurrently create opportunities for policymaking, public reflections, and political competition. In times of crisis, when it comes to communicating policymaking but also framing the crisis itself, issues close to political communication (including political marketing and political branding) become of paramount relevance. The eight articles of this issue cover a broad array of subjects, expanding the understanding of the relevance of communication when it comes to policymaking in times of crisis, through the lens of policy framing and policy branding.

Controlling represent company’s bloodstream and in time of crisis, it comes to the fore since management strives for quality information’s to make the right decisions under uncertain conditions. Those quality decisions come from joint cooperation between well-educated controllers who can develop the right solutions and managers who are goal-oriented and need those solutions promptly. This need is more emphasized in times of corona crisis since nothing similar has ever happened before. The authors of the paper examine the respondents’ perception about the contribution of controlling in enabling companies’ survival in time of corona crisis through the increase of business process efficiency, as well as through business operations reorientation and strategy adjustment which enabled maintenance and stabilization in the first days of the corona crisis and during partial lockdown in Croatia. In order to test the set hypotheses after the usual descriptive statistics the Kruskal- Wallis H test was used on a sample of 180 companies in Croatia. A statistically significant correlation was confirmed between the role of controlling; i) in increasing the efficiency of business processes; ii) in adjusting the business reorientation; iii) in adjustment of business strategy. All employees from different hierarchical levels are aware the contribution and effectiveness of controlling in the corona crisis. This research is the basis for further research on role of controlling in times of crises.

Pharmacy practice in times of civil crisis: The experience of SARS and “the blackout” in Ontario, Canada

This chapter analyses the relationship between political consumerism and political participation in Italy during the current phase of economic crisis. It investigates whether political consumerism is increasing or declining in times of economic crisis; whether it is an alternative to other forms of political participation in the current crisis, such as protest and/or voting; how ‘political’ political consumerism is in times of crisis; and whether there has been some shift in the composition of the Italian political consumerism community in times of economic crisis. The analysis shows that during the economic crisis the share of people who have chosen this form of participation in Italy has drastically increased. Furthermore, it illustrates how citizens who choose political consumerism as a form of political participation show a high level of politicisation according to all the indicators, and it points out that there has been a visible change in the relationship between political consumerism and political participation in Italy during the economic crisis, with the crisis changing the constituency of economic activism and incentivising the involvement of people that participate in politics in innovative ways. Our findings about the increasing relevance of political consumerism in a context of economic crisis suggest that this form of action cannot be understood as an eminently middle-class ethical gesture, but rather as a political choice, typical of contexts characterised by a significant salience of politics in the public debate.

The Moroccan cooperative sector is increasingly important, not only in the social and economic fabric of Morocco, but also in the sustainable development of the Kingdom. With the advent of COVID, the cooperative sector offers more inclusive and sustainable economic alternatives than ever before. In this context, organizational resilience is essential to preserve the sustainability of cooperatives and anticipate potential crises. This study addresses the following issue: What are the organizational factors necessary to strengthen the organizational resilience of the Moroccan cooperative in the Fez-Meknes region in times of COVID-19 crisis? The purpose of this paper was to test the hypothesized relationships between a set of latent constructs (actor involvement and mobilization, organizational learning in times of a crisis and social innovation) and the organizational resilience of cooperatives in times of a COVID-19 crisis. The methodology adopted is structural equation modeling based on the PLS-SEM method under the “SmartPLS Version 3” used on data collected through a printed questionnaire administered to 160 cooperatives in the Fez-Meknes region. The results show the significant and positive influence between the exogenous constructs on the strengthening of organizational resilience of cooperatives as an endogenous construct. The novelty of the study lies in the identification of the organizational resources needed to strengthen the organizational resilience of cooperatives in the Moroccan context. The results show that organizational resilience depends on three selected organizational factors: stakeholder involvement and mobilization, organizational learning in the times of a crisis and social innovation.

PurposeThis paper aims to analyze the requirements for stakeholder integration in sustainability project partnerships in times of sustainability crisis. Referring to the COVID-19 pandemic as a sustainability crisis that has sensitized consumers and other stakeholders to corporate responsibility for social and sustainability issues, a conceptual framework for stakeholder integration is developed from which implications for designing the potential, process and result quality are derived.Design/methodology/approachIn this conceptual paper, design options for stakeholder integration are derived from open innovation and service management research. Specific crisis-related determinants of stakeholder integration are derived from current corporate social responsibility (CSR) and crisis research taking into account the opportunities and challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design options and crisis-related determinants are then combined to a conceptual framework for stakeholder integration in sustainability project partnerships in times of crisis. Based on this framework, research propositions are derived that provide insights into the design of the potential, process and result quality of stakeholder integration.FindingsThis paper shows that the COVID-19 pandemic can be viewed as a sustainability crisis, which places special entrepreneurial demands on stakeholder integration in sustainability project partnerships. The pandemic offers potential for integrating a large number of stakeholders and has emphasized the need for integrating a broad range of stakeholders. Higher skepticism of stakeholders toward companies' CSR engagement in the pandemic has raised stakeholder demands for early integration. Higher skepticism and CSR involvement have rendered active forms of integration even more relevant, which, however, should still be adapted to the respective stakeholder prerequisites. The pandemic has increased the need for constant and comprehensive exchange of data on project results between stakeholders and the project leading organization. Measurement of target achievement can be promoted by establishing stakeholder commitment with regard to the target measures on the collective and relationship levels of the partnership. Finally, the pandemic has reinforced the need for more dialogical forms of communicating sustainability project results.Originality/valueSolving problems and exploiting opportunities in times of crisis require a high degree of entrepreneurship and creative leadership in order to gain new ideas and overcome resource deficits. Sustainability project partnerships in which various stakeholders contribute resources and knowledge to collaborate on idea development and finding solutions to sustainability issues are suitable for this. However, previous approaches to stakeholder integration in open innovation and service management research largely neglect the crisis context and only a few are related to sustainability. In CSR and crisis research, stakeholder-related approaches to coping with crises tend to be underrepresented, and the comprehensive concept of stakeholder integration has so far hardly been considered as an approach to crisis management. By taking into account the COVID-19 pandemic as a sustainability crisis, this paper provides new impulses for the integration of stakeholders in sustainability project partnerships in times of crisis. Recommendations for the design of the potential, process and result quality are derived, which provide insights for project leaders and stakeholders alike. In addition, implications for public policymakers are derived, who are assigned an increasingly active role in the pandemic and who can contribute to the success of sustainability project partnerships by setting suitable framework conditions. The developed concept can be expanded to include further company-related determinants and offers a starting point for empirical analysis in the still underexplored research fields of sustainability-oriented relationship marketing and sustainability crises.

This book is a response to the loss of learning experienced by children and young people during the Covid-19 crisis. It examines the measures which were taken to fix the disruption of education and their limitations particularly in reaching marginalised groups. Drawing on data and experiences from around the world, the book examines education systems as ecosystems with interdependencies between many different components which need to be considered when change is contemplated. Chapters explore the challenges involved ensuring continuity of education for all learners in times of crisis and disruption and set out practical solutions that are relevant when preparing for natural disasters and disasters caused by humans as well as for climate change challenges and future pandemics. The focus throughout is on building the sustainability of learners’ education into education systems to ensure educational continuity for all learners in times of disruption and crisis. Including tools for planning, prompts for reflection, and future possibilities to consider, Education for All in Times of Crisis will be valuable reading for school leaders, educators and policy makers.

Objectives: The study aims to highlight the characteristics and features of discourse in times of crisis. It is an attempt to understand it through the study of the reciprocal relationships between language, culture, and society, with the aim of defining the concept of "discourse" according to Mr. Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, the CEO of Nestlé International, based on his speech during the April 23, 2009, crisis. Method: The study adopted the descriptive-analytical approach to analyze discourse, in addition to the critical approach by utilizing the art of rhetoric and the systematic use of language. It highlights the role of rhetoric in communication by applying these methods to a written model representing administrative discourse during crises. Accordingly, dominant characteristics, sentence structures, and selected organizational and linguistic indicators were described to achieve a unified argumentation. Conclusion: It was emphasized that the CEO of any company is the true guarantor of proper performance, as his/her professionalism in management, coupled with the discourse they deliver, ultimately yields positive and impactful results for the organization. Additionally, the study revealed that the achievement of success for a company during times of crisis is dependent on understanding discourse analysis in a hierarchical manner, i.e., from top to bottom, and exercising control over the comprehension of specific and precise decisions aimed at effectively guiding daily actions. Finally, the study emphasized the importance of business leaders' discourse and its influence on the acceptance of employees and other stakeholders in business, as well as on improving business standards and society. Recommendations: The study concluded that it is essential to adopt studies that analyze administrative discourse during times of disasters and crises due to the significance of this approach in enhancing dialogue within and beyond the workplace to achieve benefits for both the work environment and society as a whole.

PurposeThis paper aims to identify the effect of environmental management systems (EMSs), commitment to stakeholders and gender diversity on corporate environmental performance (CEP) and the extent to which an economic crisis moderates these relationships.Design/methodology/approachA regression analysis was conducted on a sample of 14,217 observations from 1,933 firms from 26 countries from 2002 to 2010. The estimator used is ordinary least squares with heteroscedastic panel-corrected standard errors (PCSEs), which allows us to obtain consistent results in the presence of heteroscedasticity and autocorrelation.FindingsThe results show that EMSs and stakeholder engagement are mechanisms that drive CEP but lose their effectiveness in times of crisis. However, the presence of women on boards has a positive effect on CEP that is not affected by an economic crisis.Research limitations/implicationsThe study has some limitations that could be addressed in the future. We present board gender diversity as a governance mechanism because its role is strongly related to non-financial performance. Future studies could focus on other corporate governance mechanisms, such as the presence of institutional or long-term investors. In addition, other mechanisms could be found that can counteract poor environmental performance in times of crisis. Finally, it might be useful to contrast these results with the crisis generated by the coronavirus pandemic.Practical implicationsThe results obtained have important practical implications at the corporate and institutional levels. At the corporate level, they highlight, as essential contributions, that environmental management systems and stakeholder orientation are not effective in times of economic crisis, except for with the presence of women on the board.Social implicationsFollowing the crisis, the European Commission has promoted gender diversity on boards as a mechanism to improve the governance of entities – improving, among other aspects, sustainability. In this sense, another one of the practical implications of the study is support for the policies that the European Union has implemented over the last two decades.Originality/valueThe paper analyses how a crisis affects the moral and cultural institutional mechanisms that promote CEP. Gender diversity on the board of directors not only promotes environmental performance but also appears to be a governance mechanism that ensures this performance in times of crisis when the other mechanisms lose their effectiveness. The study proposes specific policies that help maintain environmental performance in an economic crisis.

Foucault’s notion of the “care of the self ” is essential in preparing leaders for crisis situations. Crisis situations are characterized by insecurity, uncertainty, and disruption. Hence, it demands for leadership who will provide direction, inspiration, hope, and solution. Leaders must be prepared in encountering crisis situation as well as in the effective performance of crisis leadership tasks. Leadership preparation for crisis situation need not only scientific and technical know-how but also the development of one’s character, values, and moral conviction. Leaders must be guided by rational discourse, convictions, principles, and truth. Their actions and decisions must be consistent with truth, beliefs, values, and convictions.
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