Mapping regenerative business: a conceptual framework building upon systems thinking in Southeast Asia

An Atlas of Trafficking in Southeast Asia: The Illegal Trade in Arms, Drugs, People, Counterfeit Goods and Natural Resources in Mainland Southeast Asia Pierre-Arnaud Chouvy, ed. London: I. B. Tauris & Co Ltd, 2013, x+214p.In the context of regional integration, Mainland Southeast Asia is subject to considerable economic activity and cross border trade. An intimately related question concerns extra-legal cross-border activities, such as the trade in drugs, wildlife, contraband, and people. The scholarly attention to these topics is rather large both within Southeast Asia and beyond. However, few attempts have been made in bringing together these different forms of both conceptually and empiri- cally. This is what An Atlas of Trafficking in Southeast Asia attempts to do. As editor Pierre- Arnaud Chouvy makes clear in the introduction, the aim is not merely to juxtapose these different forms of trade, but to provide a regional and systemic understanding of the variety of smuggling and trafficking activities (p. 3) as well as illuminating synergies between them.The book brings together several authors with considerable expertise within the region. The various chapters cover diverse topics such as the trafficking in drugs, arms, logging, wildlife, counterfeit goods, and humans. These different forms of trade are supplemented by several color- ful maps which visualize trafficking routes and patterns in Mainland Southeast Asia. One of the key claims the book is making is that there is considerable overlap between these trade routes and that they have significant historical trajectories. For example, as argued by David Capie, one cannot appreciate the arms trade in Mainland Southeast Asia without considering the post-conflict situation in several of the countries. Similarly, the contemporaneous drugs trade can only be understood in light of previous drug economies which were often blessed and even actively encouraged by West- ern powers.The book is rich in detail and one of its main strengths is its illumination of the various con- nections between these different economies. In Burma, a country which is subject to considerable inter-ethnic tension, semiautonomous armed groups depend on drug production; similarly drug reduction policies in Thailand are directly related to out-migration, prostitution, and human traf- ficking in Northern Thailand.All the chapters consider policy implications. It would have been interesting if the policy implications of regulation and prohibition had been analyzed more explicitly in a comparative frame- work. For example, Vanda Felbab-Brown's discussion of the certification of logging (p. 134) raises extremely interesting questions in terms of how this relates to its labor-equivalent (i.e. current certification of labor recruitment firms in the context of legalizing labor migration between Thailand and several of its neighbors).The conceptual framework, which is outlined in the introduction, relies on Willem van Schendel and Itty Abraham's influential book Illicit Flows and Criminal Things (2005), where a key conceptual heuristic is the interrelation between the (il)legal and (il)licit. A key concern of Schendel and Abraham's work is to critically interrogate the inherent state-ism which is common- place in much analysis of trafficking and smuggling. For this reason one must avoid treating con- cepts, such as illegality, as self-evident. Although An Atlas of Trafficking is often similarly critical of such concepts, it commonly slips precisely into seeing like a state (Scott 1998) in the way it maps trafficking practices in Mainland Southeast Asia. For example in the context of human trafficking, it argues that it is necessary to examine trafficking routes and key border sites. But this is to echo the state's vision of trafficking which privileges state-borders over the work condi- tions of migrant laborers. The danger here is ironically (yet fortunately) illuminated by David Feingold in his chapter on human trafficking. …

This article explores the impact of democratic transitions in Southeast Asia on regional co-operation, and the relationship between this process and the development of a non-official regionalism. Until now, regionalism in Southeast Asia has been essentially elite-centred and politically illiberal. The emergence of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations was founded upon the common desire of its members, which had by then retreated significantly from their postcolonial experiments in liberal democracy, to ensure regime survival. This orientation was further institutionalised by asean 's doctrine of non-interference, which helped to shield its members from outside pressures towards democratisation. But with democratisation in the Philippines, Thailand and more recently Indonesia, the asean model of elite-centric regional socialisation has been challenged. The civil society in the region demands greater openness in Southeast Asian regionalism. The article proposes a conceptual framework for analysing the relationship between democratisation and regionalism, with the key argument being that the displacement of traditional patterns of regional elite socialisation has been offset by potential gains such as advances in regional conflict management, transparency and rule-based interactions. But the realisation of a more 'participatory regionalism' in Southeast Asia faces a number of barriers, including obstacles to further democratisation, the continued salience of the non-interference doctrine and the diminished space for civil society in the wake of the 11 September terrorist attacks.

Addressing the apparent tensions between modernity and sustainability in Southeast Asia, this book offers novel insights into the global challenge of moving towards a low carbon energy system. With an original and accessible take on social theory related to energy transitions, modernity and sustainability, Mattijs Smits argues for a reinvigorated geography of energy. He also challenges universalistic and linear assumptions about energy transitions and makes the case for 'energy trajectories', stressing embeddedness, contingency and connections between scales. Contemporary and historical empirical examples from Southeast Asia, primarily Thailand and Laos, are drawn upon to show the importance of scale at regional, national, local and household levels. The transitions in the national power sectors here have been intimately related to discourses of modernity and state formation since the colonial era. More recently, plans for international cooperation and discourses of regional power trade have taken centre stage. Local energy trajectories are understood to be part of these transitions, but also as embedded in local social, political and spatial relations. Examining how energy practices go hand-in-hand with the dissemination of different technologies, this work shows the complexities of achieving sustainability in the context of rapidly changing energy modernities in Southeast Asia.

Manufacturing and sourcing location decisions in the textiles and fashion industry are complex, e.g. involving the trade-off between cost and lead time considerations. With this in mind, firms are looking to reshore and move manufacturing back to their domestic location. The sustainability agenda is adding to this complexity, with different locations having different implications for transparency and the risk of social problems. Modern slavery is an important global social issue, which is affecting the industry given that the growing demand for cheap, fast fashion can lead to worker exploitation. This thesis focuses on these two current issues, reshoring and modern slavery and presents three papers. The first paper focusses on reshoring and the remaining two papers investigate the phenomenon of modern slavery. The reshoring paper presents a single case study and extends the literature on reshoring that has largely focused on why firms reshore to provide greater understanding of how they can go about implementing the decision to reshore. The paper uses a two-stage approach (systematic literature review and case study evidence) and presents a conceptual framework that provides a structure to consider not only the factors influencing the decision to reshore but also some of the considerations needed to implement the reshoring decision. Further, a contingency perspective is adopted as several of the factors that affect the reshoring process, both in terms of whether a decision to reshore is taken and how implementation is approached, are context specific. The two modern slavery papers are based on an action research project. The primary engagement is with Fashion and Sports Co. (a multi £billion turnover company), to understand how brands and retailers are tackling modern slavery within the textiles and fashion industry. Research into modern slavery from a supply chain perspective is however limited and this thesis contributes to filling the gap. Paper 2 uses relational theory to investigate how brands and retailers are responding to modern slavery legislation. Empirical evidence is used to understand how competing buyers collaborate with one another as previous research has focused on vertical collaboration between buyers and their suppliers, particularly in a socially sustainable supply chain context. The research focusses on five collaborative initiatives taken to tackle modern slavery (e.g. joint training) used by Fashion and Sports Co, along with its horizontal collaboration with 35 other brands/retailers. The study advances knowledge on the creation of socially sustainable competitive advantage (e.g. cost savings, knowledge sharing and enhanced reputation) through horizontal collaboration. Successful horizontal collaboration is dependent on both relational capital (e.g. trust and commitment) and effective (formal and informal) governance mechanisms (e.g. legislation and the involvement of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and trade bodies). Further, working with non-business actors can facilitate collaboration and provide knowledge and resources important for overcoming uncertainty when responding to new legislation. Paper 3 focusses on modern slavery detection and remediation. Prior literature has highlighted the shortcomings of supply chain auditing and questioned the suitability of this approach for detecting modern slavery. This paper uses action research with Fashion and Sports Co. to investigate how they are detecting modern slavery at a high-risk supplier in South East Asia, in collaboration with a large multinational NGO and another of the supplier’s key customers. The study suggests that a more targeted audit can identify key indicators of modern slavery. This type of audit includes investigating the end-to–end recruitment process by using a parallel structure of management and worker interviews and documentation review. The research also investigates the ongoing remediation process involving a local NGO.

Chiara Formichi and R. Michael Feener, eds. 2015. Shi‘ism in Southeast Asia: ‘Alid Piety and Sectarian Constructions. London: Hurst & Company.Sunni and Shi’i studies have thus far been conducted along existing sectarian lines. But this volume edited by Formichi and Feener is an attempt to depart from that long-lasting academic tradition. Assuming the continuous tradition of Hodgson’s ‘Alid loyalism, the book intends to develop the assessment and analysis of diverse elements of ‘Alid piety among Muslims in Southeast Asia. The use of ‘Alid piety as the conceptual framework is path-breaking work in the academic study of Southeast Asian Islam, because this concept transcends Sunni and Shi‘i sectarian identities. The book tries to trace the historical foundation of ‘Alid piety in Southeast Asia, its manifestation in literary legacies, its modalities and cultural expressions, and contemporary developments in the sectarian construction. However, it would have provided more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of elements of ‘Alid piety if certain aspects of popular Sufi and religious tradition, particularly the celebration of the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday, were included.DOI: 10.15408/sdi.v23i3.3344

Public transportation is vital for meeting the mobility demands of rapidly expanding Southeast Asian countries. To create effective transportation policies and support sustainable urban movement, it is essential to understand the factors driving individual’s choice decisions about transportation modes. This review paper seeks to establish a behavioral theory-based conceptual framework that thoroughly examines and finds the primary influences on individual mode choices within Southeast Asia. We propose a two-stage framework that blends the ‘Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB)’ with the ‘capability, opportunity, and motivation-behavior (COM-B) model’. This synthesis enables the consideration of a broad spectrum of individual-level factors affecting public transport preferences. Ultimately, this review enhances existing knowledge and provides guidance for future research and policy initiatives aimed at fostering sustainable transportation systems across Southeast Asia.

Circular labor migration and land-livelihood dynamics in Southeast Asia's concession landscapes

This paper analyses conceptual frameworks that have been suggested in the literature for understanding women’s radicalization, including the emergent phenomenon of family bombings, focusing on Indonesia and Malaysia. We argue that understanding these trends requires grappling with socio-culturally specific gender-related concepts and that the liberal political theory framework that has informed a significant body of research in this area, with its emphasis on individuality, has limited utility for making sense of the new models of women’s engagement in extremism in Southeast Asia’. We suggest that a communitarian philosophical framework has the potential to provide new context-specific insights on radicalization, extremism and terrorism in Southeast Asia. We apply this approach to a reading of the family suicide bombings in Surabaya and Sidoarjo, East Java, Indonesia, in May 2018.

PurposeThe purpose of this review is to examine the current state-of-the-art in artificial intelligence (AI) implementations within library settings across Southeast Asia.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses the AI Library Services Innovative Conceptual Framework (AI-LSICF) to evaluate the AI initiatives in Southeast Asian libraries. Sources include relevant libraries and association’s websites, mainstream newspapers across Southeast Asia, together with academic papers published between 2019 and 2024, with a focus solely on English-language literature.FindingsMost of the Southeast Asian libraries are in the decision and implementation stages in utilising AI technologies into library operations. It is evident that most of the libraries have made the decision to embrace AI techniques in the workplace and have started to implement the AI-enabled applications. Nevertheless, those implementations are not yet comprehensive and most of the projects are still in the trial stage. This suggests a unanimous decision concerning the use of AI in the libraries across the region has not been reached. Librarians may still face challenges and concerns in adopting AI, including resource constraints, application maintenance, staff reluctance, staff training, data security concerns and more.Research limitations/implicationsA limitation of this study is its focus on completed and published projects, due to limited access to ongoing or unpublished initiatives. Non-English publications were excluded which may have omitted relevant studies and insights from non-English-speaking countries.Practical implicationsThis paper seeks to address the gap by conducting a review of the current landscape of AI applications within libraries across Southeast Asia. Its aim to provide valuable insights for Southeast Asian libraries which seek to leverage AI advancements, ultimately supporting more user-centric and technologically adept library services.Originality/valueThe originality of this paper lies in its unique perspectives on library settings in Southeast Asia, showcasing successful projects while also pinpointing areas and countries in need of further development.

According to current scientific opinion the risk of human infection with H5N1 via preparation and consumption of poultry meat is negligible.This opinion has not yet been challenged by a formal risk assessment, due to the lack of empirical data. We have developed a scenario pathway model as a conceptual framework for a formal assessment of the H5N1 risk to humans through consumption of poultry meat and parameterise the model using information derived from expert opinions. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the notion of an overall negligible risk via the oral infection route is consistent with ad hoc data and expert opinions on the relevant parameters of the model. The model is mainly based on expert opinion. A stochastic Monte-Carlo simulation was conducted which took into consideration (amongst others) the exposure and infection of chicken (broiler and layer), turkeys, ducks and geese, the probabilities of detection prior to slaughter, virus survival and contamination during slaughter, as well as during the cutting and preparation of meat in commercial plants and in private households, respectively. The empirical consumption pattern for poultry meat in Germany was taken into account in the simulation. The results show that the risk for the individual consumer is practically zero whereas up to 23 cases per year in Germany might occur if the upper (more pessimistic) ranges of the expert opinions apply. The finding of a low but non-negligible risk to the population is discussed in relation to the epidemiological information available from recent outbreaks in South East Asia.

Southeast Asian Independent Cinema TILMAN BAUMGARTEL, ed. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2012, 304p.The prolific production of independent films in one of fastest growing economic regions of world impels filmmakers, critics, and scholars to seriously study Southeast Asian (hereon referred as SEA) cinema as a distinct area of filmmaking within global cinema. Southeast Asian Independent Cinema, edited by German scholar of Southeast Asian cinemas Tilman Baumgartel, is a contribution to growing discussion of SEA cinematic developments.Essays that constitute book's first part identify conceptual framework and themes in recent Southeast Asian indie films. John Lent's definitions of in terms of governmental regulation, financing, and fresh styles and methods of filmmaking may serve as an index through which cinemas in region are to be examined. The editor's own essay extends Benedict Anderson's imagined communities to film and television in region but hesitates to argue that indie movies are not as popular as other media (such as television melodramas and mainstream films), thereby making contentious idea that through independent cinema, peoples of Southeast Asia imagine and construct their communal identities. If so, this is only at a very limited level. Indeed, there may be a strategic essentialism here in sense that national or cultural essences posited by non-Southeast Asians in region's indie productions are largely ignored by Southeast Asians themselves. What are objectives of SEA filmmakers in portraying different realities-poverty, local traditions, etc.-in different lights, when these themes are largely not patronized by their fellow citizens presumably hooked on technologically superior Hollywood and escapist local films?1) To these problems of relevance to a national audience, Baumgartel offers possibility of seeing such films in a post-national context. His application of anthropologist Arjun Appadurai's dimensions of global cultural economy raises important issues: multi-national productions of SEA indie films, immigrant nature of SEA indie filmmakers, international financing, government support, utility of internet social networking programs, relations with local audience, ingenious distribution techniques, exposure to world/other cinemas that inspired SEA directors to make their own films, video piracy, and socio-political subject matters in contemporary SEA indie cinema. In conceptualizing region's independent cinema, Baumgartel pertinently points out difference between imagined worlds of SEA film-makers and those of their fellow citizens and governments. It is this difference that plays out multifarious contradictions that continually debate notions of independence in SEA cinema.Alfia Bin Sa'at and Ben Slater analyze fraught film histories and geographies of Singapore in light of its separation from Malaysia and its exceptional development in last half century. Sa'at's Hinterland, Heartland, Home: Affective Topography in Singapore explains shared film histories of Malaysia and Singapore and looks at contemporary Singaporean films in light of studio era (1950s and 1960s) specific history of which small country surrenders to Malaysia. The urban-rural dialectic in revival period (1990s) of Singaporean cinema traces its origins to post-war (note: Malaysian) studio era when kahwin lari narrative (marriage of lovers from different class backgrounds) dominated. Films of 1960s and 1990s have a striking similarity in that they create hinterland or rural area-now heartland in highly urbanized Singapore-as ideal and morally upright while opposing this to developed but corrupting topography of city. Now, kampong or village life is only inscribed in autobiographical accounts of those who have lived in it, and hence, according to Sa'at, the social trauma of hinterland-to-city dislocation becomes a kind of inherited post-memory (p. …

This paper provides a review of the literature on ride-hailing applications (RHA) in Southeast Asia (SEA) to enhance the understanding of RHA’s impacts on the urban transportation sector and to inform related planning and regulatory efforts in the context of developing countries. The conceptual framework is based on the stakeholder approach, which identifies three groups of stakeholders: the demand-side, the supply-side, and the public-sector stakeholders. A search on scholarly databases yielded 49 related articles. The results of the review illustrate certain similarities between RHA services in SEA with those reported from developed countries, such as the socio-economic profile of the users. However, several observations unique to the SEA context were also revealed, including (1) the dominance of motorcycles; (2) commuting as the main RHA trip purpose; (3) a higher frequency of RHA use; and (4) a significant proportion of full-time RHA drivers. The review also highlighted research gaps in the literature of RHA in SEA, particularly on how RHA can influence travelers’ behavior, its effects on the incumbent transport operators, and its environmental impacts.

Education should be about transformation, whether for teachers or learners: transformation in conceptual understanding and the methods of completion of tasks. It is true that enormous and widely dispersed influences from regions outside of Southeast Asia—from China, India, the West, and Islamic nations—have left their marks on the region's theatre. It's also true that theatre from one nation in Southeast Asia has frequently influenced theatre from nearby nations. But it is also true that throughout the various countries of Southeast Asia, theatre has grown in different directions in response to local conditions and influences. In this evolutionary process, several diverse theatre styles have come into being. In Indonesia and Thailand, two nations with highly established theatre industries, there are over a dozen different theatre genres. With the passage of time, there have been major changes in the field of second language teaching; among the more recent promising and productive ones is task-based language teaching. In ESL classrooms, funds and resources are always an issue and often, the stakeholders are concerned about the paucity of resources in ESL contexts. Theatre is an absolutely cost-effective resource useful for task-based pedagogy. This paper focuses on probing how theatre can be a useful tool for teacher education to prepare teachers in an inclusive classroom from the perspective of India and Southeast Asia. This paper aims to link how Indian Theatre arts can influence the teaching and learning of the English language in Southeast Asian nations. This paper further identifies conceptual and theoretical frameworks from the fields of theatre and teacher education for an inclusive classroom. Additionally, it tries to find the links between teacher education and theatre, which might benefit ESL/EFL learning in the classroom by using theatrical techniques. Therefore, the paper aims to propose how teacher training can be enriched with theatre as a resource.

This research aims to analyze market share and competitive strategies in online food delivery services in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Consumer behavior theory is used as a conceptual framework to understand consumer preferences and decisions in the context of online food delivery services. The research method used is a quantitative descriptive approach using data from reports presented by Katadata.co.id based on information from Momentum Works. This data was analyzed descriptively using statistical methods to describe the characteristics of consumer behavior in online food delivery services in Southeast Asia. The findings of this research show market dominance by several major players, such as GrabFood and GoFood in Indonesia and GrabFood in Thailand, which has the potential to hinder healthy competition and long-term innovation in the online food delivery service industry. The pressure to achieve sustainable profitability also drives companies to rely on subsidies, which can become unsustainable if not maintained over the long term. In addition, uneven market growth throughout the Southeast Asia region shows an imbalance in market growth in the region. This research concludes that it is important to strike a balance between market growth, healthy competition, and sustainable profitability to ensure an online food delivery service ecosystem that is sustainable and beneficial for both consumers and companies.

In Southeast Asia’s culturally and linguistically diverse learning environments, multilingual classrooms provide a unique platform for nurturing intercultural competence, sustaining student motivation, and supporting psychological adaptation. This conceptual paper explores the dynamic interplay among these three constructs, drawing upon Byram’s model of intercultural communicative competence, self-determination theory, and positive psychology perspectives. It analyzes how the cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions of intercultural competence influence both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, as well as students’ emotional well-being and adaptability in multilingual settings. Through an integrative review of existing research, the study develops a conceptual framework linking intercultural education and student psychology, aiming to promote a holistic understanding of learner development in multicultural contexts. The findings emphasize the importance of humanizing pedagogy, culturally responsive teaching, and socio-emotional support in enhancing motivation and psychological well-being. Finally, the paper offers practical implications for curriculum design, teacher training, and regional collaboration to foster inclusive and motivating multilingual learning environments across Southeast Asia.