Institutional Actors Research Articles

What Affects Citizens’ Perception of Public Infrastructure Decision-Making in a Disaster Setting?

This study examines citizens’ views on public-private partnerships (PPPs) and their sector-based preferences between private or nonprofit organizations as partners with government entities in providing public services for local infrastructures. Using survey data collected in Texas, this study finds that risk awareness and trust in institutional actors significantly influence citizens’ perceptions of public service delivery models, while a variety of information sources differently affect their perceptions. This study highlights citizens’ perception of nonprofits’ role in cross-sector collaborative governance, suggesting their involvement in implementing community resilience policies based on citizen preferences. Empirical findings provide insights for policymaking, advocating inclusive approaches in resilience planning and engaging diverse institutional actors, including citizens, in critical infrastructure development.

Beyond the counter: unveiling the financial informality dynamics of female entrepreneurs in Lima’s Bodega sector

PurposeThis study examines the interrelations among educational level, financial literacy, financial inclusion and informal financial business practices of female entrepreneurs in Lima, Peru, focusing on their intentions toward business formalization. Additionally, it explores the influence of legal formalization on both business formality and tendencies toward informality intentions.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology involved a self-administered survey among 118 female entrepreneurs in the small vendor “Bodega” sector, with statistical analysis conducted via partial least structural equation modeling.FindingsThe study’s outcomes validated the significant role of financial literacy and inclusion as mediators between educational level and formalization intentions. Notably, legal formalization did not significantly alter these dynamics.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations arise from the study’s explanatory power and lack of predictive capability for all dependent variables, likely due to sample specificity. Additionally, the quantitative research approach does not allow for a deeper understanding of these phenomena.Practical implicationsWe advocate reevaluating prevailing attitudes toward legal formality and informal practices, emphasizing tailored public policies for older female entrepreneurs and access to formal financing independent of legal registration. This underscores the need for enhanced educational levels for young women and coordinated efforts among institutional actors to more effectively promote formality.Originality/valueThis research contributes original insights into the emphasis on informal practices over mere legal registration, especially pertinent to female entrepreneurship. It also highlights the counterintuitive significant inverse relationship between age and formalization intentions, enriching the discourse on entrepreneurial motivation.

Exploring the challenges and opportunities for sustainability reporting adoption among small and medium enterprises: A case in a developing country in Asia

Sustainability has turned into a critical focus for businesses, drawing considerable interest from the commercial sector and scholarly environments. While empirical investigations have been conducted regarding sustainability reporting within small and medium enterprises, only a limited number of companies are subjected to increased pressure to adopt sustainability reporting practices, thereby ensuring enhanced transparency and disclosure in their financial and sustainability disclosures. This research, framed by Institutional Theory, delves into how challenges in sustainability reporting obstruct organizations from properly evaluating and sharing their progress on sustainability aims. With an explanatory research framework in place, we circulated survey questionnaires to 400 participants, who were randomly drawn from a population of 28,927 registered SMEs in Metro Manila, Philippines. The application of Interpretative Structural Modelling and MICMAC Analysis revealed that the absence of regulatory frameworks, governmental assistance, and sustainability infrastructure constitutes the most critical obstacles impacting other determinants. In contrast, neither the deficiency in sustainability awareness nor the inadequacy of training and skills demonstrated a considerable impact on the other identified barriers. This study clarifies the complex interactions and interrelations among the obstacles to sustainability reporting, thus providing significant perspectives for organizations aiming to overcome these difficulties. The findings suggest that business leaders and stakeholders can formulate targeted strategies and interventions to facilitate the adoption of sustainability reporting practices within organizations. The application of the institutional theory framework highlights that pressures arise from a diverse array of institutional actors, including regulators, customers, and local communities, which collectively shape corporate behavior and reporting methodologies.

A Great Leap Forward: Changing Landscape of Shadow Energy-Maritime Economy Off the Coast of Nigeria

The Atlantic coast of Nigeria, especially the Niger Delta corridor is a dynamic energy-maritime space. The region witnesses a trend in continuous evolution, propelled by the intersection of the upper world and underworld economic activities, with several individual and institutional actors at its core. The underworld end of the socio-economic spectrum on which this coastal region of Nigeria is anchored is known for its robustness and has attracted significant scholarly attention. In furtherance of scholarly interrogation of the region’s informal economy, this paper critically analyses the pervasiveness, entrenchment, and dynamics of shadow energy activities in the Niger Delta. Primarily, in a theoretical construction, the study discusses trends, patterns, and overlaps in the transition of energy-maritime shadow activities in the region. The study adopts a qualitative research method; combining primary data with a synthesis of the extant literature on the region’s shadow economy and the involvement of organised crime in the region’s energy-maritime landscape. The objective of the study flows from the fact of a great leap forward in shadow economy in the region through different social realities- grievance, greed, illegality, and organised crime. The paper develops a hybrid theory of crime; enterprise-value chain as an analytical archetype to explain the latest stage in the evolution of the underworld, shadow energy-maritime activities off the coast of Nigeria.

Navigating Tensions between Authoritarian Governance and Human Rights: Towards a Business and Human Rights Regime within China’s Dual-State Context

ABSTRACT This article examines the intricate dynamics between authoritarian governance and human rights within the context of China’s evolving business and human rights (BHR) regime. Utilizing Ernst Fraenkel’s dual-state framework and new institutional theory, the study delves into the mechanisms through which China navigates the tensions between state control and the global human rights agenda. Through expert interviews and analysis of policy documents and digital media, the research uncovers the roles of government-organized non-governmental organizations, NGOs, and businesses in shaping China’s BHR landscape. The findings suggest that despite the challenges posed by China’s authoritarian system, institutional actors are taking a strategic and evolutionary approach to foster a BHR regime. This is characterized by a complex interplay between the normative and prerogative states, reflecting a nuanced adaptation of BHR principles within China’s political and legal framework. The article contributes to broader discourse on the integration of human rights into business practices in authoritarian contexts, offering insights into the potential for institutional change and the advancement of human rights within such regimes.

Using social-network analysis to map institutional actors’ links with vulnerable municipalities under climate change in Honduras’ dry corridor. Pathways towards improved cooperation and territorial interventions

The Honduras dry corridor, located in Central America’s Pacific region, has high natural climate variability. Nearly half of the Honduran population depends on socio-economic activities linked to agriculture, making climate-change adaptation crucial for the agricultural sector to ensure food and nutrition security. This research analyzes how institutional structures function and interact as a network to investigate the spatial coherence and relevance of public- and private-sector interventions related to agriculture, climate change, and food security in 153 municipalities of Honduras’ dry corridor. We employed a Social Network Analysis (SNA) approach to examine these interactions over the territories, revealing two network patterns: the first favors a single municipality, observed only in the Central District where Honduras’ capital is located; the second is an egocentric network, favoring a single institution, observed in four cases, particularly in municipalities bordering with El Salvador and Guatemala. The SNA results reveal a spatial misalignment, where only 9% of interventions linked to climate-change adaptation are conducted in the highly vulnerable, outlying zones located farthest from the capital. The study highlights the need for improved coordination and strategic prioritization of interventions in the most vulnerable municipalities within the Honduras dry corridor, specifically improvement in collaborative actions, use of resources, and setting strategic priorities in regions where future demand will require progressively mobilizing institutional capabilities. By identifying the current gaps and misalignments in institutional actions, this research provides valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders to enhance collaborative efforts to ensure that climate-change adaptation measures effectively target the most vulnerable areas.

Do universities have the articulation of college programmes in mind when reviewing their academic curricula?

In order to articulate academic programmes from college to university effectively, the curricula of the two institutional structures must be aligned. Studies show that this is not always the case, despite the existence of national and sectoral policies that are intended to promote alignment. In grappling with this reality, this study explored the level of interface of academic programmes between TVET (technical and vocational education and training) colleges and a comprehensive university in South Africa. It also investigated whether, and the extent to which, university policies and actors considered college programmes during their curriculum-review processes. Document analysis and semi-structured interviews were used to gather qualitative data. It was found that, instead of considering college curricula, curriculum review was driven by professional bodies, market demands and relevance. Moreover, institutional actors did not have the required agency to engage with the current misalignment of college–university academic programmes or curricula. The implication is that, while necessary, university policies for promoting academic curricula for articulation and programme interface are not adequate for resolving the problem of the misalignment between college and university curricula. To facilitate the interests of agents in articulation, the articulation officers at institutions of higher learning must ensure that articulation policies are in place in departments and that curriculum designers and related stakeholders are imbued with articulation principles during the review and realignment of curricula.

EU Regulatory Polity 3.0 for Compliance with the Rule of Law: When Depoliticising Goals Lead to Uneven Politicisation

Abstract Since limiting judicial independence in Hungary and Poland, the politics of the rule of law crisis have been examined by various scholars discussing conflicts within and between EU and domestic institutions. The rule of law is no longer a purely national affair – it is of high political salience both for the Member States and the EU polity. The question addressed here is: how has the rule of law crisis reshaped the EU’s modes of governance? We argue that to safeguard this common value, the EU is evolving into a regulatory polity (3.0). This development marks a shift from Majone’s EU regulatory state’s focus on regulating markets (1.0) and regulation in core state powers in times of crises (2.0) to regulation on the core values of the polity (3.0). The article shows that in a context of growing dissensus over the rule of law, EU institutional actors have sought to strengthen “rulemaking,” “rule monitoring” and “rule enforcement” through a regulatory approach anchored in a market logic. It also shows that shifting from the traditional regulatory state 1.0 to regulation in core state powers 2.0, the regulatory polity 3.0 strengthens the EU’s institutional capacity to act when the rule of law is under strain through depoliticised “rule monitoring” and politicised “rulemaking“ and “rule enforcement“ as illustrated in the cases of Hungary and Poland discussed in this article.

Associations between study conditions and students’ mental health: Results from the StudiBiFra study

Abstract Background Study conditions are relevant for university students’ mental health and well-being. Previous research identified single factors associated with mental health, but it remains unclear, which study conditions at higher education institutions should be priority targets for institutional action. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of students’ satisfaction with their study conditions and to analyse their associations with students’ mental health. Methods The cross-sectional StudiBiFra study encompasses data from 24,533 students across 13 higher education institutions in Germany. Data was collected between June 2021 and March 2023 using the Bielefeld Questionnaire on Study Conditions and (Mental) Health. Students rated study conditions in 22 domains and four scales of mental health outcomes. Mean scores for all scales were calculated and linear regressions were used to analyse bivariate associations. Results All domains of study conditions were associated with all domains of students’ men-tal health with regression coefficients ranging from r = 0.21 to r = 0.78. The more satisfied students were with their study conditions, the higher the reported well-being, and the lower the depressive symptoms, cognitive stress symptoms, and exhaustion. The highest associations were found for the domains of study conditions “examinations and academic achievements”, “time requirements”, and “fit of course content/competency development” with highest re-gression coefficients for the outcome of exhaustion. Conclusions The findings reveal significant moderate to high associations for all assessed study conditions with students’ mental health. Institutional action should focus on these study conditions by emphasising topics such as applying competencies during studies and good co-ordination of content and examinations. Thus, decreasing student burden and time pressure has the potential to promote mental well-being. Key messages • Study conditions are significantly associated with students’ mental health. • Higher education institutions should focus on study conditions to promote students’ mental well-being.

The role of governance in shaping health system reform: a case study of the design and implementation of new health regions in Ireland, 2018–2023

Abstract Background This study focuses on the development of new regional health structures in Ireland in the period 2018-2023, one part of a broader health system reform programme aimed at greater universalism, in order to scrutinise how aspects of governance impact on the reform process, from policy design through to implementation. Methods This qualitative, multi-method study draws on document analysis of official documents relevant to the reform process, as well as twelve semi-structured interviews with key informants from across the health sector. Interviews were analysed according to thematic analysis methodology. Conceiving governance as comprising five domains (Transparency, Accountability, Participation, Integrity, Capacity) the research uses the TAPIC framework for health governance as a conceptual starting point and as initial, deductive analytic categories for data analysis. Results The analysis reveals important lessons for policymakers across the five TAPIC domains of governance. These include deficiencies in accountability arrangements, poor transparency within the system and vis-à-vis external stakeholders and the public, and periods during which a lack of clarity in terms of roles and responsibilities for various process and key decisions related to the reform were identified. Inadequate resourcing of implementation capacity, competing policy visions and changing decision-making arrangements, among others, were found to have originated in and continuously reproduced a lack of trust between key institutional actors. Conclusions Large scale health system reform is a complex process and its governance presents distinct challenges and opportunities for stakeholders. To understand and be able to address these, and to move beyond formulaic prescriptions, critical analysis of the historical context surrounding the policy reform and the institutional relationships at its core are needed

Governance and health system reform: a case study of new health regions in Ireland, 2018-2023

Abstract Background While the significance of good governance is recognised within health systems research, its role in health system reform is underexplored. This research focuses on the establishment of new decentralised regional health structures in Ireland in the period 2018-2023, examining how aspects of governance impacted the decentralisation reform process, from policy design through to implementation. Methods The research applied a qualitative, multi-method approach involving analysis of official documents relevant to the regional decentralisation process, and 12 semi-structured interviews with key informants from across the health sector. The research applies the TAPIC framework for health governance as its analytic framework and the data is analysed using thematic analysis. Results Deficiencies in accountability arrangements, poor transparency within the system and vis-à-vis external stakeholders, and a lack of clarity of roles and responsibilities for various process and key decisions related to the reform were identified as undermining progress at various stages of Ireland’s decentralisation reform process. An underlying distrust between key institutional actors was identified. These findings are grounded in complex social, cultural, and political and institutional developments in Ireland’s history. Also of note is the interwovenness of the five TAPIC domains and the importance of engaging with the complexity and relationality intrinsic to health system reform processes to achieve the aim(s) of the reform in question. Conclusions Large scale health system reform is a complex process and its governance presents distinct challenges and opportunities for stakeholders. To understand and address these, critical analysis of the historical context surrounding the policy reform and the institutional relationships at its core are needed. Key messages • Governance plays a crucial if overlooked role in health systems reform. Effective governance arrangements are central to the successful design and implementation of reform initiatives. • Ensuring a strong link between policy design and implementation processes is crucial to the success of health systems reform.

The European Union agenda in Erdogan’s argumentative discourse: an analysis of the ideational sources and interactive functions of political reasoning

ABSTRACT This article presents the findings of an in-depth analysis of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s position and argumentation regarding the European Union (EU). The study explores the ideational sources (cognitive and normative) and interactive functions (communicative and coordinative) of his foreign policy discourse. We argue that Erdogan instrumentalises and politicises foreign policy discourse for the coordinative function of political mobilisation. First, Erdogan’s dual approach is shaped by his leadership roles (president versus party chairperson), his target audience (national versus international), and timing (election versus non-election periods), with Euroscepticism and antagonistic argumentation featuring prominently in his discourse. Second, as party chairperson, Erdogan employs nationalist chauvinism, a normative source shared by relevant institutional actors, to fulfil a coordinative function. Third, cognitive dissonance stemming from his positional dichotomy, alongside misrepresenting actors and processes, allows him a blame strategy, framed by accusations of 1) double standards, 2) the EU’s miscalculation, 3) pacta sunt servanda, and 4) the actions of ‘certain’ member states.

From Institutions to the Platform Society: An Interdisciplinary Reading of Recent Works by Roberto Esposito

In recent years, reflection on institutions has assumed great prominence in Italian Theory. Roberto Esposito especially, in his three most recent books, has provided a genealogy of institutions, aimed at challenging the prevailing way in which they have been thematized in Western thought. As he sees it, a repressive conception of institutions has dominated in philosophy as well as in sociology and legal studies, which views them as apparatuses that limit the free expansion of individual instincts and life itself. Following an original hermeneutic path, the Italian philosopher seeks to pull through strands of thought that understand the concepts of institution and life to be mutually implicated rather than opposed to each other. This article starts from Roberto Esposito’s work on institutions, clarifying its meaning and perspective. It then draws connections between Esposito’s instituent thought and a few focal points of contemporary sociological thought on institutions. Specifically, it analyzes how Esposito’s post-normative perspective presents similarities with the ‘cognitive turn’ in the institutional thought of new institutionalism, among other sociological schools. The article concludes by showing that Esposito’s work and its connections with sociological thought enable one to reflect critically on a number of practices spawned in the ‘platform society’ by new institutional actors such as Big Tech.

In pursuit of ignorance: The institutional assault on disinformation and hate speech research

This article examines ongoing efforts to discourage disinformation and hate speech research in the U.S. These initiatives originate from a variety of institutional actors, including digital platforms, congressional committees, state attorneys general, and advocacy organizations. It employs the conceptual framework of agnotology, which refers to the study of deliberate culturally or politically induced ignorance. Through an analysis of over 1,800 pages of primary documents, it identifies the strategic approaches employed, the outcomes, and the broader democratic implications associated with these efforts to create and maintain knowledge gaps in the disinformation and hate speech arenas.

Understanding right-wing populists’ anti-abortion politics in Turkey: The symbolic violence of the state

This study investigates how symbolic violence is shaping anti-abortion stances associated with legitimising right-wing populist policies. The prominent questions are as follows: What are the institutional and politico-administrative mechanisms that are impacting anti-abortion politics in terms of material and symbolic violence? How and to what extent does anti-abortion politics influence the interplay between symbolic and material state violence? The study argues that reproduction-centred policies and material and symbolic violence have intensified through anti-abortion politics in the discursive context of the social reproduction crisis in Turkey. It explores the institutional actions and the legitimation mechanisms of anti-abortion policies in relation to the penetration of right-wing populist politics after the authoritarian turn of 2010. This qualitative case study uses critical discourse analysis. It interprets the public speeches of representatives of the government and documentary data concerning the ruling party’s programmes, development plans and relevant legislation. The research provides a gendered perspective on the anti-abortion policies that anchor right-wing populism in terms of the crisis of social reproduction. It also contributes to critical state theory and pre-existing feminist scholarship on right-wing populism.

Adherence to Preoperative Fasting Guidelines in Elective Surgical Patients.

Preoperative fasting is recommended by international guidelines as a means to minimize the risk of aspiration of gastric content during induction of anesthesia or surgery. Prolonged preoperative fasting is, however, discouraged due to the associated side effects such as dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, which can negatively impact recovery after surgery. An initial quality improvement study revealed poor implementation of the best practice guidelines on preoperative fasting in three departments of a hospital and an institutional action plan was devised to enforce adherence to these guidelines. This present study aimed to assess compliance with the action plan and for that matter, adherence to international consensus on preoperative fasting in three surgical departments. Adult patients undergoing elective cardiac, thoracic, and vascular surgery at a university teaching hospital were surveyed over four months (September October, November, and December of 2023). Data on the length of preoperative fasting was collected using a standardized questionnaire. A total of 306 patients who were scheduled for elective surgery were included in the study. Of the 306 patients, 139 (45.4%) had vascular surgeries, 108 (35.4%) received cardiac surgeries, and 59 (19.3%) had thoracic surgeries. For clear fluids, the overall median fasting time (Q1, Q3) was 4.5 (2.7, 7.4) hours, and for solid food, 14.5 (12.1, 19.0) hours. Extended abstinence from clear fluids and solid food for more than 12 hours was observed in 43 (14.1%) and 231 (75.5%) instances, respectively, while abstinence from solid food for more than 24 hours was noticed in 40 (13.1%)cases. When compared to patients having operations in the morning, those scheduled for afternoon surgery had longer median fasting periods from clear fluids and solid food, p<0.001: 6.2 (4.0, 12.0) hours vs. 3.4 (2.0, 5.2) hours for clear fluids and 16.7 (12.6, 22.6) hours vs. 13.2 (9.6, 15.2) hours for solid food, respectively. Patients continue to abstain from clear fluids and solid food for extended periods of time, despite the fact that there is worldwide agreement regarding shorter periods of preoperative fasting. Compared to patients undergoing morning surgery, individuals hospitalized for afternoon procedures were more likely to fast for extended periods of time.

A Stakeholder Perspective on Diversity Within Organizations

Research on the influence of internal and external stakeholders on diversity outcomes within organizations has grown in the past decade. Across multiple macro and micro theoretical domains, this body of research has examined various diversity outcomes at different organizational levels. Through an integrative review of literature from management, sociology, psychology, and entrepreneurship, we highlight the channels and pathways of influence and the underlying mechanisms through which four major stakeholder groups—organizational actors, resource exchange partners, institutional actors, and societal forces—impact diversity outcomes in organizations. We discuss future research directions, empirical and conceptual, and present a promising path for future studies to unpack the complex relationships between stakeholders and organizations regarding diversity issues, particularly at the intersection of multiple stakeholders and diversity aspects.

Advancing gender equality in international ocean science: Participatory approaches for institutional actions

Gender inequality in international marine and ocean science is an ongoing barrier to ocean governance sustainability goals and requires systemic institutional transformation. Examining how participatory approaches can be applied at international level and contribute to advancing a gender equality agenda can help identify pathways for change. This study uses a timeline of a feminist participatory action research (FPAR) to explore its application within the International Council of the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), working with its community of marine science professionals, to advance gender equality. By documenting and mapping formal and informal actions against a theory of change, the research reveals that stages of awareness, understanding, and action are dynamic and overlap. Despite varying degrees of short-term acceptance and resistance, ongoing community engagement, monitoring, and evaluation is essential for fostering longer-term change. The analysis demonstrates how FPAR can be applied in an intergovernmental organization, with multiple factors, including drivers, data collection, co-creation through dialogue, and specific actions contributing to driving a change agenda and the formulation and publication of a gender equality plan for the organization. The results demonstrate that meaningful actions can occur at various scales, with participatory engagement as central. The results provide evidence of how gender equality as a global meta-norm is diffused into practice and are discussed in the context of the limitations of formal gender equality plans to realize change.

Gender and ethnolinguistic lawfare

This article treats the concept of lawfare in relation to gender and ethnolinguistic identities, examining how legal systems are employed to perpetuate power imbalances and suppress marginalized communities. By focusing on various case studies and theoretical frameworks, the study explores the role of ideologies and how moral panic and moral injury manifest in legal responses to gender nonconforming individuals, women, and ethnolinguistic minorities. The article critiques how the law is weaponized as a tool of oppression, particularizing in areas such as language rights, gender equality, and access to justice. Through an interdisciplinary approach, the authors demonstrate how legal frameworks and institutional actions often reinforce societal norms that exclude vulnerable groups, rather than protecting them. As a framework to the special issue Gender and Ethnolinguistic Lawfare, this article offers a critical perspective on the relationship between law, identity, and power, contributing to a deeper understanding of how the rule of law perpetuates or challenges social hierarchies.

‘What we give up to get where we’re going’: compromise in the institutionalizing of youth peace advocacy

ABSTRACT In 2015, the UN Security Council unanimously passed Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS), formalizing an agenda for positive youth participation in peace and security. However, youth peace activists have been leading peacebuilding long before this institutional recognition. This article explores the dynamics of how advocates and institutional actors conceptualize and negotiate compromise. To do this, it draws on in-depth interviews with youth and adult YPS advocates, a critical analysis of documents related to the agenda, and extended participant observation. It explores and develops a notion of a field of youth-oriented peacebuilding, drawing on Bourdieu. This makes visible a more complex field of struggle, showing how compromise can help explain how youth actively negotiate their participation in formalized agendas and persist in their own peacebuilding ambitions. It argues for a more nuanced understanding of compromise to understand the affordances and limitations of youth agency and institutional agendas.