Institutional Actors Research Articles

Why you shouldn’t serve meat at your next catered event

Much has been written about the ethics of eating meat. Far less has been said about the ethics of serving meat. In this paper I argue that we often shouldn’t serve meat, even if it is morally permissible for individuals to purchase and eat meat. Historically, the ethical conversation surrounding meat has been limited to individual diets, meat producers, and government actors. I argue that if we stop the conversation there, then the urgent moral problems associated with industrial animal agriculture will go unsolved. Instead, we must also consider the important but overlooked role that midsized institutions play in addressing major collective problems. I focus mostly on the harms that industrial animal agriculture inflicts on humans, animals, and the environment, but the discussion bears on other global issues like climate change. Institutional choices are an underexplored avenue for driving social change—their power and influence outstrip individual actions, and they can shape behavior in modest ways that promote social goods. Here I highlight the paradigmatic case of catered events and suggest three ways that institutional actors can reduce meat consumption and shape cultural attitudes surrounding meat: large impact decisions, subtly shaping incentives, and consolidating burdens.

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

BackgroundEffective governance arrangements are central to the successful functioning of health systems. While the significance of governance as a concept is acknowledged within health systems research, its interplay with health system reform initiatives remains underexplored in the literature. 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.MethodsThis 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.ResultsThe 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. The findings highlight how these challenges can be addressed through strengthening governance arrangements and processes. Importantly, the research reveals the interwoven nature of the five TAPIC dimensions of governance and the need to engage with the complexity and relationality of health system reform processes.ConclusionsLarge 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.

Roses and Thorns: Counterstories of First-Generation Latinx Faculty Pathways to and Through Doctoral Education and Into the Professoriate

ABSTRACT First-generation Latinx faculty representing various institutional types (i.e., research-intensive, public, private, and community college) share counterstories of their educational experiences of doctoral programs and the professoriate. Guided by funds of knowledge framework, we share counterstories from lived experiences, revealing “roses and thorns” of being first-generation graduates and navigating the journey to and through faculty life. We share recommendations for Latinx scholars interested in the professoriate, including those transitioning from student affairs administration into faculty roles or dual roles as administrators and faculty. We also offer recommendations for institutional actors interested in recruiting, holistically supporting, and retaining their first-generation Latinx faculty.

Consumption loans consuming homes: intersections of housing precarity and personal overindebtedness

Housing precarity as a condition referring to housing insecurity and unaffordability has been on the rise over the last decade across Europe and beyond. While various studies discuss the character of housing precarity and its links to (subprime) mortgage loans, the role of specific moral economies of debt in enacting housing policies which reinforce housing precarity is less developed in relation to other kinds of loans or the experience of debt enforcement. This article analyses fifty narrative interviews—thirty with debtors and twenty with institutional actors—and employs a processual methodology to highlight the performativity of personal debt and local housing policies. Performativity, enacted and modulated by moral economies of effort, (un)deservingness and (ir)responsibility, contributes to the remaking of housing precarity among indebted people, creating a vicious housing precarity-indebtedness loop. In the conclusion, we highlight the contingent and selective application of local housing policies which exclude the overindebted from municipal housing and discuss possible political and policy actions for overcoming the housing governance which generates this precarity.

Urban Development and Climate Change: Implications for Educational Tourism Destination Planning

Global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions, transportation, and the transformation of land use caused by population growth is a critical problem that requires immediate and urgent interventions, especially in popular tourism destinations where the impact on quality of life is intense. In recent years, while new urban developments have been carried out for higher education institutions, less attention has been paid to the environmental implications of such expansions. Surprisingly, despite a growing interest in climate change action in educational institutions, little is known about the link between Land Surface Temperature (LST) variability and Surface Urban Heat Island (SUHI) of university campuses and their host communities. To fill the gaps mentioned earlier, this study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the spatial and temporal variability of the SUHI and the LST within a university campus and its surrounding urban environment. Using Sentinel 3 images and the TsHARP algorithm, the LST was determined, the SUHI was calculated, and the hot spots were obtained in an educational tourism hub; Famagusta, Cyprus. The Panel Data and ANOVA techniques were used for the subsequent analysis of the findings. Findings indicated that due to its low-rise buildings and large green areas, the studied campus not only had little contribution to the creation of SUHI but even minimized its effects on the urban areas attached to it. These findings provide valuable implications for authorities in standardizing criteria for future university establishments.

Global Landscape of the Attack of Predatory Journals in Oncology.

Open-access publishing expanded opportunities to give visibility to research results but was accompanied by the proliferation of predatory journals (PJos) that offer expedited publishing but potentially compromise the integrity of research and peer review. To our knowledge, to date, there is no comprehensive global study on the impact of PJos in the field of oncology. A 29 question-based cross-sectional survey was developed to explore knowledge and practices of predatory publishing and analyzed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression. Four hundred and twenty-six complete responses to the survey were reported. Almost half of the responders reported feeling pressure to publish from supervisors, institutions, and funding and regulatory agencies. The majority of authors were contacted by PJos through email solicitations (67.8%), with fewer using social networks (31%). In total, 13.4% of the responders confirmed past publications on PJo, convinced by fast editorial decision time, low article-processing charges, limited peer review, and for the promise of academic boost in short time. Over half of the participants were not aware of PJo detection tools. We developed a multivariable model to understand the determinants to publish in PJos, showing a significant correlation of practicing oncology in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and predatory publishing (odds ratio [OR], 2.02 [95% CI, 1.01 to 4.03]; P = .04). Having previous experience in academic publishing was not protective (OR, 3.81 [95% CI, 1.06 to 13.62]; P = .03). Suggestions for interventions included educational workshops, increasing awareness through social networks, enhanced research funding in LMICs, surveillance by supervisors, and implementation of institutional actions against responsible parties. The prevalence of predatory publishing poses an alarming problem in the field of oncology, globally. Our survey identified actionable risk factors that may contribute to vulnerability to PJos and inform guidance to enhance research capacity broadly.

Coding regimes of possession. An essay on land, property, and law

ABSTRACT Regimes of possession are constituted by rules of property. This includes the asset, rights subjects, and institutions of public authority. They are all coded in specific ways, and they connect to each other. When governments engage with land, they recode the constituent parts of the regime, engaging in property, subject, and even state formation. Yet, in a context of legal and institutional pluralism, many institutions and actors with varying degrees of relative autonomy and legitimacy make up the field of land struggle. All engage in coding of possession. Governments, claim to act within the law when they grant or dispossess citizens of land. Likewise, people aim to legitimate land claims through reference to law in creative ways. Examples show how different repertoires of legalization conspire with efforts to recode different constituent elements of possession into dispossession.

The importance of education and role of educational institutions in climate change mitigation and achieving UN SDG 13 Climate Action

Climate change is a long-term shift in weather patterns driven by natural and human activities, leading to global warming and extreme weather events. Education - both formal and informal, plays a crucial role in climate change mitigation by enhancing awareness, fostering critical thinking, and promoting sustainable practices. It equips individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand the complexities of climate change and engage them in informed decision-making. Education also promotes innovation and solutions, supports policy and advocacy, builds resilience, and empowers vulnerable populations. Climate change mitigation strategies align with Sustainable Development Goal 13 (SDG 13) “Climate Action”, but they also present synergies and trade-offs with other SDGs. Large-scale implementation of technologies can positively impact economic growth and job creation, but environmental issues linked to mineral extraction can detract from other SDGs. Careful management is essential to balance these interactions and minimize trade-offs. Educational institutions play a crucial role in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 13 (SDG 13) by fostering knowledge, research, advocacy, and sustainable practices. They contribute to climate education and awareness through curriculum development, research and innovation, leadership and institutional action, policy advocacy, capacity building, community engagement, ethical and sustainable values education, and monitoring and reporting. Higher education institutions can integrate climate change education into curricula, equipping students with the necessary skills to address environmental challenges. They can also promote global citizenship and empower individuals to contribute to climate solutions. By incorporating multidisciplinary approaches, educational institutions can bridge gaps in climate education and promote innovative solutions to mitigate climate impacts.

Beyond the land of the living death: early-stage transformational entrepreneurs in digital healthcare as liminality navigator

PurposeThe lean startup approach (LSA) is extensively utilized by early-stage entrepreneurs, with “pivot” serving as a key pillar. However, there is a research gap concerning the boundary conditions impacting LSA and pivot decisions, especially when addressing societal challenges, as in the context of transformational entrepreneurship. In this regard, the healthcare sector, further compounded by a lack of research on startups and scale-ups, presents an embraced opportunity to provide multiple contributions for both theory and practice.Design/methodology/approachThe present investigation employs a grounded approach to explore the experiences of the co-founders of a fast-growing Italian e-health startup. A narrative strategy was employed to organize conditions and evolving strategic action/interactions into three different pivoting phases of the startup – before the pivot, its enactment and aftermath – with primary and secondary data collected over a period of one year.FindingsPivoting in digital healthcare unfolded as a liminal experience marked by factors such as high regulation, multiple stakeholders, technological and symbolic ambivalence, resource-intensive demands and institutional actors acting as pathway pioneers, leading to an information overload and unforeseeable uncertainty to manage. These factors challenge entrepreneurs' ability to attain optimal distinctiveness, presenting the paradoxical need for vertical flexibility for scaling up.Social implicationsBy uniquely illuminating the sector’s constraints on entrepreneurial phenomena, this study provides a valuable guide for entrepreneurs and institutional actors in addressing societal challenges.Originality/valueThis study introduces a process model of transformational information crafting when pivoting, highlighting the role of entrepreneurs' transformational stance and platform-mediated solutions as engines behind strategies involving information breaking and transition, preceding knowledge-driven integration strategies.

Perpetrators in multimodal media discourse: a case study of personalization in images from The Telegraph

The article deals with the visual and linguistic representation of alleged perpetrators through personalization in news reporting from The Telegraph’s online media platform. The analysis shows how visual message, along with verbal labelling in the text, represent different groups of alleged perpetrators as more or less ‘dangerous’ in news reports. Agency is analyzed through a focus on the lens range and its influence on perceived social distance, the angle of the shot and its role in the understanding of social relations, as well as the direction of an alleged perpetrator’s gaze in images as a way of social interaction with the viewer. The photos of alleged perpetrators appear in The Telegraph with the aim of informing the public about the danger these individuals pose, as well as legitimizing the actions of law enforcement institutions. It appears that verbal and visual identification of these individuals is done with the intention of ‘excluding’ the most dangerous social actors, such as ‘murderers’, from ingroups.

Attributing extreme weather to climate change: State Park employees as institutional actors

AbstractResearchers in environmental psychology celebrate the potential for state and national parks to inspire civic engagement in the issue of climate change. Yet, prevailing conceptions of nature may reflect ongoing colonial concerns, such that parks may represent a space to avoid thinking about—rather than reckon with—escalating ecological crises. In this paper, we approach the topic of climate change in state parks from a perspective informed by decolonial theory. In particular, we report a mixed‐methods study with (N = 51) employees at parks in Kansas and throughout the United States regarding the extra‐individual factors that impact their tendency to subjectively attribute extreme weather to climate change. Findings indicate that park employees were less likely to attribute extreme weather to climate change in parks with (1) less institutional support for climate change mitigation, and (2) increased presence of white conservatives. Responses to a question about the purpose of parks and open‐ended reflections reveal that employees conceive of parks as a space for recreation wherein their primary role in relation to visitors is to supply “fun” and “natural” experiences for consumption. We reflect on conceptions of parks and nature and discuss a conception of parks better suited to confront the escalating ecological crisis.

A Historical Overview on Fulfillment of the Right to Basic Education Among Albanians from Middle Ages to Beginning of The Last Decade of the XX Century

Albanians are among the peoples of the Balkans who for centuries have faced the denial of the right to be educated in their native language. The attitude and action of the Ottoman occupier for the prohibition of education in the Albanian language in all Albanian regions during all occupational period was added the effect of the prohibitive action of the religious institutions and neighboring countries that aimed at the territorial annexation of Albania. The realization of the right to education in the Albanian language among Albanian people has been one of the main objectives of the Albanian National Movement for freedom and independence. The declaration of independence also marks the beginning of education in the Albanian language for Albanians as a public right. The decisions of the Vlora government were the first important efforts to realize this right. Economic and social development, the level of culture and traditions, the heritage related to long period under occupation, the geopolitical factors and developments in the first half of the century XX do not promote the process for the development of the basic education system in Albania. At the end of the second world war, Albania was the country with the highest level of illiteracy in the Balkan region. The development of the education system has been one of the main priorities of the Government in the period after the second world war. The right to education was defined as a constitutional right and basic education as a legal obligation for every Albanian citizen. During the period of the dictatorship of the proletariat, the main characteristic of the education system in Albania was its high level of ideologization. Received: 25 December 2023 / Accepted: 25 February 2024 / Published: 23 April 2024

Representation of employers on the quality of vocational training of pedagogical specialists

Relevance. The article delves into the evaluation of professional training quality targeting pedagogical experts, specifically graduates from technical and vocational education, as outlined in the theoretical studies of both foreign and Kazakh scholars. The effectiveness of social partnership is measured by the following legitimate indicators: collaborative efforts to identify the future pedagogue's competencies, joint oversight of institutional actions, and the adaptability and fluidity in student assignments. Purpose. The purpose of this article is to investigate the quality of preparation and competence levels of graduates from technical and vocational education. The study aims to shed light on the deficiencies in the professional development of educators, the underwhelming competence levels of pedagogy students, and the challenges faced by graduates in securing high-wage employment opportunities. Methodology. The article drew upon existing literature, scholarly articles, and sources to gather theoretical insights. The survey instrument was developed to capture data on the future pedagogue's competencies. Results. The research offers both quantitative and qualitative insights from a survey conducted among groups associated with educational endeavours. This survey highlights an encouraging trend in their evaluations of training quality and the potential growth of graduates. Conclusions. The need for teachers has dramatically increased and the birth rate in the country has increased as well. Consequently, the demand in teachers is very high by now. Keywords: high school; students with a teaching focus; community collaboration; business stakeholders; learning institutions.

Institution level awarding gap metrics for identifying educational inequity: useful tools or reductive distractions?

AbstractEquity is increasingly seen as a core value for higher education systems around the world. (In)equity is often measured through construction of achievement gaps, quantifying the relative outcomes of two populations of students. Institution-level gaps are embedded in the policy landscape of HE, becoming performance metrics in their own right. These gap metrics increasingly inform the actions of governments, regulators, institutions and educators. This theoretical article scrutinises the technical and conceptual construction of achievement gaps through using the dominant UK conception of the institution level degree classification ‘awarding gap’. Drawing on Adam’s Equity Theory of Motivation, Rawls’s Distributive Justice and the Capability Approach as theoretical perspectives, I highlight multiple structural weaknesses in the conception of the awarding gap. I illustrate the implications of this metric by analysing simulated awarding gap data for a fictional institution, and through the perspectives of five idealised stakeholders. I identify multiple technical and theoretical limitations of the institution level awarding gap metric, including examples where the threshold-based nature of the awarding gap fails to capture statistical differences between groups, thereby undermining its utility in identifying inequity. I call on the sector to develop metrics that more accurately capture (in)equity of outcomes and align better with theoretical frameworks, thereby creating more powerful explanatory metrics that can inform meaningful action.

Framing Corequisite Reform: Examining Staff Perceptions and Buy-in of a Statewide Dev-ed Reform Mandate

ABSTRACT States and colleges nationwide are adopting corequisite reforms, where students assessed as not meeting college-readiness standards concurrently enroll in developmental and college-level coursework. Leveraging frame analysis—an approach drawn from collective action research—and interviews with 49 actors at 16 community colleges implementing a statewide corequisite mandate, we examine how institutional actors construct meaning of the status quo and reformed dev-ed systems and how they assign responsibility for solving identified problems. Examining the microprocesses experienced by institutional agents may explain the lack of buy-in among college personnel responsible for implementing dev-ed reform—surprising given growing evidence of the effectiveness of corequisites—and variation in reform take-up. Our findings on the frames used by implementing actors illuminate individual-level processes underlying lags in reform implementation and, for policymakers and administrators, can inform potential counterframes to spur further action and overcome resistance.

A systematic review of the socio-cultural and economic value of Ghanaian weaving art tradition

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the value of Ghanaian weaving art tradition to humanity from socio-cultural and economic points of view. This study sought to answer questions such as “What is the interest of researchers regarding Ghanaian textile weaving art tradition?”, “To what extent has weaving art tradition projected the Ghanaian culture?” and “What is the socio-economic value of Ghanaian weaving art tradition?” Design/methodology/approach The systematic literature review approach was used to analyse data obtained from the Scopus online database. The PRISMA framework was adopted to select 22 relevant studies for analysis and conclusions. Also, the VOSviewer software was used to analyse and understand the co-occurrence of keywords. Findings It was revealed that Ghanaian weaving art tradition stands as a major craft that projects Ghana globally. Researchers around the world keep adding knowledge on Ghanaian traditional weaving and its value to humanity, resulting in a significant rise recently in the publication trend. Also, the rich cloth from the art is celebrated annually to invite people around the globe to learn the Ghanaian culture for social development. This study again found that traditional weaving serves as a major source of income for weavers and marketers of indigenous Ghanaian woven fabrics. Practical implications The findings of this study serve as a wake-up call to the Government of Ghana, institutional actors and national leaders to practically engage in the projection of the local art by playing individual roles such as financially supporting the craftsmen, initiating and implementing appropriate policies and displaying the local cloth on international occasions. This will make the local art more attractive for effective marketing and cultural preservation. Originality/value With reliable information extracted from the Scopus online database, this study presents original results and makes appropriate suggestions worth adopting for the improvement of the Ghanaian weaving art tradition.

Hip Hop, Social Reproduction, and the Possible Selves of Young Black Men

Twenty-seven years ago, the documentary Hoop Dreams solidified a theory—that the world of athletics was one of the few places where adolescent Black males could find success. By the late 1990s, researchers were framing athletics as the next direction in the Civil Rights Movement. In this article, I argue that the historical framing of Black boys in athletics—as a way up, a way out—is similar to the contemporary framing of Black boys in Hip Hop Based Education (HHBE). Using an ethnographic case example of the Homeboys, a group of adolescent Black males experiencing homelessness, I maintain that HHBE, without critical implementation and reflection, limits the possible selves of Black boys in socially reproductive ways. Unlike Hoop Dreams, which historically created an incentive to stay invested in formal educational settings, HHBE offers little “possible selves” development for young Black men. This research asserts that if HHBE, and the myriad ways Hip Hop is taken up in formal and informal educational settings is not dually paired with the critical process of institutional actors envisioning all the possible selves that black boys can become, then it becomes another hegemonic socially reproductive tool wielded by educators.

The Cumulative Effects of Marketized Care

Abstract Care is increasingly marketized. Previous marketing and consumer research has focused on specific tensions underlying marketized care provision and the ways in which consumers navigate them. In contrast, this conceptual article draws on interdisciplinary research on care to develop a cumulative understanding of marketized care, that is, based on those effects that build up over time when a critical mass of consumers routinely addresses care needs via markets. Defining marketized care as attending to the welfare needs of human and nonhuman others through the market, we identify four negative cumulative effects: individuating effects on consumer subjectivities, alienating effects on care relationships, responsibilizing effects on consumers as opposed to other institutional actors of care provision, and exploitative effects generated in global care and supply chains. We also outline four principles that can mitigate these effects: interdependent consumer autonomy, affective reconnections, proportionate responsibilization, and market reconfiguration. Our conceptualization moves the literature on marketized care forward by outlining its cumulative nature as well as offering potential solutions that are neither demonizing nor celebratory of markets. In doing so, we offer a series of generative insights for research on marketized care that contribute to addressing collective human and nonhuman flourishing.

Towards the environment of legitimacy: Do the institutional quality and policy uncertainty matter for the performance of stock markets of South Asian countries?

PurposeThis paper assesses the environment of legitimacy by determining the role of institutional quality and policy uncertainty on the performance of five major South Asian stock markets (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal) using 21 years data from 2000 to 2020. The focus of this study is to approach the issue of the environment of legitimacy that leads to sustained market returns.Design/methodology/approachPanel cointegration tests of Kao and Pedroni are applied, and the Dynamic Panel Vector Autoregressive (PVAR) model is used to determine the estimates.FindingsADF P-Values of both Kao and Pedroni tests show that the panels are cointegrated; the statistical significance of the results of the Kao and Pedroni panel cointegration test confirms cointegration among the variables. After determining the most appropriate lag, the analysis is done using PVAR. The results indicate that institutional quality, policy uncertainty, and GDP positively affect stock market return. Meanwhile, government actions and inflation negatively affect stock market returns. On the other hand, stock market return positively affects institutional quality, government action, policy uncertainty, and GDP. While stock market return negatively affects inflation.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample is taken only from a limited number of South Asian countries, and the period is also limited to 21 years.Practical implicationsBased on our research findings, we have identified several policy implications recommended to enhance and sustain the performance of stock markets.Originality/valueThis paper uses a unique analytical tool, which gives a better insight into the problem. The value of this work lies in its findings, which also have practical implications and theoretical significance.

Does self‐organizing policy network provide effective waste services? An empirical evaluation of institutional collective action and transaction cost dilemmas

AbstractThis paper examines institutional collective action and transaction cost (TC) dilemmas in a self‐organizing policy network involving federal, state, and municipal agencies for waste services in a port and industrial park. A thematic analysis revealed dilemmas in: (a) vertical levels, which lack leadership in industrial waste management due to unclear responsibility delegation across government levels; (b) horizontal levels, reluctant to take responsibilities and define jurisdiction boundaries for efficient waste services; and (c) functional levels, which exhibit fragmented and unaligned action scopes. Transaction costs, stemming from a deficiency in expertise, infrastructure, and organized information regarding companies' waste management, hinder effective programs and policies. Without tackling these challenges and TCs through a governance framework that includes implementation strategies, monitoring, and institutional controls, the self‐organizing policy network is likely to remain stuck in collective institutional inertia.