Institutional Actors Research Articles

The last mile of policy design: the case of urban food waste intervention

This study investigates the dynamics and challenges in the specification of policy design at the micro level, when broad policy issues are translated into specific interventions. By conducting an in-depth case study of urban initiative dealing with food waste in Warsaw, we unravel the complex process of translating policy objectives into action. Our findings have three points. First, the dynamics of micro-level design provide a broad space for policy designers to make decisions that reshape both the understanding of the policy problem and the change strategies used to address it. Second, policy design can be both engineering and bricolage. It results from changes in context, political considerations, research evidence, and institutional actors’ pragmatic decisions. Third, the Theory of Change can be used as canvas to guide designers through this dynamic process. Future research is recommended to generalize our findings across different contexts and explore the roles of diverse stakeholders in the policy design process.

Divergence and convergence: The implications of shifting media consumption habits on the field of minority language media studies

This commentary assesses what impact the generational divergence of audience preferences alongside the platform convergence of content creators will have for minority language media outlets and researchers working in this subdiscipline. An overview of the history of minority language media studies depicts this in two waves – first with ‘traditional’ media forms, followed by a second wave with the emergence of social media as a mass form of speakers’ consumption and participation habits. The commentary then outlines the stark generational divergence of social media consumption which has bought TikTok and Instagram to the fore at the expense of Facebook and Twitter, followed by demonstrating institutional actors’ adoption of creating short-form audio-visual content directly for such emerging channels. The conclusions suggest a third wave of minority language media literature will face different challenges as a result, potentially leading to a possible switch towards qualitative over quantitative methods due to less publicly accessible data.

PARTISIPASI PEREMPUAN DALAM PROGRAM KAMPUNG IKLIM (PROKLIM) (Studi Kasus di Dusun Palasari Desa Sukahurip Kecamatan Cihaurbeuti Kabupaten Ciamis)

One of Indonesia's current development sectors is climate change control. Program Kampung Iklim was created, so that communities at the site level can carry out adaptation, mitigation, and institutional actions & sustainable support. Palasari hamlet is a ProKlim hamlet, but has low participation from the female population, so that achieving program sustainability is slightly hampered. The purpose of this study was to determine women's participation in the Program Kampung Iklim. The method used in this research is a case study with data collection through interviews, observation, and documentation. The results showed that women's participation went through 4 stages, (1) women's participation in ProKlim planning, including response participation such as asking questions in socialization activities and participation of tools and materials. (2) Women's participation in the implementation of ProKlim, there is participation of support, there is also participation of expertise and labor. (3) Women's participation in the utilization of ProKlim results, there is an increase in knowledge because it is reflected in the skills in utilizing yard land to improve food security. (4) Women's participation in the evaluation of ProKlim, namely by giving opinions/responses when the activities/programs have been implemented. ProKlim is a series of processes using the principle of empowerment, with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to create prosperity.

Legitimation Processes for a Branch Museum Development in a Post-Industrial City: The Louvre-Lens Museum in France

This research explores the legitimation processes underpinning the implementation of specific urban policies in cities grappling with socio-economic challenges, such as in a post-industrial context. Focusing on Europe, where public authorities are seeking to enhance the socio-economic dynamics of post-industrial cities through cultural initiatives like branch museums, our research is based on a historical study of media relating to the establishment in 2012 of the Louvre-Lens museum in northern France. Within this framework, we reveal how institutional actors have performed strategies of legitimation to develop the Louvre-Lens. Our findings underscore the confluence of two primary strategies – economic and cultural –in an effort to navigate the complexities and tensions inherent in establishing a cultural offer in a disadvantaged post-industrial region. We conclude with a discussion about the broader implications of these strategies within the realm of macromarketing. We provide practical recommendations for practitioners and policy makers involved in the development of branch museums.

Weakness of Political Will

In this paper I provide a preliminary account of weakness of political will (political akrasia). My aim is to use theories from the weakness of will literature as a guide to develop a model of the same phenomenon as it occurs in collective agents. Though the account will parallel the traditional view of weakness of will in individuals, weakness of political will is a distinctly political concept that will apply to group agents such as governments, institutional actors, and other political collectives. I further argue that blaming inaction by collective political agents on a “lack of political will” should be understood as blaming a kind of akratic break within the deliberative process, leading to an inability of the collective agent to capitalize on existing group attitudes in order to translate them into policy or legislation. My primary example throughout will be U.S. political inaction with respect to the climate crisis.

Abstract 815: Leveraging clinical workflow for rapid integration of social needs assessment in a urologic oncology clinical practice

Abstract Introduction: Social determinants of health and resulting social needs are known to impact cancer care, yet characterization of social needs within a specific clinic’s population remains in its infancy. We aim to characterize early findings from social needs screening in patients seen in a tertiary urologic oncology clinic. Methods: Screening was conducted using survey questions about specific domains of social needs (e.g., financial strain, unmet transportation needs, and food insecurity) that were integrated into new patient and annual follow-up questionnaires for all patients seen within a urologic oncology faculty clinic, starting in January 2023. Screening items were rapidly implemented into workflow by taking advantage of existing processes. Clinical and demographic data and screening responses were abstracted from the electronic medical record. Summary statistics were calculated. P value<0.05 was deemed statistically significant. Results: A total of 2305 patients were included (4% Non-Hispanic Black, 11% Asian American, 8% Latinx, and 63% Non-Hispanic White). Responses increased from 30 in January to 399 in October. Respondent mean age was 67 years [standard deviation (SD) 12.3] with 87.8% identifying as male. Roughly 13% screened positive for at least one social need (one positive 8.1%, two positive 3.4%, three positive 1.2%) with variations by domain [transportation 3.6%, food insecurity 5.4%, 10.2%] and race and ethnicity (Figure 1, p<0.001 for all). Conclusions: By leveraging the existing clinical workflow, rapid uptake of social needs screening demonstrates variations by social needs domains and race and ethnicity within a urologic oncology patient population. These efforts represent institutional action towards characterizing the burdens faced by our patient population and inform the design of interventions to address social needs within the catchment area, to improve clinical care and clinical trial participation. Citation Format: Samuel L. Washington, Kim F. Rhoads, Peter R. Carroll, Salma Shariff-Marco, June M. Chan. Leveraging clinical workflow for rapid integration of social needs assessment in a urologic oncology clinical practice [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 815.

ICT's in the Chilean and Latin-American civil justice. Analysis from the right of access to justice

AbstractThe incorporation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the justice sector is not necessarily a new phenomenon. Nevertheless, the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated this process, as it required rapid solutions to mitigate the effects of social distancing and other security measures, for which ICTs proved crucial to ensure the continued provision of basic legal services. Initially used only for urgent matters, after two years it has become highly integrated into the regular functions of judicial institutions and is expected to continue as a critical tool against overburdened dockets. ICTs in the justice system can serve different purposes and can therefore be analyzed from different perspectives: efficiency in the administration of justice, interoperability between institutional actors, improvement of information for decision-makers, transparency and accountability, among others. This article focuses on access to justice. Therefore, it analyzes the ICTs implemented in Latin American countries, with a focus on the Chilean judiciary – particularly in the civil justice system – from a critical point of view, based on access to justice standards.

Sounds and Silences in the Migrant Wait: Soundscapes and the Racialization of Hearing in the Haitian Community in Tapachula

In its most primordial sense, listening is a form of social recognition.Drawing on this idea, this article reflects on sound, hearing, and the symbolic practices at the core of anti-immigration policies that reinforce silence toward and by immigrant communities. This article focuses on the Haitian community in Tapachula, Mexico, a city where refugees are forced to wait. It explores the categories of silence, noise, and racial beliefs about these immigrants –as well as the myriad feelings associated with them– on the part of institutional actors and humanitarian organizations.

Access to justice and multinational corporations: promoting privately driven transnational hybrid adjudication

Abstract This chapter focuses on the delivery of justice to victims of corporate conduct through privately driven transnational hybrid dispute resolution mechanisms. The advent of such mechanisms is now evident through the creation of Meta’s Oversight Board (‘OSB’). How to incorporate such privately driven justice mechanisms in more conventional forms of legal ordering is an important question constituting the central inquiry of this reflection. Via the example of the OSB, this chapter highlights how some content moderation disputes between Meta, one of the most powerful technology companies today, and its users is being resolved using innovative private adjudicative mechanisms. It is then argued that forums like the OSB should be deferred to. But only if the quality of justice provided is consistent with international standards. Where those standards are met, the broad circulation of decisions made by privately driven adjudicative mechanisms should be promoted. This requires proactive, outcome driven, and coordinated international institutional action.

Remedial, institutional or radical? Explaining community responses to violence against women in an NGO programme to prevent violence in Mumbai, India

Despite ambitions in development and global health policy to transform communities into supportive environments for women facing risks of violence, our understanding of how to best engage communities remains incomplete. In particular, there is little evidence on the types of strategies that communities employ to address violence against women (VAW). We aimed to describe and analyse the processes involved in community responses to incidents of VAW in a non-governmental organisation (NGO) violence prevention programme in Mumbai, India. We conducted a grounded theory study involving 30 focus group discussions and 36 semi-structured interviews with 113 community members and 9 NGO staff, as well as over 170 h of field observation. Informed by comparative case study methods, we compared community actions across six informal settlement neighbourhoods. We found considerable variation in the type of action taken across neighbourhoods. This variation was not arbitrary, but reflected systematic cost-benefit considerations in heterogeneous environments, accounting for factors such as trust in neighbours, violent (armed or gang-related) crime, and corruption in state institutions. We found that institutional action was only favoured in neighbourhoods with strong state capacity and high social capital, whilst remedial action—resolving violence through ‘private’ talks in the family and community—and radical action involving extra-judicial violence—became favourable under conditions of weak social capital or low state capacity. Institutional action was, however, sometimes as violent as radical action, as police were reported, sometimes even relied upon, by residents to use force against perpetrators of VAW. We argue that these contextual features oblige policymakers and prevention researchers to grapple with contentious issues such as the legitimate use of force by the state. We caution against maximising community action without a clear vision of the type of action hoped for.

Strategies for managing fungicide resistance in the Brazilian tropical agroecosystem: Safeguarding food safety, health, and the environmental quality

AbstractFungicide resistance is an alarming challenge for the Brazilian tropical agricultural systems, with major implications for food safety, human and animal health, as well as for the environment. This review explores strategies to address fungicide resistance within the Brazilian agroecosystem context. We examined historical and current scenarios of fungicide resistance in the Brazilian agroecosystems and the approaches to delay the emergence and mitigate the selection of resistant variants. Our review indicates that the prevalence of resistance in field populations of key plant pathogens in Brazil was due to failures in the implementation of preventive measures. To address this issue, alternative evolutionary-smart strategies against fungicide resistance are proposed, emphasizing institutional actions and public policies. Crucial steps involve strengthening national networks for large-scale foliar and seed fungicide efficacy testing and resistance monitoring, as well as imposing tighter restrictions on the labeling of high-risk single-active formulations. Additionally, the integration of non-chemical disease management strategies and the establishment of a centralized database and information system on fungicide resistance in Brazil are identified as essential for effective resistance monitoring and informed decision-making. To enhance fungicide resistance management, the adoption of a warning system (e.g., based on aerobiology- or on weather-monitoring) for predicting disease epidemics and minimizing fungicide applications is recommended. Increased funding, collaboration, mandatory reporting, and capacity building are required to overcome these challenges. In addition, promoting integrated disease management approaches is vital. By implementing these tailored strategies, Brazil can actively contribute to safeguarding its food safety, protecting human and animal health, and preserving the delicate balance of its unique agroecosystem. The adoption of evolutionary-smart strategies against fungicide resistance will prolong fungicide efficacy, reduce economic costs, and minimize environmental impacts, ensuring sustainable and resilient agriculture in Brazil.

Convergent and Divergent Corporate Social Responsibility in South Korea: Collaborative and Adversarial NGO-Corporate Networks

Background: The differences between NGO networks for two distinct types of CSR practices are underexplored: convergent CSR, which pertains to the global standards embraced by both the local and global institutions, and divergent CSR, which is framed primarily by local economic, political and social conditions. Purpose: Grounded in institutional and network theory, the study explores the significance of three forms of network centrality in different types of CSR (convergent/divergent) and varying modes of interaction (collaborative/adversarial) across global versus local NGOs in South Korea, a state-led market economy. Research Design: The study conducts network analyses and descriptive analysis of NGOs’ collaborative and adversarial networks with corporations, in relation to their engagement in convergent and divergent CSR. Study Sample: The NGO/corporate network dataset consisted of 2073 nodes and 4158 edges (ties). The sample of CSR practices consisted of a total of 8715 instances of convergent CSR practices and 396 instances of divergent CSR practices. Data Collection and/or Analysis: A total of 260 reports from 52 South Korean corporations and a total of 430 reports from 78 NGOs in South Korea were used to develop a corpus of corporate/NGO network dataset (collaborative and adversarial) and the dataset of the type of CSR practices they engaged in (convergent/divergent). Then degree, eigenvector and betweenness centralities of the 78 NGOs were computed within the NGO-corporate network. The relationships between the three centralities and CSR types (convergent/divergent) were found through standard regression analyses and descriptive analyses. Results: The findings suggest that when engaging in convergent CSR, as opposed to divergent CSR, NGOs would benefit the most from developing collaborative ties to central others in their NGO-corporate network (eigenvector centrality). A descriptive analysis of the findings suggests that adversarial divergent CSR practices are primarily reported by a potentially isolated group of local NGOs. Conclusions: CSR practices develop in multiple forms within a national institution, rather than simply converging with the universal norms. They form under the communicative pressures of different types of global and local institutional actors, through different network positions (centralities) and nature of relationships (collaborative and adversarial).

Innovation communities as catalysts for BIM adoption: a cross-case analysis of BIM communities in Norway and Vietnam

Purpose This paper aims to explore how open innovation communities contribute to the adoption of building information modelling (BIM) in the construction industry. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents a cross-case analysis of two construction communities, buildingSMART Norway and the BIM Vietnam Community. Data were collected based on 21 semi-structured interviews conducted with industry experts actively engaged in these two communities. The theoretical basis for the study was open innovation and the institutional intervention model, which delineates institutional actions related to the adoption of new information technology. Findings The findings show both similarities and differences in the way in which the communities contribute to industrial practice. Both communities use similar knowledge channels and repositories but apply different approaches to innovation creation and diffusion. In addition, trust can support BIM innovation in the community context. Originality/value The comparison of buildingSMART Norway and the BIM Vietnam Community in accelerating BIM innovation allows for exploring how open innovation communities support BIM adoption in the construction industry. The findings provide insights for construction communities into creating and diffusing BIM innovation. In addition, the examples of gaining benefits from community innovation activities are useful for construction firms and practitioners.

Green, Blue and Smart: Institutional Work in the Creation of a Multifunctional Infrastructural Space

ABSTRACT The spaces created by urban infrastructure are being reimagined as multifunctional urban places. This paper explores the creation of a green, blue and smart infrastructural space, the Wharf Street Next Generation Community Park (WSNGCP) in Perth, WA. The research uses a multiple method approach to understand the types of institutional work – maintaining, creating or disrupting – that were employed in the creation of the WSNGCP. The research shows that multifunctional urban space is dynamic, andpolicymakers, planners and designers could focus on thresholds as areas of contention to facilitate and negotiate the interests of various institutional actors.

The Jean Monnet action and the EU public diplomacy in India

ABSTRACT Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the frictions in the EU-China relations, India has acquired an apical position in the European foreign policy agenda. Since 2001, the Jean Monnet action has been transformed into a global instrument of EU public diplomacy. This study aims to provide a preliminary assessment of the Jean Monnet action in India. The objective is to identify the activities financed, the geographical distribution and the measures adopted by the European institutional actors to capitalize on the funds invested in Indian academia. The analysis is conducted by combining quantitative and qualitative approaches. The final goal is to provide an overview of the Jean Monnet implementation in India and to detect strategies that the European policymakers could adopt to enhance the effectiveness of the action in strengthening EU awareness in Indian society.

Participatory ex-ante impact assessment for interactive research and development in agriculture and food systems

ABSTRACT Drawing upon literature from both impact assessment of development projects and agricultural research, the aim of this article is to analyse the pilot testing of a new multi-dimensional assessment framework for defining and evaluating the societal impact of agricultural research and corresponding education. The research approach involves an action research effort of pilot testing in three case studies from three different countries. The framework assumes a systems view, understands impact as socially embedded, and adopts the concepts of contribution and productive interactions rather than cause-and-effect attribution. The emerging experiences include developing both project-specific and universal indicators; gauging impacts at different levels and sustainability dimensions; handling the issues of attribution and time frame; and the role of stakeholder involvement. The results have the potential to support the development of a new role for impact assessment, by enabling principal actors in research and higher education institutions to take responsibility for contributing to concrete and demonstrable sustainability changes in society.

The Role of Ma'arif Nahdlatul Ulama Educational Institutions in the Development of Islamic Education in Indonesia (1926-1959)

This research aims to examine the role played by Ma'arif Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Educational Institutions in depicting the dynamics of Islamic education development in Indonesia. The focus of this research is to analyze the contribution of these educational institutions to the evolution of the Islamic education system, both in terms of curriculum, teaching methods, and their impact on student character formation. The research method includes historical analysis discussing the history and development of Ma'arif NU Educational Institutions since their establishment. The main data sources involve historical documents, archives, and interviews with key actors in these educational institutions, such as teachers, students, and administrators. The results of this research are expected to provide a comprehensive overview of how the role of Ma'arif NU Educational Institutions has shaped and influenced the context of Islamic education in Indonesia. Additionally, this research will also discuss the challenges and opportunities faced by these educational institutions in responding to the changing times and evolving educational demands.

Developing a framework for understanding policy decision-making behaviors in the transition of a HIV prevention program towards sustainability: a case study from Zambia’s voluntary medical male circumcision program

Faced with declining donor funding for HIV, low- and middle-income countries must identify efficient and cost-effective ways to integrate HIV prevention programs into public health systems for long-term sustainability. In Zambia, donor support to the voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) program, which previously funded non-governmental organizations as implementing partners, is increasingly being directed through government structures instead. We developed a framework to understand how the behaviors of individual decision-makers within the government could be barriers to this transition. We interviewed key stakeholders from the national, provincial, and district levels of the Ministry of Health, and from donors and partners funding and implementing Zambia’s VMMC program, exploring the decisions required to attain a sustainable VMMC program and the behavioral dynamics involved at personal and institutional levels. Using pattern identification and theme matching to analyze the content of the responses, we derived three core decision-making phases in the transition to a sustainable VMMC program: 1) developing an alternative funding strategy, 2) developing a policy for early-infant (0-2 months) and early-adolescent (15-17 years) male circumcision, which is crucial to sustainable HIV prevention; and 3) identifying integrated and efficient implementation models. We formulated a framework showing how, in each phase, a range of behavioral dynamics can form barriers that hinder effective decision-making among stakeholders at the same level (e.g., national ministries and donors) or across levels (e.g., national, provincial and district). Our research methodology and the resulting framework offer a systematic approach for in-depth investigations into organizational decision-making in public health programs, as well as development programs beyond VMMC and HIV prevention. It provides the insights necessary to map organizational development and policy-making transition plans to sustainability, by explaining tangible factors such as organizational processes and systems, as well as intangibles such as the behaviors of policymakers and institutional actors.

Urbanization and adoption of sustainable agricultural practices in the rural‐urban interface of Bangalore, India

AbstractUrban expansion often takes place on the most productive agricultural lands, affecting how the remaining agricultural land is used. Evidence on the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices in urbanizing areas is scarce and mostly based on cross‐sectional data. Cross‐sectional studies, however, cannot reflect the dynamics of urbanization and adoption. We use household panel data from 2017 and 2020 to analyze the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices among peri‐urban farmers in Bangalore, India, a rapidly urbanizing region. We focus on practices for water and erosion management, integrated pest management and soil fertility management, and an integrated package of sustainable practices. Using random effects probit models with the Mundlak approach, we consider various factors besides urbanization, including exposure to weather variability, awareness of climate change, connection with institutional actors, and household and farm characteristics. Results show that urbanization, measured as changes in the percentage of built‐up area, reduces the probability that farmers adopt sustainable agricultural practices. Like prior studies, we find that wealth indicators, market access, knowledge of climate change, and rainfall variability facilitate adoption. However, contact with institutional actors largely reduces farmers’ probability of adoption. Policies should promote the integration of sustainable farming technologies at the institutional level and in information and training programs to achieve sustainable intensification of peri‐urban agriculture.

Professional journalistic community of the Republic of Korea: government institutions, associations and organizations

The relevance of this scientific work is expressed in the need to determine the national characteristics of the professional journalism environment of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and to make an analysis. The object of the study was professional journalism in the Republic of Korea. The subject of this study is the activities of journalistic unions and organizations in the Republic of Korea, namely: the Korean Communications Commission, the Korean Broadcasting Advertising Corporation, the Association of Journalists of Korea, the Korean Association of Broadcasters, the Korean Association of Scientific Journalism, the Korean Press Foundation, the Korean Newspaper Association and other local professional associations. The collection of information on the functioning of Korean professional communities in the field of media and organizations controlling journalistic activities was carried out during the period from December 15, 2023 to January 15, 2024. The main research methods were the analysis of regulatory documents, qualitative content analysis, as well as the single-outcome case study method to determine the specifics of the experience of the Republic of Korea. As of 2024, in the Republic of Korea (ROK), control over professional journalistic activities is carried out using a centralized system supported and supervised by government organizations. The article presents an analysis of the activities of professional journalistic communities operating in the Republic of Korea. A general description of the five largest associations and organizations is given. The study showed that the actions of government institutions, organizations and associations of the professional journalistic community of the Republic of Korea are associated with the introduction of a model of integration control of regulatory authorities into the basis of the activities of the associations studied by us. As an illustrative example of the activities of a professional journalistic association, the Association of Journalists of Korea was chosen, whose activities were analyzed in accordance with the following criteria: features of the structure, areas of activity, international integration, interaction with government departments, educational activities, a system of support and material support for journalists.