Theory Of Action Research Articles

A Further Conversation on Social Imaginaries

Abstract The conversation begins with a discussion of political philosophy, a critique of a priori normativist approaches to that field, and reflections on the distinction between politics and the political. It moves on to clarify the place of the political within an ontology of the social-historical; while the pioneering contribution of Castoriadis to such an ontology is acknowledged, the need for a more elaborate theory of creative action, with due allowance for its involvement in historical processes, is emphasized. After some considerations on the role of ideology and utopia within the social-historical context, the conversation moves back to the questions of autonomy, creativity and the imaginary, and underlines the need to theorize autonomy as an imaginary signification in its own right, rather than merely a new attitude to imaginary significations. Implications of that view for the idea of reflective autonomy are discussed, with particular emphasis on confronting the omnipresent temptation of hubris, the condition of value pluralism and the fundamental fact of uncertainty about the future. The conversation concludes with some comments on diagnoses of our times, and a critique of various “postisms” as well as of the attempts to reduce contemporary societies to a single denominator.

School Bullying Among Iranian Adolescents: Considering a Higher Moderation Model in Situational Action Theory

School Bullying Among Iranian Adolescents: Considering a Higher Moderation Model in Situational Action Theory

Tindakan Sosial dalam Cerpen “Fii Biladi al-Ajaib” Karya Kamil Kailani Berdasarkan Perspektif Max Weber

Social action that occurs in a person is a form of response to various motives of problems and problems that occur in society. Social action has a close relationship with social life, one of which is behavior and attitudes. The purpose of this study is to describe the analysis of social action in the short story "Fii Biladi al-Ajaib" by Kamil Kailani. This research method uses content analysis of the data in this study in the form of sentences containing social actions in the short story "Fii Biladi al-Ajaib". Data collection techniques used reading techniques and note-taking techniques. Data analysis techniques in this study are in the form of data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion. The results of this study indicate the theory of social action based on Max Weber in the short story "Fii Biladi al-Ajaib", including the discovery of (1) value rationality actions, in the form of making others happy, holding fast to a belief, and respecting the invitation of others, (2) effective action in the form of emotions, (3) acts of instrumental rationality in the form of preserving feelings and saving the future.

A midrange theory of local cross-sector action based on the actor-network theory

Given the value of cross-sector collaborations in solving complex societal problems, experts are now recommending that research focus on documenting process–effect linkages. This paper proposes a validated midrange theory on the process–effect links of local cross-sector action on urban living conditions. The theory expands from an initial prospective study showing that changes were produced by sequences of a limited number (n ​= ​12) of transitional outcomes (TOs), derived from the analysis of empirical material informed by the Actor-Network Theory (ANT), that mark the progression of cross-sector processes toward their effects. This retrospective longitudinal multiple case (eight cases) study was conducted, using primarily case documents and additional interviews with actors involved, aimed at validating/expanding the transitional outcomes, and further anchoring them in ANT. The results confirm and enhance the inventory of TOs, reinforce their definitions, and solidify the midrange theory. This article presents the finalized inventory of TOs anchoring them both in the empirical observations from case studies and in their theoretical foundations drawn from ANT.

Precise ground state of multiorbital Mott systems via the variational discrete action theory

Determining the ground state of multi-orbital Hubbard models is critical for understanding strongly correlated electron materials, yet existing methods struggle to simultaneously reach zero temperature and infinite system size. The \textit{de facto} standard is to approximate a finite dimension multi-orbital Hubbard model with a $d=\infty$ version, which can then be formally solved via the dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT), though the DMFT solution is limited by the state of unbiased impurity solvers for zero temperature and multiple orbitals. The recently developed variational discrete action theory (VDAT) offers a new approach to solve the $d=\infty$ Hubbard model, with a variational ansatz that is controlled by an integer $\mathcal{N}$, and monotonically approaches the exact solution at an increasing computational cost. Here we propose a decoupled minimization algorithm to implement VDAT for the multi-orbital Hubbard model in $d=\infty$ and study $\mathcal{N}=2-4$ . At $\mathcal{N}=2$, VDAT rigorously recovers the multi-orbital Gutzwiller approximation, reproducing known results. At $\mathcal{N}=3$, VDAT precisely captures the competition between the Hubbard $U$, Hund $J$, and crystal field $\Delta$ in the two orbital Hubbard model over all parameter space, with a negligible computational cost. For sufficiently large $U/t$ and $J/U$, we show that $\Delta$ drives a first-order transition within the Mott insulating regime. In the large orbital polarization limit with finite $J/U$, we find that interactions have a nontrivial effect even for small $U/t$. VDAT will have far ranging implications for understanding multi-orbital model Hamiltonians and strongly correlated electron materials.

Entrepreneurial Action in Public School Managemen

Research objective: Besides identifying actions developed by municipal public actors in the education department of a municipalitylocated in the south of Minas Gerais to fulfill the National Education Plan, this article seeks to explain and analyze them fromthe theory of entrepreneurial action.?eoretical framework: ?e study of entrepreneurial action seeks to fully understand an enterprise, its driving motives,development, and actors involved. ?e entrepreneurial action can occur in different environments, being inherent to any processmodified by creativity despite not being an innovative concept and being present in school management in Brazil, its effectivenessposes a challenge for the public managers. In the public sector, entrepreneurial action can be defined as a successful result of theintertwining between public agents, organization, and society, resulting in new goods and services, or restructuring processes thatmeet public demands. Methodology: ?e research has a qualitative approach, with explanatory objectives, becoming a case study. ?e goal of thisstudy is the education department of a municipality in the south of Minas Gerais, which stands out for the creative way inwhich it manages its demands. ?e research actors are public workers assigned to the municipal education department. Datacollection took place through in-depth interviews and focus groups. Initially, a focus group carried out with four actors from themunicipal education department enabled to map out the potential entrepreneurial actions. A?erward, six in-depth interviewscollect thorough information about them. ?e data collected were analyzed by the methodological procedure of content analysis.Results: Data analysis allowed us to identify four entrepreneurial actions linked to the service of students, parents/society, teachers,management, also goals 4, 18, 19 of the PNE-2014/2024; being the creation of the service of attendance and support to theinclusion, the young permaculturist fair, the time-activity regulation, and the outsourcing of school meals the ones identified.?e actions emerged from tensions in the institutional logic, being carried out by research actors mobilized in creating innovativeexchanges that led to improved management.Originality: ?e entrepreneurial action investigation is a new topic with few studies developed in Brazil. Studying schoolmanagement from the entrepreneurial action perspective with all action steps detailed to understand how public managerscreatively and innovatively articulate to solve existing demands can help promote the already shaken public policy managementstigmatized by its inefficiency and improve the theoretical development of entrepreneurial action. ?erefore, this article providesa new way of understanding public entrepreneurship through the study of entrepreneurial action, investigating the intertwiningof various actors and how it allows the creation and use of opportunities.?eoretical and practical contributions: ?is study contributes to the field of social sciences, notably, to the study of publicadministration, by highlighting the assumption of entrepreneurial action as an identifiable phenomenon in public institutionsthat makes it possible to improve management. It also contributes by discussing the phenomenon of entrepreneurial actionand providing a theoretical framework for application in other studies. In terms of practical contributions, the identifiedentrepreneurial actions demonstrate the public managers' search for effective, competent, innovative school managementcommitted to social results, being a phenomenon of extreme value for the Brazilian public administration. Besides, the use ofcreativity, dialogue and innovation allows the public managers to bring about changes and improvements in facing the existingtensions.

Design of a functionally equivalent mental simulation protocol for learning cardiac arrest skills

Mental simulation assists learners in repetitive, solitary, deliberate practice. Mental simulation can complement laboratory simulation-based learning and clinical practice in learning skills and increasing self-efficacy [1]. Mental simulation is a quasi-sensory or quasi-perceptual experience without stimuli and overt physical movement. Mental simulation occurs when one imitates actions in an imaged state but does not trigger the action itself [2]. Mental simulation is based on the ‘simulation theory of action’. This theory suggests that observing an action, imaging an action, or understanding an action will activate the neural networks involved in the actual execution of that action. While these states differ, there is a partial overlap between covert and overt action [2]. The images produced during mental simulation must be vivid or high-fidelity to activate the said neural networks. Higher fidelity images create greater ‘functional equivalence’, increasing the likelihood that the imager will learn from their experience [3]. The aim was to create a mental simulation protocol rich in motor and sensory cues that would assist pre-registration nurses [students] in imagining performing cardiac arrest skills. The protocol had to be designed to increase the mental simulation exercise’s functional equivalence and increase the possibility that learning would take place. The protocol had several elements to improve functional equivalence, and these were: i) a narrated audio script with embedded sound effects that described the scenario. The script was based on PETTLEP mental simulation framework (physical, environment, task, timing, learning, emotion and perspective) [3]. The author used a tripartite script design. The scripts were designed between 1) the [first] author, 2) the [2015] BLS and ALS guidelines, and 3) students with real-world cardiac arrest experience; ii) a first-person [1-P] film of a cardiac arrest to assist in evoking high-fidelity images from a 1-P perspective; iii) a patient back story; iv) resuscitation algorithms, and v) a glossary of terms to help inexperienced students to understand cardiac arrest terminology. The glossary would assist students in turning language into images. This novel approach to creating a mental simulation protocol created a scenario rich in detail and rich in stimulus, response and meaning cues that could help students learn cardiac arrest skills outside the simulation laboratory. This is a new and novel way to design mental simulation protocols for learning cardiac arrest skills outside the simulation laboratory. 1. Geoffrion R, Gebhart J, Dooley Y, Bent A, Dandolu V, Meeks R, Baker K, Tang S, Ross S, Robert M. The mind’s scalpel in surgical education: a randomised controlled trial of mental imagery. Int J Obstet Gy. 2012;119(9):1040–1048. 2. Jeannerod M. Neural Simulation of Action: A Unifying Mechanism for Motor Cognition. NeuroImage Clin. 2001;14(1 pt. 2):S103–109. 3. Holmes PS, Collins DJ. The PETTLEP Approach to Motor Imagery: A Functional Equivalence Model for Sport Psychologists. J. Appl. Sport Psychol. 2001;13(1):60–83.

Identity discourse and phenomenon of reunion on West Sumatran student

This study aims to determine the goals, motives, and discourses on the identity of the West Sumatra overseas student reunion participants in Pekanbaru. Reunions have become popular and seem to be a way of life in our society. Communicative Action Theory will be used to identify a reunion between a school in Pekanbaru. This study uses a qualitative research method with a phenomenological approach. The results showed that the meaning of reunion was divided into three, namely the meaning of the purpose of silaturrahmi, the The motives are divided into the Bacarito Lamak motive, the fierce motive, and the Kepo motive. Furthermore, in the context of motifs consisting of motifs while diving, drinking water motives and motives provide greater benefits in the form of discussion motives and social motives. Identity discourse consists of appearance, self-actualisation, and connectivity rather than a show-off.

Relationship between Awareness of Behavioural Risk and Psychosocial Wellness of Students in Public Secondary Schools in Nairobi County, Kenya

Abuse of prescription drugs remains a major challenge among students in spite of numerous interventions aimed at curbing it. This study set out to examine the relationship between awareness of behavioural risk and psychosocial wellness of students in public secondary schools in Nairobi. The study was based on the situated rationality theories and social action theories and adopted the correlational research design. Quantitative data was analyzed descriptively by use of frequencies, percentages and means. It was also analyzed inferentially by use of Pearson correlation. Data from interviews and secondary data sources were analyzed using thematic and content analysis procedures. The study sampled 255 respondents. These included 100 students, 96 teachers, 42 principals and, 17 MOE officials. Out of these, 100 students (100%), 77 teachers (80.2%), 34 principals (81%) and 11 MOE officials (64.7%) responded. The findings show that prescription drug misuse is rampant among students despite the fact that most of them were aware of the associated risks. Pearson correlation showed that all the awareness factors under investigation had statistically significant relationships with psychosocial wellness among students (r=0.473, p<0.05). The study concludes that drug usage is widespread among secondary school students in Nairobi County, in terms of the types, quantity, and frequency of use. In line with the study findings, the study established that awareness of behavioural risk should also be enhanced at school and community levels through guidance and counselling interventions backed by school and government disciplinary policies.

Heterogeneity Impacts of Farmers’ Participation in Payment for Ecosystem Services Based on the Collective Action Framework

Payments for ecosystem services (PES) are designed to reduce the impact of human activities on eco-sensitive areas. PES programs often adopt economic-incentive and command-control strategies. Increasing the enthusiasm of farmers’ participation is crucial for the sustainability of PES programs and ecosystem restoration. The watershed ecological compensation in Xin’an River Basin is the first horizontal ecological compensation pilot in China. In this study, economic-incentive strategy and command-control strategies in living and farming are implemented simultaneously to improve water quality. Under the collective action framework, we analyze the drivers of farmers’ participation in three concurrent strategies using hierarchical linear models (HLM). The results show: (1) Overall, 81.79%, 76.26%, and 79.11% of farmers are willing to participate in economic-incentive strategy, command-control strategy in living, and command-control strategy in farming, respectively, while 18.21%, 23.74%, and 20.89% are from the village level. (2) Among statistically significant (p < 0.01) factors at the farmer level, social trust (β = 0.305), and social participation (β = 0.134) have positive effects on the economic-incentive strategy; the number of communication and entertainment equipment has a positive effect on the willingness to participate in command-control strategy in living (β = 0.287) and command-control strategy in farming (β = 0.336). (3) At the village level, village characteristics have a direct impact on the farmers’ willingness to participate in strategies. Village woodland area is positively correlated with strategies participation. In addition, village characteristics play a moderating role by influencing farmers’ sustainable livelihood capital. We conclude that different concurrent strategies and collective actions need to be considered in the design of PES programs, particularly in ecologically sensitive areas, which can enrich the theory of collective action and the connotation of PES.

Agency, Kinship and the Case of the Northern Kingdom of Israel

ABSTRACT Scholars who study the Northern Kingdom of Israel repeatedly refer to it as a centralised state or kingdom and often take a neo-evolutionary approach in their assessments of its character. This paper argues for a different approach, one in which the agency of northern Israelite actors/taxpayers and their intricate kinship-based networks are highlighted. It applies collective action theory, which states that rational social actors cooperate with rulers, and the patrimonial household model, which states that social order is viewed as the extension of the ruler’s (and god’s) household, to an analysis of administration and cult in northern Israel during the Iron II. It argues that the Omrides benefited from taxpayer cooperation and a reliance on complex kin-based systems. The same can be said for the Nimshides who, it is suggested, were operating within an even less centralised system than their predecessors.

The Psychology of Entrepreneurship: Action and Process

We review the research on the psychology of entrepreneurship of the last decade. We focus on two key topics in entrepreneurship research: action and process. Combining action and process in a model of the psychology of entrepreneurship, we present the action theory process model of entrepreneurship and use it as a guiding framework for the review. We discuss theories of action, such as effectuation/causation, bricolage, theory of planned behavior, and action theory. Furthermore, we adopt a process perspective to discuss antecedents of actions in terms of cognition, motivation, and emotion and how they develop during the entrepreneurial process. The process perspective considers recursive relationships and dynamic changes in actions and their antecedents over time. We conclude that the action theory process model is a useful starting point to explain the psychological dynamics of entrepreneurship.

Situated co-operative creativity

Abstract A highly important societal aspect of language use are pragmatic creative acts and interactions. The ability to, through multimodal interaction, create something new, is primordial for human sociality. In this paper, I propose a theoretical model that enables detailed analysis of situated co-operative creative actions as these naturally emerge in interactional situations. First, I develop the theoretical model by extrapolating from Charles Goodwin’s theory of co-operative action. I then illustrate the model through detailed analysis of a single case where participants interact in a video-mediated robotic context. The model is situated within ethnomethodological multimodal conversation analysis and based on video ethnographic data. This research contributes to the field of creativity and human pragmatic action by providing an applicable model for Situated Co-Operative Creativity, the SCOC model, which can be used for detailed analysis of everyday creativity.

Strategic rationality of mass culture

The article deals with a role of mass culture in term of the theory of the culture industry by M. Horkheimer and T. Adorno and the theory of communicative action by J. Habermas, who continues research of the Frankfurt school. It is known that Habermas says about two types of rationality — communicative and structural. The lifeworld and the system correspond them. Usually, culture correspond to lifeworld because it helps people`s socialization. Also it is a place for communication and finding new meanings. However, a place of mass culture is very controver- sial. In particular, it is necessary to distinguish between popular and mass culture, because these definitions have been used as interchangeable for a long time. Popular culture is still an area of meanings. Moreover, it has the potential for protest. From this point of view, it is clearly part of the life world. But mass culture as a «cultural industry» is not so unambiguous. It is worth considering its characteristics and role in people’s life more detail. Above all, one cannot help paying attention to masses. Already in the last century, H. Arendt characterized them as an atomized and isolated group of people, and they are not united by any common ideas. After all, even in the modern world it is possible to see that they do not have and do not want to search for any ideas or meanings. Masses are a direct consumers of mass culture. It is consumerism that the characteristic feature of modernity. Therefore, mass culture is inseparably connected with the market. On the one hand, it sells entertainments, and on the other hand, it generates new consumers, because it is related to advertising. In the same way, mass culture is connected with agitation and propaganda. Thus, it is possible to speak about its connection with politics. The market and politics correspond to the system and are guided by strategic rationality. This fact gives reason to talk about mass culture as a strategic tool. Such culture with no meanings leads to a crisis in society.

Sustainable Collective Action in High-Rise Gated Communities: Evidence from Shanxi, China Using Ostrom’s Design Principles

Gated communities have been the popular form of housing around the world to address social and safety issues over the past decade, including in Chinese cities. However, gated communities, despite being a more efficient system (less congested), have been criticized for their inefficiency to address the tragedy of the urban commons (overexploitation). Therefore, Ostrom’s self-organizing system (collective action) has been suggested as a sustainable approach to govern common resources but little empirical research has demonstrated how Ostrom’s collective action theory, associated with new institutional economics theory, is applied to the gated communities’ commons management. To address the research gap, the study, via a phenomenological case study, proposes a collective action model in which Ostrom’s eight design principles coupled with Williamson’s transaction cost and opportunism theories are used to improve commons management performance in gated communities. Using stratified purposive sampling, ten gated communities with various characteristics were selected in the Taigu district. In-depth semi-structured interviews were then held with community managers to collect valid data, which were subsequently subjected to content (thematic) analysis. As a result, by understanding and structuring the managers’ real experiences into a modified version of Ostrom’s eight principles, the study proposed a collective action model with low transaction costs in terms of enforcement in gated communities as well as reduced opportunistic behaviors of commoners. Specifically, the eight principles in the model include well-defined community members’ rights, commons management rules aligned with local needs and conditions, rights of residents to modify the commons management rules, monitoring systems overseen by community members, a graduated sanction system for rule violators, low-cost dispute resolution, unchallenged rule-making rights by community members, and a nested-tier management structure. The study findings contribute novel insights to the formulation of institutional strategies toward sustainable housing and building management for urban and community managers.

What Contributes to the Formation of Stable Collaborative Water Governance? A Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis of Chinese Cases

Collaborative governance is a crucial approach to addressing cross-jurisdictional environmental problems. With the ample water resources across China, lack of coordination for water governance however has become a severe barrier to regional development. Taking the largest freshwater lake in east China – Lake Tai as an example and drawing upon intergovernmental collective action theory, issue salience theory, and resource dependence theory, this research explores how the combination of contextual factors and intra-alliance factors contribute to the formation of stable collaborative water governance. Specifically, we applied a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis to examine the 32 collaborative water governance cases in Lake Tai basin from the year of 2010 to 2019, and found that the presence of governmental intervention is a necessary condition for shaping collaborative water governance in China, and two configurational pathways represent the issue-oriented model and path-dependence model, which provides possible insights for promoting inter-governmental collaborative governance in the future.

Does Contact with the Justice System Influence Situational Action Theory's Causes of Crime? A Study of English and German Juveniles

Does Contact with the Justice System Influence Situational Action Theory's Causes of Crime? A Study of English and German Juveniles

Probabilistic Interpretation of Observer Effect on Entrepreneurial Opportunity

Abstract Background: In quantum mechanics, the observer effect categorically states that observing a phenomenon changes it. This research explores a probabilistic interpretation of entrepreneurial opportunity and explains the observer effect reflecting on Schrödinger’s cat thought experiment. This approach addresses opportunity as a “possibility” concept reinterpreting it from multiple observers’ perspectives and the cruciality of action to cause wave function collapse to an emergent reality. This paper intends to resolve the epistemological paradox and ‘opportunity’ war by re-contextualising opportunity as an artefact and positing it as a probability wave with a range of possibilities until alert entrepreneurs act on it. Method: This conceptual development relies on literature review as a research methodology, using reasoning by analogy for the progress of theory and metaphors for theorisation. Results: This conceptual narrative strengthens the epistemological foundation focused on possibility and probability (illustrated through wave function) to sharpen the definition of opportunity and action theory. The observer effect in opportunity is underexplored in entrepreneurial scholarship. This study features how the observer effect influences the evolving state of opportunity. Opportunity is affected by other observers and the entrepreneur’s imagination, social construction and effort. Each involved agent relates and interacts to give rise to possibilities in opportunities. The interrelations and interdependence are complex, giving rise to superposition with a mixed state with many possibilities. Conclusions: The contribution of this research is manifold from a theoretical and practical level. It presents a quantum-like model where an ‘un-acted’ opportunity is in superposition (multiple possibilities emerging simultaneously until it is enacted), expanding on Ramoglou and Tsang’s (2016) view on propensity. The interactional effects – interfering and entangling between agents observing the same opportunity generate possibilities. The potentiality and the many-possibilities states in the opportunity artefact hold great promise in entrepreneurial research.

Application of The Theory of Reason Action in Public Acceptance towards Physical Activity Participation among People with Disabilities

Being supported and accepted in communities is essentials for people with disabilities to get involved in physical activity together with community members. The theory of reasoned action (TRA) by Ajzen and Fishbein (1980) was adopted as the fundamental for this study because people’s intention or motivation was the determinant of their behavior. To further study this problem, the present research aims to examine the influence of public’s attitude and subjective norms on acceptance towards people with disabilities participation in physical activity. An exploratory model of public acceptance was developed. Using convenience sampling technique, a total of 444 responses were collected from the public (without disabilities), who were exercising at four urban public recreation parks located in Klang Valley. Correlation analysis was used to analyze the data collected and identify the relationship of the attitude and subjective norms with the public acceptance. Correlation coefficient showed that there was a low relationship (.270), p=.001<.05 between the attitude construct and public acceptance. Therefore, the null hypothesis was rejected. Future study can include meaningful assessment of other different factors, including their moderating effects. Implications of the result for future practice and directions of research were discussed.

Risk-taking and WOM as moderators in the relationship between status consumption, brand image and purchase intention of counterfeit brand shoes

PurposeThe study's objective is to examine the consumers' intention to buy counterfeit brand shoes. A conceptual model is developed to test the risk-taking and word-of-mouth (WOM) as a moderator in the relationship between status consumption, brand image, and consumer intention to buy counterfeit shoes.Design/methodology/approachBased on the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and signaling theory (ST), this research was conducted in the Indian National Capital Region. Using a structured instrument, the data was collected from 240 respondents. After checking the psychometric properties of the survey instrument using the Lisrel package of structural equation modeling, Hayes's PROCESS macros were used for testing the hypotheses.FindingsThe findings from the study indicate that (1) status consumption and brand image are positively associated with purchase intention of counterfeit brand shoes, and (2) risk-taking moderates the relationship between (1) status consumption and purchase intention, and (2) brand image and purchase intension, (3) significant three-way interaction between WOM, risk-taking and status consumption on purchase intention, and (4) significant three-way interaction between brand image, WOM, and risk-taking on purchase intention of counterfeit brand shoes.Research limitations/implicationsAs with any survey research, this study has common method variance as a potential problem. However, through the latent variable method and Harman's single-factor analysis, the common method variance was checked. The study has several implications for managers, e-marketers, and consumers.Practical implicationsThe study has several implications for marketers selling counterfeit products and managers intending to protect their branded products.Originality/valueA conceptual model showing two-way and three-way interactions between status consumption, risk-taking, and WOM influencing the consumer purchase intention of counterfeit products was discussed. This is the first of its kind in India to explore such relationships.