Actor-network Research Articles

Returnable packaging systems and store operations: Processes, costs, and benefits

AbstractReturnable packaging systems (RPS) related to consumer products help to reduce problematic plastic and glass waste in supply chains. The purpose of this paper is to investigate distribution and return processes and the related cost drivers and benefits of returnable packaging with a deposit refund system in retail stores. Through the lens of the actor–network theory and based on 30 interviews with store managers, including on‐site observations, we develop a research model that structures key processes of RPS and their input and output factors. By subsequently applying system dynamics modeling, we find that: (1) customers’ process satisfaction, (2) price elasticity of demand, and (3) time between repeat purchases are key variables that impact RPS’ attractiveness and performance. This research contributes to an in‐depth understanding of processes within RPS as well as interdependencies between cost drivers and benefits for retailers. From a managerial perspective, these insights can enable retailers to take action based on the influencing factors for efficient operations related to RPS. Finally, this research has policy implications as it provides argumentation for the commercial benefits of RPS for retailers aside from the overemphasized cost perspectives.

An actor-network theory analysis and modelling of carbon reduction policy coordination in China: A collaborative environmental governance perspective

In order to probe collaborative environmental governance (CEG) in China's “1 + N” policy framework for carbon peak and carbon neutrality, this paper applies the Actor-network theory (ANT) as an analytical framework to explore carbon reduction policy coordination. We then model ANT's relations with an evolutionary game theory (EGT) model to examine the evolutionarily stable strategies in CO2 emission reduction by various actors including the central government, local governments, commercial banks, and polluting enterprises. Our objective is to examine policy coordination as the key enabler for governing success via an ANT-based mechanism design in China's institutional context. Combining the strength of ANT with a four-party EGT model, we investigate how to improve policy coordination to mobilize the actor-network for promoting CEG. Simulations are conducted to examine the effectiveness of policy coordination involving multiple policy instruments for controlling carbon emissions. The central government fulfills leadership in translating the interests of other actors and shaping the desired collaborative network. Without proper coordination, environmental policies may counteract each other. Government transfers and subsidies have direct impacts, but in the long run enhanced competitiveness and profitability of enterprises represent the intrinsic key to CEG success. From a methodology perspective, policy simulation in an EGT framework represents a novel addition to the research toolbox that expands ANT.

Deep deterministic policy gradient with constraints for gait optimisation of biped robots

In this paper, we propose a novel Reinforcement Learning (RL) algorithm for robotic motion control, that is, a constrained Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG) deviation learning strategy to assist biped robots in walking safely and accurately. The previous research on this topic highlighted the limitations in the controller’s ability to accurately track foot placement on discrete terrains and the lack of consideration for safety concerns. In this study, we address these challenges by focusing on ensuring the overall system’s safety. To begin with, we tackle the inverse kinematics problem by introducing constraints to the damping least squares method. This enhancement not only addresses singularity issues but also guarantees safe ranges for joint angles, thus ensuring the stability and reliability of the system. Based on this, we propose the adoption of the constrained DDPG method to correct controller deviations. In constrained DDPG, we incorporate a constraint layer into the Actor network, incorporating joint deviations as state inputs. By conducting offline training within the range of safe angles, it serves as a deviation corrector. Lastly, we validate the effectiveness of our proposed approach by conducting dynamic simulations using the CRANE biped robot. Through comprehensive assessments, including singularity analysis, constraint effectiveness evaluation, and walking experiments on discrete terrains, we demonstrate the superiority and practicality of our approach in enhancing walking performance while ensuring safety. Overall, our research contributes to the advancement of biped robot locomotion by addressing gait optimisation from multiple perspectives, including singularity handling, safety constraints, and deviation learning.

Truths and Tales: Understanding Online Fake News Networks in South Korea

This study investigates the features of fake news networks and how they spread during the 2020 South Korean election. Using actor–network theory (ANT), we assessed the network’s central players and how they are connected. Results reveal the characteristics of the videoclips and channel networks responsible for the propagation of fake news. Analysis of the videoclip network reveals a high number of detected fake news videos and a high density of connections among users. Assessment of news videoclips on both actual and fake news networks reveals that the real news network is more concentrated. However, the scale of the network may play a role in these variations. Statistics for network centralization reveal that users are spread out over the network, pointing to its decentralized character. A closer look at the real and fake news networks inside videos and channels reveals similar trends. We find that the density of the real news videoclip network is higher than that of the fake news network, whereas the fake news channel networks are denser than their real news counterparts, which may indicate greater activity and interconnectedness in their transmission. We also found that fake news videoclips had more likes than real news videoclips, whereas real news videoclips had more dislikes than fake news videoclips. These findings strongly suggest that fake news videoclips are more accepted when people watch them on YouTube. In addition, we used semantic networks and automated content analysis to uncover common language patterns in fake news, which helps us better understand the structure and dynamics of the networks involved in the dissemination of fake news. The findings reported here provide important insights on how fake news spread via social networks during the South Korean election of 2020. The results of this study have important implications for the campaign against fake news and ensuring factual coverage.

An actor-model framework for visual sensory encoding

A fundamental challenge in neuroengineering is determining a proper artificial input to a sensory system that yields the desired perception. In neuroprosthetics, this process is known as artificial sensory encoding, and it holds a crucial role in prosthetic devices restoring sensory perception in individuals with disabilities. For example, in visual prostheses, one key aspect of artificial image encoding is to downsample images captured by a camera to a size matching the number of inputs and resolution of the prosthesis. Here, we show that downsampling an image using the inherent computation of the retinal network yields better performance compared to learning-free downsampling methods. We have validated a learning-based approach (actor-model framework) that exploits the signal transformation from photoreceptors to retinal ganglion cells measured in explanted mouse retinas. The actor-model framework generates downsampled images eliciting a neuronal response in-silico and ex-vivo with higher neuronal reliability than the one produced by a learning-free approach. During the learning process, the actor network learns to optimize contrast and the kernel’s weights. This methodological approach might guide future artificial image encoding strategies for visual prostheses. Ultimately, this framework could be applicable for encoding strategies in other sensory prostheses such as cochlear or limb.

Collaboration in a Partnership for Primary Health Care: A Case Study From Papua New Guinea.

In low- and middle-income countries, public-private partnerships (PPPs) are often used to support the delivery of primary health care (PHC). We explore the processes of collaboration in a corporate social responsibility investment in PHC that was delivered through a PPP model in Western Province, Papua New Guinea, in 2009-2018 to strengthen PHC services. Qualitative interviews were conducted with stakeholders in the PPP (N=20). Key program documents were also reviewed. Data were coded using a general inductive approach, and Actor-Network Theory (ANT) was used to frame the analysis. Four dominant themes emerged: (1) interpersonal relationships accelerate collaboration, (2) collaboration requires time, (3) formal governance structures encourage collaboration, and (4) internal change disrupts collaboration. The research provides insight into the role of collaboration for more efficient, effective, and impactful design and implementation of PPP for PHC. It makes suggestions for how ANT may be used when designing PPPs and for the ongoing management of relationships between partners. We found ANT to be a useful framework to conceptualize the complex dynamics between the "actors" within the PPP and to identify opportunities for improvement where structural changes may be made to circumvent issues that may compromise effective collaboration. Collaboration is key to the success of PPPs for PHC. We found collaboration is not formulaic but is driven by actors, relationships, time, and governance. ANT can assist in designing, understanding, and managing the complex relationships between stakeholders of a PPP, who often come with diverse agendas, experiences, values, and perspectives.

Intersectorality in a conditional cash transfer programme: Actors, convergences and conflicts.

This study aimed to analyse intersectoral arrangements among the health, education and social assistance sectors in the operationalization of the Bolsa Família Program (BFP). A qualitative approach was carried out, in a peripheral region of a large urban centre of Southeast Brazil. Data content analysis was performed on the basis of reference in the Actor-Network Theory (ANT) using statements by the actors and considering ideas in dispute and work processes in the geopolitical territorial context. Seventeen managers of Municipal Secretariats of Health, Education and Social Assistance were interviewed, as were basic education, primary health care and social assistance professionals. One-off, episodic and discontinuous intersectoral actions were identified, with limited integration among sectors. Convergences and conflicts were found with respect to the institutional processes of BFP. The convergences referred to the conceptions shared among the actors about the role of intersectoral collaboration, as they recognize themselves as providing care to the same vulnerable population. Considering the multiple vulnerabilities of these families, the convergence of actions from different sectors can impact factors that condition inequalities. The conflicts were related to institutional conditions, to sectorized work processes and to a lack of understanding by professionals about the duties of their respective sectors.

Minecraft and Super Mario as enacted in a preschool setting: Children's engagements with digital popular culture beyond player–interface–screen ecologies

The present paper explores how the video games of Minecraft and Super Mario become enacted through children's play, material settings and toys in a Swedish preschool. Ethnographic methods, including participant observations and informal conversations, have been used and the empirical materials produced have been analyzed with methodological resources from Actor-Network Theory. The analysis focuses on how Minecraft and Super Mario become enacted through relations between children's bodies, physical movements as well as material interiors and exteriors of the preschool. Moreover, the analysis shows how multiple versions of the games of Minecraft and Super Mario become enacted in the preschool setting depending on what elements become active in a particular situation. On the whole, the findings of the paper question grand narratives on “active” and “passive” gameplaying children, featuring children and local settings as producers of digital popular culture.

Digital Publishing and the New Academic Ecosystem: An ANT Approach to the Recent Disputes over a Chinese Journal Database Giant

As digital publishing gains momentum globally, it presents unique challenges in different regions and cultures. To address these challenges, it is important to understand the specificities of each local context. In light of Actor Network Theory (ANT), which advocates an interdisciplinary approach through an association of related factors from different fields, this article examines problems of Chinese digital publishing, focusing on one giant database, called the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). The discussion falls into three parts. First, the self-positioning of CNKI. As the sole academic database giant, it encounters a dilemma between making profits and serving the public – it has been criticized for charging high subscription fees and for committing intellectual property infringements. Second, the scholars, while becoming more dependent on digital publishing and such a giant database as CNKI, are bewildered by the fact that they become less capable of protecting their academic autonomy as well as their intellectual copyright. Third, CNKI’s near monopoly has damaged domestic academic justice, which becomes detrimental to the development of Chinese academic journals and the international transmission of Chinese scholarship. The article concludes with an inquiry into possible solutions for building a new academic ecosystem in the digital era, locally as well as globally.

The host experience in the meal-sharing economy: the other side of the medallion

ABSTRACT This current study attempts to ascertain hosts’ meal-sharing experiences to suggest a broader comprehension of the meal-sharing experience in the informal economy. Drawing on a qualitative research method, 12 interviews with meal-sharing hosts were conducted in Istanbul, Türkiye. The data was analysed using the theme analysis method, foregrounded five main themes, i.e. fellowship, cross-cultural learning, money-making, patriotism, and gastronomic identity. This study is the first attempt to focus on the hosts’ perception of the meal-sharing experience, thereby providing a missing piece to wholly complete the theoretical understanding of the meal-sharing experience through the lens of the actor – network theory (ANT) and the privacy – calculus theory (PCT). It also offers several practical implications for sharing economy platform operators to boost their hosts’ experiences in their sharing activities.

Issues in inter-organizational data sharing: Findings from practice and research challenges

Sharing data is highly potent in assisting companies in internal optimization and designing new products and services. While the benefits seem obvious, sharing data is accompanied by a spectrum of concerns ranging from fears of sharing something of value, unawareness of what will happen to the data, or simply a lack of understanding of the short- and mid-term benefits. The article analyzes data sharing in inter-organizational relationships by examining 13 cases in a qualitative interview study and through public data analysis. Given the importance of inter-organizational data sharing as indicated by large research initiatives such as Gaia-X and Catena-X, we explore issues arising in this process and formulate research challenges. We use the theoretical lens of Actor-Network Theory to analyze our data and entangle its constructs with concepts in data sharing.

Institutional and Actor Network Perspectives of Waste Management in Australia: Is the Construction Industry Prepared for a Circular Economy?

Waste management and minimization are touted to be two of the key drivers for greening the construction industry and a pathway to a circular economy. This research aims to revisit the attitudes and perceptions of project stakeholders towards construction and demolition (C&D) waste in the Australian construction industry and ascertain if the current state of play in construction would facilitate the transition to a circular economy. Statistical analysis was performed on an online survey dataset collected from 104 professionals within the Australian construction supply chain. The results reveal that construction professionals’ attitudes and perceptions to C&D waste could be classified into normative, regulatory and cultural cognitive drivers. Also, the perceived barriers and strategies of C&D waste management vary across design consultants and principal and sub-contractors. Overall, the evidence is suggestive that the Australian construction industry seems not fully ready for a circular economy. In terms of research implications, clearer guidelines and mandatory approaches to C&D waste management, involving a balance of incentivization and dis-incentivization actions, and close and stronger collaborations between the industry and government, are deemed necessary for better C&D waste management performance and the realization of a greener industry.

Institutional co-production at neighbourhood scale: Cases of urban renewal for Shanghai’s ageing population

Urban renewal projects at neighbourhood scale have become prevalent in China to better adapt multi-storey residential buildings for the needs of the country’s ageing society. Institutional co-production and actor-network theory were employed in two cases in Shanghai to analyse relationships between administrative departments, policy implementors, and residents. The findings show that while institutional co-production promoted substantial spatial change for elderly residents, and stimulated both administrative change and bottom-up initiatives. However the need for the state to provide a bottom line for more vulnerable actors was highlighted, an over-representation of dominant actors and uneven information assembly in the process also resulted in unequal distributions of benefits among actors. The study contributes empirical insight to research on institutional co-production in governance contexts with powerful state authority, as well as the role of neighbourhood-level actor’s in urban renewal processes in other cities defined by high-density, vertical construction.

Designing for possibility in public space: affordance, assemblage, and ANT

The design of urban public space is inherently problematic because the range of its possible uses and meanings is broad and unpredictable. This paper engages this problematic through the lens of Gibson’s theory of ‘affordances’—the ways the material world affords for human desires. We first explore some conceptual and methodological problems of the theory of affordances and its application in understanding and designing public space. These dimensions of affordance theory are then reconceived using the relational thinking of assemblage and actor-network theory (ANT). A key contribution of the paper is an expanded typology of affordances which includes improvised and serendipitous affordances that extend beyond the intentions of designers and users. This opens new ways of thinking about the design of urban public space as a space of possibility where outcomes are open, multiple, and unpredictable. The paper suggests how urban spaces can be shaped to better support rich cultural diversity and social inclusion.

Constructing the digital ark: How China utilizes shared media to foster online information collaboration and crisis management in public emergency response

With the prevalence of collaborative editing tools, such as shared documents, a digital rescue platform functionality has emerged to address major unforeseen events, displaying notable self-organizing characteristics. This study examines the transformative role of sharing technologies in crisis communication, using documents from the 2021 Zhengzhou flood and adopting an actor-network theory perspective. Investigating how sharing technology influences situational information, the findings highlight its creation of a real-time, collaborative, and detailed crisis information environment, fostering self-rescue initiatives and positive emotional support. The shift from a closed situational information pool to a dynamic digital network underscores the evolving landscape of crisis communication in the digital age. Self-negotiation and self-restraint mechanisms mitigate rumor transmission, providing robust information support for subsequent rescue efforts. This research contributes valuable insights into the intricate dynamics of sharing technologies in crisis communication.

Enacting environmental commitments and initiatives in Australian Olympic sport: an actor-network theory perspective

ABSTRACT Rationale Existing studies on sport and environmental sustainability have overlooked the role of actors and elements influencing the integration of environmental considerations at central levels of the operations of sport organisations. Approach This paper uses Actor-Network Theory and semi-structured interviews to identify and critique actants and moments of translation embedded within the Australian Olympic sport network. Findings Seven actant roles were identified within the Australian Olympic sport organisations’ network structures enacting environmental commitments and initiatives: interrogators, custodians, coordinators, providers, amplifiers, bottlenecks, and distant disruptors. In addition, economic imperatives, environmental enlightenment, and the redesign of sport experiences were identified as transformative moments in the process of enacting. Practical implications This research informs environmental policy development in the research literature and policymaking aiming to adopt and promote environmental commitments in sport. Research contribution We argue that the enactment of environmental commitments and initiatives within Australian sport organisations is a dynamic, transformative process in which all parts of organisational actants (internal and external to the organisation; human or non-human actants) contribute to action, playing multiple roles empowering and constraining (at times, simultaneously) environmental sustainability transitions.

Fishing risky behavior recognition based on adaptive transformer, reinforcement learning and stochastic configuration networks

The fishing behavior in a high-voltage environment may lead to electric shock accidents. This paper proposes a fishing risky behavior recognition method based on adaptive Transformer, reinforcement learning and stochastic configuration networks (SCNs). Firstly, the fishing behavior image sample training set is evaluated using the actor network based on linear entropy in the reinforcement learning module to select suitable training samples that possess abundant straight-line elements. Subsequently, the selected training samples are fed into a multi-scale spatial deep convolution to extract continuous spatial features of elongated objects. The deformable Transformer network, enhanced with adaptive encoding and decoding layers through SCNs, is used to obtain the position and detection results of the fishing rod. The trained Transformer model is evaluated by a defined credibility evaluation metric for acquiring rewards to update the training sample set iteratively. Then, an adaptive adjustment mechanism is constructed for the encoding and decoding layers of the adaptive Transformer network to establish a library of adaptive Transformer models with different encoding and decoding layer levels to accommodate the feature requirements of training samples in various scenarios. Finally, the blending learning method for combining the detection results from the model library is integrated with human body object detection and pose estimation methods, and a predefined expert system is utilized for logic reasoning on fishing risky behavior. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in this paper.

Navigating datascapes: mapping testing practices within and across national and global contexts

ABSTRACT We draw upon Appadurai’s ‘scapes’ and Latour’s Actor Network Theory (ANT) to interrogate historical and spatial flows in relation to specific testing technologies. We reveal how testing systems, conceptualised as actor-networks, rearticulate colonial legacies of inequality which are intensified by new and emerging technologies. ANT helps trace social and relational interactions occurring in various national and global data spaces, and helps make sense of incessant transformations in education datascapes. Mapping actor-networks, and translations, help name and navigate neoliberal forces acting through colonial legacies via emerging educational datascapes. Our examination shows how educational technologies associated with standardised testing in northern and southern contexts – specifically, England, Singapore, Bangladesh and Australia – exacerbate structural inequalities. We consider how such technologies are actants and reflective of co-existing historical and temporal influences, and global cultural and spatial flows, allowing us to map the multiple ways in which educational technologies are manifested in an emerging education datascape.

Mobilising a shared service centre in a power-dominant context: an actor-network analysis in a Chinese state-owned enterprise

PurposeThis paper aims to explore how a shared service centre (SSC) is mobilised in a power-dominant context of a Chinese state-owned enterprise (SOE). Specifically, it examines the mobilisation of SSC within this multi-divisional SOE, the role and dynamics of actors involved and the influence of changes in the integrated information system (IIS) during the mobilisation process.Design/methodology/approachThe study follows a qualitative case study methodology. The authors draw on actor-network theory to examine the network and translation processes constructed in mobilising SSC in the chosen SOE. The data sources of this study were collected through semi-structured interviews, observations and documentary reviews.FindingsThe mobilisation of SSC is not a linear process but rather a “spiral” interplay through continuous interactions and compromises between human and non-human actors. Power gave the core actor as an orchestrator legitimacy and formality to reduce resistance and obstruction in translation for the mobilisation of SSC. The changes in IIS appear to facilitate the interaction between the heterogeneous actors.Practical implicationsThis case study contributes towards understanding the mobilisation of SSC in a power-dominant context by highlighting the impact of changes in IIS and the details of the mobilisation of SSC in terms of the role played by both the individual actors and the technology.Originality/valueThis study provides a broader understanding of the interactions of the heterogeneous actors for mobilising SSC in a power-dominant context. More importantly, the study inspires future research into examining how SSC practices unfold and how the changes in IIS influence the mobilisation of SSC.

An Initial Exploration of an Intercollegiate Collaborative Innovation Path for Aviation Equipment Primary Training Based on ANT

Talent cultivation for primary training of aviation equipment majors has many modules, many categories, long class hours and cross-fields, and there are realistic difficulties in improving the teaching effect. After a number of training practices and explorations, it is found that collaborative training based on inter-college innovation has obvious advantages. In view of the real problems of aviation equipment professional primary training personnel training, based on the perspective of the advanced theory widely recognized in the education sector -actor network theory (ANT), we have explored the intercollegiate synergistic path with military colleges as the main body, which is of certain practical significance for further improving the comprehensive quality and efficiency of aviation security primary training personnel training.