Perspective Of Actors Research Articles

Reinventing Urban Agriculture in Algerian Urban Policies: Stakeholders' Visions and Operational Strategy

Climate change and rapid urban growth are driving an increased demand for global resources, exacerbating environmental challenges. Addressing these issues necessitates the implementation of diverse strategies across various scales. Urban agriculture emerges as a potential solution to foster the resilience of urban entities. However, in the Mediterranean region, notably in Algeria, urban agriculture remains inadequately addressed in public policies, with agricultural plots in cities often earmarked as land reserves for future urban development. This study aimed to assess the perspective of urban actors in Annaba regarding urban agriculture and to identify and map agricultural activities within the city, with the goal of integrating them into urban policy frameworks. Interviews were conducted with decision-makers and farmers, complemented by spatial analysis. Findings revealed that although there is interest in urban agriculture, it is not effectively integrated into institutional and legal frameworks. Despite modest agricultural production primarily for self-consumption, urban agriculture projects hold potential for adoption in Algerian cities, offering a pathway towards enhancing urban sustainability.

Cross-sectional analysis of the environment in Agenda 2030: Public diplomacy on municipal websites in Portugal

This article delves into local public diplomacy from the perspective of climate action. A cross-sectional analysis is made of the climate perspective in the international 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, considering the social, political, and economic challenges implied by human alteration of the environment. The websites of local municipal corporations in Portugal are analysed to identify the information referring to Agenda 2030 and its convergence in climate action. To this end, a content analysis method was designed based on the relationship of the Agenda’s sustainable development goals (SDGs) with their associated climate change goals. Attention is paid primarily to the websites’ fixed sections, and secondarily to their informational content and external portals. The method is applied to the websites of seven of Portugal’s municipalities. Conclusions are drawn concerning whether or not they provide information on climate change so that the effort directed by these local governments towards climate action can be determined. A comparison is made with the international case. This tool contributes to localizing the SDGs and prioritizing environmentally important components.

Evaluation and Improvement Strategies of Teachers’ Information Technology Teaching Ability Based on Data Mining

The rapid evolution of emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things, big data analytics, and next-generation artificial intelligence has propelled education through the ranks to new heights. To promote the development of digital education in an all-round way and build a learning country under the strategic action of digital education in China, it is necessary to objectively and accurately evaluate the information-based teaching ability of college teachers. This paper takes the evaluation of teachers’ information-based teaching ability and the construction of promotion strategies as the research object, introduces the composition of teachers’ information-based teaching ability in detail, designs the evaluation index system of teachers’ information-based teaching ability from the perspective of educational digital strategic action, and constructs the promotion strategies of teachers’ information-based teaching ability based on the case study of teaching ability evaluation. The constructed evaluation index of teachers’ informatization teaching ability has strong maneuverability and the evaluation results are objective and accurate, which can be used as an evaluation model in the construction of teachers’ informatization teaching ability in colleges and universities and provide practical guidance for improving teachers’ informatization teaching ability in colleges and universities.

Community-based sustainability initiatives: the quality of relationships matter?

The quality of relationships between different actors involved in community-based sustainability initiatives is central to their success. This study examines the role of the qualities of social relationships within 22 different community-based sustainability initiatives each framed round different types of sustainability challenges, from flooding and climate change to community development and youth engagement. Research involved 37 semi structured interviews, combined with visual techniques, to explore the qualities of different relationship from the perspective of actors actively engaged in developing and progressing initiatives with different communities across Scotland. A typology of relationship qualities (tense, pragmatic and supportive qualities) is presented and applied to examine the ways in which relationships shape the benefits that participants identify for these community-based initiatives. The findings show supportive relationship qualities, involving a sense of respect, integrity, honesty and opportunities to test out new ideas, are particularly important in sustainability initiatives, providing a diverse range of benefits. Relationship qualities can also shift over time, either relatively suddenly or incrementally. Some groups of initiative actors worked strategically with relationships, underpinning their relationship-based strategies with relationships with different actors dominated by supportive qualities to actively harness the benefits these types of relationships provide and strengthen the sense of community and shared interest surrounding initiatives. A focus on relationship qualities can therefore provide a more dynamic picture of how community-based initiatives unfold and adapt to increasingly complex challenges. Such an approach places human agency centre-stage, recognising the fundamental importance of shaping social relationships within community-based initiatives.

Situated minds and distributed systems in translation

Abstract This article sheds light on two different perspectives on the boundaries of the cognitive system and the consequences of their adoption for Cognitive Translation and Interpreting Studies (CTIS). Both are represented by different approaches within the cognitive scientific cluster of approaches referred to as situated or 4EA (embodied, embedded, enactive, extended, and affective) cognition. The first, the person-centred perspective, takes individuals as a starting point and describes their interactions with their social and material surroundings. The second, the distributed, extended perspective, takes the joint activity of different situated actors and material artefacts as its starting point and depicts this socio-cognitive unit as the object of analysis. With this article, we do not seek to advocate the use of one over the other. Rather, we attempt to offer a coherent interpretation of how the cognitive process of translation can be studied and interpreted as a situated activity either from the perspective of individual actors or from a larger, distributed, and extended angle that considers people and the relevant social and material environment as a system. Specifically, we discuss what is to be gained if translation is studied from a distributed cognitive perspective. To this end, we illustrate key aspects of the discussion using empirical examples from current field research in which both an individual and a distributed perspective are applied to analyse interaction in a translation workplace.

Municipal Perspectives on Collaboration in Regional Sport Event Hosting: A Case Study of the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games

Increasingly, sport event bids indicate that multiple jurisdictions within a given region will collaborate on hosting efforts, so that they can share the risks, leveraging opportunities, and benefits of hosting. However, such hosting arrangements are complex and involve many stakeholders, including municipal departments. In this case study, we examine the perspectives of municipal actors involved in a regional approach to hosting the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games. Framed with concepts of collaboration and organizational capacity, we used social network analysis and semi-structured interviews to collect data. Our findings include a sociogram as well as a discussion of: (1) buying in to a regional approach; (2) addressing variability in size, scope, and capacity across municipalities; (3) networking and communication among municipalities; and (4) assessing the regional hosting approach. Through this case study, we contribute a nuanced understanding of municipal actors’ perspectives and experiences of collaboration in the regional hosting process.

Configuration of factors influencing the performance of new retailers in the context of digital transformation—Based on the resource action perspective

AbstractFrom a resource action perspective, a configuration analysis was performed on 219 cases of new retailers using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The major study findings are as follows: (1) Digital transformation capacity and resource management behavior are essential conditions for high performance of new retailers. (2) Seven configurations drive high performance of new retailers. (3) Under a specific configuration, there are potential substitution relationships between digital culture and corporate reputation, “digital culture + human resources” and basic resources. Accordingly, new retailers should take measures such as establishing a three‐layer conditional combination chain to promote sustainable development.

Theorizing reflexivity and transformative change in marine governance

ABSTRACT With multiple blue crises unfolding, momentum exists to develop and implement transformative marine governance approaches towards sustainable use of our oceans. Such approaches will only be transformative when they foster reflexive governance that questions and changes existing values and structures of power and governance. Yet, we lack understanding of how transformative marine governance change relates to reflexivity. This article takes an actor perspective and conceptualises reflexivity through three elements: (1) the trigger that leads to (2) processes of single, double and triple loop learning and reflection, and (3) the capacity to enact change. Building on the duality of structure and agency, we argue that reflexive actors are able to enact transformative change by changing their policy practices and the governance arrangements they are embedded in. These changes can in turn lead to political modernization, i.e. the structural transformation processes within the political domain of society. This will also result in changes across multiple governance arrangements. However, reflexivity is a process both enabled and constrained by existing power and governance structures, and does not happen automatically. We therefore conclude that reflexivity and transformation require deliberation, contestation and the capacity to learn and break through vested interest, discourses and power structures.

Sustainability Impact: A Representation of Social Enterprise Value

Social enterprises have a unique characteristic in their business objectives, which is the element of profit as well as creating value that addresses social issues in society. In practice, the sustainability impact represents the value that shows how social enterprises establish strategies, conduct daily operations, and build partnerships with stakeholders. Therefore, this study aims to explore and understand the meaning of "impact" from the perspective of social enterprise actors. The research data consists of observations and interviews with social enterprise business actors, as well as documentation related to the research theme. Data analysis was conducted using a case study approach, which involves data reduction, coding, and theme determination, followed by interpreting the analysis results to address the research problem. The findings illustrate that the impact for social enterprises can be interpreted as creating positive changes in the lives of people in society. This is ingrained from the strategy setting to daily operations because success for a social enterprise is not only measured by profit but also by the social impact generated. Additionally, a social enterprise is also considered a green business when impact thinking correlates with sustainability principles.

Understanding differential reductions in undernutrition among districts in Rwanda through the perspectives of mid-level and community actors on policy commitment and policy coherence.

Understanding the drivers of improvements in child undernutrition at only the national level can mask subnational differences. This paper aimed to understand the contributions of factors in the enabling environment to observed differences in stunting reduction between districts in Rwanda. In 2017, we conducted 58 semi-structured interviews with mid-level actors (n = 38) and frontline workers (n = 20) implementing Rwanda's multi-sectoral nutrition policy in five districts in which stunting decreased (reduced districts) and five where it increased or stagnated (non-reduced districts) based on Rwanda's 2010 and 2014/15 Demographic and Health Surveys. Mid-level actors are government officials and service providers at thesubnational level who represent the frontline of government policy. Interviews focused on political commitment to and policy coherence in nutrition, and contributors to nutrition changes. Responses were coded to capture themes on the changes and challenges of these topics and compared between reduced and non-reduced districts. Descriptive statistics described district characteristics. Political commitment to nutrition was high in both reduced and non-reduced districts. Respondents from reduced districts were more likely to define commitment to nutrition as an optimal implementation of policy, whereas those from non-reduced districts focused more on financial commitment. Regarding coherence, respondents from reduced compared to non-reduced districts were more likely to report the optimal implementation of multi-sectoral nutrition planning meetings, using data to assess plans and progress in nutrition outcomes and integration of nutrition into the agriculture sector. In contrast, respondents from non-reduced districts more often reported challenges in their relationships with national-level stakeholders and nutrition and/or monitoring and evaluation capacities. Enhancing the integration of nutrition in different sectors and improving mid-level actors' capacity to plan and advocate for nutrition programming may contribute to reductions in stunting.

“I Don’t Come Here Just for the Food”: Manifestations of Care in Food Assistance Initiatives

This paper seeks to understand the social role played by food assistance initiatives in Portugal. Based on the understanding that these organizations are “spaces of care,” it is possible to reflect on the support provided by them in a more comprehensive and integrative way. Therefore, the various care practices that emerge in these organizational contexts are explored. This study presents a qualitative comparative methodological approach and a range of ethnographic methods to explore the perspectives of different actors (supervisors, volunteers, and beneficiaries) within different models of food assistance (Surplus Food Redistribution Charity, Soup Kitchen, and Social Supermarket). The main results indicate the presence of several “improvised” and “veiled” care practices in the analyzed initiatives that go beyond food issues. These manifestations of care may stem from altruistic acts and/or function as a “remedial measure,” serving as a compensatory mechanism in response to services deemed inadequate.

ChangeABLE cohesion : Dance and Disability in Post-war Sri Lanka

Abstract: Dancers with disabilities are increasingly participating in performances throughout Asia. In this article, based on long-term research, I provide an analysis of changeABLE cohesion , a mixed-abled, intercultural performance co-created by Sri Lankan dancers and Gerda König, choreographer of the renowned German DIN A13 dance company. The article focuses on the experiences and interpretations of the dancers, analyzing the creative process they employed as well as the long-term impacts that participation in changeABLE cohesion had on their lives and work. By providing the perspectives of multiple actors, the article seeks to demonstrate how an expansive ethnographic approach can enrich our understanding of disability and intercultural performances and provide the means to more accurately address the many thorny ethical questions they raise .

RISK PERCEPTION IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY: A BIBLIOMETRIC REVIEW

This study presents a bibliometric analysis of the existing literature on risk perception in the construction industry. The aims are to discover patterns, significant topics, and the progression of research on risk perception. The study includes academic publications, such as journal articles, conference papers, and book chapters. The data was acquired from articles indexed on Scopus. VOSviewer was utilized to construct a co-occurrence network using the bibliographic data acquired, and a Sankey diagram was formed to investigate publication trends. Four major study clusters were found, encompassing risk management, safety, construction workers, and prevention actions, all within the context of risk perception in construction research. The current rising research topics related to risk perception in construction are occupational and project safety, construction workers, and human resources. The outcomes of this study can provide comprehension of risk perception in construction and research direction by emphasizing the importance of integrating management, safety, workers, and prevention action perspectives while offering new areas for further exploration regarding risk perception in the construction industry.

Policy vs. practice in sport and climate change: the perspectives of key actors in global sport and international development.

Despite widespread, scientifically supported recognition of the scope of the climate crisis, and policies in place connecting sport to sustainable development, there remain concerns that the environment and climate change are rarely acknowledged within SDP activity and that even when they are, it is unclear how such policies are implemented, and to what effect. This raises the question of how and why the climate crisis and the attendant relationships between sport and sustainable development are understood and operationalized (or not) by stakeholders within the SDP sector. In this paper, therefore, we explore various perspectives and tensions around the environment and climate crisis within the SDP sector. To do so, we draw on interviews with SDP policy-makers (primarily from the United Nations and the International Olympic Committee) and SDP practitioners living and working in the global South in order to gauge the place of the environment and climate change in their everyday SDP policy-making, programming and practices. Overall, the data shows that while SDP stakeholders recognize the urgency of the climate crisis, the need for action, and the policy agenda linking sport to sustainable development, significant barriers, tensions and politics are still in place that prevent consistent climate action within SDP. Policy commitments and coherence are therefore needed in order to make climate action a core feature of SDP activity and practice.

The role of NGOs in climate policies: The case of Tunisia

In this study, we examine the influential role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in shaping climate policy in Tunisia. Tunisia is a critical front in the global green transition. Our findings highlight how improved working conditions significantly increase NGO participation in climate initiatives, underscoring the value of a supportive operating environment. Growing professionalism within NGOs is particularly influencing strategic development in areas such as the Resilience 2050 and Low Carbon Economy 2050 programs. The interplay between NGOs and government agencies emerges as a transformative factor; exclusion from policymaking processes can lead some NGOs to intensify their climate action, while collaboration with governments and access to international funding generally strengthen NGOs’ commitment to broader climate agendas. We also explore the influence of resource constraints on NGOs’ ability to multitask, and the link between financial stability and political engagement. Our study highlights the importance of fostering robust NGO-government partnerships that balance local insights with global perspectives for effective climate action, and points to the need for such collaborations to support Tunisia's green transition within the broader context of global climate governance.

Implementation of Partnerships Between Companies and Civil Society Organizations to Promote Financial Education in The Context of Intersectoral Esg Strategies

Research objective: To verify how the relationship between the Third Sector and the Second Sector collaborates with the ESG agenda, aiming to answer the question “how partnerships between non-profit organizations and private companies can contribute to enabling actions focused on social, environmental and of governance, which are becoming increasingly relevant given the serious socio-environmental challenges we face?”. Theoretical framework: Fischer (2002) says that the bases for building intersectoral alliances are, in Brazil, fragile and small for reasons such as: the distrust of non-profit organizations in relation to private companies and their leaders, and the lack of sensitivity of the Second Sector with socio-environmental issues. Methodology: Case study of a financial education action carried out by C6 Bank in partnership with Fundação Almerinda Malaquias, in the city of Novo Airão, Amazonas, in 2022, through interviews and analysis of posts. Results: It is possible to understand the important role that digital banks have been playing in financial inclusion. Social impact actions tend to be incorporated into the company's culture. The survey confirmed that C6 Bank actually went to Amazonas with the aim of providing financial education content and not just promoting itself. Originality: Contributes to the understanding of a topic that is still little explored. Theoretical and practical contributions: Creating and maintaining diverse partnerships can be a strategy in Third Sector organizations that contribute to the fulfillment of their mission and their institutional strengthening, as this process opens up new perspectives of collaboration and action for innovative organizational forms of community participation. civil society.

Community and governmental perspectives on climate disaster risk finance instruments in Colombia

PurposeAt the global level, disaster risk finance (DRF) is playing an increasingly prominent role in the international agendas for climate change adaptation. However, before implementing such agendas, it is essential to understand the needs and limitations of DRF in the subnational context where they need to impact. This research aims to gain insights into the perspectives of community and governmental actors in Colombia regarding DRF. Its goal is to promote the specific design of collaborative educational and technical assistance processes that consider their interests in the subject and the cultural diversity of the territories.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve this, semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the findings were organized to highlight key aspects that help to understand DRF perspectives in the Colombian context.FindingsIt was found that the most significant limitations of implementing DRF include a lack of knowledge on the topic, corruption that encourages a reactive approach and the absence of economic resources. Concerns have emerged regarding the possibility of climate risk insurance becoming a profit-driven enterprise and the potential development of dependency behaviors within community groups, leading to maladaptation and moral hazard. Similarly, the implementation of DRF through foreign funds has raised concerns about the loss of territorial sovereignty and autonomy.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies that carry out this kind of research and contributes to the formulation of inclusive public policies for DRF in different contexts worldwide.

The impact of artificial intelligence adoption for business-to-business marketing on shareholder reaction: A social actor perspective

While AI applications are becoming ever more important in B2B marketing operations, there is a lack of research to examine whether and how shareholders react to firms' AI-enabled B2B marketing initiatives. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to explore this process by theoretically building on the social actor perspective of the firm and investigating the impact of AI-enabled B2B marketing initiatives on shareholder reaction measured by abnormal stock returns. By adopting a propensity score matching (PSM) method to generate an artificial control group of firms without adopting AI-enabled B2B marketing initiatives, we conduct an event study based on 174 sample firms (87 treatment firms and 87 matched control firms) publicly listed in the US between 2011 and 2020. The test results suggest that firms implementing AI for B2B marketing receive greater stock returns than their industry peers without AI implementation. In addition, the stock return is more remarkable for firms operating in turbulent environments and with less complex customer bases. A qualitative focus group discussion was conducted to further complement and enrich the findings. This study provides the first empirical evidence regarding the shareholder reaction to AI-enabled B2B marketing initiatives. The results reveal the significance of the fit between AI-enabled B2B marketing values and firms' business environments. It encourages future studies to investigate AI implementation from the social actor perspective.

Development and implementation of Australian State, territory, and national policy on the health and wellbeing of adolescents and young adults: An exploration of policy actor perspectives using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research

ObjectivesGovernment policies that support the health and wellbeing of young people (aged 10 to 25) can have important individual and societal impacts. The aim of this study was to explore policy actor perspectives on the development and implementation of Australian government policies focussed on the health and wellbeing of young people. MethodsWe utilised a qualitative research design consisting of semi-structured interviews with policy actors with experience working with Australian youth health policies. Our interview guide and analyses were informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). We interviewed 19 participants from various national, state, and territory bodies. ResultsSeveral specific barriers and facilitators to policy development and implementation were identified using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Key policy development barriers were limited available resources (e.g. staffing and funding) and low relative priority within health and political systems. Key policy implementation barriers were limited available resources, limited policy compatibility with health services, cosmopolitanism issues related to interagency collaboration, and a lack of policy evaluation. Meaningful engagement of young people could also be improved. ConclusionsAlthough Australian youth health policies are perceived as evidence-based and comprehensively developed, the ability to promote implementation remains stalled. Implications for Public HealthThe development of policy implementation plans, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, funding and resources, and a strong commitment to removing barriers to working across multiple departments and systems is required to improve outcomes for young people.

Development of a Taxonomy of Policy Interventions for Integrating Nurse Practitioners into Health Systems

Background: Nurse practitioners (NPs)—nurses with advanced training who can provide and prescribe care—are increasingly prevalent internationally. The growth of NPs can be attributed to physician shortages, growing demand for health services, and the professionalization of nursing. Ensuring efficacious integration of NPs into the health system is critical for maximizing their impact on patient and system outcomes. Nonetheless, there is a dearth of information on practical policy interventions facilitating the successful integration of NPs. Effective policy interventions should capture the perspectives of actors at all levels of the health system—ie, national and organizational levels. This study aimed to delineate a taxonomy of policy interventions for integrating NPs into health systems. This paper presents a taxonomy developed among gerontology NPs in Israel. Methods: This qualitative descriptive study used multiple perspective, one-to-one interviews with four professional groups—national policy-makers, organizational administrators, NPs, and physicians. Data were analyzed using deductive content analysis. Analysis accounted for diverging and converging patterns between professional groups. Results: There were 58 participants across the four professional groups. The national-level domain interventions include marketing, workforce development, professional licensure and regulation, financial incentives, stakeholder cooperation, education and training programs, and national-level research. Organizational domain interventions included organizational guidelines, infrastructure development and resource allocation, interprofessional leadership engagement, and organizational messaging. Unit- and care-team domain interventions included interprofessional experience and exposure, team communication, and mentorship. Conclusion: The taxonomy’s trichotomy of three health system level domains describes the relationship between national and organizational policy interventions. Adopting these interventions may result in an improved response to provider shortages. Policies insufficiently addressing role clarity and workforce retention resulted in poor integration and a failure to efficaciously combat workforce shortages. Future work will expand the focus of this preliminary taxonomy by further development and testing with international participants.