Categories Of Actors Research Articles

Cell-wall microdomain remodeling controls crucial developmental processes.

Plant cell walls display cellular and subcellular specificities. At the subcellular level, wall regional territories with specific compositions are necessary for macroscopic developmental processes. These regional specificities were named differently throughout the years, and are unified here under the term 'cell-wall microdomains' that define the local composition and organization of wall polymers underlying territories of wall loosening and/or softening or stiffening. We review the occurrence and developmental role of wall microdomains in different cell types. We primarily focus on the contribution of two categories of wall-remodeling molecular actors: fine-tuning of homogalacturonan (HG; pectin) demethylesterification patterns and two classes of oxidoreductases [class III peroxidases (CIII PRXs) and laccases (LACs)], but we also highlight two different molecular scaffolds recently identified for positioning specific CIII PRXs.

Development of Security for the Poor in the Autonomous District of Abidjan: Sedentary Alternative or Political Instrument?

In a context of economic fragility and political crisis from 2002 to 2010, Côte d'Ivoire in general and the Autonomous District of Abidjan in particular constitute a booming market for private security. The objective of this study is to analyse the socio-political logic of the development of private security companies in the Autonomous District of Abidjan. The study uses a dual methodological approach (qualitative and quantitative) with appropriate survey tools, namely a documentary review and semi-directed interviews with a category of actors. This enabled us to arrive at the following results: On the one hand, the activities of security companies and their active roles contribute to the maintenance of social and political order. On the other hand, private security organisations fulfil dual functions. That is, a function of social security partners and a function of social security capital of political actors in the reproduction and maintenance of political power.

Human Circular Tourism as the Tourism of Tomorrow: The Role of Travellers in Achieving a More Sustainable and Circular Tourism

Nowadays, the challenge of sustainability is increasingly played out in cities, which represent the favoured field of action to implement strategies and actions for supporting the transition towards a more human and ecological development paradigm. The problems caused by the current economic model (linear model) are even more stressed today due to the effects produced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The tourism sector (one of the world’s major economic sectors and, thus, one of the main players in the development dynamics) is one of the economic sectors that has been the most negatively impacted by the pandemic. In this study, Human Circular Tourism (HCT) is proposed as a strategy to move towards a more sustainable future and, thus, reduce the negative impacts produced by the tourism sector. In particular, the objective of this paper is to understand the awareness of travellers (one of the categories of actors involved in the tourism experience) regarding sustainable and circular tourism in order to support local governments in the elaboration and implementation of strategies and actions towards more sustainable and circular tourism. To this end, a survey was conducted. In particular, a questionnaire was developed and submitted to a sample of tourists from all over the world to understand their behaviours and perceptions in their tourist experiences. From a critical analysis of the results, it emerges that there is a growing awareness of issues related to the concept of sustainability, especially in relation to the major issues of climate change and people’s health. This perception has certainly been influenced by the health emergency from COVID-19, but the sample of interviewees reveals that much still needs to be invested in increasing their awareness of the complexity of the factors involved in more sustainable, circular, and human-centred tourism. Therefore, starting from this, possible future prospects for the tourism sector from the circular economy perspective are here identified.

Client De Facto States and Quasi-Patrons: Insights from the Relationship Between Somaliland and Ethiopia

De facto states need external support to advance their national interests. Many of them depend on their patron’s assistance, thus becoming their clients. In turn, patronless de facto states derive certain benefits from engaging with various external actors. This study proposes including a new category of actors in this group, namely quasi-patrons, whose relations with de facto states resemble the patron—client relationship. This means that patronless de facto states can enjoy greater external support than the literature suggests. To illustrate the relationship between client de facto states and quasi-patrons, the case of Somaliland and Ethiopia is explored.

Associated benefits of manatee watching in the Costa dos Corais Environmental Protection Area

Marine mammals provide diverse and interconnected ecosystem services. According to the literature, the use of these services is associated with human needs related to provision, ecosystem regulation, education, culture, spirituality, and recreation. Tourism with marine animals can provide psychological benefits, emotional connection, fun, and learning, in addition to generating high income in local communities. This study aimed to determine the willingness to pay of the community and visitors for the conservation of the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), identify the revenue from manatee watching, and evaluate well-being according to the participants of this attraction. The study was conducted from January 2020 to February 2021, in the Costa dos Corais Environmental Protection Area, Brazil. Data were collected using questionnaires and specific forms for the seven categories of social actors involved with manatee watching. The contingent valuation method was used to evaluate the willingness to pay of the respondents for the conservation of the manatee. The willingness of individuals to conduct voluntary work was also considered and subsequently converted into monetary values. Revenue from manatee watching was calculated through the direct costs of acquiring tour tickets and indirect expenditure on accommodation, food, transportation, and souvenirs. The feelings of the tourists who completed the trip were determined using a semi-structured question and their level of satisfaction was established using a five-point Likert scale. A total of 761 interviews were conducted. Most of the survey respondents were female, with a high level of education, and with a median monthly income of USD 1 800 dollars. The average mean value declared for willingness to pay was USD 3.6 dollars per month. The median hours devoted to volunteer work were 60 hours per year, which is the equivalent of USD 2.59 dollars per month. Direct revenue from this form of tourism was USD 125 595 dollars and total projected revenue was USD 15 392 225.45 dollars in the studied period. The vast majority of tourists managed to see the manatee and declared positive feelings after the trip. We believe that more elaborate promotion of manatee-watching would attract a higher number of tourists to the protected area.

Public perceptions of responsibility for alcohol control actions by actor type in seven countries

Many governments are failing to systematically introduce evidence-based alcohol control policies, and debate continues around issues of market freedom and personal responsibility. The aim of this international study was to assess the extent to which the public considers a range of alcohol control policies to be the responsibility of three different categories of actors: government, the private sector, and individuals. Around 1000 respondents from seven countries (Australia, Canada, China, India, New Zealand, the UK, and the US; n = 7559) completed an online survey assessing demographic characteristics, alcohol consumption status, and perceived responsibility for four alcohol harm-reduction actions relating to alcohol availability, advertising, and public education campaigns. Across the total sample and all assessed actions, governments were selected as an appropriate actor in 66 % of instances, the private sector in 39 %, and individuals in 28 %. Respondents from New Zealand were most likely to consider the actions to be government responsibility and respondents from the US the least. In relatively few instances (8 %), respondents considered the actions unworthy of attention by any actor. Across all seven countries, governments were considered to be the most appropriate actors to undertake actions relating to restricting alcohol availability, regulating alcohol advertising, and disseminating campaigns to educate the public about alcohol-related harm. The results indicate that the public may be receptive to greater intervention in these areas.

The influence of European and American non-state actors on the integration of the transatlantic market after the Cold War - A Romanian perspective

ABSTRACT The focus of this article is on categories of non-state actors: private and public-private companies in Europe and the US, NGOs, and the academic community. In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a revival of importance of non-state actors. This article assesses the growing influence of European and American non-state actors on the integration of the transatlantic market, against the backdrop of changes in the international context. Particular attention is paid to the case of Romania since, in terms of integration, it is located at a key position in relation to the geostrategic interests of both the European Union and the United States. The article is based on an opinion survey of the Romanian population as well as interviews with professionals belonging to Romanian and American non-governmental organizations, employees of Romanian companies collaborating with American corporations, and Romanian scholars having studied at American universities. The article concludes that, in a system marked by global interdependencies, non-state actors are influencing the policy-making processes at both national and international levels, with the business sector being the most influential non-state actor.

The Need of Venture Capital Investors in Life Sciences Clusters: a Comparison between Romania and Germany

Abstract This article aims to investigate the role of investors in the development of clusters. Previous studies validated that investors are an essential category of actors for the clustered companies, alongside the specialized suppliers, sophisticated buyers, regulatory authorities, or education institutions. Although most previous studies have focused on understanding the mechanisms of such structures and subsequent recommendations, the topic of financing opportunities was neglected. Therefore, based on the previous successful experience of other clusters, the question raised is whether venture capital can help clustered companies. For such an investigation, two countries were analyzed as case studies, based on the venture capital invested in the last years. Life sciences have been selected due to the larger need for funding the research and development activities, compared with other industries. As expected, the development of analyzed clusters was influenced by the availability of local resources; but in the case of Germany, the need of private investors has been confirmed by the local authorities since the first cluster policy.

The framing of plastic pollution responsibility: comparing corporate versus environmental movement discursive evaluations

PurposeThis article aims to investigate evaluative framing of global plastic pollution as discursively performed by two opposed categories of social actors, namely corporations versus environmental movements.Design/methodology/approachThe article builds on the literature related to framing, issue arenas and moral evaluations to unravel how evaluative framing and counterframing are implemented in multimodal digital spaces and how social practices get legitimized or delegitimized according to different communicative purposes. It presents a longitudinal critical discourse analysis of the issue-related webpages and press releases of PepsiCo, one of the worst global plastic polluters, and of the global environmental movement #breakfreefromplastic.FindingsFindings suggest that the systematic recurrence of specific evaluative strategies has a double macro-function: (a) organizing discourses strategically through its presence or absence; (b) signalling the moral significance of recontextualized social practices by conferring legitimacy to remedial actions and/or illegitimacy to deviant actions.Social implicationsThis study contributes to increasing accountable environmental action and trustful communication for overcoming global sustainability issues.Originality/valueThe article offers a nuanced understanding of the role of evaluative framing in communicating global sustainability issues. Methodologically, it extends existing categories of moral evaluations and articulates a framework for future studies.

Duterte's “War on Drugs” Rhetoric

Duterte's “War on Drugs” Rhetoric

Language and the Ideological Representations in Selected Songs of Folarin Falana (FALZ)

This paper examines language and ideology in selected Hip-hop songs Nigeria. Even though Hip-hop has attracted a wide range of scholarly interests, existing works have not adequately examined its role in social engineering. Driven by van Leeuwenʼs Socio-Semantic Model, the paper examines 8 tracks (purposively selected for their messages) of Folarin Falana (FALZ), downloaded from . This is with the view to accounting for the ideological role in social reformation and national development. Five categories of social actors, namely; individuals, civil/public servants, professionals, leaders/leadership, groups/bodies, were identified and ideologically presented as perpetuators negative social actions such as corruption, fraud, favouritism, killing and ethnicity. Nominal and pronominal elements were employed to reveal social actors, while verbs and adjectives were employed to expose, accuse and condemn the negative actions. The study concludes that Hip-hop is socially and politically correct in Nigeria because helps to promote social wellness and national development.

Performance management change: discourses at play in an Italian university

PurposeThis study explores the reactions of different categories of actors within a university setting (academics, administrative staff, governance members, and students) to implementing performance management system (PMS) changes. The paper aims to understand how these actors dealt with PMS change by discursively reconstructing their roles and positions at institutional and individual levels.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use Foucault's (1972/1989) conceptualisation of regimes of truths to analyse the case of an Italian university. Interviews with individual actors took place in the period 2012–2020. The data were contextualised with other data from publicly available reports, internal documents, and archival material.FindingsThe paper identifies the challenges actors face dealing with contrasting discourses and draws attention to the paradoxical changes triggering resistance. However, the findings show that when circumstances allow a generative resistance, dissent can be progressively replaced with a commitment on the part of actors, achieving alignment with organisational strategy.Originality/valueThe study challenges the commonly held view of resistance as a dysfunctional force that impedes change. It emphasises the importance of focusing on actors to make resistance a generative force shaping change towards more negotiated and agreed positions. This has implications for academics and practitioners seeking to implement PMSs.

Introduction

Peoples’ practising of religious ritual is never isolated from the social and political setting in which it takes place. It is therefore inevitable that ritual practice somehow contends with the current social context. Examining Muslim ritual practices across the Middle East, the authors of the articles in this special issue discuss religious ritual as a tool for accomplishing something in the real world. They provide examples of which social concerns are addressed in ritual practice, who is involved and how the ritual practice is affected. The studies show that current ritual practices are embedded in multi-actor social spaces, and they also reflect on the ritual as a multi-actor space where the power to define ritual form, meaning and importance shifts between different categories of actors.

Interreg and WHO-CC : a Fruitful Collaboration in the Service of E-Mental Health

Within the IT4Anxiety project, the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre (WHOCC) for research and training in mental health of Lille, is the leader of the work package “identification of needs among the different actors in the mental health field”. The complexity of our object of study - the use of new technologies for people’s mental health - requires undertaking a multi-disciplinary approach, considering both the clinical and the socio-anthropological aspects. A mixed-methods research conducted with pepole people experiencing anxiety, carers and professionnals, aims to describe the use, acceptability and needs of the different categories of actors concerned by the use of new technologies. The quantitative part is a cross-sectional, descriptive, observational study. A anonymous self-administered questionnaire is distributed online and in hard copy in the 5 partner countries (Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK) to the three study populations. It consists of access to digital tools or technological solutions, experience related to these and the contribution and perceived effect of users to e-mental health related projects. The qualitative approach includes a detailed understanding of the potential therapeutic and socio-anthropological changes that these tools can bring. It explores : description of used technologies, the representations and emerging needs in relation to the management of anxiety and the improvement of mental health ; the clinical impact perceived by all stakeholders and the implementation of new ways of living with the tools. This international research will enable a comparative study to be carried out on the dynamics of appropriation of these e-(mental) health devices in different countries of the North-Western European region.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Heterogeneity in agricultural households and transition paths in southern Tibet

Smallholder livelihoods in agricultural areas in Tibet Autonomous Region, China (Tibet for short) have traditionally been based on subsistence mixed crop-livestock systems. Like many parts of China and the developing world, rural Tibet is undergoing rapid change in agricultural development, boosted by links with the off-farm sector. However, the agricultural transition process in Tibet has not been linear, is affected by policies particular to the region, and varies significantly for different categories of rural actors. This paper analyses heterogeneity of household types in agricultural areas of southern Tibet and how household structures and characteristics result in different agricultural development pathways. Data is drawn from a stratified random survey of 144 households in three townships in southern Tibet and analysed through three methods: cluster analysis, bio-economic modelling, and analysis of household perceptions and attitudes to change. The analysis allows for the identification of three key household types — semi-subsistence, pluriactive and semi-commercial — organised along a continuum of intensification, commercialisation, specialisation and productivity. The study demonstrates the diversity of household farming systems in Tibet which in turn highlights the need for disaggregated analysis and tailored development policies and strategies. However, the analysis also reveals commonalities in development paths between groups, where all farm types are more interested in pursuing income and livelihood goals through an increase in productivity than through an increase in scale. Farmers in all systems choose to retain agriculture as a base from which to pursue livelihood strategies, especially through off-farm activities. Accounting for this household heterogeneity is important on several levels. First, it provides more granular detail on the process of development in rural areas of Tibet that have been very difficult to access in English literature especially in recent years. Second, the characteristics of the case study in agricultural areas of Tibet — especially the mixed agricultural-pastoral systems, high levels of seasonality, heavy state investment and increased integration with the other regions of China — may contribute to the broader agricultural development study. Third, policymakers in the central and local governments may be interested in how the household heterogeneity may affect — or be affected by — policies to increase agricultural productivity, intensify systems, change the composition of crop-livestock systems, promote rural-urban transformation and pursue environmental objectives, especially grassland degradation.

Supply chain risk management and flexibility to manage the disturbances of global crises

A global crisis successfully creates conflicts, which endanger the performance of the automotive supply chain with its total actors. Risk management throughout a worldwide crisis necessitates dissimilar techniques and procedures to the risk management perspective and approaches practiced for a steady market and stable situations, in order to overcome the supply chain vulnerabilities and disruptions towards the triggered issues of suppliers and demand. The main purpose of this paper, unlike the previous works, is to implement innovative tactics and means to make the supply chain of the automotive industry more resilient and flexible towards global crises to minimize the damages, taking the automotive industry's performance within the Coronavirus pandemic as a field of study and the juxtaposed complications presented in parallel from suppliers and customers to result in a robust technique to create strategic flexibility and balance for production units to manage the jeopardies within and post the global crises. This research, using the analytical hierarchical process for the assessment of the vertical collaboration alternatives, enables the supply chain actors to adopt the most adequate alternative for each category of risks and actors. However, the limitations presented for this study are to overcome the need for risk mitigation by preventing the appearance and bringing the probability to zero percent of the presence of the risks in the whole supply chain of the automotive industry.

Management of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Cote D'ivoire: Analysis of the Political-Hospital System

This study analyses the factors that explain the dysfunction in the management of the COVID-19 coronavirus in Côte d'Ivoire. The study was essentially qualitative, using appropriate survey tools such as documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews with a category of actors in Abidjan. This enabled us to arrive at the following results: the dysfunctional management of COVID-19 in Côte d'Ivoire is linked to the failure to comply with the normative framework issued by the authorities of the Ministry of Health through the persistence of lifestyle habits that are proof of the restrictive measures announced in view of the seriousness of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Thus, the actors develop strategies outside the normative framework to redefine new types of lifestyle relationships.

EXPLORATION OF VIRTUAL INCUBATORS AND DEVELOPMENT OF INCUBATOR SERVICES FOR DIGITAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP: RECEIVING ENTREPRENEURIAL SUPPORT FROM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.

Entrepreneurship is frequently linked together with aspects of economic growth and development. In the last 40 years, an increasing number of incubators and service providers have been created to stimulate entrepreneurship and innovation. However, in the increasingly globalized and digitalized world, few virtual and digital initiatives have successfully been studied to encourage and facilitate entrepreneurship. This study aims to understand further how digital and virtual products and services can aid entrepreneurs in venture creation and potentially add to an updated and broader understanding of the potential in a virtual incubator program. By looking at three categories of entrepreneurial support actors, traditional public incubators, private incubators, and digital service providers. 14 semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain more in-depth knowledge of how they operate. More specifically, this study is conducted with actors that share the vision to assist startup in their initial phase and create a deeper understanding of what the incubator offers to startups and the possibility to adapt and improve their process using digital tools and external partnerships. Results indicate that the use of digital tools is varied. Incubators are leaning towards relying more on social media for reaching potential entrepreneurs and ideas, and further that a factor of validating every aspect of the startup is essential to promote success. The incubator mainly acts as a mediator of network, funding, coaching, and finding talents has during the COVID-19 pandemic moved most of their activities from physical to online. The issue of trust-building is, however, still prominent, and the incubators are looking for ways and tools to improve on this issue. Implications of this study have the potential to lower barriers to entrepreneurship, where entrepreneurial support becomes less dependent on their local ecosystem and geographical factors. Future research is encouraged to classify virtual incubators and a further look at specific cases and pursuit more longitudinal studies to fully understand the potential effects and implications. This study contributes to the field of incubators and entrepreneurial support and the ongoing digital paradigm shift. Keywords: Business Incubator, Virtual Incubator, Entrepreneurial Support, Digital Entrepreneurship, Startup

Diffusion of social science research in Nigeria

AbstractUnderstanding the research–policy nexus in developing economies requires knowing who disseminates and how social science research (SSR) is diffused. Based on survey and secondary data on a diverse set of critical stakeholders, this paper characterises the SSR diffusion landscape in Nigeria. We find that university researchers are the most active disseminators of SSR though other actors also engage in dissemination activities. Collaboration among different categories of actors, both locally and internationally, is pervasive in the system. However, online visibility of research is poor in the Nigerian SSR system. Most of the local scientific journals do not operate online, and a large share of the published SSR output is missing from widely used bibliographic databases. For a better research–policy nexus, research producers need to become skilled research advocates and policymakers need to be accessible to other actors.

Beyond Numbers: Determining the Socioeconomic and Livelihood Impacts of African Swine Fever and Its Control in the Philippines.

The impacts of African Swine Fever (ASF) have most frequently been described quantitatively though it is increasingly acknowledged these impacts extend well beyond numbers. During 2020, a multidisciplinary team of researchers developed a framework for Socioeconomic and Livelihood Impact Assessment (SELIA) of livestock diseases in smallholder communities. Two key innovations within this SELIA framework are the integration of sustainable livelihoods concepts to capture rich information beyond financial impacts, and the inclusion of stakeholders across the value chain, beyond farmers. This paper focuses on the findings from one of the first applications of the SELIA framework. In late 2020 the research team applied participatory tools from the SELIA Framework (8 focus group discussions, 14 key informant interviews, and 2 network mapping activities) to gather data to describe the impact of ASF in backyard pig-farming communities and value chains. This was undertaken across two locations in the Philippines, in turn highlighting potential leverage points for intervention. Owing to COVID-19 travel restrictions and risks, modifications to training and field activities were made. Findings from focus groups and interviews revealed the deep, emotional impacts of ASF and the associated control measures. Pigs were considered pets by many farmers and some women described them as being like their children. Animal health-workers (AHWs) also recognised the emotional toll on farmers and were sometimes strongly criticised by community members due to their involvement in depopulation campaigns. Misinformation early in the epidemic also led farmers to hide their animals from AHWs, and to dispose of them inappropriately. While the overall impact of ASF on society was negative, the impacts across different communities, scales of production and different value chain actors varied. The losses experienced by backyard farmers resulted in significant losses to linked value chain actors, such as input suppliers. This trial application of the SELIA framework revealed some complex and varied impacts of ASF. This included significant differences in livelihood and socio-economic impacts amongst different actors within value chains and also among different categories of actors (for example small, medium and large-scale traders). Repeated themes and triangulated findings suggest two leverage points for further consideration. Firstly, it is recommended a One Welfare approach to ASF control in the Philippines is explored. Emphasising careful communication between animal health-workers and farmers, and humane and sensitive pig depopulation practices. Secondly, consideration of ASF support programs tailored to sectoral and specific communities is recommended.