Ecosystem Governance Research Articles

Analyzing the Shanghai fashion entrepreneurial ecosystem – a feminist policy response to governance challenges

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to explore Chinese women entrepreneurs’ perceptions of governance within the Shanghai fashion entrepreneurial ecosystem (SFEE) and identify whether policy is effective and inclusive of women entrepreneurs, potential barriers and if implementation is proceeding as planned.Design/methodology/approachWe used an adaptive qualitative method incorporating a traditional case study utilizing a thematic analysis with a feminist approach to policy analysis. The case study is based on original data from ethnographic practices with a purposive sample of 15 fashion entrepreneurs and triangulated with six political elites within the SFEE.FindingsThe findings indicate that women fashion entrepreneurs perceive effective governance of the SFEE, legitimizing top-down policies and resources as the “right time” for them to be women and entrepreneurs in Shanghai. Entrepreneurs claim “I am human,” asserting gender equality in business but with circumstantial gender roles that can limit access to important resources.Research limitations/implicationsA single industry, the SFEE, limits the generalizability of the findings. Additionally, did the respondents feel comfortable with the truth? True to communist nations, citizens have few opportunities to voice opinions and public dissent is discouraged. However, we took steps to protect anonymity and excluded potentially sensitive questions dealing with geopolitical strife.Practical implicationsThe study outlined six SFEE governance challenges and feminist policy responses that will strengthen the future of women’s entrepreneurship. The study can introduce classroom discussions on gender dynamics and entrepreneurship in the global context. This can help students understand the unique challenges women face, such as access to funding, networking opportunities and societal expectations, and how these factors influence the global supply chain.Originality/valueThe case study has several contributions, including a novel entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) governance framework and the first study to endorse the voice of Chinese women entrepreneurs operating within the Shanghai fashion industry. Further, we contextualize entrepreneurship using anthropological methods. Lastly, the analysis and understanding of SFEE policies have the potential to improve women’s lives, their families and communities.

Unraveling the effect of resource use, environmental innovation and financing access in developed and emerging economies

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of resource use and environmental innovation on firms’ financial costs. Design/methodology/approach The sample consists of 2,588 firm-year observations from 647 companies collected from Thomson Reuters over a five-year period (year 2014 to year 2018). The authors analyze the data using panel-corrected standard errors, which corrects heteroskedasticity issues and contemporaneous error in the data. Further, the authors adopt cluster analysis based on the year and industry. The authors also adopt the generalized method of moments and two-stage least squares regression to check for endogeneity issues and validate the findings. Findings The findings generally indicate that resource use is negatively associated with firms’ cost of capital. Firms’ engagement with operational activities improves savings in the usage of resources, but environmental innovation is found to be positively associated with the cost of capital. This may be attributable to higher capital investment, stringent risk assessment and third-party assurance associated with firms’ environmental innovation. Research limitations/implications The findings urge regulators, practitioners and stakeholders to engage in more dialogues to reduce the costs associated with environmental sustainability innovation. This may be in the form of new technologies, energy-saving products, waste recycling and green innovations. Government intervention via greater infrastructure, tax incentives and regulatory reform may support the growth of innovation in emerging market economies. Practical implications Efforts are needed to encourage a dynamic, innovative and entrepreneurial mindset among the people living in emerging countries. Also, government regulatory reform is imperative in encouraging innovations in the environmental, social and governance ecosystem. Social implications The effect on society would be in the form of a new product innovation that creates better living standards and environments for the communities. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the few studies that focuses on the impact of firms’ resource use and environmental innovativeness and its implications on business financial costs in both emerging and developed markets.

Establishment and Application of Modern Ecological Governance Systems from the Perspective of Digital Empowerment

The ecological governance system has made significant progress in information technology construction, and digitization has become an important driving force in the construction of this system. This article delves into the digital construction path of ecosystem governance and elaborates on the practical application effectiveness of digitalization in the ecological governance system through two specific cases: intelligent water management and air pollution warning digital models. Furthermore, we adopt the TOE (Technology–Organization–Environment) model to integrate a collaborative theory with the concept of multi-center governance and innovatively propose a new model for nearshore ecological environment protection management. On this basis, we constructed an evaluation index system and established a theoretical model of the impact of environmental regulations on nearshore ecological efficiency. After empirical analysis, we found that the impact of environmental regulations on ecological efficiency in coastal areas presents a curvilinear characteristic. In the modern ecological governance system, organizational factors and technological factors are the two modules that have the greatest impact on system construction, accounting for 49% and 31% of the weight of the indicator system, respectively, followed by technological advantages and the urgency and feasibility of construction. Gender factors indicate that technology and organization are necessary factors that constrain institutional development.

Research on Legitimacy Building and Governance of Transportation Service Platform Ecosystem Based on Three-Party Evolutionary Game

In recent years, the legitimacy issue has been considered an important challenge for digital service platform ecosystem sustainability. Accordingly, how to govern digital service platforms has been a significant research topic. Based on the transportation service platform ecosystem, this study establishes a three-party evolutionary game model considering strategies of government, platforms, and suppliers, and analyzes the corresponding governance mechanisms. The results show that the strategic choices of the government, platforms, and providers are interdependent. High tax rates, penalties, and social reputation are important influences that drive platforms and suppliers to actively build legitimacy. Moreover, the platform’s subsidies and penalties also influence the choice of provider strategies. This paper proposes that the government can actively regulate platforms which in turn promotes the platform management participants. Therefore, this study contributes to digital service platform ecosystem development and government policies.

Leveraging Federalism for Effective E-Participation: Integration and Coordination of Digital Governance Initiatives in India

As India continues its digital transformation, e-participation and citizen engagement have become crucial for effective governance. This research paper examines the role of digital governance initiatives, such as the MyGov platform, in fostering citizen participation and shaping state-society relations in India. By analysing the implementation and impact of various e-participation initiatives across different states, the study aims to assess the extent to which citizen inputs are considered in policymaking processes and the challenges faced in ensuring meaningful engagement. The paper investigates the factors influencing the adoption and success of e-participation platforms, including digital literacy, access to technology, and transparency mechanisms. Additionally, it explores integrating e-participation efforts across different levels of governance and the role of federalism in promoting effective citizen involvement. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the potential and limitations of digital governance in enhancing participatory decision-making processes in India. The study provides recommendations for improving e-participation initiatives, addressing the digital divide and accountability issues, and leveraging emerging technologies to foster an inclusive and responsive governance ecosystem.

A roadmap for a Metaverse-based digital governance: A case of the Gambia.

This paper explores the integration of Metaverse technologies into the digital governance framework of The Gambia, in order to identify the sectors where these innovations can be implemented most effectively. Driven by the pursuit of cutting-edge solutions to improve governance, improve public service delivery, and promote citizen engagement, the study uses qualitative analysis methodologies, including interviews with Information Technology (IT) professionals and an examination of government reports. Through the application of NVivo software for data analysis, essential themes and areas suitable for Metaverse applications were uncovered. These include the potential of the Metaverse to fundamentally transform sectors such as education, public service, infrastructure development, urban planning, and cultural heritage tourism. Despite recognizing the capacity of the Metaverse for transformative impact, this research identifies significant obstacles, including technical infrastructure readiness, ethical issues, and the need for policy reform. The findings highlight the need to address these challenges through substantial improvements in digital infrastructure, literacy, ethical guidelines, and policy frameworks. The study calls for a multistakeholder collaboration model, which incorporates government, the private sector, academia, and international bodies, to ensure the successful integration of the Metaverse into the digital governance of The Gambia. Offering comprehensive insights and strategic recommendations, this research underscores the collective effort required of all stakeholders to harness the full potential of the Metaverse, thus facilitating an inclusive and efficient digital governance ecosystem in the Gambia.

From Data to Decisions: Validating Ocean Ecosystem Services Scale

Several studies address the main topic of research, Ecosystem Services. It is also proven that decision-making in organizations generally involves a decision-maker, who assumes internal responsibility for the results. However, when the decision is collective, we need to think about the context of governance. How to improve the decision by the governance involved in the decision-making process? When this decision is applied to Ocean Ecosystem Services, in particular, we need a parameter. Therefore, the proposed scale is an initial guide for decisions on the governance of ocean services ecosystems. In this article, the scale proposal with validation through classical linear regression, and supported by an artificial neural network, demonstrates the main variables that influence the decision and contribute to possible risk mitigations in terms of decisions.

A systemic perspective on bridging the principles-to-practice gap in creating ethical artificial intelligence solutions – a critique of dominant narratives and proposal for a collaborative way forward

ABSTRACT We critique demands in artificial intelligence and technology development for bridging the so-called principles-to-practice gap that are voiced for instrumental reasons, such as accelerating adoption or creating trust, via clearly actionable ethical rules or via outsourced guidance offered by ethics ‘experts.’ We contend that these views are prone to amount to a simple reconfiguration of technical implementation. We support inclusive and philosophically grounded ethical reflection as key to bridging the gap. However, we acknowledge that this requires assistance, e.g., in the form of platform structures as part of ecosystem governance. Such platforms should facilitate inclusive discourse to disaggregate ethical principles on different levels of abstraction, and contextual framings, as well as support the considerable interdisciplinary work for unpacking them. Translating ethical principles into practice involves indispensable collaborative processes of (self-)reflection, including those with epistemic privilege on the relevant subject matter. We propose that ecosystems should provide the corresponding infrastructure.

From Software Management to Software Ecosystem Governance: A Bibliographic Review on Software Governance Practices Within Organizations and Their Evolution

Objective: The objective of this study is to map the publications that deal with IT Governance and the main aspects of Software development, acquisition and maintenance, identifying when the concepts related to software governance emerged and the main search sources for publications on the subject, highlighting the central issues of each of the emerging contexts. Theoretical Framework: A theoretical framework was used on the organizational structure of IT governance areas, focused on directing, analyzing and monitoring software development, differentiating the typical management activities designed by Juiz and Colomo-Palacios (2020). Method: The methodology adopted for this research comprises a qualitative-quantitative approach, using bibliometrics, bibliographic analysis and the application of a fractional authorship algorithm to identify the main authors to publish on the topic. Data collection was done using a set of search databases such as the Web of Science database and the Scopus database. Results and Discussion: The results obtained revealed the main authors identified in each of the databases searched, as well as the central themes of the searched themes, indicating the first appearance of each term and its main article. It is also possible to analyze the academic production related to each of these themes. Research Implications: The practical and theoretical implications of this research indicate fields of research that have become popular, bringing perspectives for future work, as well as fields that are being poorly explored in software development governance and management. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the area of ​​Information Technology management as the main themes studied in governance and management of software development formalize essential concepts for these fields of research and promote process improvement.

Towards trustworthy medical AI ecosystems – a proposal for supporting responsible innovation practices in AI-based medical innovation

AbstractIn this article, we explore questions about the culture of trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI) through the lens of ecosystems. We draw on the European Commission’s Guidelines for Trustworthy AI and its philosophical underpinnings. Based on the latter, the trustworthiness of an AI ecosystem can be conceived of as being grounded by both the so-called rational-choice and motivation-attributing accounts—i.e., trusting is rational because solution providers deliver expected services reliably, while trust also involves resigning control by attributing one’s motivation, and hence, goals, onto another entity. Our research question is: What aspects contribute to a responsible AI ecosystem that can promote justifiable trustworthiness in a healthcare environment? We argue that especially within devising governance and support aspects of a medical AI ecosystem, considering the so-called motivation-attributing account of trust provides fruitful pointers. There can and should be specific ways and governance structures supporting and nurturing trustworthiness beyond mere reliability. After compiling a list of preliminary requirements for this, we describe the emergence of one particular medical AI ecosystem and assess its compliance with and future ways of improving its functioning as a responsible AI ecosystem that promotes trustworthiness.

Recognition of Local Communities: A Polycentric Model of Policy Management of Mangrove Ecosystems

Mangrove forests are important resources that provide various ecosystem services ecologically, economically, socially, and culturally. However, the utilisation of mangrove ecosystems often faces management conflicts. Conflicts can occur between residents in the mangrove area or between agencies and levels of authority. The diversity of governance from various decentralised, connected and functionally different layers implies a complex system. The polycentric model is one approach to addressing the system's complexity. This study uses a qualitative approach with data collection techniques using interviews and observations. The aim is to examine the recognition of residents and the government for local community initiatives. This study found several essential things. First, the context of authority over the mangrove location by supra-village agencies, but in several decades, it has become a conservation and management area for residents. Second, recipients of ecosystem services and their utilisation involve residents from outside the administrative boundaries of the village. Third, cross-sector and level agreements for recognising mangrove ecosystem management initiatives based on local community wisdom. The model of recognition and autonomy given to local communities by higher authorities is the basis for sustainable polycentric governance of mangrove ecosystems. De facto autonomy includes four aspects, including: autonomy in decision-making, formal recognition, cross-actor collaboration, and control over access to resources.

Spatially Heterogeneous Relationships between Ecosystem Service Trade-Offs and Their Driving Factors: A Case Study in Baiyangdian Basin, China

Clarifying the complex relationships among ecosystem services (ESs) and their driving mechanisms is essential for effective ecosystem management and enhancing human welfare. Nonetheless, the current research on these issues still remains limited; therefore, further theoretical exploration is required. This study aims to quantitatively illustrate the trade-off strength of ESs and investigate the spatiotemporal heterogeneity connections between these relationships and various anthropogenic and natural factors in Baiyangdian basin, China, integrating InVEST, RMSE, geographical detector and MGWR methods. From 2000 to 2020, the total water yield (WY) and nutrient export (NE) increased, while the total carbon storage (CS) and habitat quality (HQ) decreased slightly. The trade-offs of ESs showed spatiotemporal heterogeneity. The most serious trade-off occurred between regulating services (CS and NE) and supporting services (HQ) in 2000, which was mainly distributed in the densely forested and grassed western and northern regions of the basin. The trade-off intensities of half of the pairwise ESs in 2020 increased, with the strengthened areas mainly located in the southeast of the watershed where built-up lands are concentrated. Various factors dominated the trade-offs among ESs, with the interactive effects of multiple drivers being more significant than those of individual factors. Land use type, vegetation cover and precipitation have the most pronounced effect on the trade-offs among ESs. The findings of this study may suggest and advocate for spatial ecological strategies to enhance the integrated and holistic advancement of various ESs and also serve as a reference for regional ecosystem governance and the attainment of sustainable growth.

Exploring the rights of nature in freshwater and marine ecosystems

Exploring the rights of nature in freshwater and marine ecosystems

Perception of Mangrove Social–Ecological System Governance in Southeastern Cuba

This study examined local communities’ perceptions of mangroves in coastal southeastern Cuba. A variety of methods were employed, including mixed and structured questionnaire surveys, interviews with key informants, and document reviews. Data were gathered from 334 respondents living in communities adjacent to four mangrove social–ecological systems (SESs). The analysis focused on five variables: community use of mangrove resources, ecosystem services, threats to the ecosystem, management activities, and social–ecological relationships. To qualitatively assess the influence of social–ecological relationships and governance, a matrix was created based on anthropogenic activities identified by respondents and their perceptions of ecosystem services. A Spearman’s rank correlation analysis was performed between demographic variables and identified mangrove uses. The Kruskal–Wallis test was used to compare the frequency of mangrove uses and the perception of ecosystem services among the studied areas. The results indicate that, while local people recognise the uses and ecosystem services of mangroves, they do not rely on them for their livelihoods. Perceptions of ecosystem services vary significantly depending on the occupation of the respondents and the locality. They also showed moderate to full awareness of management responsibilities and activities at each site. The most commonly identified threats were climate change, drought, and deforestation. Three types of social–ecological relationships were identified based on the characteristics of the communities, their economic activities, and their impacts on the mangroves: urban–industrial, rural–agricultural, and rural–agricultural/tourism. Based on the results, recommendations are made for ecosystem governance in the southeast of Cuba.

Developing collaborative ecosystem platforms to trigger sustainable “place-based” value creation: a dynamic performance governance approach

PurposeThis paper aims to illustrate how service ecosystem governance may provide a suitable ground to pursue holistic resilience to “wicked” socio-economic and ecological problems, for enhancing “place-based” sustainable performance outcomes through an organizational, interorganizational and context setting.Design/methodology/approachThis work suggests the use of “place-based” collaborative ecosystem platforms driven by a dynamic performance governance approach as a setting where facilitated performance dialogue is carried out among networked stakeholders. This fosters a holistic view of performance sustainability where intangibles, inertial, cultural and behavioral factors play a key role in policy analysis.FindingsThe paper illustrates how different research streams framing stakeholder relationships under a business, hybrid organization and public sector perspective converge toward the “service ecosystem” construct, as a common field for sustainable “place-based” value creation. This performance governance perspective frames accountability for achieving sustainable outcomes through interconnected viewpoints, i.e. (1) time (short vs long-term), (2) subject (single organization, “theme-focused” service ecosystem and “place-based” service ecosystem) and (3) field (socio-economic, cultural and ecological).Originality/valueThis work has an interdisciplinary track. It recommends feedback and “stock-and-flow” modeling to enhance framing counterintuitive patterns of behavior of dynamic complex socio-economic, cultural and ecological subsystems within “place-based” collaborative ecosystem platforms. Combining an inside-out with an outside-in view triggers sustainable outcome-based dynamic performance governance through an organizational, interorganizational and context setting.

Environmental Governance of Forests Over Limestone in Guiuan Marine Reserve Protected Landscape and Seascape (GMRPLS), Guiuan, Eastern Samar, Philippines: A Gendered-Age Perspective

Environmental governance of the Forests Over Limestone (FOL) ecosystem is critical, considering its unique and fragile characteristics. However, there is a limited study on the role of gender and age in the perception of stakeholders' participation in forest governance. A survey was conducted in the Forests Over Limestone of Guiuan Marine Reserve Protected Landscape and Seascape (GMRPLS), Guiuan, Eastern Samar, Philippines, to determine the perception of the residents in GMRPLS as to the responsible sectors and groups in the conservation and protection of FOL. The study results showed that men and women of various age groups identified the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Local Government Units (LGUs), people organizations, non-government organizations, education, businesses and industries, and the community comprising of men and women of various age groups, e.g., children, teenagers, adults, senior citizens, as stakeholders of the FOL in GMRPLS. The study also tried to determine the relationship between age and the respondents' perception of FOL stakeholders. However, no relationship was found between age and their perception of the various groups responsible for FOL governance. Moreover, a very weak (0.096) relationship between age and their perception that adults are responsible for FOL governance was found at a 0.05 significance level. The results indicate that older people are expected to participate in the environmental governance of the FOL ecosystem. A very weak relationship between age and their perception that men (0.123) and women (0.089) are responsible for FOL governance was also found at a 0.01 and 0.05 significance level, respectively. The results suggest a need to develop and implement policies and programs that will empower women to participate in FOL governance while ensuring equal representation of men and women from various age groups in the management of FOL. The study recommends organizing developmental activities for young men and women from different age groups to promote and instill environmental values so that they continue to support the conservation and protection of FOL as they age.

Carbon dioxide removal through ecosystem restoration: Public perceptions and political participation

We compare public perceptions of restoring different ecosystems to increase CO2 uptake in Germany, through focus groups and a general population survey. Among focus group participants forests were highly popular, peatlands evoked negative associations, and seagrass was largely unknown. Nevertheless, the restoration of all ecosystems was viewed positively. We contrast these reactions to those of survey respondents who had not received additional information on restoration. They voiced narrower, less diverse opinions centering around afforestation. Further, focus group participants preferred expert-led restoration decisions, citing low trust in politicians’ technical competence. Contrary to common policy recommendations, also beyond the German context, participants did not emphasize the need of citizen participation and were not strongly concerned about land use conflicts or compensation of affected user groups. The results imply that the public underestimates the political complexity of negotiation processes in ecosystem governance, which are becoming increasingly relevant in the international policy landscape.

Considerations for trustworthy cross-border interoperability of digital identity systems in developing countries

AbstractIn developing nations, the implementation of Foundational Identity Systems (FIDS) has optimised service delivery and inclusive economic growth. Cross-border e-government will gain traction as developing countries increasingly look to identity federation and trustworthy interoperability through FIDS for the identification and authentication of identity holders. Despite this potential, the interoperability of FIDS in the African identity ecosystem has not been well-studied. Among the difficulties in this situation are the intricate internal political dynamics that have led to weak institutions, suggesting that FIDS could be used for political purposes; additionally, citizens’ or identity holders’ habitual low trust in the government raises concerns about data security and privacy protection. Similarly, vendor lock-in, cross-system compatibility, and ambiguous legislative rules for data exchange are other concerns. Interoperability is fundamentally necessary as a precondition for e-government services and serves as the foundation for the best possible service delivery in the areas of social security, education, and finance, as well as gender equality as demonstrated by the European Union (EU). Moreover, the integration of cross-border FIDS and an ecosystem of effective data governance will be created by unified data sharing via an interoperable identity system. Thus, in this study, we point to the challenges, opportunities, and requirements for cross-border interoperability in an African setting. Furthermore, we investigated current interoperability solutions such as the EU’s eIDAS and Estonian X-Road and proposed an approach for scoping requirements to achieve a fully functional interoperable identity ecosystem in the African setting. Our findings show that interoperability in the African identity ecosystem is essential for expanding the scope of e-government throughout the continent and for bolstering the smooth authentication and verification of identity holders for inclusive economic growth.

The Overt and Covert Governance of Platform Ecosystems

The Overt and Covert Governance of Platform Ecosystems

Uncovering the Challenges and Cornerstones for the Governance of an Innovation Ecosystem in Organic and Agroecological Agriculture

The concept of innovation ecosystems brigs to light a whole set of stakeholders that face an entire set of barriers to making new technologies change people’s lives. This research aimed to understand and analyze the innovation ecosystem in organic and agroecological production in the Federal District, Brazil, and its directly influenced area. The purpose was to analyze the role of each stakeholder in ecosystem governance and build strategies for boosting organic food value chains in the territory. A questionnaire was applied to 27 institutions identified as the potential backbone of the innovation ecosystem. The Gephi 0.10.1 software and the Force Atlas 2 network algorithm set up the relationship network. We verified a certain misalignment between expected roles and functions performed by 66% of the stakeholders. Low integration and dispersed relationships in the network were observed with a misalignment around the innovation concept in organic food production. This arrangement of the ecosystem is compatible with an initial stage, in which stakeholders and resources would be spread out and demobilized. Although shared governance is the most effective for an innovation ecosystem, the analyzed ecosystem demands centralized governance with a leading organization. Strengthening strategies were proposed to (i) define leadership, (ii) define roles or competencies, and (iii) strengthen community attributes.