Engagement Campaigns Research Articles

To achieve the goals of e-Science, we must change research culture globally

The e-Science program was initiated in the United Kingdom in the early 2000s with the aim of bringing together researchers in large scale, collaborative projects involving software and computation to solve grand challenges. A legacy of this program has been an understanding of the importance of the people behind the software, the researchers and research software engineers, as well as the challenges of developing and maintaining code that is reusable given the problems of software decay.The Software Sustainability Institute was established in the UK to provide support and direction for the research software community through consultancy, training, engagement, and policy campaigns. Through this it has worked with an international community of collaborators, in the UK, in Europe, and across the world to support reusability, research integrity, and transparency, recognizing that to achieve the goals of e-Science, we must change research culture globally.

Public Hearings Project: Access to Metastatic Breast Cancer Treatments. What Changed in One Year?

Background and context: In Brazil approximately 50% of the cases of BC diagnosed in the public health system (SUS) are at an advanced stage of the disease. However for more than a decade there has been no incorporation of new treatments of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) in SUS. In 2015 Federação Brasileira de Instituições Filantrópicas de Apoio à Saúde da Mama (FEMAMA) held 13 debate cycles on breast cancer for Parliamentarians in Brazilian states, with support provided by SPARC UICC Grant. Approximately one year after most of these events, FEMAMA noticed the need to organize new debates to verify if there has been any progress with regard to MBC treatments and other oncologic demands. Aim: Promoting discussions and bringing attention to the need of providing new MBC treatments in the public health care system. Strategy/Tactics: To schedule the events in Brazilian states so they could take place on the same day, gain the attention of the press and devise a one-year plan with actions to be developed in partnership with NGOs associated to FEMAMA for implementing oncology policies. Program/Policy process: Planning: Event schedule, actions in the current plan as well as monitoring and engagement strategies for NGOs; Engagement NGOs associated to FEMAMA met with state Congresspeople to organize public hearings. Implementation: Organization of public hearings in 9 Brazilian states; Monthly on-line meetings with NGOs for monitoring the execution of annual planning actions, measuring results and addressing the obstacles found. Organization of activities: speeches at meetings held by municipal Departments of Health, petitions for creating Special Oncology Committees at State Assemblies, meetings with State Congresspeople, engagement campaigns, etc.; Promotion: On social media and in the press. Outcomes: Contribution for the approval of metastatic breast cancer treatments with trastuzumab and pertuzumab in the SUS; Organization of 8 public hearings; Insertion of 245 news reports in the press; Creation of Parliamentary Front on Women´s Health; 2 speeches at the States Board of Health; 4 petitions for the creation of mandatory cancer registrations; Bill petitioning for the creation of mandatory cancer registrations; 1 state directive establishing mandatory cancer registrations; 4 petitions for the creation of a Special Oncology Committee; Contribution for passing a bill establishing a 30-day period for a final cancer diagnosis in the SUS (PL 3752/12) analyzed by the Family and Social Security Committee of the House of Representatives. What was learned: The NGOs participating in the project have decreased their engagement as time went by due to their difficulty in obtaining practical outcomes from state legislative authorities. For the next project, which provides for the organization of new public hearing in the 2nd anniversary of the first event, we must create annual planning actions/activities in conjunction with the NGOs so that the NGOs can feel more motivated to participate in the meetings.

On the relationship between attitudes and environmental behaviors of key Great Barrier Reef user groups

© 2018 by the author(s). Urgent action is required to address threats to ecosystems around the world. Coral reef ecosystems, like the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), are particularly vulnerable to human impacts such as coastal development, resource extraction, and climate change. Resource managers and policymakers along the GBR have consequently initiated a variety of programs to engage local stakeholders and promote conservation activities to protect the environment. However, little is known about how and why stakeholders feel connected to the GBR nor how this connection affects the proenvironmental behaviors they undertake. We present the results of 5891 surveys and show that the attitudes that residents, tourists, and tourism operators have about the GBR are closely tied to the behaviors and activities they take to protect the environment. Our findings suggest that the responsibility, pride, identity, and optimism that people associate with the GBR are significantly correlated to several proenvironmental behaviors, including recycling, participation in conservation groups, and certain climate change mitigation activities. Respondents who feel the strongest connection to the GBR take the most action to protect the environment. Tourism operators who strongly identify with the GBR take more action to protect the environment than those who do not. Encouraging individual identification with the GBR via targeted messages and engagement campaigns may assist not only in GBR conservation, but a wider sustainability movement as well. A better understanding of the individual attitudes and beliefs held by local stakeholders is a key first step toward effective communication to influence conservation activities.

Academics’ intention to adopt online technologies for public engagement

PurposeThe need for universities to connect with local communities and to make research relevant to the public has been highlighted over recent years through the debate about public engagement. At the same time, the internet and its applications have made it possible for universities and academics to engage with the public in an easier and more effective way. The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that motivate academics to engage with the public online.Design/methodology/approachThe decomposed theory of planned behaviour and uses and gratifications theory were used as a basis for the study’s research model. An online survey was conducted and 250 valid responses were used for the data analysis (structural equation modelling).FindingsThe results indicate that although academics seem to use online technologies for public engagement, this use takes the form of a one-way communication as the most influential factors of attitude when it comes to engaging with the public are image and information seeking rather than networking.Originality/valueWhile there are some studies about the use of online technologies for teaching or for networking purposes within academia, little is known about academics’ intentions to engage with the public online. The study attempts to fill this gap and help universities understand their staff’s motivation and needs, which could be useful when it comes to launching successful public engagement campaigns.

Good, better, engaged? The effect of company-initiated customer engagement behavior on shareholder value

In today’s connected world, customer engagement behaviors are very important. Many companies launch initiatives to stimulate customer engagement. However, despite evidence that customer engagement behavior also matters to shareholders, academic research on the firm value consequences of customer engagement campaigns is limited. This study is the first to investigate the value-related consequences of firm-initiated customer engagement behaviors, using shareholder evaluations of the public announcements of such initiatives. We find that companies’ customer engagement initiatives, on average, decrease market value, which is likely because the shareholders are sensitive to the risk of these initiatives backfiring. Nevertheless, initiatives that stimulate word-of-mouth are viewed less negatively than initiatives that solicit customer feedback, as are initiatives that are supported by social media. Companies that operate in a competitive environment or do not advertise much can create value by stimulating customer engagement, while companies with a strong corporate reputation are likely to not benefit from it.

Chapter 23 - Organ donation protocols

Organ transplantation improves survival and quality of life in patients with end-organ failure. Waiting lists continue to grow across the world despite remarkable advances in the transplantation process, from the creation of public engagement campaigns to the development of critical pathways for the timely identification, referral, approach, and treatment of the potential organ donor. The pathophysiology of dying triggers systemic changes that are intimately related to organ viability. The intensive care management of the potential organ donor optimizes organ function and improves the donation yield, representing a significant step in reducing the mismatch between organ supply and demand. Different beliefs and cultures reflect diverse legislations and donation practices amongst different countries, creating a challenge to standardized practices. Maintaining public trust is necessary for continued progress in organ donation and transplantation, hence the urge for a joint effort in creating uniform protocols that ensure transparent practices within the medical community.

Climate change communication insights from cooperative Extension professionals in the US Southern states: finding common ground

ABSTRACTClimate change is often avoided in educational programming due to its perceived polarizing nature. Identifying areas of agreement may help educators introduce climate change topics and help audiences begin to listen. As part of a survey of Extension professionals in the southeastern US, respondents shared their thoughts about climate change. Based on methods used by Maibach, Leiserowitz, Roser-Renouf, and Mertz [(2011). Identifying like-minded audiences for global warming public engagement campaigns: An audience segmentation analysis and tool development. PLoS ONE, 6(3), e17571], we categorized respondents using the Six Americas segments. Qualitative data analysis techniques were applied to identify common themes. Five themes emerged as common across most segments: (1) confusion and mistrust abound, (2) educators face barriers to climate change education, (3) economic aspects of climate change are important, (4) we should be good stewards of Earth, and (5) adaptation is an agreeable strategy. By identifying climate change message frames with which people may agree, regardless of how they feel about climate change, educators may be able to better communicate with broader audiences.

Identifying behavioural predictors of small power electricity consumption in office buildings

It is widely accepted that there is a gap between design and real world operational energy consumption. The behaviour of occupants is often cited as an important factor influencing building energy performance. However, its consideration, both during design and operation, is overly simplistic, often assuming a direct link between attitudes and behaviour. Alternative models of decision making from psychology highlight a range of additional influential factors and emphasise that occupants do not always act in a rational manner. Developing a better understanding of occupant decision making could help inform office energy conservation campaigns as well as models of behaviour employed during the design process.This paper assesses the contribution of various behavioural constructs to small power consumption in offices. The method is based upon the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) which assumes that intention is driven by three factors: attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control, but we also consider a fourth construct: habit measured through the Self-Report Habit Index (SRHI). A questionnaire was issued to 81 participants in two UK offices. Questionnaire results for each behavioural construct were correlated against each participant's individual workstation electricity consumption.The intentional processes proposed by TPB could not account for the observed differences in occupants' interactions with small power appliances. Instead, occupants were interacting with small power “automatically”, with habit accounting for 11% of the variation in workstation energy consumption. The implications for occupant behaviour models and employee engagement campaigns are discussed.

Worker Centers, Worker Center Networks, and the Promise of Protections for Low‐Wage Workers

Over the last two decades, a number of community‐based and community‐led organizations—known as worker centers—have been engaging in organizing, research, direct service provision, policy analysis and development, and advocacy with low‐wage workers in the most marginalized sectors of the labor market. Worker centers and worker center networks engage in a broad range of labor market activities, including worker‐based programs, services, and campaigns; labor market intermediation; employer‐focused strategies; and a range of consumer and community education and engagement campaigns and initiatives. Worker centers and worker center networks play an essential role in low‐wage labor markets by identifying key sectors in the low‐wage economy where there are large numbers of vulnerable workers and labor violations; by organizing workers, developing and managing campaigns, and providing access to legal remedies for labor violations; and by developing strategies to improve pay, working conditions, and other aspects of job quality in low‐wage occupations. Any strategy designed to reduce labor violations and improve working conditions for low‐wage workers should take into account the functions and roles of worker centers and worker center networks in articulating the needs of workers and devising strategies, programs, campaigns, and initiatives designed to address them.

The Impact of Mental Illness Stigma on Seeking and Participating in Mental Health Care

Treatments have been developed and tested to successfully reduce the symptoms and disabilities of many mental illnesses. Unfortunately, people distressed by these illnesses often do not seek out services or choose to fully engage in them. One factor that impedes care seeking and undermines the service system is mental illness stigma. In this article, we review the complex elements of stigma in order to understand its impact on participating in care. We then summarize public policy considerations in seeking to tackle stigma in order to improve treatment engagement. Stigma is a complex construct that includes public, self, and structural components. It directly affects people with mental illness, as well as their support system, provider network, and community resources. The effects of stigma are moderated by knowledge of mental illness and cultural relevance. Understanding stigma is central to reducing its negative impact on care seeking and treatment engagement. Separate strategies have evolved for counteracting the effects of public, self, and structural stigma. Programs for mental health providers may be especially fruitful for promoting care engagement. Mental health literacy, cultural competence, and family engagement campaigns also mitigate stigma’s adverse impact on care seeking. Policy change is essential to overcome the structural stigma that undermines government agendas meant to promote mental health care. Implications for expanding the research program on the connection between stigma and care seeking are discussed.

The Right Tree for the Job? Perceptions of Species Suitability for the Provision of Ecosystem Services

Stakeholders in plantation forestry are increasingly aware of the importance of the ecosystem services and non-market values associated with forests. In New Zealand, there is significant interest in establishing species other than Pinus radiata D. Don (the dominant plantation species) in the belief that alternative species are better suited to deliver these services. Significant risk is associated with this position as there is little objective data to support these views. To identify which species were likely to be planted to deliver ecosystem services, a survey was distributed to examine stakeholder perceptions. Stakeholders were asked which of 15 tree attributes contributed to the provision of five ecosystem services (amenity value, bioenergy production, carbon capture, the diversity of native habitat, and erosion control/water quality) and to identify which of 22 candidate tree species possessed those attributes. These data were combined to identify the species perceived most suitable for the delivery of each ecosystem service. Sequoia sempervirens (D.Don) Endl. closely matched the stakeholder derived ideotypes associated with all five ecosystem services. Comparisons to data from growth, physiological and ecological studies demonstrated that many of the opinions held by stakeholders were inaccurate, leading to erroneous assumptions regarding the suitability of most candidate species. Stakeholder perceptions substantially influence tree species selection, and plantations established on the basis of inaccurate opinions are unlikely to deliver the desired outcomes. Attitudinal surveys associated with engagement campaigns are essential to improve stakeholder knowledge, advancing the development of fit-for-purpose forest management that provides the required ecosystem services.

Mapping Environmental Behaviour in the Spanish Context

In the present study we set out to examine an audience segmentation system that can be used to inform global warming public engagement campaigns and to test survey-based identification tools designed by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication. A national poll was conducted in Spain with a representative sample of the population online (n = 602). The survey included measures concerning pro-environmental behavior and intentions, issue involvement, individuals’ beliefs, and preferred societal response. The population was classified with reference to their level of concern. Our results show four distinct interpretive communities, ranging from alarmist to dismissive. Overall, the largest audience segment was the concerned, who are convinced that global warming is happening but not engaged personally. The sample was classified using two-step cluster analysis, as we have a really large data set, which does clustering algorithms based on a distance measure. The relationships between the items were also examined in order to identify the possible correlations and recognize how behavior is affected by intentions, beliefs, preferred societal response, and issue involvement.

Six P's of youth social media from a young consumer's perspective

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide marketing professionals and researchers with an overview and understanding of core components that make up the current social media environment from a young consumer's perspective to enable successful communication, outreach and engagement techniques to be developed.Design/methodology/approachThe paper combines personal and peer experiences, observations of user interaction and behavior on social media with the application of existing frameworks and campaigns to derive a complete picture of the social media environment.FindingsThe paper will provide insights into how social value creation can help companies large or small in creating positive social media presence while providing insights into the six P's of social media (person, profile, perception, peer, post, and pull) and their significance.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper is based primarily on a user and observer perspective with the intention of providing a succinct structural overview to aid future research and exploration. Empirical research should be conducted to verify and challenge assumptions made.Practical implicationsThe insights provided can be used to design better social media engagement campaigns and explore future directions of research into developing measurement metrics for interactions and relationships between users and brands.Social implicationsThe creation of social value will be encouraged and better policies and support can be developed to address abuses of social media.Originality/valueThis paper is an original attempt to contextualize the new socially connected environment that we live in and combines insights from within with existing business frameworks to develop a potentially groundbreaking foundation framework on which future research and development by skilled researchers and practitioners can be based.

Identifying like-minded audiences for global warming public engagement campaigns: an audience segmentation analysis and tool development.

BackgroundAchieving national reductions in greenhouse gas emissions will require public support for climate and energy policies and changes in population behaviors. Audience segmentation – a process of identifying coherent groups within a population – can be used to improve the effectiveness of public engagement campaigns.Methodology/Principal FindingsIn Fall 2008, we conducted a nationally representative survey of American adults (n = 2,164) to identify audience segments for global warming public engagement campaigns. By subjecting multiple measures of global warming beliefs, behaviors, policy preferences, and issue engagement to latent class analysis, we identified six distinct segments ranging in size from 7 to 33% of the population. These six segments formed a continuum, from a segment of people who were highly worried, involved and supportive of policy responses (18%), to a segment of people who were completely unconcerned and strongly opposed to policy responses (7%). Three of the segments (totaling 70%) were to varying degrees concerned about global warming and supportive of policy responses, two (totaling 18%) were unsupportive, and one was largely disengaged (12%), having paid little attention to the issue. Certain behaviors and policy preferences varied greatly across these audiences, while others did not. Using discriminant analysis, we subsequently developed 36-item and 15-item instruments that can be used to categorize respondents with 91% and 84% accuracy, respectively.Conclusions/SignificanceIn late 2008, Americans supported a broad range of policies and personal actions to reduce global warming, although there was wide variation among the six identified audiences. To enhance the impact of campaigns, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and businesses seeking to engage the public can selectively target one or more of these audiences rather than address an undifferentiated general population. Our screening instruments are available to assist in that process.