Formal Channels Research Articles

When Socialist Legacy Meets International Norms: Gender Quota Adoption and Institutional Change in China

ABSTRACT Gender quotas have a long history in China, with the earliest gender quota introduced in 1933 in the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) border regions. Yet, research on China’s gender quotas has been scarce. This study addresses the gap by examining the process of gender quota adoption in China’s subnational Party-States and the People’s Congresses. Using an institutional approach, we argue that quota adoption in China was a process of ‘institutional layering’ that lasted from the late 1980s to the 2010s. During this process, domestic actors contested the CCP’s existing personnel rules and strategically exploited the CCP’s ideological commitment to gender equity and its need for an improved international image during the second wave of global gender quota adoption. Two changes have happened during the ‘layering’ process: the slow diversification of domestic actors, including both state and non-state ones, and the shifting of the actors’ working strategy from an informal and network-based approach to an institutionalized one that operated through formal channels. In so doing, this article expands the comparative literature on gender quotas, which has been preoccupied with quotas in elected parliaments, and enriches our understanding of Chinese politics.

Promoting Green Tourism Synergies with Cultural and Creative Industries: A Case Study of Greece

Green tourism is part of the global effort to create a more sustainable living environment, taking into account the needs of both the industry, the tourists and the local communities. CCIs are considered trustworthy ambassadors of authenticity and life values, and can therefore effectively promote and/or strengthen the ecological value. This paper focuses on the role that cultural and creative industries (CCIs) can play in the implementation of sustainable development, especially in regard to green tourism, focusing on their role as communicators of green messages. The methodological tools used for the collection, analysis and interpretation of data for this research include semiotic analysis in a number of CCIs’ products, coding their ecological messages; content analysis of the CCIs’ digital posts for a one-year period in order to examine the form, types and content of the communication; and a digital ethnography of the users’ comments in order to study the perception and interaction of the receivers of such messages, focusing on past, present and potential tourists. Through the case study of Greece—a well-known tourist destination with rich cultural resources—the author tries to answer to the following research questions: (a) Could green tourism be promoted as a life value through CCIs’ products and messages? (b) Are there any good and innovative practices for such promotion through the synergy of the tourism industry with CCIs that could be used as models for further cases? This paper concludes that CCIs can promote sustainability as a life value through role modeling, educational programs, and subconscious or more straightforward messages, using both their products and formal communication channels. The more successful way for Greek CCIs to promote green tourism is through synergies with official tourism promotion mechanisms. The research shows that in many cases, this linkage has been successful in a number of ways.

Collaborative Governance in Countering Drug Control in Makassar City

This study seeks to determine how collaborative governance has been implemented in Makassar City’s drug prevention efforts. This study employs a qualitative, descriptive methodology. Observation, interviews, and documentation are methods for collecting data. In Yin’s case study pattern matching model, the data analysis technique is used. The results demonstrated leadership facilitation, with each collaborating actor demonstrating a dependable capacity for activity implementation and problem-solving. Each organization has a decision-maker and policy-maker in charge. In institutional institutions, the division of roles and responsibilities is specified in the Cooperation Agreement. In the process of collaboration, formal and informal communication channels are established to foster mutual trust, and each party’s Cooperation Agreement guides the implementation of collaboration. The true outcome of collaborative action is the achievement of the program goals of each government agency, the community, and the private sector, as well as reducing drug use in Makassar City. The outcomes indicated that Anshel and Gash’s Collaborative Government model was suitable for the drug prevention program in Makassar City. In institutional institutions, Anshel and Gash’s CG mode necessitates the creation of a more detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) because the rules in collaboration only refer to the Cooperation Agreement.
 Keywords: collaborative governance, drug control, collaboration actors

Los asientos ciudadanos en el Consejo Nacional de Seguridad Pública: participación formal e incidencia informal

The participation of representatives of organized civil society in the National Public Security Council of Mexico allows us to discuss the practical scope of the collaboration of some social agents in the definition of public policies on the matter. From a theoretical point of view, a selection of conceptual approaches focused on the relationship between participation and incidence allows us to clarify the case studies in this article as an experience in which formal participation channels have not generated formal incidence mechanisms but have a series of informal possibilities to increase the legitimacy of the government sphere and the reputation of the organizations selected to participate in the Council.

The Fulfillment Center Intervention Study: Protocol for a group-randomized control trial of a participatory workplace intervention.

Warehousing and storage is an economically vital industry, with 1.2 million workers in 2020. The Fulfillment Center Intervention Study focuses on workers in fulfillment centers in the e-commerce segment of this industry. Fulfillment centers are a growing yet understudied work environment which provides a unique setting to further examine how working conditions and worker voice influence health. The Study involves a group-randomized controlled trial comparing participants in worksites randomized to launch the participatory intervention (Health and Well-Being Committees, or HaWCs) with participants working for the same firm in control sites. HaWCs serve as a new formal voice channel where a small group of frontline workers and supervisors solicit workers' concerns and ideas about safety (e.g., physical hazards), the psychosocial environment (e.g., how workers feel about their treatment at work), and work organization (e.g., workflow, training opportunities, scheduling) and then develop and implement improvement projects in response. The primary objectives of the study are to evaluate the efficacy of the HaWC intervention and its effect on mental health outcomes and changes in the conditions of work within fulfillment centers, and to conduct a process evaluation of key contextual factors that support effective intervention implementation and sustained engagement. To our knowledge, this will be the first trial of a participatory intervention within a fulfillment center setting. Anticipated challenges include competing demands and company initiatives that may limit management support and high turnover. Should the intervention be shown to be feasible, the outcomes from this study will inform future randomized controlled trials of participatory interventions. Trial registration: This trial is registered with the ClinicalTrials.gov registry (NCT05199415) and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Protocol: 200800024).

Well-being effect of international migration and remittance on human and gender development in South Asian countries.

This study investigates the well-being effect of international migration and remittance on human and gender development in selected South Asian countries. The study has adopted panel regression analysis using secondary data from the World Development Indicators and United Nations Development Programme. This database contains information on seven South Asian countries from 1995 to 2020. The study simultaneously applied the Levin-Lin-Chu, Breitung and IM-Pesaran unit root tests to check the stationarity of data. After satisfying the condition, econometric models such as Fixed and Random Effects were executed. Pesaran's test of cross-sectional independence, the Westerlund test for cointegration and VIF tests were performed in order to check the robustness of the results. As a post-diagnostic tool, the Hausman test suggests that the Fixed Effect models are appropriate for each estimation. The results demonstrate that personal remittance positively and significantly affects human and gender development. Similarly, international migration significantly influences human development while negatively affecting gender development. The study suggests that these countries should prioritize attaining higher remittances by sending more international migrants. Similarly, the provision of cheaper formal channels for remitting money and giving incentives can be effective for higher remittance inflow. Moreover, negotiation at the government-to-government level can effectively expand the international labour market of the selected countries.

Health literacy and patient rights awareness in ethnic Hungarian mothers in Eastern Europe.

The paper proposes to identify the determinants of patients' rights awareness in mothers and to examine the relationship of health literacy with awareness of those rights. Our results are based on data from a convenience sample of 894 non-health professional ethnic Hungarian mothers from Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. Health literacy is measured with the HLS-EU-16 questionnaire. Analysis of variance reveals a significant association of health literacy with patient rights awareness. Our results show that health literacy is the highest among patients who filed a complaint through formal channels and/or took legal measures to restore their rights upon violation. A logistic regression model is built to identify the likelihood of having high patient rights awareness, that is, acting formally for the restoration of rights upon infringement. The model controls for covariates. When controlled for covariates, the likelihood of having high patient rights awareness increases with age, and is higher for mothers with highest education, for inhabitants of larger towns, as well as for those with adequate health literacy. The findings of our study have implications for health policy, as they reveal significant inequalities in patient rights culture.

Rebuilding Lives: Investigating the Consequences of the 2015 Earthquake on Family Dynamics and Resilience

Nepal, being among the world's most disaster-prone countries, witnesses numerous fatalities resulting from calamities each year. The devastating earthquake of 2015 in Nepal claimed the lives of 8,848 individuals, left 22,307 injured, and caused the collapse of 868,042 homes. This research paper aims at delving into the repercussions of the earthquake on change in the family dynamics in Nepal. Unger and Douglas (1980) assert that families play a crucial role in facilitating adaptation to stress, providing emotional and marital support through formal and informal channels during and after disaster events. This study endeavors to ascertain the impact of the 2015 earthquake on the change in dynamics of family relationships and structures.

Doing Meso-Level Integration: The cultural, relational, and communications practices that draw primary care closer to the broader system.

Introduction: In alignment with the conference’s first theme, this paper draws on qualitative research to address issues of change management implementation at the meso-level in integration. It uses a case study of integration efforts as they played out during the first wave of the COVID-19 Omicron variant in Alberta, Canada to identify practical ways of doing organization-to-organization integration in Primary Care (PC).
 Background: While the existing literature describes three high-level approaches to enabling the integration of health and social systems in a range of contexts, it is unclear how stakeholders in PC and health system organizations might practically operationalize these approaches. How, specifically, should those stakeholders go about: enacting a pro-integration culture; doing the relationship work required for integration; and communicating to support integration? Put differently, what are the practical change management behaviours that give life to these three key approaches and make integration real?
 Approach: A subset of semi-structured interviews with key informant stakeholders was drawn from a larger study of policy and change management implementation under pandemic conditions in Alberta, Canada. Participants in these interviews were directly involved in efforts to integrate PC into the province’s health system response to COVID-19 generally, and specifically into the response to the Omicron wave. The 10 interviews averaged 65 minutes in length and included key informants from both independent PC and central health system organizations. The Interpretive Description technique was used to analyze the interview transcripts and so identify practical enactments of pro-integration culture, relationship work for integration, and integration-supportive communication.
 Results: Key ways of enacting a pro-integration culture included: sending signals with staffing choices; making personal expressions of commitment to the values of integration; and ensuring communal commitments to those same values. Doing integration relationships involved: following through on rhetorical commitments; and persevering at proving oneself in the eyes of counterparts from other organizations. Finally, communicating in ways that supported integration involved: bidirectional communication that included listening as well as talking; the elimination of intermediaries to close the social and knowledge distance between PC and health system stakeholders; and actuating a mix of formal and informal communication channels rather than relying on purely formal committee work or informal contacts.
 
 Conclusions: Practical steps towards achieving meso-level organization involve making high-level approaches to culture, relationships, and communication real in everyday behaviour. Efforts to integrate PC into a broader pandemic response in Alberta Canada provide a window on these specific change management implementation behaviours and so how to ‘do’ integration. Doing pro-integration culture involves sending signals through staffing choices, personal, and group commitments. Doing integration relationships involves following through on commitments and persevering. Doing integration communications involves listening as well as talking, closing the distance between stakeholders, and taking advantage of formal and informal channels. Stakeholders seeking to integrate at the meso-level may wish to consider these practical action

The networked bureaucracy: reinventing formalization in the context of collaborative governance

ABSTRACT Based on a critical appraisal of current literature on Collaborative Governance, this article addresses the predominant way of dissociating public networks and bureaucracy as opposing forms of organizations. Drawing upon data collected from three governance networks in Sweden, the study displays how the studied actors seek to establish hierarchical relations, formal interaction channels, and designated offices to enable and facilitate collaborative governance networks in response to what is perceived as irrational and ad-hoc organizing. The analysis outlines how and why governance networks need not inevitably be transcending bureaucracy, but constitute a distinct and deliberate declaration of just that: The Networked Bureaucracy.

Eğitim Kurumlarında Örgütsel İletişimin Fonksiyon ve Yöntemlerinin Değerlendirilmesi

English French and the origin of the definition of communication in our language, corresponds to the meaning of the word communication in French and English. The origin of the word means to share, to make common, and one of the goals of communication is to consent. The only purpose of being able to reach a partnership is to share feelings, thoughts and information with each other. The definition of communication in a general sense is the process of Deciphering meanings between individuals who interact with each other. Information is shared spontaneously between individuals in institutions arising from the obligation to work Decently in business life. Organizational communication, on the other hand, covers the flow of legal and illegal data in an open and step-type system. Formal communication is the communication system that occurs in accordance with the organizational structure of the enterprise. The bond between the subordinate and superiors gains functionality depending on formal communication. Dec. The purpose of formal communication is to obtain the necessary information for the group, to create the desired attitude for employees to be satisfied with the job, and to transfer information to the relevant people when necessary. The formal communication system shows the channels that are connected with the hierarchical structure of the organization and transfer information with the environment. Non-formal communication; natural groups within the organization, friends, family, etc. it shows the organizational communication channels that work in the direction of satisfying their needs and are based on personal relationships. Communication related to form has the role of ensuring the connection and coordination between the different organs, elements and tasks of the organization, as well as ensuring organizational integrity, determining responsibilities and fulfilling tasks. Dec. Organizational communication is not maintained only through formal channels created within the framework of a hierarchical order determined by the organization. Apart from this formal structure, another of the channels that provide organizational communication is non-formal communication channels. It is impossible to block non-formal communication, it is really important that the manager manages to turn this communication channel in favor of business purposes. The good functioning of formal communication channels is not always sufficient for organizational communication. No matter how well these channels work, non-formal communication will definitely arise due to issues arising from the need to socialize, such as friendship, sharing interests in every environment where people are together Key Words: Educational Institutions, Organizational Communication, Communication Function, Communication Method

Investment Intentions Among Students in Bali Province

During the Covid-19 pandemic, social media was filled with cryptocurrency investment, however the results of research in 2022 showed that only 17% of respondents were interested in investing in cryptocurrency. Therefore, this research was carried out again to determine the investment intentions of students in Bali Province. The results of this research found that currently, students have invested in savings, deposits, shares, gold, mutual funds and other types of investment. The conclusions that can be drawn are: students fully understand Access information about investments. Investment concepts. types of investment. Benefits from investment. ways to invest. investment instruments. However, there are still students who do not understand the basic knowledge of managing finances. the importance of financial planning in investment decisions. Investment for low income. Therefore, there is a need for further socialization regarding investment through formal channels such as schools or lectures and also non-formal channels such as social media.

LESSONS LEARNED FROM DIGITAL EQUALITY RESEARCH WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Abstract Despite strong interest among policymakers and service providers and a pipeline of Federal funding for programs that address digital inequalities in older adults, there is limited research on the challenges and outcomes of programs designed to reduce the digital divide. To better understand these issues, we compared and contrasted challenges and lessons learned administering digital inclusion projects in California and Rhode Island. In California, challenges included the complexity of state and local interface, managing public-private partnerships, and deciding on and communicating roles and responsibilities through the required formal channels. In Rhode Island, timing and communication were challenging because universities and community partners operate on different calendar systems and cater to different demands. For both programs, ensuring that training and technical support were available, accessible, and appropriate for diverse populations of older adults was a challenge. However, the training and support approaches were different as California leveraged private and non-profit partnerships while Rhode Island used university student mentors. Further, the rollout and data collection needed to evaluate the programs created barriers and slowed the process, including partners’ language capabilities not matching the participants’ and the time-consuming nature of data collection via telephone. Nevertheless, in both states, research opportunities afforded by collaborating with state and local agencies and private sector providers were invaluable. Partnerships allowed older adults to participate in research via a trusted organization with linguistic and cultural sensitivity, and researchers accessed underserved populations less likely to participate in research.

An Analysis of the use of the Car of the Traveling Library (CTL) of the Library Department of Pangkalpinang City in the Growing Interest of Students in Reading in the District of the city of Pangalpinang

The Mobile Library Car (MPK) is one of the breakthrough services provided by the Pangkalpinang City Library and Archives Service in optimizing its role as an informal government institution whose function is to educate the nation's life according to the mandate of Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution. This study uses a qualitative descriptive methodology and provides convenience in this study, researchers used 3 steps in data collection, namely conducting observations, interviews and literature review. The existence of the Pangkalpinang City Library and Archives Service by providing various types of services, one of which is the Mobile Library Car (MPK) as an informal education provider institution in order to fulfill the mandate stated in the 1945 Constitution and the foundation for the formation of the Indonesian State Government, especially in the intellectual life of the nation, because every Citizens have the right to receive education both through formal and informal channels in order to develop their personal potential which aims to increase knowledge, insight and intelligence. This cannot be separated from the role and support of many parties, both the government, educational institutions and the community as stake holders

Challenges and Coping Strategies of Parents in the Education of their Children with Autism

The education of children with autism presents unique challenges for parents, as they play a crucial role in facilitating their children’s learning and development. This research paper investigated the various challenges faced by parents in the education of their children with autism. It also explored the coping strategies they employ to overcome their challenges. Using a qualitative approach, data was collected through semi-structured interviews with parents of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study identified key challenges that parents encounter in their educational journey, such as Communicating with their children, dealing with their children’s hyperactive behavior, Supporting financially their children’s therapy. The coping strategies employed by parents were diverse and multifaceted. Some parents sought support through formal channels, use of non- verbal languages, and research intervention of autism. Additionally, parents reported adopting adaptive parenting practices which refer to the techniques to enhance their children’s learning experience. The findings of these researchers were able to pinpoint the difficulties parents of autistic children faced when trying to educate their child and what coping strategies they employ.

Informal Cross-Border Trade in Africa: Operations, Policy, and Opportunities

Informal cross-border trade (ICBT) refers to the illegal activities of cross-border commerce conducted by unregistered small-scale traders. We seek to develop insights to understand the ICBT value chain and offer policy recommendations to successfully integrate it into the formal economy. Using a game-theoretic model, we analyze the operations and key market dynamics of ICBT. We analyze the policy implications of three representative UN directives: enhancing marginalized traders’ access to formal channels, reducing export tax rates for formal traders, and introducing an alternative simplified trade regime (STR) for informal traders. All three policies result in an increase in government proceeds when the inherent profitability of the formal or STR channels is sufficiently high. Furthermore, social welfare increases when the policies effectively balance wholesale price competition within the formal and informal channels. We apply our model to a case study based on Uganda’s agricultural exports over an 11-year horizon. The access enhancement policy is most effective in increasing government proceeds but least effective in improving the welfare of other participants. The tax reduction policy enhances traders’ profitability but sacrifices the welfare of farmers and government proceeds substantially. Finally, the STR acknowledgement policy results in the largest increase in profitability of marginalized traders and farmers but comes at the cost of government proceeds. This paper was accepted by Jay Swaminathan, operations management. Funding: This work was supported by the Institute of Management Research, College of Business Administration, Seoul National University. Supplemental Material: The data and online appendix are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.02479 .

Airlines and corporate sustainability initiatives: Unrecognised value

In this research the authors sought to better understand the formal and informal (social media) communication channels utilised by 28 airlines worldwide. The primary motivations focused on how the airlines communicate sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives to stakeholders, and the resulting impact, if any, on corporate reputation. To better align the stakeholder segments of the airlines, the airlines were segmented into two categories: full-service carriers (FSCs) and low-cost (no frills) carriers (LCCs). Data analyses from 28 airlines worldwide were conducted to determine whether FSCs or LCCs gain higher engagement in their formal and informal communication of CSR/ sustainability initiatives. Although the results were mixed, the study finds that, regardless of type of airline category, the communication of CSR/sustainability efforts enhances stakeholder engagement and improves corporate reputation regardless of type of communication channel. These findings, which transcend the aviation sector, highlight the importance of using both formal and informal channels to communicate inter alia customer service initiatives. Highlights include the application of CSR/ sustainability social media communication practices to a selected group of international airlines and how such practices correlate with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, in the airline context. Finally, based on the research results, the paper presents recommendations to improve the communication of CSR/sustainability goals and hence corporate reputation.

Positioning, power and agency in postgraduate primary care supervision: a study of trainee narratives

BackgroundPostgraduate supervision takes place within complex training environments, where experiences are shaped by the socio-cultural context and wider profession, and where tensions permeate. Bordin’s working alliance-based model of supervision suggests that quality relationships encompass agreement on the goals and tasks of supervision, in the context of an emotional bond. However, as trainees and their supervisors navigate the demands of providing safe clinical care, alongside educational support, disagreement on expectations for supervision may emerge. By applying a critical lens, this research draws on positioning theory to explore General Practice trainees’ experiences of supervision.MethodsIn 2017–2019 a series of narrative interviews were undertaken with 13 General Practice trainees in the United Kingdom (UK). Participants were purposively sampled based on end-of-year performance, gender, training location and training status. Interviews were analysed using Brown and Gilligan’s Listening Guide, which was adapted to incorporate an exploration of positioning, power and agency.ResultsTrainees appeared to hold variable positions, such as ‘insiders’, ‘outsiders’, ‘peers’ and ‘problem trainees’. Supervisors, through talk and the degree of access afforded, contributed to this positioning. Some trainees viewed their supervisors as brokers and guides as they navigated their training, whilst others were suspicious of the supervisor role. For trainees who raised concerns about their supervisor through formal channels, results were not often satisfactory. Others chose to navigate difficulty in supervision through informal means. This typically involved mastery of artefacts of training, such as the electronic appointment book or training portfolio.ConclusionsThis paper builds on Bordin’s model of supervision to encourage greater clarity in supervisory discussions, exploring assumptions, and recognising the influences of environment, power, positioning, and agency. We have developed a Model of the Supervisory Alliance in Postgraduate GP Training (MSA-GP) to serve as a springboard for discussion for trainees and their supervisors.

Community Participation Forms in Indonesian Villages to Support the Sustainable Development Goals Program

Objective: This article aims to investigate the various forms of community participation in supporting sustainable development programs in rural areas. It specifically examines the nature and extent of community involvement across different stages of program development, highlighting the key actors and categories of participation.
 
 Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework for this research is grounded in the concept of community participation in development, which is a fundamental principle of sustainable development. The study draws on the works of scholars who have explored community engagement and its significance in achieving development goals, particularly in rural contexts. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) serve as a backdrop to assess the alignment of community participation with global development priorities.
 
 Method: This research employs a qualitative approach to capture the nuances of community participation in sustainable development programs. Data is gathered through in-depth interviews with development participants and focus group discussions. The qualitative methodology allows for a deeper understanding of the forms, actors, and dynamics of community involvement.
 
 Result and Conclusion: The findings of this study reveal that community participation is integral to all stages of sustainable development program development: planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. The research identifies two main channels through which community participation occurs: formal village institutional channels, including village community empowerment institutions and community representative bodies, and informal channels, which involve community leaders, religious figures, youth leaders, and professionals. Community participation takes three primary forms: contributions of ideas and thoughts, material contributions, and donations of energy.
 
 Originality/value: This research contributes to the understanding of community participation in the context of sustainable development in rural areas. It highlights the diverse ways in which communities engage in development initiatives and emphasizes their essential role in achieving the SDGs. The study's value lies in its potential to inform policymakers, practitioners, and academics about the significance of community participation and its implications for the success of sustainable development programs.

Power resources, institutional legacy and labour standards transformation: Lessons from two developing countries

This article assesses the political dynamics behind labour standards reform attempts and their divergent outcomes in Lebanon and Tunisia during the neoliberal era according to a success/failure and flexibility/security configuration. It emphasises the interconnection of three power resources. Institutional legacies mattered for organised labour’s influence on these reforms. Having already had access to formal channels of decision-making since the 1970s, Tunisian labour effectively used these channels during the 1990s reforms. Such channels were not historically well-developed for Lebanese labour and were critical in the reform failure. Furthermore, thanks to its ideational power (i.e. legitimacy), Tunisian organised labour was part of the political coalition of reform. Consequently, Tunisian labour was successful in gaining some job security privileges in exchange for flexibility. Conversely, Lebanese organised labour lacked such legitimacy, which contributed to their exclusion from the political coalition. Instead, employers used their informal channels (e.g. networks) with the political coalition’s elites to halt job security reform.