In-depth Expert Interviews Research Articles

Research on the green development path of prefabricated building industry based on intelligent technology

PurposeIn order to make the construction industry develop in the direction of greening, this paper analyzes whether the application of intelligent technology in prefabricated buildings can achieve carbon emission reduction, starting from the problems of weak technology and insufficient encouragement policies in the prefabricated building industry. It also designs dynamic and adjustable incentives for the smart transformation of prefabricated buildings and makes recommendations to facilitate the transformation of assembly manufacturers into “smart factories”.Design/methodology/approachThis paper takes the intelligent technology for carbon reduction, energy efficiency and policy design in the prefabricated buildings industry as the starting point. Based on in-depth expert interviews and questionnaire survey data, a linear multiple regression model is used to establish an association network of intelligent technology in the production and transportation, construction, operation and maintenance, demolition and scrapping stages. On this basis, an evolutionary game theory is used to construct a smart transformation and carbon reduction utility game model between the government and manufacturers, and relevant suggestions for smart empowerment of green construction development technology combinations and policy settings are proposed.FindingsAn assembly manufacturing plant with smart empowerment is an important way to achieve green and sustainable development in the construction industry. Among them, BIM and IoT have made a greater impact on carbon emission reduction of prefabricated buildings in all stages of the whole life cycle. The government’s proposed energy efficiency incentives and environmental tax amount will effectively increase companies' motivation for smart transformation of prefabricated buildings. However, when the environmental tax amount is low, the government should strengthen the regulation of the industry in order to increase the speed of smart transformation of assembly manufacturers. Therefore, a reasonable setting of the environmental tax rate and energy-saving incentives and flexible adjustment of the regulatory efforts can maximize the functional utility of the government in the process of smart transformation.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper focuses on the impact of intelligent technologies on the overall carbon emissions of the industry and provides an evolutionary analysis of the strategic game between the government and assembly manufacturers, the main players in the smart transformation process of prefabricated buildings. However, smart technologies for different categories of assembly manufacturing plants and strategic options for a wider range of stakeholders have not been examined in depth.Originality/valueDifferent from existing research, this study focuses on exploring the strategic game between the government and assembly manufacturers in the smart transformation of prefabricated buildings. It provides an innovative explanation of the connection between intelligent technology and carbon emissions. The study develops an evolutionary game model for both parties, addressing the research gap on the combined effects of policy incentives and intelligent technology on carbon reduction and efficiency improvement in the prefabricated buildings industry. This research not only offers practical reference for the government in designing incentive mechanisms and establishing regulatory systems but also provides feasible practical guidance for the smart transformation and carbon reduction efforts of assembly manufacturing plants.

Wind Instruments and Oral Health: Challenges Faced by Professional Wind Musicians.

Recent studies have shown an association between playing wind instruments and their impact on the orofacial system. However, they have not fully evaluated all aspects of the topic, leaving a gap in the overall understanding. A thorough search of the National Library of Medicine database was conducted using our research strategy, resulting in the identification of relevant studies. An expert perspective was obtained by conducting two in-depth expert interviews with a professor of horn-playing and a specialised dentist. Thirty-seven relevant publications were included in the traditional literature review. The most common diseases among professional wind instrumentalists include the lip area, temporomandibular joint, oral mucosa, respiratory system, oral allergic reactions, and orofacial trauma. Special measures, preventive measures, and expert opinions were utilised to address and overcome the associated orofacial problems. Wind instruments affect the oral health and tooth movement of professional instrumentalists, and dentists should consider the impact of dental changes on embouchure and performance. Dental impressions and three-dimensional intra-oral scans are important for reconstruction. This research highlights the need for specialised dental care for professional wind instrumentalists, and further studies are necessary to fully explore this topic.

Decent deepfakes? Professional deepfake developers’ ethical considerations and their governance potential

AbstractPolicymakers and societies are grappling with the question of how to respond to deepfakes, i.e., synthetic audio-visual media which is proliferating in all areas of digital life– from politics to pornography. However, debates and research on deepfakes’ impact and governance largely neglect the technology’s sources, namely the developers of the underlying artificial intelligence (AI), and those who provide code or deepfake creation services to others, making the technology widely accessible. These actors include open-source developers, professionals working in large technology companies and specialized start-ups, and for deepfake apps. They can profoundly impact which underlying AI technologies are developed, whether and how they are made public, and what kind of deepfakes can be created. Therefore, this paper explores which values guide professional deepfake development, how economic and academic pressures and incentives influence developers’ (perception of) agency and ethical views, and how these views do and could impact deepfake design, creation, and dissemination. Thereby, the paper focuses on values derived from debates on AI ethics and on deepfakes’ impact. It is based on ten qualitative in-depth expert interviews with academic and commercial deepfake developers and ethics representatives of synthetic media companies. The paper contributes to a more nuanced understanding of AI ethics in relation to audio-visual generative AI. Besides, it empirically informs and enriches the deepfake governance debate by incorporating developers’ voices and highlighting governance measures which directly address deepfake developers and providers and emphasize the potential of ethics to curb the dangers of deepfakes.

The discourse and practices of Polish migration policy during the COVID-19 pandemic – economisation as a form of emergency governance

The existing literature points to securitisation as a dominant form of emergency governance emerging in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, also in relation to migration. However, another important way of framing migration during the pandemic is in terms of economisation. This article aims to analyse the rationale underpinning Polish immigration policy during COVID-19 with a focus on different forms of economisation: macro-economisation, which prioritises economic growth over other socially important issues; and substantive economisation, which centres the needs of a population during a given historical moment. Based on desk and qualitative research, including analysis of official documents and media coverage as well as in-depth expert interviews, we argue that the logics of both kinds of economisation can be discerned in Poland’s immigration policy. Our overall conclusion is that during the COVID-19 pandemic, and despite strong anti-immigrant rhetoric in official political discourse, Poland’s immigration policy prioritised the interests of the national economy and labour market over strategies of security and social control.

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHERS

The article's goal is to pinpoint the circumstances that foster teachers’ creative growth while they are enrolled in postsecondary education programs. The authors' qualitative and quantitative research findings are incorporated into the text. Expert in-depth interviews with subject matter experts in the field of higher education serve as a representation of qualitative research. A questionnaire was held in education institutions in order to be used in quantitative research. Recent research on the issues of young employment, higher education, and the mismatch between the labor market and the educational system was analyzed. The article demonstrates how creativity is viewed as an integrated quality in higher education, with the capacity to generate novel ideas, be goal-oriented, and find practical solutions. The writers have examined the content of this process and determined the elements, circumstances, and stages of teachers' creative development at higher education institutions. The application of a comprehensive, systematic idea at a higher education institution in accordance with intuitive creativity, creative capacity which defines contribution to the development of teachers’ creativity.

How do human resources analytics create value for organizations? A qualitative investigation

PurposeHuman resources analytics (HRA) can potentially create value and provide a competitive advantage; however, whether and how HRA creates this value has been sparsely explored in scholarly literature. Hence, the purpose of this study is to provide a process-oriented framework for value creation from HRA use by exploring the underlying mechanisms, complementary resources and outcomes.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a qualitative research design as the research question was exploratory. A total of 26 in-depth expert interviews with different organizations were conducted. These interviews were transcribed and coded for emerging themes, which were placed in a temporal sequence of occurrence to derive a process understanding of value creation from HRA. Additionally, validation tests were conducted.FindingsThe thematic analysis using NVivo provided qualitative evidence of the value-creating potential of HRA. Further, it unraveled the process of value creation from HRA in the form of problem construction, insight generation, the buy-in of stakeholders and solution implementation. This process resulted in various human resource management (HRM) and organizational outcomes. The analysis also highlighted the significance of three complementary resources, namely data quality, analytical competency and business knowledge.Practical implicationsThis study offers guidance for HR executives and business managers to assess the conditions under which HRA can add business value to organizations.Originality/valueThe paper is novel as this is among the first studies to provide evidence of value creation from HRA and identify the underlying mechanism, which has been highlighted as a gap in the literature. Based on resource-based theory and its complementarities perspective, the study makes a valuable contribution to the nascent HRA literature.

Exploring the key risk factors impeding the performance of highway construction projects: an evidence from Nigeria

Purpose Construction projects, and particularly highway infrastructures, are known to be major contributors to the socio-economic growth of developing countries. However, these types of projects are infamous for being highly risky due to the interplay of numerous risk factors. This study aims to explore the key risk factors impacting on the performance of highway infrastructure projects in Nigeria from the contextual viewpoint of key industry stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative data was collected using semi-structured interviews. Specifically, 17 in-depth expert interviews were conducted with experienced stakeholders in the highway sector of the Nigerian construction industry. The collected data was transcribed and analysed using an established coding framework (grounded on case study approach, principles of thematic analysis and saliency analysis). Findings Overall, 17 key risks were identified from the data analysis process, and 6 risks were recognised as the most significant, based on the combination of prevalence of occurrence and significance of the coded information. The six top risks were: change in government, corruption, cost of construction materials, inflation, project funding issues and construction project delay. However, the first two of these risks (change in government and corruption) are politically related, which is specific and unique to the setting of Nigeria and thus might be seen as discouraging indicators that could have an impact on attracting foreign investors/contractors to Nigeria. Originality/value The study addressed the gap related with identifying context-specific risk factors impeding the performance of highway projects in Nigeria from the viewpoints of industry experts. It is expected that the findings will provide a better insight into the various risk factors and thus aid relevant policymakers to provide context-specific mitigating strategies.

Relational gatekeeper behaviour of HR managers in the Middle East: the role of informal networks

Wasta, the informal network context omnipresent in the Middle East, is widespread in human resource management (HRM) practices. Yet, its influence on the behaviour of HR managers has not been explored. Utilizing relational gatekeeping theory and the informal network perspective in conjunction with in-depth expert interviews with HR managers, we seek to explore whether and how informal networks (wasta) influence and shape their role in an Arab Middle Eastern context. Our findings indicate that the level of wasta penetration in organizations is reliant on the relational gatekeeping behaviours of HR managers. Furthermore, we show how HR managers compensate for structural deficiencies by leveraging their wasta-derived power to amplify their voices. Nevertheless, the findings also emphasize the significance of power sharing in reducing the expansion of culturally derived power associated with wasta, thereby limiting power dynamics and authority to that derived from the formal organizational hierarchy. These insights advance knowledge on gatekeeping behaviour in the Arab Middle Eastern context and contribute new knowledge regarding the operational modes of informal networks within organizations. Our findings underscore the pivotal role that HR managers play in shaping the organizational culture. From a practical perspective, we offer actionable solutions, such as power sharing through committee work, to enhance the effectiveness of the HR function.

The role of cooperative R&D in innovation performance of SMEs: evidence from South Korean materials, parts, and equipment firms

ABSTRACT Can cooperative R&D between SMEs and other organisations enhance innovation performance? This study utilises a mixed-methods approach to examine the impact of voluntary cooperative R&D and gain an improved understanding of the mechanisms that facilitate innovation outcomes. The analysis uses a firm-level secondary dataset from South Korea’s M-P-E industry for the period between 2005 and 2020, as well as in-depth expert interviews. The findings indicate that collaboration between SMEs, universities, and government research institutes (GRI)s positively impacts innovation performance. The expert interviews confirm that partnerships with academic institutions and research organisations help bridge the gap between creating key innovations and their commercialisation. The results also show that government R&D support facilitated collaborations between suppliers and buyers, which in turn led to improved innovation outcomes. This implies that providing R&D subsidies to SMEs could be a useful strategy for governments seeking to bolster their technological innovation. Policy implications are further discussed in the conclusion.

Discourses of cultural diversity and inclusion in film policy: The case of Flanders (2002–2022)

This article examines how Flemish film policy actors and industry stakeholders have conceptualized, framed and operationalized cultural diversity and inclusion over the past two decades (2002–2022). Drawing on critical discourse and interpretive policy analysis of policy documents and a series of in-depth expert interviews, we investigate how discourses of diversity in cultural policymaking are consistently shaped by (neo-)liberal continuations of deregulation, state neutrality and marketization. This article identifies three discursive shifts over the years, highlighting their complex tensions with the persistent, liberal-egalitarian principle of difference-blind universalism. Framing these tensions as a major obstacle in achieving a paradigmatic policy shift toward the inclusion of ethnic/diasporic minorities in Flemish cinema, we advance a more comprehensive way of understanding why media diversity policies have, so far, proven inadequate.

Mapping the German Diamond Open Access Journal Landscape

In the current scientific and political discourse surrounding the transformation of the scientific publication system, significant attention is focused on Diamond Open Access (OA). Diamond OA is characterized by no charges for readers or authors and relies on monetary allowances and voluntary work. This article explores the potential and challenges of Diamond OA journals, using Germany as a case study. Two key questions are addressed: first, the current role of such journals in the scientific publication system is determined through bibliometric analysis across various disciplines. Second, an investigation is conducted to assess the sustainability of Diamond OA journals and identify associated structural problems or potential breaking points. This investigation includes an in-depth expert interview study involving 20 editors of Diamond OA journals. The empirical results are presented using a landscape map that considers two dimensions: 'monetized and gift-based completion of tasks' and 'journal team size.' The bibliometric analysis reveals a substantial number of Diamond OA journals in the social sciences and humanities, but limited adoption in other fields. The model proves effective for small to mid-sized journals, but not for larger ones. Additionally, it was found that 23 Diamond OA journals have recently discontinued their operations. The expert interviews demonstrate the diversity within the landscape and the usefulness of the two dimensions in understanding key differences. Journals in two of the four quadrants of the map exemplify sustainable conditions, while the other two quadrants raise concerns about long-term stability. These concerns include limited funding leading to a lack of division of labor and an excessive burden on highly committed members. Gift-like contributions, while appealing, also present challenges as potential donors not only decide whether to contribute but also how to contribute, potentially creating friction between the gift and the journal's requirements. Furthermore, journals in the lower right quadrant often rely on third-party funding, necessitating a transformation once the funding expires. Common pathways for sustaining operations include lobbying for funding at the journal's home institution or increasing reliance on gift-based completion of tasks. These findings underscore the need for the development of more sustainable funding models to ensure the success of Diamond OA journals.

4IR 시대의 식품 콜드체인 3PL 서비스품질과 공급체인 성과에 관한 실증연구

Recently, the cold chain market in the food industry has been rapidly advancing with the application of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies such as Big Data, IoT, RFID, enhancing both information technology and logistics systems. Consequently, in the support of food cold chain systems, physical quality and logistics information quality have improved during the distribution and logistics processes. Therefore, there is a need for distribution and logistics companies to derive and examine service quality factors that impact relationship maintenance and performance in the supply chain management process with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the food industry during the Fourth Industrial Revolution era. This study aims to identify the cold chain service quality factors of third-party logistics (3PL) companies based on expert in-depth interviews and a three-dimensional service quality model. Additionally, it seeks to understand the influence of relationship orientation in Korean food SMEs on supply chain performance. To achieve this, a systematic survey was conducted through preliminary investigations, distributing structured questionnaires, and collecting a total of 240 responses, excluding 9 unreliable responses, for empirical analysis. The collected survey data were analyzed using SPSS version 28.0 for frequency analysis to understand the general characteristics of respondents. Furthermore, Smart PLS version 4.0 was employed to test the internal consistency reliability, concentration, and discriminant validity of the measurement model. After evaluating the structural model, hypotheses were verified. The results of the analysis indicate that all three-dimensional service quality factors of cold chain services provided by 3PL companies (data processing expertise, digital-based customer responsiveness, and smart logistics information accuracy) positively influence relationship orientation. Additionally, the relationship orientation of food SMEs toward 3PL companies was confirmed to have a positive impact on supply chain performance. Therefore, the significance of this study lies in providing service quality factors for distribution and logistics companies to maintain relationships with food SMEs in South Korea and confirming the causal relationships affecting supply chain performance.

The taxing implementation of densification: The missed opportunity of the German land value tax

Densification and more efficient use of land are important planning challenges across Europe intended to aid the pursuit of sustainability goals. Property taxation influences land use. It can discourage or incentivize efficient land use. In the international academic debate, the land value tax is considered an effective land policy instrument that can promote more efficient use of land. Germany is currently transforming its property taxation system and has discussed different property tax models in the political decision-making process. This paper explores the political motivations of this reform based on a discourse analysis of plenary sessions and complementary in-depth expert interviews. On the one hand, the empirical findings highlight the experts’ positive assessment of the potential of the land value tax for efficient land use and densification. On the other hand, they also show how the potential allocative effects of the land value tax were largely overlooked during the political debates. Instead, discussion centred around distributional aspects of the property tax. It can be shown that despite the great potential for tackling urgent planning issues, policymakers are hesitant to adopt and apply instruments of land policy that intervene in existing private property rights.

Digital technologies in ISupport implementation in Russia

Objective:More than 1.5 million people have been diagnosed with dementia in Russia. Although we have all the necessary doctors and medicines, there is no clear, expert-approved special care system for people with dementia: caregivers do not have a manual for working with people with cognitive impairments. Our adapted web-guide and mobile application aim to educate professional and informal caregivers, and society about the principles of taking care for people with dementia, it’s any age prevention, creating an environment of equality.The objective of this study is to explore the level of raising awareness of the Russian society about dementia after the implementation of our digital technologies.Methods:Conducting an in-depth expert interview and a focus group with caregivers who got acquainted with the adapted ISupport guide were applied in order to evaluate the appropriateness of care practice for people with dementia in terms of medical standards and to uncover practical infelicities and improve them. Collected data and respondent’s replies analyses, content-analysis that we made became the basic principles of our new application. The quantitative method allows us to track user activity and assess the level of social involvement in dementia issues. Moreover, we have collected caregivers' opinions after they used our application and web-version for the first time by virtue of a qualitative method.Results:We have reached various aims during our ISupport implementation and working on the research project. First, the number of users of our mobile application is steadily growing (+ 4 people per day at the launch stage). Second, we have received a lot of feedback about our ISupport web version: “it is easy to use; it has a good design, sipid content and a logical structure, which in turn facilitates the process of caring for a person with dementia. Third, medical experts approved our adaptation, web-version and mobile application and recommended it for use in Russian-speaking countries.Conclusion:we have come to both theoretical and practical results of ISupport implementation in Russia and successfully launched two digital projects. Thanks to the work we have done the dementia issue in Russia will become more popular among society and will prevent the disease of thousands of people.

Cognitive Restoration Design: A Psychological Intervention for Stress Mitigation in Neighbourhood Park

Numerous research studies have revealed the landscape’s positive effects on human health and well-being. While prior research underscores landscapes' positive impact on well-being, a gap still needs to be in comprehending their influence on psychological and cognitive aspects. This research focuses on how landscape attributes, specifically those seen in neighbourhood parks, may serve as a stress-relieving cognitive stimulus. In this study, we utilised qualitative research design by employing an in-depth expert interview method to explore what causes stress in urban communities and how specific landscape attributes can improve mental health and well-being. A total of 12 experts consisting of clinical psychologists, counsellors, neuropsychologists, therapists, landscape professionals and academia have consented to participate in this interview. The results illuminate a conceptual framework illustrating how psychological and cognitive landscape attributes can effectively promote cognitive restoration. The findings indicate that the design must be human centred as people are born with innate sense, intuition, and preference, all of which should be considered while designing for their psychological needs. Particularly to stimulate the cognitive part, providing landscape design elements that could inspire enthusiasm is important. This could encourage people to go to the park and interact with various stress-relieving landscape stimuli. Hence, designing for user comfort, safety, social interaction, and pleasurable experiences is critical for achieving cognitive restoration goals.

THE POTENTIAL OF LOCAL BUSINESS INVOLVEMENT AS A DETERMINANT OF SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN THE PROCESS OF VETERANS' REINTEGRATION

The purpose of the article is to propose an approach to analysing the potential of involving local business as a determinant of social entrepreneurship development in the process of reintegration of veterans. Methodology. The survey is based on the results of an online questionnaire on the current state and needs of business in Chernihiv Oblast in the post-occupation period. The questionnaire contained questions in which respondents could describe business needs, expected support from local governments, and identify favourable and unfavourable factors for the development of the business environment at the regional level. The second part of the empirical research included personal in-depth expert interviews with key informants from business, local government, NGOs and donor initiatives to study the recovery needs of key micro-, small- and medium-sized business sectors in the de-occupied cities of Chernihiv Oblast. The survey results revealed the needs of businesses in the post-occupation period. Despite the fact that the surveyed entrepreneurs note a decrease in income, they are still optimistic about doing business in Chernihiv in the near future. According to the survey, the main factors hindering business development in Chernihiv Oblast are: low solvency of buyers; insufficient financial resources; bureaucratic obstacles; and changes in market conditions. The factors that hinder the development of Chernihiv Oblast are identified: unfavourable conditions for the development of entrepreneurship in the region; lack of external investment in the region; political situation at the local level; unemployment in the region; insufficient level of public initiative and activity of residents. Based on the results of in-depth interviews, it is possible to assess the potential of local businesses in the context of their involvement in the development of social entrepreneurship with a focus on veteran businesses. Despite all the difficulties and problems, the trend towards business recovery in the de-occupation period is positive, based on the desire of entrepreneurs to work in the Chernihiv Oblast. The city has active and influential NGOs that are ready to act in the interests of the community. Currently, donor initiatives in the region are just beginning. Practical implications. Based on a study of the reintegration needs and problems of servicemen, veterans and their family members in starting their own business and an analysis of the local business environment, recommendations are made on the role of business in the development of social entrepreneurship of veterans as a tool for their reintegration. Value/originality. The research demonstrates an approach to determining the potential of business in its involvement in the development of social entrepreneurship as a tool for reintegrating veterans at the local level.

Perspectives on Digital Transformation Initiatives in the Mechanical Engineering Industry

Companies from the mechanical engineering industry are eager to embrace new technologies in their pursuit of a competitive advantage. However, the complete digitalization of the sector encounters limitations, as certain aspects necessitate human supervision or manual labor. This is where the concepts of Industry 4.0, Industry 5.0, and digital transformation become relevant. The aim of the research presented in this paper was to gather and extract valuable insights and lessons from the experiences of German companies in the plastic extrusion machinery sector with digital transformation (DT). Qualitative interpretative research was used, using in-depth expert interviews with C-level executives. We organized the findings into three categories: (i) DT communication initiatives, including the elimination of paper, CRM solutions, messenger services, home office, and online procurement platforms; (ii) departments and areas most involved, including accounting and procurement, sales and production, and construction; and (iii) cost–benefit perception, including positive assessment, long-term impacts, and variation from company to company. The results provide valuable insights into the progress of DT initiatives in companies operating in the pipe extrusion sector in Germany. Additionally, several DT misconceptions were identified, thereby enriching the DT misconceptions framework that has been intensely discussed in the DT literature.

Political Parties’ Strategies and Foreign Policy-Making within Authoritarian Contexts

Abstract How do authoritarian regimes make foreign policy decisions? In answering this question, the article addresses political parties’ accommodating strategies in non-democratic contexts. It builds a theory on authoritarian regimes’ foreign policy-making based on the incorporation of a range of partisan strategies informing leaders’ orientations and goals. Unravelling the reasons behind the AKP’s swift shift from alliance to confrontation with the Egyptian regime in the aftermath of the Muslim Brotherhood’s eviction in 2013 followed by a rapprochement, this article underscores the contribution of parties’ strategies in unpacking foreign policy decision-making within autocracies. The study uses an inductive approach in examining the AKP’s accommodating strategies from 2013 until 2021 based on 30 extensive open-ended and semi-structured in-depth expert interviews conducted by the author with decision-makers in Egypt and Turkey between 2017 and 2021 and a content analysis of Turkish leaders’ speeches.

Communal violence in Bangladesh: A study of the underlying factors behind the persistent attacks on the non-Muslim communities

The study investigates the factors behind growing communal violence in Bangladesh that is mostly perpetrated against non-Muslim communities by examining three different cases. The qualitative study has been undertaken with the help of available secondary resources and in-depth interviews of experts as primary sources. The findings confirm that the ongoing communal violence in Bangladesh is not spontaneous but rather comprises deliberate and well-orchestrated incidents. It has been noted that apart from communal identity or ideological discord, other factors have played a pivotal role in these constant attacks. All these attacks are primarily intertwined with local politics and power relations as there is evidence of local political leaders’ and members’ involvement in the assaults. Besides, the entrenchment of extremist elements and growing intolerance at the mass level have a formidable impact on the gradual alienation of non-Muslim communities. The inaction of the state agencies and a culture of impunity have been largely responsible for the deterioration of communal harmony in Bangladesh. Due to these factors, no organised cultural campaign or resistant mechanism could gain a strong foothold against communal violence.

Trusting tech firms’ big data for political microtargeting? A qualitative analysis of parties’ communication managers risk and trust perceptions

ABSTRACT Parties use political microtargeting (PMT) to address voter subsegments individually. Due to limited resources and legal restrictions, parties often rely on Meta’s platforms and advertising ecosystem for PMT. However, using these external infrastructures and big data analyses might be risky for parties, since big data are criticized for their validity, robustness, representativeness, and usefulness. A mechanism to tolerate risks is trust. With the theoretical background of trust in technology, this study investigates the extent to which parties’ communication managers perceive risks in their strategic use of PMT on Meta’s platforms and how they evaluate big data’s trustworthiness. Based on in-depth expert interviews with German parties’ communication managers on state level, the results show that parties’ communication managers perceive various risks in relying on Meta’s platforms and are ambivalent about PMT’s big data analytics in terms of quality and reliability. To minimize risk perceptions, parties adopt strategies such as inputting their own data or creating own target audiences. Parties’ risk perceptions only partially influence their trust in big data and Meta. Despite varying degrees of trust, PMT is still used in campaigns as it has become too common and necessary to compete with other parties.