In-depth Expert Interviews Research Articles

How Disinformation on WhatsApp Went From Campaign Weapon to Governmental Propaganda in Brazil

The popular encrypted messaging and chat app WhatsApp played a key role in the election of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in 2018. The present study builds on this knowledge and showcases how the app continued to be used in a governmental operation spreading false and misleading information popularly known in Brazil as the Office of Hatred (OOH). By harnessing in-depth expert interviews with documentarians of the office’s daily operations—researchers, journalists, and fact-checkers ( N = 10)—this study draws up a chronology of the OOH. Via this methodological approach, we trace and chronologize events, actions, and actors associated with the OOH. Specifically, findings (a) document the rise of antipetismo and disinformation campaigns associated with attacks on the Brazilian Worker’s party from 2012 until the election of Bolsonaro in 2018, (b) describe the emergence of the OOH at the heels of the election and subsequent radicalization in WhatsApp groups, (c) provide an overview of the types of disinformation that are spread on the app by the OOH, and (d) illustrate how the OOH operates by mapping key actors and places, communicative strategies, and audiences. These findings are discussed in light of ramifications that government-sponsored forms of disinformation might have in other antidemocratic polities marked by strongman populist leadership.

Gender based political violence against women in Mexico from a regional perspective

Gender Based Political Violence Against Women (GBPVAW) is one main form of political discrimination. It violently affects women, obstructs social justice (economic redistribution, sociocultural recognition and political representation) for all and hinders parity democracy. In April 2020, the federal law of GBPVAW was approved in Mexico. From September 7th, 2020 until June 6th, 2021, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the biggest and most complex electoral process in Mexico took place, including 95 million registered voters with 21,368 elected positions in dispute and elections in almost half of the states that make up the republic. For the first time in history, gender parity was established by a strict quota system at municipal, state and federal levels. This exacerbated all forms of political violence, political violence against women and gender-based political violence against women. GBPVAW is one of the least researched emerging topics in the social sciences and is mostly absent in regional science debates. This article presents the results of an in-depth study, encompassing a research team of 26 academics, primarily developed and led by the presenting author. Results of a triangulated multidisciplinary research model with a transversal social justice and regional lens includes historical and juridical harmonization indicators, the creation of two quantitative regional indexes, qualitative indicators resulting from over 150 in-depth interviews of experts and female politicians, socio-digital media and a resilience study. Regarding the Mexican case study, the Reform Decree of April 13th, 2020 typifying GBPVAW is celebrated, providing the country with the second most advanced legislation worldwide. However, this research documented that there are still multiple areas of opportunity linked to affirmative action, substantive equality and transversal parity.

Horticultural supply chain network design of small and medium-sized enterprises

This study investigates supply chain networks of small and medium-sized companies in the ornamental plants, perennials and cut flowers business in non-auction-driven markets such as Germany, and formulates a mathematical model depicting prevalent network design options. The results are based on an embedded multiple case study featuring in-depth expert interviews with people in charge of corresponding companies. The typical logistics network structures and associated product flows are identified and systematized that represent the supply chains of producers, wholesalers and retailers, as well as their vertical integration. These supply chain networks are analyzed in terms of characteristics and context-specifics and finally transferred to a mathematical model formulation. We find that direct deliveries from producers to retailers are preferred despite production-related lead times of several months or more because of shorter transportation times and therefore better product quality. Wholesalers are mostly used to compensate for product surpluses or deficits, and can offer short lead times. Our results show that the whole sector is dependent on reliable information about the market situation that is needed for accurate planning among the uncertainties the sector faces regarding aspects such as quality fluctuations, pests, trends in demand, and weather impacts on plant growth and final customer demand. This study is the first to provide a systematization and model of logistics systems in the horticulture business. It thereby aims at building the basis for a decision-oriented future stream of research, investigating and optimizing logistics in horticulture in a sustainable manner.

Social perception of 5G technology

The aim of the article is to take a broader look at the current situation related to the implementation of 5G technology in Poland from a social perspective. The analysis was conducted in a broader context – Poles’ attitudes towards science and technology as well as their knowledge about modern technologies. In addition to an analysis of the literature on the subject, the article will present the results of two parallel studies conducted using three research methods: the focus method, in-depth expert interviews and a questionnaire conducted on the basis of direct interviews at respondents’ homes. The article reflects on, inter alia, questions about the attitudes of Poles to the development of science and technology, in particular to 5G technology, and whether the development of modern technologies is a cause of social anxiety among Poles. Research on the social perception of the 5G network in Poland shows that Poles are not familiar with 5G technology. Their ignorance results from poorly conducted technological education, insufficient public information provided by state authorities, public distrust of the authorities as an unreliable source of information, and the hermetic language used by telecommunications specialists. The disinformation aimed at delaying the implementation of this technology in Europe, also being related to the war over 5G technology between the United States and China, has a great impact on the negative perception of the 5G technology in Polish society.

The Impact of Women’s Economic Empowerment on the Rise of Female Entrepreneurship in Namibia

Abstract In this paper the authors investigate the importance of women’s economic empowerment and its impact on the rise of female entrepreneurship and human capital in Namibia. The research includes a case study analysis with four in-depth expert interviews. Data triangulation ensure the study’s validity, and the case was examined through pattern matching. The results demonstrate that female entrepreneurs face challenges such as access to resources and education, socio-cultural norms, a lack of social protection, and a large and unprotected informal sector. The government and institutions shall promote women’s empowerment through a direct labour market intervention, support for the informal sector, a gender-sensitive constitutional, legal, and institutional framework, the enforcement and oversight of gender-responsive laws and policies, and access to resources and education. Furthermore, women require digital inclusion, entrepreneur networks, social protection, and reformed socio-cultural norms. If female entrepreneurs are empowered adequately, they will contribute to nations’ human capital, economic growth, and development.

Urban Population Identities and Symbolic Value

Abstract This article examines various aspects of identities conveyed by urban populations, factors of transformation and development of urban spaces, and historical memory as tools for the socialization, stratification, and integration of a polyethnic society in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The empirical base of the study is a variety of material, including a questionnaire survey of the urban population of Yakutia, spontaneous polls, and in-depth expert interviews. The novelty is the research strategy itself, aimed at identifying all the listed actors through the prism of symbolic representations. The study of the symbolic value of the northern cities of Yakutia as informational and cultural spaces, understanding the heritage as a certain mediative mental-material cultural layer with symbolic codes and texts, provides key registers for considering the fundamental problems of the spatial and socio-cultural development of territories in general. The results of the study show that the political identity of the population of Yakutia has been formed according to the historical memory of the Soviet past. A trend towards positioning the region as “northern” or “arctic” has emerged in recent years, which also depends on government policy in the Arctic.

Techno-economic feasibility study for deep renovation of old apartment

Old residential buildings are increasing worldwide, and renovations are being implemented to solve this problem. Deep renovation methods, including horizontal expansion and vertical extension, are currently being used. Such methods are extensive in scale and entail significant technical challenges. It is therefore necessary to analyze economic feasibility while considering technical and financial aspects in projects’ initial stages, which this study attempted to address through various research methods. First, technical feasibility evaluation criteria, construction cost by activities, artificial neural network analysis, and cost-benefit analysis are combined to build a framework for the techno-economic feasibility study. Second, 15 apartment examples are evaluated using the research framework. Third, in-depth expert interviews are conducted to verify the validity of the model. In the study, the benefit-cost ratio was derived for 15 case-study apartments by applying the technical economic feasibility study framework, and more than 2/3 of the apartment complexes were found to be unsuitable for deep renovation. The research results showed that there is a difference from previous studies that only considered the feasibility of the existing remodeling technology, suggesting that an alternative renovation strategy is required for apartment complexes where deep renovation is not possible. Thus, the proposed framework can be used as a quantitative evaluation tool for feasibility analyses of deep renovation. Additionally, it can serve as a useful guideline for construction management experts and architects regarding management of old residential buildings.

Capturing Russian drinking patterns with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test: An exploratory interview study in primary healthcare and narcology centers in Moscow.

Despite a considerable reduction in alcohol consumption, Russia has one of the highest levels of alcohol-attributable burden of disease worldwide due to heavy episodic drinking patterns. Further improvement of alcohol control measures, including early provision of screening and brief interventions (SBI), is needed. The legislative framework for delivering SBI in Russia was introduced in 2013. As part of the creation and validation of a Russian version of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), the present contribution explored challenges in using the AUDIT in Russia to inform a subsequent validation study of the tool. Qualitative in-depth expert interviews with patients and healthcare professionals from four primary healthcare and narcology facilities in Moscow. A total of 25 patients were interviewed, 9 from a preventive medicine hospital, 8 from a polyclinic, and 9 from narcology clinics. Also, 12 healthcare professionals were interviewed, 5 of whom were primary healthcare doctors and 7 were narcologists. Patients and healthcare professionals expressed difficulties in dealing with the concept of a "standard drink" in the AUDIT, which is not used in Russia. Various patients struggled with understanding the meaning of "one drinking occasion" on the test, mainly because Russian drinking patterns center around festivities and special occasions with prolonged alcohol intake. Narcology patients had specific difficulties because many of them experienced zapoi-a dynamic drinking pattern with heavy use and a withdrawal from social life, followed by prolonged periods of abstinence. Surrogate alcohol use was described as a common marker of alcohol dependence in Russia, not accounted for in the AUDIT. The provided analyses on the perception of the Russian AUDIT in different patient and professional groups suggest that a series of amendments in the test should be considered to capture the specific drinking pattern and its potential harms.

Married at first sight: the process of trust formation throughout the venture capital process during the time of the COVID-19 crisis

ABSTRACT A high level of uncertainty accompanies investment decisions, hence, VCs attempt to reduce their risk through a thorough examination of potential investment cases. Especially during the seed and start-up phases of a new venture, when detailed reports and historical track records are still lacking, the investment manager’s trust in the entrepreneurial team has a major impact on investment decisions. To explore the process of trust formation, we conducted 11 semi-structured in-depth expert interviews with VC investment managers. Thereby, the COVID-19 crisis provided unique circumstances of exclusively digital communication and allowed us to develop a fine-grained understanding of trust within the VC context. Building on previous research about organizational trust and 674 interview minutes, we found that trustworthiness develops to trust over time as the vulnerability of both parties increases. Furthermore, our results reveal that the VCs’ perception of the founders’ trustworthiness is mainly influenced by examining the founders’ work environment, a founders’ reputation in the VCs’ network, and face-to-face communication. Such personal meetings allow VCs to assess founders, shape the investor’s gut feeling, and develop an interpersonal relationship as they allow for more room talking about personal information rather than business talk.

The Core Value of Sustainable Fashion: A Case Study on “Market Gredit”

Sustainability and ethical consumption have emerged as essential topics globally in the carbon-neutral era. The adoption of eco-friendly production and distribution methods have been prominent in the fashion industry as well. This study performed a qualitative case study analysis based on a literature review and in-depth expert interviews. The search yielded ten keywords reflecting how value producers pursue sustainable fashion. These keywords are “eco-friendly”, “recycled”, “vegan”, “upcycled”, “zero waste”, “local production”, “fair trade”, “women-owned”, “gives back” and “animal protection”. The values are divided into five core environmental values and five core social values. Based on in-depth interviews with domestic sustainable fashion experts, the core values and detailed standards of sustainable fashion were specified and presented as practical values. These values were also applied to the Market Gredit platform, an integrated e-commerce platform for sustainable fashion brands in South Korea. This research contributes to improving the environmental and social impacts throughout the value chain of the fashion industry by presenting the core values and detailed standards of sustainable fashion suitable for communication with consumers.

STRATEGY FOR BUILDING DIGITAL PLATFORMS FOR INDUSTRIAL WASTE MANAGEMENT

In modern conditions, to increase the efficiency of industrial waste management, a radical transformation of the business processes within industry enterprises, the introduction of modern digital technologies, the use of platform business models are required. The purpose of the article is to study the role of digital platforms to improve the efficiency of interaction between companies working in the field of waste disposal and recycling. The study analyses the participation of internal and external company stakeholders in the industrial waste processing industry. Empirical analysis is carried out on the basis of qualitative and quantitative analysis based on in-depth expert interviews. The sample includes interviews with the heads of 150 Russian industrial waste processing enterprises. All the companies considered have practical experience on digital platforms.

ISLAMIC DEPOSIT INSURANCE SYSTEM: THE EVIDENCE OF MALAYSIA

The article discusses a model for protecting Shariah-comliant investors by creating an Islamic deposit insurance system that built into the traditional financial system. In particular, the article is aimed to identify the architecture and principles of such a system in Malaysia. A qualitative approach that based on primary and secondary data obtained using the methods of in-depth expert interviews, content analysis, case studies and literature review has been applied. The results of this study will be useful to participants and organizers of the Islamic finance market, as they allow to identify important details that help launch the Islamic deposit insurance system in the post-Soviet area. This study can also be used in the educational process as a reference material on Islamic financial practices that have developed in the world.

Delayed arrival: planning, competition and conflict in the Rail Baltic terminal project in Tallinn, Estonia

ABSTRACT This article is an account of a planning process that is distributed and difficult to follow. By performing a thorough analysis of the design competition of the future Rail Baltic terminal in Tallinn, Estonia, it makes visible and critiques the decisions and dynamics enabled by the often-opaque processes of megaproject infrastructure planning and landmark design competitions. For this, the study first outlines a historiology of expectations for development created by new urban rail terminals. Then it relates the discourses of design, megaprojects and design competitions as trait-making processes with the potential to materialize future visions of society. The case study relies on expansive discourse analysis and in-depth expert interviews to trace key planning decisions, design strategies and stakeholder motivation impacting the planning of the Rail Baltic terminal and its role in the wider public realm of Tallinn. The study finds that the interlinked processes of megaproject planning and design competitions have inherent democratic deficiencies which can be counterproductive to benefitting the public realm. The results also suggest the need for a more socially responsible approach to planning infrastructure megaprojects.

Reconciling field-level logics and management control practices in research management at Austrian public universities

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore how Austrian public universities (APUs) respond to the challenge of maintaining academic freedom while complying with legal requirements and enhancing competitiveness by using Management Control Systems (MCSs). Specifically, it examines how APUs respond to the co-presence of academic, government and business logic.Design/Methodology/ApproachThe perspective of institutional logics as a theoretical lens and the framework of MCSs by Malmi and Brown (2008) serve to analyse how APUs respond to the existence of different institutional field-level logics. In-depth expert interviews from the perspective of APUs’ research management are conducted to identify the applied management control practices (MCPs) and APUs’ responses to the different institutional field-level logics.FindingsThis study identifies how academic, government and business logic are represented in field-level-specific MCPs and field-level-specific corresponding narratives. Reflecting upon APUs’ responses to the co-existence of academic and government logic, compliance or rather, selective coupling with government logic or decoupling from government logic became obvious.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study at higher education institutions representing academic, government and business logic in the applied MCPs in research management. The study reveals that APUs have developed specific responses and narratives regarding the existence of different institutional field-level logics.

Barriers to Adapting Water Supply Management to Climate Change in Nzoia River Basin, Kenya

Water is projected to be the most affected by climate change. Many national and county governments are now developing adaptation policies and plans in response to climate change; however, many factors could stop, delay or divert these adaptation strategies if they are not adequately identified and addressed. Research on adaptation barriers is increasing as the need for climate change adaptation becomes evident, but studies regarding identification and classification of barriers into cartegories and establishing strategies for overcoming such barriers remain limited. This research identified barriers to adapting water supply management to climate change, classified them into cartegories and went ahead to establish strategies for overcoming such barriers in adapting water supply management to climate change in Nzoia River Basin. The study used a cross-sectional survey design and a qualitative technique since major sector players' perspectives are critical in deciding the path of climate change adaptation in the basin. Three counties were randomly selected from Nzoia River Basin for study with Busia representing the lower catchment, Kakamega middle catchment and Trans Nzoia upper catchment. The study was carried out from May, 2017 to September, 2017. Stakeholders were carefully selected and consisted of water and climate change expert decision makers, practitioners, managers, scientists, academia, technology adopters, etc. Stakeholders were chosen based on their work portfolios or by other respondents' recommendations. Data collection involved questionnaires, in-depth expert-interviews, brainstorming sessions, focus group discussions, field observations and literature review. This study identified and ranked in order of priority the barrier clusters/cartegories for adapting water supply management to climate change in Nzoia River Basin as: Institutional and governance; Resources and funding; Leadership; Politics; Adaptation options/process; Science; Understanding; Technology/structural; Expertise; Attitudes, values and motivations of actors; Communication; and Personality issues. Individual barriers are seen to be highly interconnected and interdependent, allowing for the discovery of leverage areas for actions to maximize barrier elimination. This study provides valuable information for the national and county governments as they strive to develop climate change adaptation policies and plans in the basin.

Measurement challenges and causes of incomplete results reporting of biomedical animal studies: Results from an interview study.

BackgroundExisting evidence indicates that a significant amount of biomedical research involving animals remains unpublished. At the same time, we lack standards for measuring the extent of results reporting in animal research. Publication rates may vary significantly depending on the level of measurement such as an entire animal study, individual experiments within a study, or the number of animals used.MethodsDrawing on semi-structured interviews with 18 experts and qualitative content analysis, we investigated challenges and opportunities for the measurement of incomplete reporting of biomedical animal research with specific reference to the German situation. We further investigate causes of incomplete reporting.ResultsThe in-depth expert interviews revealed several reasons for why incomplete reporting in animal research is difficult to measure at all levels under the current circumstances. While precise quantification based on regulatory approval documentation is feasible at the level of entire studies, measuring incomplete reporting at the more individual experiment and animal levels presents formidable challenges. Expert-interviews further identified six drivers of incomplete reporting of results in animal research. Four of these are well documented in other fields of research: a lack of incentives to report non-positive results, pressures to ‘deliver’ positive results, perceptions that some data do not add value, and commercial pressures. The fifth driver, reputational concerns, appears to be far more salient in animal research than in human clinical trials. The final driver, socio-political pressures, may be unique to the field.DiscussionStakeholders in animal research should collaborate to develop a clear conceptualisation of complete reporting in animal research, facilitate valid measurements of the phenomenon, and develop incentives and rewards to overcome the causes for incomplete reporting.

CULTURAL RESILIENCE THROUGH THEATER: AN IN-DEPTH EXAMINATION OF DRAMATIC NARRATIVE COMMUNICATION IN THE POST-PARTITION ERA

In this research, an attempt has been made to find out what has been the state of the art of theater, which can play an important role in national development, after the creation of Pakistan. Historically, it has been proven that there has been a strong tradition of theater in this region. Considering the weaknesses and gaps that emerged from the literature review on this topic, the research methodology was adopted. The qualitative method has been used for the research. In-depth interviews of experts and written history of the theater are used as tools for the study. Due to ideological confusion, migration of theatre performers settlement problems, the economic situation, and the capitalist system, the theater could not be stable as a media organization. A few groups were formed later, but they are not guaranteed for the future. If the state wants, everything is possible. This is an important finding on the contribution of East Pakistan in performing arts such as theatre, which was part of Pakistan until the separation as the Bangla Desh, Pakistani historical literature is completely silent. Keywords: Theater; culture; drama; partition.

How global regimes diffuse in space – Explaining a missed transition in San Diego's water sector

Socio-technical regimes are highly institutionalized rationalities that have co-evolved with actors, technologies and institutions over extended periods of time and become taken for granted across geographical contexts. Transition studies feature an extensive focus on regime dynamics within specific territorial contexts. However, we know surprisingly little of how regime rationalities are constructed, diffused and reproduced across space. This is a key gap in the geography of sustainability transitions literature. This paper introduces a conceptual model to analyze transformative opportunities in regions and how regime actors strategically diffuse and implement global regime solutions through combinations of discursive and substantive system reconfiguration activities. The empirical analysis draws upon a combination of Socio-Technical Configuration Analysis (STCA) of 354 newspaper articles and 10 in-depth expert interviews to illuminate how regime actors prevailed in diffusing and legitimizing the water sector's dominant socio-technical configuration in San Diego during a period of substantial transformative opportunities.

A public policy analysis with key stakeholders' insights to understand India's compliance with the WHO framework convention on tobacco control.

BackgroundTobacco-related morbidity and mortality is a global public health challenge. India is the second largest consumer of tobacco in the world. The present paper synthesises the data from qualitative interviews of experts working in the field of tobacco control alongside a critical analysis of the national tobacco control policy of India.MethodsThe research methods adopted for the present work included the following: 1) qualitative in-depth interview of experts and analysis of the qualitative data using thematic analysis; 2) searching existing literature and secondary data on the national tobacco policy and analysing the same using the methodological orientation of qualitative content analysis; and 3) health policy analysis of the national tobacco policy. Themes and sub-themes obtained from the two approaches were compared to generate meaning.ResultsNine experts (three women and six men) participated in the in-depth qualitative interviews from a variety of professional backgrounds (preventive oncology researcher, tobacco cessation specialist, public health expert, clinicians and human rights activists). The systematic and comprehensive literature search resulted in finding 14 research papers, reviews, policy documents and commentaries on the tobacco epidemic in India. The various themes that emerged from the qualitative interviews that found support from secondary data as well were: ‘Conflicting policies of Government: Promoting tobacco production and at the same time restricting its use’, ‘Failure to shield from influence of tobacco industry’, ‘Demand reduction proposals through taxation and pricing’, ‘Legislation to protect from and reduce the harm of second-hand smoking’, ‘Health warning on packaging and labelling of tobacco products’, ‘Promotion and advertisement of tobacco products’, ‘Prohibiting production by and sale to minors’.DiscussionThe control of a tobacco epidemic has multiple structural and functional challenges embedded in the complexity of the public–private interfaces, socio-economic forces, conflicting interests of the stakeholders and diverse nature of the problem. Any intervention planned to reduce the tobacco usage at a population level needs to take these factors into consideration.

Adapting Strategies for Water Supply Management to Climate Change in Nzoia River Basin, Kenya

Climate change is influencing the hydrological cycle on a global scale, and enhancing communities' ability to adapt to these changes is critical for long-term growth and survival. Climate change is expected to have a negative influence on water resources and supply. Other water stresses, such as population expansion, land-use change, growing per capita water demand, and regulatory changes, frequently exacerbate the consequences of climate change. Mitigation will not be enough to minimise the significant repercussions on the water industry, especially in poor nations. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design. Three counties were randomly selected from Nzoia River Basin for study with Busia representing the lower catchment, Kakamega middle catchment and Trans Nzoia upper catchment. The study was carried out from May, 2017 to September, 2017.A carefully selected team of water and climate change experts consisting of decision makers, practitioners, managers, scientists, technology adopters and other stakeholders were used to identify the five main climate change challenges affecting water supply management in Nzoia River Basin (water scarcity and drought, flooding, water quality effects, unknown climate change risks and disaster preparedness) and the accompanying strategies and technologies for adapting water supply management to climate change through questionnaires, in-depth expert-interviews, brainstorming sessions, field observations and literature review. The adaptation strategies and technologies identification exercise drew from multiple sources of information including the national context where national development plans were used; adaptation technologies proposed in previous documents; technologies currently in use and supported by national water policy; initiatives in the pipeline under the larger water sector; appropriateness of technologies in the local context and the social acceptability among other sources. Stakeholder engagement helps to foster local ownership and buy-in, which is often necessary for long-term project viability. The study has also assessed the level of implementation for the adaptation strategies and the agencies involved. The adaptation strategies were identified and ranked using the total weighted scores as follows: Water storage, Water efficiency and demand management, Water augmentation, Alternative water sources, Water allocation, Urban storm water management, Riverine flood protection, Hazard and risk assessment, Vulnerability assessment, Disaster response, and Early warning. The Total weighted scores under ranking are very close to each other, implying that all the strategies/technologies listed for adapting water supply management to climate change are good. The results of this study provide valuable information that can be used by national and county governments in adapting water supplies to climate change.