Institutional Change Research Articles

Research Advancement in Forest Property Rights: A Thematic Review over Half a Decade Using Natural Language Processing

This paper proposes a thematic literature review of advances in the literature on forest property rights over the first half of this decade. From a methodological point of view, we exploited a corpus of scientific articles published between 2019 and 2023, extracted from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. We then performed a co-word analysis using the Louvain algorithm to reveal thematic clusters. This approach enabled us to identify seven distinct trends over the past half-decade, each highlighting specific aspects and geographical diversity of forest property rights, which were then evaluated using a thematic map. The main findings revealed that (policies, livelihoods and agroforestry) and (institutions, sustainability and non-timber forest products) stand out as central and influential themes, which have a significant impact and present notable advances that have shaped recent discussions and practices. Furthermore, themes (forest policy and resource management) and (conservation and the rights of indigenous communities) are well developed, which have a solid research base, offering an in-depth understanding of the relevant research questions. Conversely, themes (institutional change and forest conservation) and (deforestation, indigenous rights and community management) represent emerging themes, which are receiving increasing attention and are likely to become major of focus. In contrast, (forest governance, community management and land conflict resolution) which indicates a waning influence in terms of miscellaneous implications. The findings of this thematic literature review will help guide policymakers, researchers, and practitioners based on recent developments in international forest property rights, during a half-decade marked by a break with previous trends, leading to legislative changes and strategic adaptations essential for the sustainable management of forest resources, bolstered by technological advancements and environmental efforts.

Considering Power and Institutional Change in the Study of Migration’s Impact on Non‐Migrants: Commentary on Schut & Crul (2024) and Keskiner et al. (2024)

Schut and Crul (2024) and Keskiner et al. (2024) bring much‐needed attention to migration’s impact on host societies. They investigate Dutch non‐migrant parents’ responses to migration‐related issues that arise in their children’s schooling, highlighting the diversity of those responses. Future analyses should move beyond individual analyses to understand broader social changes, how group‐level status shapes institutional responses to migration, and the role that systemic racism or Islamophobia may play in shaping individual and institutional responses to migration. This requires empirical analyses that incorporate participant observation in specific institutions (for example, schools), and attention to organizational decision‐making.

Gathered: A Theology for Institutions in a Changing Church

Practical theology has historically engaged in sustained theological reflection on the practices of the Church that intersect with the practices of the world. As field of study, it engages in interdisciplinary engagement that combines social and theological forms of reasoning and analysis. As a broader field of praxis, it seeks to support the conditions where people of faith are formed, and communities of faith may flourish. In both expressions, practical theology exists in a dynamic relationship to institutions (e.g., congregations, denominations, universities) and contributes research and praxis that supports the future of institutions and the faith they mediate. While institutions are often the source and site of practical theology, “institutions” are taken for granted as a clearly-identifiable social form and a fixed expression. However, transnational changes in congregations and related faith-based institutions require an account of the nature and role of institutions within practical theology. In this gap, this paper advances a two-part argument: first, institutions are sites of multimodal gathering, creating containers for various forms of encounter where individuals and communities gather around a shared context, shared stories, shared practices, shared resources, and a shared journey. Second, theology for institutions can be sustained by attending to five modes of institutional engagement and analysis that are marked by attention to shared context, narratives, practices, resources, and a journey. Three sections advance this argument. The first part introduces three different situations of institutional encounter to question the relationship between theology and institutions amid a changing organizational landscape. The second part engages Alasdair MacIntyre as an interpretive framework to identify the gap of institutions in the field of practical theology. The third part concludes by detailing the structure of a theological account that resolves this gap in the field and may attend to the forms of gathering institutions provide.

Fostering Entrepreneurial Intentions in a Non-Skills-Focused Education System

This article aims to identify the factors that influence the entrepreneurial intentions of young students when the formal education system does not focus on skills. The authors conducted research based on the theory of Planned Behaviour and the concept of entrepreneurial intentions. The research was carried out in three different schools: an urban public school, a rural public school, and an urban private school. The authors studied entrepreneurial intentions among students in the oldest grades from selected schools. The sample selection was purposive, and all students from these schools participated in the study. The authors used statistical analysis, including a log-linear model, to identify significant predictors of entrepreneurial intentions. The study showed that personal characteristics and family support are critical factors in shaping entrepreneurial attitudes among students from different types of schools. The authors suggest that addressing the mismatch between the education system and the needs of students and the labor market requires institutional and curricular changes and a reorientation of educational policy. Otherwise, personality traits and the support of significant others, such as family and friends, will continue to determine students’ development and future careers.

Surviving and Resisting Retrenchment: US Resettlement Organizations’ Responses to Trump-era Anti-refugee Policy

Abstract Retrenchment and erosion of refugee protections have been on the rise in multiple contexts around the world. In the United States, the Trump Administration’s refugee policies threatened the very survival of domestic resettlement institutions. The administration reduced the number of refugees, cut funds, and sewed confusion. In the face of restrictionist policies, how did refugee advocates respond? Leveraging a case study of resettlement organisations’ responses to Trump-era anti-refugee policies, this article demonstrates that administrators not only adapted creatively to survive the barrage of attacks but also engaged in meaningful political contestation. In circumscribed moments, administrators defied theoretical expectations: they placed the collective above the individual and challenged exploitative dynamics fundamental to US refugee programmes. This article draws on critical theory to analyse administrative resistance, repositioning bureaucrats as advocates in the process. In doing so, the article makes three main contributions. First, it elucidates the unseen role of bureaucrats as agents of progressive institutional change. Next, it offers new analytic purchase into puzzling organisational behaviour by foregrounding social relations of power. Finally, the article provides tools and resources for resettlement organisations navigating retrenchment globally.

The transformative power of practitioner inquiry: collaborative autoethnography, norm critique and research circles in Swedish education

ABSTRACT This article builds on the social justice and critical and emancipatory dimensions of practitioner inquiry in education. The aim is to demonstrate the potential and challenges of collaborative autoethnography for institutional change, transformative learning and norm critique. Taking Jack Mezirow’s and Paulo Freire’s theoretical framework as a starting point, I analyse four autoethnographic cases conducted by Swedish teachers. I demonstrate the ways in which autoethnography may help teachers realise their own silence and unresponsiveness regarding oppression related to ethnicity, gender, professional role and generational hierarchies in preschools and schools. The collaborative autoethnography also instigates teachers’ realisation of space-time dynamics and other institutionalised constraints and their constitutive power over practices, feelings, understandings and social relations. The transformative learning that has emerged from collaborative autoethnography has led us to recognise the necessity and challenges of conducting empirical analysis, engaging in self-reflection and dialogue, and transforming institutionalised and personal practices and norms. While bringing about institutional change has been challenging, individual and relational transformation has been more achievable. I argue that top-down initiated practitioner inquiry with colleagues and superiors at one’s workplace may be more challenging, and I also argue for the benefits of engaging in practitioner inquiry with people outside one’s own organisation.

Indigenous Voices in the Knowledge Production

In Brazil, in recent years, we have observed an increase in the access of indigenous people in Higher Education and Postgraduate Studies. They demand recognition as producers of scientific knowledge, overcoming the colonial paradigms that objectify them in the production of knowledge. However, in the case of Public Health, persists a very low visibility of indigenous participation in academia. This experience report presents the project “Indigenous Voices in the Production of Knowledge”, carried out through a partnership between a collective of indigenous researchers from different regions of the country and researchers from “Academic Institution”. A network of 20 indigenous researchers was organized, who met in 2019 and highlighted the need to “give recognition to indigenous knowledge” as a scientific expression; the difficulties of mastering the Portuguese language; the collective character of indigenous authorship and the need to make indigenous identities visible in authorship in scientific productions. An Indigenous Editorial Board was formed and prepared a public call for indigenous authors, which resulted in an open access publication with 21 texts. The editorial process sought to qualify the editorial board in the editorial production process; indigenous researchers carried out the peer review of the submitted texts; and virtual meetings were held with the authors to discuss the opinions. In addition to a quality academic production by indigenous authors, the project strengthened the network of indigenous researchers in collective health area, involving them in other events and initiatives, and triggered institutional changes at “Academic Institution”.

What Is the Spatial Construction in The Process of Community Governance

Based on the case of Community A and Fishing Village B in City S, this study delves into the multidimensional transformation of spatial construction in the process of community governance and the influencing factors behind it. The study employs snowball interviews and participant observation to reveal the interplay between institutional change and spatial transformation in community governance and how the two together affect the outcome of the constructs. Community A, as a representative of an urban community, has a spatial trans-formation that is mainly manifested in the construction of social space, whereas Fishing Village B demonstrates the evolution of both physical and social space from traditional fisheries to modern tourism. The study finds that national and local policies have an important influence on community spatial planning, while factors such as social relations, organizational capacity, and residents' willingness within the community also play a key role in spatial construction. The article suggests that community governance should deepen the leading role of party building, implement the concept of resilient governance, and optimize the benefit distribution mechanism to promote the harmonious and sustainable development of communities.

Implementing Best Practice Guidelines under the Best Practice Spotlight Organisation: Facilitators and Barriers for Nurses: A Delphi Study.

The implementation and sustainability of evidence-based practice (EBP) is a complex process. Best practice guidelines (BPGs) can facilitate the translation of knowledge from theory into practice, but they require working groups to adapt recommendations and encourage adherence to them. The aim of this study was to identify facilitators and barriers of BPGs in the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario®, within the framework of Best Practice Spotlight Organisations® (BPSOs®), in a hospital setting. Methods: This study was conducted using the modified Delphi method (two rounds) with a cohort of BPSO® Best Practice Champions. The facilitators and barriers included in the first round were identified through a bibliographic search. The degree of concordance was determined in the second round using the highest mean resulting values. Results: A total of 44 nurses responded, with a mean age of 42.57 ± 8.563. The facilitators included the following: work environment; working in a hospital that encourages research; and dedicating time to EBP (p < 0.001). The barriers included the following: excessive workload; professional mobility (p < 0.001); and lack of time (p = 0.002). Implications for practice: As such, it is necessary to approach human resource management by implementing new policies that guarantee systemic sustainability. The BPSO® programme is an excellent framework for promoting the translation of theoretical knowledge into practice and effecting institutional change.

Decoupling in the USA and China

The research explores the concept of economic and ideological decoupling between the United States and China, focusing on the increasing self-reliance of both nations and the impact on global trade. It delves into institutional theory, examining how organizations adapt to new norms and regulations in response to geopolitical tensions. The paper analyzes the historical evolution of US-China relations, the role of social movements in institutional change, and the effects of decoupling on organizations. The study highlights the challenges and opportunities arising from this decoupling, emphasizing the need for adaptive strategies and cooperation to mitigate global risks.

Student-led institutional change for diversity and inclusion: Insights from the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Ambassador program.

Student-led institutional change for diversity and inclusion: Insights from the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Ambassador program.

Forest carbon payments: A multidisciplinary review of policy options for promoting carbon storage in EU member states

Forest carbon sinks can play an important role in mitigating climate change, but currently only a few policies exist globally where economic incentives are created for forest owners to maintain and strengthen sinks. This article aims to facilitate the design and implementation of governmental payment schemes for forest carbon uptake services by presenting a multidisciplinary analysis of the many challenges involved in such schemes and by proposing potential solutions. We assess the consequences, opportunities, and risks of carbon payment schemes from economic, ecological, social, and legal points of view based on existing literature. Our analysis is set in the context of the European Union (EU), but many of the central findings have relevance for a broader geographical area. The main economic challenges of implementing carbon payment schemes relate to potential leakage, the question of additionality, and uncertain forest-owner behavior. The most important ecological considerations include effects on soil carbon dynamics and biodiversity as well as issues of non-permanence and forest resilience. Our exploration of the social acceptance of carbon payments among the general public, key market actors such as forest owners and forest industry, and other stakeholders suggest that both the process of developing the scheme and its details are significant. Further, our legal analysis indicates that central challenges for carbon payment schemes within the EU rise from the requirement to comply with competition and state aid regulations. Finally, we synthesize our findings and suggest a two-step approach for introducing public carbon payments in an EU member state. Initially, the scheme could be launched via De minimis aid or the new aid scheme (GAFSRA). A low carbon price could be applied to moderate market effects, and the payments could be limited to additional carbon storage only. Peatlands, where tradeoffs exist between tree biomass carbon and soil carbon, should initially be excluded from the standard payment scheme, and regulated with command-and-control instruments and measure-based payments instead. In the future, an improved knowledge base and institutional changes may enable schemes that encompass all ecosystem carbon pools on all relevant soil types and create optimal incentives for both forest management and land-use choices by pricing all land-based sinks and emissions. Such schemes could utilize, e.g., cap-and-trade instruments and be complemented by import tariffs to control carbon leakage.

Did the COVID-19 pandemic fuel public support for social protection?

Abstract Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, both viral infection and the corresponding economic turmoil have wreaked havoc across the globe, highlighting the imperative function of the state as a social protection provider. The pandemic has seemingly created favourable political circumstances for rapidly expanding social protection, but its influences on public welfare attitudes remain unclear. In this study, I argue that the impact of pandemic-driven economic risk is too limited to spur strong public support for social protection. The employed empirical analyses using panel data collected in South Korea show that unemployment induced by the pandemic is conducive to higher degrees of individual support for social protection measures, but the impact is only short-lived. Further analyses show that, once individuals are re-employed and as the time spent in economic difficulties becomes more distant, personal unemployment experiences are no longer positively associated with support for social protection. Finally, pandemic-induced unemployment experiences have a lasting impact primarily on young adults. The evidence therefore suggests that significant institutional changes in the welfare state are hard to achieve by solely relying on the impact of economic risk.

Patient voices and student insights into LGBTQ+ healthcare: a call for equitable healthcare through medical education

ABSTRACT Purpose Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual and gender diverse (LGBTQ+) individuals have health needs specific to their identities. However, they face discrimination and cis-heteronormativity in most patient-provider interactions, which often translate into poor healthcare. Evidence suggests doctors are inadequately trained to care for LGBTQ+ patients. Medical students are well-placed as the future workforce to establish affirming behaviours. This study garners LGBTQ+ patients’ healthcare experiences, where limited qualitative evidence exists, and explores whether students have insight into these experiences. Method Thirty LGBTQ+ patients and twenty students, evenly divided between Singapore and the United Kingdom (UK), two legally and culturally different countries, consented to semi-structured interviews in 2022 to evaluate their LGBTQ+ healthcare perceptions. Thematic analysis was conducted using a collaborative, iterative process involving five investigators, with frequent auditing of data interpretation. Results Most patients described implicit biases with a lack of support and professionalism from doctors, hindering health outcomes. Patients experienced misgendering and a lack of recognition of sexual and gender diversity; students appreciated the need to acknowledge patient identity. Although perceptions surrounding certain themes were similar between patients and students in both countries, patients’ voices on the complexity and dissatisfaction of gender-diverse care contrasted with students’ lack of insight on these themes. Singapore patients were more concerned with sociolegal acceptance affecting health needs, whilst UK patients noted more nuanced barriers to healthcare. Although many students were unsure about specific health needs and perceived a lack of training, they expressed willingness to create an equitable healthcare environment. Conclusions LGBTQ+ patients provided powerful narratives on discrimination surrounding their healthcare needs. To address these, medical students must be encouraged by healthcare educators to develop identity-affirming behaviours as future change-makers and challenge cis-heteronormative views. Alongside vital institutional changes tailored to each country, patients’ and students’ collective action would create meaningful educational opportunities to reach culture change.

From ‘Born’ Bilinguals to Monolinguals: Understanding Korean‐Chinese Bilingual Family Language Policy in China

ABSTRACTIn recent years, China has implemented a national language policy promoting the use of Putonghua (Standard Chinese) in ethnic minority schools. This study investigates how mesolevel institutions (i.e., schools) have responded to this macro‐level national language policy change, and how the institutional policy changes have affected Korean‐Chinese bilingual family language policies in Yanbian, China. Based on an analysis of the teaching and learning materials used in schools and data gathered through interviews with and observations of 16 Korean‐Chinese bilingual families, this study finds that schools have actively responded to macro‐level policy changes with organised, large‐scale language practice activities. As a result of factors such as educational pressure and broader societal ideologies, families have been pressured to align with the meso‐level language policy despite their desire to maintain their heritage language and culture. Consequently, it is likely that future generations of Korean‐Chinese individuals, who would previously have been ‘born’ bilinguals, may become monolinguals. This study contends that in countries with a unified language ideology and a dominant language, the impact of macro‐level policy reforms can restrict or promote micro‐level family language policies through the mediating influence of meso‐level institutions. Family language policy researchers may need to recognise that there is a one‐way, rather than two‐way, relationship between the aims of the state and the desires of families in such contexts.

Big Data and Ideational Institutionalism. Reconsidering the Possibilities and Limitations of Google Ngram in the Study of Ideas

AbstractIdeas and ideational change are difficult to grasp. When exactly did the idea of sustainability emerge? How has the meaning of democracy changed over time? Did ideational change precede or follow institutional change? These and many similar questions are highly relevant to the emerging field of ideational institutionalism, but they are difficult to answer conclusively without reliable data. Google Books Ngram Viewer, a tool introduced in 2011, opens up new possibilities in this regard by allowing the analysis of millions of print sources over time. However, after initial euphoria, its use has waned somewhat due to growing doubts about its reliability and the validity of the results it produces. Some of these problems have been addressed, but the debate about the potential and limitations of Google Books Ngram Viewer is ongoing. This research note will contribute to this debate by proposing a systematization for the use of search terms based on the concept of belief systems and by presenting the results of a reliability test for the German language corpus.

An Analysis of Welfare Standards Within Tiger (Panthera tigris) Facilities in Thailand.

In Thailand, tigers are more numerous in captivity than they are in the wild, with 51 facilities housing approximately 1962 tigers. As charismatic fauna, tigers are popular with tourists, and the majority of facilities offer a variety of entertainment activities with controversial reports towards the animals' welfare. The aim of this research was to investigate tiger welfare in Thai zoos to identify specific welfare issues. We assessed 34 tourism facilities holding tigers in Thailand in 2019 using a 25-point welfare assessment that utilizes the Five Domain model (incorporating all five domains: nutrition, physical environment, health, behavioural interactions and mental state). The mental domain score was derived from the scores of the other four domains. Additional data were collected from each facility, including the number of tigers, any colour variants, types of human interaction and admission cost. Welfare scores for each domain were calculated by totalling the scores per domain and dividing by the number of points allocated to that domain. A multiple regression was used to identify any significant predictors of mental domain score. The results revealed that the provision of a suitable physical environment scored the lowest, while nutrition scored the highest though this was still a low score overall. The multiple regression showed that 45.4% of the variance for the mental domain score was significantly affected by the number of colour variants housed and the types of human interaction available with facilities, with more of both these factors contributing to a more negative score. Our results demonstrate the need for urgent, comprehensive infrastructural, species-appropriate environment and design and animal management improvements to increase animal welfare. Informed institutional change toward the breeding and use of tigers for public interactions is also required. This is the first assessment completed of captive tiger welfare of tiger facilities in Thailand and shows that the welfare concerns encountered are within a high proportion (67%) of Thailand's facilities. This supports the need for the creation and enforcement of effective and clear captive wildlife operational standards to provide a sustained solution for captive tiger welfare and can provide a considered approach to ex-situ tiger management that, in conjunction with in-situ efforts, can improve much needed conservation efforts of this species.

Institutional change of the Colombian army 2012–2021

ABSTRACT Military transformations occur reactively in response to changes in environmental conditions and conflicts. Likewise, military transformations show a tendency to copy the best practices of the most powerful forces and of organizations like North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). However, little is known about the effect of a proactive planning strategy on the transformation process. This article raises the theoretical debate on the institutional change of the Colombian Army, presenting evidence that allows us to define whether it has been carried out in a reactive, evolutionary way or with a design-based approach which would lead to the development of institutional work through the modification of the factors of military capabilities. The main result shows the presence of institutional work to generate disruptions in the Army. Particularly when altering the doctrine, changes in education and training are triggered, which allows the organizational structure to be redesigned to adopt new practices. However, limitations in the acquisition and deployment of new technologies and infrastructure inhibit institutional change and organizational transformation.

Analyzing Transformational, Instructional, and Distributed Leadership Paradigms in Educational Improvement

This paper examines three prominent leadership paradigms in education: Transformational, Instructional, and Distributed leadership. Transforming leadership emphasizes motivation of the educators and students to go a notch higher through provision of a vision. Leadership that focuses more on instructions aims at improving the quality of teaching and learning as well as curriculum to improve students performance. However, distributed leadership means that the leadership roles and responsibilities are spread across many school members and it supports an inclusive school community. This paper looks at the features of this type of approach and the use of such an approach in school improvement and students performance. Conclusively, the systematic review of leadership approaches shows that each of them has the capacity to create positive change in educational institutions and it is in this light that their combined effort is highlighted. Based on the findings of the paper, it is proposed that the application of these leadership styles is possible in order to develop a dynamic organic centre for education in order to build on ideas and growth.

Building Bridges: Catalyzing Institutional Change at Utah State University via Experiential Learning with Ute and Navajo Students

This article presents the development, implementation, and impact of a cultural competence course initiated by the Mentoring and Encouraging Academic Success (MESAS) Program at Utah State University (USU). The MESAS Program supports American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students through various initiatives, including the Faculty Advocate initiative, talking circles, the Indigenous Knowledge Symposium, and the Native American Living/Learning Community. Under MESAS, the cultural competence course aims to enhance appreciation among faculty, staff, and non-Indigenous students for the contributions of Native American and other underrepresented groups, while addressing institutional barriers to their academic success and social well-being. The course has been adapted for faculty, staff, and graduate students involved in roles such as summer research mentoring and emphasizing the importance of cultural sensitivity in creating a supportive environment for Native American students, particularly those transitioning between campuses. The article also highlights a case study of a USU professor who applied the course's teachings in interactions with students from the Ute Tribe and Navajo Nation, illustrating the practical application of Culturally Responsive Teaching practices and the Funds of Knowledge framework. Overall, the study highlights the course's positive impact on fostering inclusive teaching practices and deepening relationships with Native American students. The findings contribute to the broader discourse on integrating cultural competence in higher education to enhance the experiences of underrepresented student populations.