Multilevel Perspective Research Articles

Comparing Party System Types at the Regional Level: Czech Regional Elections 2000–2020 as an Example of Vertical Top-down Spill-over

The article aims to contribute to a better understanding of regional-level party politics in post-communist Czech Republic. We follow the multilevel election perspective, which emphasizes that full understanding of regional-level contestation and the resulting shape of regional party systems is only possible when taking horizontal and vertical interactions between regional and other electoral arenas into consideration. By analyzing all regional elections since the establishment of self-governing regions in 2000 to 2020, we found that Czech regional party systems (1) are not converging towards a single type; (2) are not too stable between elections; (3) are characterised by growing fragmentation and the resulting gradual shift from moderate multiparty systems to extreme multiparty systems; and (4) this transformation is largely a result of a top-down form of vertical spill-over as development in the Czech national arena has the main impact on electoral outcomes as well as party system formats at regional level.

Investigating the potential of low-carbon pathways for hydrocarbon-dependent rentier states: Sociotechnical transition in Qatar

Climate change and low-carbon ambitions globally are exerting pressure on countries of all typologies to move away from fossil fuel (hydrocarbon) use. This study sought to explore how hydrocarbon-dependent rentier states (HDRSs) can undertake a low-carbon transition, while ensuring the continued delivery of goods and services to citizens. The study used the Delphi method to explore how hydrocarbon-dependent rentier states could transition to low-carbon economies, focusing on the state of Qatar. Results were considered using the multi-level perspective (MLP) framework to understand the characteristics of the required socio-technical transitions. Landscape factors which are influencing decarbonization pathway options for HDRSs include global climate change, peer pressure from international organizations, changing consumer preferences, and technological developments. Key attributes of a successful transition appear to be the presence of a strong political will, sustained financial support, long-term strategic policies, and a robust institutional framework with effective governance, monitoring, and evaluation to provide incentives and constraints that can shape the desired socio-technical transition pathway. Through implementing forward-looking policies, HDRSs can avoid future economic costs and distributive impacts resulting from climate policies internationally. These findings have immediate implications for policymakers, bureaucrats, and politicians in HDRSs by providing an evidence base for low-carbon transition leadership.

A multilevel perspective on the role of job demands, job resources, and need satisfaction for employees' outcomes

This study investigates the mediator role of psychological need satisfaction for the effects of job demands and resources on turnover intentions, psychological distress, and work-to-family conflict, simultaneously at the employee and work unit levels. In doing so, we consider how need satisfaction, when considered at the work unit level, creates a context likely to play an additional role in the prediction of these outcomes. These questions were investigated using a combination of doubly latent multilevel confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation models applied to responses provided by a large sample (N = 5716 employees nested within 50 work units) of Canadian Armed Forces/Department of National Defence personnel. The results supported the idea that work environment effects on the outcomes considered in this study were mediated by psychological need satisfaction at the individual and work unit levels and demonstrated that these associations were driven by global work environment perceptions and global need satisfaction. Furthermore, need satisfaction was found to create a context, at the work unit level, leading employees working in units including more highly satisfied co-workers to present higher levels of turnover intentions but lower levels of work-to-family conflict than would be expected based on their individual levels of need satisfaction.

Am I the only one? Consequences of change championing (a)symmetry on group‐ and individual‐level change outcomes

SummaryEmployee change championing (i.e., discretionary behaviors to promote change to others) is critical for implementing organizational change successfully. However, extant research has been focused on individual‐level championing without considering the broader group context in which championing occurs. Our study adopts a multilevel perspective to provide insights into the effects of change championing at both the group and the individual level. We collected data at two points in time from 267 employees in 69 groups undergoing an organizational change in a German technology company. Multilevel modeling results show that group championing asymmetry (i.e., the degree to which group members differ in their championing) weakens the positive effects of group championing level on change implementation effectiveness. Moreover, we shed light on the individual‐level processes that underpin group championing dynamics. Our findings reveal that employees who are embedded in groups with high average championing levels perceive a more positive change impact (but do not experience higher levels of enthusiasm) and report higher levels of individual championing at a later point in time compared to employees in groups with lower championing levels. Our study expands the championing literature to the group‐level and offers a multilevel perspective on the championing dynamics between individuals and groups.

The role of power and future resources in the institutionalisation of the Norwegian oil economy

Low-carbon transitions involve profound economic and social change. Recent research on socioeconomic transitions has highlighted the need for a more nuanced conceptualisation of power and agency within these processes. In this article, we expand our understanding of the role of power in socioeconomic transitions by critically applying the Power in Transition framework (POINT) to a multilevel perspective (MLP) analysis of the establishment of the Norwegian oil fund and the associated fiscal policy. The empirical data stem from in-depth elite interviews with key political and technocratic agents who were active at the national level over a fifteen-year timespan. We find that control over the allocation of future resources was key in the creation and protection of the Norwegian fossil fuel-based economic regime. Consequently, we extend the concept of transformative power to include control over structures and institutions arbitrating the distribution of future resources, illustrating the critical role of this control in determining regime stability. We conclude that political agents who foster sustainability transitions should prioritise efforts aimed at contesting the control over and allocation of future resources.

Governing the Transition to Circularity of Textiles – Finnish Companies’ Expectations of Interventions for Change

The governance of the transition to a circular economy (CE) within the textile industry is a topical, complex, and political issue that is inadequately understood. This empirical paper provides insights into companies’ expectations of governance in terms of the circularity of textiles. Theoretically, this study contributes to the literature on transition governance by viewing the shift toward a circular economy through the multilevel perspective (MLP) on socio-technical transitions. The focus is on companies’ expectations of governance and how these differ between niche- and regime-level companies. The study was conducted by interviewing 27 companies in Finland, a country that aspires to be a forerunner in the CE. The results show that textile companies differ in their expectations depending on the activities related to circularity and modes of governance. Companies operating at the niche level call for either strict regulations or self-governing methods to create a more supportive operating environment, while companies at the regime level perceive the opportunities of collaborative governance. The lack of shared expectations of governance can destabilize the regime practices, which can further act as a lock-in and prevent a transition to the circularity of textiles. Accelerating the transition toward circularity requires new ways of collaboration between companies and the government but also between companies. The results of this study increase the understanding of companies’ preparedness to accept governance processes and new policy tools for CE.

The use of micromobility in different contexts. An explanation through the multilevel perspective and QCA

Micromobility can bring numerous benefits by providing solutions to the problem of first and last mile connectivity, while offering solutions to the social and economic disparities in terms of mobility. However, mobility in urban systems depends on actors, public and private institutions, and macro-level changes, which means that the use or non-use of micromobility can be influenced differently depending on the city. Therefore, through the use of the multi-level perspective and social-technical transition, and the application of Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (FsQCA) with the Two-Step Protocol and cluster analysis, this study aims to understand the combination of factors that promote the use or non-use of micromobility in a sample of 100 cities. The results obtained show that the use and non-use of micromobility services is explained by different configurations of conditions (2 and 6 respectively) and that the variables linked to the context (landscape and regime) are related to the emergence of an innovation (micromobility) in a given niche. Likewise, in relation to the different context it is not possible to extrapolate the recipes that explain the use of mobility solutions between the different continents, but it is possible to do so for the conditions that explain the non-use.

Coping with floods: impacts, preparedness and resilience capacity of Greek micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises in flood-affected areas

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate aspects of flood experience, attitudes and responses of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Greece and to indicate a typology of strategies associated with their relative effort to build flood resilience capacity.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative study protocol was used, based on pertinent literature that considers how business entities withstand, adapt and/or recover from non-linear climate change impacts, natural hazards and extreme weather. Data was obtained by conducting semi-structured interviews with 82 MSMEs’ owners-managers who had recently experienced flooding.FindingsThe study reports limited activities of MSMEs towards flood resilience capacity despite the threat of relevant disasters. Findings suggest that most owners-managers of these enterprises are not adequately preparing their businesses for the impacts of flooding.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings call for multi-level and dynamic perspectives to be examined in assessing MSME resilience capacity to floods. It is attitudinal, managerial, organisational, behavioural and regulatory (as well as other institutional) factors that merit further investigation. Such an investigation would allow a better understanding as to whether these factors hinder or enable conditions for microeconomic flood preparedness and resilience as well as how they may interact with each other or create feedback loops.Practical implicationsThe study carries managerial implications and policy recommendations in terms of nurturing opportunities towards awareness-raising campaigns for reducing deficits in managerial knowledge and competencies. It also encapsulates practical implications in terms of emphasising supporting mechanisms from key institutional stakeholders to allow MSMEs scan available options they have in effectively reinforcing the business premises from the forces of rising waters.Originality/valueMost of the related studies have examined flood impacts, responses and/or resilience capacity at the household- or community-level. Empirical work that is conducted to ascertain how MSMEs cope with flooding remains thin on the ground. In response to this, the current study and the typology of MSMEs’ strategic postures that are suggested seek to contribute to this under-researched topic.

Multilevel impacts of the Wofoo Asian Award for advancing family well-being: A multimethod qualitative study applying a socio-ecological model

Awards are ubiquitous but unique. Individual and organizational impacts of an award have been extensively discussed in the fields of business, manufacturing, education, and social work; little effort has been devoted to understanding the multilevel impacts of an award. This article seeks to propose an adapted socio-ecological model for the award program based on the Wofoo Asian Award for Advancing family well-being (3A Project), using a multimethod qualitative research design. Findings suggest that a multilevel perspective should be adopted in evaluating an award program; the 3A Project exhibited positive impacts at four levels. At the professional level, the 3A Project acted as a platform for multidisciplinary collaboration and knowledge transfer. At the organizational level, it encompassed six major impacts: being vision-driven, being growth-anchored, being leadership-sharing, being platform-sustaining, being knowledge-depositing, and being ecology-optimizing. At the community level, it cultivated positive values and beliefs about family well-being. At the regional and international level, it set a role model for promoting family well-being and achieved a special consultative status granted by the United Nations. The multilevel impacts made visible by the 3A Project provided insight into a social-ecological model of an award program that may help social workers and organizations strive for recognition.

Towards a technology acceptance methodology for Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0 fuses ubiquitous computing and leads to a culmination of physical, digital, and biological paradigms. Previously inanimate objects are enabled to “talk” to each other and to the users, and guide specific behaviours of speed, breadth, depth, and systems impact. Research suggests however that 70% of large-scale technological change programs don't reach their stated goals. Current theories and methodologies including Technological Transitions (TT), Digital Transformation (DT), Technology Acceptance Models (TAM, TAM2 & UTAUT), Multi-Level Perspectives (MLP), come with challenges and limitations. Management and key decision makers need new tools that will assist them to identify which factors their companies must consider to efficiently adapt to Industry 4.0. The aim of this paper is to address existing TAM, DT and MLP challenges, and propose an Industry 4.0 specific digital transformation model, involving business and management practices. Ideas, best practices and different prospective, from diverse markets and industries, will be mitigated and combined. The synergetic methodology will support management, enhance organizational problem-solving capabilities, and provide recommendations to formulate a strategic approach based on company lifecycle, corporate governance, enterprise culture, change management, company size and structure. Key lessons learned will help in forming evolutionary perspectives specific to the needs and challenges of Industry 4.0 transitions.

University Innovation Entities, Attributes, and Configurations: A Multilevel Perspective

University Innovation Entities, Attributes, and Configurations: A Multilevel Perspective

Interpersonal Perception in Virtual Groups: Examining Homophily, Identification and Individual Attraction Using Social Relations Model in Network

With the penetration of the Internet, virtual groups have become more and more popular. The reliability and accuracy of interpersonal perception in the virtual environment is an intriguing issue. Using the Social relations model (SRM) [1], this paper investigates interpersonal perception in virtual groups from a multilevel perspective. In particular, it examines the following three areas: homophily, identification, and individual attraction, and explores how much of these directional and dyadic relational evaluations can be attributed to the effect of the actor, the partner, and the relationship.

Innovation and Collaboration in Organizations: A Bibliometric Research

Purpose - This article is a bibliometric study of innovation research and internal collaboration in organizations at three levels (i.e., individual, work team, and organization).
 Design/methodology/approach - This research was conducted using Publish or Perish software and VOS Viewer to analyze 6,356 academic articles from 2000 to 2022 in four aspects: temporal distribution of published papers, the scientific community (country/region/authors cited), intellectual structure (journals) cited/references cited), and research centers.
 Findings and Discussion – The results show that the number and growth rate of publications at the organizational level is much higher than the other two levels (individual and teamwork). This is based on innovation which is often related to collaboration within the organization. The publications with top three countries for the most publications are the United States, China, and the United Kingdom. The top five most cited authors were identified and listed from the individual, work team, and organizational levels
 Originality - The author combines innovation and collaboration as an interesting subject because not many have made a review of this material. These findings provide a snapshot and comparison of innovation research in management at three levels namely, individual, work team, and organizational levels, which are useful for researchers and students to understand and explore innovative behavior in organizations from a multilevel perspective.

On the Rhetoric of Sports Heroism in Ancient and Modern Times

Contemporary fascination with sports champions is the subject of many sociological and psychological analyses. The article complements this multi-level perspective with philosophical analyses in the field of the history of ideas and rhetorical communication. It presents the idea of sports heroism as a historically developing form of communication discourse. The premise is the thesis that the figure of a sports hero is each time a creation of a communication context, i.e. a message and interpretation using axio-normative, appealing and persuasive rhetorical means. In this rhetoric, objective and measurable sports mastery is strengthened and transformed into a communicative image enriched with moral, social, aesthetic, ludic-hedonistic and marketing meanings. The article is located in the humanistic area of the history of culture, and its reflection, which is the fruit of desk research, is developed in relation to the existing thematic literature using the hermeneutic principle of the fusion of interpretative horizons. The aim is to show the spectrum of meaning pertaining to the sports hero’s character components, starting from Greek athletics, through the discourse of ancient philosophers (developed by Coubertin) to the media fame of today’s sports champions. The rhetoric and practice of sporting mastery are two sides of the sporting coin.

Framing the mobility transition: public communication of industry, science, media, and politics in Germany

BackgroundApplying the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) on socio-technical transitions, paired with the interdisciplinary framing approach, this paper investigates how incumbent actors of automobility in Germany framed the issue of a "transition of mobility and transport" ("Verkehrs/Mobilitätswende") in their public communication in 2020. We first identified representatives of industry, science, policy, and media, since the Verkehrs/Mobilitätswende and its implementation measures are contested among these actors. Employing qualitative content analysis, we then screened 325 public documents according to the elements of the framing approach problem definition, causal interpretation, moral evaluation, and treatment recommendation.ResultsFindings show that most of the actors frame a transformation of transport and mobility as a necessity. Their arguments encompass environmental and climate-related issues as well as infrastructural problems for bikes and public transport caused by the hegemony of automobility. The actors propose a variety of solutions, primarily focusing on technical innovations for cars or on the expansion of different infrastructures to achieve a modal shift towards sustainable mobility.ConclusionThis paper demonstrates that there is no common understanding of the problems and solutions to foster a mobility transition, as the diversity of problems and solutions proposed within the frame elements is high and complicates the prevailing implementation gap of the mobility transition. Therefore, MLP should be conceptually and methodologically bridged with the interdisciplinary framing approach, particularly with regard to the transition of mobility and transport.

Integrating automated minibuses into mobility systems – Socio-technical transitions analysis and multi-level perspectives

Automated driving, along with other mobility innovations, is expected to entail socio-technical changes in mobility systems. Automated vehicles and, more specifically, automated minibuses integrated into mobility systems are analysed in this study as a breakthrough technology through the perspective of different stakeholder groups and citizens. Our research approach builds upon conceptual mapping and semi-structured interviews with main stakeholder groups (n = 30) and a large-scale survey with citizens of four European cities (n = 1816). This paper brings forward insights into the interaction between technology and society as a dialectical process through the prism of socio-technical transitions and multi-level perspectives. The study addresses the main drivers and barriers to steering the deployment of automated minibuses to meet the mobility needs of citizens and the aims of cities towards sustainable mobility. Further, it points out five main mechanisms to pave the way to a mobility transition with automated minibuses integrated into mobility systems. Our findings support the prospect that automated minibuses integrated into public transport and MaaS systems and coupled with other niche innovations and policy instruments can be part of the solution to pave the way towards a socio-technical transition to a new mobility paradigm.

Ethical consumption: why should we understand it as a social practice within a multilevel framework?

This article discusses the importance of a multilevel and intertwined understanding of ethical consumption given its conjunction with other social practices. Although the literature on ethical consumption is vast, the role of sociotechnical regimes including technological and cultural elements, infrastructure, market and regulation has been mainly overlooked in this literature. This may be so because ethical consumption practices that refer to other-oriented consumption practices are mainly considered in the view of the motivations and preferences of individual consumers. Due to the insufficiency of individualistic approaches in explaining stimulators and inhibitors of ethical consumption, there might be "various constraints" and "competing demands" in society which limit the formation of "ethical consumption". Therefore, to avoid an oversimplified view of ethical consumption, this paper contributes with a theoretical discussion on combining social practice theory (SPT) with a multi-level perspective (MLP). Although the SPT is a very well-structured framework in consumption studies, the necessity of a combined approach concerns the often-insufficient attention paid to structural prerequisites of various consumption forms in social practice theories. By understanding ethical consumption practices according to a multi-level framework, the paper emphasizes the importance of structural factors at macro- and mesolevels. It also contributes attention to how ethical consumption grows due to dialectical processes between levels, showing that niche practices can simultaneously challenge and rely on existing regimes.

The Consumption of Photovoltaic Energy Based on the Theory of Practice and Sociotechnical Transitions

This paper seeks to advance the discussions involving the articulation between the theory of Sociotechnical Transitions and Practice Theory. The text tries to develop this articulation considering that it is possible to find in the literature notes that the Theory of Sociotechnical Transitions is a suitable partner to be articulated with the Theory of Practice. The proposition was tested in empirical research in which we sought to understand how consumption practices change from adopting photovoltaic energy consumption. The research is categorized as qualitative research. The study offers an interpretation of the object from the theoretical lens provided by Social Practice Theory and Sociotechnical Transitions, also known as Multilevel Perspective or “MLP.” In total, 24 interviews were executed, 7 with integrators, 7 with quasi-prosumers, and 10 with prosumers. To analyze the data, content analysis was used. The study's findings demonstrate that sociotechnical systems are reconfigured from the introduction of a new practice to accommodate this newly incorporated practice. Additionally, some of the pre-existing methods are modified during this accommodation process. It is also possible to conclude that the sociotechnical dimensions can be helpful in studies of phenomena that involve the transition of habits, routines, behavior patterns, and practices, as they provide a model of assumptions for sociotechnical change.

The Artistic Vanguards and the Bridges: Innovation and Transversality of Engineering and Other Arts

This article critically reviews the development of painting art and the engineering of bridges in the first half of the 20th century. It shows that the expression of thought is directed towards innovation at a certain historical moment and non-imitation as a professional ethos. The vision is articulated through a multilevel perspective, including the social shaping of technology. The different milestones are chronologically compared following the Artistic Vanguards. It is shown that there was an accumulation of radical, disruptive innovation in the period between the World Wars. New tools to develop creativity were sought, and new figurative solutions and materials, such as concrete for bridge construction, began to be employed. The impressionist Monet and Eiffel and the cubist Picasso and Ribera deeply comprehended the previous techniques and dared to challenge them. The transversality of art and engineering is key to the innovation process.

Understanding the consequences of digital technology use in sales: multilevel tensions inside sales organizations

Personal selling and sales management are undergoing a major transformation driven by an increased use of digital technologies. Despite the potential that digitalization holds, many sales organizations struggle to realize the benefits of digital technologies. While the extant sales literature has studied the impact of digital technologies on sales, it tends to consider sales organizations broadly as uniform structures and provides fewer insights on the potential impacts between different levels within sales organizations. Consequently, this study explores how digital technology use in sales results in multiple tensions leading to both positive and negative consequences and how they are experienced differently at multiple levels (sales director, sales manager, salesperson). We draw empirical insights from 32 interviews with sales professionals in ten different organizations in the Australian construction industry. The findings reveal six tensions (autonomy, innovation, information, interaction, resource, and control) and show how these tensions can be perceived differently at each level. These findings advance the contemporary personal selling and sales management literature by offering a multi-level perspective that explains why and how the use of digital technologies can have both positive and negative consequences in sales organizations and generates important insights for sales managers who are adopting digital technologies.