Role Of Actors Research Articles

Terrestrial territories: From the Globe to Gaia, a new ground for territory

Territory is a central tool for analysing the politics, primarily between nation-states, of the division of a world based on the figure of the Globe. However, with the Anthropocene, the ground of territories has somehow changed, shifting from ‘the Globe’ of the globalisation age, to the Anthropocene, where Gaia, or the earth-system, ‘irrupts’ onto the political scene. Yet, both sovereign territories and critical approaches to territoriality, despite revealing the role of non-human actors in territorial interactions, fail to take into account the issue of the habitability of the Earth. This article advances the notion of ‘terrestrial territories’ as a new descriptive and analytical tool for a Gaia-politics intended to transcend traditional geopolitics by taking into account the dynamics of the planet. Resulting from the original intersection between critical territory studies and the late work of Bruno Latour, it introduces terrestrial territories as an original and much-needed notion that could help to describe new coalitions of actors along new lines of divisions and conflicts based on the logic of Gaia. Beyond the famous but inefficient ‘think global, act local’ scheme, the notion of terrestrial territory tries to reconcile the apparent hyperglobal nature of the planetary and the obviously local nature of action.

Ireland’s largest beef processing cooperative: A venture beyond their control

This paper investigates the rapid growth of Irish beef processing cooperatives during the 1960s and 1970s. They failed to hold their market position, selling out to private-owned business by the 1980s. With the benefit of hindsight this paper identifies factors influencing their development and demise creating a picture of the business environment during their lifetime. Interviews and historical sources are used to build the story of the largest farmer-owned beef processing cooperative Cork Marts IMP. The roles of influential actors and institutions at that time are examined through the functions of an Innovation System. This paper identifies weakness such as firm structures, loyalty, technical skills and knowledge in terms of strategic management, financial planning and marketing, which all played a role in its failure. This marketing innovation of the 1960s, while brave, might now be considered naive and unlucky in having to deal with challenges that were beyond its control. This paper provides insights into competition, scale and supplier power impacting its failure and how scaling export orientated cooperatives might consider a systems-based approach in strategic planning for supporting sustained economic development. Such failures have scarred Irish agriculture as no farmer-owned beef processing business has challenged the dominance of privately-owned enterprises.

Bridging return to work after diagnosis of chronic disease with social dialogue: a conceptual and analytical framework

PurposeThis paper makes a conceptual contribution by intersecting two strands of literature (return to work following health issues and industrial relations) to facilitate our understanding of the potential role of social dialogue in supporting return to work (RTW) following the diagnosis of a chronic illness. It conceptualises the levels and channels through which various actors and their interactions may play a role in RTW facilitation within the actor-centred institutional framework.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses an exploratory design based mainly on desk research but is also informed by roundtable discussions done in six countries as part of a larger project.FindingsThe conceptual and analytical framework (CAF) is developed to explain how various actors interact together in ways shaped by the RTW policy framework and the industrial relations systems, resulting in a continuum of RTW facilitation situations.Originality/valueThere is limited research on return-to-work policies following diagnosis of chronic illness from a comprehensive actor-oriented perspective. The existing literature usually focusses on just one stakeholder, overlooking the role of social dialogue actors. By bridging the two streams of literature and incorporating all potential actors and their interactions in a unitary model, the proposed framework provides a valuable tool to further discuss how successful RTW after a diagnosis of chronic illness can be facilitated.

Towards a future conceptualization of destination resilience: exploring the role of actors, agency and resilience narratives

PurposeDespite the widespread use and application of resilience, much uncertainty about the conceptualization and operationalization in the context of tourism destinations still exists. The purpose of this paper is to provide a conceptual elaboration on destination resilience and to introduce a model for an improved understanding of the concept.Design/methodology/approachTaking a conceptual research approach, this paper seeks to untangle the fuzziness surrounding the destination and resilience concept by providing a new interpretation that synthesizes theories and concepts from various academic disciplines. It analyses the current debate to derive theoretic baselines and conceptual elements that subsequently inform the development of a new “Destination Resilience Model”.FindingsThe contribution advances the debate by proposing three key themes for future resilience conceptualizations: (1) the value of an actor-centered and agency-based resilience perspective; (2) the importance of the dynamic nature of resilience and the (mis)use of measurement approaches; (3) the adoption of a dualistic resilience perspective distinguishing specified and general resilience. Building on these propositions, we introduce a conceptual model that innovatively links elements central to the concepts of destination and risk and combines different narratives of resilience.Originality/valueThe contribution advances the debate surrounding destination resilience by critically examining the conceptualization and operationalization of destination resilience within previous research and by subsequently proposing a “Destination Resilience Model” that picks up central element of the three new frontiers identified in the conceptually driven review. The innovative integration strengthens the comprehension of the resilience concept at destination level and supports building future capacities to manage immediate adverse impacts as well as novel and systemic risks.

Role of Non-State Actors in National Security

Globalization has elevated the role of non-state actors (NSAs) in national security. This article underscores the need to acknowledge the influence of NSAs on international relations and national security. It discusses the role of NSAs only in democratic states with limited government, excluding the totalitarian and authoritarian states, as they blur the private-public distinction or restrict NSAs. The paper follows a qualitative methodology depending on the scholarly credibility of sources, recency, and relevance. The sources include expert interviews as primary data sources and relevant academic literature and case studies as secondary data sources. It employs thematic analysis for examining the data, enabling a nuanced investigation of the evolving influence of NSAs. The theoretical foundation distinguishes two primary NSA categories: private-sector corporate actors and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including global social movements (GSMs). Likewise, it investigates how NSAs extend their influence beyond conventional territorial boundaries such as cyber threats, climate threats, and global policy making. The findings highlight the critical role of non-state actors in shaping contemporary national security paradigms through various case studies, offering insights for policymakers.

Prospective Analysis of the Role of Actors in the Formulation Strategy for Fisheries Development in Purworejo Regency

Prospective Analysis of the Role of Actors in the Formulation Strategy for Fisheries Development in Purworejo Regency

Appraising competency gaps among UNESCO-designated heritage site actors in disaster risk reduction innovations

Communities residing in UNESCO-designated sites, characterised by outstanding universal values, face heightened vulnerability during disasters, necessitating innovative Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) strategies. The critical role of well-equipped UNESCO site actors in DRR necessary for achieving the goals of broader international frameworks such as Agenda 2030 and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) warrants this needs assessment study. This study uses a descriptive survey design to assess the competency gaps of UNESCO site actors, including managers and staff, for effective utilisation of DRR innovations (DRRI). Employing the Borich Needs Assessment Model and Ranked Discrepancy Model, an online questionnaire garnered 141 responses from 59 countries. Descriptive statistics, significance tests (at p < .05), correlation tests, Mean Weighted Discrepancy Scores, and Ranked Discrepancy Scores yielded noteworthy findings. Despite recognising the importance of DRRI, respondents demonstrated competence lags, emphasizing the need for tailored training programs. Competency gaps were identified across all 14 listed DRRI, with top priorities including disaster prevention radio, telemetry systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, GIS, remote sensing, resilient materials, and disaster risk insurance. Enhancing competencies in DRRI presents a strategic approach to bolstering disaster preparedness, management, and risk reduction efforts, aligning with global conservation and sustainability goals.

U.S. Military Training, External Support, and Security Defections during Nonviolent Resistance

Why do some armed forces remain loyal to the regime while others switch sides during nonviolent uprisings? The existing research predominantly focuses on the roles of domestic actors and dynamics in explaining security defections. We extend this line of research by exploring external factors that might potentially affect troops’ decision to defect. In particular, we suggest a combined effect of U.S. military training and external support for campaigns on defection decisions. Our findings show that substantial Western power involvement in support of campaigns might induce security defections in militaries with which the U.S. military has established ties. We further probe this relationship by disaggregating Western power support into its constituents and find that security defections are most likely to occur when a campaign is backed by both the U.S. and at least one other Western power. This study contributes to an understudied aspect of security force defections during nonviolent campaigns, highlighting how external dynamics might shape militaries’ decisions regarding loyalty and defection.

From Allston to Ahmedabad: American hegemony in management education reexamined

Purpose This paper aims to study the origin story of Harvard Business School’s involvement with the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad to study the reasons for the spread of American management education. It introduces both the explicit influence of Cold War politics and Indian development imaginaries to the export of American management thought in the early 1960s. Design/methodology/approach This paper relies on archival research for its primary source material, drawing upon rich archives of documents found at the Baker Library of Harvard Business School. Findings Harvard’s role in Ahmedabad was explicitly influenced by the Cold War anti-communist foreign policy of the USA, but did so opportunistically and contrary to the Ford Foundation’s (FF) original plans. Vikram Sarabhai, who was a key player in the Indian national imaginary of development, invited Harvard on his own initiative and forced the foundation to follow his interests rather than being a mere “subaltern.” Research limitations/implications This paper could additionally add to the historical debate about the scope and periodization of the Cold War and the role of non-state actors. Originality/value This paper covers new ground in exploring the early connection between the Indian development imaginary and business education. It concludes that the export of hegemonic US management education was not successful during Cold War, and the FF was not as dominant as it was made out to be.

Semiotics of Sasak Puppets (Study of Sasak Puppets Kembang Kuning East Lombok)

The purpose of this study is to investigate the meaning and symbolic values of Jayengrana actor in Wong Menak Wayang Sasak story. This study is descriptive qualitative using observation, interview, and documentation as data collection techniques. To obtain the meaning, the researcher use semiotic perspective method analysis from Roland Barthes' theory. After significance analysis is done, a conclusion can be drawn that the symbolic values of the Jayengrana character are interpreted through naming and characterization in playing his main actor role. Each name of the actor reflects his identity or personality which is reflected from character shows on their performance.

A Pentecostal and charismatic contribution to peace and reconciliation: Case study of Northern Ireland

ABSTRACT Despite the marking of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement (1998), there remains a significant fragility of peace in Northern Irish society today. Recent periods of collapse at Stormont government and high rates of segregation between Catholic and Protestant communities, evidence a need for alternative contributions to peace and reconciliation efforts. A specific focus on the role of religious actors in reconciliation pursuits has often been met with scepticism due to historic religious-political institutional ties. However, challenging the increasing trend of secularism in Northern Ireland has been the growth of Pentecostal and charismatic communities across the region. Thus, a major question is: How can the Pentecostal and charismatic movement contribute positively to peace and reconciliation? This article explores the possibility of adopting a Pentecostal and charismatic approach to peace, forgiveness and reconciliation, utilising the case study of Northern Ireland. Such an analysis is integral to discerning the movement's positive potential for peace and reconciliation work in the pursuit of post-conflict societal transformation.

Legitimacy of community-based social enterprises (CBSE) in service provision in rural areas

PurposeMunicipalities seek new opportunities for co-producing services in rural areas. One potential partner is community-based social enterprises (CBSEs). However, whilst service co-production through CBSEs obscures the traditional roles of actors, it may lead to a legitimation crisis in local service provision. In this paper, the ways CBSEs are legitimised as service providers in rural areas are addressed from the CBSE and municipality perspectives.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical data combine interviews with CBSE representatives and open-ended national survey responses from municipality decision-makers. The data analysis is based on a qualitative content analysis to examine legitimation arguments.FindingsResults show that unestablished legitimacy and un-institutionalised support structures for co-production models build mistrust between CBSEs and municipalities, which prevents the parties from seeing the benefits of cooperation in service production.Research limitations/implicationsThe research focusses on the legitimation of CBSEs in service co-production in rural areas. As legitimation seems to be a context-specific process, future research is needed regarding other contexts.Practical implicationsMunicipalities interested in the co-production of services might benefit from establishing a collaborative and responsive (rural) service policy forum that would institutionalise new models of co-production and enable better design and governance of service provision.Originality/valueResults will give new theoretical and practical insights into the importance of legitimacy in the development of service co-production relationships.

Inciting maintenance: Tiered institutional work during value-based payment reform in oncology

Value-based payment aims to shift the focus from traditional volume-driven arrangements to a system that rewards providers for the quality and value of care delivered. Previous research has shown that it is difficult for providers to change their medical and organizational practices to adopt value-based payment, but the role of actors in these reforms has remained underexposed. This paper unravels the motives of non-clinical and clinical professionals to maintain institutionalized payment practices when faced with value-based payment. To illuminate these motives, a case study was conducted in a Dutch hospital alliance that aimed to implement value-based payment to incentivize the transition to novel interventions in a prostate cancer care pathway. Data collection consisted of observations and interviews with actors on multiple levels in the hospital (sales departments, medical specialist enterprises (MSEs) and physicians). On each actor level, motives for maintaining currently prevailing institutional practices were present. Regulative maintenance motives were more common for sales managers whereas cultural-cognitive and normative motives seemed to play an important role for physicians. An overarching motive was that desired transitions to novel interventions proved possible under the currently prevailing institutional logic, dismissing an urgent need for payment reform. Our analysis further revealed that actors engage in diverse institutional maintenance work, and that some actor groups’ institutional work carries more weight than others because of the dependency relationships that exist between hospitals, MSEs and physicians. Physicians depend on MSEs and sales departments, who act as gatekeepers and buffers, to decide whether the value-based payment reform is either adopted or abandoned.

The role of midstream actors in advancing the sustainability of agri-food supply chains

The role of midstream actors in advancing the sustainability of agri-food supply chains

Localizing human rights through the Sustainable Development Goals: The case of Los Angeles

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have achieved widespread influence among various state and nonstate actors globally. Although the UN General Assembly intended the SDGs for national governments, local-level actors have emerged as key stakeholders in defining and implementing the goals. Human rights movements have long advocated for the inclusion of local voices in international law. I bridge these discourses to investigate how the SDGs framework can socialize government actors to incorporate human rights principles in local governance. Specifically, I explore how local-level actors have advanced human rights through the localization—local adoption and adaptation—of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the case of Los Angeles. The iterative process of localization in Los Angeles illustrates the dialectical process of human rights globalization and emerging institutions that can enable rights realization locally. The case highlights the (1) global and local factors that shape localization, (2) how partnerships lead to more explicit attention to human rights over time, and (3) the ways in which Los Angeles is now shaping localization transnationally. I discuss the critical role of local government actors as agents of norm diffusion, and the need to expand community engagement mechanisms in pursuit of SDG localization and human rights globalization.

Breaking barriers: How race shapes service expectations across actors and contexts

ABSTRACT This study investigates the impact of race on Customer Service Quality Expectations (SQE) using the Similarity-Attraction Perspective within the context of all interacting service actors, including customers, service providers, and other customers. A thorough literature review of racial effects in service environments is followed by a 2 (Service Actor Race: White vs. Black) × 2 (Service Actor Role: Service Provider vs. Other Customers) × 2 (Context: Experience vs. Credence) experimental study with Black and White customers. The study revealed that customer Perceptions of Service Actor Similarity (PSIM) mediate the influence of matching Customer Race and Service Actor Race on SQE. Results indicate: 1) that SQE is higher when customers are in the presence of other Service Actors perceived to be of their own race, and 2) that the effect varies by Service Actor Role and Service Type. This is an initial attempt to explore the impact of race on Experience and Credence services by adopting a Similarity-Attraction framework considering all participants in the service environment. The findings of this study hold important managerial implications, emphasizing that businesses should be mindful of the impact of race on SQE and consider fostering a diverse and inclusive service environment to enhance customer outcomes.

Consumer and brand value formation, value creation and co-creation in social media brand communities

PurposeSocial media has significantly impacted the value creation processes within the consumer–brand relationship. This study aims to examine value formation processes within a cosmetics social media brand community and to establish the types of value formation associated with different categories of interactions within a social media brand community.Design/methodology/approachThe research adopted a netnographic approach and followed the operational protocols of netnography. Conversations in one large cosmetics social media brand community were observed and downloaded for analysis over a two-month period. Examples of value-creation and formation processes were identified using netnographic interpretative procedures to develop higher-order themes.FindingsThe findings supported the creation of a “Consumer and brand value creation and co-creation framework” highlighting disparate value types within the following interactions: consumer-to-consumer; brand-to-consumer; and consumer-to-brand. The identified value types were specific to the actors (i.e. consumers and brands) involved in value formation processes. The analysis also revealed consumers’ ability to independently generate value through direct interaction with a social media brand community and the brands’ role in supporting consumers in value formation through value facilitation.Originality/valueThe pivotal role of disparate actors’ interactions in value formation processes is highlighted, alongside the autonomous ability to form value with the aid of resources stored and shared within the social media brand community. The network of interactions and value-creation processes contribute to a holistic understanding of the interactions in a social media brand community. Furthermore, the research explores and highlights the emerging role of social media brand communities as “value vestiges”.

Statebuilding and the Modernisation of Welfare Governance in Russia

ABSTRACT This article examines challenges for effective statebuilding in relation to welfare governance in Russia. The focus is the contested role of non-state commercial actors in outsourcing reforms of welfare for older people. The findings suggest that authorities recognise the necessity of reforming the welfare system and its governance in line with international principles but face challenges for developing an effective mixed economy of care while bolstering statebuilding in the post-Soviet context. The article draws critical attention to the role of healthcare reform in statebuilding efforts and draws inferences for the public health governance and statebuilding nexus in a post-Soviet country.

Spatial structure and influencing factors of an emerging wine tourism network: a case study of the Ningxia wine region

PurposeNetworks linking tourist attractions or organizations are a major focus of tourism research. Despite extensive research on tourism networks, academic research on the spatial structure and formation of wine tourism networks is limited. This study aims to investigate the spatial structure and factors influencing the development of a network among Ningxia wineries, an emerging wine tourism destination in China.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses social network analysis to uncover “what” the spatial structure of wine tourism networks looks like. Sixteen in-depth interviews were conducted among key stakeholders to explain the “why” of such structural characteristics.FindingsThe results show that in an emerging wine tourism destination, popular tourist attractions enjoy high centrality and hold key positions in the wine tourism network. Small wineries exhibit high closeness centrality, and only one winery serves as a network broker. According to the stakeholders, the importance of network actors will increase as their economic and political importance increase, while small wineries that lack differentiation in the network may perish.Practical implicationsLocal governments can implement the suggested measures for improving network connections, and wineries are advised to find suitable positions to improve the experiences of tourists.Originality/valueThis study pioneers the identification of the distinct structure and factors influencing the network of an emerging wine tourism destination, thus enriching the understanding of the interplay and roles of different actors.

A Chronological Model for Inca Provincial Expansion: The Case of the Copiapo Valley

Abstract This article examines a new dataset of radiocarbon dates that provides insights into the progressive installation of Inca infrastructure in the Copiapo Valley, situated at the southern edge of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. It shows that the Inca imperial expansion in this region was not a linear process and was likely shaped by local negotiations and conflicts. The findings describe three main stages of Inca expansion. The first is the construction of the North–South Inca Road and the establishment of high-altitude mountain shrines. The next stage consisted of a physical intervention in a local village located in the upper valley, including the construction of administrative buildings and public spaces. The last stage involved indirect intervention in local villages, characterized by the presence of isolated administrative buildings that were potentially used for diplomacy and negotiation. I argue that the Inca imperial expansion, characterized by evolving strategies across regions and time periods, not only demonstrates the state's capacity for learning but also suggests the pivotal role of local actors in positions of power who wielded agency to shape these developments.