Social Ecosystem Research Articles

Equity Crowdfunding and Access to Capital for User Entrepreneurs: Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment

We examine whether equity crowdfunding democratizes access to funding for nontraditional user entrepreneurs. User entrepreneurs start by creating a product to serve their own unmet needs with no expectations of monetary profit, then later decide to commercialize the product through entrepreneurship. In contrast, traditional (producer) entrepreneurs take a more profit-driven path to entrepreneurship and start by identifying an opportunity that has commercial potential. Through a randomized field experiment, we randomly reveal to some investors that a firm producing a product used by musicians is founded by a musician and conceal this founder-related information from other investors. Revealing the information suggests that the firm is a user innovator firm and concealing it suggests that the firm is a traditional producer firm. We find that investors are significantly more interested in the traditional producer firm. Through an additional field experiment, we identify that the bias against user entrepreneurs is statistical (based on a response to limited information) rather than taste based (based on an idiosyncratic dislike). Our findings suggest that user entrepreneurs can mitigate investor bias by displaying signals of quality such as those regarding firm growth and broad product appeal.

Detecting Circular Economy Strategies in the Fourth Sector: Overview of the Chilean Construction Sector as Evidence of a Sustainable Business Model

An essential part of the economic and social system is the existence of sustainable companies worldwide. Despite the fact that the literature has described different kinds of innovations, organizations, and models regarding this topic, there is a need to understand the dynamics that occur within the fourth sector and how strategies and practices are working. In this study, construction companies presenting sustainable projects are identified, and the way in which they serve the community, stakeholders, and consumers is analyzed. The present article presents an epistemological search to recognize the best practices and strategies, which allows an understanding of the new circular economy strategies in the fourth sector. The authors show a conceptual approach regarding these actions and a methodology on the most notable techniques of the Circular Economic Strategy of Chile based on an investigation of documentary and comparative data. Data collection considered perceptions of construction practices regarding the circular economy and the specificity of each situation and reflected the actual production systems. We used simple random sampling to collect data in the scope of the study. The findings show the importance of some relational elements between companies that structure construction projects, supporting the impact of discovering specific variables in the different layers of sustainable management. In addition, results show how those responsible for construction projects understand sustainability as a preference, amplify the role of various factors in the work of the cultural and social ecosystems under consideration. Finally, this article details and analyzes the channeling of innovative business models in the fourth sector.

Право и социоэкосистема малочисленных народов Севера Российской Федерации: теоретико-правовой анализ соотношения социальных явлений

Introduction. Achievements of scientific and technological progress oblige humanity to carefully introduce them into existing socioecosystems, which is especially important in relation to socially vulnerable communities of indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North of Russia. The possibility of their survival is currently an important theoretical problem. Theoretical analysis. The interrelation of social and natural foundations is investigated, the importance of legal anthropology in the preservation of the ecological and social system of the peoples of the North is substantiated. Traditional nature management is considered as a special type of relationship between people and nature, which poses the task of improving regulatory regulation in order to maintain socio-natural unity. Empirical analysis. The author analyzes the gaps and conflicts of legal regulation in the field of preserving the traditional foundations of life, which can lead to the disappearance of the identity of small-numbered peoples and the leveling of their cultures. Results. The introduction of new technologies into the life of the social ecosystems of small nations inevitably leads to a change in life activity, which leads to the transformation of moral values and the emergence of new ideas. In order for the identity of the peoples of the North not to perish, the role of law as an effective protective mechanism must manifest itself. It is noted that it is necessary to conduct a cultural and anthropological examination of normative acts affecting the traditional spheres of relations at both federal and regional levels for their compliance with the spiritual and moral values of the peoples.

Spatial and component analysis of urban flood Resiliency of kunming city in China

In the context of global climate change and impending urbanization, improving the ability of cities to withstand rainstorms and floods has become a significant challenge in the global urbanization process. Many countries have put forward flood prevention and control measures to cope with global climate change. In this context, the flood toughness analysis and evaluation have been conducted in the Kunming urban area in China as a primary research method, based on urban flood toughness construction, quantitative and visual expression. An evaluation model of urban flood resilience was established by considering the research objects based on the theories and methods of system dynamics, social ecosystems, and the current situation of the research region. The data service consciousness ability, traffic facilities, flood control ability, and the social factors such as comprehensive thinking of natural factors, economic factors, social and cultural factors in the study region. The quantitative factor weighting and GIS visualization methods were used to establish a research area of 100 m * 100 m fishing nets. For the first time, a high-precision spatial distribution map of flood toughness was generated for the main urban area of Kunming. The spatial differentiation characteristics of flood toughness in the area were further analyzed to comprehensively evaluate flood control capacity by a comparative study of historical records of flood disaster points in the region in 2020. The findings of this paper reveal and quantify the influence and factors in urban flood disasters and provide support for subsequent urban construction and flood planning decision-making.

The role of social capital in resilience among adolescents with adverse family environments

The Life Course Health Development (LCHD) framework underscores the profound impact of stressors during critical developmental phases on an individual's lifelong health, including their mental well-being. Among these developmental transitions, adolescence emerges as a pivotal life stage where an adolescent's mental health trajectory is significantly influenced by the various risk and promotive factors embedded within their social ecosystem. Adolescents from adverse family environments (AFEs) face heightened susceptibility to mental health challenges. Nevertheless, there are opportunities within the adolescent's environment to foster resilience. In this paper, we employ an interdisciplinary approach grounded in the LCHD framework to assess existing research pertaining to resilience, social capital, and health development. Furthermore, we aim to provide actionable recommendations tailored to healthcare providers, with a specific emphasis on strategies to augment mental health outcomes among adolescent populations, particularly those experiencing AFEs.

Impact of Land Use Change on the Spatial and Temporal Evolution of Ecosystem Service Values in South China Karst Areas

Resource depletion, land-use change, and population growth triggered by the industrial revolution represent serious issues shared globally that have altered the structure, processes, and functions of ecosystems and had significant impacts on human well-being and survival security. This paper assesses changes in ecosystem service values (ESVs) in karst areas based on the perspective of land-use change. Guizhou province, which is typical of the South China Karst (SCK) ecologically fragile areas, was taken as a research subject. The past, current, and future spatial-temporal evolution of karst ESVs were assessed, using equivalence factors and CA-Markov modelling methods. The results show that: (1) from 1980 to 2040, arable land, woodland, and grassland occupy the main land types in the study area; at the same time, the water and built-up areas show a steady growth trend, with dramatic land use shifts occurring in the western, middle, and northern parts. (2) The overall ESVs increased by US$ 31.12 million during the study period, showing a temporal change trend of first decreasing and then increasing; forest land, grassland, and arable land area shift are the main factors of ESVs change; soil conservation, biodiversity conservation, and gas regulation functions are enhanced and play a vital role in the single ESVs increase; ESVs show a basin-type spatial distribution pattern. (3) The sensitivity index is <1, the ESV is inelastic to the VC factor adjustment, and the results are true and valid. This paper found that using quantitative methods to predict land use change of the South China Karst can provide accurate assessment of the differences in supply and demand for natural and social ecosystem services (ES) in a region, clarifying the trade-offs and synergies of ecosystem service functions, contributing to the achievement of sustainable development, and providing a practical reference for global land landscape optimization and land resource planners.

Mixed-species groups and the question of dominance in the social ecosystem.

Dominance interactions and hierarchies are of long-standing interest in the field of animal behaviour. Currently, dominance hierarchies are viewed as complex social structures formed by repeated interactions between individuals. Most studies on this phenomenon come from single-species groups. However, animals are constantly surrounded by and interact with individuals of other species. Behaviour and social interactions of individuals can be shaped by the presence or behaviour of other species in their social ecosystem, which has important implications for social behaviour in groups. Given how ubiquitous mixed-species animal groups are, deeper study of the relationships between mixed-species group (MSG) structure and dominance will be key to understanding constraints on individual behaviour and decision making. Here we call for more research into dominance interactions among individuals in MSGs. Greater understanding of the dynamics of dominance relationships among individuals in MSGs, whose size and composition can change considerably over shorter and longer term time frames, will be crucial to understanding their structure and functioning. This article is part of the theme issue 'Mixed-species groups and aggregations: shaping ecological and behavioural patterns and processes'.

Democratizing Finance: The “Citizen Fund”as an Institutional Proposal to Structurally Consider Non-Pecuniary Returns in Investment Decisions

An important element to explain the current multi-dimensional crises is the inability of capitalist institutions to consider non-pecuniary returns to investments (NPRI) in investment decisions. Orthodox economics highlights the creative force of the monetary profit motive, which translates into cultural habits and political decisions leading to overinvestment in harmful activities and underinvestment in desirable sectors. The flipside of this excessive trust in the monetary profit motive and markets is the weakening of the democratic institutions and the mistrust from the citizenry. Here, an archetype of a novel instrument for democratic finance is presented, to measure NPRIs, reconciling individual and collective action, harmonizing innovation, investment, and democracy.

The role of online fan communities in the popularization of Turkish TV dramas in Brazil

In just over a decade, the transnational expansion of Turkish media industry reached regions geographically and culturally distant from Turkey, thus establishing Turkish dramas as a prominent media contra-flow. In Brazil, the rise of Turkish dramas is supported by informal distribution: many online fan communities translate, add subtitles, and distribute episodes without monetary profit, which is a practice known as fansubbing. In this research, I focus on the biggest Brazilian fansubbing community of Turkish dramas to investigate the complexity behind this practice from the perspectives of distribution and reception. Through online questionnaires, a virtual ethnography, and in-depth interviews, I explore how these communities operate and impact the daily lives of audiences. Findings point out that by making Turkish content more accessible, they are reshaping media practices taking the place of national broadcasters and subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services in the popularization of Turkish dramas in Brazil.

Research on the Effect and Experience of Rural Collective Economy on Poverty Alleviation under Resource Constraints: Case Study of Village A in Guizhou Province Based on SES Framework

How to consolidate the results of poverty alleviation and establish a long-term governance mechanism for relative poverty is a major project of steady moves toward common prosperity. Based on the analysis framework of Social-Ecological Systems (SES) , this article builds a rural social ecosystem framework on poverty alleviation in the area under the context of resource constraints, uses this framework to develop a dynamic exploration and diagnosis on the poverty governance process before and after the rural collective economy is developed and expanded, and analyzes the effect of governing poverty in the development and expansion of the collective economy in rural areas. Research finding shows that: (1) The development and expansion of the rural collective economy can help to improve the ability of poverty alleviation and re-poverty prevention, to establish a long-term mechanism to achieve common prosperity, and to promote the material benefits of the villagers with more fair public resources, remitting the polarization. (2) The development and expansion of the collective economy of the rural collective economy have a positive role in regulating the poverty effected by resource constraints. The development of the rural collective economy can promote the integration of village resources and develop new resources, and improve the resource structure and resource use in poverty alleviation villages, improving the ability in poverty alleviation. Related conclusions will be helpful in providing theoretical reference and practical revelation to the Chinese-style. modernization of common prosperity and enhancing the relative poverty governance capabilities in poverty alleviation.

When monetary profit maximization does not rule: historical analysis of English Quakers and the role of religious institutional logic

Purpose This paper examines the limitations on monetary profit maximization assumption in Quaker businesses, historically one of England's most successful set of business people. This view challenges the central theoretical assumptions of management and strategic entrepreneurship by demonstrating the influence of religious institutional logic over the profit maximization drive in business. Design/methodology/approach Using a historical analysis of Quaker religious institutional logic, the authors demonstrate how Quakers’ religious logic of simplicity in lifestyle and equality of all people led, in turn, to actions by Quaker businesses that limited the monetary profit maximizing for their businesses. Such actions are consistent with the Quakers’ belief that linked their business activities to their religious beliefs. Findings The present analysis shows that English Quakers had specific beliefs, enforced by the group’s willingness to expel members that limited monetary profit maximization among Quaker businesses. Thus, the authors challenge the typical assumptions of business scholars by demonstrating that business entities can succeed economically even when they do not embrace profit maximization as their core element. This paradoxical finding has the potential to significantly expand management and strategic entrepreneurship theory. Originality/value The authors discuss how religious logic can replace profit maximization as a foundation for business. This insight enriches not only the understanding of business but also of religious institutional logic. Finally, the authors address the call for greater use of historical analysis in the management literature.

Freedom of Religious Beliefs and Protection of Cultural Heritage: A Comparative Study between Four EU Member States and Recommendations for Training, Education and Awareness Raising

Terrorist attacks and religious hate crimes have escalated in recent years, putting places of worship in greater danger around the world, especially in Europe. Short- and long-term consequences of such attacks, according to the European Commission, include acute physical injuries to people and/or irreparable destruction to highly significant religious artefacts, as well as long-term psychological traumas and increased terror in society. Despite EU and worldwide efforts to defend places of worship, there remains a scarcity of information on the reasons of such assaults and how to prevent them in the future. This paper shares original desk and field research conducted with law enforcement agents, religious leaders, and members of religious communities regarding the social ecosystem analysis of protecting religious heritage in the four partner countries as part of the PROSECUW Project, which is co-funded by the EU (Cyprus, Greece, Germany, and Portugal). Despite the multiplicity of situations, research findings point to a common need for better communication and understanding among members of various religious communities, as well as further training and education for acceptance of diversity, as crucial tools for religious site protection. The paper concludes with key security and protection recommendations for places of worship, including the adoption of novel approaches and instruments to both strengthen security and protect religious heritage.

The American Legal System in the US Popular Culture

Popular culture, like law, is an integral component of society. Cultural texts, like legal ones, consciously or unconsciously, deliberately or inadvertently, proclaim the rules and customs that define the social ecosystem and shape the dominant ideology. It would not be a serious exaggeration to claim that in their degree of influence and norm-creation, cultural texts are quite comparable to legal acts and laws, disseminating and enshrining in society certain ideas, attitudes and values. The U.S. judicial system is one of the most frequently represented areas in various formats of popular culture - movies, bestsellers, TV shows, as well as radio, board and interactive games, etc. The legal system and popular culture overlap on several levels, primarily on a substantive level in stories revolving around legal conflict, but also on a narrative level that deploys legal tools, generates meanings and poses problems of argumentation, evidence, credibility, and susceptibility to verification to the audience. This article examines just some of the diverse ways in which U.S. legal and popular cultures intersect. The author employs the traditional method of texts analysis to explore their ideological and semantic content, accuracy and credibility of the depiction, causal connections between fictional and real legal worlds, their mutual influences, and impact on the public perception of law and justice, paying particular attention to popular depictions of the judiciary and its representatives - judges, lawyers, prosecutors, and legal procedures involving them. The author concludes that although fictional images of the legal system are far from always realistic and authentic, they, through dramatization, reduction, accessibility and visualization, have important social functions, such as educational, informative, normative and communicative. Not only conveying, deciphering, interpreting and commenting on concepts, provisions and cases of legal practice, but also criticizing, shaping and changing the legal system as a whole.

Research on Mental Health of Fresh Graduates under the Theory of Social Ecosystem

Research on Mental Health of Fresh Graduates under the Theory of Social Ecosystem

Leadership Transformation in Changing Times

Leadership plays a crucial role in facilitating a smooth transition for an organization. By making strategic decisions and shaping these shifts, transformational leaders help their organizations maintain competitive edge. While the principles at the heart of leadership transformation are timeless and present, the ways in which they are manifested in practice can vary widely from one culture to the next. This paper makes an initial investigation into the ways in which Leadership Transformation manifests itself in Indian society. Only the year 2020 has so starkly illustrated the benefits and drawbacks of leadership, as well as the need for its further development, as never before. Due to our obsession with leaders, the constant stream of leadership theory and practice rarely delves into the essence of leadership, leaving us unable to find long-term solutions to the problem of poor leadership. Instead, we tend to cling to tired, outmoded paradigms like smelly comfort blankets on a journey to the land of fairy tales, in the hopes that they will provide us with the security and insight we need to face the real, and often terrifying, challenges we face today. However, in order to bring about transformation, leadership and management must be rethought and recast. We need leader who leads, motivates and manages the individuals, a group, organization or any country towards shared goals. A leader should always lead by example. And leadership is all about taking risks and challenges. The top most qualities of a leader are its vision, inspiration, critical and strategic thinking, its effective communication, open mindedness, flexibility, and its responsibility. Regardless of their own interests, leaders engage in leadership transformation when working with their teams or followers. Identification of the necessary change facilitates the development of a vision to direct the transformation through inspiration, influence, and motivation. Basically, it is the theory of change in the social ecosystem and individuals then transforming followers into leaders through so many mechanisms like influence, motivation, inspiration and morale support. A leader should be inspiring others, Challenging, taking ownership, working on their strengths and weaknesses and performance optimization. Qualities of Transformational Leader includes Able to encourage, Inspiring, Responsible, Supportive, Proactive, Genuine, Open minded, Adapting, helps others to communicate and participate, Listening skills, Adaptability, Authentic, Creative.

EMPHASISING THE ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAW IN POLLUTION CONTROL TOWARD PUBLIC HEALTH PROTECTIONS

The Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) which has globally impacted the social ecosystem is a combination of public health and environmental crises. Amidst the challenges faced in dealing with the consequences of the crises, the pandemic has unintendedly revealed the significance of the current environmental law system to protect human health from pollution. The pandemic has also heightened the realisation that environmental threats are driven by human activities. Consequently, COVID-19 has underscored the need of securing safe and clean surroundings and has emphasised the importance of having measures to protect human health. For Malaysia, strategies aiming at environmental protection could be found within the provisions of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 (EQA). Using the library-based research methodology on primary and secondary sources of law, this paper seeks to examine the scope of the EQA on public health protection and pollution control. Against the backdrop of sustainability, the research concludes that the interlinkages of environmental conservation and public health protection mean that the EQA is the most relevant law to attain these two interrelated objectives. It is submitted that COVID-19 has re-emphasised the importance of environmental law within the realm of health protection, which is in turn essential for the sustainable development agenda.

The next step for China's national park management: Integrating ecosystem services into space boundary delimitation

The contradiction between ecological conservation and economic development posed significant challenges to the management of National Parks. From the perspective of Ecological Economics, the cause of the contradiction is the difficulty of creating monetary profits from biodiversity conservation, which is the primary target of National Parks. Integrating Ecosystem Services (ESs) into space boundary delimitation is the next step in National Park management since ESs are closely related to human well-being and can provide monetary benefits. Extending the boundary of the National Park to high-ES areas and promoting ES trading can help generate funds for ecological restoration. Using the Sanjiangyuan National Park (SNP) as an example, this study proposed integrating ESs into National Park delimitation for sustainable National Park management. It was found that the current SNP boundary provides insufficient coverage of high-ES areas, while most of the multiple ES supply areas were dispersed to SNP's southeast edge. The Core conservation area showed the most prominent contradiction between ecological conservation and economic development, resulting in many low-level ES sites in the Traditional use area failing to be included in the Restoration area for protection. Future approaches would be well-advised to re-adjust SNP boundary by expanding the ES hotspot areas on the southeastern edge of SNP, as well as expanding funding sources via ecological product trade and other tools to supplement the input for ecological restoration. Overall, this study can act as a reference for optimizing National Parks within and beyond China, and promote the understanding of the Ecological Economy and sustainable development.

Territorial spatial planning for regional high-quality development – An analytical framework for the identification, mediation and transmission of potential land utilization conflicts in the Yellow River Delta

Territorial spatial planning mediation of potential land utilization conflicts is a scientific choice to achieve regional high-quality development. It is of great significance to guide the national space utilization mode, space form and development direction with the value orientation of high-quality development. Taking the Yellow River Delta with equal emphasis on protection and development as an example, we established the conceptual framework and mathematical model of land utilization multifunctional potential conflicts based on social ecosystem theory and revealed the multifunctional potential conflict type, intensity and spatial pattern of land utilization based on ecological conservation, agricultural production and urban construction suitability evaluation. Next, the planning mechanism of "rigid constraint" and "flexible guidance" was used to mediate the potential conflicts of land utilization multifunctions, form the micropattern of Territorial spatial planning, and construct the Territorial spatial planning system for high-quality development according to the transmission path of multilevel spatial patterns. The results show that (1) the Yellow River Delta is characterized by the importance of ecological conservation, the suitability of agricultural production and urban construction, and it also presents the premise of the potential conflicts of multifunctional land utilization. (2) The multifunctional and potential conflict mediation process of land utilization in the Yellow River Delta presents obvious features of land-river-sea gradient differentiation, which reflects the optimal path of coordinated development trends of social ecosystems. (3) The multilayer transmission of the Territorial spatial planning pattern forms the grid-based constraint bottom line, the administrative main function area and the global national space protection and development strategic pattern, in turn, supporting the high-quality development of the region from the aspects of factor allocation, zoning control and strategic direction. (4) The Yellow River Delta as a whole is dominated by ecological conservation and agricultural production patterns and has significant spatial agglomeration. The pattern of urban construction and elastic transition is relatively discrete. and multilevel Territorial spatial planning patterns for high-quality development have been developed. The Territorial spatial planning pattern of multilevel linkage constructs institutional control and spatial guarantees for high-quality development, and it is a scientific guide to regulate the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature in the Yellow River Delta.

CONNECTIVIST APPROACH TO THE ANALYSIS OF RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS IN SLOVAK POSTMODERN LITERATURE

The Purpose of the Study is the analysis of spiritual symbols in the works of Slovak postmodernists - D. Dušek, D. Mitana, P. Vilikovsky and M. Vadas, as well as the verification of the principles of connectivism within the framework of literary studies. The Research Methodology is based on hermeneutic and deconstruction methods, as well as on the connectivist approach, which allow the interpretation of deconstructed motifs at the level of connecting individual elements into a secondary semantic network. The Scientific Novelty of the research lies in the fact that for the first time in Slovak literary studies, connectivism was used for the study of postmodern literature. It is concluded that a complete denial or confirmation of religiosity as such can be achieved, for example, by combining religious meanings from different novels. The Conclusions. The analysis of religious symbols with the principles of connectivism shows how the authors reveal the strong desire of humanity to have a stable core, which is absent in modern society. Therefore, considering how much evil has been committed in the world, the writers choose a version that describes the reign of Lucifer himself. Slovak postmodern literature works FeliksSHTEINBUK, Vanessa STRAPAC MASSAYOVA6 Innovations in the scientific, technical and social ecosystems. Issue 4. 2022hard to create its own models of reality, in which authors allow their stories to arbitrarily organize and create connections between the material and transcendental realms, thus providing a unique perspective on the complex system of reality

Halos, love boats, and the PISA family: understanding contractors’ rationales for carrying out International Large-Scale Assessment contracts

ABSTRACT Why are contractors keen to develop, implement, and analyse International Large-Scale Assessments (ILSAs) when they appear to make no financial gains? What, if not monetary profit, makes ILSA contracts so attractive? Almost all ILSA contractors interviewed as part of this project state that their ILSA work is an investment, either in the form of a break-even or a loss contract. This paper discusses why contractors carry out ILSA contracts or donate to ILSAs, analysing 35 interviews with OECD and IEA staff and ILSA contractors and applying policy borrowing and lending theory to non-state actors. Drawing on Brostrom’s (2012) study, this paper identifies contractor rationales on an organizational level that relate to developing improved or new products and processes, gaining access to networks, managing human capital, and creating direct business opportunities. This paper adds a fifth category of individual rationales, whereby contractors are driven by professional opportunities, lifestyles, and emotional bonds that ILSAs provide. What becomes apparent is an innovation rhetoric gap and that ILSAs are a ‘golden door’ to business opportunities. The paper concludes that contractors’ motivations and agendas become encoded in ILSAs as they buy themselves into ILSA networks, thus shaping the way education is measured, understood, and acted upon.