Social Stakeholders Research Articles

Production Chain of Commercial Alginate from Sargassum (Macrocystis pyrifera) in Peru

Peru is a privileged country regarding marine hydrobiological resources due to the vast variety of algae and the biomass they possess. This advantage allows Peru to develop an industrial sector to produce hydrocolloids, a group of natural polymers, chemically known as polysaccharides, derived from marine algae. Among the most widely used hydrocolloids is commercial alginate, an input used in different industries such as food, cosmetics, chemicals, and textiles. This study aimed to identify and characterize the strategic variables that integrate the commercial alginate production chain from sargassum (Macrocystis pyrifera) in Peru and the social stakeholders that lead it. Based on an exploratory and descriptive scope, a structural analysis was conducted (using the theoretical bases of French Strategic Foresight as a methodological design) with the support of a panel of seven experts knowledgeable about the system studied and the MICMAC tool (Matrix of Cross Impacts and a Multiplication Applied to a Classification). The outcome shows that the key variables of the production chain are competitive prices, sales levels, potential markets, and quality control. Simultaneously, identifying the most influential social stakeholders made it possible to propose strategies to control the variables to shape and control the chain adequately. This study lays the foundations for the strategic planning of future scenarios for the system in the long term.

Dismantling Stereotypes: Taking an Inside‐Out Perspective to Building Better Representation in Advertising for Unilever

Equality, inclusion, and representation are increasingly acknowledged as core tenets of prosperous countries, cities, and organizations. We know that equality is essential, and we also know equality must be enacted on all fronts. Brands and other social organizations are increasingly recognizing their role as social stakeholders, committed to building a society in which both people and their businesses can thrive in the long‐term. Quantum Consumer Solutions and Unilever have partnered on this program of four projects to understand and reduce stereotypes and improve representation. We used a mixed‐methods approach, including semiotics, qualitative research, expert interviews, springboards, and internal organizational change to improve inclusivity in communications, pack, and products. Readers can expect to learn why we recommend an ‘inside‐out’ approach that combines organizational change with external initiatives, why we need to approach change from a place of complexity and why we need to bring multiple perspectives to cultural change.

Violência contra crianças e adolescentes: intervenções multiprofissionais da Atenção Primária à Saúde na escola

ABSTRACT This excerpt of a master’s thesis aims to describe the construction of proposals for the prevention, combat, and attention to intrafamily and school violence against child and adolescent students in a suburban district of a municipality in the inland region of Bahia, Brazil. A qualitative, descriptive, exploratory study was conducted through action research. The social stakeholders of the research were the school community, the family, and health professionals. Data were collected by systematic observation, conversation circles, and seminars adopted for situational diagnosis and the development of interventions. Data was interpreted through content analysis. The activities revealed the relevance of the work developed in intersectoral and multidisciplinary qualified network, resulting in behavioral changes of adolescents at school and in the family, their leadership in educational workshops for a peace culture, the implementation of a conflict mediation space at school, the establishment of a physical activity project, drawing parents closer to the school, and raising the awareness toward better possibilities of non-violent domestic education. We conclude that the interventions initiated a movement of change of practices and dialogue of the several district services, resulting in a gradual construction of peace territories in the school and the community.

Theoretical and methodological approaches to activism during the COVID-19 pandemic— between continuity and change

In order to understand the way in which scholars approach the study of activism at a time of crisis, a scoping review was conducted to identify the extant empirical work on activism during the COVID-19 crisis. Our search resulted in 23 published papers across disciplines. Results showed elements of continuity and change in scholars' theoretical and empirical approaches to new and old forms of activism emerging at this time of crisis. In general, we found that COVID-19 led to the employment of novel and adaptive approaches from both the activists and the researchers, who tactically modified their strategies in light of the new demands. We conclude by suggesting that incorporating an analysis of the tools of protest, combined with an analysis of the adaptive strategies adopted by communities at a time of crisis might further our understanding of the ontology—as well as the epistemology—of social movements. Moreover, the study highlighted existing tensions between academia and other social stakeholders, which deserve further exploration.

Drivers and Roadblocks for Maquiladoras’ Journey to Sustainability

U.S. manufacturing firms are leaving operations in China because the Covid-19 pandemic, high tariffs, rising labor and transportation costs, and long distance have started to develop a near-shoring trend, making Mexican Maquiladoras their main destination. Consequently, this decision has the potential to significantly harm sustainability in the U.S. and Mexico because currently 10% of worldwide trade pollution and emissions have been produced by Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Not only are social stakeholders in the Mexican territory the main recipients of this negative effect, but also are those in the US, given maquiladora proximity to American soil. Because of the limited research on sustainability practices in Maquiladora firms, I investigate what attributes enable or impede the sustainability management practices (SMPs) adoption by Maquiladoras. I offer a conceptual framework of attributes – maquiladora firms’ operational mode, perceived benefits, position in the supply chain, product market destination, and current information communication technologies (ICTs) status – and propositions drawing from neo-institutional and natural resource view theories.

Community Volunteering Approach In Social Responsibilty: Eczacıbaşı Volunteers

Kurumlar günümüzde bir yandan rekabette kazanmaya odaklanarak üretim yapıp mal/hizmet sunarken bir yandan da sürecin her aşamasında sosyal paydaşlarının beklentilerini karşılayamadıkları sürece var olamayacaklarının farkına varmışlardır. Paydaşları tarafından ‘iyi vatandaşlar’ olarak algılanmayı amaçlayan kurumlar, kârlılık stratejilerini toplumun refahıyla bağdaştırarak sürdürülebilir bir yaşam kurmayı hedeflemektedirler. Bu çalışmanın amacı; toplum gönüllülüğü kapsamında çalışanların sosyal sorumluluk uygulamalarına dahil edilmelerine yönelik bir örneği incelemek olarak belirlenmiştir. Araştırmanın odağında, projelerin yürütülme biçimi, gönüllülük uygulamasının kurumsal hedefleri gibi konularda bilgi edinmek de yer almaktadır. Örneklemi oluşturan kurum ödüller almış iletişim çalışmaları gerçekleştirmiştir. Bu nedenle elde edilecek verilerin önemli olduğu düşünülmüştür. Bu doğrultuda Eczacıbaşı Topluluğu Kurumsal İletişim Yöneticisi’ne ulaşılmış, belirlenen amaçların, derinlemesine mülakat tekniğiyle güncel bir araştırma gerçekleştirilerek incelenmesi planlanmıştır. Araştırmada kurumun insan kaynakları ve sosyal sorumluluk konularına yönelik görüşlerinin öğrenilmesi de planlanmıştır. Araştırmanın sonunda; toplum gönüllülüğü uygulamalarının kurumsal bir standarda sahip olduğu ve uygulamaların kurum içi iletişim ile kurumsal itibara yönelik önemli işlevlerinin olduğuna yönelik farkındalıklar saptanmıştır.

Socially sustainable public procurement: the cooperative model as an alternative

In September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution adopting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is an action plan for people, the planet, and prosperity, which also seeks to strengthen universal peace and access to justice. The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development arises, above all, as a new global and local social contract which demands that all social stakeholders and public authorities work on a coordinated basis. This new social contract requires relying on an integrating and comprehensive vision that brings together internal public policies and makes them consistent with sustainable development as part of a joint collective effort. To accomplish this, it is necessary to generate mechanisms that foster cooperation and progress in the achievement of what have been called Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on the importance of public procurement as an instrument for achieving them.
 Received: 18 November 2021Accepted: 26 March 2022

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Strategy for University Sustainable Competitive Advantage

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is generally presumed to be associated with companies in the full sense of the word, overlooking the important role of other institutions and organizations in achieving the objectives of the concept of CSR. This study's goal is to scientifically evaluate the link between corporate social responsibility and a university's sustainable competitive advantage. A conceptual model was created based on strategic corporate social innovation literature. The research was quantitative, and the variables were measured using the literature guide to build the research questionnaire. The analysis used structural equation modelling and the result revealed that Corporate Social Responsibility in relation to Customers or/and Students (CSRCS), Employees (CSRE), Government (CSRG) and Social stakeholders (CSRS) has a major impact on a university's sustained competitive advantage. Management and employees at universities can learn how to apply differentiation techniques to address community issues related to healthcare, economic, sociocultural, and environmental. For quality research and community outreach that better fulfill social needs, innovative, quality-based approaches must be developed. The study extends the existing literature by empirically validating the relationship between CSR and a university's sustainable comparative advantage.

Social Enterprise as a Broker of Identity Resources

Social enterprises often transmit pro-social values to their staff, volunteers, stakeholders, and communities. Research also shows that social enterprises can improve aspects of beneficiaries’ identity and self-worth. However, knowledge about identity-construction dynamics among social enterprises, their founders and other stakeholders, and the communities and cultures in which they are situated is undertheorized and fragmented across fields. This is attributable, at least in part, to the lack of a theory that can explain identity construction across micro-individual, meso-organizational, and macro-cultural levels. This study makes two major contributions. First, we advance a novel, multi-level theoretical framework for understanding identity construction based on assemblage theory. Second, we use that framework to interpret data from our ethnographic study of a social enterprise based in a Canadian fishing village. Our study reveals that the social enterprise actively curates identity resources from local culture and heritage and brokers those resources to stakeholders for their personal identity projects. It suggests that the impacts are greater for people with transitional or problematic identities. It also shows that identity-resource brokerage can result in generativity whereby staff and volunteers “pay it forward” with the effect of scaling the social impact of the enterprise. The findings support the usefulness of the identity-as-assemblage construct for understanding complex identity dynamics across multiple levels of analysis. They also open the door to a number of provocative research questions, including the role of narrative transmission in the flow of identity resources and a potential identity-mirroring role for social enterprise in shaping or reinforcing elements of place identity.

Perceived impact of formulating, implementing and enacting national mental health policies recommendations in practice: An exploratory qualitative study within child and adolescent mental health services in Scotland.

Objective:To understand the process of formulating, implementing and enacting national recommendations into practice, by exploring the interactions between government policymakers and national and local organisations supporting and delivering policy implementation within a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) context in Scotland.Methods:Data collection involved 16 semi-structured individual and four focus group interviews with a purposeful sample of policymakers, national health and social care stakeholders and local outpatient and inpatient CAMHS teams representing three NHS health boards in Scotland. Results:Study participants highlighted the challenges of navigating through evolving and often conflicting policy agendas, seen to not acknowledging the current evidence base or experiential learning from services and prior evaluations. Accounts of transformation fatigue often emerged from increased expectations for staff to adopt new approaches to accommodate constantly changing recommendations. Participants also reported a lack of integration and implementation support from national health and social care organisations, leading to duplication of effort and gaps in provision or waste. Policy recommendations were perceived as sometimes vague, lacking clarity about how to deliver service transformation using a whole-system approach. The collective narratives reflected increased tension between the need for local autonomy to innovate and the limitations created vertically by the relative inflexibility of policy recommendations, and horizontally by the proliferation of national organisations delivering the same transformation aims using different approaches in a resource-constrained environment.Conclusion:The findings contribute to the wider literature by offering an exploration of importance of evaluation and evidence uptake in policy formulation; the roles and remits in supporting the implementation of policy recommendations; and how the dynamics of central control and local autonomy might impact on the local enactment of policy recommendations.

State-enlisted Voluntarism in China: The Role of Public Security Volunteers in Social Stability Maintenance

AbstractThis article explores how the Chinese government aims to maintain social stability by encouraging citizens to become volunteers. We propose that a new type of governance, namely, “state-enlisted voluntarism,” is being deployed in which public security volunteers are mobilized and monitored by the state. Analysis based on ten-year nationwide empirical data gathered from local areas in China suggests that the government intentionally enlists citizens into its hierarchical system to strengthen its administrative capacity and maintain a stable society without the risk of domestic threats. We find that direct enlistment approaches empower citizens as state proxies, and that indirect enlistment approaches ensure that various social stakeholders are comprehensively controlled. In general, the Chinese government has four reasons to institutionalize the state enlistment of voluntarism: to increase human resources at the grassroots; transform social organizations into subordinates; frame policy innovations as political credits; and to avoid blame. Our findings also suggest that China's party-state system mobilizes citizens into implementation-oriented activities rather than engages them in policymaking to maintain social stability at the grassroots.

Resource Orchestration Process in the Limited-Resource Environment: The Social Bricolage Perspective

The process of resource mobilisation is fundamental in the creation of social value. However, the evidence that examines the approaches used by social entrepreneurs to mobilise critical resources in an environment with poor resources is limited. This study empirically explores social bricolage in the new research context of developing countries, building on the notion of ‘social bricolage’). This abductive, multiple-case study adopts the qualitative methodological approach, using empirical data on five social enterprises in Egypt through in-depth interviews with industry experts, social entrepreneurs, and other management teams. Our study advances scholarly understanding of social bricolage by examining resource mobilisation processes over time in the resource-scarce context of developing countries. Our analysis traces the six social bricolage constructs: making do, refusal to be constrained by limitations, improvisation, the creation of social value, stakeholder participation, and persuasion and community involvement. Our empirical data identifies three more constructs associated with social bricolage: distributed leadership/teamwork, dynamic capabilities, and legitimacy (trust and reputation).

АНАЛІЗ ЛІНІЙНОЇ МОДЕЛІ ЯК МЕТОДУ ДОРОЖНЬОЇ КАРТИ ПОКРАЩЕННЯ СОЦІАЛЬНОГО ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ВНУТРІШНЬО ПЕРЕМІЩЕНИХ ОСІБ

Анотація. В процесі протидії загострення військового конфлікту з РФ та ескалацією збройного конфлікту було зумовлене виникнення внутрішнього переміщення з кордонів Донецької та Луганської областей. Актуальність поданого дослідження кероване зародженням та стійкістю існування переміщення в середині кордонів України в 2021 році. В пошуку орієнтиру та стійкої адаптації з 2014 року наша країна змогла успішно подолати бар’єри та перепони, благодійною організацією було започатковано міри дорожньої карти з безоплатної первинної правової допомоги завдяки чому головний скарб кожної нації, люди, почувають себе в безпеці, морально та духовно не пригніченими. Це спонукає діяти в цілях не тільки для дотримання Мінського протоколу у форматі «нормандської четвірки», а й задля вирішення потреб громадян у стані переміщення, для порятунку цілих сімей з маленькими дітьми, непрацездатними особами, інвалідами, пенсіонерами. Метою статті є здійснення аналізу карти проблем для подальшого удосконалення механізму адаптації та інтеграції внутрішньо переміщених осіб, оскільки мінімізації виникнення проявів дезадаптації, є основою спрямованістю для цільового втручання приймаючих громад. Ґрунтовне знайомство з методичними засадами аналізу карти проблем є оптимальною складовою дослідження. В статті досліджені окремі специфічні явища в економічній, соціальній, політичних сферах держави для здійснення аналізу карти проблем внутрішньо переміщених осіб за потребами звернень у приймаючі громади. В статті відпрацьоване закладання до методичних положень причинно-наслідкового зв’язку виникнення складнощів на етапах економічної, соціальної, політичної інтеграції, що мають стати типологією оперативного реагування з боку громадського простору. В статті розглянуто карту проблем в аспекті найбільш великих, загальних областей оптимізації роботи приймальних громад, карта проблем, як інструмент комплексної діагностики, допомагає побудувати ланцюжок взаємозв’язків, є відображенням ситуаційного аналізу та наочно показує больові точки зіткнення громадян у середовищі на локальному, регіональному та національному рівнях. Ключові слова: внутрішньо переміщені особи, аналіз, карта проблем, інтеграція, громади, Донбас, індекс промислової продукції, приватний сектор, математична модель. Рис.: 1 , табл: 2 ,бібл.: 29

The Impact of Board Gender Diversity on Sustainability Reporting and External Assurance: Evidence from Lower-Middle-Income Countries in Asia and Africa

Based on the notion that a diverse board will pay greater attention to social responsibility and stakeholder concerns, this article examines the effect of board gender diversity on the adoption of new sustainability reporting practices (i.e., SDG reporting) and on the use of external assurance. After controlling for corporate governance as well as companies’ performances, sustainability commitment, industries, and regions, we find that gender-diverse boards are positively associated with sustainability reporting and the involvement of an external assurance provider. This article consolidates and provides information on the relationship between women participation on corporate boards and sustainability reporting activities of 366 large Asian and African companies. Additionally, it addresses the understudied question of how the gender diversity of board resources affects the adoption of the external assurance of sustainability reporting and the types of assurance providers.

Collaborative behaviours and social dilemmas during the coronavirus pandemic: does gender matter in the context of Moroccan firms

The current COVID-19 pandemic challenges require collective actions aiming at ensuring the preservation of human health by developing a social and an economic resilience. Moreover, experiences show that cooperative and civic behaviours are so credible in a context of solidarity and reciprocity according to a win-win cooperation among all social stakeholders and countries from a micro to a macro - analysis level. The present study explores the choices and decisions made by Moroccan firms through the lens of the game theory and investigates cooperative behaviours occurring during 2020 within social dilemmas. It contributes for a better formalisation of social and behavioural compliance to public policies in times of coronavirus crisis. This research provides then an enhanced understanding of gender differences related to people's behavioural responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasises the importance of adopting individual and collective behaviours required for the coordination of separate actions.

How Do Perceptions of Risk Communicator Attributes Affect Emergency Response? An Examination of a Water Contamination Emergency in Boston, USA

AbstractA water main break that contaminated the Boston area's water distribution system prompted a four‐day “boil water” order. To understand risk communication during this incident, 600 randomly sampled residents were mailed questionnaires, yielding 110 valid responses. This article describes how perceptions of different social stakeholders influenced whether respondents complied with the Protective Action Recommendation—PAR (i.e., drank boiled water), took alternative protective actions (i.e., drank bottled water or/and self‐chlorinated water), or ignored the threat (i.e., continued to drink untreated tap water). Respondents perceived technical authorities (i.e., water utility, public health, and emergency management) to be higher on three social influence attributes (hazard expertize, trustworthiness, and protection responsibility) than public (i.e., news media, elected officials) and private (i.e., self/family, peers, and personal physicians) intermediate sources. Furthermore, respondents were most likely to comply with the PAR if they perceived authorities and public intermediates to be high on all three attributes and if they had larger households and lower income. Contrarily, they were more likely to take alternative actions if they were younger and had higher levels of income, risk perception, and emergency preparedness. These results underscore the need for technical authorities to develop credibility with their potential audiences before a crisis occurs.

Stakeholder collaboration, a solution to overtourism? A case study on Sagada, the Philippines

This study explores overtourism in the resort town of Sagada, the Philippines, which has experienced an influx of tourists over the past few years. Qualitative methods – including in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation, and informal conversations – were used to collect data from 2017 to 2019. A conceptual framework using systems theory guides the data analysis while social exchange and stakeholder theories are also employed. Research findings suggest that although Sagada has immense problems, including inadequate facilities, lack of policies, and insufficient preparedness, stakeholder collaboration has helped mitigate the problems brought by mass tourists. This study finds that when community cooperation is attained, issues brought about by overtourism can be mitigated, and solutions can be crafted. This study explores overtourism in the resort town of Sagada, the Philippines, which has experienced an influx of tourists over the past few years.

Governance matters. Fieldwork on participatory budgeting, voting, and development from Campania, Italy

On the wave of the success of the participatory budgeting (PB) implemented in Porto Alegre, Brazil, a number of administrations around the world jumpstarted new forms of nonfinancial balance reporting. This trend was supported by an increasing consensus from the international community. PB aims to enhance mutual trust between the different social stakeholders and foster public administrations transparency. For this reason, PB is recognized as an effective tool for facilitating good governance, sustainability, and development. Previous field research does not highlight local voting and corruption figures. To shed light on these variables throughout a case study, this article makes use of original mixed methods techniques to analyze the PB experience of a municipality in Southern Italy. The combination of data regarding census, voting shares, and projects' features is a methodological innovation, used here for the first time. Fieldwork has been conducted to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. These data were employed along with official demographics statistics to inspect existing public management and development dynamics. Four distinct data sources, intersecting population and voting data through the PB tool were examined. After mainstreaming PB, referring to the world's benchmark of Porto Alegre, this article investigates the good practice of Casamarciano, Campania. Evidence shows compelling features from the local experience and encouraging involvement of the community, rating the poll participation even greater than Porto Alegre engagement. The qualitative data pinpoints the local administration's management choices—noteworthy, the town's PB model—and the innovation behind the public management strategies. These outcomes may help to better understand PB dynamics, yielding improved local development and sustainability indications for public affairs governance.

Attributes of social capital in the educational organisation

The article highlights according to the concept of social capital, the changes generated by the COVID-19 pandemic in the educational system. This research identified the attributes of social capital at the level of the adults involved in the educational process (parents, students), the impact of the current period on them and the opinion of the respondents regarding the education reform. The conclusions of the study prove an activation of the intentions of involvement and participation in the management structures and in the educational projects at the level of the school organization, along with a low degree of confidence in the way the reform of the educational system is designed and implemented. Change management in recent years has highlighted the need for school involvement in the development of social capital and also the need to increase the role of social stakeholders in solving the challenges facing school organizations.

Women’s Burden of Caring for Orphans: The bio-psychosocial and economic challenges for caregivers in a rural community in South Africa

The practical activity of orphan-care in Social Work has received unquestionable and resounding globally attention. However, the skewed care of orphans towards women and its associated bio-psychosocial and economic challenges in the rural communities deserves special investigation and analysis. This article discusses women’s burden of orphan-care and associated bio-psychosocial and economic challenges experienced by carers in Alice in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. Using a qualitative research approach and voluntary purposive sampling to ensure that carers of orphans were engaged in the study, individual face-to-face interviews were conducted to engage twenty caregivers. Data were analysed thematically and backed by existing literature. The findings showed that women caregivers of orphans experienced a plethora of bio-psychosocial and economic issues when caring for orphans in the rural communities. The article makes relevant recommendations for the profession of Social Work and stakeholders of orphan-care.