Structuring Research Articles

Service Oikos as a complex self-perpetuating system: a bibliometric study of service ecosystems

PurposeThis study aims to address the following research questions: (1) What are the theoretical frameworks and areas of study that influence the development of service ecosystems? and (2) To what extent does a service ecosystem align with the theoretical concepts presented in other research contexts within the study areas, thereby transforming the fundamental structure of the core concept?Design/methodology/approachWe conducted a bibliometric systematic literature review, analyzing 280 papers from a sample of 52 journals listed in the Association of Business Schools (ABS). The review covered the period between 2004 and 2022, and we utilized co-citation analysis, multi-dimensional scaling analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) on a total of 2,614 citations.FindingsThis study employs co-citation analysis to identify the conceptual structure of the service ecosystem based on highly cited papers. Additionally, we utilize multidimensional scaling (MDS) to uncover key approaches driving service ecosystem research. Through HCA and network analysis, we examine the research scope and its development, emphasizing theory-driven approaches. By combining quantitative and qualitative analysis, we explore the interrelationships between scope, domain and evolution. This comprehensive analysis allows us to delve deeply into the study of service ecosystems. To broaden the research scope, we propose a conceptual framework for comparing the main components of a service ecosystem. The current paper clarifies the service ecosystem's intellectual structure, including service performance, humanistic approach, sustainable innovations and service reflexivity and reformation and proposes a prospective research framework for specialists and researchers by introducing a metaverse service ecosystem.Originality/valueFor the first time, the findings of this study shed light on processes that facilitate the flow of technologies, business models and markets through social structures, ultimately contributing to social change. In service-based systems, the development and application of a more humanistic approach within and surrounding social service ecosystems are crucial as they evolve. Therefore, adopting a dynamic and multifaceted approach offers valuable insights into the drivers of value creation.

Exploring Political Socialization through the Lens of Giddens' Structuration Theory

Socialization is a fundamental process for the dissemination and comprehension of ideas, essential for maintaining and strengthening societal structures. It involves the exchange of values, beliefs, and perspectives, ensuring that these ideas are understood and valued within a community. This process also integrates individuals into social groups, fostering familiarity and acceptance among members. This study explores political socialization through the lens of Anthony Giddens’ Structuration Theory, which emphasizes the duality of structure and agency. By examining the interplay between social structures and individual actions, this research aims to provide a deeper understanding of how political norms and practices are produced and reproduced. This research employed a descriptive qualitative method, specifically the Literature Study Method, to trace theoretical details and provide an analytical focus on political socialization and Structuration Theory. The findings highlight that political socialization is a complex process influenced by various agents such as family, education systems, media, and political institutions, which shape individuals' political identities and behaviors. Moreover, Giddens’ Structuration Theory elucidates that social structures both constrain and enable political actions, emphasizing the reciprocal relationship between individuals and their social contexts. This study contributes to our understanding of how political socialization mechanisms contribute to societal stability and change by elucidating how individuals navigate and negotiate political structures through their everyday practices and interactions.

Cooperation and social organization depend on weighing private and public reputations

To avoid exploitation by defectors, people can use past experiences with others when deciding to cooperate or not (‘private information’). Alternatively, people can derive others’ reputation from ‘public’ information provided by individuals within the social network. However, public information may be aligned or misaligned with one’s own private experiences and different individuals, such as ‘friends’ and ‘enemies’, may have different opinions about the reputation of others. Using evolutionary agent-based simulations, we examine how cooperation and social organization is shaped when agents (1) prioritize private or public information about others’ reputation, and (2) integrate others’ opinions using a friend-focused or a friend-and-enemy focused heuristic (relying on reputation information from only friends or also enemies, respectively). When agents prioritize public information and rely on friend-and-enemy heuristics, we observe polarization cycles marked by high cooperation, invasion by defectors, and subsequent population fragmentation. Prioritizing private information diminishes polarization and defector invasions, but also results in limited cooperation. Only when using friend-focused heuristics and following past experiences or the recommendation of friends create prosperous and stable populations based on cooperation. These results show how combining one’s own experiences and the opinions of friends can lead to stable and large-scale cooperation and highlight the important role of following the advice of friends in the evolution of group cooperation.

Mobility of older people in public spaces from agender perspective

For older people, asufficient mobility offer is an essential prerequisite for participation in social life and abetter quality of life. The goal should be self-determined everyday mobility that enables asatisfying and healthy life. Mobility depends on diverse individual abilities and needs. On the other hand, social structures as well as regulatory and spatial framework conditions limit the realisation of mobility services and their transport infrastructure. These framework conditions are characterised by the perception of social roles, the availability of resources and gender-specific attributions. For example, care and caring work is predominantly the responsibility of women in the age group of 50years plus. The availability of transport infrastructure is geared towards goals that are characterised by the needs of gainful employment and not the goals of care work. Conversely, the availability of flexible means of transport, such as cars, also decreases for women in old age for economic reasons. For this reason, mobility planning should take greater account of specific needs, such as orientation towards care objectives, counselling, and health services and place agreater focus on the local area. For elderly people, especially women, security needs are often an important factor in the decision to become mobile or to forego mobility. This includes perceived subjective safety, accessibility and protection from weather conditions such as slippery surfaces or exposure to excessive heat. If these basic principles are taken into account, more people can be guaranteed self-determined participation in social life.

Time series analysis of COVID-19's impact on physician and dentist visits in Iran

This study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on general practitioner (GP), specialist, and dentist visits among 40 million Iranians covered by the Social Security Organization (SSO). A monthly interrupted time series analysis was conducted over a period of 72 months, including—47 months before the pandemic and 25 months after its onset. The outcomes variables were monthly number of GP, specialist, and dentist visits per 1000 SSO-insured individuals. The analysis was performed by total visits, visits to the SSO direct sector, and visits to the indirect sectors. The study found that in the first month of the pandemic, the number of visits per 1000 insured individuals significantly decreased for visits to GPs (by 51.12, 95% CI −64.42 to −37.88), visits to specialists (by 39.11, 95% CI −51.61 to −26.62), and visits to dentists (by 6.67, 95% CI −8.55 to −4.78). However, during the subsequent months of the pandemic, there was a significant increase in the number of monthly visits for all three categories, with GPs experiencing the highest increase (1.78 visits per 1000 insured), followed by specialists (1.32 visits per 1000 insured), and dentists (0.05 visits per 1000 insured). Furthermore, prior to the pandemic, the number of monthly GP visits per 1000 insured individuals was statistically significantly lower in the indirect sector compared to the direct sector (45.79, 95% CI −52.69 to −38.89). Conversely, the direct sector exhibited lower rates of specialist visits (25.84 visits per 1000 insured individuals, 95% CI 22.87 to 28.82) and dentist visits (0.75 visits per 1000 insured individuals, 95% CI 0.12 to 1.36) compared to the indirect sector. Additionally, the study found that in the first month of the pandemic, the monthly number of GP visits in the indirect sector significantly increased by 34.44 times (95% CI 24.81 to 44.08) compared to the direct sector. For specialist visits and dentist visits, the increase was 3.41 (95% CI −5.87 to 12.69) and 5.01 (95% CI 3.48 to 6.53) per 1000 insured individuals, respectively. Overall, the findings of this study demonstrate statistically significant disruptions in GP, specialist, and dentist visits during the COVID-19 pandemic, although some recovery was observed. Both the direct and indirect sectors experienced decreased visits.

Social Inclusion and Pest Management: a Route for Improved Food Production and well-being in the Global South.

World trade has facilitated the spread of non-native pest species, presenting new challenges for food production. In the Global South, linking worker social protection programs with invasive pest management can, at the same time, contribute to food security and empower workers. The spotted wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) (SWD) recent invasion in the Global South case study illustrates how science-based policies integrated with agricultural worker-based social organizations can contribute toward economic and environmental sustainability.

Unerfüllte Behandlungswünsche jüngerer und älterer Menschen in sozial deprivierten Räumen: eine qualitative Interviewstudie im Ruhrgebiet

IntroductionUnmet health care needs are considered a key indicator of equity in access to health care. For younger people, they can lead to poorer health outcomes in adulthood, for older people, they are associated with an increased risk of mortality. Unmet needs were therefore investigated as part of a research project on „Improving the health-related life situation of young and old people in the Ruhr area.“ MethodUnmet health care needs were surveyed with the help of semi-structured guideline interviews with younger and older people in the Ruhr area (n=29). Due to the spatial and social structure of the study region, the aim was to recruit especially people with a low subjective social status (SSS) for the study. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and subjected to a qualitative content analysis and a supplementary frequency analysis. The reporting is based on the Standards for Qualitative Research (SRQR). ResultsThe respondents reported deficiencies in treatment and doctor-patient communication with GPs and specialists. The feeling of not being taken seriously due to age is cited several times by both age groups as a reason for unmet health care needs. Waiting times are particularly relevant in the case of specialist consultations, while co-payments for services mainly play a role in dentistry and orthodontics. Unmet needs are primarily reported by people with a medium SSS. Overall, almost two thirds of the respondents stated that they have or have had at least one unmet need. Participants with a low SSS report fewer unmet needs and do not mention any financial aspects as a cause. Explanations for this range from lower health literacy to the fear of being discredited. ConclusionsThe results provide indications of deficits in regional health care provision for younger and older people in the Ruhr region. Corresponding fields of action result from the areas of care and reasons identified as relevant for unmet health care needs. The reported findings also provide a basis for differentiated quantitative surveys with representative samples.

Testing hypotheses for male aggregations in lek and the implications for sexual selection in the White-throated manakin, Corapipo gutturalis (Aves: Pipridae)

Abstract To understand male spatial aggregation in lek systems, questions have focused on whether males aggregate in areas with higher female abundance, around males that attract more females, or because of a female preference for certain male. For this, we investigated how social organization and male–male interactions are associated with female visitation in leks of the white-throated manakin (Corapipo gutturalis). Specifically, we evaluated whether females prefer higher-ranked males (based on the fidelity to court, display, and male age) and high-activity courts, as predicted by the hotshot hypothesis. In addition, but not mutually exclusive, we evaluated whether multi-male visitation at court and/or shorter spatial aggregation of courts attracted more females. We found that the highest-ranked males received significantly more female and male visits. However, the total activity at courts did not predict female visitation to males, but did predict male visitation to males. Furthermore, female visitation at courts was not predicted by the proportion of multi-male visitation at courts but by spatial aggregation of courts. These results suggest that the hotshot hypothesis illustrated by the male rank at court explains female visitation and male aggregation in leks of this species, generating a system in which males tend to compete for the highest rank in the court.

Representasi Budaya dan Profil Pelajar Pancasila di Buku Pelajaran Bahasa Indonesia Kelas VII

This study aims to (1) describe the representation of culture in Indonesian textbooks grade VII, (2) describe the representation of Pancasila student profile in Indonesian textbooks grade VII. This research is a qualitative research and uses case study method with content analysis approach. The data source of this research is the seventh grade Indonesian textbook. The sampling technique was done by purposive sampling. Data collection was done by document analysis. The data validity test technique used was data source triangulation. The results of this study are, in the seventh grade Indonesian textbooks, cultural representations are found to be described through Koentjaraningrat's cultural elements in the form of language, technological systems, livelihood systems, social organization, knowledge systems, religious systems, and arts. Second, in the seventh grade Indonesian textbook, there is a representation of the Pancasila student profile which is divided into six dimensions, namely faith, fear of God Almighty; and noble character; global diversity; mutual cooperation; independent; critical reasoning; and creative. In the discussion, the six dimensions are then further divided based on the existing key elements

Chinese women faculty in US universities: Transnational experiences and challenges

AbstractDue to the distinct language, cultural values, and social structures, dedicated qualitative research is needed to explore the challenges and supports faced by Chinese women faculty (CWF) members in US academia. Adopting a transnational feminist perspective, this study aims to explore how five CWF members navigate various disadvantages arising from the intersections of race, gender, and cultural values in one US institution. The findings indicate that CWF members encounter language barriers, academic authority challenges, and the struggles of balancing work and life. However, findings also show that they strategically navigate language barriers and challenges to their professional authority by establishing their own voices. Additionally, they benefit from mentoring, fostering their academic development, and contributing to their professional growth. Through this study, we aim to shed new lights on the experiences of CWF members in overcoming obstacles and pursuing professional development within US academia.

The Role of Leadership in Creating and Supporting an Effective Mentoring System in Social Sector Organizations

This work is devoted to the role of leadership in creating and supporting an effective mentoring system in social institutions, since in Russia there is now a great emphasis on the transformation and improvement of social institutions through the development of the system of providing social services. The development of all these systems expands the range of tasks for employees of social institutions, and as a result, actualizes the research of the mentoring system and related components. The article examines the key theoretical aspects of leadership in the context of the topic under study, as well as the specifics of the development of a mentoring system through the introduction of leadership technologies into it. The paper also presented the results of an empirical study on the topic “Formation of leadership qualities among mentors in social institutions”, within which recommendations were proposed for the development of leadership qualities among mentors in the process of adaptation or professional development of employees, as well as the entire mentoring system in social institutions to further maximize human potential in them.

"I Heard of PrEP-I Didn't Think I Needed it." Understanding the Formation of HIV Risk Perception Among People Who Inject Drugs.

Uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis medication (PrEP) to prevent HIV among people who inject drugs (PWID) remains extremely low in the United States. West Virginia's rising HIV incidence and highest drug overdose rate in the nation makes it an important locus for opioid use and HIV risk interaction. In this pilot study we pioneered the use of Cultural Theory among PWID to understand HIV-related risk perception arising from four contrasting modes of social organization. Carried out during an HIV outbreak, we explored PrEP uptake qualitatively as a window onto risk perception. Of the 26 interviewees, 18 were HIV- and despite the medication's free availability from the health center where recruitment took place, none had taken PrEP, half considering they were not at risk. Intimate couples who showed characteristics of 'enclaves' considered the boundary around themselves protective against HIV, creating a safe space or 'invisible risk group'. Higher HIV risk was perceived among those who were housed compared to those living homeless. Beliefs about the causation of the local HIV outbreak and the validity of scientific research corresponded with characteristics of the contrasting modes of social organization and the approach is promising for informing public health interventions among PWID.

The Performative Body in Ibsen’s A Doll House and Saput’s Sakambari: Rebelling and Reclaiming Women’s Power Dynamics

Henrik Ibsen's A Doll House, directed by Bernice Garfield-Szita and Prakash Saput's Sakambari showcase a similar performative body of women, resisting the patriarchal societal system despite having existed in two distinct spatiotemporal contexts. In this light, the paper comparatively examines the performative bodies of Nora in A Doll House and Sakambari in Sakamabari to analyze how their body acts serve as a site of submission and resistance simultaneously. In doing so, the study employs qualitative methods, mainly textual analysis for visual texts, lyrics, and dialogues in a multi-modal approach, using the Butlerian concept of gender performativity, "not biology but culture," and the Foucauldian concept of body and sexuality. It examines how the performing bodies epitomize submissive and resistive agencies for autonomy and justice. Nora's and Sakambari's performative bodies in different phases – the plain, commodified, and beyond – in one way to another challenge the masculine disposition and advocate for liberation. The analysis reveals that the two characters employ contrasting approaches to resisting the existing social structure. Nora exhibits direct submission and defiance, while Sakambari explicitly submits and implicitly resists. While both of them challenge the status quo of society, the performative bodies in different layers of resistance empower them to contest patriarchal societal foundations even though their paths to liberation differ from one another.

Egyptian Art in Colonized Nubia: Representing Power and Social Structure in the New Kingdom Tombs of Djehutyhotep, Hekanefer and Pennut

Monumental rock-cut tombs decorated with wall paintings or reliefs were rare in New Kingdom colonial Nubia. Exceptions include the 18th Dynasty tombs of Djehutyhotep (Debeira) and Hekanefer (Miam), and the 20th Dynasty tomb of Pennut (Aniba). The three tombs present typical Egyptian artistic representations and inscriptions, which include tomb owners and their families, but also those living under their direct control. This paper compares the artistic and architectural features of these decorated, monumental rock-cut tombs in light of the archaeological record of the regions in which they were located in order to contextualize art within its social setting in colonized Nubia. More than expressing cultural and religious affiliations in the colony, art seems to have been essentially used as a tool to enforce hierarchization and power, and to define the borders of the uppermost elite social spaces in New Kingdom colonial Nubia.

A Bayesian and Analytic Hierarchy Process-Based Multilevel Community Resilience Evaluation Method and Application Study

Cities are complex systems influenced by a multitude of factors, encompassing society, economy, culture, and environment. These factors make urban development highly vulnerable to various disturbances. Communities work as the fundamental building blocks of a city and directly impact both its social structure and spatial layout. Moreover, urban planning and policies play a crucial role in shaping the development trajectory of communities and the living environment for residents. This study aims to develop a Bayesian and analytic hierarchy process (BAHP)-based multilevel community resilience evaluation method to assess the ability of the community system to withstand disturbances and recover from them. First, the proposed method establishes a comprehensive assessment index system that can evaluate social and environmental resilience as well as institutional and managerial resilience at multiple levels. This system serves as a quantitative decision-making tool to elucidate the impact of various factors on community resilience. Furthermore, the “relative demand coefficient” (RDC) is proposed to compare different communities’ resilience by using Bayesian inference to determine its most probable value (MPV). To validate the applicability of the proposed method, an empirical study was conducted in the Dafapu community located in the Longgang District of Shenzhen. Meanwhile, a simulated virtual community is employed for comparison with the Dafapu community as an illustrative example showcasing the proposed method’s superior performance after integrating the RDC. The empirical study demonstrates that the proposed BAHP-based method can effectively and quantitatively highlight the recovery capabilities and limitations for different communities in various dimensions while providing a clear direction for enhancing urban community resilience. This research contributes new insights to the theory, provides a practical tool to quantify community resilience, and offers a viable path for the actual enhancement of community resilience.

Characterising the urban–rural fringe area (URFA) in China: a review of global and local literature on urban–rural fringe areas

Urban-Rural Fringe Areas (URFAs) in China have experienced significant change since 1978 due to extensive urban growth and sprawl. This article explores the characteristics of URFAs in China through a scoping review approach. Analysis identifies that URFAs in China possess features that are located in and connected to urban and rural areas, mixed land use, occupied by both urban and rural populations, and driven by changes in social structure, economic development and policy implementation. These findings are consistent with URFAs in a global context, illustrating synergies in academic and practitioner approaches. However, China’s URFAs are unique due to the country’s social structure, topographical diversity, divergent urban diversity and the regional variations that exist within urban development policies and strategies. The article contributes to a better understanding of the characteristics of URFAs in China, providing guidance for future policy to support more effective and sustainable development.

Exploring Livelihood Trajectories: Stories from Migrant Women in Bangladesh

In the face of various challenges, mobility emerges as a long-standing adaptive strategy. This is also the case in Bangladesh, where internal mobility in particular is often employed to maintain a living in response to the loss of livelihoods at the place of origin. However, research exploring the changes in migrant women’s livelihoods through their internal mobility in Bangladesh, and how their agency and the social structures come to influence this, is limited. This article addresses this gap by exploring the livelihood trajectories of migrant women through their internal mobility, intending to enhance the comprehension of the nuanced daily lives and livelihood experiences of Bangladeshi migrant women. Drawing on the stories of four women who relocated to the town of Mongla, the findings reveal the diverse and evolving strategies they employ to sustain a living through their internal mobility, showcasing the particularity of each livelihood trajectory. The findings suggest that migrant women’s distinct livelihood trajectories are influenced by their varying levels of agency, often enhanced through their mobility, and potentially increasing their capacity to alter their life circumstances. However, given constraining gender roles and expectations, they face limited livelihood options. In this article, I show that a comprehensive examination of both the individual and the broader social contexts of migrant women’s livelihoods is essential to gain deeper insights into their differing ways of making a living through mobility. Such insights may foster the comprehension of how they position themselves, between their livelihoods, different agency levels, and gender roles and expectations.

A perilous Malagasy triad: a spider (Vigdisia praesidens, gen. and sp. nov.) and an ant compete for termite food

ABSTRACT Ants and termites are insect groups that make up most of the insect biomass in tropical ecosystems. Due to their social structure and abundance, they are some of the most bountiful prey available to other invertebrates such as spiders. However, ants and termites possess dangerous defense strategies, thus limiting their accessibility to general predators. Here, we report on an unexpected finding of a three-way predator-prey-kleptoparasite interaction in Madagascar among a termite Nasutitermes sp. (prey), a previously unknown theridiid spider Vigdisia praesidens gen. nov., sp. nov. (predator), and an ant Pheidole spinosa (kleptoparasite). Our field observations suggest that the spiders are able to detect a damaged termite nest from a distance to disperse onto it and prey on its residents. Kleptoparasitic ants also arrive on the scene to steal from the spiders their termite prey. Both the spider and the ant seem to possess some degree of behavioural prey specialisation for Nasutitermes termites. The here described ecological interaction warrants further study to better understand the exploitation of signals by such phylogenetically diverse arthropods.

Exploring IFRS in Islamic finance: a bibliometric and coding analysis of emerging topics and perspectives

Purpose Emerging economies are increasingly benefiting from Islamic finance principles. The distinctive features of this unconventional form of finance are starting to be considered even in developed economies. Islamic finance operates under prohibitions on interest, gambling, speculation and complex derivatives according to the dogma in the Quran, Sunnah, Ijma and Qiyas. International financial reporting standards (IFRS) allow companies to attract global capital due to overcoming international borders. However, Islamic finance cannot apply all accounting standards. Therefore, this study aims to explore the implementation of international accounting standards in the Islamic finance context to present applications and future research fields. Design/methodology/approach Using a bibliometric and coding analysis, the study analyses 226 peer-reviewed journal papers extracted from the Scopus database. Using the bibliometrix package, the authors explored the literature’s intellectual, conceptual and social structures, categorising the findings into thematic clusters relevant to traditional and Islamic finance paradigms. Findings The results reveal new and interesting elements using the lens of the conceptual, intellectual and social structure. Additionally, the authors find out three main thematic clusters: (1) IFRS and Islamic finance: general principles; (2) IFRS and Zakat; (3) IFRS and Murabaha compatibility; (4) IFRS and Takaful; and (5) IFRS and auditing organisation for Islamic financial institution: governance strategies. Originality/value The contribution is original as the authors discover institutional theory perspectives and a diatribe between positivist and ontological approaches.

Exploring IFRS in Islamic finance: a bibliometric and coding analysis of emerging topics and perspectives

Purpose Emerging economies are increasingly benefiting from Islamic finance principles. The distinctive features of this unconventional form of finance are starting to be considered even in developed economies. Islamic finance operates under prohibitions on interest, gambling, speculation and complex derivatives according to the dogma in the Quran, Sunnah, Ijma and Qiyas. International financial reporting standards (IFRS) allow companies to attract global capital due to overcoming international borders. However, Islamic finance cannot apply all accounting standards. Therefore, this study aims to explore the implementation of international accounting standards in the Islamic finance context to present applications and future research fields. Design/methodology/approach Using a bibliometric and coding analysis, the study analyses 226 peer-reviewed journal papers extracted from the Scopus database. Using the bibliometrix package, the authors explored the literature’s intellectual, conceptual and social structures, categorising the findings into thematic clusters relevant to traditional and Islamic finance paradigms. Findings The results reveal new and interesting elements using the lens of the conceptual, intellectual and social structure. Additionally, the authors find out three main thematic clusters: (1) IFRS and Islamic finance: general principles; (2) IFRS and Zakat; (3) IFRS and Murabaha compatibility; (4) IFRS and Takaful; and (5) IFRS and auditing organisation for Islamic financial institution: governance strategies. Originality/value The contribution is original as the authors discover institutional theory perspectives and a diatribe between positivist and ontological approaches.