Competing Claims on Natural Resources: What Role for Science?

Competing claims on natural resources become increasingly acute, with the poor being most vulnerable to adverse outcomes of such competition. A major challenge for science and policy is to progress from facilitating univocal use to guiding stakeholders in dealing with potentially conflicting uses of natural resources. The development of novel, more equitable, management options that reduce rural poverty is key to achieving sustainable use of natural resources and the resolution of conflicts over them. Here, we describe an interdisciplinary and interactive approach for: (i) the understanding of competing claims and stakeholder objectives; (ii) the identification of alternative resource use options, and (iii) the scientific support to negotiation processes between stakeholders. Central to the outlined approach is a shifted perspective on the role of scientific knowledge in society. Understanding scientific knowledge as entering societal arenas and as fundamentally negotiated, the role of the scientist becomes a more modest one, a contributor to ongoing negotiation processes among stakeholders. Scientists can, therefore, not merely describe and explain resource-use dynamics and competing claims, but in doing so, they should actively contribute to negotiation processes between stakeholders operating at different scales (local, national, regional, and global). Together with stakeholders, they explore alternatives that can contribute to more sustainable and equitable use of natural resources and, where possible, design new technical options and institutional arrangements

Influência da estrutura organizacional na capacidade de aprendizado organizacional: o caso de uma fabricante mundial de veículos comerciais

Purpose – This study aims to analyze the influence of the dimensions of the organizational structure on the organizational learning capacity in a transport company. Design/methodology/approach – For this, we adopted as a research design the method of case study and for data collection and analysis, using the quantitative and qualitative procedures. For the purposes of this study, the choice was made of the Administrative Unit of Construction Equipment of a worldwide manufacturer of commercial vehicles.Findings – Among the results it was verified that: (i) an environment conducive to organizational learning must be supported by organizational organizational structures; (ii) the dimensions of centralization and integration when working in congruence tend to reinforce processes and levels of learning; (iii) the high degree of formalization has no influence on organizational learning capacity.Research limitations/implications – As limiting factors of the research, the cross-sectional approach is considered to study the theme of organizational learning. Still, the data collection in only one Unit of the company Alpha, the number of interviews carried out and the fact that it involves only managers from the commercial and sales sectors.Practical implications – The dimensions Centralization and Integration influence the Capacity for Organizational Learning.Originality/value – In order to develop an environment conducive to organizational learning, organizations should make use of more flexible structural forms, which encourage people's autonomy and freedom through decentralization. Also, that organizations seek a high level of integration, information sharing and that communication is fluid throughout the company.Objetivo – O objetivo deste estudo consiste em analisar a influência das dimensões da estrutura organizacional na capacidade de aprendizado organizacional em uma empresa do setor de transportes.Design / metodologia / abordagem – Para isso, adotou-se como delineamento de pesquisa o método de estudo de caso e para coleta e análise dos dados, utilizou-se os procedimentos quantitativo e qualitativo. Para fins deste estudo, optou-se pela escolha da Unidade Administrativa de Equipamentos de Construção de uma fabricante mundial de veículos comerciais.Resultados – Dentre os resultados constatou-se que: (i) um ambiente propício ao aprendizado organizacional deve ser apoiado por estruturas organizacionais orgânicas; (ii) as dimensões centralização e integração quando atuam em congruência tendem a reforçar os processos e níveis de aprendizado; e, (iii) o elevado grau de formalização não exerce influência na capacidade de aprendizado organizacional. Limitações/implicações da pesquisa – Como fatores limitantes da pesquisa, considera-se a abordagem de corte transversal para estudar a temática de aprendizado organizacional. Ainda, a coleta de dados em apenas uma Unidade da empresa Alfa, o número de entrevistas realizadas e o fato de envolver somente gestores dos setores comerciais e de vendas.Implicações práticas – As dimensões Centralização e Integração exercem influência na Capacidade de Aprendizado Organizacional.Originalidade/valor  – Para desenvolver um ambiente propício ao aprendizado organizacional, as organizações devam fazer uso de formas estruturais mais flexíveis, que incentivem a autonomia e a liberdade das pessoas por meio da descentralização. Também que as organizações busquem um alto nível de integração, compartilhamento de informações e que a comunicação seja fluída por toda a empresa

Government’s Role to Protect the Small Business of Local Communities Legally in Papua

National development which covers all the aspects of national life is held together by the communities and government. The special autonomy granted to Papua through the Law Number 21 of 2001 puts the indigenous people of Papua and Papua residents generally as the main subject. In this context of the government’s role in field of small business, the government has not optimazed the availability of the legislation and the availability of infrastructure and facilities as needed for the small business development in Papua. Keywords: the role of Papua’s government, small business, local communities

Looking Critically at ICT4Dev: The Case of Lincos

This article is based on a master's thesis presented in 2003, the objective of which was to demonstrate how theoretical insights inherited from critical social research traditions could inform the assessment of ICT projects in marginalized regions. While mainstream assessment models are devoted to infrastructure issues, and further fit well within a technologically determinist and often neoliberal conceptual framework, alternatively minded movements have begun to explore more socially oriented instruments. The thesis set out to contribute to this process, elaborating investigational themes that drew from critical perspectives on technology and development. It then applied these themes to the Lincos telecenter project in the Dominican Republic. In this article the observations from the field are recounted with the aim of showing the relevance and applicability of a critical social approach to ICT-for-Development

Airport site selection using multiple-criteria decision analysis - the case of new Lisbon airport

Current Lisbon Airport has been considered for many years as not corresponding to future demand expectations. The last 60 years have been marked by Portuguese government uncertainty and inconsistency and heated debate about a New Lisbon Airport location. This work is focused on airport site selection using multiple-criteria decision analysis applied to the case of New Lisbon Airport. The main objective is to apply a new methodology to the solving of this problem. Results show how the options studied performed on different aspects and what is the preferred location that best suits the necessity for an international airport in Portugal