56 research outputs found
Fuzziness in LGBT Non-Profit ICT Use
This note reports on the use of ICTs by a small nonprofit organization that serves LGBT youth. Our work centers on a reective evaluation of the use of online communities for LGBT community through qualitative interviews with the organization. Perceived issues around ICT use in the organi- zation were shaped by the blurred lines between professional and personal interactions online, the small size of the com- munity and ubiquity of social media use, and ambivalence of members toward online communication. The project models one way for researchers in ICT4D to work within communi- ties to develop an understanding of self-identified issues in vulnerable populations
Fuzziness in LGBT non-profit ICT use
This note reports on the use of ICTs by a small nonprofit organization that serves LGBT youth. Our work centers on a reflective evaluation of the use of online communities for LGBT community through qualitative interviews with the organization. Perceived issues around ICT use in the organization were shaped by the blurred lines between professional and personal interactions online, the small size of the community and ubiquity of social media use, and ambivalence of members toward online communication. The project models one way for researchers in ICT4D to work within communities to develop an understanding of self-identified issues in vulnerable populations
Queering Online Place: LGBT+ Performances Motivate Social Media Design
Despite political advances, LGBT+ experiences on social media are affected by a history of marginalization. LGBT+ people adjust the presentation of their gender and sexual identities in response to social pressures, but their level of visibility differs between social media. We interviewed seventeen LGBT+ students at a socially-conservative university to investigate: (1) how do social media affect LGBT+ user experience of managing self presentation; and (2) how do social media affect participation in LGBT+ communities?
We found that LGBT+ users prefer to present their identities through sharing photos and political articles. LGBT+ users benefit from impersonal communities on reddit and more personal bonds on Tumblr. LGBT+ users rely on the perceived difficulty-of-use of a social network to an intolerant audience to gauge how visible they can be.
We develop implications for design that motivate queer social media, which give people abilities to define their visibility on social media, in contrast with the HCI design principle of indiscriminate âmaking visibleâ
Queering Online Place: LGBT+ Performances Motivate Social Media Design
Despite political advances, LGBT+ experiences on social media are affected by a history of marginalization. LGBT+ people adjust the presentation of their gender and sexual identities in response to social pressures, but their level of visibility differs between social media. We interviewed seventeen LGBT+ students at a socially-conservative university to investigate: (1) how do social media affect LGBT+ user experience of managing self presentation; and (2) how do social media affect participation in LGBT+ communities?
We found that LGBT+ users prefer to present their identities through sharing photos and political articles. LGBT+ users benefit from impersonal communities on reddit and more personal bonds on Tumblr. LGBT+ users rely on the perceived difficulty-of-use of a social network to an intolerant audience to gauge how visible they can be.
We develop implications for design that motivate queer social media, which give people abilities to define their visibility on social media, in contrast with the HCI design principle of indiscriminate âmaking visibleâ
Contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals in the worldâs largest PC manufacturing companies : What development, for whom, and how much?
TÀmÀ on monitapaustutkimus siitÀ, miten suurten kansainvÀlisten PC-valmistajien sitoutuminen YK:n kestÀvÀn kehityksen tavoitteisiin nÀkyy yrityksissÀ: mitÀ uusia toimenpiteitÀ yritykset ovat aloittaneet nÀiden pohjalta, keitÀ yritykset pyrkivÀt hyödyttÀmÀÀn nÀillÀ toimenpiteillÀ, ja kuinka yritykset mittaavat edistymistÀÀn kestÀvÀn kehityksen tavoitteita kohti. Aiempaa tutkimusta aiheesta ei löydetty. Tutkimuksen tarkoitus on ymmÀrtÀÀ mitÀ mahdollisuuksia ja rajoituksia liittyy siihen, ettÀ yritykset ottavat roolia kehitystoimijoina Agenda 2030:n kautta.
TÀmÀn tutkielma tukeutuu verraten laajaan teoreettiseen keskusteluun. Aihe liittyy globalisaatiota, vallan yksityistÀmistÀ, globaalia kehityspolitiikkaa ja globaalia hallintaa kÀsitteleviin teorioihin sekÀ niin valtavirtaiseen yritysvastuuajatteluun kuin kriittisiin yritysvastuuteorioihin.
LÀhestymistavaksi valittiin monitapaustutkimus, koska mikÀÀn yksittÀinen yritys ei vaikuttanut riittÀvÀn ainutlaatuiselta tapaukselta. Tapausten mÀÀrÀ on rajattu kolmeen teoriapohjaisin perustein. Tutkimukseen valittiin kolme suurinta PC-valmistajaa Dell, HP ja Lenovo, jotka yhdessÀ edustavat yli puolta alan globaalista kaupasta. Kaikki kolme ovat ilmaisseet sitoutumisensa YK:n kestÀvÀn kehityksen tavoitteisiin, ja kaksi yrityksistÀ myös raportoi edistymisestÀÀn tavoitetasolla (engl. Goal).
Yritysten julkisista materiaaleista tehtiin dokumenttianalyysi. SiinÀ tutkittiin yritysten yritysvastuuraportteja vuosilta 2016 ja 2014 sekÀ yritysten globaaleja blogeja ja lehdistötiedotteita loka-joulukuulta 2017. Vuoden 2016 raportit olivat uusimmat saatavilla olevat raportit materiaalin kerÀÀmisen aikaan. Vuoden 2014 raporteista saatiin vertailukelpoista tietoa siitÀ, mitkÀ aktiviteetit oli aloitettu yrityksissÀ jo ennen YK:n kestÀvÀn kehityksen tavoitteiden julkistamista. Blogeja ja lehdistötiedotteita analysoitiin, jotta saatiin ymmÀrrystÀ siitÀ kuinka tÀrkeitÀ kestÀvÀn kehityksen tavoitteet ovat nÀissÀ yrityksissÀ yleisellÀ tasolla.
Dokumenttianalyysi koostui yrityskohtaisista sisĂ€llönanalyyseista sekĂ€ temaattisesta analyysistĂ€, jolla eri tapausten löydökset ryhmiteltiin informatiivisiin teemoihin. PÀÀlöydöksinĂ€ voidaan todeta, ettĂ€ positiivisesta viestinnĂ€stĂ€ ja sinĂ€llÀÀn hyvistĂ€ aloitteista huolimatta YK:n kestĂ€vĂ€n kehityksen tavoitteiden pohjalta oli aloitettu varsin vĂ€hĂ€n uutta nĂ€issĂ€ kolmessa yrityksessĂ€. Raportointi edistymisestĂ€ on epĂ€mÀÀrĂ€istĂ€, eikĂ€ usein pohjaudu todellisiin pitkĂ€aikaisten kehitysvaikutusten mittauksiin. Tutkimuksessa mukana olevat yritykset ovat tulkinneet YK:n kestĂ€vĂ€n kehityksen tavoitteiden hyödynsaajia liiketoiminnan kautta, ja ovat nĂ€in jĂ€ttĂ€neet huomiotta suuren osan Agenda 2030:n hengestĂ€ âketÀÀn ei jĂ€tetĂ€â. Vaikuttaa siltĂ€, ettĂ€ yritykset ovat hyödyntĂ€neet YK:n kestĂ€vĂ€n kehityksen tavoitteita keinona todistaa, ettĂ€ niiden olemassa olevat yritysvastuuohjelmat ovat riittĂ€viĂ€ ja ettĂ€ niiden liiketoiminnat ovat oikeutettuja. Yritykset eivĂ€t vaikuta kĂ€yttĂ€neen YK:n kestĂ€vĂ€n kehityksen tavoitteita raportoimiensa toimenpiteiden suunnittelussa.
JohtopÀÀtöksenĂ€ voidaan todeta, ettĂ€ yritysten nykyinen panos ei vĂ€lttĂ€mĂ€ttĂ€ olennaisesti edistĂ€ YK:n kestĂ€vĂ€n kehityksen tavoitteiden saavuttamista. Parhaimmillaan yritykset voivat tarjota lisĂ€resursseja kehitysyhteistyöhön, mutta koska ne asettavat omat tarpeensa suunnittelun keskiöön, niiltĂ€ jÀÀ usein huomiotta toiminnan todelliset kehitysvaikutukset ja niihin liittyvĂ€t mahdollisuudet. Teollisuudenalojen aloitteet, jotka asettavat yrityksille selkeĂ€t minimivaatimukset, saattavat olla tehokkaampi keino saavuttaa positiivisia kehitysvaikutuksia yrityksissĂ€ kuin yleisluontoiset kehitysagendat, kuten YK:n kestĂ€vĂ€n kehityksen tavoitteet.This is a multiple-case study about how large international PC manufacturersâ commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are reflected in the companies: what new activities have been triggered, whom do companies seek to benefit with these activities, and how the companies measure their progress towards the SDGs. No previous research was found on the topic. The purpose of this thesis is to understand what possibilities and limitations there may be related to companies taking a role as development actors through the Agenda 2030.
This thesis relies on a relatively wide theoretical discussion. The topic relates to theories of globalization, privatization of power, global development policy, global governance and both mainstream as well as critical corporate responsibility theories.
A multiple-case study approach was chosen as no single company seems to provide a unique case enough on its own. The number of cases is limited to three based on theoretical guidance. The three case companies Dell, HP and Lenovo are the largest in PC manufacturing and together they represent over half of the global business. They all express a commitment to the SDGs and two of them report about their SDG progress on the Goal level.
A document analysis was conducted on the companiesâ public materials: the companiesâ corporate responsibility reports from 2016 and 2014 and the companiesâ global blog posts and press releases during OctoberâDecember 2017. The 2016 reports were the latest reports available at the time of the data collection. The 2014 reports were used to confirm whether the reported SDG activities are truly started after the SDGs were launched. Blog posts and press releases were analyzed to gain understanding of how important the SDGs are for the company as a whole.
The document analysis consisted of a content analysis of the chosen materials of each company separately and a thematic analysis for grouping the findings from all cases into themes of information. The key findings are that despite positive communication and good initiatives as such, the SDGs have in fact triggered very little new activities in the three companies. Also, reporting of progress is fuzzy and is not based on actual measurements of long-term development impacts. The companies have interpreted the beneficiaries of the SDGs through the business logic and by doing so, they have lost much of the Agenda 2030 spirit of âleaving no one behindâ. It seems like the companies use the SDGs as a frame to prove that their established corporate responsibility activities are sufficient and that their business operations are legitimate. They seem not to have used the SDGs as a basis for planning their SDG activities.
It can be concluded that the companiesâ current contribution does not necessarily advance the SDGs in any relevant manner. At best, companies can add resources to development cooperation, but by putting the company and its priorities in the center of the planning, they often disregard a true development focus and the development opportunities in their activities. Industry specific initiatives that set clear minimum requirements for companies may be more efficient means for gaining positive development impacts in companies than generic development agendas, such as the SDGs
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