Organizing sustainable development

The role and meaning of sustainable development have been recognized in the scientific literature for decades. However, there has recently been a dynamic increase in interest in the subject, which results in numerous, in-depth scientific research and publications with an interdisciplinary dimension. This edited volume is a compendium of theoretical knowledge on sustainable development. The context analysed in the publication includes a multi-level and multi-aspect analysis starting from the historical and legal conditions, through elements of the macro level and the micro level, inside the organization. Organizing Sustainable Development offers a systematic and comprehensive theoretical analysis of sustainable development supplemented with practical examples, which will allow obtaining comprehensive knowledge about the meaning and its multi-context application in practice. It shows the latest state of knowledge on the topic and will be of interest to students at an advanced level, academics and reflective practitioners in the fields of sustainable development, management studies, organizational studies and corporate social responsibility

Social innovation in poor places: organizational and institutional work in developing and sustaining an entrepreneurial third sector organization

Context statement for DProf by Public Works, the principal public work being the Keystone Development Trust. From the introduction: In 2003, when appointed Chief Executive of a new development trust charged with delivering holistic solutions to entrenched social problems and achieving financial sustainability through enterprise (rather than public subsidy) within three years, I was immediately struck by a dilemma which has challenged and driven me ever since: how is it possible in a poor place? While delivering a major public funded programme was the pressing priority, I was acutely aware that a flood of public monies did not necessarily result in sustainable organizations or community infrastructure when regeneration schemes ended. Moreover, relatively short ‘big bang’ programmes rarely lived up to the transformation claims made at project inception. Twenty years as a community development manager and practitioner had taught me that making a difference in poor places required relationships forged over time through interventions that mattered to local people. I was determined that the new Trust would be in it for the long haul, although at the time I was not entirely sure how. Furthermore I was concerned that policy and practitioner discourses on development trusts, social entrepreneurship and social enterprise were heavy on rhetoric and messianic fervour, but short on a critical understanding and practical solutions to the dilemma

MNEs Paradoxes in Responsible Global Business – A Theoretical and Empirical Investigation

In an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world, where our planet faces the risk of collapse, there is a growing call for all institutional actors to engage in supporting economic, social, and environmental ambitions to ensure humanity’s future and security. This dissertation aims to explore the critical role and position of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in addressing grand societal challenges. The research adopts a comprehensive and multidimensional framework to examine the various dimensions of MNEs’ competing and conflicting demands through a holistic approach. The first essays delve into existing academic literature associated with current approaches to deal with pursuing business and society goals through a bibliometric analysis. Based on the various conflicting and overlapping conceptualizations an overarching framework labeled responsible global business is proposed. The second essay is a theoretical development of propositions to address three global paradoxes faced by MNEs – purpose, global, and innovation. I posit that accepting and embracing contradictions as interrelated opposing elements of the same whole is essential to identify novel sources of innovation and competitiveness. Lastly, the third essay is an in-depth qualitative empirical examination of MNEs\u27 paradoxical tensions emergence, experience, and management. Ultimately, the research aims to contribute novel insights into how MNEs can play a transformative role in addressing grand societal challenges, fostering sustainable development, and ensuring a more secure and prosperous future for all

Subordinating careers to market forces? A critical analysis of European career guidance policy

This study explores language regarding career and career development in European policy documents on career guidance in order to disclose underlying view(s) of these phenomena conveyed in the texts. Qualitative content analysis was used to approach the subject in the texts, followed by a sender-oriented interpretation. Sources for interpretation include several sociological and pedagogical approaches based upon social constructionism. These provide a framework for understanding how different views of career phenomena arise. The characterization of career phenomena in the documents falls into four categories: contextual change, environment-person correspondence, competence mobility, and empowerment. An economic perspective on career dominates, followed by learning and political science perspectives. Policy formulations convey contradictory messages and a form of career \u27contract\u27 that appears to subordinate individuals\u27 careers to global capitalism, while attributing sole responsibility for career to individuals. (DIPF/Orig.

Young Migrant Women Living in the Republic of Ireland Barriers to Integration

AkiDwA is a minority ethnic led national network of migrant women established in 2001 as a not-for-profit organisation in Ireland. The organisation emerged from discussions and meetings among a group of African women, coming together to share their collective experiences of living in Ireland, and in particular, feelings of isolation and exclusion, experiences of race discrimination in employment and access to services, and issues in relation to gender based violence. The organisation brings a gender perspective to issues of migration, to inform policy and practice, and adopts an advocacy based approach. This work is centred on hearing and strengthening the voices of migrant women and addressing the barriers they face in terms of integration in all aspects of social, cultural, economic, civic and political life. AkiDwA has over 2,250 individual members from some 35 counties in Ireland and has gained recognition as a leading non-governmental organisation in Ireland reviewing key legislation, policy and practice, and proposing reforms in relation to issues faced by all migrant women. In August 2012, AkiDwA commissioned Poorman-Skyers Research and Consulting to:a) Undertake a pilot study on young migrant women in Ireland on barriers to integrationb) Locate the study in some of the current literature on gender and migrationc) Identify best practice models of positive integrationd) Develop a series of recommendations targeted at government and non-governmental agencies in Irelan

How Dutch Institutions Enhance the Adaptive Capacity of Society

This report examines the adaptive capacity of the institutional framework of the Netherlands to cope with the impacts of climate change. Historically, institutions have evolved incrementally to deal with existing social problems. They provide norms and rules for collective action and create continuity rather than change. However, the nature of societal problems is changing as a result of the processes of globalization and development. With the progress made in the natural sciences, we are able to predict in advance, to a certain extent, the potential environmental impacts of various human actions on society, for example, climate change. This raises some key questions: Are our institutions capable of dealing with this new knowledge about future impacts and, more importantly, with the impacts themselves? Are our institutions capable of dealing with the inherent uncertainty of the predictions

Critical management studies in South Africa

This book shows how Critical Management Studies (CMS) scholarship is starting to develop a character of its own in South Africa. It attests to CMS slowly gaining momentum and acquiring an identity of its own amongst South African scholars. However, management studies in South Africa is dominated by capitalist ideology and positivist methodology. Although Interpretive scholarship has gained some momentum, it still falls within the parameters of ‘mainstream’, capitalist thinking. Scholarship outside the domain of capitalist thinking, such as critical scholarship, remains sorely underexplored. Being entrenched in the positivist tradition is arguably a major Achilles’ Heel for the progression of management as a field of inquiry. CMS presents a vehicle for alternative epistemologies to be heard in the management discourse. With its focus on power imbalances, struggles for emancipation from oppression, and distrust of capitalism, CMS provides the peripheral point of view with a voice. CMS presents a space where scholars can engage with South African realities surrounding political, cultural, social, and historic contexts and issues in management. This book is promoting CMS to the scholarly community, to show that there are exciting possibilities being offered by a different approach to management scholarship. This book also forms part of a larger project of growing CMS in South Africa, and is a collection of original works by academics actively working in CMS, following various methodological approaches which can be categorised into two broad methodological categories, namely, conceptual work and empirical work following an Interpretive approach

Strategic evaluation study on child-centred community development - Synthesis report

This strategic formative evaluation was carried out by Wageningen International Capacity Development & Institutional Change (CD&IC) programme from May to September 2009. The evaluation aims to obtain insight into the understanding of CCCD within Plan, and to learn more about the factors that favour or obstruct the implementation of Child Centred Community Development (CCCD) in practice. Suggestions on improving CCCD as an approach to development are provided, as well as an analysis of capacity development needs for CCCD implementation. This evaluation report is a product of Phase I of the complete anticipated evaluation trajectory. Phase II will most likely include an international workshop around the findings of Phase I. The findings of Phase I will contribute to the track record for the MFS II application to the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs which Plan Netherlands is currently preparing. The study comprised a desk research stage, which reviewed relevant Plan documentation as well as consultations with key stakeholders within Plan worldwide. During this stage face to face interviews were conducted in Plan IH office in Woking, and at NLNO in Amsterdam. Other interviews with stakeholders in ROs and NOs were done using Skype. Furthermore two field studies were conducted in Kenya and Bangladesh. Given the fact that the topic of the study is broad, it is limited to analysis of the wider issues pertaining to CCCD rather than in-depth detailed analysis of these issues

Managing Interorganizational Networks: Leadership, Paradox and Power. Cases from the U.S. Inmigration Sector

Aquest estudi qualitatiu empíric de quatre xarxes d'organitzacions no lucratives que promouen els drets dels immigrants als EUA vol contribuir a la bibliografia sobre gestió de xarxes centrant-se en dues tensions paradoxals inherents a la xarxa: unitat/diversitat i cooperació/confrontació. Així mateix, identifica quatre activitats fonamentals, activating, facilitating, framing, capacitating, com a fonts per generar unitat i mantenir la diversitat interna de la xarxa. Aquesta unitat i diversitat mencionades proporcionen poder a les xarxes, el qual es conceptualitza com a "power to" i té quatre bases principals: coneixement, recursos financers, legitimitat i accés. A més a més, l'estudi mostra que les xarxes utilitzen aquest poder, que elles mateixes han generat i a les quals es destina, juntament amb dues activitats més strategyzing, mobilizing per cooperar amb els actors estatals més poderosos i, al mateix temps, enfrontar-s'hi. Aquesta investigació, que utilitza com a eix principal les tensions paradoxals inherents a les xarxes, desenvolupa la bibliografia sobre gestió de xarxes, especialment sobre el lideratge i el poder de la xarxa, i té com a objectiu proporcionar als professionals reflexius un marc conceptual de referència.Este estudio cualitativo empírico de cuatro redes de organizaciones no lucrativas que promueven los derechos de los inmigrantes en los EE. UU. pretende contribuir a la literatura de la gestión de redes centrándose en dos tensiones paradójicas inherentes a la red: unidad/diversidad y cooperación/confrontación. El estudio identifica cuatro actividades fundamentales, activating, facilitating, framing, capacitating, como fuentes para generar unidad y mantener la diversidad interna en la red. Dicha unidad y diversidad dan poder a las redes, conceptualizado como "power to", y que tiene, principalmente, cuatro bases de poder: conocimiento, recursos financieros, legitimidad y acceso. El estudio, además, muestra que las redes utilizan este poder generado por y para ellas, junto con dos otras actividades strategyzing, mobilizing para cooperar y enfrentarse a actores estatales mucho más poderosos. Usando las tensiones paradójicas inherentes a las redes como foco principal, esta investigación desarrolla la literatura sobre gestión de redes, en particular sobre el liderazgo y el poder de la red, y pretende proveer a los profesionales reflexivos de un marco conceptual de referencia.This empirical qualitative study  of four interorganizational non-profit networks promoting immigrant rights in the US  contributes to the interorganizational network management literature by focusing on the management of two inherent paradoxical tensions: unity/diversity and cooperation/confrontation. Four leadership activities  activating, facilitating, framing, and capacitating  are found to generate unity and maintain diversity. Unity and diversity, together, build the networks' power: conceptualized as "power to" and as four power bases, namely, knowledge, financial resources, legitimacy, and access. In turn, the networks' power together with two other leadership activities  strategizing and mobilizing  is found to be used by the immigration non-profit networks to both cooperate with and confront powerful state actors. By using paradoxical tensions inherent to networks as its focus, this research further develops both the network leadership and network power literatures, and also aims at providing reflexive practitioners with a guiding conceptual framework

Tensions and paradoxes in electronic patient record research: a systematic literature review using the meta-narrative method

Background: The extensive and rapidly expanding research literature on electronic patient records (EPRs) presents challenges to systematic reviewers. This literature is heterogeneous and at times conflicting, not least because it covers multiple research traditions with different underlying philosophical assumptions and methodological approaches. Aim: To map, interpret and critique the range of concepts, theories, methods and empirical findings on EPRs, with a particular emphasis on the implementation and use of EPR systems. Method: Using the meta-narrative method of systematic review, and applying search strategies that took us beyond the Medline-indexed literature, we identified over 500 full-text sources. We used ‘conflicting’ findings to address higher-order questions about how the EPR and its implementation were differently conceptualised and studied by different communities of researchers. Main findings: Our final synthesis included 24 previous systematic reviews and 94 additional primary studies, most of the latter from outside the biomedical literature. A number of tensions were evident, particularly in relation to: [1] the EPR (‘container’ or ‘itinerary’); [2] the EPR user (‘information-processer’ or ‘member of socio-technical network’); [3] organizational context (‘the setting within which the EPR is implemented’ or ‘the EPR-in-use’); [4] clinical work (‘decision-making’ or ‘situated practice’); [5] the process of change (‘the logic of determinism’ or ‘the logic of opposition’); [6] implementation success (‘objectively defined’ or ‘socially negotiated’); and [7] complexity and scale (‘the bigger the better’ or ‘small is beautiful’). Findings suggest that integration of EPRs will always require human work to re-contextualize knowledge for different uses; that whilst secondary work (audit, research, billing) may be made more efficient by the EPR, primary clinical work may be made less efficient; that paper, far from being technologically obsolete, currently offers greater ecological flexibility than most forms of electronic record; and that smaller systems may sometimes be more efficient and effective than larger ones. Conclusions: The tensions and paradoxes revealed in this study extend and challenge previous reviews and suggest that the evidence base for some EPR programs is more limited than is often assumed. We offer this paper as a preliminary contribution to a much-needed debate on this evidence and its implications, and suggest avenues for new research