646 research outputs found

    Conversations on Empathy

    Get PDF
    In the aftermath of a global pandemic, amidst new and ongoing wars, genocide, inequality, and staggering ecological collapse, some in the public and political arena have argued that we are in desperate need of greater empathy — be this with our neighbours, refugees, war victims, the vulnerable or disappearing animal and plant species. This interdisciplinary volume asks the crucial questions: How does a better understanding of empathy contribute, if at all, to our understanding of others? How is it implicated in the ways we perceive, understand and constitute others as subjects? Conversations on Empathy examines how empathy might be enacted and experienced either as a way to highlight forms of otherness or, instead, to overcome what might otherwise appear to be irreducible differences. It explores the ways in which empathy enables us to understand, imagine and create sameness and otherness in our everyday intersubjective encounters focusing on a varied range of "radical others" – others who are perceived as being dramatically different from oneself. With a focus on the importance of empathy to understand difference, the book contends that the role of empathy is critical, now more than ever, for thinking about local and global challenges of interconnectedness, care and justice

    Bioenergy in the European energy transition: Integrated assessment of the long-term position of bioenergy within the context of climate targets

    Get PDF
    This thesis aims to advance the assessment of the future role of bioenergy as a climate mitigation option for the EU to mid-century. This is achieved by improving EU-level projections at a systematic level via accounting for the critical considerations within supply and demand dynamics across global and regional scales, traversing the full delivery-chain and attached emissions. To achieve this aim, the following research questions are addressed: 1. What is the projected role of bioenergy within EU decarbonisation strategies from quantitative assessment approaches, and how well do they capture 'Root-Chute' considerations? 2. To what extent could global bioenergy competition and trade constraints impact EU mitigation potential from bioenergy and vice-versa? 3. How consistent are integrated modelling assessments for bioenergy deployment with EU-level climate, energy and bioenergy-related policy targets? 4. How feasible are long-term projections for EU bioenergy deployment and mitigative potential from the perspective of logistics, scale-up, management practices and technological advancements

    Regulating competition in the digital network industry: A proposal for progressive ecosystem regulation

    Get PDF
    The digital sector is a cornerstone of the modern economy, and regulating digital enterprises can be considered the new frontier for regulators and competition authorities. To capture and address the competitive dynamics of digital markets we need to rethink our (competition) laws and regulatory strategies. The thesis develops new approaches to regulating digital markets by viewing them as part of a network industry. By combining insights from our experiences with existing regulation in telecommunications with insights from economics literature and management theory, the thesis concludes by proposing a new regulatory framework called ‘progressive ecosystem regulation’. The thesis is divided in three parts and has three key findings or contributions. The first part explains why digital platforms such as Google’s search engine, Meta’s social media platforms and Amazon’s Marketplace are prone to monopolization. Here, the thesis develops a theory of ‘digital natural monopoly’, which explains why competition in digital platform markets is likely to lead to concentration by its very nature.The second part of the thesis puts forward that competition in digital markets persists, even if there is monopoly in a market. Here, the thesis develops a conceptual framework for competition between digital ecosystems, which consists of group of actors and products. Digital enterprises compete to carve out a part of the digital network industry where they can exert control, and their strong position in a platform market can be used offensively or defensively to steer competition between ecosystems. The thesis then sets out four phases of ecosystem competition, which helps to explain when competition in the digital network industry is healthy and when it is likely to become problematic.The third and final part of the thesis brings together these findings and draws lessons from our experiences of regulating the network industry for telecommunications. Based on the insights developed in the thesis it puts forward a proposal for ‘progressive ecosystem regulation’. The purpose of this regulation is to protect and empower entrants from large digital ecosystems so that they can develop new products and innovate disruptively. This regulatory framework would create three regulatory pools: a heavily regulated, lightly regulated and entrant pool. The layered regulatory framework allows regulators to adjust who receives protection under the regulation and who faces the burdens relatively quickly, so that the regulatory framework reflects the fast pace of innovation and changing nature of digital markets. With this proposal, the thesis challenges and enriches our existing notions on regulation and specifically how we should regulate digital markets

    Ekologické a evoluční procesy určující strukturu sítí rostlin a opylovačů

    Get PDF
    Abtrakt Rozmnožování většiny druhů rostlin a potrava značné části diverzity živočichů na této planetě přímo závisí na vztazích mezi květy a opylovači. Donedávna se však převážná většina výzkumu opylování zaměřovala pouze na studium opylování konkrétních rostlin a jen málo pozornosti bylo věnováno celým společenstvům rostlin i opylovačů. V posledních desetiletích se však zaměření ekologie opylování posunulo díky zavedení konceptu opylovacích sítí. Tento koncept umožnil zabývat se opylováním v kontextu celého společenstva, poukázal na rozmanitost i komplexitu vztahů mezi rostlinami a jejich opylovači a otevřel řadu nových možností výzkumu těchto vztahů z pohledu jeho významu pro živočichy nebo z pohledu časové a prostorové dynamiky opylovacích interakcí. Přesto však dosud máme jen matné představy o tom, jaké procesy jsou zodpovědné za strukturu a dynamiku těchto sítí. Podoba opylovací sítě je formována jak ekologickými, tak evolučními procesy. Z ekologického pohledu hraje roli například to, jak se druhy v čase a prostoru potkávají nebo jak si jednotlivé taxony opylovačů vybírají mezi rostlinami v závislosti na kontextu prostředí, aktuálních potravních potřebách či nabídce květních zdrojů. Z evolučního pohledu je pak podoba sítě vztahů mezi rostlinami a opylovači určena tím, jak se druhy na sebe vzájemně...Associations between flowers and pollinators are responsible for reproduction of majority of plant species as well as food supply for substantial part of animal diversity on the Earth. Until recently, the studies on plant-pollinator relationship were focused predominantly on pollination of particular plant species, with only little or no accent on community perspective. In recent decades, however, pollination ecology shifted its focus rather to community context by introducing so called pollination networks. This approach allows us to view the ubiquity and complexity of the interactions between plants and their pollinators and it opened up many new opportunities to study the pollination from animal perspective or to access spatio-temporal variability in the interactions. However, we still have only limited insight into the processes driving the structure and dynamics of such networks. The assembly of plants, pollinators and their interactions are driven by various ecological as well as evolutionary processes. From the ecological point of view, species co-occurrence in time and space may affect the interactions, or species flexibility for various community contexts providing different food sources may play role. In the evolutionary perspective, species may have various co-adaptations due to their...Katedra zoologieDepartment of ZoologyPřírodovědecká fakultaFaculty of Scienc

    THREE ESSAYS ON THE ECONOMICS OF SMALLHOLDER AGRICULTURE IN AFRICA: LABOUR ALLOCATION, ADOPTION OF CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE AND CO-OPERATIVE PARTICIPATION

    Get PDF
    Smallholder farmers dominate agricultural production in many developing countries and produce a significant portion of the food that is consumed within those countries. Given their important contribution, there is strong consensus that improving productivity among smallholder farmers is one of the most effective ways of ensuring food security and alleviating poverty in developing countries. However, the means by which agricultural performance could be enhanced is not straight forward because smallholder farmers operate under complex environments and face multifaceted challenges, including declining soil fertility, the use of poor farming techniques, limited use of fertilizers, low technology adoption, gender disparities, and market failures. This study contributes to improving our understanding of smallholder farmers by examining three of these challenges: labour allocation, technology adoption, and market selection. The specific goals of this study are to: (1) assess the influence of social norms on farm labour allocation and productivity; and (2) examine the factors influencing CA adoption, paying attention to the role of social norms; and (3) examine the impact of agricultural co-operatives on smallholder farmers. To achieve the first objective, the study develops a theoretical framework that incorporates the role of social norms in labour allocation. The study then empirically examines how social norms influence labour allocation and productivity through the estimation of a time allocation model and a production function model in which male and female labour are differentiated. To achieve the second objective, the study estimates a probit model to examine how social norms affect CA adoption. To attain the third objective, the study develops a theoretical model showing how a co-operative affects smallholder farmers in a modern agri-food supply chain. With respect to labour allocation, the results show that women and men do different farm tasks, with men showing a preference in doing activities that use mechanical farm implements, such as controlling ox-drawn ploughs, while women assume manual tasks such as weeding or fertilizer application. Overall, women work more than men, particularly when they are under a female-headed household. These results suggest that social norms are at play. Regarding the adoption of CA, the results show that farmers differentially adopt the three CA components. While most farmers adopted minimum disturbance, only a few adopted mulching. The results also show that farmers who consider social advice and require peer support to try new technologies are less likely to practice mulching. This suggest that mulching does not align with the local norms and values. The results of the theoretical modeling of agricultural co-ops show that they can play an important role in serving smallholder farmers who would otherwise be excluded from the market. The existence of a co-op forces IOFs to pay higher prices than they otherwise would. One of the findings of the thesis is that social norms are important in determining the future of smallholder agriculture in Africa. Altering social norms could result in a more efficient allocation of resources and improved adoption of technologies. However, given that social norms are difficult to change, it is important to develop interventions that align with the existing norms. One way of achieving this is to involve farmers when developing interventions to ensure that local norms and values are incorporated. For instance, to improve men’s participation, it is likely important to develop and promote technologies that rely on mechanized farm implements given that such technologies are attractive to men

    Regulating competition in the digital network industry: A proposal for progressive ecosystem regulation

    Get PDF
    The digital sector is a cornerstone of the modern economy, and regulating digital enterprises can be considered the new frontier for regulators and competition authorities. To capture and address the competitive dynamics of digital markets we need to rethink our (competition) laws and regulatory strategies. The thesis develops new approaches to regulating digital markets by viewing them as part of a network industry. By combining insights from our experiences with existing regulation in telecommunications with insights from economics literature and management theory, the thesis concludes by proposing a new regulatory framework called ‘progressive ecosystem regulation’. The thesis is divided in three parts and has three key findings or contributions. The first part explains why digital platforms such as Google’s search engine, Meta’s social media platforms and Amazon’s Marketplace are prone to monopolization. Here, the thesis develops a theory of ‘digital natural monopoly’, which explains why competition in digital platform markets is likely to lead to concentration by its very nature.The second part of the thesis puts forward that competition in digital markets persists, even if there is monopoly in a market. Here, the thesis develops a conceptual framework for competition between digital ecosystems, which consists of group of actors and products. Digital enterprises compete to carve out a part of the digital network industry where they can exert control, and their strong position in a platform market can be used offensively or defensively to steer competition between ecosystems. The thesis then sets out four phases of ecosystem competition, which helps to explain when competition in the digital network industry is healthy and when it is likely to become problematic.The third and final part of the thesis brings together these findings and draws lessons from our experiences of regulating the network industry for telecommunications. Based on the insights developed in the thesis it puts forward a proposal for ‘progressive ecosystem regulation’. The purpose of this regulation is to protect and empower entrants from large digital ecosystems so that they can develop new products and innovate disruptively. This regulatory framework would create three regulatory pools: a heavily regulated, lightly regulated and entrant pool. The layered regulatory framework allows regulators to adjust who receives protection under the regulation and who faces the burdens relatively quickly, so that the regulatory framework reflects the fast pace of innovation and changing nature of digital markets. With this proposal, the thesis challenges and enriches our existing notions on regulation and specifically how we should regulate digital markets

    An exploratory study of priority soft skills for the future of work and the implications for FET in Ireland

    Get PDF
    The Future of Jobs report (World Economic Forum, 2020) maps the job and skills requirements of the future. The report finds that automation, coupled with Covid-19 is creating what is referred to as, a ‘double disruption’ for workers (p. 5). To successfully negotiate a changing work environment people will need Soft Skills such as adaptability, resilience, inter and intrapersonal communication, tolerance of ambiguity and emotional intelligence. According to Newman (2014), Emotional Intelligence is already a differentiating factor in high- quality leadership, and it is increasingly a key employability criterion. This research aims to identify the priority Soft Skills required for the future workplace and the implications for Further Education and Training (FET) in Ireland functions in developing learning and training pathways for key Soft Skills. It examines the perceptions of stakeholders about what they understand Soft Skills to be; seeks to understand how they are defined in the various stakeholder domains; identify the priority Soft Skills for the post-Covid workplace and discuss teaching and learning strategies that would enhance the acquisition of Soft Skills. The research is qualitative, interpretivist in approach and conducted through an exploratory case study; there is a broad range of participant from business settings, HR, training bodies, FET, as well as recent college graduates. Research methods included semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. Results show issues with nomenclature across all sectors, the term ‘Soft Skills’ being inadequate in capturing the constituent elements. Employers confirm a skills gap at graduate level indicating that while highly qualified, graduates lack the practical Soft Skills requirements of the modern workplace. Priority Soft Skills are identified as Empathy, Resilience, Emotional Intelligence, Listening and adaptability. Soft Skills, while intrinsic to primary education at policy and practice levels, tend to lessen in post primary and do not feature explicitly at this time as a taught skills in FET. This research shows that there may be a need to revisit a national understanding of Soft Skills, and the structures and strategies required to deliver them within FET work-based training systems to meet emerging demand

    Rebuilding the Appalachian Economy From the Ground Up: Towards A Holistic Organizational Framework for Community and Economic Development in Rural Extractive Areas

    Get PDF
    Central Appalachia specifically and rural extractive areas more generally face some of the most challenging socio-economic realities in North America. Community-based organizations (CBOs) are an important tool for addressing these challenges. As governments intensify efforts to mitigate climate change, and as fossil-fuel industries contract, extracted communities are experiencing economic, cultural, and environmental upheaval. Many leaders call for a “just transition” away from fossil-fuels, which would make local extraction communities whole. However, achieving a truly just transition away from fossil fuels is extraordinarily challenging, and many extracted communities were never whole to begin with. I argue CBOs are the crucial vehicle through which effective community and economic development (CED) outcomes can materialize for distressed rural communities. Yet CBOs do not receive nearly enough funding, policy-focus, or high-level partnership. Technical assistance provided to CBOs is often ineffective, especially in rural settings. Evaluation systems for measuring rural CBO effectiveness are inadequate. My research is primarily geared toward practitioners and aspiring practitioners. Findings, program designs and evaluative structures put forward herein are based on experience with Coalfield Development, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization I founded in southern West Virginia in 2010. Coalfield Development has essentially served as my research field lab. This dissertation provides four sections detailing organizational capabilities which local CBOs can develop and implement towards the goal of a just transition and improved quality of life for their unique rural place. In doing so, support is needed from funders and policy-makers in order to succeed. Much better evaluative systems are needed, as well, which could improve resource allocation decisions in these greatly under-invested communities and could also improve organizational effectiveness. The four capabilities and corresponding sections of this dissertation are: capacity building for rural CBOs incubating and investing in employment social enterprises human development for people facing barriers to employment and community-based real-estate revitalization In this dissertation, I use mixed-methods to draw insights and best-practices from more than a decade of interventions through Coalfield Development including case studies, focus groups, surveys, cost-benefit-analyses, program designs and program evaluations. My research illustrates and articulates the value of all four capabilities, finding them each as essential components for CBOs working in extracted local economies. While this research is based in central Appalachia it is intended to be useful to practitioners, policymakers, funders, local leaders and researchers in other rural fossil-fuel communities throughout the world

    Artificial Intelligence and Firm Performance in Norway : "Which Norwegian firms are adopting Artificial Intelligence, and how does the adoption of AI affect firm performance?"

    Get PDF
    This thesis investigates firms’ adoption of artificial intelligence technology and its effects on firm performance. Due to the rapid technological advances of artificial intelligence, this field of research is still largely unexplored, especially in Norway. The research question guiding this study is: "Which Norwegian firms are adopting AI, and how does this adoption affect firm performance?" To estimate and analyze the adoption of AI, we employ web scraping-based methodology and conduct textual analysis of company websites. This approach taps into an underutilized source of information for research purposes. However, it is important to note potential concerns related to endogeneity due to the limitations of our cross-sectional data. Based on our analysis of approximately 53,000 Norwegian companies, we find that several factors influence the likelihood of having adopted AI. Generally, companies located in urban areas, startups, those with more employees, and those with male CEOs are more likely to have a positive AI Know-how score. However, we also identify nuanced variations. Specifically, the number of employees positively affects the AI score in the computer programming industry but does not exhibit the same relationship in the advertising or transportation sectors. This suggests that the number of employees positively relates to AI adoption in industries where value is driven by employee capabilities and complementary resources. Furthermore, within our sample, we observe that 2.7% of Norwegian firms utilize AI technology. Notably, the "Telecom, IT, and Media" industry group exhibits the highest proportion of positive AI Know-how scores, with 11.87%. We find that firms adopting AI experience a lower return on their assets, a lower operating margin, and lower sales per employee than their non-adopting counterparts, indicating that today’s Norwegian firms' AI capabilities do not lead to higher performance. However, we see increased sales growth in AI adopters, indicating a focus on future growth for these firms. These findings contribute to the growing literature on AI adoption and offer insights into the Norwegian context. Additionally, our thesis can serve as a valuable starting point for future research employing similar methodologies.nhhma
    corecore