A NEW APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT- INTEGRATIVE IMPROVEMENT (II)™: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AS IF PEOPLE AND THEIR PHYSICAL, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ENVIRONMENTS MATTERED

The purpose of this article is to outline the core principles of Integrative Improvement (II) in comparison with current development approaches, describe key features of II and briefly comment on II in relation to the Sustainable Livelihoods (SL) approach of the United Kingdom Department for International Development (http://www.livelihoods.org/). The current development approaches considered are those selected in 6.1 of the SL Guidance Sheets, namely:- “• Country-level Development Strategies, for example: Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, Comprehensive Development Frameworks and National Strategies for Sustainable Development; • Medium-Term Expenditure Frameworks; • Sector-Wide Approaches; • Governance and Rights-based Approaches.”Economic development, Integrative Improvement, Integrative Thinking, Integrative Governance, Integrative Problem Solving, Integrative Capitalism, Integrative Democracy, Education-Teaching and learning, Training-Human Resources and management, Organisational development, Personal development, Applied Mind Science, Self-organising systems

ICT, open government and civil society

Abstract This paper explores the rise of ICTs as instruments of government reform and the implication of their use from the vantage point of the relations between democratic governance, the aims of Buen Vivir, and the role of civil society. We discuss some of the contradictions inherent in the nature and organisation of ICTs, particularly in connection to such e-government projects as “smart cities” and participatory budgeting, and focus on the centrality of social relationships, political agency and the operations of social capital as elements that determine the success of these initiatives in the promotion of democratic practice. We also examine the relevance of social capital and user control to organisational structure and the ways in which structure relates to social innovation and the access, transfer and diffusion of knowledge as a common good. The paper concludes with a discussion of the significance of ICTs as instruments of civil empowerment and introduces the notion of “generative democracy” as a means of re-imagining and realigning the role and powers of the state and civil society for the social production of goods and services

Corporate Social Responsibility in Agribusiness: Empirical Findings from Germany

The social responsibility of businesses has developed into a highly debated issue in recent years. Especially in agribusiness, recent scandals as well as information asymmetries concerning food production have led to high external pressure on firms from the wider public. Being confronted with a variety of stakeholder goals and relationships, it could be particularly advantageous for enterprises in agribusiness to pursue a corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy. Based on a literature review, we introduce a conceptual framework that provides insights into the determinants of CSR and its effects, in particular, on the legitimacy and reputation, and finally, the performance of enterprises in agribusiness. This contingency-theoretic approach allows a more thorough analysis of CSR strategies and has guided an empirical study. In 2008, 170 German agribusiness companies responded to an online survey, using a standardized questionnaire. The empirical findings provide in-depth insights into the perception of external pressure in various fields linked to food production (for instance, use of genetically modified organisms), the understanding of social responsibility by the agribusiness companies surveyed and the way CSR is integrated into the firms’ strategic management. We also present three clusters of companies that differ with regard to their dominant motives for pursuing CSR strategies.corporate social responsibility, CSR, agribusiness, survey, sustainability, food scandals, Agricultural and Food Policy,