A religious attack on a legal issue

Should same sex couples have the same marriage rights and privileges that heterosexual couples have? This question is problematic because some states are trying to institute these privileges in a time of growing conservatism

How actors move from primary agency to institutional agency: A conceptual framework and empirical application

This article contributes to the understanding of actors and agency in the theorization of institutional work. We analyse institutional work as a specific kind of social action that involves exercising institutional agency (with an articulate awareness of institutions) as opposed to primary agency (taking institutions for granted). We propose a conceptual framework for combining a view of actors, who have agency and may engage in institutional work, with a view of actors as socially constructed, in line with critical-realist ontology. Applying this framework to the empirical case of the Spanish social movement 15M, we examine how actors moved from having primary agency to having institutional agency and how organization mattered for this process. We find that organizing by experienced organizers, the founding of new organizations and prefigurative organization were of crucial importance for the increase in institutional agency

Methods for Classifying Nonprofit Organizations According to their Field of Activity: A Report on Semi-automated Methods Based on Text

There are various methods for classifying nonprofit organizations (NPOs) according to their field of activity. We report our experiences using two semi-automated methods based on textual data: rule-based classification and machine learning with curated keywords. We use those methods to classify Austrian nonprofit organizations based on the International Classification of Nonprofit Organizations. Those methods can provide a solution to the widespread research problem that quantitative data on the activities of NPOs are needed but not readily available from administrative data, long high-quality texts describing NPOs' activities are mostly unavailable, and human labor resources are limited. We find that in such a setting, rule-based classification performs about as well as manual human coding in terms of precision and sensitivity, while being much more labor-saving. Hence, we share our insights on how to efficiently implement such a rule-based approach. To address scholars with a background in data analytics as well as those without, we provide non-technical explanations and open-source sample code that is free to use and adapt

Long-Run Effects of Post-Kyoto Policies: Applying a Fully Dynamic CGE model with Heterogeneous Capital

The paper develops a new type of CGE model to predict the effects of carbon policies on consumption, welfare, and sectoral development in the long run. Growth is fully endogenous, based on increasing specialization in capital varieties, and specic in each sector of the economy. The benchmark scenario is calculated based on the endogenous gains from specialization which carry over to policy simulation. Applying the model to the Swiss economy we nd that a carbon policy following the Copenhagen Accord entails a moderate but not negligible welfare loss compared to development without any negative eects of climate change. Energy extensive as well as capital and knowledge intensive sectors prot in the form of increased growth rates.Carbon policy, CGE models, energy and endogenous growth, heterogeneous capital

The spread of business-like approaches into the non-profit sector: Causes, consequences, and conclusions for organizing practice (Synopsis)

Abstract of the synopsis: This synopsis presents the research agenda of the habilitation, which centres on the spread of business-like approaches into the nonprofit sector. A theoretical contextualization of the research is given by discussing its relationship to institutional theory on rationalization. The connections between the contained publications are explained, which range from foundational work on the state of research and alternatives to being business-like, to causes for the spread of business-like approaches, to consequences and practical applications. The main research contributions (in particular the most important typologies, frameworks and propositions developed in the articles) are summarised and the research needs and practical implications are reflected on. It is concluded that the effects of business-like instruments depend on the way they are used. They can contribute to exacerbating problems of capitalism in ways that are often not intended by their users. Or they can be tools to support other kinds of social and economic change. The synopsis concludes with a formal assessment of the included publications according to the relevant habilitation guidelines

a case study in the mobility sector

This paper “What drives successful open innovation ecosystems? A case study in the mobility sector” sheds light on success drivers and results of innovation ecosystems orchestrated by intermediaries. A case study of Europe’s largest mobility innovation ecosystem including nine semi-structured interviews is used for data collection. Through data analysis, the author proposes a success driver framework with three dimensions: individual corporate input, ecosystem infrastructure and individual corporate results. The framework indicates the variety in individual corporate output based on the time factor as well as respective firm input. As a steady component, the ecosystem infrastructure through the intermediary is introduced