scholarly journals “We don’t have any answers within the current framework”: tensions within cannabis policy change in Ireland

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Ó. Rálaigh ◽  
Sarah Morton
Keyword(s):  
Policy Change ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Legal Regulation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Deliberative Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Policy Positions ◽  
Policy Window ◽  
Progressive Policy ◽  
Cannabis Policy

Purpose International policy approaches to cannabis production and use are changing rapidly, and within the Irish context, alternatives to prohibition are being considered. This study aims to explore policymaker’s attitudes towards the decriminalisation and legal regulation of cannabis for recreational use in the midst of an unfolding policy process, examining the degree which a “policy window” might be open for the implementation of cannabis policy change. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were held with eight key informants within the policy field in Dublin, Ireland. Kingdon’s (2014) Multiple Streams framework was used to consider whether the problems, policy and political streams were aligning to support progressive policy change. Findings Irish policymakers indicated broad support for the decriminalisation of cannabis. The legal regulation of cannabis received more qualified support. Existing policy was heavily criticised with criminalisation identified as a clear failure. Of particular interest was the willingness of policymakers to offer opinions which contrasted with the policy positions of their organisations. While a policy window did open – and close – subsequent governmental commitments to examine the issue of drugs policy in a more deliberative process in the near future highlight the incremental nature of policy change. Originality/value This study provides unique insight into the opinions of policymakers in the midst of a prolonged period of policy evolution. A latent aspiration for historical policy change was situated within the realpolitik of more traditional approaches to policy development, demonstrating that the alignment of Kingdon’s (2014) problem, policy and political streams are essential for change in cannabis policy.

scholarly journals Introduction: cultivation, medication, activism and cannabis policy

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 73-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Bone ◽  
Gary Potter ◽  
Axel Klein
Keyword(s):  
Policy Change ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Home Production ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Grass Roots ◽  
Current State ◽  
The Law ◽  
Cannabis Policy ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to introduce the special issue on Illicit Cannabis Cultivation in a Time of Policy Change. Design/methodology/approach The paper reviews some of the different adaptations made by cannabis growers in countries where cannabis has not been legalised. Findings Cannabis growers are adjusting to different legal settings by focusing on home production. Participation in cultivation is a crime, but can also be activism: an effort to change the law. Medical use of cannabis is a particularly important driver here. Having to break the law to alleviate symptoms and treat illnesses provides both a greater sense of urgency and a level of sympathy not usually granted to illicit drug users. Practical implications Grass-roots advocacy may drive policy change. Originality/value This is an original assessment of current state of knowledge on cannabis cultivation in countries where cannabis cultivation remains restricted.

scholarly journals Stakeholder power and engagement in an English seaside context: implications for destination leadership

2014 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 187-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Kennedy ◽  
Marcjanna M. Augustyn
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Method ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Leadership Theories ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Complexity Leadership ◽  
Seaside Resort ◽  
Leadership And Change ◽  
Stakeholder Power

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine stakeholder power and engagement within an increasingly competitive English seaside resort setting. It aims to adopt a structuralist and functionalist perspective and develop an enabling conceptualisation of power that incorporates structural and agency components in stakeholders’ reasons for engaging. Based on the conceptual interdependencies between stakeholder power and engagement, this study aims to present the limitations of previous studies on destination leadership in this area, and this paper also seeks to discuss implications for destination leadership. Design/methodology/approach As a qualitative and exploratory study, mixed-method research was adopted using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with destination stakeholders from a prominent tourism action group. The primary research was carried out in an English seaside resort between 2010 and 2011. Data are used to draw a stakeholder map as a visual tool. Findings Eight elements of enabling power are confirmed to be of importance in identifying stakeholder power and engagement. The level of power varies depending on stakeholders’ position within a network. These findings direct attention towards adopting a complexity leadership approach in an increasingly competitive destination environment. Research limitations/implications The paper focuses on an English seaside resort, although results can be transferred to other similar-sized destinations where the focus is on local tourism policy development. Originality/value The paper provides an innovative conceptualisation of power in stakeholder theory by drawing primarily on a sociological understanding of power as an enabler and not as an inhibitor for development, leadership and change in seaside resorts. This paper uses leadership theories to interpret data and infer implications for destination leadership.

scholarly journals SME’s disinclination towards subcontracting in the public sector markets: an attributional perspective

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Temidayo Akenroye ◽  
Jonathan D. Owens ◽  
Adekunle Sabitu Oyegoke ◽  
Jamal Elbaz ◽  
H.M. Belal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Attribution Theory ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Public Procurement ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Government Procurement ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
North West ◽  
The Public

Purpose This study aims to examine the causes of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) disinclination towards subcontracting in public sector markets. Previous studies have revealed that UK SMEs are reluctant to do business with the public sector through the subcontracting route, but the reasons for this lack of enthusiasm have not been widely researched. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on semi-structured interviews with SMEs competing for public contracts in North West England, a qualitative study was performed, from which several themes emerged. Findings The findings were synthesised into a framework underpinned by attribution theory, to portray situationally and dispositionally caused factors that were used to interpret SMEs’ behaviour. Social implications The findings can guide policy development and government interventions in developed and developing countries, aimed at using public procurement as a policy tool to develop the small business sector. Originality/value This paper contributes in a unique way to an emerging discourse on how subcontracting can facilitate the access of SMEs to government procurement spending. It adds to knowledge regarding the explanatory power of attribution theory – from its base in social psychology.

scholarly journals Motives to SME internationalisation

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Bowen
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Cultural Influences ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Food And Drink

Purpose This study offers a comparative analysis of attitudes to small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) internationalisation in two different cultural settings, Wales and Brittany. The purpose of this paper is to conduct an in-depth investigation of attitudes to internationalisation among food and drink SMEs using mixed methods and focussing on both SMEs that internationalise and those that do not. This leads to a more comprehensive understanding of the issues influencing attitudes to SME internationalisation, which could facilitate policy development for such companies. Design/methodology/approach Mixed methods are used in this study to provide a richness of data in investigating this complex issue. The majority of research in this field has focussed on quantitative research, however, this study heeds calls for more plurality in research on SME internationalisation to achieve a more detailed understanding of the issues affecting SME internationalisation. This is achieved through an online questionnaire of 169 food producing SMEs in Wales and Brittany, informed by International Entrepreneurship theory. A second phase of semi-structured interviews provides more context to the questionnaire findings, with 37 interviews conducted with respondents from the questionnaire. Each phase was conducted independently, with findings triangulated for further investigation. Findings Companies of all characteristics have the ability to internationalise; however, cultural differences were observed between Wales and Brittany in both attitudes and the conditions for internationalisation. Breton SMEs displayed more proactivity to internationalisation, stemming from more favourable conditions, a greater reputation for food and more confidence. Conversely, Welsh SMEs were more reactive, relying on government support in encouraging internationalisation. Breton SMEs also benefitted from the strong cultural identity of food products, especially through the Produit en Bretagne brand and its network of producers. Originality/value The study makes both a theoretical and methodological contribution to research on SME internationalisation. The comparative study of Wales and Brittany is significant in understanding cultural influences to internationalisation in two regions where the food and drink industry represents an important part of the economy. The focus on a single industry is significant in understanding the particularities of internationalisation within an industrial context, as findings from studies across multiple industries are considered less generalisable. A methodological contribution is sought through using mixed methods to provide a more comprehensive study.

scholarly journals A narrative account of the key drivers in the development of the Learning from Deaths policy

2021 ◽  
pp. 135581962110108
Author(s):  
Mirza Lalani ◽  
Helen Hogan
Keyword(s):  
Patient Safety ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
System Level ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy Window ◽  
Care Quality Commission ◽  
Southern Health ◽  
National Patient ◽  
Key Drivers

Objective In recent years there has been a proliferation of patient safety policies in the United Kingdom triggered by well publicized failures in health care. The Learning from Deaths (LfD) policy was implemented in response to failures at Southern Health National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust. This study aims to develop a narrative to enable the understanding of the key drivers involved in its evolution and implications for future national patient safety policy development. Methods A qualitative study was undertaken using documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews (n = 12) with policymakers from organizations involved in the design, implementation and assurance of LfD at a system level. Kingdon’s Multiple Streams Approach was used to frame the policymaking process. Results The publication of the Southern Health independent review and subsequent highlighting by the Care Quality Commission of a fragmented approach to learning from deaths across the NHS opened a ‘policy window.’ Under the influence of the families affected by patient safety failures and the then Secretary of State, acting as ‘policy entrepreneurs,’ recently developed methods for mortality review were combined with mechanisms to enhance transparency and governance. This rapidly created a framework designed to ensure NHS organizations identified remedial safety problems and could be accountable for addressing them. Conclusions The development of LfD exhibits several common features with other patient safety policies in the NHS. It was triggered by a crisis and the need for a prompt political response and attempts to address a range of concerns related to safety. In common with other safety policies, LfD contains inherent tensions related to its primary purpose, which may hinder its impact. In the absence of formal evaluations of these policies, deeper understanding of the policymaking process offers the possibility of identifying potential barriers to goal achievement.

Role of authentic employer brands in addressing the integration-responsiveness problem in religiously-sensitive environments

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-95
Author(s):  
Saud Taj ◽  
Katie Sinclair
Keyword(s):  
Policy Development ◽  
Multinational Enterprises ◽  
Middle Managers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Employer Branding ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Policy Development Process ◽  
Employer Brand ◽  
Global And Local

PurposeMultinational enterprises (MNEs) face twin pressures of maintaining a globally integrated brand while remaining responsive to local demands. Previous research has shown that misunderstandings may surface from the way subsidiary employees read corporate messages, particularly if institutional and social distances between corporate headquarters (HQs) and subsidiaries are wide. Employer branding is sometimes used to help resolve such tensions if HQs are sensitive to signals from their subsidiaries in the policy development process. Thus, this paper addresses the question: to what extent does institutional proximity facilitates the creation and maintenance of socially legitimate employer brands in MNE subsidiaries.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses an interpretive approach in analysing two cases of multinational subsidiaries operating in Pakistan but with divergent HQ institutional distances (Northern Europe and Middle East). A qualitative approach to data collection was taken and ten semi-structured interviews with senior and middle managers and two focus groups of six lower level employees in each case organization were conducted.FindingsThe findings suggest that institutional proximity played a secondary role in establishing a legitimate employer brand whereas a receptive and responsive signalling process was of greater importance. The authenticity of the employer brand was stronger in the organization that was more receptive to the incoming signals from local employees compared to the firm that was rather institutionally closer due to shared customs and culture.Practical implicationsFindings point to the significance of the character and intensity of the employment relationship at a micro level as the honesty and credibility of organizational messages and interpreted and re-interpreted at a localized level, thereby bearing serious implications for both global and local managers.Originality/valueThese findings contribute to the IHRM literature on the integration-responsiveness problem, to the debate over institutional proximity, and to the influence of religion on people management.

The Civic Origins of Progressive Policy Change: Combating Violence against Women in Global Perspective, 1975–2005

2012 ◽  
Vol 106 (3) ◽  
pp. 548-569 ◽  
Author(s):  
MALA HTUN ◽  
S. LAUREL WELDON
Keyword(s):  
Social Movements ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Social Policy ◽  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Policy Change ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
Original Dataset ◽  
Important Concern ◽  
Progressive Policy

Over the past four decades, violence against women (VAW) has come to be seen as a violation of human rights and an important concern for social policy. Yet government action remains uneven. Some countries have adopted comprehensive policies to combat VAW, whereas others have been slow to address the problem. Using an original dataset of social movements and VAW policies in 70 countries over four decades, we show that feminist mobilization in civil society—not intra-legislative political phenomena such as leftist parties or women in government or economic factors like national wealth—accounts for variation in policy development. In addition, we demonstrate that autonomous movements produce an enduring impact on VAW policy through the institutionalization of feminist ideas in international norms. This study brings national and global civil society into large-n explanations of social policy, arguing that analysis of civil society in general—and of social movements in particular—is critical to understanding progressive social policy change.

scholarly journals User-driven efforts in creating knowledge graph information system

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-111
Author(s):  
Stanislava Gardasevic
Keyword(s):  
Information System ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Resource Discovery ◽  
The Body ◽  
Knowledge Graph ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Study Objective ◽  
Content Type

Purpose This paper presents the results of a qualitative study that involved students of an interdisciplinary PhD program. The study objective was to gather requirements to create a knowledge graph information system. The purpose of this study was to determine information-seeking practices and information needs of this community, to inform the functionalities of a proposed system, intended to help students with relevant resource discovery and decision-making. Design/methodology/approach The study design included semi-structured interviews with eight members of the community, followed by a website usability study with the same student participants. Findings Two main information-seeking styles are recognized and reported through user personas of international and domestic (USA) students. The findings show that the useful information resides within the community and not so much on the program website. Students rely on peer communication, although they report lack of opportunities to connect. Students’ information needs and information seeking are dependent on their progress through the program, as well as their motivation and the projected timeline. Practical implications Considering the current information needs and practices, a knowledge graph hosting both information on social networks and the knowledge produced by the activities of the community members would be useful. By recording data on their activities (for example, collaboration with professors and coursework), students would reveal further useful system functionalities and facilitate transfer of tacit knowledge. Originality/value Aside from the practical value of this research that is directly influencing the design of a system, it contributes to the body of knowledge on interdisciplinary PhD programs.

scholarly journals Financing Long-Term Services and Supports: Opportunities for Overcoming Historical Roadblocks to Reform

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 717-717
Author(s):  
Edward Miller ◽  
Pamela Nadash ◽  
Marc Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Affordable Care Act ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
State Level ◽  
Government Action ◽  
Policy Window ◽  
Adoption And Implementation ◽  
Opportunities For Learning ◽  
State Budgets ◽  
Services And Supports

Abstract This presentation documents the continuing failure to tackle the problem of financing long-term services and supports (LTSS)—a failure most recently seen in the only national legislation ever enacted to comprehensively address LTSS costs: the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act. The CLASS Act was included in the Affordable Care Act, but was repealed in 2013. Subsequently, policy experts and some Democrats have made proposals for addressing the LTSS financing crisis. Moreover, significant government action is taking place at the state level, both to relieve financial and emotional burdens on LTSS recipients and their families and to ease pressure on state budgets. Lessons from these initiatives could serve as opportunities for learning how to overcome roadblocks to successful policy development, adoption, and implementation across states and for traversing the policy and political tradeoffs should a policy window open once again for addressing the problem of LTSS financing nationally.

scholarly journals Unpacking the package

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 346-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Evans ◽  
Basil Phillip Tucker
Keyword(s):  
Organisational Change ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Management Control ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Informal Control ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Energy Company ◽  
Management Controls ◽  
Control Package

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the ways in which both formal and informal control, operating as a package, are implicated in responding to organisational change arising from the introduction of the Australian Federal Government’s Clean Energy Act (2011). Design/methodology/approach – This investigation is based on a review of archival data, and semi-structured interviews conducted with 15 staff at different hierarchical levels within an Australian renewable energy company. Findings – Although formal management control systems and informal control both played important roles in the organisation’s reorientation to organisational change, it was the latter form of control that predominated over the former. The influence of the prevailing organisational culture, however, was pivotal in orchestrating both formal and informal control efforts within this organisation. Originality/value – This study contributes to management control theory and practice in two ways: first, it provides much needed empirical evidence about the ways in which management controls act as a package; second, it offers insights into the relative importance of the components of a management control package in the context of a particular organisational change. In addition, it responds to Laughlin’s (1991) call for empirical “flesh” to be added to the skeletal framework he advocates to make this conceptualisation of organisational change, “more meaningful”.

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