scholarly journals Condemned to live with one’s feet in water?

Author(s):  
Caroline Schaer

Purpose – The number of poor and informal urban settlers in the world is rapidly growing, and they are increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of a changing climate. Therefore, understanding the nature and sustainability of locally adopted coping and adaptation strategies are key, yet still under-researched areas. Design/methodology/approach – Based on ethnographic research conducted in two poor, flood-prone municipalities in Pikine/Dakar, this paper identifies such coping and adaptation strategies and examines their prospects for maladaptation. Findings – The paper shows that poor urban dwellers are not mere passive spectators of climate change. With the very limited resources they have at their disposal, it is found that local actors respond to perennial flooding with very diverse strategies, which have varying degrees of success and sustainability. A key finding is that local coping and adaptation strategies are mainly maladaptive because they divert risks and impacts in time and space and have detrimental effects on the most vulnerable. Unless there is a broad assimilation of all groups in decision-making processes locally, individual and even collective coping and adaptation strategies may easily put the most vulnerable households at greater risk. The findings reveal that community-based adaptation is not a panacea per se, as it may not, by itself, compensate for the lack of basic services and infrastructure that is forcing the urban poor to cope with disproportionate levels of risk. Originality/value – The paper, hence, contributes to address a central question in scholarly debates on climate adaptation, vulnerability and disaster risk management: Are local coping strategies a stepping stone towards adaptation or are they on the contrary likely to lead to maladaptation?

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-146
Author(s):  
Tiken Das

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the determinants of awareness and use of credit sources. The paper attempts to answer the critical question: is awareness of credit sources prerequisite for their use? Design/methodology/approach This study is conducted in Assam, India, and uses a two-stage econometric model to reduce possible selection bias. Findings This study argues that awareness of credit sources may be a necessary but not sufficient prerequisite for use. It is found that, in general, formal, semiformal and informal sources attract different classes of the population with respect to economic and social indicators. Research limitations/implications The study recommends expanding the scope of semiformal and informal credit sources in rural areas of Assam only for income generating activities with proper market linkages. The possible limitation of the study can be due to exclusion of the role of traditional community-based organizations in rural Assam while analyzing the awareness and use of credit sources. Originality/value The study contributes to the literature by assessing the probable differences among formal, semiformal and informal credit sources with respect to their determinants of awareness and use.


2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theodore Stickley ◽  
Ada Hui ◽  
Gary Souter ◽  
Danielle Mills

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present an evaluation of a community-based arts programme for older people in Nottinghamshire. Design/methodology/approach – The evaluation was conducted using a combination of pre- and post-initiative quantitative questionnaires and qualitative focus group interviews. This paper focuses upon the findings from the focus groups. Findings – Participants reported feeling more positively about ageing and being more motivated to pursue new opportunities at the end of the programme. Five themes emerged from the focus group interviews, namely age and ageing, the finished product, new opportunities, aspirations and the future and personal benefits. These related to increased confidence, having greater creative expression, meaningful occupation and opportunities for socialisation. Social implications – The programme was found to be successful in helping individuals feel more positive about their age, to feel more confident and motivated, to engage with others through mutual creativity, as well as to challenge negative social stereotypes of older people. Originality/value – The paper will be of relevance and value to those working with older people and those with an interest in the arts. This evaluation demonstrates the diversity of the older population with older citizen’s voices being at the heart of the programme.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ebere Ume Kalu ◽  
Lp Dana

Purpose This study is aimed at providing a deduction on the necessity of social and cultural capital for entrepreneurial outcomes on a community-wide scale. Design/methodology/approach There is a drift from an individualised form of entrepreneurship to community-based entrepreneurship with a grand focus on social needs of current and emergent nature. This study is both archival and exploratory and has pictured culture and communality as drivers that are needful for enterprising communities. Findings This paper finds communality, social network, social capital and trust as push-factors for community-based entrepreneurship and development drives. Originality/value This study is an original exposé on the Abia Ohafia community’s Model of community-based entrepreneurship which thrives on strong institutions (like the Age Grade System) and age-long practices that have built trust and stability. This local community through its networks, culture and communalities creates relationships, rational innovation, consensual leadership and participatory followership under which resources, opportunities and solutions are deliberately advanced for meeting social and community purposes.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachael Frost ◽  
Kate Walters ◽  
Jane Wilcock ◽  
Louise Robinson ◽  
Karen Harrison Dening ◽  
...  

PurposePost-diagnostic dementia care is often fragmented in the United Kingdom, with great variation in provision. Recent policies suggest moving towards better community-based care for dementia; however, little is known on how this care is delivered. This study aimed to map the post-diagnostic dementia support provided in England a decade after the introduction of a National Dementia Strategy.Design/methodology/approachA mixed-methods e-survey (open Nov 2018–Mar 2019) of dementia commissioners in England recruited through mailing lists of relevant organisations was conducted. The authors descriptively summarised quantitative data and carried out thematic analysis of open-ended survey responses.Findings52 completed responses were received, which covered 82 commissioning bodies, with representation from each region in England. Respondents reported great variation in the types of services provided. Information, caregiver assessments and dementia navigation were commonly reported and usually delivered by the voluntary sector or local authorities. Integrated pathways of care were seen as important to avoid overlap or gaps in service coverage. Despite an increasingly diverse population, few areas reported providing dementia health services specifically for BME populations. Over half of providers planned to change services further within five years.Practical implicationsThere is a need for greater availability of and consistency in services in post-diagnostic dementia care across England.Originality/valuePost-diagnostic dementia care remains fragmented and provided by a wide range of providers in England.


2017 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nuria Recuero Virto ◽  
Maria Francisca Blasco López ◽  
Sonia San-Martín

Purpose This research aims to provide evidence of the impacts of market orientation, customer value approach (through prestige, value for money and reputation for quality) and innovation on museum sustainability. Design/methodology/approach The model is analysed through partial least squares (PLS-SEM), using a sample of 549 European museums. Findings The results reveal that reputation for quality, prestige, innovation and value for money positively and significantly influence museum sustainability. Interestingly, the most meaningful linkage is between market orientation and innovation. Practical implications This research helps museums that need to increase their customer value and innovativeness so as to ensure museum sustainability. It proves that museum managers have to increase employees’ involvement in decision-making processes. Originality/value By using a wide sample of European museums, this study suggests that museum managers need to consider the impact of marketing strategies and customer value perceptions on the economic and social sustainability of museums.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lutfun Nahar Lata

PurposeThis paper explores the importance of building trust and rapport with participants using gatekeepers and insider-outsider dynamics in accessing vulnerable research participants in the Global South.Design/methodology/approachThis paper draws data from a qualitative case study conducted in Sattola slum in Dhaka.FindingsFindings suggest that access to participants can be gained through building rapport and trust with participants. A trusting relationship further helps the researcher to explore the processes of social exclusion experienced by the participants.Originality/valueFew studies is published on female researchers building trust with vulnerable research participants negotiating gatekeepers and their subjectivity in the field. The paper contributes original insights into this from fieldwork carried out by a middle-class female researcher in Dhaka. It raises important issues in securing the trust of participants when they are part of disadvantaged, exploited or generally vulnerable populations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 285-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danny Chow ◽  
Caroline Aggestam Pontoppidan

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse and understand the UN System’s adoption of IPSAS from a legitimacy perspective. Design/methodology/approach A content analysis of publicly accessible documents from the UN System archives was conducted. The analysis was framed through the broader lens of legitimacy theory, drawing attention to the rationalities of decisions taken. Findings This study illustrated how the need for accounting reforms was rationalised throughout the UN System of organisations. Decision-making processes were reflective of political concerns and the accompanying need to continually demonstrate accountability. The discursive strategies observed associated the need to improve accountability with the adoption of globally recognised accounting systems. However, such logic assumed that existing accountability deficits were intrinsically linked to accounting failures, which overemphasises accounting’s role. Social implications The UN System’s decision to adopt IPSAS in 2006 has been followed by a substantial increase in the number of Member States following suit. However, governments and other organisations considering IPSAS adoption should be aware of the historical context in which the UN System’s decision was made. Originality/value This study addresses a lacuna in empirical studies providing an understanding of the role of accounting reforms within international organisations such as the UN System.


2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 1311-1336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cinzia Battistella ◽  
Alberto Felice De Toni ◽  
Elena Pessot

Purpose This work provides new insights into possible managerial choices and development directions for practising open innovation (OI) in companies. The purpose of this paper is to explore the different practices, actors and tools adopted for opening up the innovation process, in particular, by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are still facing difficulties in its implementation. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a literature review and an exploratory survey of a sample of 85 European SMEs. Findings The study identifies a total of 23 practices, 20 actors and 11 tools involved in the OI processes of companies. It highlights, through literature and empirical evidence, how different combinations of practices, actors and tools are put into practice. Research limitations/implications The developed framework offers new insights both from OI literature and from practitioners’ point of view into the supporting decision-making processes regarding which practices to implement, tools to adopt and actors to collaborate with. A wider investigation is recommended to include more variables to define the differences among the combinations of practices, actors and tools in terms of types of innovation (e.g. product, process, etc.), the openness degree and other contextual factors. Originality/value The originality of this paper is based on the fact that it focusses on a practical perspective of OI implementation, building a framework of reference from previous literature and empirical investigation.


2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 142-145
Author(s):  
Agnes Turnpenny

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to reflect on Vesala et al.'s (2014) findings on the occupational identity of staff and attitudes towards institutional closure. Design/methodology/approach – This commentary reviews some of the research around staffing, organisational hygiene and service management in countries that have already implemented deinstitutionalisation, and draws out some key considerations for countries and organisations that are planning the transition from institutions to community-based care. Findings – There is increasing evidence around approaches that are more likely to lead to positive service user and staff outcomes. Particularly person-centred active support and practice leadership have emerged as effective approaches in facilitating organisational change and high-quality services. Originality/value – Some of the experiences and practices in post-deinstitutionalisation countries around active support and practice leadership can provide valuable considerations for planning institutional closure programmes in countries currently implementing deinstitutionalisation.


Author(s):  
Geoff O'Brien ◽  
Phil O'Keefe ◽  
Janaka Jayawickrama ◽  
Rohit Jigyasu

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a model for developing climate adaptation strategies to reduce climate risk for cultural heritage. Cultural heritage has an important role in human well-being. This paper posits that cultural heritage requires an approach that recognises the uniqueness of cultural heritage. The paper draws from the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) Making My City Resilient campaign and the Heart of the City Partnership in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, and proposes a Cultural Heritage Adaptation Forum. The role of the forum is to develop adaptation strategies in a sustainable development context. This is an original attempt to link cultural heritage to climate risk. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws from two initiatives and uses good practice established from the disaster management and climate communities and proposes a Cultural Heritage Adaptation Forum that can be used to formulate adaptation interventions for cultural heritage. The approach builds on active participation in a global overview of cultural heritage and climate risk led by UNISDR together with personal experience of implementing such strategies in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. Findings – The paper finds that a model can be developed that incorporates good practice from the climate and disaster management communities. Practical implications – The paper presents a model that can be used by those stakeholders that have an interest in protecting cultural heritage form climate driven hazards. Social implications – Cultural heritage has a value for all and protecting it from climate driven hazards can impact human well-being Originality/value – The paper brings together concepts from different academic and practitioner communities. The concept outlined in the paper will be of interest to all those interested in protecting cultural heritage for climate driven hazards.


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