scholarly journals Exploring the masculinization of innovation practice within a municipality

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 243-258
Author(s):  
Caroline Wigren-Kristoferson ◽  
Maria Aggestam
Keyword(s):  
Social Implications ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Balanced Approach ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Feminine ◽  
Public Context ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Gender Paradoxes ◽  
Gendered Work

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to generate an empirically informed theoretical framework which can be used to analyze the relationship between gender and innovation in the context of a municipality. The authors present and analyze three illustrative tales from a feminist perspective. The authors thus offer a more balanced approach to the conceptualization of gendered ascriptions with respect to the possible outcomes of innovation work in a public context.Design/methodology/approachAn ethnographic account which employed “shadowing” as a method of observation.FindingsThe article presents a debate on how the social construction of gender and innovation can be placed in the context of a municipal reality. Our analysis reveals how the complexities of a gendered work life within a municipality can create paradoxes. A constructionism approach was used in the identification of hidden and unspoken paradoxes that exist in public spheres.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors used empirical tales from a very specific context, namely a Swedish municipality. The central implication of this study is the recognition of innovation as being masculine-gendered within the feminine context. This implication thereby deepens our understanding of gender paradoxes in the public sector.Practical implicationsThis study provides insights to practitioners who intend to work with innovation in a public organization.Social implicationsThe social implications of this study is that when a male-gendered concept like innovation is implemented in a female-gendered context, like a municipality, it is of importance to contextualize the concept.Originality/valueThe empirical value of examples of a gendered work landscape at a Swedish municipality.

Service satisfaction and organizational image

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eran Vigoda-Gadot ◽  
Haim Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Public Organizations ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Service Satisfaction ◽  
Organizational Image ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to examine the relationship between image, service satisfaction and public opinion towards reforms in public organizations and postulate a more detailed relationship among them. The concept “New Public Management” (NPM) was initially suggested in the literature sometime around the early 1990s (Aucoin, 1990; Hood, 1991). NPM-style reforms raised the flag of responsiveness to citizens and improved public satisfaction with the assumption that organizational image would also be positively affected by such reforms. Image, satisfaction and support in public sector reforms are, therefore, the major focus of this study. Design/methodology/approach – The focus is on a major reform in the Israel electricity industry and data were collected from 500 respondents by telephone interviews. Findings – The findings support the authors ' hypotheses concerning the major role of image and satisfaction in forming attitudes towards NPM-style reforms. However, beyond conventional direct effects, the authors point to the mediating effect of organizational image on the relationship between satisfaction and support for reforms. Research limitations/implications – First, other factors not included in the model may influence support for NPM-style reforms in public organizations. Second, the study focused on a single organization in one country only and a very specific culture. Finally, the study is cross-sectional and may suffer from common-method and common-source biases and for this reason, should be replicated to allow better generalization and firmer implications. Practical implications – The findings about the preponderance of organizational image over service satisfaction can contribute to policymakers in their efforts to increase support for reforms among the public. The results demonstrate the strong relationship between organizational image and public opinion towards reform and the secondary effect of service satisfaction. Social implications – The centrality of organizational image as a core social focus for citizens as clients and for policymakers is highlighted in the discussion. It is maintained that NPM-style reforms in the social arena, and beyond, are predominantly affected by image. Therefore, there is a need to better understand how image affects social and economic reforms and attitudes towards those reforms and what may be the social consequences of such attitudes by citizens and by policymakers’ decisions. Originality/value – The originality of this study is fourfold: a unique model of image, satisfaction and attitudes towards NPM-style reforms not been studied thus far is in its current form; exploring interrelations of citizens’ satisfaction, image of the public sector and calls for reforms and change in the market-like environment of the public sphere; a telephone survey of opinions towards a specific NPM-style reform; and a focus on a major public sector organization in Israel going through reform.

The 2016 Police and Crime Commissioner elections

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Joyce
Keyword(s):  
Public Awareness ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Source Material ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Government

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the 2016 elections for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and to compare them with those that took place in 2012. It seeks to evaluate the background of the candidates who stood for office in 2016, the policies that they put forward, the results of the contests and the implications of the 2016 experience for future PCC elections. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based around several key themes – the profile of candidates who stood for election, preparations conducted prior to the contests taking place, the election campaign and issues raised during the contests, the results and the profile of elected candidates. The paper is based upon documentary research, making particular use of primary source material. Findings The research establishes that affiliation to a political party became the main route for successful candidates in 2016 and that local issues related to low-level criminality will dominate the future policing agenda. It establishes that although turnout was higher than in 2012, it remains low and that further consideration needs to be devoted to initiatives to address this for future PCC election contests. Research limitations/implications The research focusses on the 2016 elections and identifies a number of key issues that emerged during the campaign affecting the conduct of the contests which have a bearing on future PCC elections. It treats these elections as a bespoke topic and does not seek to place them within the broader context of the development of the office of PCC. Practical implications The research suggests that in order to boost voter participation in future PCC election contests, PCCs need to consider further means to advertise the importance of the role they perform and that the government should play a larger financial role in funding publicity for these elections and consider changing the method of election. Social implications The rationale for introducing PCCs was to empower the public in each police force area. However, issues that include the enhanced importance of political affiliation as a criteria for election in 2016 and the social unrepresentative nature of those who stood for election and those who secured election to this office in these contests coupled with shortcomings related to public awareness of both the role of PCCs and the timing of election contests threaten to undermine this objective. Originality/value The extensive use of primary source material ensures that the subject matter is original and its interpretation is informed by an academic perspective.

Social identity, rationality, creativity

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna-Maria Kanzola ◽  
Konstantina Papaioannou ◽  
Panagiotis E. Petrakis
Keyword(s):  
Social Identity ◽  
Social Identity Theory ◽  
Identity Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Theories ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Life Improvement ◽  
Components Analysis ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThis study examines the relationship between rationality and creativity by means of social identity theory for the Greek society (2019–2020).Design/methodology/approachThe outline of the social identity was given through self-categorization via a distributed questionnaire. The types of behavior (rational, nonrational and loss-averse) were determined by using questions based on the Allais paradox. Principal components analysis (PCA) is used to extract the causal relationships.FindingsThe study findings demonstrate that rational individuals are more prompt to creative personality than nonrational individuals. Rational individuals are motivated to pursue creativity through life-improvement goals. Loss-averse individuals are driven through the contradictive incentive of adventure-seeking behavior without, however, being willing to easily give up their established assets.Originality/valueThis article contributes by explaining creativity among rational, nonrational and loss-averse individuals as a product of social identity theory. This contributes to the literature, by proposing that the application of social theories in economics could constitute a different foundation for economics. This refers to the notion of the social microfoundations of the political economy and macroeconomics.

Corporate social responsibility disclosure on the websites of coffee chains in Turkey

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Petek Tosun
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Public Attention ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
Csr Disclosure ◽  
Social And Environmental Responsibilities ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose Coffee is among the primary products that attract the public attention to the social and environmental responsibilities of companies. Coffee shops have a big carbon footprint because of their daily operations. With the rising consciousness about sustainability in developing countries, online disclosure of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming increasingly important for not only multinational but also local coffee chains. The purpose of this study is to analyze the extent to which coffee chains include CSR on their websites. Design/methodology/approach Turkey, which is a large emerging economy with an expanding coffee chain market, is selected as the research context. The CSR disclosure on the websites of coffee chains is examined by content analysis according to CSR dimensions. A sample of 27 coffee chains with more than ten stores is included in the analysis. Findings Foreign coffee chains disclose more information on the environment and fair trade than local coffee chains. On the other hand, CSR content in websites of foreign and local coffee chains does not differ significantly in human resources and community dimensions. Foreign coffee chains have comparatively longer brand history, more rooted brands and larger networks than local coffee chains. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is the first that used a content analysis about CSR on the websites of coffee chains in Turkey. Findings contribute to the understanding of CSR disclosure in the coffee chain industry and can be beneficial for researchers and managers in other emerging markets.

Employees first, customers second and shareholders third? Towards a modern HR philosophy

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 6-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.S. Rao
Keyword(s):  
Social Implications ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Goals ◽  
True Value ◽  
The Social ◽  
Global Companies ◽  
Brand Ambassadors ◽  
Southwest Airlines ◽  
Goals And Objectives ◽  
Whole Foods

Purpose The purpose of this research paper is to place an emphasis on the philosophy of “employees first, customers second, and shareholders third”. Design/methodology/approach It outlines the advantages of this philosophy and illustrates with examples of global companies including Google, Virgin, Alibaba, Facebook, LinkedIn, FedEx Corporation, Southwest Airlines, Whole Foods, and Costco. Findings It concludes to treat your employees as assets and convert them into your brand ambassadors to accomplish organizational goals and objectives. Practical implications These strategies can be applied in any industry and in any size of organization. Social implications The social implications of this research suggests that leaders can achieve organizational excellence and effectiveness by adopting these strategies. Originality/value It substantiates that employees are the true value creators for any organization. It explores soft leadership and elaborates the changing mindsets of the employees globally. It enlightens to treat people as people and partners, not as workers.

scholarly journals Trimming the social body

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 68-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakob Krause-Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Social Body ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Ethnographic Fieldwork ◽  
The Social ◽  
Management Concept

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse through ethnographic fieldwork the social and cultural context and (unintended) consequences of introducing a management concept from the private sector (LEAN) into the public sector. Design/methodology/approach Ethnographic fieldwork combined with reading of reports and material. Findings The major findings are: first, Lean is seen in a cultural context, it is argued that the persuasiveness of Lean depends on building a metaphorical connection between organizational aims and individual experiences and bodily ideals; second, Lean purports to be a win-win game and road to eliminating “waste” through worker participation, empowerment and enthusiasm. The research points to the contrary. Lean was met with scepticism and was seen by the social workers as a waste of time. Originality/value As demonstrated in the paper, the vast majority of research published about Lean is hortatory in nature. It is recipe books trying to convince readers of the benefits of introducing Lean. This paper, on the contrary, attempts an open ethnographic exploration of the Lean process and its social and cultural ramifications.

To be or not to be…at work while ill

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 314-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
James MacGregor ◽  
J. Barton Cunningham
Keyword(s):  
Social Implications ◽  
Public Employees ◽  
Health Consequences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Leader Support ◽  
Goal Clarity ◽  
The Social ◽  
Public Sector Organizations ◽  
Organizational Antecedents ◽  
First Time

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the results from two public sector organizations to test a model of the organizational antecedents and health consequences of sickness presenteeism (SP) in the workplace.Design/methodology/approachThe study reports on two surveys of public employees, one including 237 respondents and another of 391 employees. The combined sample allowed for the testing of a model of organizational antecedents and the health consequences of SP.FindingsThe results supported the model, indicating that increased leader support and goal clarity decrease SP indirectly through increased trust. Decreasing presenteeism is associated with decreased sickness absence and better health.Practical implicationsThe key practical application is in encouraging managers and scholars to recognize that the costs of presenteeism are as higher or higher than the costs of absenteeism.Social implicationsThe social implications are clear in helping us recognize that when people come to work sick, they are not productive and are endangering the productivity of others.Originality/valueThis is the first time that research had defined and operationalized a causal model linking antecedents such as leader-member relations, goal clarity and trust with SP and absenteeism.

Accountability and governance in social care: the impact of personalisation

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrico Bracci
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Public Governance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
New Public ◽  
Governance Process ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The aim of the paper is to illustrate the changing structure of accountability under a new public governance agenda introduced in England to deliver social care through personal budgets. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on accountability and public governance literature, in particular, the accountability framework proposed by Hupe and Hill. The evidence was gathered from exploratory case studies conducted in two English County Councils. Findings – The introduction of personal budgets has modified the roles of the different actors involved in the co-production of social services. The case studies evidence changes in the accountability and governance process, particularly with respect to the personal budget regime that has devolved responsibility and accountability to the customer. Specifically, the customer's role has shifted and expanded in the accountability chain and thus developed into a partnership. Originality/value – This study is one of the first to analyse the relationship between the personalisation agenda in English social services and the relevant accountability mechanisms involved. Moreover, the paper refines the theoretical framework proposed by Hupe and Hill according to the different role the public now plays.

Evaluating the effect of macroeconomic variables on the welfare changes in Iran

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 594-604
Author(s):  
Mohammad Nabi Shahiki Tash ◽  
Saber Molaei ◽  
Kamran Barghandan
Keyword(s):  
Social Welfare ◽  
Fuzzy Regression ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Welfare Level ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Welfare Index ◽  
Welfare Changes

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the level of cardinal welfare based on Sen’s index using both Pareto and non-Pareto states besides evaluating the effective factors on the welfare changes according to a fuzzy least-squares regression model. Design/methodology/approach The social welfare functions express the optimal social allocations in the public economics. Therefore, they can be applied as a tool to represent the difference of utility allocations among consumers. There are various criteria on the literature pertaining to the social welfare functions such as those of Dasgupta et al. (1970), Sheshinski (1972), Sen (1974), Yitzhaki (1979), Shorrocks (1983), Kakwani (1984), Dagum (1990, 1993), Mukhopadhaya (2003), and Mukhopadhaya and Rao (2001). The Sen’s welfare function because of strong theoretical basis and enjoying the welfare axioms is more celebrated among others so that it is a function of individual utilities resulting from the individual’s social positions. Findings The findings indicate that the welfare level has increased by about 4.8 percent during the period 2002-2007; by nearly 3.1 percent during 1997-2001 and mature to 2.7 percent from 1992 to 1996 such that the period 1997-2007 has had the highest level of social welfare improvement in Iran. The results obtained from the fuzzy regression show that the unemployment rate, inflation rate and Gini coefficient variables have an adverse relation with the cardinal welfare in both Pareto and non-Pareto cases, while the literacy rate and government expenditures have a positive relation with the welfare index. The findings also imply that there is a positive relationship between economic growth and welfare level in Iran. Originality/value I verify that this manuscript is an original study.

Licence to operate

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 387-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juha Klemelä
Keyword(s):  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Full Spectrum ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Status ◽  
Licence To Operate ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Benefits And Costs

Purpose The Social Return on Investment (SROI) framework has been developed for mapping and measuring social impact. It may be used for legitimating organisations and projects. The framework is often criticised for its overemphasis of the SROI ratio, i.e. the relationship between monetised benefits and costs. This study aims to demonstrate how the SROI method legitimates organisations or projects with multiple other discursive ways besides the SROI ratio. It also discusses the status of these other ways of legitimation in relation to the quantifying and monetising core tendency of SROI. Design/methodology/approach The empirical data consist of an SROI guidebook and 12 SROI reports. Their study applies Theo van Leeuwen’s ideas for analysing the discursive legitimation of social practices. The study takes place broadly in the framework of Norman Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis, aided by qualitative content analysis. Findings In the analysis, the full spectrum of the van Leeuwenian legitimation means used by SROI – authorisation, rationalisation, moral evaluation and mythopoetical narration – is brought out in the data and the status and social context of the legitimation means are assessed and discussed. It is shown that there is existing potential for broader and more visible use of different legitimation means. Practical implications Based on the findings of the study, suggestions for the improvement of SROI reporting by a more balanced explicit use of the multitude of legitimation means are presented. Originality/value The study is original both in its subject (the spectrum of legitimation in SROI) and its method (qualitative discursive and contentual analysis of SROI as a legitimating discourse).

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document