Saudi escalation threatens Lebanon's stability

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Social Crisis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Military Aid ◽  
The Social

Significance The Saudi government confirmed last week that it had stopped all military aid to Lebanon, including previously agreed deals aimed at equipping the LAF in its fight to secure the country's borders with Syria. Further moves have been threatened as Riyadh responds to the growing influence of Hezbollah and its Iranian backer over Lebanon's government. Impacts The army will be weakened by the absence of the new equipment, but not decisively so. The economy will suffer from the withdrawal of Saudi funds and interests, and the social crisis will worsen. Iranian-Syrian dominance in Lebanon would be a major political setback for Saudi Arabia in its regional contest with Iran. The risk of instability and local-level conflict will increase, raising concern in Europe.

scholarly journals Reflections on the L’Aquila trial and the social dimensions of disaster risk

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 434-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelo Jonas Imperiale ◽  
Frank Vanclay
Keyword(s):  
Local Community ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Earthquake Swarm ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Community Empowerment ◽  
Court Case ◽  
Civil Protection ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to reflect on what can be learned about disaster risk reduction (DRR) from the L’Aquila trial of scientists. The court case was initiated because of a controversial meeting on 31 March 2009 of the Major Risks Committee (MRC), held under the auspices of the Italian Department of Civil Protection. The purpose of the meeting was to consider (prior to the fatal earthquake of 6 April 2009) disaster risk in the L’Aquila area, which was being affected by an earthquake swarm since October 2008. Design/methodology/approach The authors undertook a document analysis of trial materials, and a review of academic and media commentary about the trial. Findings The legal process revealed that disaster governance was inadequate and not informed by the DRR paradigm or international guidelines. Risk assessment was carried out only in a techno-scientific manner, with little acknowledgement of the social issues influencing risks at the local community level. There was no inclusion of local knowledge or engagement of local people in transformative DRR strategies. Originality/value Most previous commentary is inadequate in terms of not considering the institutional, scientific and social responsibilities for DRR as exposed by the trial. This paper is unique in that it considers the contents of the MRC meeting as well as all trial documents. It provides a comprehensive reflection on the implications of this case for DRR and the resilience of peoples and places at risk. It highlights that a switch from civil protection to community empowerment is needed to achieve sustainable outcomes at the local level.

Hezbollah’s Lebanon role may block Saudi military aid

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Prime Minister ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Military Aid ◽  
Military Support ◽  
Electoral Law

Significance These reports follow the visit of the new Lebanese president, Michel Aoun, who made the first foreign trip of his presidency to Saudi Arabia and Qatar on January 9-11. Saudi-Lebanese relations, formerly close, have been frozen since Riyadh cancelled 3 billion dollars of military aid in February 2016. Impacts Lebanon’s economy could see a significant upturn in the coming months as a result of the opening. Oger, the troubled company of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, could regain Saudi government backing. If Saudi assistance is not renewed, Iran could begin to provide military support for the Lebanese army. Difficulties agreeing a new electoral law are likely to cause a postponement of parliamentary polls.

CSR at scale: the relationship between corporate social commitment and social progress in developing economies

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith L. Whittingham
Keyword(s):  
Regression Models ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Social Progress ◽  
Cumulative Impact ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Country Level ◽  
The Social ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeIn recent decades, companies have increasingly engaged in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), with the goal of providing benefit to both society and the company. While these efforts can have measurable social impact at the local level, the cumulative impact may be much harder to observe and measure, due to the wide variety in both the CSR initiatives and the social challenges they seek to address. This study is an initial investigation of the relationship between national levels of commitment to CSR and national measures of social progress, in a sample of developing countries.Design/methodology/approachUsing country-level participation in the UN Global Compact (UNGC) as a proxy for the level of CSR commitment, and 2018 Social Progress Index (SPI) scores, we investigate the relationship between these variables. SPI component and sub-component scores serve as dependent variables in several OLS regression models. Independent variables included the total number of companies participating in the UNGC, along with economic and socio-political control variables.FindingsRegression models indicate that higher CSR commitment levels are related with higher scores in the primary components of social progress, but only in some sub-components and not others. Practitioners and policymakers can leverage this understanding when developing and supporting corporate social initiatives.Originality/valueTo our knowledge, this is one of the first studies to demonstrate the country-level impact of firm-level CSR commitment and is among the first to employ the Social Progress Index.

CSR in the Lebanese banking sector: a neo-institutional approach to stakeholders’ legitimacy

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charbel Chedrawi ◽  
Alain Osta ◽  
Souheir Osta
Keyword(s):  
Banking Sector ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Institutional Pressures ◽  
International Banking ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Fabric ◽  
The Social ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become an issue in the international banking industry, where each bank must assert its stakeholders, the social fabric and the natural environment. In the same time, legitimacy which has become one of the most critical issues for corporations, can be increased in the eyes of other stakeholders or institutions by structurally or procedurally adjusting to institutional influences. By conforming to three external institutional pressures (normative, mimetic and coercive), identified by DiMaggio and Powell (1983), organizations can build, support and gain legitimacy for their activities in specific institutional environments. Design/methodology/approach Using a qualitative approach, this research highlights the input of neo-institutional theory in the CSR context in top Lebanese banks in Lebanon. Findings This paper aims to analyze the impact of neo-institutionalism and the role of stakeholders in legitimizing CSR practices in the Lebanese banking sector. Practical implications Top Lebanese banks cannot simply comply with institutional pressures to gain their legitimacy, they need to develop their CSR activities targeted toward legitimacy-building at the local level; as for managers they cannot simply adopt managerial perspectives instrumentally to gain societal support, they need to adapt such perspectives and practices to the local needs as expressed by their internal and external stakeholders. Originality/value Managers of top Lebanese banks need to proactively engage in managing institutional pressures by adopting and adapting legitimacy-seeking strategies. This study highlights that top Lebanese banks differ in their CSR orientation because of their ownership structure, number of employees and profitability.

Using Twitter to explore consumers' sentiments and their social representations towards new food trends

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilio Pindado ◽  
Ramo Barrena
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Clustering Algorithm ◽  
Social Representations ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Social Media Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Food Trends ◽  
Media Data

PurposeThis paper investigates the use of Twitter for studying the social representations of different regions across the world towards new food trends.Design/methodology/approachA density-based clustering algorithm was applied to 7,014 tweets to identify regions of consumers sharing content about food trends. The attitude of their social representations was addressed with the sentiment analysis, and grid maps were used to explore subregional differences.FindingsTwitter users have a weak, positive attitude towards food trends, and significant differences were found across regions identified, which suggests that factors at the regional level such as cultural context determine users' attitude towards food innovations. The subregional analysis showed differences at the local level, which reinforces the evidence that context matters in consumers' attitude expressed in social media.Research limitations/implicationsThe social media content is sensitive to spatio-temporal events. Therefore, research should take into account content, location and contextual information to understand consumers' perceptions. The methodology proposed here serves to identify consumers' regions and to characterize their attitude towards specific topics. It considers not only administrative but also cognitive boundaries in order to analyse subsequent contextual influences on consumers' social representations.Practical implicationsThe approach presented allows marketers to identify regions of interest and localize consumers' attitudes towards their products using social media data, providing real-time information to contrast with their strategies in different areas and adapt them to consumers' feelings.Originality/valueThis study presents a research methodology to analyse food consumers' understanding and perceptions using not only content but also geographical information of social media data, which provides a means to extract more information than the content analysis applied in the literature.

New Lebanese cabinet will reflect Hezbollah’s rise

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Government Formation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Regional Powers ◽  
Military Aid ◽  
Speed Up

Significance Legislators re-elected Hariri as premier on May 24, despite his bloc’s loss of seats in the May 6 polls and the increased parliamentary dominance of Shia political-military movement Hezbollah and its allies. However, agreeing a cabinet is so far proving more difficult, not least because of the opposing interests of regional powers Saudi Arabia and Iran. Impacts Hostilities between Israel and Iran, Syria or Hezbollah would put government formation on hold. European pressure to implement reforms quickly could speed up cabinet negotiations. Washington could use threats to withhold military aid to the Lebanese national army as a potential lever against Hezbollah. If a functional new government manages to release international loans, that could improve infrastructure and stimulate growth.

Social crisis will increase Argentine fiscal pressure

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Sharp Increase ◽  
Social Situation ◽  
Social Crisis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Near Term ◽  
Fiscal Pressure

Significance The sharp increase in poverty and measures to alleviate it will be among the most pressing issues facing the new government that takes office on December 10. However, it is only one of many: debt renegotiations will also be at the top of the agenda. Impacts Calls to avoid ‘populist’ measures to alleviate the social situation risk explosions of popular unrest. Whatever Fernandez’s preferences for debt renegotiations, some write-down appears inevitable. Fernandez will depend on the support of provincial governors and their congressional delegations. Potential near-term economic measures will do little to lift the economy out of recession.

Improving the social performance of flash flood early warnings using mobile services

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lydia Cumiskey ◽  
Micha Werner ◽  
Karen Meijer ◽  
S.H.M. Fakhruddin ◽  
Ahmadul Hassan
Keyword(s):  
Flash Flood ◽  
Interactive Voice Response ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Mobile Services ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Flood Warning ◽  
The Social

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to provide recommendations for improving the social performance of warnings using mobile services in flash flood prone communities. A warning cannot be considered effective until it is received, understood and responded to by those at risk. This is defined as the social performance of warning communication techniques. Mobile services offer opportunities for improving this, particularly in Bangladesh, but have been underutilised. In this research, characteristics of the warning, mobile services and community are found to influence the social performance. Design/methodology/approach – A framework on the factors affecting the social performance was developed and applied using data collected through interviews at the national and regional level along with focus-group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews at the local level in the Sunamganj District, Bangladesh. Findings – The study demonstrated that mobile services are the preferred means of warning communication. Communities strongly preferred voice short messaging service (SMS) and interactive voice response (IVR) because of easier accessibility and understanding of the message. Text-based services [SMS and cell broadcasting service (CBS)] were still found to be acceptable. These should be simple, use symbols and refer to additional sources of information. Further recommendations include mixing push (e.g. SMS and CBS) and pull-based (e.g. IVR) mobile services, utilising local social networks, decentralising the dissemination process and raising awareness. Research limitations/implications – A limited sample of interviews and FGDs were used. Practical implications – Concrete recommendations are made for overcoming obstacles related to the effective use of mobiles services. Social implications – The suggestions made can contribute to improving the social performance of flood early warning communication. Originality/value – The conceptualisation of mobile services’ contribution to social performance of flood warning and field-level application.

scholarly journals Translating Research into Action: involving older people in co-producing knowledge about age-friendly neighbourhood interventions

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patty Doran ◽  
Tine Buffel
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Urban Neighbourhoods ◽  
The Social ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Action Project ◽  
Social And Physical Environment

Purpose Developing what has been termed “age-friendly” cities has become a significant issue for public policy. To date, however, there is limited knowledge about how older people can be involved in the co-production of age-friendly initiatives. The Translating Research into Action project worked with a group of older co-researchers who examined the age-friendliness of their neighbourhood, with the aim of translating the findings into practice and policy recommendations that can help improve the quality of life of older people in urban neighbourhoods. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach This paper synthetises the data collected through focus groups, interviews conducted by co-researchers and a public dissemination event. The analysis focussed on identifying the suggestions for action and change that could improve the social and physical environment for older people in urban neighbourhoods. Findings Physical and social issues were found to be contingent on each other and mutually reinforcing, and should therefore not be considered in isolation. However, the findings highlighted physical environmental issues as a major concern; transport was a dominant overarching theme. Research limitations/implications Three key areas in need of improvement when developing local level age-friendly policies and practices are discussed: improving and diversifying communication and information; promoting accessibility; and, ensuring a range of meeting opportunities for different groups. Originality/value The paper illustrates how co-produced research can be translated into age-friendly interventions, and will be of interest to a wide range of local and (inter)national organisations wishing to research and provide advocacy to older people.

A conceptual approach to the relationships between the social economy, social welfare, and social innovation

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Changhwan Shin
Keyword(s):  
Welfare State ◽  
Open Innovation ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Social Economy ◽  
Welfare Provision ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Welfare State

Purpose With the aim of finding a balance between social and economic benefits, the social economy has reemerged in the crisis of the welfare state. The Fordist welfare state can be characterized by state-provided welfare, the mediation of paid work and welfare by the labor market and redistributive policies. Globally, neoliberalism and the market have given rise to social exclusion; in this context, the social economy is emerging as an alternative to the market domination of societies. This paper aims to construct a conceptual framework of welfare provision in an open innovation era. Design/methodology/approach The welfare state system between the Fordist welfare state and post-Fordist welfare state is different on provision and delivery of welfare service. To construct the conceptual relation among the social economy, the state and the market and welfare provision in the social economy, this study mainly used the literature review. Findings Attention should be paid to civil society at the local level to ignite social economy through open social innovation. Various social actors in the local community need to change and develop the social economy with collaborative entrepreneurship and collaborative economic mindsets. Research limitation/implications This paper presents the welfare service model led by social economy and open innovation, as well as social change. To fill the shortage of welfare provision caused by crisis of the welfare state, social economy is considered as an alternative for neo-liberalism. This study emphasizes that endogenous local development is a prerequisite for social economy as a welfare supplier. Practical implications In the social economy, reciprocity, democracy, self-help and social capital at the local level are emphasized. Also, open innovation put emphasis on collaboration economy among the local community, firms and the public sector: this emphasis can be expected to affect the welfare provision system and the social relations surrounding welfare. To address social problem and social needs, the social economy can adapt and apply the open innovation model. Originality/value The previous researches on open innovation mainly deal with the business sector and the public sector, but this paper has a focus on the relation between provision of social welfare and social innovation. The social economy is likely to function properly on the foundation of open social innovation.

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