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).

Impact of empathy, perceived social impact, social worth and social network on the social entrepreneurial intention in socio-economic projects

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sumaiya Usman ◽  
Fazeelat Masood ◽  
Mubashir Ali Khan ◽  
Naveed ur Rehman Khan
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Partial Least Square ◽  
Entrepreneurial Intentions ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Worth ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This paper aims to address essential questions regarding social entrepreneurial intentions. Do traits such as perceived social impact, social worth and social network influence, social entrepreneurial intentions among the young populous generation of Pakistan? To get a deeper insight, this paper further raises questions regarding the relationship of these predictors and social entrepreneurial intentions with empathy which is considered as a key determinant and a distinguishing trait to become a social entrepreneur. Design/methodology/approach This paper involves a quantitative research design using a partial least square structural equation modeling approach to measure the effects of the structural model. For this, a cross-sectional survey was conducted with a purposive sample of 247 university students from Pakistan. Findings Results showed a positive relationship between antecedents and social entrepreneurial intentions. Overall analysis exhibited social worth as a dominant trait and social network as the least influencing trait to impact social entrepreneurial intentions. Practical implications It will help micro and macro-level policymakers including government officials and NGOs and educators to create awareness and provide support and encouragement to individuals who aim to initiate social enterprise. Originality/value The present study makes significant contributions to the social entrepreneurship literature, as it is one of the first academic studies on social entrepreneurial intentions in Pakistan. This paper enriches the theoretical foundation by assessing the influence of perceived social impact, social worth and social network on social entrepreneurial intentions. Also, the relationship of Empathy with each of these antecedents is examined for the first time in the social entrepreneurial intentions context which is a valuable contribution both theoretically and practically.

Like a stone thrown into a pond – poverty contrast of an emporium of solidarity

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (10) ◽  
pp. 1311-1327
Author(s):  
Marco Ranuzzini ◽  
Giovanni Gallo
Keyword(s):  
Social Impact ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Poor Households ◽  
The Social ◽  
Emilia Romagna Region ◽  
Matching Estimator ◽  
Comprehensive Framework ◽  
Benefits And Costs

PurposeThis paper highlights to what extent an emporium of solidarity may affect poverty conditions of its recipients, and whether it generates net social benefits to different actors involved.Design/methodology/approachTo evaluate the effect of an emporium of solidarity project on poverty conditions of its recipients, we run Probit estimation models. As for the efficiency evaluation, we develop instead a social cost–benefit framework which considers benefits and costs to different actors somehow involved in the program. Results are based on survey data collected by the authors and administrative data.FindingsUsing the emporium attendance length as a measure of the treatment intensity, results underscore that the emporium significantly reduces the monetary poverty only, while it is ineffective on the severe material deprivation. The robustness of our results is confirmed by the implementation of a propensity score matching estimator. Our study suggests that emporia can be efficient in term of resources usage and they can determine positive returns to actors involved, implementing a redistribution of goods toward poor households.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper and its conclusions are based on a case study, thus an Italian emporium called “Portobello” and located in the inner-city area of Modena (Emilia-Romagna region, Italy).Originality/valueThe main novelty of our paper to the literature consists of the elaboration of a first comprehensive framework for the social impact assessment of an emporium of solidarity, regarding both its effects on socio-economic conditions of poor recipient households and its contribution to the local welfare as a whole.

scholarly journals Silenced by the gaps? The status of critical literacy in Scotland’s curriculum for excellence

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 335-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Farrar ◽  
Kelly Stone
Keyword(s):  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Literacy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Educational Framework ◽  
Critical Content ◽  
The Status ◽  
Scottish Government ◽  
National Boundaries ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Missed Opportunity

Purpose Critical literacy foregrounds the relationship between language and power by focusing on how texts work and in whose interests (Luke, 2012, p. 5). It is highlighted as an “important skill” within Scotland’s national educational framework for 3-18 year olds, the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), yet, as this paper aims to show, what the concept means is far from clear for policy users (Scottish Government, 2009e). Design/methodology/approach Using a lens that draws from critical discourse analysis, critical content analysis (Luke, 2001; Beach et al., 2009; Fairclough, 2010) and Ball’s method of policy analysis (2015), the authors find that the term “critical literacy” has been applied incoherently within key CfE documentation, including the frequent conflation of critical literacy with critical reading and critical thinking. Findings The authors argue that the CfE’s use of “critical literacy” is a misnomer, given that the version presented is an amalgamation of literacy-related competences drawing largely from psychological and not socio-political perspectives of literacy. Social implications This is a missed opportunity, given the Scottish Government’s stated commitment to social justice in policy terms (Scottish Executive, 2000; Scottish Government, 2016), not forgetting the powerful benefits that a critically literate stance could bring to Scotland’s learners at this time of communicative change and challenge. Originality/value While the authors offer a contextualized view of the ways in which the term “critical literacy” has been incorporated into Scottish educational policy, they propose that its implications go beyond national boundaries.

Lifestyle in urology: Benign diseases

2021 ◽  
pp. 039156032199438
Author(s):  
Riccardo Bientinesi ◽  
Carlo Gandi ◽  
Luigi Vaccarella ◽  
Emilio Sacco
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Clinical Evidence ◽  
Prostatic Hyperplasia ◽  
Benign Diseases ◽  
Related Risk ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Urological Diseases

Modifiable lifestyle-related risk factors are the object of increasing attention, with a view to primary and tertiary prevention, to limit the onset and development of diseases. Also in the urological field there is accumulating evidence of the relationship between urological diseases and lifestyle-related risk factors that can influence their incidence and prognosis. Risk factors such as nutrition, physical activity, sexual habits, tobacco smoking, or alcohol consumption can be modified to limit morbidity and reduce the social impact and the burdensome costs associated with diagnosis and treatment. This review synthesizes the current clinical evidence available on this topic, trying to satisfy the need for a summary on the relationships between the most important lifestyle factors and the main benign urological diseases, focusing on benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), infections urinary tract (UTI), urinary incontinence (UI), stones, erectile dysfunction, and male infertility.

scholarly journals The impact of young people's participation in events

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 198-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliza Hixson
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Identity Development ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Transitional Period ◽  
School Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Sense Of Involvement ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the social impact that two events, the Adelaide Fringe Festival and the Clipsal 500, have on young residents (16-19 years old) of Adelaide. The purpose of this paper is to examine how young people participate in these events and how this affects their sense of involvement in the event and contributes to their identity development. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed methods approach was adopted in which focus groups and questionnaires were conducted with secondary school students. As an exploratory study, focus groups (n=24) were conducted in the first stage of the research. The results of the focus groups were used to develop a questionnaire that resulted in 226 useable responses. The final stage of the research explored one event in further depth in order to determine the influence of different participation levels. Findings – This study found that young people demonstrated more involvement in the Adelaide Fringe Festival and their identities were more influenced by this event. Further investigation of the Adelaide Fringe Festival also indicated that level of participation affects the social outcomes gained, with those participating to a greater degree achieving higher involvement and increased identity awareness. This is demonstrated through a model which aims to illustrate how an event impact an individual based on their role during the event. Originality/value – This paper applies two leisure concepts in order to analyse the impact of events. Activity involvement is a concept which examines the importance of the activity in the participant's life. Also of importance to young people is how activities contribute to their identities, especially because they are in a transitional period of their lives.

How Snowden’s revelations have influenced youngsters’ attitude and behaviour in the PRC and Taiwan

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 213-231
Author(s):  
Kiyoshi Murata ◽  
Yasunori Fukuta ◽  
Andrew A. Adams ◽  
Dang Ronghua
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Republic Of China ◽  
Studying Abroad ◽  
The Social ◽  
State Surveillance ◽  
Questionnaire Surveys

Purpose This study aims to investigate how Snowden’s revelations are viewed by young people in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Taiwan through questionnaire surveys of and follow-up interviews with university students in the two countries, taking into account the histories and current status of state surveillance in these countries and the current complicated and delicate cross-strait relationships. Design/methodology/approach Questionnaire surveys of 315 PRC and 111 Taiwanese university students (a majority studying in those places but a few studying abroad) and semi-structured follow-up interviews with 16 master’s course students from the PRC and one from Taiwan (all studying at Meiji University in Japan) were conducted, in addition to reviews of the literature on privacy and state surveillance in the PRC and Taiwan. The outcomes of the survey were statistically analysed and qualitative analyses of the interview results were also performed. Findings Youngsters living in the PRC had greater interest in and more knowledge about Snowden’s revelations than those living in Taiwan, and the revelations were positively evaluated in both countries as serving public interest. However, PRC students indicated they were less likely to emulate Snowden than those from Taiwan did. Originality/value This study is the first attempt to investigate the social impact of Snowden’s revelations on PRC and Taiwanese youngsters’ attitudes towards privacy and state surveillance as part of cross-cultural analyses between eight countries.

The optimism-pessimism ratio as predictor of employee creativity: the promise of duality

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 423-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arménio Rego ◽  
Miguel Pina e Cunha ◽  
Dálcio Reis Júnior ◽  
Cátia Anastácio ◽  
Moriel Savagnago
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
The Status ◽  
Single Moment ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Creativity And Innovation ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study if the employees’ optimism-pessimism ratio predicts their creativity. Design/methodology/approach In total, 134 employees reported their optimism and pessimism, and the respective supervisors described the employees’ creativity. Findings The relationship between the optimism-pessimism ratio and creativity is curvilinear (inverted U-shaped); beyond a certain level of the optimism-pessimism ratio, the positive relationship between the ratio and creativity weakens, suggesting that the possible positive effects of (high) optimism may be weakened by a very low level of pessimism. Research limitations/implications Being cross-sectional, the study examines neither the causal links between the optimism-pessimism ratio and creativity nor other plausible causal links. The study was carried out at a single moment and did not capture the dynamics that occur over the course of time involving changes in optimism/pessimism and creativity. Future studies may adopt longitudinal or quasi-experimental designs. Practical implications Managers and organizations must consider that, even though positivity promotes creativity, some level of negativity may help positivity to produce creativity. Originality/value This study suggests that scholars who want to study the antecedents of creativity (and innovation) must be cautious in focusing only on the positive or the negative sides of individuals’ characteristics, and rather they must explore the interplay between both poles. Individuals may experience both positive and negative states/traits (Smith et al., 2016), and this both/and approach may impel them to think divergently, to challenge the status quo and to propose “out the box” and useful ideas.

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.

Religious social action and its organizational profiles

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angel Belzunegui-Eraso ◽  
David Duenas-Cid ◽  
Inma Pastor-Gosálbez
Keyword(s):  
Social Action ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Personal Autonomy ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Functional Dependence ◽  
Welfare States ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Actions ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Church

Purpose Social action implemented by the Church via its affiliated entities, foundations and associations may be viewed as a uniform activity. In reality, however, several organizational profiles exist that depend on the origin of these organizations (lay or religious), the scope of their activities (local or general) and their dependence on resources (whether from public administration or civil society). The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, the authors examine this diversity based on a 2015 study of every Catholic Church social organization with headquarters in Catalonia. For the study, the authors conducted a detailed analysis of these organizations in order to determine their nature, scope and structure. The methodology combined questionnaire, interviews and non-participant observation. Findings The social actions of these organizations lead to interesting debates, such as those on: charity/assistentialism vs social justice; professionalization vs voluntarism; and personal autonomy vs functional dependence resulting from the action. This study also highlights how important it is that Church organizations carry out social actions to generate social welfare in the welfare states of southern European countries. Originality/value It is the first time that a study of the social impact of the church and its organizational implications in Spain has been made.

scholarly journals Paradox and legitimacy in construction: how CSR reports restrict CSR practice

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Greg Watts ◽  
Scott Fernie ◽  
Andy Dainty
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rhetorical Device ◽  
Csr Reporting ◽  
Public Body ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Communication Methods

PurposeCorporate social responsibility (CSR) is a prominent topic of debate, and yet remains subject to multiple interpretations. Despite this ambiguity, organisations need to communicate their CSR activity effectively in order to meet varied stakeholder demands, increase financial performance and in order to achieve legitimacy in the eyes of clients and various stakeholders. The purpose of this paper is to explore how CSR is communicated, and the impact such communication methods have on CSR practice. More specifically, it examines the disconnect between the rhetoric espoused in CSR reports and the actualities of the ways in which CSR is practiced.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative content analysis of 100 CSR reports published by nine construction contractors informed the design of qualitative interviews. In total, 17 interviews were then conducted with contractors and public body clients.FindingsStrategic ambiguity explains how contractors circumvent the problem of attending to conflicting stakeholder CSR needs. However, this results in a paradox where CSR is simultaneously sustained as a corporate metric and driver, whilst being simultaneously undermined in being seen as a rhetorical device. By examining this phenomenon through the lens of legitimacy, the study reveals how both the paradox and subsequent actions of clients that this provokes, act to restrict the development of CSR practice.Originality/valueThis is the first study to use the lens of legitimacy theory to analyse the relationship between CSR reporting and CSR practice in the construction industry. In revealing the CSR paradox and its ramifications the research provides a novel explanation of the lack of common understandings and manifestations of CSR within the construction sector.

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