A plant by any other name: . . . Foundations for materialist sociological plant studies

2021 ◽  
pp. 144078332110172
Author(s):  
Christina Ergas ◽  
Richard York
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Social Constructions ◽  
Plant Interactions ◽  
Climate Regulation ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Terrestrial Animal ◽  
Dialectical Relationship ◽  
Micro Level

Despite the fact that plants make up 80% of biomass on Earth, sociology rarely examines human–plant relationships. Human societies are inherently dependent on plants, most obviously as the basis of food supply, ecosystems, atmospheric and climate regulation, and water cycles, as well as for sources of oxygen, medicine, fuel, and fibre. Society, or terrestrial animal life for that matter, could not exist without plants. Based on this recognition, here we lay the foundations for sociological plant studies, a field that studies the dialectical relationship between human societies and plants. We ground this foundation in a realist-materialist perspective that recognises the ontological independence of plants and does not reduce them to human social constructions. We show how considering plants can help us to understand the emergence of civilisations, state formation, and mechanisation of production at the macro-level, and how human–plant interactions shape everyday life at a more micro-level. We present our formulation of sociological plant studies as a starting point for future research.

Entrepreneurship Management at the Local Government Level: The Experience of the Cities for Entrepreneurs Program

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 388-407
Author(s):  
Patricio Gigli ◽  
◽  
Donatela Orsi ◽  
Marisel Martín Aramburú ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
National Level ◽  
Development Issue ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Local Government Level ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Government Level

This paper aims at describing the experience of the Cities for Entrepreneurs Program (Ciudades para Emprender or CPE) of the National Directorate of Community and Human Capital (which belongs to the SEPYME), National Ministry of Production. This paper starts from the premise that entrepreneurship takes place at the most micro level of the offer and, therefore, is a concept associated with the characteristics of the environment closest to that offer: the local territory. However, there is little history in the country of public policies relating the issue of entrepreneurship with the local management. That is why we take as a starting point the conceptualization of the chosen framework: local governments and the development issue, seen from the perspective of entrepreneurships. Moreover, an overview is given on the structural characteristics of municipalities in Argentina. In addition, some international experiences and attempts to promote entrepreneurship at a national level are analyzed. Finally, the Cities for Entrepreneurs Program (CPE) is outlined, based on a summary of the diagnoses of the Entrepreneurial Ecosystems of the selected cities and the tools used and their execution status at the time of publication of this paper.

Collaborative Remembering in Dementia: A Focus on Joint Activities

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars-Christer Hydén ◽  
Mattias Forsblad
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Needs ◽  
Joint Activities ◽  
Do So ◽  
Dementia Diseases

In this chapter we consider collaborative remembering and joint activates in everyday life in the case of people living with dementia. First, we review past research of practices that scaffolds the participation of persons with dementia in everyday chores under different stages of dementia diseases. We do so by suggesting three analytical types of scaffolding: when the scaffolding practices (i) frame the activity, (ii) guide actions, or (iii) are part of repair activities. Second, we review two aspects of collaborative remembering that are especially important in the case of dementia: training of scaffolding practices, and the sustaining and presentation of identities through collaborative storytelling. Finally, theoretical and methodological tendencies of the research field are summarized and future research needs are formulated.

Innovations in Objectively Measuring Corruption in Public Procurement

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mihály Fazekas ◽  
Luciana Cingolani ◽  
Bence Tóth
Keyword(s):  
Public Procurement ◽  
Risk Indicators ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Measurement Instruments ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Government Purchases ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Supplier Risk ◽  
Expert Surveys ◽  
Do So

While there is continued interest in measuring governance, disagreement on how best to do so has only grown over time. To provide pointers at innovative and rigorous indicator building, this chapter documents innovations in measuring a particularly challenging governance dimension: corruption in public procurement. In hopes of inspiring future research, the chapter critically reviews objective corruption proxies using administrative data on government purchases falling in four broad categories: tendering risk indicators, political connections indicators, supplier risk indicators, and contracting body risk indicators. The findings indicate that the best measurement instruments focus on the transaction level (micro level) while allowing for consistent aggregations for time series and cross-country comparisons. Such actionable indicators capture behaviour as directly as possible rather than remaining at the country level. They also retain the relational or transactional aspects of governance, revealing a much more dynamic picture than widely used population and expert surveys.

scholarly journals Consumer Neuroscience Techniques in Advertising Research: A Bibliometric Citation Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1589
Author(s):  
Juan Sánchez-Fernández ◽  
Luis-Alberto Casado-Aranda ◽  
Ana-Belén Bastidas-Manzano
Keyword(s):  
Self Report ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Continuous Growth ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Consumer Neuroscience ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Performance Analysis Tools

The limitations of self-report techniques (i.e., questionnaires or surveys) in measuring consumer response to advertising stimuli have necessitated more objective and accurate tools from the fields of neuroscience and psychology for the study of consumer behavior, resulting in the creation of consumer neuroscience. This recent marketing sub-field stems from a wide range of disciplines and applies multiple types of techniques to diverse advertising subdomains (e.g., advertising constructs, media elements, or prediction strategies). Due to its complex nature and continuous growth, this area of research calls for a clear understanding of its evolution, current scope, and potential domains in the field of advertising. Thus, this current research is among the first to apply a bibliometric approach to clarify the main research streams analyzing advertising persuasion using neuroimaging. Particularly, this paper combines a comprehensive review with performance analysis tools of 203 papers published between 1986 and 2019 in outlets indexed by the ISI Web of Science database. Our findings describe the research tools, journals, and themes that are worth considering in future research. The current study also provides an agenda for future research and therefore constitutes a starting point for advertising academics and professionals intending to use neuroimaging techniques.

scholarly journals Application of the Socio-Ecological System Framework to Forest Fire Risk Management: A Systematic Literature Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 2121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingrid Vigna ◽  
Angelo Besana ◽  
Elena Comino ◽  
Alessandro Pezzoli
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Community Involvement ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Fire Risk ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Wildfire Risk ◽  
Starting Point

Although increasing concern about climate change has raised awareness of the fundamental role of forest ecosystems, forests are threatened by human-induced impacts worldwide. Among them, wildfire risk is clearly the result of the interaction between human activities, ecological domains, and climate. However, a clear understanding of these interactions is still needed both at the global and local levels. Numerous studies have proven the validity of the socioecological system (SES) approach in addressing this kind of interdisciplinary issue. Therefore, a systematic review of the existing literature on the application of SES frameworks to forest ecosystems is carried out, with a specific focus on wildfire risk management. The results demonstrate the existence of different methodological approaches that can be grouped into seven main categories, which range from qualitative analysis to quantitative spatially explicit investigations. The strengths and limitations of the approaches are discussed, with a specific reference to the geographical setting of the works. The research suggests the importance of local community involvement and local knowledge consideration in wildfire risk management. This review provides a starting point for future research on forest SES and a supporting tool for the development of a sustainable wildfire risk adaptation and mitigation strategy.

scholarly journals A Review of Eco-Innovations and Exports Interrelationship, with Special Reference to International Agrifood Supply Chains

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1378
Author(s):  
María del Carmen Galera-Quiles ◽  
Laura Piedra-Muñoz ◽  
Emilio Galdeano-Gómez ◽  
Angel Carreño-Ortega
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chains ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Influential Factors ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Employment Level ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Bidirectional Relationship ◽  
Business Size ◽  
Micro Level

Growing environmental awareness in recent years has led to greater efforts by companies and governments to promote eco-innovation, which is becoming an increasingly competitive factor in international supply chains. However, the interrelationships between exports and eco-innovation have not yet been studied in sufficient depth. As such, the purpose of this work is to analyze the influence that exists between these two variables, both at a business or micro level and at a country/region or macro level, and the most influential factors, such as country of origin and sector of activity, among others. To this end, 60 publications have been reviewed from 1996 to 2019 from a global perspective, to analyze the characteristics that define them and both the existing relationship and impact generated by the two variables being studied within international supply chains. The results show that, in general, there is a positive bidirectional relationship, influenced by several factors, such as social performance, environmental regulation, cooperation strategies, employment level, or business size. Additionally, there is a growing interest in this issue within the agrifood sector, as the benefits of an appropriate environmental policy based on innovation to promote exports are of great importance. Finally, a series of recommendations are made for future research that is able to serve scholars, companies and also policy makers.

scholarly journals Enhancing Internet Search Abilities for People with Intellectual Disabilities in Sri Lanka

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-36
Author(s):  
Theja K. Arachchi ◽  
Laurianne Sitbon ◽  
Jinglan Zhang ◽  
Ruwan Gamage ◽  
Priyantha Hewagamage
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Visual Memory ◽  
Web Search ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Learning Tools ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Google Search

This article presents how young adults with intellectual disability (ID) from Sri Lanka, who had not previously used the Internet, interacted with Google search while enhancing their web search abilities throughout three web search workshops. Considering the little attention paid to the learning needs of people with ID in the current offering of web search learning tools, we iteratively developed a suite of learning tools to support our participants when they need help in the web search workshops. We employed an iterative participatory approach, with observations and semi-structured interviews, to reflect on how to design eLearning tools that enhance the participants’ interactions with web search. The qualitative thematic analysis resulted in five distinct themes on strategies to support, build on, and develop the abilities of young adults with IDs as they engage with Google search in their native language: application of existing abilities, basic skills to match learning needs, conceptual understanding, animations to facilitate visual memory, and promoting active engagement. These themes will be a starting point for understanding participants’ learning needs and behavior on web search, which would be important for future research on learning support as well as on software design.

scholarly journals Distributed Ledger Technology Applications in Food Supply Chains: A Review of Challenges and Future Research Directions

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4206
Author(s):  
Jamilya Nurgazina ◽  
Udsanee Pakdeetrakulwong ◽  
Thomas Moser ◽  
Gerald Reiner
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chains ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Security And Privacy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
Distributed Ledger ◽  
Future Research Directions

The lack of transparency and traceability in food supply chains (FSCs) is raising concerns among consumers and stakeholders about food information credibility, food quality, and safety. Insufficient records, a lack of digitalization and standardization of processes, and information exchange are some of the most critical challenges, which can be tackled with disruptive technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, and distributed ledger technologies (DLTs). Studies provide evidence that novel technological and sustainable practices in FSCs are necessary. This paper aims to describe current practical applications of DLTs and IoT in FSCs, investigating the challenges of implementation, and potentials for future research directions, thus contributing to achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Within a systematic literature review, the content of 69 academic publications was analyzed, describing aspects of implementation and measures to address the challenges of scalability, security, and privacy of DLT, and IoT solutions. The challenges of high costs, standardization, regulation, interoperability, and energy consumption of DLT solutions were also classified as highly relevant, but were not widely addressed in literature. The application of DLTs in FSCs can potentially contribute to 6 strategic SDGs, providing synergies and possibilities for more sustainable, traceable, and transparent FSCs.

scholarly journals The Performance Implication of Corporate Social Responsibility: The Moderating Role of Employee’s Prosocial Motivation

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 3128
Author(s):  
Min-Jik Kim ◽  
Byung-Jik Kim
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Organizational Commitment ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Prosocial Motivation ◽  
Moderated Mediation Model ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Relationship

Although there has been extensive research on the corporate social responsibility (CSR)–performance link, full understanding is still elusive. A possible reason for this is the limited understanding of the underlying processes that affect the relationship. Grounded in institutional theory, which emphasizes the importance of micro-level intermediating processes (e.g., employees’ perceptions and attitudes) to explain a macro-level association (i.e., CSR to organizational performance), we built a moderated mediation model where: (i) organization commitment mediated the influence of CSR on organizational performance, and (ii) an employee’s prosocial motivation moderated the relationship between CSR and organizational commitment. Using three-wave time-lagged survey data obtained from 302 Korean workers, we found that organizational commitment is an important micro-level process in the CSR–performance link, and that the level of an employee’s prosocial motivation can positively moderate that link. We discuss theoretical and practical implications, along with limitations and future research directions.

scholarly journals A Bibliometric Analysis of the Global Trend of Using Alginate, Gelatine, and Hydroxyapatite for Bone Tissue Regeneration Applications

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 647
Author(s):  
Mohamed Saiful Firdaus Hussin ◽  
Aludin Mohd Serah ◽  
Khairul Azri Azlan ◽  
Hasan Zuhudi Abdullah ◽  
Maizlinda Izwana Idris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tissue Engineering ◽  
Bone Tissue Engineering ◽  
Bone Tissue ◽  
Bibliometric Analysis ◽  
Research Work ◽  
The United States ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Bone Tissue Regeneration ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Starting Point

Collecting information from previous investigations and expressing it in a scientometrics study can be a priceless guide to getting a complete overview of a specific research area. The aim of this study is to explore the interrelated connection between alginate, gelatine, and hydroxyapatite within the scope of bone tissue and scaffold. A review of traditional literature with data mining procedures using bibliometric analyses was considered to identify the evolution of the selected research area between 2009 and 2019. Bibliometric methods and knowledge visualization technologies were implemented to investigate diverse publications based on the following indicators: year of publication, document type, language, country, institution, author, journal, keyword, and number of citations. An analysis using a bibliometric study found that 7446 papers were located with the keywords “bone tissue” and “scaffold”, and 1767 (alginate), 185 (gelatine), 5658 (hydroxyapatite) papers with those specific sub keywords. The number of publications that relate to “tissue engineering” and bone more than doubled between 2009 (1352) and 2019 (2839). China, the United States and India are the most productive countries, while Sichuan University and the Chinese Academy of Science from China are the most important institutions related to bone tissue scaffold. Materials Science and Engineering C is the most productive journal, followed by the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A. This paper is a starting point, providing the first bibliometric analysis study of bone tissue and scaffold considering alginate, gelatine and hydroxyapatite. A bibliometric analysis would greatly assist in giving a scientific insight to support desired future research work, not only associated with bone tissue engineering applications. It is expected that the analysis of alginate, gelatine and hydroxyapatite in terms of 3D bioprinting, clinical outcomes, scaffold architecture, and the regenerative medicine approach will enhance the research into bone tissue engineering in the near future. Continued studies into these research fields are highly recommended.

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