scholarly journals Networked G20 Governance of COVID-19 and its Transversal Crisis Effect

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 34-68
Author(s):  
Jonathan Luckhurst ◽  

In this article, the Group of 20’s (G20) networked pluralism and transversal policy practices in the governance of COVID-19 and the pandemic crisis effect are analyzed. The G20 is an important global governance hub, with the strategic capacities and authority to improve cooperation on the pandemic and economic recovery efforts. The forum’s increasingly pluralistic networkedgovernance processes have been crucial for recent shifts in global governance practices and authority. They were augmented by transversal consequences of the pandemic crisis effect, the latter denoting the consequences of new evidence during a crisis leading to a heightened perception of uncertainty and the repoliticization of background knowledge. The analysis combines a “practice-relational” social constructivist analytical approach with discourse-analytic and sociological insights. It integrates empirical evidence from semi-structured interviews, informal discussions, participant observation, and documentary analysis of G20 engagement on transversal policy dimensions of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially with its interlocutors and governance networks. This indicates the growing significance of networked G20 governance, involving engagement with increasingly pluralistic networks of actors from the Global North and Global South.

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 426
Author(s):  
Judith Krauss

How much do misleading representations matter? This article examines carefully constructed narratives of engagement in 'sustainable' cocoa production initiatives, which fail to mention one of the actual key drivers: the need to shore up production in the long term in an embattled sector. Consequently, representations also downplay the need for systemic change, reproducing the power asymmetries they claim to change. The research seeks to establish to what degree public-facing communication differs from underlying priorities in terms of forefronting altruism over necessity, and whether this is problematic for the initiatives' overall outcome. Through semi-structured interviews, focus-group discussions, documentary analysis and participant observation in Latin America and Europe, it reviews relations in two cocoa sustainability initiatives with environmental foci. Crucially, the research establishes a link between representations, underlying priorities and the degree to which they (re)produce pre-existing power asymmetries between global North and global South, private sector and other stakeholders in the industry, speaking to a variety of political ecology questions. It argues that public-facing, altruism-focused communication distracts from the sector's underlying systemic issues: the emphasis on altruism works to reduce pressure to transform power asymmetries and omnipresent inequalities.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Pianezzi

PurposeThis study offers a critical inquiry into accountability vis-à-vis organizational identity formation. It investigates how accountability evolves in the transformation of an NGO operating in the field of migration management from an informal grassroots group into a fully-fledged organization.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is the outcome of a participatory action research project on Welcome Refugees (WR), a UK-based NGO. The project involved documentary analysis, focus group and semi-structured interviews, field notes, and participant observation. The analysis draws from poststructuralist theorization to explain the interplay between organizational identity and different forms of NGO accountability over time.FindingsThe study shows how different forms of accountability became salient over time and were experienced differently by organizational members, thus leading to competing collective identity narratives. Organizational members felt accountable to beneficiaries in different ways, and this was reflected in their identification with the organization. Some advocated a rights-based approach that partially resonated with the accountability demands of external donors, while others aimed at enacting their feelings of accountability by preserving their closeness with beneficiaries and using a need-based approach. These differences led to an identity struggle that was ultimately solved through the silencing of marginalized narratives and the adoption of an adaptive regime of accountability.Practical implicationsThe findings of the case are of practical relevance to quasi-organizations that struggle to form and maintain organizational identity in their first years of operation. Their survival depends not only on their ability to accommodate and/or resist a multiplicity of accountability demands but also on their ability to develop a shared and common understanding of identity accountability.Originality/valueThe paper problematizes rather than takes for granted the process through which organizations acquire a viable identity and the role of accountability within them.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-106
Author(s):  
Maria Claudia Mejía Gil ◽  
Claudia Puerta Silva

*Full forum is in SpanishEnglish abstract:Increased consumption of goods and services has contributed to environmental crises. Responsible consumption movements and the factors that contribute to the formation of pro-environmental behaviors have emerged in the Global North. Few studies have advanced in identifying the factors that aff ect the appropriation of pro-environmental practices in the Global South, specifically in cities of countries with emerging economies and fast urbanization. Through semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation conducted with 34 families from diff erent socioeconomic categories in Medellin, Colombia, we addressed the following questions: Do environmental concerns infl uence consumption and waste practices? What factors aff ect the appropriation of environmental practices? Although diff erent factors limit responsible consumption, the results of this study show that pro-environmental practices related to consumption and waste contribute to the formation of pro-environment citizenships.Spanish abstract:El aumento en el consumo de bienes y servicios ha contribuido a la crisis ambiental. Pocos estudios han avanzado en identificar factores que inciden en la apropiación de prácticas proambientales en el Sur Global, específi camente en ciudades de países con economías emergentes. Mediante observación no participante y entrevistas semiestructuradas a 34 familias de diferentes niveles socioeconómicos de Medellín, Colombia, abordamos las siguientes preguntas: ¿la preocupación ambiental infl uye en las prácticas de consumo y desecho? y ¿cuáles factores inciden en la apropiación de prácticas proambientales? A partir de los resultados identifi camos que, aunque hay más factores que limitan el consumo responsable, se puede argumentar que en las prácticas proambientales de consumo y desecho se observa la formación de ciudadanías proambientales.French abstract:L’augmentation de la consommation de biens et services a contribué à la crise environnementale. Pour le Nord Global, les mouvements de consommation responsable et les facteurs intervenant dans la formation de comportements pro-environnementaux ont été exposés dans la litt érature. En revanche, peu d’études ont avancé dans l’identifi cation des facteurs qui aff ectent l’appropriation des pratiques proenvironnementales dans les pays du Sud Global, en particulier dans des villes de pays à économie émergente et à urbanisation rapide. Grâce à des observations non participantes et à des entretiens semi-structurés avec 34 familles de diff érents niveaux socio-économiques de Medellin, en Colombie, nous abordons les questions suivantes : Les préoccupations environnementales infl uencent-elles les pratiques de consommation et de gestion des déchets ? et quels facteurs infl uent sur l’appropriation des pratiques environnementales chez les familles interviewés ? Sur la base des résultats, nous identifions que bien qu’il y ait plus de facteurs qui limitent la consommation responsable, on peut affi rmer que dans les pratiques de consommation et de déchets favorables à l’environnement, on observe la formation de citoyennetés pro-environnementales.


2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 272-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Royston Morgan ◽  
Des Doran ◽  
Stephanie Jean Morgan

Purpose There is a view that strong preventative contracts are essential to control supplier opportunism and delivery during an outsourcing implementation. The purpose of this paper is to test the proposition that contractual project environments, typical of outsourcing engagements, are essentially conflictual and that context and circumstance can act to overwhelm formal contractual and project control and lead to poor outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The paper reports on a supply case study focussed on the outsourced delivery of an application development in the defence sector. Data were gathered by a participant observation in situ for a period of three years. A grounded analysis from observations, diaries, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, documentary analysis, and e-mails was carried out with six case organisations within the extended supply chain. Findings Collaboration between suppliers and buyers can be blocked by preventative fixed price contracts and as a result when requirements are incomplete or vague this adversely impacts success. Practical implications Strong contractual control focussed on compliance may actually impede the potential success of outsourcing contracts especially when collaborative approaches are needed to cope with variability in demand. Originality/value The research raises the important practical and conceptual notion that an outsourcing can be a conflictual inter-firm phenomenon especially where multiple actors are involved and business uncertainty is present.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nele Cannaerts

PurposeThe main purpose of this paper is to provide empirical evidence for effective crisis communication in public emergencies including the relevance of planning and training and rehearsal; to explore the role of different stakeholders and how social media influence effective crisis communication.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative research design was employed. Two events were analysed, via the synthesis model for handling crisis communication in the public sector, as cases. First, via post-crisis semi-structured interviews, a gas explosion in the city of Antwerp was analysed. Second, via participant observation of a training and rehearsal exercise, more insight was gained on the role of training and social media for crisis communication.FindingsThe findings of this paper provide empirical evidence that (1) effective crisis communication is communication that is diversified across different crisis stages and diverse stakeholders; (2) that different internal social media tools and external social media tools are necessary to be monitored for effective crisis communication; (3) that training and rehearsal are of great importance for effective crisis communication.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to three current crisis communication research calls. First, the call for more research focusing on public sector crisis management, using public sector crisis communication models. Second, the call for the implementation of a more multiple-actor approach instead of an organisation-centred approach; and, third, the call for gaining insight into how specific communication channels are used before, during and after a crisis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 20
Author(s):  
José Kennedy Lopes Silva ◽  
Osmar Siena

Environmental organizations actively take part in the proposition of strategies, studies and environmental practices that aim at reducing the environmental degradation of the planet. These organizations have conceptions and commitments that guide their actions. The objective of the research that led to this article was to understand the environmental conceptions and the ideological commitments that guide the actions and the management of the environmental organizations. The research focused on three environmental organizations, two located in the state of Mato Grosso and one in the state of Rondônia, all of them belonging to the Brazilian Legal Amazon region. A qualitative research with multiple case study was carried out. Participant observation, semi-structured interviews and documentary analysis were used as strategies. Several environmental conceptions that influence the performance and management of organizations were identified, with a greater presence of the socio-environmentalist and of the environmental justice conceptions. However, the latter is not discussed strategically. Regarding the ideological commitments, the eco-socialist vision is the one that seems to have more influence over organizations.


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise Mifsud

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study circulating power and in/visibility. In the unfolding Maltese education scenario of decentralization and school networking, suffused with entrenched power, with added layers of leadership and more subtle levels of accountability, this paper explores the underlying power relations among the top educational leaders, namely, the College Principal and Heads of School, and among the Heads of School themselves. Design/methodology/approach – Foucault’s theories of power, governmentality and subjectivation are used as “scaffoldings” for the exploration of power relations. This case study research exploring one “college” is carried out through in-depth semi-structured interviews, participant observation of Council of Heads (CoH) meetings, as well as documentary analysis of the policy mandating this reform, explored through narrative analysis. Findings – Analysis shows that layers of hierarchical leadership do translate into layers of “visibility”, with the Principal being rendered the most “visible” actor according to role designation and policy rhetoric. Struggles in the dynamics between tiers of leaders are a reality. Despite a deeply felt presence of the circulation of power, it is the Principal who has the final say. Originality/value – This is expected to contribute to educational leadership literature with regards to the relationship among top educational leaders. Through its provision of a diverse reading of leadership, it is deemed to be of particular relevance to professional work and learning in areas of leadership, of interest to budding scholars, seasoned Foucauldians and practicing educational leaders.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Célia Coelho Gomes da Silva

This work is the result of the doctoral thesis entitled Pilgrimage of Bom Jesus da Lapa: Social Reproduction of the Family and Female Gender Identity, specifically the second chapter that talks about women in the Pilgrimage of Bom Jesus da Lapa, emphasizing gender relations, analyzing the location of the pilgrimage as a social reproduction of the patriarchal family and female gender identity. The research scenario is the Bom Jesus da Lapa Pilgrimage, which has been held for 329 years, in that city, located in the West part of Bahia. The research participants are pilgrim women who are in the age group between 50 and 70 years old and have participated, for more than five consecutive years in the Bom Jesus da Lapa Pilgrimage, belonging to five Brazilian states (Bahia, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Espírito Santo and Goiás) that register a higher frequency of attendance at this religious event. We used bibliographic, qualitative, field and documentary research and data collection as our methodology; we applied participant observation and semi-structured interviews as a technique. We concluded that the Bom Jesus da Lapa Pilgrimage is a location for family social reproduction and the female gender identity, observing a contrast in the resignification of the role and in the profile of the pilgrim women from Bom Jesus da Lapa, alternating between permanence and the transformation of gender identity coming from patriarchy.


Author(s):  
Amanda Cabral ◽  
Carolin Lusby ◽  
Ricardo Uvinha

Sports Tourism as a segment is growing exponentially in Brazil. The sports mega-events that occurred in the period from 2007 to 2016 helped strengthen this sector significantly. This article examined tourism mobility during the Summer Olympic Games Rio 2016, hosted by the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This study expands the understanding of the relationship between tourism and city infrastructure, therefore being relevant to academics, professionals of the area and to the whole society due to its multidisciplinary field. The existence of a relationship between means of transportation and the Olympic regions as well as tourist attractions for a possible legacy was observed. Data were collected from official sources, field research and through participant-observation and semi structured interviews. Data were coded and analyzed. The results indicate that the city was overall successful in its execution of sufficient mobility. New means of transportation were added and others updated. BRT's (Bus Rapid Transit) were the main use of mass transport to Olympic sites. However, a lack of public transport access was observed for the touristic sites.


Author(s):  
Nida Alahmad

This chapter argues that, while we can conceive of a ‘global’ or a ‘regional’ governance structure, a ‘critical regional perspective’ is not possible for three reasons. First, there is a problem of governance as a technology of ordering the world that requires the production of abstracted forms of knowledge; second, the problem of determining what a critical ‘regional’ perspective on global governance might be; and third, a critical perspective that would account for the daily lives of people cannot be produced by regional institutions, which are rarely representative of popular democratic movements. In the Middle East, the Arab League has historically been weak, reflecting turbulent regional power relations. As such, it is difficult to identify a regional perspective based on the League’s governance practices. If a regional political counter-perspective to global governance is not possible (as in the Middle East), one cannot speak of a cultural (counter) perspective on governance.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document