scholarly journals The role of social capital for self-employed information professionals in Aotearoa New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Simona Pilar Traser

<p>Research problem: The aim of this qualitative study was to explore how self-employed information professionals perceive the role of social capital in the development of their businesses in New Zealand. This required gaining an understanding of their professional relationship-building, networking, help-seeking and related activities.  Methodology: A purposive sample of eight self-employed information professionals was interviewed. The interviews were semi-structured and occurred via Skype, phone, and face-to-face meetings. Anderson, Park, and Jack’s (2007) conceptual framework of social capital served as a theoretical lens in the interview design and data analysis.  Results: Social capital was described in terms of giving (voluntary activity) and sharing (exchanging information and resources). Ethics, generosity, human touch, and mutuality emerged as important behavioural principles in the development of strong and effective relationships and networks. Apart from market opportunities, personal and professional well-being appeared to be equally important outcomes of social capital.  Implications: In focusing on a lesser-known, but potentially growing, occupational group of sole traders, the study contributes to the library and information studies and social capital research in New Zealand. The results are indicative only and more data is needed, but they provide a useful resource for future and present self-employed information professionals.</p>

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Simona Pilar Traser

<p>Research problem: The aim of this qualitative study was to explore how self-employed information professionals perceive the role of social capital in the development of their businesses in New Zealand. This required gaining an understanding of their professional relationship-building, networking, help-seeking and related activities.  Methodology: A purposive sample of eight self-employed information professionals was interviewed. The interviews were semi-structured and occurred via Skype, phone, and face-to-face meetings. Anderson, Park, and Jack’s (2007) conceptual framework of social capital served as a theoretical lens in the interview design and data analysis.  Results: Social capital was described in terms of giving (voluntary activity) and sharing (exchanging information and resources). Ethics, generosity, human touch, and mutuality emerged as important behavioural principles in the development of strong and effective relationships and networks. Apart from market opportunities, personal and professional well-being appeared to be equally important outcomes of social capital.  Implications: In focusing on a lesser-known, but potentially growing, occupational group of sole traders, the study contributes to the library and information studies and social capital research in New Zealand. The results are indicative only and more data is needed, but they provide a useful resource for future and present self-employed information professionals.</p>


2021 ◽  
pp. jech-2020-216108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malcolm Campbell ◽  
Lukas Marek ◽  
Jesse Wiki ◽  
Matthew Hobbs ◽  
Clive E Sabel ◽  
...  

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has asked unprecedented questions of governments around the world. Policy responses have disrupted usual patterns of movement in society, locally and globally, with resultant impacts on national economies and human well-being. These interventions have primarily centred on enforcing lockdowns and introducing social distancing recommendations, leading to questions of trust and competency around the role of institutions and the administrative apparatus of state. This study demonstrates the unequal societal impacts in population movement during a national ‘lockdown’.MethodsWe use nationwide mobile phone movement data to quantify the effect of an enforced lockdown on population mobility by neighbourhood deprivation using an ecological study design. We then derive a mobility index using anonymised aggregated population counts for each neighbourhood (2253 Census Statistical Areas; mean population n=2086) of national hourly mobile phone location data (7.45 million records, 1 March 2020–20 July 2020) for New Zealand (NZ).ResultsCurtailing movement has highlighted and exacerbated underlying social and spatial inequalities. Our analysis reveals the unequal movements during ‘lockdown’ by neighbourhood socioeconomic status in NZ.ConclusionIn understanding inequalities in neighbourhood movements, we are contributing critical new evidence to the policy debate about the impact(s) and efficacy of national, regional or local lockdowns which have sparked such controversy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 27-50
Author(s):  
Saroj Pokharel ◽  
Dipak Tharu ◽  
Yagya Murti Pandey

The study aims to investigate the role of livelihood diversification and social capital for the households’ movement, and also to explore the identity and bond of social capital and livelihood diversification to achieve an improved lifestyle. Human relations significantly create a network society, impalpable resource of community, shared values and trust which we draw upon in our daily lives. Livelihood diversification is a community-practised strategy for managing economic and income diversity in poverty reduction. It has highly emphasized income and well-being to diversify livelihood. It also turns the likely norms and networks with the households from exploiting new economic opportunities even in the future. This study responds to why people are migrating from the surrounding and the long distance of Kathmandu, and largely dependent on direct cash incomes from informal activities. It used qualitative approaches such as ethnography, case studies, participant observation, etc. to study the relationship between households and social capital level and livelihood diversification. Hence, the effects of social capital and livelihood diversification were found protecting households’ income. The major findings also show the social supportive network index which has significant effects on the households’ ability to learn a new livelihood. Income generations similarly affect the household capacity to secure a home and the socio-economic condition of households. This study can be advantageous for making both local and urban policy to diversify household livelihoods and social capital as well as applicable for new researchers in social sciences. Most importantly, it helps readers perceive new ways of promoting livelihood diversification and social capital and as a whole social advancement in Central Nepal.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jennifer Harriet Fraser

<p>Pastoral care structures in New Zealand schools often include a middle management role of dean. This position has existed in New Zealand schools for decades, influenced by the existing systems and structures adopted from the United Kingdom. The responsibilities included in this role are often defined by schools at the local level in order to satisfy growing expectations of schools’ responsibility for student well-being and achievement. There has been little research concerning this position within the pastoral care structure of schools.  This study aimed to explore the perceptions of members of the school community on the role of the year-level deans within one New Zealand secondary school. Senior managers, deans, teachers, and students from a state co-educational, urban, secondary school were interviewed regarding their views on the role, responsibilities, and effectiveness of the position of the year-level dean within their school. Deans also completed a daily log to record the nature of their tasks completed pertaining to this responsibility. Participants’ responses were analysed for major themes. The themes discussed include the intention of the role of the dean, tensions between the management of academic and pastoral issues, the exploration of the challenge in providing care for all students, and how resources available to the school and the dean can impact their role. A difference in the role between the junior school (Years 9 and 10) and senior school (Years 11, 12, and 13) was reported by all participants. Deans reported engaging in reactive tasks more than proactive, preventative tasks.  Defining the role of the dean and its relationship to other roles within the school proved challenging for the perspectives, and this confusion was evident through a lack of clarity around lines of authority described in the job descriptions. Deans reported some difficulty in understanding their role in relation to managing form teachers, particularly where that staff member may hold a position of responsibility in curriculum.  The reactive nature of the role was revealed. This indicated that deans continue to provide predominantly reactive care concerned with individual students, often meaning that only a small group of students receive direct care from deans. The predominantly reactive nature of the role creates implications for schools in the challenge of delivering care to all students. A more collaborative approach to pastoral care from all staff members may improve the provision of pastoral care for students. A proposed job description that may reflect the role of the dean more accurately is presented.</p>


Author(s):  
Maija-Leena Huotari ◽  
Mirja Iivonen

This chapter provides a comprehensive basis for understanding the role of trust in knowledge management and systems in organizations. The point of departure is the resource and knowledge-based theories of an enterprise that place knowledge generation as the primary source of wealth and social well-being. The authors show the crucial role of the intangible factors of trust, knowledge and information as related to the social capital and the development of the intellectual capital of an organization. The multidisciplinary nature of the concept of knowledge management and of trust is examined by a thorough review of literature. Trust is seen as a situational and contextual phenomena whose impact on the development of an organizational culture and climate and on success with collaborating is explored as related to the relational, cognitive and structural dimensions of social capital. The overall aim is to sustain strategic capability in the networked mode of performing. The importance of normative trust, shared values and shared meanings is stressed as a frame of reference to organizational behaviour and in communities of practice, but also the role of swift trust is highlighted. The authors provide ideas for empirical research to develop theory of the strategic management of knowledge and information and outline implications for practices for the organizational development.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 88
Author(s):  
Meng-Hsiang Hsu ◽  
Chun-Ming Chang ◽  
Shing-Ling Wu

Building upon the perspectives of social capital theory, social support, and experience, this study developed a theoretical model to investigate the determinants of subjective well-being on social media. This study also examined the moderating role of experience on the relationship between subjective well-being and social support. Data collected from 267 social media users in Taiwan were used to test the proposed model. Structural equation modeling analysis was used to test the measurement model and the structural model. The findings reveal that receiving online support and providing online support are the key predictors of subjective well-being. Furthermore, social capital positively influences the reception and provision of online support. Finally, providing online support has a significant effect on the subjective well-being of users with low levels of use experience, while receiving online support exerts a stronger influence on the subjective well-being of users with high levels of use experience.


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