Change agency and urban vulnerability: Theological-ecclesial paralysis or deep solidarity

A pandemic devastates the lives of global citizens and causes significant economic, social, and political disruption. Evidence suggests that the likelihood of pandemics has increased over the past century because of increased global travel and integration, urbanization, and changes in land use with a profound affectation of society–nature metabolism. Further, evidence concerning the urban character of the pandemic has underlined the role of cities in disease transmission. An early assessment of the severity of infection and transmissibility can help quantify the pandemic potential and prioritize surveillance to control highly vulnerable urban areas in pandemics. In this paper, an Urban Vulnerability Assessment (UVA) methodology is proposed. UVA investigates various vulnerability factors related to pandemics to assess the vulnerability in urban areas. A vulnerability index is constructed by the aggregation of multiple vulnerability factors computed on each urban area (i.e., urban density, poverty index, informal labor, transmission routes). This methodology is useful in a-priori evaluation and development of policies and programs aimed at reducing disaster risk (DRR) at different scales (i.e., addressing urban vulnerability at national, regional, and provincial scales), under diverse scenarios of resources scarcity (i.e., short and long-term actions), and for different audiences (i.e., the general public, policy-makers, international organizations). The applicability of UVA is shown by the identification of high vulnerable areas based on publicly available data where surveillance should be prioritized in the COVID-19 pandemic in Bogotá, Colombia.

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Acting as change agents: Insight into Québec occupational therapists’ current practice

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy ◽

10.1177/0008417421994367 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 000841742199436

Author(s):

Annie Carrier ◽

Alexandra Éthier ◽

Michaël Beaudoin ◽

Anne Hudon ◽

Denis Bédard ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mass Communication ◽

Online Survey ◽

Change Agent ◽

Full Range ◽

Theoretical Perspective ◽

Change Agents ◽

Occupational Therapists ◽

Change Agency ◽

Canadian Association ◽

Academic Degrees

Background. Change agents’ actions have been studied mainly from a theoretical perspective. Purpose. This study aimed to empirically identify occupational therapists’ actual change agent actions. Method. As part of a research partnership with the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists-Québec chapter, we conducted this cross-sectional pilot study using an online survey. Findings. The change agent practices of our 103 participants involve many types of actions but show underinvestment in mass communication. Mass communication actions are more frequent when participants have greater experience, additional academic degrees, and training in change agency. Also, occupational therapists with additional academic degrees and change agency training tend to use a wider variety of actions. Finally, our participants’ actions principally target actors in the clinical context, rarely political actors. Implications. Our results suggest that occupational therapists can and will invest in the full range of change agent actions provided they can acquire the necessary knowledge and skills.

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HR strategy during culture change: Building change agency

Journal of Management & Organization ◽

10.1017/jmo.2014.95 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 21 (6) ◽

pp. 741-754 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Llandis Barratt-Pugh ◽

Susanne Bahn

Keyword(s):

Cultural Change ◽

Culture Change ◽

Change Process ◽

Relevant Literature ◽

Critical Role ◽

Research Process ◽

Change Agency ◽

Strategic Approach ◽

Organisational Values

AbstractThis paper explores the role played by a Human Resources (HR) department orchestrating culture change during the merger of two large State departments with dissimilar cultures. A 2-year case study determined what HR strategies were having the greatest impact on embedding new organisational values to produce a more flexible culture and how these practices could be accelerated. This paper indicates how a more strategic approach by HR departments can support and develop relational managing capability that accelerates cultures change towards a more flexible work environment.This paper describes the context of the change process, the relevant literature, and outlines the research process. The findings from the phases of the data collection are summarised revealing the traumatic perceptions of the change process, but also the instrumental actions of some managers, working creatively with their teams to tackle new tasks and projects. The evidence suggests that these informal practices of task allocation were at the core of change agency in this case study and put the new flexible organisational values into action. The findings illustrate how the organisation moves from valuing managers for their technical competence to valuing managers for their relational competence.The paper then discusses what strategic HR actions were accelerating this process and illuminates the critical role of building managers as change agents. The paper concludes by confirming the need for a strategic approach by HR during organisational change. Building manager capability and supporting informal change agency practices is presented as a core focus for HR during such organisational cultural change programmes.

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‘By faith alone’ (undivided loyalty) in light of change agency theory: Jesus, Paul and the Jesus-group in Colossae

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies ◽

10.4102/hts.v73i3.4355 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 73 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Andries G. Van Aarde

Keyword(s):

Agency Theory ◽

Change Agent ◽

Change Agency ◽

Semantic Domain ◽

Mediterranean Culture ◽

Cultural Boundaries ◽

Inclusive Approach ◽

God's Work

This article aims to apply the model of change agent to the interpretation of Colossians. Presuming a continuity between Jesus and Paul, the article introduces the concept of ‘by faith alone’ from the Pauline letters. By this expression is meant an undivided fidelity to an inclusive approach to understanding God’s work, with concrete historical roots in Jesus’ crossing of gender, ethnic and cultural boundaries. Living in this manner requires reformation, transformation and change. The study spells out in fuller detail what is understood ‘by faith alone’ by discussing the meaning of ‘faith’ within its semantic domain embedded in the codes of 1st-century Mediterranean culture. Living in faith is both a change of one’s inner convictions and about a life in faith.

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