Conflicting interests over hydropower: Identifying and representing stakeholder perspectives on new projects using causal mapping. 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillaume Voegeli ◽  
David Christian Finger
Keyword(s):  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Impact Pathways ◽  
Stakeholder Perspectives ◽  
Causal Diagrams ◽  
Local Residents ◽  
Hydropower Impacts ◽  
Social Environmental ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Transfer Of Information

<p>The evaluation of the stakeholders’ perception of new hydropower projects is essential for assessing public acceptance, ensuring local involvement, and identifying feasible and desirable changes towards sustainable development. This study uses the concept of causal diagrams (CD) to identify the individual perspectives of stakeholders of two new hydropower projects, one in Switzerland (Val d’Ambra project) and one in Iceland (Hvammvirkjun project). For this purpose, semi-structured interviews with relevant stakeholders were conducted, which were then categorized into 5 interest groups. Using the software Atlas.ti, we identified and sequenced the perceived causality of impact pathways of the two projects. The results are exposed in two series of 10 topical causal networks, and two aggregated diagrams. For each case, CDs expose the complexity of multi-sequenced causalities between elements of a very heterogeneous nature, as expected and reported by stakeholders. This approach enables the identification of inter- and intra-group conflicting perspectives, and perceived uncertainties, concerning both subjectives matters along with much more tangible and predictable aspects. Our method enables the identification of areas where further research or better transfer of information between stakeholders is required. It also exposes how hydropower impacts can differ in time and space, when in one case study, intracommunity tensions and conflicts were identified at the earliest project stage, along with psychological distress of some local residents. Based on the presented CD, we conclude that this method can facilitate communication and problem-solving in complex social-environmental situations amid multiple stakeholder categories, which heterogeneity should not be underestimated.</p><p>This research has been published in Energy Research and Social Science:</p><p>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629620304473</p>

scholarly journals Battlefields Tourism: The status of heritage tourism in Dundee, South Africa

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (26) ◽  
pp. 121-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clinton David van der Merwe
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Heritage Tourism ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Mining Town ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
The Status ◽  
Local Residents

Abstract Heritage tourism is a significant contemporary facet of tourism in many developing countries. This paper analyses the economic opportunities for battlefield- heritage tourism in South Africa by examining the battlefields route within KwaZulu-Natal. Through structured interviews with stakeholders and structured questionnaires with visitors and local residents, this research explores the understanding of heritage tourism as well as perceptions of its influence on the physical landscape and gauges the importance of this form of tourism as a driver for local economic development in South Africa. Dundee, a small coal-mining town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa - where several battlefields are found, is used as a case study. The study demonstrates that several issues need to be addressed if this niche of cultural and heritage tourism is to be a sustainable and responsible form of tourism in South Africa.

Requirements Culture: A Case Study on Product Development and Requirement Perspectives

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Vittoria Elena ◽  
Chase Wentzky ◽  
Joshua D. Summers
Keyword(s):  
Product Development ◽  
Engineering Design ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Vice Presidents ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Large Power ◽  
Tool Company ◽  
The Individual

Abstract A desire to better understand requirements and their uses within product development inspired this case study conducted at a large power tool company. Researchers were interested in determining if a requirements culture existed within the company investigated, how this culture varied across departments, and how individuals at the company viewed requirements in engineering design. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted by five teams of interviewers over the course of two months to answer these questions. Employees in various positions across the company were interviewed in the study including Project Engineers, a CAD Designer, an Industrial Designer, Project Managers, and Vice Presidents. Through a detailed analysis of the interview transcripts and documentation, it was determined that the company did have a definite requirement culture and that the transfer of requirements across departments must remain consistent for the individual groups to be effective. Furthermore, it was found that employee engagement with requirements was more significant with those who were involved in the early stages of product development.

scholarly journals Evolution of the Physical and Social Spaces of ‘Village Resettlement Communities’ from the Production of Space Perspective: A Case Study of Qunyi Community in Kunshan

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (16) ◽  
pp. 2980
Author(s):  
Lei Zhou ◽  
Liyang Xiong
Keyword(s):  
Social Space ◽  
Social Spaces ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Production Of Space ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Government Power ◽  
Study Results ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Individual

Village resettlement communities (VRCs) are a special type of urban community that the government has promoted considerably during China’s rapid urbanization. This study uses the theory of the production of space as a basis to explore the processes and mechanisms of the physical and social space evolution of VRCs through a case study of Qunyi Community, one of the largest VRCs in Kunshan. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were employed in this study. Results indicate that the coupling relationship between local government power and diversified capital is the fundamental reason that promotes the production of macrophysical space. Moreover, the economic and social relationships among residents promote the reproduction of microsocial space. Landless farmers are the most important spatial producers in the microsocial space. The individual needs and cultural differences of immigrant workers also have significant effects on microspatial production. Furthermore, the production and reproduction of the physical and social spaces, respectively, of VRCs deduce the adjustment relationship among the urbanization processes of land, population, and individuals. Results also indicate that the urbanization of individuals appears to lag behind the previous two processes. This study can provide a theoretical basis for the spatial renovation and management optimization of VRCs, as well as the promotion of a new type of “people-centered” urbanization.

scholarly journals Marvinter: A case study of an inclusive transmedia storytelling production

2020 ◽  
pp. 135485652092397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny Brusk ◽  
Henrik Engström
Keyword(s):  
Digital Game ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Work Processes ◽  
Shared Resources ◽  
Cultural Experience ◽  
Game Development ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Mobile Game ◽  
The Individual

This article examines how the unique characteristics of Marvinter, an inclusive transmedia Advent calendar, affected its production and the individual media workers involved in this. In the native transmedia Marvinter project, a radio series and a mobile game were created and released simultaneously. Using ‘partly shared’ resources, the project was developed by two collaborating, non-profit organisations. Each chapter of the digital game had to match the corresponding radio episode. The whole had to be designed to provide a shared cultural experience that included people with hearing or visual impairments. The authors of the present article were part of the game development team and thus directly experienced the complexity of developing a digital game as part of a transmedia project. This article presents the results of a case study with an insider perspective. It is supplemented by semi-structured interviews with key people in the project. The transmedia nature of Marvinter was justified by the need to include people with complementary disabilities. Although sometimes associated with negative connotations of ‘naked commercialisation’ in transmedia contexts, the marketing strategy was here an important element in promoting inclusivity. However, owing to the concurrent work processes, game production became overly complex.

scholarly journals Accessibility for persons with mobility impairments within an informal trading site: A case study on the markets of Warwick, South Africa

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pragashnie Naidoo ◽  
Helga E. Koch ◽  
Jassmine Anderson ◽  
Prashika Ghela ◽  
Perusha Govender ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Informal Economy ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Mobility Impairments ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Informal Trading

Background: There are a number of informal trading sites across cities in sub-Saharan Africa,of which the markets of Warwick is one example. Since the informal economy is an important contributor to a city’s economy as well as a source of employment, it is important for these sites to be accessible for all persons. Whilst the South African government has put structures in place to identify and remove environmental barriers in order to meet the individual needs of persons with mobility impairments and improve their quality of life, persons with mobility impairments still face barriers and restricting environments that prevent them from participating in society and its social and economic activities.Objectives: This case study aimed at exploring accessibility within the markets of Warwick for persons with mobility impairments by an ergonomic assessment, augmented by voices of participants within the market.Method: A qualitative, instrumental, single case study design was utilised with purposive sampling of the markets of Warwick as the study setting. Multiple sources of data were gathered, such as semi-structured interviews, direct observations of an environmental survey supported by photographs, and the authors’ review of relevant documents. Transcriptions were analysed using NVivo 10 software programme with inductive coding.Results: Whilst policies have been in place since 1996 to adjust infrastructure, the markets of Warwick still remain inaccessible to persons with mobility impairments and do not meet the standardised infrastructural design.Conclusion: The findings of this study may offer a significant understanding of the complexity of accessibility within an informal trading site and create an awareness of the limitations this has for persons with mobility impairments. Additionally, these findings may assist in effecting a positive change in terms of the infrastructure of the Markets and in continuous advocating for the rights of persons with all disabilities.

scholarly journals Transformative Adult Learning in New Social Movement – a Case Study from South Africa

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-171
Author(s):  
Marta Čubajevaitė
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Movements ◽  
Adult Learning ◽  
Social Movement ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Interesting Phenomenon ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Individual

Abstract New social movements in South Africa could play a prominent role in mobilizing the communities to reflect critically and address the repercussions of the neo-liberal agenda which manifests itself in perpetual exclusion of under-educated adults and provision of poor quality education. Few studies especially from the perspective of the activists leave a potential research area of a very interesting phenomenon of how people learn while struggling for social justice. Therefore this article based on a single multi-site case study on a social movement cohering around literacy issues in Gauteng, South Africa, aims at answering, what forms of learning and education the social movement encompassed, how did the group conscientization occur and what are the individual transformations. Semi-structured interviews and a focus group discussion were held with 13 learnersactivists and 2 adult educators. By applying Mezirow’s individual transformation and Freirean group conscientization models the analysis of primary and secondary data, revealed that the engagement in the social movement challenged and changed learnersactivists’ understanding of educational status within their respective communities. This in turn led to transformative action addressing the problems identified. On the individual level, some learners-activists became more tolerant and willing to cooperate with those of different political ideologies, able to tap into community resources. Finally, the potential of social movements as adult learning environments are outlined.

Talent Retention for Succession Planning in the Defence Forces

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 52-71
Author(s):  
Neeta Baporikar
Keyword(s):  
Succession Planning ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Military Officers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Security Sector ◽  
Talent Retention ◽  
Senior Officers ◽  
The Individual

Retaining a talented workforce in any sector is crucial to gaining growth in this competitive environment. Defence is no exception, especially in the current geopolitical environment. Trained military officers in the security sector are crucial, and hence, succession planning is a priority for both developed and emerging economies. Based on Zinger's talent-based theory, this is a qualitative study employing the phenomenological approach with case study design. The sampling technique was purposive sampling, and through semi-structured interviews, data was collected from 20 senior officers from the rank of major and above working at different directorates. Findings reveal that talent retention improved succession planning through ensuring self-sustenance and competitive advantage by building a pool of experts as successors who are also motivated and empowered with a sense of belonging. Recommendations include a relook at the organizational culture and structural posting with a focus not only on years of serving but also on the skills and knowledge of the individual.

The Perspectives of Iranian EFL Teachers on the Integration of ICT into their Teaching Practices

2015 ◽  
pp. 94-119
Author(s):  
Parivash Mozafari ◽  
David Wray
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Depth Data ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
The Individual

This chapter reports the findings of a multiple-case study that was carried out during October-January 2013 held with 9 Iranian EFL teachers -five male, four females- from across 6 schools in the capital city of Tehran. Underpinned by a socio-cultural epistemology and utilising an interpretivist qualitative paradigm, this study aimed to explore participants' perspectives on the integration of computer and other ICT (information and communication technology) tools into their teaching. The focus was the individual and contextual factors which had influenced and shaped the perceptions and practices of these teachers. In so doing, in-depth data was collected based on a total of 36 face to face individual semi- structured interviews that were guided by 27 observations of classroom practices. Thematic analysis of the data indicated that ICT uptake by participants was seriously hampered by several interacting and interrelated areas that influenced participants' perspectives and practices.

scholarly journals Examining the Journey of a Pay-as-You-Go Solar Home System Customer: A Case Study of Rwanda

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 330
Author(s):  
Vivien Kizilcec ◽  
Priti Parikh ◽  
Iwona Bisaga
Keyword(s):  
Energy Market ◽  
Energy Access ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Customer Journey ◽  
Unique Data ◽  
Raising Awareness ◽  
Solar Home System ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Payment Models

Solar home systems (SHSs) are successfully addressing energy access deficits across the globe, particularly when combined with pay-as-you-go (PAYG) payment models, allowing households to pay for energy services in small instalments. To increase energy access, it is vital to understand the PAYG SHS customer journey in depth. To aid this, the paper presents unique data from active customers, consisting of structured interviews (n = 100) and two focus groups (n = 24) across two districts in Rwanda. These results are presented under a novel customer journey framework, which describes all the individual stages a customer might experience, including awareness and understanding, purchase, usage, upgrade, recommendation and retaining or switching energy source. The paper reveals that the customer journey is non-linear and cyclical in nature, acknowledging that a household operates in a social network within which they could influence or be influenced by others. It also highlights the growing importance of SHS recommendations in raising awareness of SHSs, pointing to the shifts in the off-grid energy market environment where customer awareness no longer appears to be a main adoption barrier.

scholarly journals Nurses in post-operative heart surgery: professional competencies and organization strategies

2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 474-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Paula Azevedo Santos ◽  
Silvia Helena Henriques Camelo ◽  
Fabiana Cristina dos Santos ◽  
Laura Andrian Leal ◽  
Beatriz Regina da Silva
Keyword(s):  
Heart Surgery ◽  
Practical Knowledge ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Collective Case Study ◽  
Management Personnel ◽  
Continued Education ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Individual Strategies ◽  
And Training

Abstract OBJECTIVE To analyze nurses' competencies with regard to their work in post-operative heart surgery and the strategies implemented to mobilize these competencies. METHOD This was an exploratory study with a qualitative approach and a methodological design of collective case study. It was carried out in three post-operative heart surgery units, consisting of 18 nurses. Direct observation and semi-structured interviews were employed to collect data. Data were construed through thematic analysis. RESULTS nine competencies were found, as follows: theoretical-practical knowledge; high-complexity nursing care; nursing supervision; leadership in nursing; decision making; conflict management; personnel management; material and financial resources management; and on-job continued education. Organizational and individual strategies were employed to develop and improve competencies such as regular offerings of courses and lectures, in addition to the individual pursuit for knowledge and improvement. CONCLUSION the study is expected to lead future nurses and training centers to evaluate the need for furthur training required to work in cardiac units, and also the need for implementing programs aimed at developing the competencies of these professionals.

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