The development experiences of two small African and Northern European communities under globalisation

Author(s):  
Tomi Ovaska ◽  
Louw Van der Walt ◽  
Robert B. Anderson

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to focus on the development experience in the global world of two small communities, Viimsi in Estonia and Magog in South Africa. These two communities were chosen as exemplars because the authors were familiar with both, and understood them to be illustrative of differing outcomes of interaction of small communities with the global economy offering the prospect of generalisation of findings to the framework and theory. Twenty years ago, both were poor, since then Viimsi has become wealthy, while Magopa remains poor. It is not believed that becoming the wealthiest community in Estonia was Viimsi’s per-determined destiny. What people of Viimsi did to make their community a success relative to the surrounding peer communities is a story of the visible as much as the invisible attributes. Design/methodology/approach – These attributes are examined using a framework the authors’ originally developed to explore the participation of Indigenous communities in the global economy in pursuit of development as they defined it. A thorough investigation was done on the interactions among various community stakeholder groups in an attempt to describe the social fabric of these two communities, and this was used to explain why Viimsi was able to take advantage of globalisation, when Magopa was not. Findings – While it will be hard, no doubt, to translate all the success attributes of Viimsi to a different location and time, some of the lessons that were uncovered from the study are universal in nature, making them potentially useable for other small communities trying to find their way in the global world. Research limitations/implications – Studying only two communities means that the generalisation of the findings is limited to theory. None can be made directly to the population of similar communities, except indirectly through exploration using the theory being developed to test its validity in other circumstances. Practical implications – The findings from this paper will increase the understanding of the factors that contribute the a community’s success of lack of, in participating in the global economy. Originality/value – This is an under-researched area within development literature.

Kybernetes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrizia Gazzola ◽  
Daniele Grechi ◽  
Fragkoulis Papagiannis ◽  
Chiara Marrapodi

Purpose This paper aims to explore the sharing economy in Italy, focusing on key socioeconomic characteristics. Design/methodology/approach Adopting an exploratory approach, it analyzes the answers of a questionnaire, created using Google Forms and administered via social networks and e-mails. To analyze the answers statistical tests and descriptive statistics were used. The survey reveals potential behavioral factors, which influence the participation propensity to share economic practices. Findings Results exhibit that the age of the consumer is an impactful participating factor of sharing economy, and therefore, it seems to be a discriminant. On the contrary, gender and annual income are insignificant determinants. Research limitations/implications The sample is unbalanced, the majority of the answers were provided by young people. Social implications The paper can give a picture of the role and the importance of the sharing economy in Italy. Motivated by its global economic growth that could reach in 2025 the value of €570bn, it contextualizes what drives people to collaborate and share tangible and intangible assets. Originality/value It aims to discover how this digital trend shapes the social fabric of the global economy, providing a broader reflection in terms of future sustainability developments. Ongoing dynamic changes on digital consumer preferences toward sharing products and services provide valuable evidence on their future commercial behavior.


Significance The discovery of the bodies of hundreds of children at Canada’s former Indian Residential Schools has unleashed a wave of anger and mourning across Canada’s growing Indigenous population. More discoveries are expected, posing challenges for the country’s economic and social fabric. Impacts Public works projects may slow amid intensified disputes between the Canadian state and Indigenous peoples over lands and resources. There will be more pressure to share wealth from economic activity that directly affects Indigenous communities. Indigenous communities are likely to benefit from greater control over the design and delivery of government services. Cultural and academic institutions will increasingly prioritise and amplify Indigenous voices and perspectives. Canada’s reputation as an advocate for human rights will be affected by its handling of the residential schools issue.


2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaffa Moskovich ◽  
Yuval Achouch

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on a current trend in kibbutz industries, and to examine the numerous changes at Millennium Industries. Design/methodology/approach – A case study was carried out documenting the organizational biography of Millennium Industries. Ethnographic interviews were held with kibbutz members employed by the organization, former CEO’s and with other workers. Findings – The research describes the life cycle of the plant from its beginnings, through its maturity, its growth until its decline. It also explains the organizational failure of the plant, in terms of its background and the difficulties of managing a kibbutz industry in an era of global economy. The causes of its decline stem mainly from a kibbutz-style management based on non-professional involvement of the community in business, and incompatible with the rough competition of capitalistic markets. The plant was finally sold to a private investor, thereby losing its identity as a kibbutz plant. Research limitations/implications – As a single case-study this research cannot pretend to statistical generalization of the findings but linked to the kibbutz and the organizational literature, findings seem to allow generalization of theoretical propositions concerning evolution of the kibbutz industry (an analytic generalization according to Yin, 2013). Originality/value – While the kibbutz society and its industry are involved in deep changes for the two last decades, very little research was made on kibbutz industry. This paper should contribute to actualize the social knowledge about these specific and interesting phenomena.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Mominul Islam

Purpose This study aims to conceptualize the basic Islamic marketing (IM) process according to Shari’ah, addressing some of the queries raised by scholars on halal and marketing. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach and content analysis have guided to shape segmentation, targeting and positioning (STP) with the help of secondary data from conventional and IM. Required Qur’anic verses and hadiths have been galvanized to shape STP in line with empirical evidence, showing potential marketing implications. Findings This study has accepted Islamic resources to segment markets, mentioning mankind, non-Muslims, Muslims, generic, halal and Islamic products. It has proposed to target mankind, non-Muslims markets with generic and halal products. Muslim marketers can target the pious Muslim consumers with Islamic products. For positioning, the halal certification has been suggested for the non-Muslim marketers and Islamization is for Muslim marketers. The whole process has been conceptualized in a single framework. Practical implications Marketers can have many product development ideas and basic guidelines and scholars may be able to sense some queries as to IM. Social implications This study has shown how inter-religious relationships can be harmonized with carrying out marketing functions to keep the social fabric following the Qur’anic verses. Originality/value This study has outlined the IM process as per Muslim and non-Muslim marketers’ needs under Shari’ah. Besides, it has answered some questions on halal and IM that has been hardly addressed before.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksei V. Bogoviz ◽  
Anna V. Shokhnekh ◽  
Elena S. Petrenko ◽  
Elizaveta A. Milkina

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to develop the scientific and methodological provision for measuring and managing the social effectiveness of the market economy and its approbation.Design/methodology/approachWith foundation on the classical idea of effectiveness as a ratio of results to costs, and with acknowledgment of incompatibility and inequality of the elements of social effectiveness and the necessity of their ranking, the authors' formula for its evaluation is presented, and the methodology of its application is offered.FindingsIt is substantiated that the economic component of effectiveness of the market economy might have no connection with its social component, moreover, these two components could enter a vivid contradiction. This contradiction is especially vivid in countries with developed market economy. As the example of the USA shows despite the high global economy its market economy shows average statistical social effectiveness. While the experience of Russia shows that even with moderate global competitiveness of the market economy, it is possible to achieve its high social effectiveness. Advantages are achieved due to other social effects – active development of human potential and using the opportunities of the digital economy for social purposes. Social effectiveness of the Russian economy is assessed at 1.602.Originality/valueThe determined differences in the level of social effectiveness of developed and developing market economy predetermined the necessity for applying different measures to manage this effectiveness. A cyclic algorithm for managing the social effectiveness of developed and developing markets has been developed from the examples of the USA and Russia in 2019. It shows that perspectives of increasing the social effectiveness of certain market economies and leveling the disproportions of social effectiveness in the modern global economic system are connected to change of the measures of management with results and costs and for avoiding their mutual neutralization, the authors offer scientific and practical recommendations.


Subject Inflows of illegal weapons to the Caribbean. Significance There is a long-standing problem of illegal firearms entering the Caribbean, going back at least to the 1970s with the increase in politically related violence in Jamaica. However, today there are broader concerns that the importation of illegal firearms (often related to the trade in narcotics) is threatening the social fabric of many countries across the region. Impacts US budget cuts could further undermine regional efforts to curb illegal firearms. Instability in Venezuela and Haiti will also help to drive the trade in small arms trafficking. High Caribbean crime rates are undermining efforts to encourage investment and improve socio-economic indicators.


Subject Water scarcity and management. Significance On June 15, Roberto Ramirez de la Parra, head of the National Water Commission (CONAGUA), delivered Mexico's first rain harvesting system as part of the Water Capture Programme (Procaptar), a joint effort with the Social Development Ministry (SEDESOL) to provide small communities with access to water. SEDESOL Minister Jose Antonio Meade noted that Mexicans lacking running water at home have fallen to one in 20 today from one in four in 1990. Nevertheless, the issue of water scarcity still needs urgent attention; poor access to water and sanitation is a problem throughout the country due to pollution, waste, mismanagement and insufficient infrastructure -- despite a Water Agenda for 2030 being in place since 2011. Impacts Liberalisation of the energy sector and the eventual recovery of oil prices will increase pressure to address water reform. Without addressing water reform, government plans to boost agriculture will be ineffective. In the longer term, urbanisation and climate change will make improvements to water infrastructure and management increasingly urgent.


PurposeThis paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.Design/methodology/approachThis briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.FindingsThis conceptual paper concentrates on how emotionally considerate onboarding and training serve to integrate an apprentice into the social fabric of an organization. In the context of apprenticeships, more work can be done in Korea to improve the commercial power that collaborative relationships between colleagues can inject into a workplace and its learning culture.Practical implicationsThe paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations.Originality/valueThe briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent, information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


2014 ◽  
Vol 56 (7) ◽  
pp. 613-634 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Bajada ◽  
Rowan Trayler

Purpose – The social and economic disadvantages confronted by many Indigenous Australians are well known. A close look at Indigenous employment highlights that Indigenous Australians are substantially under-represented in the technical and professional areas of business and management. Closing the gap and improving the social and economic outcomes requires a greater focus in these areas. The purpose of this paper is to outline the design of an innovative undergraduate business degree for Indigenous students that: meets the targets set by government, produces the “T-shaped” graduate expected by business (disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge and soft skills), addresses the employment needs of the Indigenous community and provides the building blocks for Indigenous students to enrol in post-graduate business courses. Australians is well known. A close look at Indigenous employment highlights that Indigenous Australians are substantially under-represented in the technical and professional areas of business and management. Closing the gap and improving the social and economic outcomes requires a greater focus in these areas. This paper outlines the design of an innovative undergraduate business degree for Indigenous students that: (i) meets the targets set by government; (ii) produces the “T-shaped” graduate expected by business (disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge and soft skills); (iii) addresses the employment needs of the Indigenous community; and (iv) provides the building blocks for Indigenous students to enrol in post-graduate business courses. Design/methodology/approach – The development of the Bachelor of Business Administration (Indigenous) provided an opportunity to address the needs of Indigenous Australians in a curriculum that is not only interdisciplinary but also taught by indigenous and non-Indigenous academics. The paper outlines how the review was shaped, the innovative mode of delivery and the interdisciplinary nature of the curriculum. Administration (Indigenous) provided an opportunity to address the needs of Indigenous Australians in a curriculum that is not only interdisciplinary but also taught by indigenous and non-Indigenous academics. Findings – This course provides an integrated approach to business education focusing on the professional, technical and managerial roles in business that is in such short supply in Indigenous communities. The course contextualises the study of business within an Indigenous perspective to demonstrate how Indigenous studies not only contributes to empowering the individual but also how business education plays a critical role in repositioning Indigenous people in their local communities and society more broadly empowering the individual but also how business education plays a critical role in repositioning Indigenous people in their local communities and society more broadly. Originality/value – This paper demonstrates an integrated approach to business education focusing on the professional, technical and managerial roles in business that are in short supply in Indigenous communities.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charbel Chedrawi ◽  
Alain Osta ◽  
Souheir Osta

Purpose Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become an issue in the international banking industry, where each bank must assert its stakeholders, the social fabric and the natural environment. In the same time, legitimacy which has become one of the most critical issues for corporations, can be increased in the eyes of other stakeholders or institutions by structurally or procedurally adjusting to institutional influences. By conforming to three external institutional pressures (normative, mimetic and coercive), identified by DiMaggio and Powell (1983), organizations can build, support and gain legitimacy for their activities in specific institutional environments. Design/methodology/approach Using a qualitative approach, this research highlights the input of neo-institutional theory in the CSR context in top Lebanese banks in Lebanon. Findings This paper aims to analyze the impact of neo-institutionalism and the role of stakeholders in legitimizing CSR practices in the Lebanese banking sector. Practical implications Top Lebanese banks cannot simply comply with institutional pressures to gain their legitimacy, they need to develop their CSR activities targeted toward legitimacy-building at the local level; as for managers they cannot simply adopt managerial perspectives instrumentally to gain societal support, they need to adapt such perspectives and practices to the local needs as expressed by their internal and external stakeholders. Originality/value Managers of top Lebanese banks need to proactively engage in managing institutional pressures by adopting and adapting legitimacy-seeking strategies. This study highlights that top Lebanese banks differ in their CSR orientation because of their ownership structure, number of employees and profitability.


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