Nature-based solutions as discursive tools and contested practices in urban nature’s neoliberalisation processes

2020 ◽  
pp. 251484862090143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panagiota Kotsila ◽  
Isabelle Anguelovski ◽  
Francesc Baró ◽  
Johannes Langemeyer ◽  
Filka Sekulova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Green Spaces ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Community Garden ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Urban Nature ◽  
Political Climate ◽  
Natural Interaction ◽  
Ecological Benefits ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Positivist Science

‘Nature-based solutions’ is the new jargon used to promote ideas of urban sustainability, which is gaining traction in both academic and policy circles, especially in the European Union. Through an analysis of the definitions and discourse around nature-based solutions, we discern a number of assumptions stemming from positivist science that are embedded in the term, and which we find create an inviting space for nature’s neoliberalisation processes. We provide empirical analysis of how these assumptions realise in two city-initiated projects in Barcelona, Spain, that have been identified as nature-based solutions: the green corridor of Passeig de Sant Joan and the community garden of Espai Germanetes supported under the municipal Pla Buits scheme. Both projects were born in a neoliberal political climate, but their outcomes in terms of neoliberalism and its contestation were very distinct – not least because of the different forms of governance and socio-natural interaction that these two projects foster. Urban nature can serve elite economic players at the expense of widespread socio-ecological benefits. But it can also serve as a ground for the articulation of demands for open and participatory green spaces that go beyond precarious and controlled stewardship for, or market-mediated interactions with, urban nature. We urge for future research and practice on nature-based solutions to be more critical of the term itself, and to guide its instrumentalisation in urban planning away from neoliberal agendas and towards more emancipatory and just socio-ecological futures.

Rebuilding trust: sustainability and non-financial reporting and the European Union regulation

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 701-725
Author(s):  
Matteo La Torre ◽  
Svetlana Sabelfeld ◽  
Marita Blomkvist ◽  
John Dumay
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Accounting Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Eu Directive ◽  
The Eu

Purpose This paper introduces the special issue “Rebuilding trust: Sustainability and non-financial reporting, and the European Union regulation”. Inspired by the studies published in the special issue, this study aims to examine the concept of accountability within the context of the European Union (EU) Directive on non-financial disclosure (hereafter the EU Directive) to offer a critique and a novel perspective for future research into mandatory non-financial reporting (NFR) and to advance future practice and policy. Design/methodology/approach The authors review the papers published in this special issue and other contemporary studies on the topic of NFR and the EU Directive. Findings Accountability is a fundamental concept for building trust in the corporate reporting context and emerges as a common topic linking contemporary studies on the EU Directive. While the EU Directive acknowledges the role of accountability in the reporting practice, this study argues that regulation and practice on NFR needs to move away from an accounting-based conception of accountability to promote accountability-based accounting practices (Dillard and Vinnari, 2019). By analysing the links between trust, accountability and accounting and reporting, the authors claim the need to examine and rethink the inscription of interests into non-financial information (NFI) and its materiality. Hence, this study encourages research and practice to broaden mandatory NFR practice over the traditional boundaries of accountability, reporting and formal accounting systems. Research limitations/implications Considering the challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis, this study calls for further research to investigate the dialogical accountability underpinning NFR in practice to avoid the trap of focusing on accounting changes regardless of accountability. The authors advocate that what is needed is more timely NFI that develops a dialogue between companies, investors, national regulators, the EU and civil society, not more untimely standalone reporting that has most likely lost its relevance and materiality by the time it is issued to users. Originality/value By highlighting accountability issues in the context of mandatory NFR and its linkages with trust, this study lays out a case for moving the focus of research and practice from accounting-based regulations towards accountability-driven accounting change.

The Decision Process of Contracting in Supply Chain Management

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens K. Roehrich ◽  
Beverly B. Tyler ◽  
Jas Kalra ◽  
Brian Squire
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Decision Process ◽  
Interorganizational Relationships ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Future Developments ◽  
The Relationship

Contracts are a formal mode of governing interorganizational relationships. They specify the terms and conditions of the agreement between two parties, interpret and adapt the relevant legal and industrial norms, serve as framing devices, and establish the rules and norms underpinning the relationship. The objective of this chapter is to synthesize the extant literature on interorganizational contracting to guide future research and practice. This chapter focuses on the three phases of contracting: (1) designing the contracting portfolio; (2) negotiating initial contracts; and (3) managing the relationship using contracts. The chapter explores the key decisions in each phase and the criteria involved in making these decisions. In doing so, it draws on existing research and theoretical frameworks that have contributed to the development of the contracting literature. The chapter also identifies some important and interesting directions for future contracting research and offers suggestions regarding how selected theoretical lenses might guide these endeavors. The principal conclusion is that while the existing research has primarily focused on the structural issues guiding contracting design, a more processual, social, and behavioral focus is required in future developments of the contracting literature.

scholarly journals The Socioeconomic Welfare of Urban Green Areas and Parks; A Literature Review of Available Evidence

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7863
Author(s):  
Antonios Kolimenakis ◽  
Alexandra D. Solomou ◽  
Nikolaos Proutsos ◽  
Evangelia V. Avramidou ◽  
Evangelia Korakaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Urban Policy ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Exclusion Criteria ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Urban Green Areas ◽  
Green Areas

Urban green areas present a lucid example for the harmonious co-existence of the artificial and natural environments best illustrated by their interdependence and interconnection in urban spaces. Urban green areas are essential for the health and wellbeing of citizens. The present study aimed to investigate those multiple benefits for citizens that arise through the existence of urban green areas, as well as important policy dimensions that should be considered when designing the expansion of urban green spaces in urban development. The study was based on a literature review to examine for available evidence on the benefit levels derived by the existence of urban green areas. An extended literature review was followed by a structured review, based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, which partly followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The search was conducted in two databases, and a total of 1674 articles and abstracts were identified through the database searches. After removing 114 duplicates, 1560 records were initially screened based on title and abstract. Following inclusion and exclusion criteria, 14 articles were incorporated in the structured review and a total of 47 in the extended review. The extended literature review identified 33 additional articles examining aspects of benefits that did not fall under the pre-established inclusion and exclusion criteria used in the structured review, such as health benefits and other social parameters associated with urban green spaces. The selected studies were allocated in five principal groups according to study types: three of the them consisted of studies employing “willingness to pay” (WTP) methods, five were based on property values, two studies assigned monetary values, while another two assigned CO2 values, and, finally, two studies were based on qualitative criteria. The results indicated benefits to citizens and increased welfare levels gained by the existence of urban green areas. The conducted review revealed a number of findings and recommendations that could direct future research and urban policy. Those hints could assist local authorities as well as stakeholders in order to measure and assess the benefits of green spaces and urban parks and promote measures and programs to assist their further deployment.

Understanding the characteristics of professional development programs for teachers’ health and wellbeing: Implications for research and practice

2021 ◽  
pp. 000494412110034
Author(s):  
Lucy Corbett ◽  
Philayrath Phongsavan ◽  
Louisa R Peralta ◽  
Adrian Bauman
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Manual Search ◽  
Australian Education ◽  
Teacher Wellbeing ◽  
Evidence Based Programs

Professional development (PD) provides an opportunity to promote the psychological, social, and physical health tools teachers require to maintain teacher wellbeing. Despite their potential, little is known about PD programs targeting the health and wellbeing of Australian teachers. This study aimed to summarize the characteristics of Australian PD programs targeted at teacher wellbeing, identify gaps in existing PD and make recommendations for future research and practice. Three search strategies, (1) search engine results, (2) a manual search of known Australian education websites, and (3) requests for information from Australian education organizations, were combined to ensure a comprehensive inventory of PD programs was compiled. This study found 63 PD programs promoting health and wellbeing that currently exist for Australian teachers. Of these, only three provided evidence of their evaluation indicating programs are advertised and implemented without evidence of their effectiveness. Future PD should be evaluated with findings of the evaluations reported publicly so evidence-based programs promoting teacher’s health and wellbeing can be recommended and implemented.

scholarly journals Co-Creating New Directions for Service Robots in Hospitality and Tourism

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-61
Author(s):  
Francesc Fusté-Forné ◽  
Tazim Jamal
Keyword(s):  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Service Robots ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Tourism Management ◽  
New Directions ◽  
Hospitality And Tourism ◽  
New Research

Research on the relationship between automation services and tourism has been rapidly growing in recent years and has led to a new service landscape where the role of robots is gaining both practical and research attention. This paper builds on previous reviews and undertakes a comprehensive analysis of the research literature to discuss opportunities and challenges presented by the use of service robots in hospitality and tourism. Management and ethical issues are identified and it is noted that practical and ethical issues (roboethics) continue to lack attention. Going forward, new directions are urgently needed to inform future research and practice. Legal and ethical issues must be proactively addressed, and new research paradigms developed to explore the posthumanist and transhumanist transitions that await. In addition, closer attention to the potential of “co-creation” for addressing innovations in enhanced service experiences in hospitality and tourism is merited. Among others, responsibility, inclusiveness and collaborative human-robot design and implementation emerge as important principles to guide future research and practice in this area.

scholarly journals Integration of Digital Economy and Circular Economy: Current Status and Future Directions

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7217
Author(s):  
Zhen Liu ◽  
Jing Liu ◽  
Mohamed Osmani
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Digital Economy ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Research Progress ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Disruptive Effect ◽  
The European Union

Circular economy (CE) is a concept actively advocated by the European Union (EU), China, Japan, and the United Kingdom. At present, CE is considered to grant the most traction for companies to achieve sustainable development. However, CE is still rarely adopted by enterprises. As the backbone of the fourth industrial revolution, the digital economy (DE) is considered to have a disruptive effect. Studies have shown that digital technology has great potential in promoting the development of CE. Especially during the COVID-19 epidemic that has severely negatively affected the global economy, environment, and society, CE and DE are receiving high attention from policy makers, practitioners, and scholars around the world. However, the integration of CE and digital technology is a small and rapidly developing research field that is still in its infancy. Although there is a large amount of research in the fields of CE and DE, respectively, there are few studies that look into integrating these two fields. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore the research progress and trends of the integration of CE and DE, and provide an overview for future research. This paper adopts a bibliometric research method, employs the Web of Science database as its literature source, and uses VOSviewer visual software to carry out keyword co-occurrence analysis, which focuses on publication trends, journal sources, keyword visualization, multidisciplinary areas, life cycle stages, and application fields.

Children With Intellectual Disability and Victimization: A Logistic Regression Analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 107755952199417
Author(s):  
Katherine R. Brendli ◽  
Michael D. Broda ◽  
Ruth Brown
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
District Of Columbia ◽  
The Other ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Common Assumption ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Demographic Correlates

It is a common assumption that children with disabilities are more likely to experience victimization than their peers without disabilities. However, there is a paucity of robust research supporting this assumption in the current literature. In response to this need, we conducted a logistic regression analysis using a national dataset of responses from 26,572 parents/caregivers to children with and without disabilities across all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia. The purpose of our study was to acquire a greater understanding of the odds of victimization among children with and without intellectual disability (ID), while controlling for several child and parent/adult demographic correlates. Most notably, our study revealed that children with ID have 2.84 times greater odds of experiencing victimization than children without disabilities, after adjusting for the other predictors in the model. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

scholarly journals Advertising at the threshold: Paratextual promotion in the era of media convergence

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Hackley ◽  
Amy Rungpaka Hackley
Keyword(s):  
Mass Media ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Product Placement ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Media Convergence ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
The Media ◽  
Advertising Communication ◽  
Advertising And Promotion ◽  
Hybrid Forms

In the media convergence era, brands are embracing hybrid forms of advertising communication such as branded content, product placement and sponsored TV ‘pods’, brand blogs, shareable video, programmatic advertising, ‘native’ advertising and more, as alternatives to, and extensions of, traditional mass media advertising campaigns. In this article, we draw on Genette’s theory of transtextuality to reframe this phenomenon from a paratextual purview. We suggest that the analogy of the paratext articulates the iterative, ambiguous, participative and intertextual character of much contemporary brand communication. We describe extended examples of paratextual advertising and promotion that illustrate the fluid and mutually contingent relation of advertising text to paratext, and we outline an analytical framework for future research and practice.

Envisioning a New Foundation for Gifted Education: Evolving Complexity Theory (ECT) of Talent Development

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 172-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Yun Dai
Keyword(s):  
Complexity Theory ◽  
Gifted Education ◽  
Adaptive System ◽  
Talent Development ◽  
Social Processes ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Four Dimensions ◽  
Creative Productivity ◽  
Education Needs

This article presents a new theory of talent development, evolving complexity theory (ECT), in the context of the changing theoretical directions as well as the landscape of gifted education. I argue that gifted education needs a new foundation that provides a broad psychosocial basis than what the notion of giftedness can afford. A focus on talent development rather than giftedness should be based on a theory of talent development that is truly developmental, treating the developing person as an open, dynamic, and adaptive system, changing oneself adaptively while interacting with environmental opportunities and challenges. To introduce ECT, I first delineate the meaning and significance of four dimensions or “parameters” of talent development undergirding this new theory: domain, person, development, and culture. I then describe how ECT explicates the developmental processes and transitions as the result of human adaptations to environmental opportunities and challenges. More specifically, ECT uses the constructs of characteristic and maximal adaptation to elucidate how domain, person, development, and culture jointly shape a particular line of talent development, and how cognitive, affective, and social processes interact to push and sustain a critical transition from characteristic adaptation to maximal adaptation, eventually leading to high-caliber performance and creative productivity. I finally discuss the theoretical contributions and practical utilities of ECT for future research and practice.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document