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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 30 August 2024

Ioan Mihangel Charnley-Parry, Elias Keller, Ivan Sebalo, John Whitton, Linden J. Ball, Beth Helen Richardson and John E. Marsh

Nuclear energy is a contested topic, requiring trade-offs in energy independence, ethicality and uncertainty. Anthropogenic climate change complicates these decisions further…

Abstract

Purpose

Nuclear energy is a contested topic, requiring trade-offs in energy independence, ethicality and uncertainty. Anthropogenic climate change complicates these decisions further, with nuclear energy competing with other low-carbon and sustainable energy sources. Decisions about nuclear energy’s role, as part of a sustainable energy system, must be made in cooperation with all stakeholders. However, it is unclear how the public is involved in these decisions in the UK. This study aims to address this gap, exploring the degree to which public participation has occurred in the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper conducted a scoping review of public participation in UK nuclear energy decision-making in the context of sustainable energy transitions, where the government retains and promotes nuclear energy as part of a sustainable energy system. Following a systematic literary search, this paper reviewed 28 academic and grey literature documents.

Findings

Public participation has primarily been conducted as consultations rather than active participation. There is limited evidence that consultations have meaningfully contributed to politically and socially responsible (i.e. individuals and groups working together for community benefit) decision-making, with public opinion on nuclear energy’s role being divided and is influenced by how it is framed.

Originality/value

Social aspects of nuclear energy development have historically received less attention than environmental and economic elements; the role of engagement and participation is relatively rare. Modern literature reviews in this context are largely absent, a gap this paper originally contribute to. This paper suggest ways in which how effective, inclusive engagement process could contribute to a fairer, responsible decision-making process and energy system in the UK.

Details

Journal of Responsible Production and Consumption, vol. 1 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2977-0114

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 16 August 2023

Carla Nouwen, Isolde Driesen, Lisbeth Verharen and Tine Van Regenmortel

The growing number of people with multiple problems in different areas of life means that cross-domain interprofessional collaboration is becoming increasingly important. This…

Abstract

Purpose

The growing number of people with multiple problems in different areas of life means that cross-domain interprofessional collaboration is becoming increasingly important. This study aims to focus on interprofessional collaboration between professionals from social work and financial and employment service organizations in The Netherlands. This type of cross-domain collaboration is still mostly superficial, and limited empirical knowledge is available about its beneficial factors.

Design/methodology/approach

The interprofessional collaboration model of Mulvale et al. (2016) was used as theoretical background for the research methodology and to reflect on the findings of our study. Data was collected through a qualitative study among professionals (N = 18) from social work and financial and employment service organizations in three different Dutch municipalities.

Findings

Similar team-level collaboration mechanisms of Mulvale et al.’s (2016) model were seen within this study. Joint client meetings were very beneficial for the interprofessional collaboration. Further beneficial factors include the decision-making process, team vision, client as an equal member, open communication and the appointment of a coordinator.

Research limitations/implications

Further special attention is needed to determine how best to allocate co-ordinating tasks, and how organizational and policy contexts affect the functioning of interprofessional collaborative teams.

Originality/value

This study offers an empirical view on a cross-domain collaboration between social work and financial and employment service organizations, by using Mulvale et al.’s (2016) model. In addition, this study also offers special attention to the role of the client in interprofessional collaborative teams.

Details

International Journal of Organizational Analysis, vol. 31 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1934-8835

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 29 January 2024

Tony Dobbins and Tony Dundon

The purpose of the article is to outline the insights provided by Alan Fox in Man Mismanagement in relation to the rise of the New Right political economy and the spread of…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the article is to outline the insights provided by Alan Fox in Man Mismanagement in relation to the rise of the New Right political economy and the spread of unitarist managerialism. The article assesses the contemporary work and employment relations implications of mismanagement arising from a “second wave” of the New Right ideology from 2010 in the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

Responding to the Special Issue on Alan Fox, the article focuses on Alan Fox's book Man Mismanagement, considering industrial relations developments arising between the 1st (1974b) and 2nd (1985) editions relating to the political rise of the New Right. It reviews various literature that illustrates the contemporary IR relevance of the book and Fox's insights.

Findings

The New Right’s ideology has further fragmented work, disjointed labour rights and undermined collective industrial relations institutions, and macho mismanagement praxis is even more commonplace, compared to when Fox wrote Man Mismanagement. The stripping away of the institutional architecture of IR renders the renewal of pluralist praxis, like collective bargaining and other forms of joint regulation of work, a formidable task.

Originality/value

The value of the article relates to the identification of dramatic historical industrial relations events and change in the UK in Alan Fox's book Man Mismanagement, most notably relating to the rise to power of the Thatcherite New Right in 1979. Originality is evidenced by the authors’ drawing on Fox's ideas and assessing the implications of the “second wave” of the New Right in the contemporary industrial relations (IR) context of the 2020s under the conceptual themes of fragmented work, disjointed labour rights and undermined collectivism.

Details

Employee Relations: The International Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0142-5455

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 8 September 2022

Debbie Vermond, Esther de Groot, Niek de Wit and Dorien Zwart

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020–2022, the immutable and fragmented character of our healthcare system changed. Healthcare professionals and their institutional leads…

Abstract

Purpose

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020–2022, the immutable and fragmented character of our healthcare system changed. Healthcare professionals and their institutional leads proved remarkably agile and managed to change toward collaborative care. The purpose of this paper is to examine experiences with collaborative practice in healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic in two regions in the Netherlands, to explore and understand the relationship between policy and practice and the potential development of new collaborative care routines.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a methodology informed by theories that have a focus on professional working practice (so called “activity theory”) or the institutional decision-makers (discursive institutionalism), respectively, the perspective of physicians on the relationship between policy and practice was explored. Transcripts of meetings with physicians from different institutions and medical specialities about their collaborative COVID-19 care were qualitatively analysed.

Findings

The findings show how change during COVID-19 was primarily initiated from the bottom-up. Cultural-cognitive and normative forces in professional, collaborative working practice triggered the creation of new relationships and sharing of resources and capacity. The importance of top-down regulatory forces from institutional leads was less evident. Yet, both (bottom-up) professional legitimacy and (top-down) institutional support are mentioned as necessary by healthcare professionals to develop and sustain new collaborative routines.

Practical implications

The COVID-19 crisis provided opportunity to build better healthcare infrastructure by learning from the responses to this pandemic. Now is the time to find ways to integrate new ways of working initiated from the bottom-up with those longstanding ones initiated from top-down.

Originality

This paper presents a combination of theories for understanding collaboration in healthcare, which can inform future research into collaborative care initiatives.

Details

Journal of Integrated Care, vol. 30 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1476-9018

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 8 January 2018

Mary S. Mangai and Michiel S. De Vries

While there is an urgent need for clean water in Ghana and Nigeria, governments lack the financial means to do much to address this need. This does not mean that improving access…

3858

Abstract

Purpose

While there is an urgent need for clean water in Ghana and Nigeria, governments lack the financial means to do much to address this need. This does not mean that improving access to clean water is impossible. On the contrary, this paper argued that engaging citizens through co-production, as is already being done in developed countries in the fields of care-giving, waste management, healthcare and community policing, could provide a successful strategy. The purpose of this paper is to examine how public water facilities are being managed to improve and sustain access to clean water for domestic use in rural areas in Ghana and Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey interview with households and in-depth interviews with water professionals were conducted in Ghana and Nigeria to help the authors understand the practicalities of the co-production of clean water and how this is improving and maintaining access to clean water sources. The paper draws on a philosophical framework of “deep” citizen engagement to describe the merits of co-production and how it works in practice in developing countries.

Findings

Based on the interviews with officials and surveys among the population of rural areas in the two countries studied, the authors found that the two countries vary significantly in their approach to water management decisions and the extent to which citizens are involved. Ghana’s approach seems much more successful than Nigeria when it comes to maintaining boreholes for water supply with the help of the population. In Nigeria, three-quarters of the public water facilities are non-functional, while in Ghana, community involvement in maintaining public water facilities has resulted in the sustained use of boreholes and eliminated the lack of access to clean water in many communities.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the practical understanding of co-production in developing countries and the potential of such co-production in improving clean water access. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous scientific research has studied how co-production can improve and sustain access specifically to clean water sources in developing countries, and this paper aimed to fill this gap.

Details

International Journal of Public Sector Management, vol. 31 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-3558

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 7 November 2018

Shimaa Hatab

Is the need for stability pre-empting the need for democratic values? How can the EU cope with two contradictory security requirements: the need to promote democratic norms and to…

3541

Abstract

Purpose

Is the need for stability pre-empting the need for democratic values? How can the EU cope with two contradictory security requirements: the need to promote democratic norms and to secure geostrategic interests? This paper takes on the security-democracy dilemma in a complex way that transcends the realpolitik frame overshadowing the analysis of the EU’s policy orientation in the Southern Mediterranean while considering its normative role as a fig leaf for security interests.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper investigates the EU’s foreign policy orientation reflected in the ENP in terms of the two logics of action of consequentialism and appropriateness. Tracing changes at the policy level over time between 2011 and 2015, the paper zooms into the implementation of the “new” ENP in the aftermath of the Arab uprisings in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia to highlight additional variation across countries.

Findings

Building on a document analysis of the official declarations for the policy-making level and of ENP action plans for the implementation level, the paper argues that local political dynamics and the level of the EU’s threat perception shape the EU’s response to the partner countries.

Details

Review of Economics and Political Science, vol. 4 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2631-3561

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 18 March 2021

Kwanjai Ritkumrop, Amaraporn Surakarn and Chatchai Ekpanyaskul

This study investigated the effectiveness of a new counseling program integrating cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy to promote emotional…

3239

Abstract

Purpose

This study investigated the effectiveness of a new counseling program integrating cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy to promote emotional regulation (ER) among undergraduate students with depression.

Design/methodology/approach

An interventional mixed method design was employed with the development of a qualitative method-based program using experimental and qualitative research. The sample consisted of 792 third-year undergraduate students at a public university in Bangkok. A total of 34 students with depression voluntarily enrolled and were divided into 2 groups. The 17 students in the experimental group received integrated counseling, while those in the control group received brochures. The effectiveness was evaluated using the self-assessment section on the ER scale and the Beck Depression Inventory form before and after counseling. When the program ended, qualitative research was conducted using in-depth interviews. In terms of quantitative research, the data were analyzed using one-way MANOVA and the qualitative research data used content analysis.

Findings

The mean scores for ER and depression in the experimental group before and after counseling were significantly different (p-value <0.05). Results were also significantly different from the control group (p-value <0.05). Students with depression showed improvements in ER in all six components after joining the program, including awareness, clarity, acceptance, impulse, goals and strategies.

Originality/value

Integrated counseling is an effective program that can increase ER and reduce depression among adolescents and can be an alternative program for depressive patients or other mood-regulating problems to promote ER.

Details

Journal of Health Research, vol. 36 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0857-4421

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 9 July 2024

Kirsi Günther, Eeva Ekqvist and Katja Kuusisto

The focus of this article is in documentation in substance abuse inpatient rehabilitation. Our article scrutinizes how workers give accounts of the documentation in the inpatient…

Abstract

Purpose

The focus of this article is in documentation in substance abuse inpatient rehabilitation. Our article scrutinizes how workers give accounts of the documentation in the inpatient substance abuse rehabilitation unit and what kind of client information the workers record.

Design/methodology/approach

The study focuses on institutional interaction and practices. Our data consist of interviews with substance abuse rehabilitation professionals (N = 15). We analyzed the interviews using content analysis and the account concept in keeping with the ethnomethodological research tradition.

Findings

Study shows how workers account for the significance of documentation. Workers deemed documentation significant in four different ways: in gathering basic and rehabilitation information, in storing and transmitting information, as a tool for analysis and assessment and in supporting linguistic transparency in substance abuse rehabilitation. Workers justified the significance of documentation by the legal requirement to record information about clients. Documented information enables clear management of client information and supports substance abuse rehabilitation work in various ways. Documentation contains descriptions of the client’s situation and work performed. Additionally, documentation serves as a tool for communication among social care professional.

Originality/value

Thus the research show that documentation plays a significance part in the inpatient substance abuse rehabilitation and are connected to its institutional tasks and practices.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 6 September 2019

Johannes W. Veile, Daniel Kiel, Julian Marius Müller and Kai-Ingo Voigt

Industry 4.0 is assumed to yield extensive industry-spanning opportunities. However, exploiting these opportunities requires a targeted implementation of Industry 4.0. The purpose…

27924

Abstract

Purpose

Industry 4.0 is assumed to yield extensive industry-spanning opportunities. However, exploiting these opportunities requires a targeted implementation of Industry 4.0. The purpose of this paper is to generate a deeper understanding of relevant implementation action. Existing recommendations are mostly general, highly aggregated and difficult to grasp. Yet, specific and concrete actions that need to be taken to accelerate the realization of Industry 4.0 are essential.

Design/methodology/approach

The article uses 13 semi-structured in-depth expert interviews as the source of empirical data. The interviews were conducted with managers from Industry 4.0-experienced German manufacturing companies. All interviews are analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

Findings

The study reveals relevant and targeted aspects for Industry 4.0 implementation: the development of Industry 4.0-specific know-how, securing financial resources, integrating employees into the implementation process and establishing an open-minded and flexible corporate culture. Further aspects include comprehensive planning processes, cooperation with external partners, proper handling of data interfaces, interdisciplinary communication, an adaptable organizational structure and data security.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is limited to German manufacturing enterprises and should be transferred to other industries and countries.

Practical implications

The study supports managers to effectively implement Industry 4.0 within their organizations and consequently benefit from Industry 4.0 and derives recommendations for future research.

Originality/value

The paper is among the first to give specific and concrete examples for lessons learned from Industry 4.0 implementation, directly obtained from industrial application.

Details

Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, vol. 31 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-038X

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 17 July 2024

Sophie Giordano-Spring, Carlos Larrinaga and Géraldine Rivière-Giordano

Since the withdrawal of IFRIC 3 in 2005, there has been a regulatory freeze in accounting for emission rights that contrasts with the international momentum of climate-related…

Abstract

Purpose

Since the withdrawal of IFRIC 3 in 2005, there has been a regulatory freeze in accounting for emission rights that contrasts with the international momentum of climate-related financial disclosures. This paper explores how different narratives and institutional dynamics explain the failure to produce guidance on accounting for emission rights.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper mobilises the notion of field-configuring events to examine a sequence of six events between 2003 and 2016, including four public consultations and two dialogues between standard setters. The paper presents a qualitative analysis of documents produced in this space that investigates how different practices and narratives configured the field's positions, agenda, and meaning systems.

Findings

Accounting for emission rights was gradually decoupled from climate change and carbon markets, relegated to the research pipeline, and forgotten. The obstacles that the IASB and EFRAG found in presenting themselves as central in the recurring events, the excess of representations, and the increasingly technical and abstract debates eroded the 2003 momentum for regulation, making the different initiatives to revitalise the project vulnerable and open to scrutiny. Lukes (2021) refers to nondecision-making to express that some issues are suffocated before they are expressed.

Originality/value

The regulation of accounting for emission rights, an area that has received scant attention in the literature, provides some insights into the different narrative mechanisms that, materialising in specific times and spaces, draw regulatory attention to particular accounting issues, which are problematised and, eventually, forgotten. This study also illustrates that identifying interests is problematic as actors shift from alternative positions over a long period. The case examined also raises some doubts about the previous effectiveness of international standard setters in dealing with matters of connectivity between the environment and finance, as is the case for accounting for emissions rights.

Details

Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, vol. 37 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-3574

Keywords

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