scholarly journals Dialogue and the Creation of Transformative Social Change: The Case of Social Enterprises

Author(s):  
Chitvan Trivedi ◽  
Shalini Misra

Aim/Purpose: To understand the process of social change creation in social entrepreneurial ventures (SEVs), specifically emphasizing the role and nature of the communicative process in social change creation. Background: Drawing on data from seven SEVs from India and the US and employing a grounded theory methodology, this research scrutinizes the social change process and uncovers the role and characteristics of dialogue in this process. Methodology: Qualitative data was collected from seven social entrepreneurial organizations over a period of eight months from July 2011 to February 2012. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a wide range of members within these social entrepreneurial organizations (n=27) with additional informal interviews with field workers and volunteers. Data from the semi-structured interviews and notes from observations were integrated with analyses of archival resources. Contribution: There is little scholarship about the process of social change creation and the necessary conditions to promote social change over time. Understanding the process of social change creation and the individual, interpersonal, and organizational conditions that facilitate the process is central to design of effective trans-sector TD problem solving ventures. This paper focuses on the process of social change creation in social entrepreneurial settings, specifically emphasizing the role and nature of the communicative process in social change creation. Findings: The reflections and experiences of the members of SEVs revealed that social entrepreneurship is a collective endeavor and this collective character is essential to its success. Collective organization and synergy, deep intra-organizational communication, and a conducive organizational context are critical for the creation of collective wisdom and knowledge networks for long-term collaborative community capacity building. Dialogue emerged as a central category linking the other categories to explain the process of social change creation. Organic organizational structure enables knowledge creation and integration through the process of organizational learning through deep and continuous social interaction, or dialogue. Recommendations for Practitioners: This research elucidated the key characteristics of the organizational context required to support the creation of social change. It also identified the critical role and characteristics of the communicative process required to generate structural knowledge and collective wisdom at the organizational level. Recommendation for Researchers: For individual and organizational learning, trans-sector transdisciplinary organizations require an appropriate organizational context. Key elements of such an organizational context include (1) understanding the ecology of the social problem; (2) organic organizational structure; (3) continuous and deep social interaction among all levels of the organization; (4) employee and community autonomy and empowerment; and (5) attention to subtle environmental changes in the system. These elements in combination lead to the creation of collective wisdom. Collective wisdom then feeds back into the conception, planning, and action stages of the iterative cycle of organizational knowledge creation to create positive social change. Impact on Society: Same as above Future Research: Future research model theoretically and study empirically the ecology of social entrepreneurship and trans-sector TD problem solving more broadly. For example, the ways in the personal attributes of social entrepreneurs (e.g., their leadership style, networking abilities) combine with circumstances at organizational, institutional, and international levels to influence the effectiveness of their efforts to promote positive social change within local and global communities. Second, the grounded theoretical framework developed here should be further refined and elaborated through the identification of additional key contextual factors that affect SEVs’ capacity to promote positive social change and to achieve sustainability in different socio-environmental contexts. There is also a need to translate the findings from this research to facilitate the creation of more inclusive problem solving contexts and practices.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gema Ramírez-Guerrero ◽  
Javier García-Onetti ◽  
Juan Adolfo Chica-Ruiz ◽  
Manuel Arcíla-Garrido

Purpose This paper attempts to fill the gap that exists in research regarding 20th-century heritage and its social appreciation. The purpose of this paper is to explore different ways of evaluating the heritage value and tourism potential and to propose an innovative model validated in the Zarzuela Hippodrome as an example of cultural asset from 20th century with important economic, social, cultural, aesthetic and architectural aspects. Design/methodology/approach This study opted for an interpretation of heritage from an ecosystem, integrating and global paradigm, understanding the asset as a set of resources that interact with each other, generating a common and enriched tourist experience among all the elements that make it up. From this perspective, it is conceived that by modifying one of the elements, the whole (tourist) ecosystem will be equally influenced. On the other side, it was incorporated non-parametric techniques based on the implementation of surveys for the validation of the tool to the case study of the Zarzuela hippodrome. Findings The results suggest that the hippodrome's internal values have been evaluated very positively, while its external values are low. Through this study, the paper has identified several weaknesses that impede its functioning as a viable “tourist product.” The distance from the city center, the lack of available information and the scarce diffusion and tourism promotion are its main weaknesses. The proposed analysis tool reveals the importance of the active participation of visitors to evaluate cultural assets through the combination of aspects related to the conservation of cultural assets and, in turn, elements that encourage their commodification as tourist products, break down barriers between these two disciplines. Research limitations/implications The management tool proposed in this study can be used to underpin the creation of tourism experiences in cultural or heritage assets by diagnosing the current state of its tourist potential, quantifying its value in relation to the visitors’ perception and making visible those problematic aspects to develop actions to solve them. Although the present study is support for future research, as well as for improving the marketing of heritage in tourist settings, an in-depth analysis of the technical elements of heritage, as well as of its intervention (if applicable), will be necessary for the managers who want to use the tool. Social implications One of the most differentiating characteristics between the construction typology of 20th-century historical buildings is perhaps the scarcity of decorative ornamentation, with exposed concrete being the main surface coating. Many of these constructions have an important cultural and historical relevance, however, the social perception, as regards its consideration as architectural and artistic heritage seems to reflect discordant aspects. This study provides support as a decision-making tool to determine the existing valuation of a building and how to enhance it. Originality/value This study takes steps toward the creation of a model that supports decision-makers and owners of cultural assets through a measurement system that makes it possible to quantify and determine the current state of tourism use through the social evaluation of heritage criteria. It defines which are the elements that favor the resilience of the property or, on the contrary, which are those that undermine its enhancement.


2021 ◽  
pp. 79-130
Author(s):  
Marc Gopin

The ethical schools of thought are essential to decision-making for peacebuilding and positive social change. The directives emerging from ethical schools often contradict each other, but Compassionate Reasoning can help resolve these contradictions and guide people in a more coherent direction of thinking and acting. The cultivation of compassion is shown to be a glue that bonds schools of ethics into one enterprise of moral reasoning as seen through several lenses. People who reason together are more adept at problem solving than when reasoning alone, but only if they have cultivated caring and compassionate relationships as a group. Moral reasoning in fierce competition with others, by contrast, retards the discovery of solutions to thorny problems. Compassionate Reasoning encourages collective reasoning rather than isolated and selfish reasoning. Excessive obedience to authority is also one of the most dangerous aspects of the human lower brain. A critical antidote is extensive training in taking the perspectives of others through Compassionate Reasoning.


Author(s):  
Alexei Koveshnikov ◽  
Janne Tienari ◽  
Eero Vaara

This chapter focuses on national identity in and around multinational corporations (MNCs). The authors offer three conceptualizations of national identity and demonstrate how it may be studied in MNCs. First, they argue that organizational actors (re)construct their national identities via references to, and associations with, particular ideologies and worldviews. These are rigid constructions, which are deeply rooted in actors’ place in and fundamental views about the world. Second, national identity is (re)constructed through group-level relations vis-à-vis relevant ‘others’ in the specific organizational context. Such constructions are relatively stable but they are relational in the sense that they are rooted in actors’ identification with their cultural group. Finally, national identities are (re)constructed by organizational actors through mundane everyday relations and interaction. These are fluid and temporary constructions contingent on the immediate interests of those involved and the social dynamics of specific interactions. Based on their conceptualization, the authors outline avenues for future research to understand better the changing roles and implications of national identity in modern organizations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 439-463
Author(s):  
Sivan Omar Esmail ◽  
Amin Khdir Ahmad ◽  
Himdad Ali Hussein

Media uses many different tools in its efforts to believe, using radio, television, posters and some other devices, trying to gain trust and support; which means media tools can be used for control. The increase in media importance in different communities is due to the creation of media tools, and the importance of individuals in society with these tools, especially television, so we see if media or television are in a way Positive is used in a way that plays an important role in bringing about the social change of development and development in all aspects of life in society, and if it is misused, it will have a bad effect on all individual parties in society, so this study contains three goals: - knowing the role of television in creating anxiety by students in a general way Knowing the role of television in creating anxiety by students based on gender change Knowing the role of television in creating anxiety by students according to the stage change Researchers used the method of resolution, the limit of this research by Raparin University students for 2020-2021, the Research Society consists of all students of the Basic Education College whose number is 1216, the sample of research consists of 100 (1,4) stage students from all different departments, the scale of the study prepared by researchers, The most important results of the research are anxiety by the example of the study, which is no different from the gender and stage changes.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicia Ohlsson ◽  
Aida Alvinius ◽  
Gerry Larsson

Purpose The purpose of this research is to gain deeper understanding of the leadership skills that are important to enhance adaptability in a hierarchical organization together with the antecedent factors that influence the potential development of these sets of skills. Design/methodology/approach This is a qualitative research design applying grounded theory to investigate the specific skills of military senior officers and their interactions. Semi structured interviews were conducted and analyzed. Military organizations are hierarchical which may act against informal networking. Adaptability is however essential especially in emergency situations. Findings The organizational smooth power consisted of structural smoothness, emotional smoothness and relational smoothness. Four distinct superior categories emerged from the data: the professional background of the leader, professional name-branding, contextual appraisal and organizational smooth power. Research limitations/implications The authors advise that while it can be hypothesized that other organizational context may show similar behaviors, this would have to be tested by further research. Further research would be required to explore the generalizability of these finding to other parts of the world and to contexts other than the military. The authors do not claim to have captured all the relevant factors and the model developed by this research should be regarded as preliminary. Practical implications This research has practical implications for the recruitment and retention of personnel for senior military posts. It also has implications for leadership development initiatives and increasing both awareness of and skills in smooth power. Originality/value Previous research had not identified the specific skills needed to achieve the organizational adaptability necessary to meet the changing demands of the environment. While previous research has indicated that building networks and relationships are important it has not specified the skill set necessary for leaders to do so effectively. Thus, this research has originality and value and it also opens ways forward in future research.


2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 183-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Mattus

Abstract Wikipedia is a multilingual, Internet-based, free, wiki-encyclopaedia that is created by its own users. The aim of the present article is to let users’ descriptions of their impressions and experiences of Wikipedia increase our understanding of the function and dynamics of this collaboratively shaped wiki-encyclopaedia. Qualitative, structured interviews concerning users, and the creation and use of Wikipedia were carried out via e-mail with six male respondents – administrators at the Swedish Wikipedia – during September and October, 2006. The results focus on the following themes: I. Passive and active users; II. Formal and informal tasks; III. Common and personal visions; IV. Working together; V. The origins and creation of articles; VI. Contents and quality; VII. Decisions and interventions; VIII. Encyclopaedic ambitions. The discussion deals with the approach of this encyclopaedic phenomenon, focusing on its “unfinishedness”, its development in different directions, and the social regulation that is implied and involved. Wikipedia is a product of our time, having a powerful vision and engagement, and it should therefore be interpreted and considered on its own terms.


2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 415-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sascha Kraus ◽  
Johanna Gast ◽  
Moritz Schleich ◽  
Paul Jones ◽  
Michael Ritter

Despite the growing literature dealing with social media marketing (SMM) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), one area that has not been fully explored is the creation of the content itself. SMEs typically do not have the same resources available that larger companies possess. Therefore, they have to find alternative ways to compensate for this weakness. This study analyzes SMEs’ SMM content creation, specifically on Facebook. By first scanning existing literature for essential factors for content creation, a theoretical foundation for the empirical part is presented. A qualitative approach was applied through the use of semi-structured interviews with eight SMEs. The findings suggest that it is difficult for most SMEs to efficiently use available resources, but also that minimal resources are required to create engaging content. Moreover, SMEs are typically aware of the majority of elements that influence content creation, at least to a certain extent, and that they should have established processes and routines to overcome the burden of limited resources. The study concludes with directions for future research and practical recommendations.


2015 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola S. Clayton

This article reviews some of the recent work on the remarkable cognitive capacities of food-caching corvids. The focus will be on their ability to think about other minds and other times, and tool-using tests of physical problem solving. Research on developmental cognition suggests that young children do not pass similar tests until they are at least four years of age in the case of the social cognition experiments, and eight years of age in the case of the tasks that tap into physical cognition. This developmental trajectory seems surprising. Intuitively, one might have thought that the social and planning tasks required more complex forms of cognitive process, namely Mental Time Travel and Theory of Mind. Perhaps the fact that children pass these tasks earlier than the physical problem-solving tasks is a reflection of cultural influences. Future research will hope to identify these cognitive milestones by starting to develop tasks that might go some way towards understanding the mechanisms underlying these abilities in both children and corvids, to explore similarities and differences in their ways of thinking.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 176-191
Author(s):  
Masrudi

Social change is a necessity that is not negotiable. This change is a variation onthe way of life that has been accepted together, both because of changes in geographicalconditions, culture, population composition, ideology and because of new discoveries insociety. This study uses the literature study method and the results of this study are socialchanges in the context of the propaganda of the Prophet Muhammad SAW is somethingreal and the results can be seen until now. The strategy he applied was by: 1) building a mosque as a base for the struggle and mobilization of the people; 2) bring together two major groups, namely Muhajirin and Ansar, to form the solidity of the people who standon the same flatform: faith; 3) establish communication with Jewish leaders as elders ofone of the social entities in Medina; and 4) made an agreement with the Jews in Medinawhich contained policies to build Muslim social stability. The importance of the currentda'wah movement for the creation of khoiru ummah is by carrying out social changessuch as those practiced by the Prophet Muhammad.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Schott ◽  
Dianne Dredge

This paper explores the leadership agency of tourism faculty in higher education and recommends actions to enhance leadership for social change. Based on a review of literature grounded within an agency perspective, a conceptual framework is presented that identifies systemic and individual influences on leadership. Three types of freedom for faculty to engage in leadership behaviors arise: (1) the capacity of the individual to lead; (2) the freedom afforded by the organizational context to lead in accordance with one’s capacity to lead; and (3) the social freedom to lead derived from each faculty member’s disciplinary and departmental norms and structures.


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