Search Results (262)

Construction industry in Afghanistan is crucial for economic and social advancement, particularly after years of instability. However, the construction industry has been already confronting huge time overruns, affecting all stakeholders. This research aims to identify the various risks associated with time overruns in construction projects within Afghanistan and to explore effective risk management strategies to mitigate these challenges. To address time overruns, this study employed Monte Carlo simulations using RiskPert to assess time overruns by combining expert judgment with historical data. This study assesses construction project historical data from 2002 to 2023, emphasizing the political and economic circumstances of that period using a literature review and an examination of 74 construction project reports, in addition to semi-structured interviews with industry experts to determine schedule-related risks and their frequent causes. This research found 29 distinct risk indicators classified into eight categories, facilitating a methodical integration of risks into the simulation model. The Monte Carlo Simulations conducted with @RISK software (version 8.0, Palisade Corporation, New York, NY, USA) assessed the influence of these risks on project performance over 10,000 iterations, demonstrating a robust association with actual project results and a standard deviation of ±15% in durations. Time overruns in projects are linked to socio-political, organizational, and financial risks. The findings emphasize the significance of these factors on project outcomes and recommend strategies for their mitigation to improve decision-making and ensure project management success. Full article

The transition to renewable energy technologies is one of the most important ways to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of affordable and clean energy (SDG7); industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG9); responsible production and consumption (SDG12); and climate action (SDG13). The widespread use of renewable energy technologies in developing countries will reduce dependence on imported fossil resources, increase industrial competitiveness, and support low-carbon development. Despite all their advantages, the integration of renewable energy technologies into industrial and domestic systems in developing countries remains slow due to a number of barriers. Financial constraints, technical and technological deficiencies, political restrictions and uncertainties, and organizational and managerial inadequacies are some of the barriers to the widespread adoption of renewable energy technologies. This study aims to identify, classify, and prioritize the barriers to the implementation of renewable energy technologies by applying multi-criteria decision-making methods in a fuzzy environment, with Türkiye considered as a case study. The relative importance of the barriers identified using the Single-Valued Spherical Fuzzy SWARA method was assessed, and their interconnections and significance were systematically demonstrated. The findings will contribute to the development of policy and management strategies aligned with global sustainability goals, thereby facilitating a more effective and equitable transition to clean and resilient energy systems. Full article

The present research examines how employees perceive their firms’ CSR initiatives that ultimately translate into desired attitudes and behaviors, i.e., employee environmental commitment (EEC) and knowledge sharing (KS) at the workplace, by underpinning social identity theory. However, when do undesired working conditions, i.e., Perception of Politics (POP), adversely influence these desired outcomes? We deliberately selected 45 firms in the services and manufacturing sectors of Pakistan operating in larger metropolitan cities and prevalent tourist destinations, and actively participating in CSR activities. Thereafter, three self-administered surveys were conducted by employing a time-lagged design with two temporal breaks. A total of 655 surveys were distributed among middle managers across selected firms. Accordingly, it is found that employees who strongly identify with their organizations tend to align their personal values with organizational sustainability efforts and actively participate in environmentally responsible practices. They also demonstrate a greater willingness to share knowledge and enhance the organization’s collective intelligence. However, when employees perceive a high level of political behavior within the organization, their trust in its ethical standards diminishes, leading to various negative attitudes and behaviors in the workplace. This research contributed in two ways to the existing literature: (a) by examining the employees’ understandings of firms’ CSR engagements and their trickle-down effect on EEC and KS, (b) and studying when POP adversely effects the above relationship. Full article

Geopolitical disruptions such as trade wars, sanctions, and political instability threaten global supply chain (SC) resilience. As a result, multinational corporations face financial losses, operational delays, and strategic uncertainties, creating an urgent demand for innovative risk management and scenario-planning strategies. Traditional risk management methods struggle to keep pace with the complexity of these events. This study explores the metaverse, combining VR, AR, digital twins, AI, and blockchain, as a tool for enhancing SC risk management. By enabling immersive scenario planning, real-time risk visualization, and collaborative decision-making, the metaverse supports agile and resilient supply chains. This research proposes a conceptual framework integrating key fourth industrial revolution (4IR) technologies to address geopolitical SC disruptions systematically. This model fosters digital preparedness, simulation-based learning, and adaptive coordination. While technological, organizational, and regulatory challenges persist, the study demonstrates that metaverse-enabled systems can support future-ready SC resilience strategies. Full article

Community-level overdose prevention interventions often require collaboration among organizations from various sectors including emergency medicine, criminal justice, harm reduction, and drug treatment organizations, yet little is known about ways to foster interorganizational collaboration among organizations with very different missions and in different socio-political contexts. This paper presents results from interviews with key informants involved in overdose prevention coalitions in two counties in Wisconsin (n = 45). Key informants were purposively selected from 31 different organizations in sectors including harm reduction, drug treatment, emergency medicine, and law enforcement. Interviews asked participants to describe the overdose crisis in their communities and the work they do, including any partnerships or coalitions formed with other organizations. We conducted thematic analysis using inductive and deductive coding. Participants’ experiences illuminate strategies and actions that facilitated coalitions’ work (interorganizational processes) and changed the context in which they worked to be more accepting of harm reduction efforts and less stigmatizing and punitive toward people who use opioids (PWUO). These included getting the word out in community-facing events to educate the public and destigmatize harm reduction, working with representatives across the CoC in various sectors, and actively working with them to create shared missions. Key people acted as bridges while others had the power to convene multiple agencies to a common cause. Overdose Fatality Reviews (OFRs) were found to be particularly helpful in identifying gaps in the current Opioid CoC and developing programs in collaboration with other organizations to address them. Organizational empowerment offers a useful framework for understanding how to facilitate IOC at the intra- (e.g., community education to reduce stigma, inter- (bridging roles by key actors), and extra-organizational levels (e.g., policy changes supporting naloxone access). These strategies can be used by coalition members and tested in future community-level overdose responses. Full article

Carbon emissions trading from past studies has been recommended as effective in minimizing future levels of carbon emissions. The aim of this paper is to develop a theoretical framework for a construction industry carbon trading system by identifying the categorizations in the system and their influences. The theoretical framework in this study was developed using the PROMISE Framework. PROMISE is an acronym representing Personal, Relational, Organizational, Market, Institutional, Social, and Environmental. The Scopus database was used in the selection of articles. Using the System Dynamics (SD) Causal Loop Diagram (CLD) approach, the positive and negative influences among the variables in the seven categories were evaluated and illustrated. This study is significant and provides a foundation for future researchers to develop conceptual frameworks and models for carbon mitigation strategies. For policy makers, the proposed carbon trading framework assists in evaluating the key legal, economic, environmental, and political policies that can improve carbon trading projects in the built environment. When policy makers place significant emphasis on the influences identified in this study, it will contribute to them supporting regulations and policies that effectively mitigate these emissions. Full article

Electoral abstention has emerged as a critical challenge to democratic legitimacy, with rising rates observed globally. For example, in Portugal, the turnout declined from 91.5% in 1975 to 51.4% in 2022. This systematic review synthesizes multidisciplinary literature to identify key determinants of voter nonparticipation and their interactions, aiming to inform adaptive strategies to enhance civic engagement amid social, organizational, and technological changes. Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched five databases (Academic Search Complete, MEDLINE, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, PsycINFO, and Web of Science) from 2000 to August 2025 using terms such as “electoral abstention” and “non-voting.” Inclusion criteria prioritized quantitative empirical studies in peer-reviewed journals in English, Portuguese, Spanish, or French, yielding 23 high-quality studies (assessed via MMAT, with scores ≥ 60%) from 13 countries, predominantly the USA and France. Results reveal abstention as a multidimensional phenomenon driven by three interconnected categories: individual factors (e.g., health issues like smoking and mental health trajectories, institutional distrust); institutional factors (e.g., electoral reforms such as biometric registration reducing abstention by up to 50% in local contexts, but with mixed outcomes in voluntary voting systems); and contextual factors (e.g., economic inequalities and urbanization correlating with lower turnout, exacerbated by events like COVID-19). This review underscores the need for integrated public policies addressing these factors to boost participation, particularly among youth and marginalized groups. By framing abstention as an adaptive response to contemporary challenges, this work contributes to the political psychology and democratic reform literature, advocating interdisciplinary approaches to resilient electoral systems. Full article

This study examines how El Sistema, a global social music education program active in over 60 countries, contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The program is analyzed using Sheerens’ CIPO (Context–Input–Process–Output) framework, which enables comprehensive evaluation of education from design and implementation to outcomes beyond simple result-focused assessment. The framework also accounts for political, social, and economic contexts, making it effective for understanding country-specific cases. Using this approach, this study analyzed how El Sistema has been localized across five representative case countries—Scotland, the United States, Sweden, Republic of Korea, and Japan. Data were collected through a narrative review integrating academic studies and credible non-academic sources, including government and organizational reports, program brochures, official websites, news articles, and multimedia materials. Findings indicate alignment with SDGs 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 16, and 17. Country-specific strategies include community engagement in Scotland (SDG 17), partnerships in the United States (SDG 17), immigrant integration in Sweden (SDGs 11, 16), inclusive music education and cultural revitalization in the Republic of Korea (SDGs 11, 16, 17), and quality and healing education for disaster-affected and disabled children in Japan (SDG 11). These results suggest that El Sistema can serve as a sustainable model of social music education when supported by localized strategies, stable resources, multi-level governance, systematic evaluation, and proactive engagement with environmental initiatives. Full article

Background/Objectives: Robust, state-level LGBTQ+ health surveillance is scarce in Kentucky, limiting evidence-based healthcare planning and policy. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility and early public-health utility of a community-partnered annual survey and compare selected mental health stressors between Kentucky and non-Kentucky respondents. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey (13 April–15 July 2024) developed with a statewide LGBTQ+ nonprofit. Recruitment occurred via organizational channels and community events. A content warning preceded the survey, which was administered via Qualtrics. Data quality was screened using reCAPTCHA. We assessed feasibility metrics including recruitment and completion rates. Mental health stressors were captured with a six-item scale. Group differences were estimated with Welch’s t-tests. Results: Of 3852 survey starts, 1559 were retained as analyzable completes (completion rate: 40.47%), with 78.7% residing in-state. Initial analysis revealed a significant divergence in mental health patterns: while Kentucky participants reported lower stress regarding their personal mental health, they reported significantly higher stress stemming from socio-political issues like homophobia and transphobia compared to out-of-state respondents. Conclusions: An annual, community-partnered surveillance platform is a feasible strategy for generating actionable mental health signals relevant to healthcare. These findings will inform targeted outreach and guide health system partnerships to enhance LGBTQ+-affirming care in Kentucky. Full article

Vibocracy refers to societal conditions in which public life and decision-making are shaped by affective resonance, performative legitimacy, and unstable epistemic frames, often amplified by algorithmic media and neo-oral communication environments. Unlike wicked problems, which presuppose shared intelligibility, and post-truth politics, which emphasize the erosion of factual authority, vibocracy designates contexts where problems themselves are enacted and sustained through affective circulation. Recent years have seen the emergence of societal challenges where public life and decision-making are shaped less by shared evidence and deliberative reasoning than by affective resonance and performative legitimacy. This entry introduces the concept of vibocracy to describe these conditions and distinguishes it from existing categories such as wicked problems and messes. The analysis is based on a conceptual synthesis of scholarship from planning, organizational studies, media theory, and political science, combined with illustrative examples from recent societal controversies. The main finding is that vibocratic problems resist not only solutions but stable framing itself, creating volatile, performative arenas where legitimacy is enacted rather than negotiated. The entry concludes by proposing vibocracy as a distinct conceptual lens for understanding emerging societal challenges and outlines methodological implications for researchers and practitioners. Full article

The European Union’s climate and governance agenda, once guided by the ambitious European Green Deal, is showing signs of strategic dilution. This study examines the organizational consequences of recent policy reversals, notably delays in the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). Grounded in institutional theory and critical policy analysis, it synthesizes findings from recent academic literature, policy documents, and market data to assess how shifting political priorities influence corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) engagement. The review identifies a pattern in which policy uncertainty fosters symbolic compliance, reduces ESG investment, and weakens internal alignment with sustainability objectives. These dynamics reflect a broader organizational tendency to mirror institutional instability, undermining long-term strategic transformation. The analysis concludes that durable sustainability outcomes require policy frameworks that remain consistent beyond electoral and economic cycles. Recommendations include embedding sustainability commitments into constitutional or statutory provisions, establishing independent oversight mechanisms, and ensuring strategic continuity in governance to protect against short-term political fluctuations. Full article

In urban regeneration, co-production has become a significant approach for shaping public space in urban communities. While existing studies focus on the processes and stakeholders involved in co-production of community public space (CPS), few have examined the influence of structural factors. Based on the politics of scale, this study uses thematic analysis within an embedded case study of community centers in Shanghai, China, to analyze the impact of scalar restructuring on community co-production across three dimensions: material scale, organizational scale, and discursive scale. The study finds that local governments actively reshape public space through scalar restructuring, thereby transforming power relations among participants and promoting community co-production. In response to different community conditions and dilemmas, local governments adopt context-specific scalar restructuring strategies. When implementing scalar restructuring strategies such as downscaling, upscaling and scalar recompositing, three corresponding patterns of community co-production often emerge: bonded, procedural, and bridged. This paper contributes by providing a new perspective on the mechanism of community co-production, identifying novel patterns of community co-production and refining the scalar restructuring strategies. It moves beyond spatial limitations and captures the co-production of CPS through a broader lens of power dynamics. Full article

The number of students studying outside their home countries has increased in recent years, and the United Kingdom has long been positioned as a leading destination, consistently being ranked among the top five English-speaking countries for international education. However, in 2024, the UK experienced a significant decline in international student enrolments, with Australia surpassing the UK to take second place globally. This decline coincided with an increasingly restrictive political climate, particularly reflected in changes to student visa policies and new limitations on dependents. The reduction in international student numbers poses serious financial risks to UK universities, many of which rely heavily on tuition from overseas students, and brings broader organizational challenges, including staffing cuts, programme restructuring, and reduced support services. Societally, it impacts local economies, reduces cultural diversity, and weakens the UK’s soft power and global educational influence. This entry explores the current state of the UK’s international student supply chain, examines emerging post-2024 challenges, and outlines key implications to inform institutional and policy-level responses. Full article

Immigrant and mixed-status families comprise a growing population in the United States, facing numerous barriers to accessing essential health and social services. This study examines service access barriers within the unique context of New Mexico’s borderlands, where constitutionally protected bilingualism and welcoming local policies contrast sharply with restrictive federal border enforcement. Using a qualitative approach, we conducted five focus groups with 36 immigrant caregivers in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, with the objective of understanding the factors that facilitate and hinder immigrant families’ access to health, behavioral health, and social services in this socio-politically complex border environment. Thematic analysis revealed three overarching themes: (1) structural and organizational limitations, including language barriers and transportation challenges exacerbated by border checkpoints; (2) the persistence of “chilling effects” on service use despite a Democratic presidency and post-pandemic policy shifts; and (3) community-defined recommendations for improving service access. The findings demonstrate how federal immigration enforcement undermines local inclusion efforts, creating enduring barriers to service access even in historically bilingual, immigrant-friendly regions. The participants proposed specific solutions, including mobile service units and integrated service centers, that account for both geographic and socio-political barriers unique to border regions. These community-generated recommendations offer practical strategies for improving immigrant service access in contexts where local welcome and federal enforcement create competing pressures on immigrant families. Full article

This study examines the strategic deployment of religion as a political tool in contemporary Turkey through a comparative analysis of two ideologically distinct Islamic movements: the Gülen movement (Hizmet) and the movement of Adnan Oktar. Despite their divergent theological premises and organizational structures, both movements articulate religious worldviews that diverge significantly from dominant Islamist narratives—particularly in their surprisingly affirmative positions toward Israel. Rather than treating religion as a fixed doctrinal corpus, this article conceptualizes it as a flexible repertoire shaped by political context and rhetorical need. In this light, Israel emerges not as a diplomatic partner but as a symbolic site through which broader ideological positions are negotiated. The contrast between the two movements sheds light on how religious language can serve as both a boundary marker and a strategic resource in the articulation of identity, authority, and ideological distinctiveness. This article contributes to a deeper understanding of how Islamic movements in Turkey—often perceived as monolithic in their opposition to Zionism—can, under certain conditions, reframe religion to support non-hostile, and even sympathetic, positions. It offers a framework for analyzing the political uses of religion without overlooking theological nuance or disregarding intra-Islamic plurality. Full article