Highways and ecology : impact assessment and mitigation : final report /

Mode of access: Internet.

Psychological safety, authentic leadership and social networks : A psycho-structural approach to the study of groups

Tese de Doutoramento em Psicologia na área de especialização de Psicologia das Organizações apresentada ao ISPA - Instituto Universitário

Tobacco use prevention education (TUPE) programs in the state of Florida: Teachers' perceptions of program structure and effectiveness

This study described teacher perceptions of TUPE program effectiveness in Florida in an attempt to improve programs by identifying factors that might influence teacher motivation and performance. Very little work has been done to examine how teachers' perceptions are related to the effectiveness of TUPE programs. A statewide survey provided information about how teachers' perceptions of program effectiveness are affected by variables such as: program structure, barriers, tobacco use norms, and training variables. Data were obtained from a telephone survey conducted in Florida as part of the Tobacco Pilot Project (TPP). The sample included 296 middle school teachers and 282 high school teachers as well as 193 middle school principals and 190 high school principals. Correlational and hierarchical regression analyses identified correlates and predictors of teachers' ratings of effectiveness. Results suggest that use of peer leaders, more frequent evaluations, a higher degree of parent involvement, fewer barriers, greater student interest, and lower tolerance for tobacco use were correlated with higher ratings of program effectiveness. Furthermore, student interest, peer, staff, and community tolerance norms, peer leaders, program evaluation, and parent involvement predicted middle school teachers' perceptions. Parent tolerance, student interest, number of barriers, and more frequent program evaluation predicted high school teachers' perceptions. In addition, middle school teachers who reported a lower number of factors negatively associated with teacher receptivity were more likely to view TUPE programs more favorably than teachers who reported a greater number of these risk factors. This relationship was not as robust among the high school teacher sample. Differences between the middle and high school sample were found in the magnitude and number of significant correlations, the proportion of variance accounted for by predictor variables, and the strength of the relationship between the number of factors negatively associated with teacher receptivity and teachers' perceptions of TUPE effectiveness. These findings highlighted the importance of the timing, program features, and the external environment for enhancing or minimizing teachers' ratings of TUPE program effectiveness. In conclusion, significant increases in TUPE teachers' self-efficacy will occur through the participation of peers, parents, staff, and community leaders in different aspects of TUPE programs. ^

An integrated multi-agent framework for optimizing time, cost and environmental impact of construction processes

Environmentally conscious construction has received a significant amount of research attention during the last decades. Even though construction literature is rich in studies that emphasize the importance of environmental impact during the construction phase, most of the previous studies failed to combine environmental analysis with other project performance criteria in construction. This is mainly because most of the studies have overlooked the multi-objective nature of construction projects. In order to achieve environmentally conscious construction, multi-objectives and their relationships need to be successfully analyzed in the complex construction environment. The complex construction system is composed of changing project conditions that have an impact on the relationship between time, cost and environmental impact (TCEI) of construction operations. Yet, this impact is still unknown by construction professionals. Studying this impact is vital to fulfill multiple project objectives and achieve environmentally conscious construction. This research proposes an analytical framework to analyze the impact of changing project conditions on the relationship of TCEI. This study includes green house gas (GHG) emissions as an environmental impact category. The methodology utilizes multi-agent systems, multi-objective optimization, analytical network process, and system dynamics tools to study the relationships of TCEI and support decision-making under the influence of project conditions. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is applied to the evaluation of environmental impact in terms of GHG. The mixed method approach allowed for the collection and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data. Structured interviews of professionals in the highway construction field were conducted to gain their perspectives in decision-making under the influence of certain project conditions, while the quantitative data were collected from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for highway resurfacing projects. The data collected were used to test the framework. The framework yielded statistically significant results in simulating project conditions and optimizing TCEI. The results showed that the change in project conditions had a significant impact on the TCEI optimal solutions. The correlation between TCEI suggested that they affected each other positively, but in different strengths. The findings of the study will assist contractors to visualize the impact of their decision on the relationship of TCEI.

Social water assessment protocol : a step towards connecting mining, water and human rights

The human right to water has recently been recognised by both the United Nations General Assembly and the Human Rights Council. As the mining industry interacts with water on multiple levels, it is important that these interactions respect the human right to water. Currently, a disconnect exists between mine site water management practices and the recognition of water from a human rights perspective. The Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) Water Accounting Framework (WAF) has previously been used to strengthen the connection between water management and human rights. This article extends this connection through the use of a Social Water Assessment Protocol (SWAP). The SWAP is scoping tool consisting of a set of questions classified into taxonomic themes under leading topics with suggested sources of data that enable mine sites to better understand the local water context in which they operate. Three of the themes contained in the SWAP – gender, Indigenous peoples and health – are discussed to demonstrate how the protocol may be useful in assisting mining companies to consider their impacts on the human right to water.

Can social resilience inform SA/SIA for adaptive planning for climate change in vulnerable regions?

Social resilience concepts are gaining momentum in environmental planning through an emerging understanding of the socio-ecological nature of biophysical systems. There is a disconnect, however, between these concepts and the sociological and psychological literature related to social resilience. Further still, both schools of thought are not well connected to the concepts of social assessment (SA) and social impact assessment (SIA) that are the more standard tools supporting planning and decision-making. This raises questions as to how emerging social resilience concepts can translate into improved SA/SIA practices to inform regional-scale adaptation. Through a review of the literature, this paper suggests that more cross-disciplinary integration is needed if social resilience concepts are to have a genuine impact in helping vulnerable regions tackle climate change.

Unpacking the perceived opportunity to misbehave: The influence of spatio-temporal and social dimensions on consumer misbehavior

Purpose This study aims to use opportunity as a theoretical lens to investigate how the spatio-temporal and social dimensions of the consumption environment create perceived opportunities for consumers to misbehave. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on routine activity theory and social impact theory, the authors use two experiments to demonstrate that spatio-temporal and social dimensions can explain consumer theft in retail settings. Findings Study 1 reveals mixed empirical support for the basic dimensions of routine activity theory, which posits that the opportunity to thieve is optimised when a motivated offender, suitable target and the absence of a capable formal guardian transpire in time and space. Extending the notion of guardianship, Study 2 tests social impact theory and shows that informal guardianship impacts the likelihood of theft under optimal routine activity conditions. Originality/value The study findings highlight important implications for academicians and retail managers: rather than focusing on the uncontrollable characteristics of thieving offenders, more controllable spatio-temporal and social factors of the retail environment can be actively monitored and manipulated to reduce perceived opportunities for consumer misbehaviour.

Christian missions and social progress : a sociological study of foreign missions (vol. 1)

http://www.archive.org/details/socialprogress00dennuoft/

Christian missions and social progress : a sociological study of foreign missions (vol. 3)

http://www.archive.org/details/socialprogress03dennuoft/

Christian missions and social progress : a sociological study of foreign missions (vol. 2)

http://www.archive.org/details/socialprogress02dennuoft/

Macroeconomic success and social vulnerability: lessons for Latin America from the Celtic Tiger

Includes bibliography

The church and social reforms /

"This little book is the outcome of lectures delivered by the writer."

Decision support system for project selection

The evaluation and selection of industrial projects before investment decision is customarily done using marketing, technical, and financial information. Subsequently, environmental impact assessment and social impact assessment are carried out mainly to satisfy the statutory agencies. Because of stricter environment regulations in developed and developing countries, quite often impact assessment suggests alternate sites, technologies, designs, and implementation methods as mitigating measures. This causes considerable delay to complete project feasibility analysis and selection as complete analysis requires to be taken up again and again until the statutory regulatory authority approves the project. Moreover, project analysis through the above process often results in suboptimal projects as financial analysis may eliminate better options as more environment friendly alternative will always be cost intensive. In this circumstance, this study proposes a decision support system which analyses projects with respect to market, technicalities, and social and environmental impact in an integrated framework using analytic hierarchy process, a multiple attribute decision-making technique. This not only reduces duration of project evaluation and selection, but also helps select an optimal project for the organization for sustainable development. The entire methodology has been applied to a cross-country oil pipeline project in India and its effectiveness has been demonstrated. © 2008, IGI Global.

A pilot study of the Social Water Assessment Protocol in a mining region of Ghana

The Social Water Assessment Protocol (SWAP) is a tool consisting of a series of questions on fourteen themes designed to capture the social context of water around a mine site. A pilot study of the SWAP, conducted in Prestea-Huni Valley, Ghana, showed that some communities were concerned about whether the groundwater was potable. The mining company’s concern was that there was a cycle of dependency amongst communities that received treated water from the mining company. The pilot identified potential data sources and stakeholder groups for each theme, gaps in themes and suggested refinements to questions to improve the SWAP.

Modelo de análisis organizativo para la mejora del desempeño de empresas sociales

La empresa social es un modelo organizativo que presenta un interesante potencial para resolver problemáticas sociales. La empresa social ha despertado interés tanto en países industrializados como en economías en vías de desarrollo porque representa un modelo dentro del capitalismo que persigue objetivos sociales mediante la realización de actividades de mercado (compra y venta de productos y/o servicios principalmente). A pesar de sus raíces lejanas en el tiempo se trata de un campo de conocimiento relativamente joven, donde la literatura académica presenta escasez de estudios empíricos. El desarrollo teórico para buscar claridad conceptual ha sido el principal caballo de batalla de los últimos años, y por tanto, se ha prestado poca atención a generar evidencias sobre cómo funcionan las empresas sociales y sobre sus claves de su éxito. Se considera que la mejora en la comprensión de este modelo organizativo pasa por la construcción de herramientas para que académicos y practicantes mejoren su conocimiento sobre los mecanismos internos de las empresas sociales. En este contexto nace la presente tesis doctoral sobre empresa social, que tiene por objetivo la creación de un marco de análisis que permita el estudio de las empresas sociales desde una dimensión organizativa, es decir, que aborde los elementos clave que describen el funcionamiento de este tipo de organizaciones. Para ello, en este trabajo se aborda la construcción del modelo para el análisis organizativo de las empresas sociales a partir del análisis semántico de las 45 principales definiciones de empresa social. A partir de este análisis se identifican dos dimensiones de análisis de la empresa social: -Cuatro principios, comunes a todas las manifestaciones del fenómeno, que recogen la esencia del concepto. -Ocho elementos organizativos específicos de la empresa social que describen la forma en la que cada iniciativa se implementa en un contexto determinado. Es decir, elementos de diseño presentes en diferente medida que dan lugar a tipologías de empresa social diferentes. Estos elementos son: la proposición de valor social, la búsqueda de impacto a largo plazo, la cultura organizativa, la conexión con los beneficiarios, el liderazgo emprendedor y los mecanismos de gobernanza, el ecosistema colaborativo, la estrategia empresarial y la orientación a la autosuficiencia económica. A partir de este marco de análisis, se construyen dos herramientas de diagnóstico que permiten su aplicación al estudio de empresas sociales: una tabla de indicadores para el análisis externo (por parte de un investigador ajeno a la organización) y un cuestionario de diagnóstico para el análisis interno (a través del personal de la empresa social objeto de estudio). Las herramientas intentan dar respuesta a la necesidad de desarrollar constructos para el estudio empírico de las empresas sociales. Para analizar la utilidad del modelo y de las herramientas se llevaron a cabo tres estudios de caso: -La empresa social ACCIONA Microenergía Perú que proporciona energía eléctrica a comunidades rurales aisladas en la región peruana de Cajamarca. -La empresa social Integra-e que propone un mecanismo de inserción socio-laboral en Madrid para jóvenes en riesgo de exclusión a través de la formación en Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC). -Un conjunto de redes de telecentros pertenecientes a la red LAC de la fundación Telecentres.org que proporcionan acceso a servicios de información (Internet entre otros) en diferentes países de Latinoamérica. La aplicación de las herramientas mostró ser útil en los tres estudios de caso para obtener una relación de evidencias con las que analizar la proximidad de una organización al ideal de empresa social. El ejercicio de análisis también resultó interesante como ejercicio reflexivo para las entidades participantes. Los resultados del cuestionario fueron especialmente interesantes en los telecentros de la Fundación Telecentre.org ya que al ser un estudio multicaso se pudo realizar un rico análisis estadístico sobre el funcionamiento de los telecentros y su desempeño. El estudio permitió identificar relaciones interesantes entre los ocho elementos de diseño del modelo propuesto y el desempeño de la organización. En particular, se detectó que para todos los casos estudiados: -La dimensión económica es la componente del desempeño que mayor desafíos plantea. -La existencia de una alta correlación entre el desempeño y siete de los ocho elementos organizativos del modelo. -La importancia de la cultura organizativa como elemento que explica el desempeño global de la organización y la satisfacción de los empleados. El campo de la empresa social presenta importantes retos de futuro, como la claridad conceptual, el desarrollo de estudios empíricos y la medida de su impacto social. El conocimiento de las claves organizativas puede ayudar a diseñar empresas sociales más robustas o a que organizaciones con fines sociales que no se basan en mecanismos de mercado consideren la posibilidad de incorporar éstos en su estrategia. ABSTRACT Social enterprise is an organizational model with a strong potential to help solving social problems. Recently, interest for the model has risen in both industrialized and developing countries because it is organized to achieve altruistic or social goals through market activities (mainly sales of products and services). Despite its historic roots, it is a relatively young field of research, where academic literature has little empirical data to accompany the theoretical development of social enterprise. Conceptual clarification has been the main challenge during the recent years, and there has been little attention given to generate evidence on how social enterprises operate and their keys to success. Progress in empirical study involves the construction of tools for researchers, in order to increase understanding of the internal mechanisms of social enterprises. This thesis aims to create a conceptual framework to study social enterprises from an organizational point of view, by analyzing the key elements that explain the operation and organization of this organizational model. The framework for the organizational analysis of social enterprises was built supported by the semantic analysis of 45 main definitions of social enterprise. The framework is divided into two dimensions: -There are four principles which capture the essence of the social enterprise concept, and are present in the manifestations of cases. -There are eight design elements which help analyze the characteristics of each particular social enterprise initiative: the social value proposition, social impact orientation, organizational culture, links to beneficiaries, entrepreneurial leadership, collaborative ecosystem, entrepreneurial strategy and orientation to economic self-sufficiency. Two diagnostic tools were developed to apply the framework to case studies: a scoreboard of indicators (to be used by the researcher during external analysis of the organization) and a questionnaire (to be answered by the social enterprise staff). The dissertation undertakes the study of three case studies: -ACCIONA Microenergia Peru, a social enterprise that provides electricity to isolated rural communities in the Peruvian region of Cajamarca. -Integra-e, a social enterprise located in Madrid that promotes socioprofessional integration of young people through training in ICT. -A sample of telecenters of the LAC network that provide access to information services (such as Internet) in Latin America. Applying the tools proved to be useful in all three cases, because it helped to obtain evidence to compare the proximity of an organization to an ideal type of social enterprise. In all the cases studied, the economic sustainability proved to be the biggest challenge for the organizations. The application of the questionnaire to the telecenters was especially informative because it was a multicase study which provided a rich statistical analysis on the performance of call centers. The study identified unique relationships between the model elements and the organziation performance. A statistical analysis shows a high correlation between performance and seven organizational elements described in the model. The organizational culture seems to be an important factor in explaining the overall organizational performance and employee satisfaction. The field of social enterprise has significant future challenges -such as conceptual clarity, the development of empirical studies and social impact assessment. A deep understanding of key organizational aspects of social enterprises can help in the design of more robust organizations and to bring success to social-purpose organizations.