Showing papers on "Conceptualization published in 2012"

Resilience thinking meets social theory: Situating social change in socio-ecological systems (SES) research

Abstract: The concept of resilience in ecology has been expanded into a framework to analyse human-environment dynamics. The extension of resilience notions to society has important limits, particularly its conceptualization of social change. The paper argues that this stems from the lack of attention to normative and epistemological issues underlying the notion of ‘social resilience’. We suggest that critically examining the role of knowledge at the intersections between social and environmental dynamics helps to address normative questions and to capture how power and competing value systems are not external to, but rather integral to the development and functioning of SES.

Knock, Knock. Who's There? The Imagined Audience

Abstract: For more than a century, scholars have alluded to the notion of an “imagined audience”—a person's mental conceptualization of the people with whom he or she is communicating. The imagined audience ...

Gendered organizations and intersectionality: problems and possibilities

Abstract: Purpose – Theorizing that was conceived in the 1970s about gendered processes in organizations helped explain gender inequalities in organizations. This article aims to take the opportunity to re‐examine these processes – including the gendered substructure of organizations, gendered subtext, the gendered logic of organization and the abstract worker from the perspective of the original author in a present‐day context.Design/methodology/approach – A reflexive approach was used to consider how gender theorizing itself has become more complex as captured in the notion of intersectionality when gender process interacts with other forms of inequality.Findings – The key finding is the persistence of inequality regimes despite organizational changes, which still make developments in theorizing gender processes relevant.Originality/value – This article is an opportunity to reflect on the conceptualization and development of one's theorizing over three decades, which has suggested that there are still key questio...

Open government: connecting vision and voice

Abstract: The term open government is often used to describe initiatives of putting government information on the Internet. This conceptualization is too restricted since open government is not only about openness in informational terms (vision) but also about openness in interactive terms (voice). On the basis of an analysis of 103 articles, this article provides insight into the concepts of openness, transparency and participation, their interactions, and the manner in which they have been discussed in the literature. This analysis shows the differences and similarities between economic, political science and legal perspectives on open government and argues that a multidisciplinary approach needs to be taken. The authors conclude that open government is much too important to leave it to the ‘techies’: scientists and practitioners with backgrounds in law, economics, political science and public administration should also get involved to build sound connections between vision and voice that facilitate active citize...

Beyond Team Types and Taxonomies: A Dimensional Scaling Conceptualization for Team Description

Abstract: Research on teams has prompted the development of many alternative taxonomies but little consensus on how to differentiate team types. We show that there is greater consensus on the underlying dimensions differentiating teams than there is on how to use those dimensions to generate categorical team types. We leverage this literature to create a conceptual framework for differentiating teams that relies on a dimensional scaling approach with three underlying constructs: skill differentiation, authority differentiation, and temporal stability.

Conceptualizing a Model A Report of the ISPOR-SMDM Modeling Good Research Practices Task Force–2

Abstract: The appropriate development of a model begins with understanding the problem that is being represented. The aim of this article is to provide a series of consensus-based best practices regarding the process of model conceptualization. For the purpose of this series of papers, the authors consider the development of models whose purpose is to inform medical decisions and health-related resource allocation questions. They specifically divide the conceptualization process into two distinct components: the conceptualization of the problem, which converts knowledge of the health care process or decision into a representation of the problem, followed by the conceptualization of the model itself, which matches the attributes and characteristics of a particular modeling type to the needs of the problem being represented. Recommendations are made regarding the structure of the modeling team, agreement on the statement of the problem, the structure, perspective and target population of the model, and the interventions and outcomes represented. Best practices relating to the specific characteristics of model structure, and which characteristics of the problem might be most easily represented in a specific modeling method, are presented. Each section contains a number of recommendations that were iterated among the authors, as well as the wider modeling taskforce, jointly set up by the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research and the Society for Medical Decision Making.

Social Science Methodology: A Unified Framework

Abstract: John Gerring's exceptional textbook has been thoroughly revised in this second edition. It offers a one-volume introduction to social science methodology relevant to the disciplines of anthropology, economics, history, political science, psychology and sociology. This new edition has been extensively developed with the introduction of new material and a thorough treatment of essential elements such as conceptualization, measurement, causality and research design. It is written for students, long-time practitioners and methodologists and covers both qualitative and quantitative methods. It synthesizes the vast and diverse field of methodology in a way that is clear, concise and comprehensive. While offering a handy overview of the subject, the book is also an argument about how we should conceptualize methodological problems. Thinking about methodology through this lens provides a new framework for understanding work in the social sciences.

A Social Network Perspective on Teacher Collaboration in Schools: Theory, Methodology, and Applications.

Abstract: An emerging trend in educational research is the use of social network theory and methodology to understand how teacher collaboration can support or constrain teaching, learning, and educational change. This article provides a critical synthesis of educational literature on school social networks among educators to advance our understanding of the embeddedness of teachers in the social context of schools. It focuses on how researchers currently use a social network perspective as a theoretical lens and methodology to frame studies on teacher collaboration in schools. Building on exemplary findings of recent studies, it shows that the pattern of social relationships among teachers may significantly enhance our understanding of the ways in which teacher collaboration takes place and contributes to student learning, teachers’ instructional practice, and the implementation of reform. Finally, limitations and future directions in the conceptualization, measurement, and analysis of school social networks are indicated.

Work Engagement. What Do We Know and Where Do We Go

Abstract: Work engagement is a popular concept, both in business contexts as well as in academia. The term first appeared in the 1990s and meanwhile over 200 scientific publications have appeared on the subject. So it seems that it is time to take stock. The current paper has two main objectives, first to present a brief overview about our current knowledge on engagement (What do we know?) and second to draft a future research agenda (Where do we go?). More specifically, the research literature is summarized on five key issues: (1) the meaning and measurement of work engagement; (2) the antecedents of engagement; (3) the consequences of engagement; (4) state work engagement; and (5) building work engagement. As far as the future research agenda on work engagement is concerned, seven main issues are proposed: (1) conceptualization and measurement (e.g., the use of qualitative methods and peer-ratings); (2) theoretical understanding (e.g., developing unique explanatory frameworks); (3) antecedents and consequences (e.g., focusing on the paths that lead from work engagement to performance); (4) epidemiology (e.g., using national representative samples); (5) cross-cultural validity (e.g., comparing engagement-levels across cultures); (6) the waxing and waning of engagement across time (e.g., studying engagement in changing organizations); and (7) the collective nature of work engagement (e.g., team-level engagement). It is concluded that work engagement is a viable concept for both science and practice and that it needs further focused attention.

Toward a Service (Eco)Systems Perspective on Value Creation

Abstract: This article discusses how the core concepts of service-dominant logic — service-for-service exchange, value co-creation, value propositions, resource integration, and highly collaborative relationships — point to a generic actor conceptualization in which all actors engaged in exchange (e.g., firms, customers, etc.) are viewed as service providing, value-creating enterprises. In other words, all social and economic actors are essentially doing the same thing: creating value for themselves and others through reciprocal resource integration and service provision. The authors suggest that this generic actor-to-actor (A2A) orientation, in turn, points toward the dynamic and systemic nature of social and economic exchange. To account for the complexity, indeterminacy, and viability of these dynamic systems, they highlight the importance of general systems theory, complexity theory, and the viable systems approach and propose that cross-disciplinary scholarly efforts are necessary in order to develop models and frameworks that can simplify the complexity of social and economic exchange in meaningful ways and ultimately inform practice and public policy.

Children's rights and research processes: Assisting children to (in)formed views

Abstract: Acknowledging children as rights-holders has significant implications for research processes. What is distinctive about a children’s rights informed approach to research is a focus not only on safe, inclusive and engaging opportunities for children to express their views but also on deliberate strategies to assist children in the formation of their views. The article reflects on a body of work with children as co-researchers and as participants and demonstrates that building capacity on the substantive research issues enables children to contribute more confidently. It concludes with a conceptualization of this approach integrating relevant international children’s rights standards.

Cosmopolitan consumers as a target group for segmentation

Abstract: For international companies, the literature recommends directing segmentation efforts at customer characteristics rather than country characteristics. Consumers’ degree of cosmopolitan orientation has been suggested as a powerful segmentation base, as this characteristic is expected to drive consumers’ tastes and preferences. To advance research on this segmentation base, this article offers a conceptualization of the consumer cosmopolitanism construct by: (1) delineating its conceptual domain; (2) highlighting its key dimensions, namely open-mindedness, diversity appreciation, and consumption transcending borders; and (3) examining its links with theoretically relevant variables, specifically consumer ethnocentrism and global consumption orientation. Based on the aforementioned conceptualization, a consumer-research-specific and psychometrically sound measurement instrument – the C-COSMO scale – is subsequently developed and tested in a series of complementary studies. Finally, empirically based insights into the characteristics of cosmopolitan consumers are offered, by: (1) profiling them on consumption-relevant variables (innovativeness, risk aversion, susceptibility to normative influence, consumer ethnocentrism, and demographic characteristics); (2) examining the link between consumer cosmopolitanism and willingness to buy foreign products; and (3) developing an empirically based typology of cosmopolitan/local consumers using a cluster analysis approach. From a managerial perspective, findings suggest that the identification and subsequent targeting of cosmopolitan consumers may well represent an appropriate strategy for internationally active companies.

The Dynamics of Emergence: Cognition and Cohesion in Work Teams

Abstract: Emergence as a multilevel process has received limited research attention in the micro–meso disciplines of organizational science. Our intent is to explain the conceptual underpinnings of emergence and to advance a more dynamic, process-oriented conceptualization. We discuss emergence as a bottom-up, multilevel process and focus attention on three neglected issues: (a) emergence is dynamic, (b) manifests in different idealized forms, and (c) can vary in form over time. We consider two core phenomena in work teams—cognition and cohesion—to illustrate how this dynamic and multifaceted perspective on emergence can advance theory development and new research directions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Unpacking the social media phenomenon: towards a research agenda

Abstract: In this paper, we highlight some of the challenges and opportunities that social media presents to researchers, and offer relevant theoretical avenues to be explored. To do this, we present a model that unpacks social media by using a honeycomb of seven functional building blocks. We then examine each of the seven building blocks and, through appropriate social and socio-technical theories, raise questions that warrant further in-depth research to advance the conceptualization of social media in public affairs research. Finally, we combine the individual research questions for each building block back into the honeycomb model to illustrate how the theories in combination provide a powerful macro-lens for research on social media dynamics. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Social Work: A Critical Approach to Practice

Abstract: PART ONE: CRITICAL POTENTIAL AND CURRENT CHALLENGES The Critical Tradition of Social Work Current Contexts of Practice: Challenges and Possibilities PART TWO: RETHINKING IDEAS New Ways of Knowing Power Discourse, Language and Narrative Identity and Difference PART THREE: REDEVELOPING PRACTICES Critical Deconstruction and Reconstruction Empowerment Problem Conceptualization and Assessment Narrative Strategies Contextual Practice: Strategies for Working in and with Contexts Ongoing Learning

Integrating Varieties of Life Course Concepts

Abstract: A body of work referred to as the “life course” framework (also known as “life course theory,” the “life course paradigm,” and the “life course perspective”) has been increasingly used to motivate and justify the examination of the relationships among variables in social and behavioral science, particularly in the study of population health and aging. Yet, there is very little agreement on what some of these concepts mean, and there is hardly any agreement on what the “life course” is. This article focuses on the different ways in which the concept of “life course” is used in the contemporary study of aging and human development, particularly with regard to health and well-being. Clarification is given for how “life course” is distinguished from “life span” and “life cycle,” among other “life” words. This work reviews the conceptual literature on the life course, beginning with its formative years in the 1960s and 1970s, through to the present time. Detailed research of several literatures across disciplines revealed five different uses of the term “life course”: (a) life course as time or age, (b) life course as life stages, (c) life course as events, transitions, and trajectories, (d) life course as life-span human development, and (e) life course as early life influences (and their cumulation) on later adult outcomes. To the extent the concept of life course has a multiplicity of meanings that are at variance with one another, this is problematic, as communication is thereby hindered. On the other hand, to the extent the concept of life course involves a rich tapestry of different emphases, this is a good thing, and the diversity of meanings should be retained. This paper proposes a conceptual integration based in part on Riley’s age stratification model that resolves the various meanings of life course into one general framework. Coupled with a demographic conceptualization of the life course, this framework embeds the concept of “life course” within a broader perspective of life-span development. This framework is proposed as an integrated perspective for studying the causes and consequences of “life course events and transitions” and understanding the manner by which “life events” and the role transitions they signify influence the life-span development of outcomes of interest across stages of the life cycle.

Primary teachers' attitudes toward science: A new theoretical framework

Abstract: Attention to the attitudes of preservice and inservice primary teachers toward science is of fundamental importance to research on primary science education. However, progress in this field of research has been slow due to the poor definition and conceptualization of the construct of primary teachers' attitude toward science. This poor theoretical background has led to the use of a multitude of different concepts and measurement instruments. The main goal of this article is to present a new and comprehensive theoretical framework for primary teachers' attitudes toward science. The framework is based on an extensive review of previously used concept definitions of the construct. It is argued that this framework should serve as a necessary conceptual basis for future research and interventions in this domain, as well as for the construction of valid measurement instruments

The Construct of Adaptive Behavior: Its Conceptualization, Measurement, and Use in the Field of Intellectual Disability

Abstract: This article updates the current conceptualization, measurement, and use of the adaptive behavior construct. Major sections of the article address an understanding of the construct, the current approaches to its measurement, four assessment issues and challenges related to the use of adaptive behavior information for the diagnosis of intellectual disability, and two future issues regarding the relations of adaptive behavior to multidimensional models of personal competence and the distribution of adaptive behavior scores. An understanding of the construct of adaptive behavior and its measurement is critical to clinicians and practitioners in the field because of its role in understanding the phenomenon of intellectual disability, diagnosing a person with intellectual disability, providing a framework for person-referenced education and habilitation goals, and focusing on an essential dimension of human functioning.

The Machine Question: Critical Perspectives on AI, Robots, and Ethics

Abstract: One of the enduring concerns of moral philosophy is deciding who or what is deserving of ethical consideration. Much recent attention has been devoted to the "animal question"--consideration of the moral status of nonhuman animals. In this book, David Gunkel takes up the "machine question": whether and to what extent intelligent and autonomous machines of our own making can be considered to have legitimate moral responsibilities and any legitimate claim to moral consideration. The machine question poses a fundamental challenge to moral thinking, questioning the traditional philosophical conceptualization of technology as a tool or instrument to be used by human agents. Gunkel begins by addressing the question of machine moral agency: whether a machine might be considered a legitimate moral agent that could be held responsible for decisions and actions. He then approaches the machine question from the other side, considering whether a machine might be a moral patient due legitimate moral consideration. Finally, Gunkel considers some recent innovations in moral philosophy and critical theory that complicate the machine question, deconstructing the binary agent--patient opposition itself. Technological advances may prompt us to wonder if the science fiction of computers and robots whose actions affect their human companions (think of HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey) could become science fact. Gunkel's argument promises to influence future considerations of ethics, ourselves, and the other entities who inhabit this world.

Toward a Service (Eco)Systems Perspective on Value Creation

Abstract: This article discusses how the core concepts of service-dominant logic—service-for-service exchange, value co-creation, value propositions, resource integration, and highly collaborative relationships—point to a generic actor conceptualization in which all actors engaged in exchange (e.g., firms, customers, etc.) are viewed as service providing, value-creating enterprises. In other words, all social and economic actors are essentially doing the same thing: creating value for themselves and others through reciprocal resource integration and service provision. The authors suggest that this generic actor-to-actor (A2A) orientation, in turn, points toward the dynamic and systemic nature of social and economic exchange. To account for the complexity, indeterminacy, and viability of these dynamic systems, they highlight the importance of general systems theory, complexity theory, and the viable systems approach and propose that cross-disciplinary scholarly efforts are necessary in order to develop models and frameworks that can simplify the complexity of social and economic exchange in meaningful ways and ultimately inform practice and public policy.

Dreaming the ordinary Daily life and the complex geographies of citizenship

Abstract: This paper introduces the concept of ‘ordinary’ to analyze citizenship’s complexities. Ordinary is often taken to mean standard or routine, but it also invokes order and authority. Conceptualizing citizenship as ordinary trains our attention on the ways in which the spatiality of laws and social norms are entwined with daily life. The idea of ordinariness fuses legal structures, normative orders and the experiences of individuals, social groups and communities, making citizenship both a general category and a contingent resource for political life. We explore this argument using immigrants as an example, but the conceptualization of citizenship extends more broadly.

Panel studies of new venture creation: a methods-focused review and suggestions for future research

Abstract: Longitudinal panel studies of large, random samples of business start-ups captured at the pre-operational stage allow researchers to address core issues for entrepreneurship research, namely, the processes of creation of new business ventures as well as their antecedents and outcomes. Here, we perform a methods-orientated review of all 83 journal articles that have used this type of data set, our purpose being to assist users of current data sets as well as designers of new projects in making the best use of this innovative research approach. Our review reveals a number of methods issues that are largely particular to this type of research. We conclude that amidst exemplary contributions, much of the reviewed research has not adequately managed these methods challenges, nor has it made use of the full potential of this new research approach. Specifically, we identify and suggest remedies for context-specific and interrelated methods challenges relating to sample definition, choice of level of analysis, operationalization and conceptualization, use of longitudinal data and dealing with various types of problematic heterogeneity. In addition, we note that future research can make further strides towards full utilization of the advantages of the research approach through better matching (from either direction) between theories and the phenomena captured in the data, and by addressing some under-explored research questions for which the approach may be particularly fruitful.

Widgets or Watchdogs

Abstract: Strengthening ‘social accountability’ is emerging as a key strategy for improving public services and attaining the Millennium Development Goals. Yet current conceptualizations of social accountability have tended to focus on it as ‘mechanisms’ or ‘widgets’, a view which tends to depoliticize the very processes through which poor people make claims. We propose an alternative conceptualization which focuses on disaggregating social accountability actions, and viewing them as part of a long-term ongoing political engagement of social actors with the state. Such a conceptualization can advance understandings of when the poor engage in social accountability and the impact it might have.

Conceptualizing community development in the twenty-first century

Abstract: The need to more accurately conceptualize the field of community development has increased during recent decades. This is largely the result of a growing field marked by its multidisciplinary nature, but also because of the multifaceted ways in which communities around the world participate in the development process. In this article, we approach the task of conceptualizing community development by providing a conceptual definition that serves both academics and practitioners. More importantly, based on such conceptualization, we offer a typology that accounts for the different forms in which community development is practiced providing strengths and weaknesses of each form.

Motivation theory in educational practice: Knowledge claims, challenges, and future directions.

Abstract: One important goal of scientifi c work in educational psychology is the application of theoretical understanding to educational practice. The domain of motivation is particularly relevant to this goal because it is concerned with the processes underlying the initiation, maintenance, and quality of people ’ s action ( Brophy, 2004 ; Schunk, Pintrich, & Meece, 2008 ; Stipek, 1998 ; Wentzel & Wigfi eld, 2009 ; see Volume 1, Chapter 13, this handbook). Motivation theory and research in educational settings have dealt with a wide range of phenomena, including the intensity and quality of student engagement in schoolwork; learning and performance; offtask behavior such as avoidance of engagement, disruptive behavior, cheating, and procrastination; and teacher satisfaction, engagement in teaching, and burnout ( Schunk et al., 2008 ; Wentzel & Wigfi eld, 2009 ). Hence, the application of motivational theory in educational settings is of much interest to teachers, principals, counselors, psychologists, parents, curriculum designers, and policymakers ( Wentzel & Wigfi eld, 2007 ). However, the application of theoretical understandings to educational practice is not a straightforward affair. There are multiple motivational frameworks, with different underlying assumptions concerning the nature of motivation. Those who seek to apply motivational theory to motivate others must carefully and critically evaluate these assumptions along with their own beliefs, values, and goals and in relation to the particular educational setting because these assumptions have practical as well as moral implications. Moreover, even when a motivational theory has been carefully evaluated and selected, it is very often the case that theory-guided interventions in educational settings encounter obstacles of various sorts and conclude with less-than-optimal results. Indeed, the application of theory to educational practice is itself a motivated action that involves the same complex processes in which it attempts to intervene and hence constitutes a motivational phenomenon worthy of conceptualization and investigation in its own right. Unfortunately, it is not often that motivational theorists, researchers, policymakers, or administrators attend to the systemic motivational implications of the recommendations for applying motivation theory to educational practice ( Urdan & Turner, 2005 ). This inattendance is most clearly the case, for example, when interventions aiming to change instructional practice to promote students ’ motivation disregard the motivation of the school administration and of the teachers who are to implement the new practices. A decade into the 21st century, the relevance of theory-driven motivational recommendations for educational practice is seriously questioned along theoretical, methodological, practical, and moral terms ( Berliner, 2006 ; Blumenfeld, 1992 ; Brophy, 2005 ; Hickey, 2003 ; Turner, 2010 ; Urdan & Turner, 2005 ). As we argue in this chapter, whereas research of the past decades contributed tremendously to the