De plus en plus, les entreprises incitent aujourd’hui leurs employés à adopter des modes de travail agiles et flexibles. Cette transformation est outillée par de nouvelles plateformes informatiques intitulées "plateformes de média sociaux d’entreprise" (de l’anglais "Enterprise Social Media platforms – ESM platforms"). Ces plateformes portent la promesse d’améliorer la communication des employés dans leur environnement de travail tout en outillant leurs liens sociaux. Néanmoins, le bénéfice de l’usage de ces plateformes par leurs employés demeure vague et peu mesurable pour les entreprises, dont les dirigeants ont pourtant besoin d’évaluer cet usage et de mesurer ainsi tangiblement le succès de leurs investissements. De plus, le fait d’introduire des plateformes ESM dans les environnements de travail impacte la façon dont les outils existants, tels que la messagerie électronique, sont considérées et utilisés. La question qui se pose est alors de savoir si ces nouvelles plateformes pourraient remplacer l’usage des outils existants. Dans ce contexte, cette thèse adresse la problématique de la place des plateformes ESM dans les entreprises d’aujourd’hui. Elle examine l’usage réel de ces plateformes en offrant une analyse quantitative des réseaux sociaux, établie à partir de l’usage actuel de ces plateformes. En s’appuyant sur un modèle de recherche conçu pour caractériser l’activité, la thèse applique des tests d’hypothèse qui permettent de comparer l’usage prévu de ces plateformes à leur usage réel, et ainsi de mesurer le succès du déploiement de ces plateformes. De plus, cette thèse étudie, à travers une approche déductive et expérimentale, la capacité des plateformes ESM à remplacer l’usage des outils existants dans les environnements de travail. Ces plateformes fonctionnent aujourd’hui plutôt en tandem avec d’autres outils tels que la messagerie électronique. Cette thèse propose ainsi d’améliorer la messagerie par une fonctionnalité de tagging social afin que l’utilisateur puisse bénéficier de son réseau social sous-jacent. Ce service de tagging est ensuite testé et validé via un prototype. Pour conclure, cette thèse propose des scenarios pour les futurs systèmes sociaux, englobant la totalité des outils de l’environnement de travail au sein des entreprises / Today’s organizations are increasingly promoting a shift of employees’ ways of working towards more agility and flexibility. This shift is empowered by new IT tools commonly known as “Enterprise Social Media” (ESM). Taking mainly the form of integrated platforms, these tools are deployed with the promise of enhancing employees’ communicative activities at the workplace while capitalizing on their social connections. Yet, it remains unclear for companies how their employees benefit from the use of these new tools (i.e., ESM platforms). Managers are unable to evaluate the use of these platforms and thus, tangibly measure the success of their investments. Moreover, introducing ESM platforms to the workplace impact the way the existing tools, such as email, are regarded and used. This leads to the question of whether these new platforms may be substitutes for the use of the existing tools. This thesis tackles the mentioned polemical questions about the place of ESM platforms in today’s enterprises. Carried out jointly with Orange labs, the thesis assesses the role ESM platforms could play in supporting organizations in reaching their objectives and hence sustaining their businesses in an extreme competitive context. It explores the real use of these platforms by offering a quantitative social network analysis and data mining of an established ESM platform currently in use. While relying on a proposed research model that characterizes the activity, the applied hypothesis tests allow determining the correct use of ESM platforms, which in turn indicates the success of their deployments. Moreover, the thesis argues through a reasoning approach that the ESM platforms are not capable of substituting the use of existing workplace tools. Instead, they work in tandem with certain tools such as email. Based on the latter argument, the email tagging service is introduced as an example of how existing workplace tools may be enriched with social features to derive increased benefit for the workforce. The thesis finally validates the service through implementation and testing. To conclude, it proposes and discusses scenarios of future social systems that involve the overall set of workplace tools in enterprises

Recently, corporate scandals rocked the South African financial landscape, prompting the re-examination of existing corporate governance practices and renewed scrutiny of corporate governance institutions and mechanisms. One of these practices, a phenomenon called “director interlock”, was scrutinised in this study. A quantitative and inductive approach was used in this research to scrutinise companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, as well as the directors who served on their boards during the periods researched, namely, 2010 and 2016, with the purpose of considering the consequences of director interlock in a South African context. Appropriate sources on corporate governance, director interlock and network analysis were accessed. Social network analysis was applied to analyse and map the extent, nature and structural dynamics of director interlock statistically in all South African listed companies in respect of 2010 and 2016 with a view to considering the causes and consequences of identified changes between 2010 and 2016, and possible implications of those changes for corporate governance in South Africa. Both periods occurred shortly after times of financial turmoil or contracting economic growth, where, in line with global trends, financial consolidation and a possible decline in economic activity and board sizes of companies would be expected. The concept of centrality, comprising three components, was used in the statistical social network analysis. These components were degree centrality, which is an indicator of the number of connections and the degree of activity of a company or a director, closeness centrality, which is an indicator of the closeness of a company or a director to other companies or directors within a network and the number of steps from that company or director to other companies and directors in the network, and betweenness centrality, which is a measure of the centrality of a company or a director and the extent to which the company or the director acts as a bridge between and connects with other well-connected companies and directors in the network. The following striking findings emerged from this research: a massive increase in the average board size between 2010 and 2016, a resultant increase in the density of networks between 2010 and 2016, and an apparent shift away from the dominance of mining houses described in earlier studies to financial services companies in 2010 and retail companies in 2016. In the literature review the existence of a global elite in the structure of company boards was pointed out, and the question was asked whether there is any evidence of the existence of a similar elite in South Africa and, if so, whether there have been any changes in the makeup, characteristics or nature of such an elite from 2010 to 2016. Further, the question was asked whether any changes can be observed regarding the central actors of company boards in the local economic power network. The research results indicate that iii there was an apparent reversal of transformational gains towards the re-establishment of white male dominance in the ultra-elite echelons of directors in the South African network by 2016. In the absence of conclusive evidence emanating from this research, the value of director interlock is still hotly debated. Is the practice of director interlock beneficial or damaging to corporations and the wider economic landscape, or could it be both beneficial and damaging? This study provides conclusive evidence that the value of interlock depends on the way in which it is applied, taking into account how the causes, consequences and dynamics of director interlock are manifested in individual companies. While evidence suggests that director interlock, if applied correctly, can be beneficial, the recent Steinhoff debacle was used to illustrate that it can also be detrimental, depending on how it is applied. This study emphasised the value of social network theory, resource-dependence theory, agency theory, small-world theory and power dynamics, specifically in research into corporate governance and related fields of study. This research undoubtedly contributes to the body of knowledge on corporate governance in general and the structure and functioning of company boards, inclusive of director interlock, in particular. The guidelines that emerged from this study could be used to identify board structures and strategically positioned directorship candidates for board appointments and to avoid potentially destructive patterns that may even lead to corporate failure. / Maduzane nje, kuvele amahlazo ezinkampani ezinkulu zezezimali eNingizimu Afrika, lokhu okwenze ukuthi kuhlolwe kabusha inqubo nenkambiso yamanje yolawulo lwezinkanpani ezinkulu, kanti futhi lokhu kwavuselela ukuhlaziywa kwezikhungo zezolawulo lwezinkampani ezinkulu kanye nezindlela zokwenza lokhu. Enye yalezi zinkambiso, ukuhlala nokungenelelana kwabantu kumabhodi ezinkampani ezehlukene okuyinto ebizwa ngokuthi yi-"director interlock" iye yahlolisiswa kulolu cwaningo. Kusetshenziswe inqubo ye-quantitative ne-inductive kulolu cwaningo ukuhlolisisa izinkampani ezifakelwe kuhla lwe-Johannesburg Stock Exchange, kanye nodayirektha abakumabhodi azo ngesikhathi sokwenziwa kocwaningo, okusho ukusukela ngo 2010 ukuya kua 2016, ngenhloso yokubhekisisa imiphumela yenqubo yodayirektha abahlala kumabhodi amaningi ehlukene i-director interlock kwisimo seNingizimu Afrika. Kuye kwatholwa imithombo yolawulo iv lwezinkampani, inqubo ye-director interlock kanye nokuhlaziya ukuxhumana okwaziwa njenge-network analysis. Uhlaziyo lwama-network okuxhumana kwabantu kwe-social network analysis kwasetshenziswa ukuhlaziya kanye nokubheka ukujula nokwenza imephu yenhlobo kanye nobudlelwane bezakhiwo kunqubo ye-director interlock, namastatistiki kuzo zonke izinkampani ezifakelwe kuhla zaseNingizimu Afrika ngesikhathi esiphakathi kuka 2010 no 2016 ngenhloso yokubheka izimbangela kanye nemiphumela yezinguquko ezibhekiwe phakathi kuka 2010 no 2016, kanye nemphumela yalezi zinguquko kwinqubo yolawula lwezinkampani eNingizimu Afrika. Zombili izinkathi zenzeke maduzane ngemuva kweziyaluyalu zezezimali nokuncipha kwesimo somnotho, laphokhona, ngokuhambisana nobekwenzeka kuwo wonke umhlaba, kuye kwaba nokuqoqana kwesimo sezezimali kanye nokwehla kwezimo zomnotho kanye nosayizi bamabhodi ezinkampani okwakulindelwe. Umqondo wokuqoqela ndawonye, onemikhakha emithathu, wasetshenziswa ekuhlaziyweni kwamastatistiki okuxhumana kwabantu okwaziwa nge-statistical social network analysis. Le mikhakha kwakuyizinga lokuqoqana ndawonye okwaziwa nge-degree of centrality, okuyinkomba yamanani okuxhumana kwezinto kanye namazinga emisebenzi yenkanpani noma udayirektha, ukusondelana qokuqoqana ndawonye okwaziwa ngokuthi yi-closeness centrality, okuyinkamba yokusondelana kwenkampani noma udayirektha nezinye izinkampani noma abanye odayirektha kwi-network, kanye nenani lezinyathelo kuleyo nkampani noma udayirekha kwezinye izinkampani kanye nabanye odayirektha kwi-network, kanye nanokuxhumana phakathi kwabo, okuyisikali sokuxhumana kwenkampani noma udayirektha, nezinga lendlela inkampani noma udayirekha athatha ngalo izinyathelo njengomxhumanisi phakathi kokuxhumana nezinye izinkampani kanye nabanye odayirektha kwi-network. Imiphumela eyisimanga etholakele ngalolu cwaningo: kuye kwaba nokwenyuka kakhulu kosayizi bamabhodi esikhathini esiphakathi kuka 2010 no 2016, lokhu okubangele ukwenyuka kokujula kwama-network phakathi kuka 2010 no 2016, kanye nokugudluka ukusukela kubukhulu bezimayini ukuya kwizinkampani zezezimali ngo 2010 kanye nezinkampani zama-retail ngonyaka ka 2016. Ekubuyekezweni kwemibhalo ubukhona bama-elite kumhlaba wonkana kwizakhiwo zamabhodi kuye kwabona, kanti umbuzo owabuzwa ukuthi ngabe bukhona ubufakazi bobukhona bama-elite efanayo eNingizimu Afrika, uma kunjalo, ngabe kube khona ushintsho ngendlela ahleleke ngayo, ubunjalo noma inhlobo yalawo ma-elite ukusukela ngo 2010 ukuya ku 2016. Omunye umbuzo, owabuzwa, wukuthi ngabe noma yiziphi izinguquko ziyabonakala yini mayelana nababambiqhaza ababalulekile kumabhodi ezinkampani kuma-network anamandla kwezomnotho. Imiphumela yocwaningo ikhombisa ukuthi kwabanokuhlehla ngokuzuziwe kwezezinguquko, kwabuyelwa emuva ekubuseni kakhulu kwabesilisa abamhlophe v kwimikhakha ephezulu yama-elite odayirektha kuma-network aseNingizimu Afrika ngo 2016. Ngokusweleka kobufakazi obuphethakele obuvela kulolu cwaningo, ukubaluleka kwe-director interlock kusaxoxwa ngakho kakhulu. Ngabe i-director intelock inenzuzo noma ilimaza izinkampani kanye nesimo somnotho ngokunabile, noma kungenzeka ukuthi kwenzeka kokubili, ukubanenzuzo kanye nokulimaza? Lolu cwaningo luhlinzeka ngobufakazi obuphelele bokuthi ukubaluleka kwe-director interlock kuncike kwindlela okusetshenziswa ngayo, ngokubonelela izimbangela, imiphumela emibi kanye nama-dynamic endlela i-directoer interlock ebonakala nokuvela ngayo ezinkampanini ezehlukene. Ngisho noma ubufakazi bukhombisa ukuthi i-director intelock, uma isetshenziswa kahle, ingaba yinzuzo, kodwa ihlazo lamaduzane le-Steinhoff lisetshenziswe ukukhombisa ukuthi, lokhu kungaba ngokulimazayo, kuncike ngokuthi kusetshenziswa kanjani. Lolu cwaningo lukhombise ukubaluleka kwe-social network theory (ithiyori yobudlelwane bokuxhumana kanye nokwabelana ngolwazi), i-resource-dependence theory (ithiyori yokuthi ngabe imithombo yosizo yangaphandle ichapha0zela kanjani ukuziphatha kwenhlangano), i-agency theory (ithiyori yobudlelwane phakathi kwama-ejenti kanye nabaphathi), small-world theory (ithiyori yokuxhumana kwabantu bexhunyaniswa ngabanye noma eminye imikhakha yabaxhumanisi) kanye nama-power dynamic (ndlela amandla umuntu anawo nokuba nomthelela kwabanye abantu nokuchaphazela ubudlelwane babo), ikakhulukazi kucwaningo ngokulawulwa kwezinkampani ezinkulu kanye nemikhakha ehambelanayo yocwaningo. Ngaphandle kokungabaza, lolu cwaningo lunomthelela kwingqikthi yolwazi ngezolawulo lwezinkampani ezinkulu ngokunabile kanye nezakhiwo nokusebenza kwamabhodi ezinkampani, okubandakanya ukukungenelelana kodayirektha kwamanye amabhodi ezinye izinkampani, ikakhulukazi. Imikhombandlela evelile kulolu cwaningo ingasetshenziswa ukuphawula izakhiwo zamabhodi, kanye nobudayirektha obusemkhakheni ethize, ngokuqokwa kwamabhodi ukugwema ukuba namaphatheni anemiphumela emibi, engaholela nasekwehlulekeni kwezinkampani ezinkulu. Amagama abalulekile: Inqubo yebhodi, ukuchaphazelana kobudlelwane nemithelela kumabhodi, ukuhleleka ngezinhlobo kwamabhodi, ukungenelelana kwabantu kumabhodi ezinkampani ezehlukene, ubudlelwane phakathi kwabantu abakumabhodi ehlukene, i-isomorphism, i-social network analysis (SNA), ama-network obudlelwane babantu, ubudlelwane babantu, i-social network analysis software, i-statistical analysis system (SAS / Malobanyana, mahlabišadihlong a koporase a wetše tikologo ya ditšhelete ya Afrika Borwa, yeo e hlohleletšago go sekwasekwa leboelela ga ditlwaedi tša pušo ya dikgwebo le nyakišišo ye e mpshafaditšweng ya mekgwa ya diinstitšhušene tša pušo ya koporase. Se sengwe sa ditlwaedi tše, ke ponagalo ya go bitšwa “tlhatlaganyo ya molaodi”, mahlabišadihlong a nyakišišitšwe ka nyakišišong ye. Mokgwa wa khwalithethifi le taelo o šomišitšwe ka gare ga nyakišišo ye go nyakišiša dikhamphani tše di ngwadilwego lenaneong la Johannesburg Stock Exchange, le balaodi bao ba šomilego dibotong tša yona dinakong tše di nyakišišitšwego, e lego 2010 le 2016, ka morero wa go šetša ditlamorago tša tlhatlaganyo ya molaodi mo maemong a Afrika Borwa. Methopo ya maleba mabapi le pušo ya koporase, tlhatlaganyo ya molaodi le tshekatsheko di fihleletšwe. Tshekatsheko ya neteweke ya leago e dirišitšwe go sekaseka le go beakanya bogomo, tlhago le diphetogo tša sebopego tša tlhatlaganyo ya molaodi ka dipalopalo ka gare ga dikhamphani tša Afrika Borwa ka moka tše di ngwadilwego lenaneong mabapi le 2010 le 2016 ka kgopolo ya go ela hloko ditlholo le ditlamorago tša diphetogo tše di hlaotšwego gare ga 2010 le 2016, le dikhuetšo tše di kgonegang tša diphetogo tšeo tša pušo ya koporase ka Afrika Borwa. Dinako ka bobedi di diragetše kgauswinyana morago ga dinako tša mathata a ditšhelete goba kgolo ya ikonomi ye e phuhlamago, fao, ka go sepetšana le mekgwa ya lefase ka bophara, kopantšho ya ditšhelete le kgonagalo ya phokotšego ya ditiro tša ikonomi le bogolo bja diboto tša dikhamphani di tla letelwa. Kgopolo ya bogare, ya go bopša ka dikarolo tše tharo, e šomišitšwe ka tshekatshekong ya neteweke ya leago ya dipalopalo. Dikarolo tše e be e le bogare bja bogolo, tšeo e lego taetšo ya palo ya dikgokagano le bogolo bja tiro ya khamphani goba molaodi go dikhamphani tše dingwe ka gare ga neteweke, le bogare bja kelo, tšeo e lego kelo ya bogare bja khamphani goba molaodi le bokgole bjoo khamphani goba molaodi a šoma bjalo ka leporogo mo gare le go kgokagana le dikhamphani tše dingwe tše di nago le kgokagano ye botse le balaodi ka gare ga neteweke. Dikutullo tše di latelago tša go goga šedi di tšweletše go tšwa nyakišišong ye: koketšego ye kgolokgolo ya bogolo bja boto bja palo gare ga 2010 le 2016, koketšego ye e hlotšwego ka pitlaganong ya dineteweke gare ga 2010 le 2016, le tšhutišo ya go hlaka go tšwa go taolo ya dintlo tša moepo tše di hlalositšwego ka dinyakišišong tša pele go dikhamphani tša ditirelo tša ditšhelete ka 2010 le dikhamphani tša retheile ka 2016. Ka tshekatshekong ya dingwalo go ba gona ga bahuetši ba lefase ka sebopegong sa diboto tša khamphani di laeditšwe, gomme potšišo e botšišitšwe ge eba go na le bohlatse bofe goba bofe bja bahuetši ba go swana ka Afrika Borwa gomme, ge go le bjalo, ge eba go bile le diphetogo dife goba dife ka gare ga popego, dipharologantšho goba tlhago ya bahuetši ye vii bjalo go tloga ka 2010 go fihla ka 2016. Gape, potšišo e botšišitšwe ge eba diphetogo dife goba dife di ka bonwa mabapi le diketapele tša diboto tša khamphani ka netewekeng ya maatla a ikonomi ya tikologo. Dipoelo tša dinyakišišo di laetša gore go be go na le poelomorago ye e hlakileng ya dipoelo tša phetošo go ya go tlhomo leswa ya taolo ya banna ba bathobašweu ka gare ga maemo a go feta tekanyo a bahuetši a balaodi ka netewekeng ya Afrika Borwa 2016. Ka go hlokega ga bohlatse bja mafelelo bja go tšwa nyakišišong ye, boleng bja tlhatlaganyo ya molaodi bo sa ntše bo ngangišanwa kudu. Setlwaedi sa tlhatlaganyo ya molaodi se na le mohola goba se senya dikoporase le ponagalo ya ikonomi ye e nabilego, goba se ka ba bobedi sa mohola le go senya? Nyakišišo ye e fa bohlatse bja mafelelo bja gore boleng bja tlhatlaganyo bo laolwa ke tsela yeo bo šomišwago ka yona, go akaretšwa ka fao ditlholo, ditlamorago le diphetogo tša tlhatlaganyo ya molaodi di bago gona khamphaning e tee ka e tee. Mola bohlatse bo šišinya gore tlhatlaganyo ya molaodi, ge e šomišitšwe ka nepagalo, e ka ba le mohola, bothata bja malobanyana bja Steinhoff bo šomišetšwe go laetša gore gape bo ka ba kotsi, go ya ka fao bo šomišitšwego. Nyakišišo ye e gatelela boleng bja teori ya neteweke ya leago, teori ya boikanyo bja methopo, teori ya etšentshi, teori ya lefase le lenyane le diphetogo tša maatla, gagolo ka dinyakišišong tša pušo ya koporase le makala ao a amegago a nyakišišo. Nyakišišo ye ntle le pelaelo e kgathatema go tsebo ya mmele go pušo ya koporase ka kakaretšo le sebopego le go šoma ga diboto tša khamphani, go akaretšwa tlhatlaganyo ya molaodi, gagolo. Melawana ya tshepedišo ye e tšweletšeng go tšwa nyakišišong ye a ka no šomišwa go hlaola dibopego tša boto le bonkgetheng ba bolaodi ba go beelwa go thwalwa ga boto ka maikemišetšo le go efoga diphethene tše di nago le kgonagalo ya go senya tšeo gape di kago iša go palelwa go koporase / Business Management / D. B. L.

La tratta degli esseri umani a scopo di sfruttamento lavorativo (tratta lavorativa, labour trafficking) in Europa è un grave crimine contro le persone, che viola i diritti umani. La ricerca esistente si concentra principalmente sulle vittime, mentre lo studio degli autori di reato e sul modo in cui sfruttano le vulnerabilità del sistema è meno sviluppato. Questo è dovuto in parte alla mancanza di dati robusti, ma anche a un approccio della ricerca criminologica tradizionalmente rigido e settoriale. Al contrario, lo studio della tratta lavorativa richiede concetti flessibili, che riconoscano le radici profonde di questo fenomeno nell’intero sistema socioeconomico, più che il semplice prodotto della volontà degli autori dei reati. Partendo dalle indicazioni della letteratura, questa ricerca si concentra sul settore agricolo italiano, non ancora esaminato da un punto di vista criminologico. L’obiettivo è la comprensione dei meccanismi attraverso i quali la tratta lavorativa nasce e si sviluppa. La scelta del contesto dello studio è dovuta alle caratteristiche peculiari dell’Italia, che rendono la tratta lavorativa in agricoltura centrale per il dibattito nazionale. Inoltre, l'Italia condivide alcune caratteristiche con altri paesi europei, e dunque alcune lezioni apprese da questo caso possono essere discusse alla luce del dibattito internazionale. In primo luogo, un’analisi a livello macro esamina come i fattori strutturali associati nella letteratura internazionale alla tratta lavorativa si concretizzano nel contesto italiano. I risultati mostrano che il sistema stesso sembra creare un terreno fertile per lo sviluppo e il mantenimento della tratta lavorativa: la vulnerabilità dei lavoratori migranti è insita nell'attuale quadro normativo dell’immigrazione; la filiera agroalimentare impone ai produttori la riduzione del costo della forza lavoro; e l'attuale sistema legale basato sulla repressione delle condotte criminose inquadrate come eventi eccezionali è insufficiente. In secondo luogo, un’analisi a livello meso descrive le caratteristiche generali delle reti della tratta lavorativa in Italia. Quattro casi studio selezionati con un metodo razionale e sistematico sono poi approfonditi per identificare le principali caratteristiche, modalità e organizzazione relazionale dei reati, e i metodi con cui viene sviluppata e mantenuta la condizione di sfruttamento delle vittime. I risultati mostrano che nei quattro casi studio le reti si sviluppano e si adattano alle opportunità offerte dal sistema legale. I risultati e gli insegnamenti tratti dal caso italiano sono infine discussi alla luce del dibattito internazionale sulla tratta lavorativa. / Labour trafficking in Europe is a serious crime against persons, violating their fundamental human rights. Existing research primarily focuses on the victims, while data on offenders and the manner in which they exploit vulnerabilities is less developed. Recent trends in criminological literature are highlighting how the past lack of research is related to the lack of robust data, but also to traditional rigid approaches with exception to few extreme cases. On the contrary, they call for more flexible concepts recognising that labour trafficking is not only the product of offenders’ will, but has deep roots embedded in the socioeconomic system. Elaborating on these indications, this research focuses on the Italian agriculture sector, which has not yet been examined in literature from a criminological perspective, with the aim to understand the mechanisms through which labour trafficking originates and develops. This choice has been made because the characteristics particular to Italy make labour trafficking in agriculture central to the debate within the country; and because Italy shares some characteristics with other European countries, so some lessons learnt from this case can be discussed in light of the international debate on labour trafficking. First, a macro-analysis examines how the structural factors associated in the international literature with labour trafficking take shape in the Italian context. The results show that the system itself seems to create a fertile ground for labour trafficking to develop and maintain: migrant workers’ vulnerability is inherent in the current migration regulatory framework; the agrifood supply chain makes it necessary for producers to lower the cost of workforce; and the current legal system based on the repression of abusive conducts seen as exceptional events proves ineffective. Second, a meso-analysis at organisation/network level describes the general characteristics of labour trafficking networks in Italy, and then zooms in four case studies selected through a rational systematic method to identify the main features, modalities, and relational organisation of the crime commission, and how the exploitative condition of the victims is developed and maintained. The results show that in the four case studies the trafficking networks develop and adapt to the opportunities offered by the legal system. The results are finally discussed in light of the international debate on labour trafficking, and the lessons learned from the case of Italy.

<p>Social presence positively influences the motivation, satisfaction, retention, and learning outcomes of online students. Although it is crucial for successful online learning experiences, little work has thoroughly examined the evolution of social presence over time and the influence of social presence on peer interaction. In other words, if social presence can be learned by interacting with others. This three-article dissertation study elucidates this gap by answering the overarching question: How does online students' social presence evolve over time to shape their online learning behaviors? Using stochastic-actor oriented models to reflect the dependence among learners in online collaborative learning communities, this dissertation investigated how learners' social presence evolved in learner-learner interaction resulting in two empirical studies and one conceptual framework. The first study explored social presence through clickstream interaction (e.g., number of replies received/sent in an online discussion) of 382 learners enrolled in a Massive Open Online Course. Three key findings from the study were: 1) dropout rates could be lowered if social presence affordances are used purposefully; 2) adding social media characteristics to online discussion boards, for example, "like" buttons, inhibits conversational behavior, and eventually, decreases achievement of learning outcomes; and 3) the "rich-get-richer" effect also applies to social presence, reinforcing highly active students' behavior and risking inactive online students to experience isolation. The second study used peer-nomination data (i.e., asking students who they interact with) and a scale to investigate the spread of social presence perceptions in online networks of students over three consecutive courses (n = 197). Although there was no evidence of social influence, online learners who nominated more peers are more likely to report higher social presence perceptions over time. Students were not more likely to share with those who showed similar levels of social presence. The "rich-get-richer effect" was observed in the incoming nominations of learners. The third study is a conceptual framework that integrates network theory and the online learning literature into a new perspective to analyze learners' online behaviors and interactions under the light of social presence theory. The proposed framework includes four main steps: 1) interaction, 2) social presence alignment, 3) unit of analysis definition, and 3) network statistics and inferential analysis selection. The findings of this dissertation improve educational practice by identifying behaviors that harm online social presence and providing specific actions for online instructors and instructional designers to promote social presence in online learning.  </p>

Digitalization has become a topic of several presentations and discussions in real estate industry seminars in recent years. Often the speeches are about why the real estate industry needs digitalization, presenting threats and opportunities for the participants of the seminars. Still, real estate industry is conservative by nature and thus far property owners have not needed to innovate in order to stay in business. Therefore, a question arises that how do real estate owners react to the growing expectations about digitalization. On the other hand, relatively little is known about the innovativeness of real estate firms, as innovation research in built environment sector has largely focused on building project management phase organizations and facility management firms. Still, the real estate owners have a central role and a long-term perspective on the innovation in the built environment sector as a whole, as they are clients in all building life-cycle phases. Thus, this thesis purpose is to increase understanding of digitalization as a phenomenon in the real estate and facility management sectors: 1) by distinguishing the phenomenon in relation to existing research and 2) by generating new knowledge on digitalization in the field by explorative research. In order to distinguish the phenomenon in relation to existing research, the thesis provides a structured literature review that focuses on digitalization in the real estate and facility management sector. The main conclusion is that digitalization is a complex phenomenon, including multiple perspectives and conceptualizations, although, the literature converges on rather distinct topics of digital systems and methods, technology adoption and organization and management. Additionally, the review provides a discussion of opportunities for further research. An argument is made for sociotechnical perspective to provide opportunities for better managerial comprehension on the complex phenomenon. In order to generate new knowledge on digitalization in the field, particularly, on the innovativeness of real estate firms, the thesis provides summaries of two papers. The first paper focuses on the innovation processes in the real estate owner organizations and the second paper focuses on the innovation ecosystem that comprises of actors that contribute towards common innovation goals. The papers are based on interviews with the various real estate industry actors and document analysis. The papers converge on results, concluding that the real estate owners have invested in resources and capabilities for innovation, but it is still challenging for them to act on the digital threats and opportunities. Additionally, the second paper develops an operationalizable definition and methodology for research on innovation ecosystems, which has relevance for the more general literature on innovation and strategy. Thus, this thesis distinguishes digitalization as a phenomenon in the built environment management sectors and increases understanding on the innovativeness of real estate firms’ and other actors that contribute to the innovativeness of the real estate sector as a whole. / Digitalisering har blivit ett ofta återkommande ämne för ett stort antal seminarier inomfastighetsbranschens under de senaste åren. En återkommande fråga har varit hurfastighetsbranschen hanterar digitaliseringen, samt om vilka hot och möjligheterdigitaliseringen innebär för branschen. Fastighetsbranschen uppfattas ofta som konservativoch hittills har fastighetsägare inte tvingats vara särskilt innovativa för att kunna fortsätta sinverksamhet. En intressant fråga i sammanhanget är därför hur fastighetsägare reagerar på deväxande förväntningarna om digitalisering från omvärlden. Relativt lite är känt ominnovationsförmågan hos fastighetsföretag, eftersom innovationsforskningen inom byggdmiljö till stor del har fokuserat på byggprojekt och fastighetsförvaltning. Fastighetsägarna hardock fortfarande en central roll och borde ha ett långsiktigt perspektiv på innovationer inomden byggda miljön som helhet, eftersom de är verksamma inom byggnadens alla faser ilivscykeln.Mot denna bakgrund är avhandlingens syfte att öka förståelsen för digitalisering som fenomeninom fastighetsförvaltningen: 1) genom att analysera fenomenet i förhållande till denbefintliga forskningen och 2) genom att generera ny kunskap om digitalisering inom områdetgenom intervjuer och dokumentanalys.För att särskilja fenomenet digitalisering i förhållande till befintlig forskning innehålleravhandlingen en strukturerad litteraturöversikt som fokuserar på digitalisering inomfastighetsförvaltningen. Den huvudsakliga slutsatsen från denna litteraturöversikt är attdigitalisering är ett komplext fenomen, som innehåller flera perspektiv ochkonceptualiseringar, även om litteraturen fokuserar på ett antal distinkta ämnen: digitalasystem och metoder, anpassning av teknik och organisation samt förvaltning. Dessutominnehåller översikten en diskussion om relevanta områden för vidare forskning. Vidare geröversikten vid handen, att genom att anlägga ett socio-tekniskt perspektiv ges bättremöjligheter att förstå digitalisering.För att skapa ny kunskap om digitalisering, särskilt vad gäller fastighetsföretagensinnovativitet, innehåller avhandlingen två artiklar. Den första artikeln fokuserar påinnovationsprocesser inom fastighetsföretag och den andra artikeln fokuserar påinnovationsekosystemet som består av ett antal olika aktörer som bidrar till gemensammainnovationsmål. Artiklarna bygger på intervjuer med olika aktörer inom fastighetsbranschenoch dokumentanalys. Artiklarnas resultat pekar åt samma håll, och slutsatsen som kan dras äratt fastighetsägarna har investerat i resurser och kapacitet för innovation, men det ärfortfarande en stor utmaning för dem att agera på digitala hot och möjligheter. Dessutomutvecklar den andra artikeln en definition och metod för forskning om innovationsekosystem,som har relevans för forskning inom innovation och strategi. Således särskiljer denna avhandling digitaliseringen som ett fenomen inom den byggda miljönoch ökar förståelsen för fastighetsföretagens innovationsförmåga och andra aktörer sombidrar till innovationer inom fastighetssektorn som helhet. / <p>QC 20200127</p>

No description available.

Cities develop cycling plans as a tool to promote urban sustainable mobility. These plans are usually open to the participation of current cyclists. In some cases, an intense debate among them arises. Part of them defend the integration of cyclists in a calmer urban traffic, while others prefer dedicated cycling infrastructure separated from motor vehicles. This debate is often framed in terms of what would be more valuable for potential cyclists. Taking this blocking debate as motivation, this thesis explores the cycling planning network of stakeholders generated by participatory planning initiatives. Two study cases with different observed intensities of the described debate, Stockholm and Madrid, are analyzed. The project identifies the stakeholders engaged in cycling planning, both from institutions and civil society; makes a characterization of their relations; and studies the claims they make in relation to the interests of potential cyclists. The research is based in snowball sampling, interviews, questionnaires and social media data mining. The resultant networks combine a set of institutions embedded in a multilevel cycling governance landscape with a set of civil society entities, many characterized by organizational informality partly due to the emergence of virtual communities among them. Accordingly,informal channels of participation are very relevant. The analyzed debate produces tensions, but these are transient frictions grounded in two coexistent systems of meaning rather than permanent antagonism. This is consistent with agonist planning theories. In regard of these challenges, two strategic approaches to the design of participatory cycling planning are suggested: disaggregated stakeholder analysis, in order to reach all the diversity of stakeholders; and bigrelational data analysis, in order to have a first approximation to the particularities of any cycling planning network. / Städer utvecklas cykelplaner som ett verktyg för att uppmuntra hållbar stadsmobilitet. Cykelplaneringsprocesser är vanligtvis öppna för deltagande av nuvarande cyklister. I vissa fall uppstår en intensiv debatt bland de cyklister. Några av dem föredrar att cykla i blandtrafik medan andra förespråkar för dedikerad infrastruktur som separeras från motortrafik. Denna debatt uttrycks ofta i termer av vad som skulle vara mer värdefullt för potentiella cyklister. Uppsatsen tar detta komplexitet som utgångspunkt och utforskar cykelplaneringsnätet av intressenter som genereras av planeringsinitiativ. Två studiefall som presenterar olika intensiteter i debatten analyseras, Stockholm och Madrid. Forskningsprojektet identifierar intressenter engagerade i cykelplanering, både från institutioner och civilsamhället; karaktärisera deras relationer; och analyserar de påståenden som intressenterna gör i förhållande till potentiella cyklisters intressen. Forskningen är baserad på snöboll provtagningen, intervjuer, frågeformulär och datautvinning från sociala medier. De resulterande nätverken kombineras ett antal institutionella intresser som är inbäddade i en flernivå-system av cykelstyrning med några civilsamhällets enheterna, som många kännetecknas av organisatorisk informalitet delvis på grund av cykling virtuella gemenskaper relevans. Efter detta, informella kanaler för deltagande blir viktigare. Den analyserade debatten ger spänningar som är nära till övergående friktioner beroende på två samexisterande system av betydelser snarare än en ständig motsättning. Detta är förenligt med agonistiska planeringsteorier. Efter reflektioner kring dessa utmaningar, uppsatsen föreslår två strategiska tillvägagångssätt för utformningen av medborgardeltagande inom cykelplanering: disaggregerad intressentanalys för att fånga alla mångfalden av agenter; och användningen av bigdata källor för att analysera relationerna mellan intressenterna i syfte att få en första approximation till jämvikten och särdragen hos ett givet cykelplaneringsnät. / Muchas ciudades desarrollan planes ciclistas como herramienta para fomentar la movilidad sostenible. Dichos planes suelen ser abiertos a la participación de los ciclistas actuales, generando en ocasiones un debate intenso entre ellos: una parte defiende su integración en calzada junto a una pacificación del tráfico, mientras que otros prefieren dedicar infraestructura específica a la bicicleta separada del tráfico motorizado. Este debate se desarrolla habitualmente a través de referencias a la figura del ciclista potencial. Tomando esta cuestión como motivación, el proyecto explora las redes de agentes generadas por los procesos de planificación ciclista, analizando dos casos de estudio que muestran distintos impactos de dicho debate, las ciudades de Estocolmo y Madrid. El proyecto identifica los agentes involucrados en los planes ciclistas, tanto dentro como fuera de las instituciones; analiza sus relaciones; y estudia las referencias a los intereses del ciclista potencial. La metodología se basa en muestreo acumulativo tipo ‘bola de nieve’, entrevistas, un cuestionario y minería de datos de redes sociales. Las redes resultantes unen a una serie de agentes institucionales que operan en un marco de gobernanza multinivel con un gran número de agentes de la sociedad civil. Estos tienen una estructura cada vez menos rígida, en parte debido al impacto de las comunidades virtuales de activismo ciclista. En esta línea, se observa que las oportunidades informales de participación son muy relevantes. El debate sobre infraestructura ciclista produce tensiones, pero estas son fricciones transitorias causadas por la coexistencia de dos sistemas de pensamiento en torno a la bicicleta más que un antagonismo permanente, lo cual es consistente con el modelo de planeamiento agonista. Tras exponer estos retos, se sugieren dos estrategias que puede contribuir al diseño adecuado de procesos de participación ciclista: el análisis desagregado de agentes, para capturar la diversidad de entidades involucradas en planificación ciclista; y el uso de fuentes big data sobre relaciones entre agentes, para obtener una primera aproximación a los equilibrios existentes en las redes de planificación ciclista.

No description available.

This thesis investigates how everyday patterns of interactions among civil society organizations are transformed in a relatively short period of time when major changes in the broader political context occur. More precisely, it focuses on civic organizations engaged in environmental activism and advocacy in the Basque Country, examining whether ETA’s decision to abandon the armed struggle on October 20th, 2011 has affected their dynamics of collaboration. Combining diverse theoretical elements from the literature on social movements, together with insights from studies of civil society and peacebuilding, and relying upon the conceptual and methodological toolbox of social network analysis (SNA), I analyze the evolution of interorganizational networks of collective action before and after the end of violence, specifically, between the years 2007 and 2017. The empirical core of the dissertation is comprised by chapters 5, 6 and 7. Chapter 5 examines the varying impact of two main external ideological cleavages (national identity and position towards ETA’s violence) on interorganizational collaboration. The findings confirm that allegiances and conflicts related to these two dimensions used to condition collaborative ties between organizations up to 2011, while during the more recent post-conflict period collaborative patterns seem to be less segmented along ideological lines. Chapter 6 complements the preceding one by adding into the analysis several other non-ideological predictors of interorganizational collaboration. Results show that, with the end of ETA’s armed struggle, pragmatic-instrumental factors and interpersonal bonds seem to play a larger role as drivers of public collaboration. Next, chapter 7 engages in a quite different and more exploratory kind of analysis. Applying Diani’s modes of coordination (MoC) analytical framework, I explore whether the underlying relational logics through which civic actors engage with one another have significantly changed before and after the end of violence. The structural network analyses conducted reveal that social movement patterns of relations have expanded after 2011, becoming dominant vis-à-vis other modes of coordination. At the same time, actors embedded in a social movement mode of coordination are slightly more heterogeneous after the definitive demise of the violent conflict in comparison with the previous phase. Taken as a whole, these findings can be interpreted as positive signs of post-conflict normalization of socio-political life in the Basque Country. The fact that environmental civic networks are now denser and more cross-cutting does not only mirror the lower saliency of the cleavages that used to severely condition Basque politics, but it can also serve as a powerful mechanism through which a more tolerant and vibrant democratic community can progressively be built. Overall, this dissertation provides a more nuanced and complex view of the role played by organized civil society and social movements in deeply divided communities, underlining the need to focus on their relational structure in order to correctly assess their potential impact on social integration and the functioning of democracy. Moreover, by analyzing networks among civic organizations in a longitudinal perspective, this dissertation makes several original contributions to social movement scholarship, especially to the stream of literature focusing on coalition making. Methodologically, the replication or adaptation of the empirical design employed in this research could be instrumental in fostering more longitudinal examinations of collective action fields, which until now remain scarce. From a theoretical standpoint, this investigation underlines the context-dependent nature of even well-established patterns of political interactions, underscoring the need to pay more attention to the complex interplay between historical conjunctures and underlying everyday patterns of sociopolitical behavior.

Из-за сформировавшихся внешне и внутренне политических условий, снижение зависимости экономики РФ от внешних факторов становится все более приоритетным направлением развития. Более того, имеется ряд проблем, связанных с недостаточно эффективным развитием нецентральных районов. В их числе проблемы миграции, низкого уровня рождаемости и другие. Более того, изменяется роль институтов государства и местного самоуправления по отношению к гражданскому обществу. Тем самым возникает потребность в разработке и внедрении современных механизмов функционирования местных сообществ для достижения долгосрочных целей социально-экономического развития муниципальных образований. Указанные обстоятельства актуализируют изучение цифровой финансовой экосистемы местных сообществ. Учитывая вышесказанное, целью работы является разработка методики идентификации отдельного экономического агента на предмет его потенциальной принадлежности к локальному экономическому сообществу. Для этого были проанализированы данные о банковских транзакциях. Замкнутые цепи обмена были найдены. Также были рассчитаны 4 типа коэффициентов для определения полезности потенциального включения в сеть экономического агента. И были рассмотрены 4 возможных стратегии развития местного сообщества. Рассчитан экономический эффект. / Due to the formed external and internal political conditions, reducing the dependence of the Russian economy on external factors is becoming an increasingly priority area of development. Moreover, there are a number of problems associated with the insufficiently effective development of non-central regions. Among them are the problems of migration, low birth rate and others. Moreover, the role of state and local government institutions in relation to civil society is changing. Thus, there is a need for the development and implementation of modern mechanisms for the functioning of local communities to achieve long-term goals of socio-economic development of municipalities. These circumstances actualize the study of the digital financial ecosystem of local communities. Considering the above, the aim of the work is to develop a methodology for identifying an individual economic agent for its potential belonging to the local economic community. For this, data on banking transactions were analyzed. Closed circuits of exchange have been found. Also, 4 types of coefficients were calculated to determine the usefulness of a potential inclusion in the network of an economic agent. And 4 possible strategies for the development of the local community were considered. The economic effect is calculated.