Community is a complex term whose usage within sociology has ranged from being a key idea to being dismissed as irrelevant. At the same time as its virtual dismissal by sociology, community continued to have widespread usage within everyday language and as an adjunct to social policy. Its ubiquitous nature and the lasting power of the concept were evident at the outset of this research and created a number of contradictions that were considered worthy of further exploration. This thesis surveys sociological approaches to community and relates the career of the concept to changes in the political and economic context. A new approach is suggested which captures both the dynamic, kaleidoscopic nature of the concept at any one time and the layered, archaeological nature of its development over time. This provides a way out of the impasse of traditional sociological approaches to community. The approach proposes that different conceptualisations of community can be constructed through specific fragments of meaning being differentially articulated to produce various constellations of meaning. Partial fixations of meaning, within any one particular context, and the existence of common elements allow a description both of the uniqueness and generic nature of the concept. This provides a model for the conceptualisation of community and this has been applied to ideal type descriptions of community and to a number of well-known community studies. Empirical explorations of the conceptualisation of community were undertaken at CastleV ale, Birmingham. Conceptualisationso f community were recordedf rom the various perspectives of residents, local workers and local media. These were related to patterns of historical development and to recent political and economic restructurings. Different stakeholders' approaches to community were related to the time of the estate's construction (1960s), the time of settlement and adjustment (1970s), the time of reduction in state social intervention (1980s) and the time during which the estate took on Housing Action Trust status (1990s). Different and overlapping conceptualisations of community were explained using the approach already developed. From this it was possible to describe ways in which the wider context interacts with day-to-day lifestyle practices through representations and understandings of community. A loose typification of community at Castle Vale has been developed. Taking the discussion further allowed a device to be developed for the description of various conceptualisations of community, and allowed a framework to be developed within which different conceptualisations of community have been located. This work has allowed a reassessmenot f the position of community within sociology at the present time. It identifies those areas of momentum that are re-establishing community on the political and social agenda, suggests that the time is now right for sociology to reformulate a more adequate approach to community, and asserts that the approach developed aids moves towards new theoretically-informed ways of conveying the complexities of life at a local level within a more globalised context. It is a community study more appropriate for this age and is part of the enterprise of developing more sophisticated approaches to community.

Paraguay has 35% of its territory covered by wetlands. One of the most important is the Ñeembucú wetland, situated mostly in the Department of Ñeembucú. Human activity in sectors such as agriculture, industry, transportation (roads), and energy (hydroelectric dams), exercise pressure on the environment and natural resources. Wetland conservation in particular needs to be prioritized, and this cannot happen without the involvement of the local community (Local Residents or Campesinos and Ranchers), which currently does not take place. Consequently, implementation of an ecosystem management approach is crucial to maintaining social, economic, and environmental wellbeing. The overall objective of this research project is to promote sustainability of human livelihoods in the Ñeembucú ecoregion, Paraguay, working in partnership with stakeholders in order to balance production with environmental priorities. The principal findings of this research study are presented according to each specific objective it addressed. (1) Determine the socio-economic situation in the Ñeembucú. Campesinos live in a very precarious situation. (2) Assess changes in areas of water bodies and other land cover. Human activities such as drainage, burning and deforestation, are causing a change in the water distribution and the vegetation complexity of the area. (3) Identify general changes in wildlife abundance in the Ñeembucú region with particular emphasis on indicators of ecosystem health. There is a decrease in the wildlife population in the Ñeembucú region. (4) Establish how these changes are associated with cattle and crop production in the San Juan del Ñeembucú District. Ranchers were the main builders of channels and roads. (5) Identify and establish further socioeconomic initiatives with ranchers and farmers that balance production and environmental priorities. There is a lack of networking and joint work among stakeholders. (6) Recommend approaches to enhance sustainability of the ecoregion. The main recommendations are: • Develop an adaptive management plan • Stimulate environmental education to create awareness • Encourage public participation • Create protected areas for wildlife • Support research • Motivate local tourism and create work alternatives • Create a sustainable and regional water management plan for the Ñeembucú Department • Offer government technical support to local producers

Paraguay has 35% of its territory covered by wetlands. One of the most important is the Ñeembucú wetland, situated mostly in the Department of Ñeembucú. Human activity in sectors such as agriculture, industry, transportation (roads), and energy (hydroelectric dams), exercise pressure on the environment and natural resources. Wetland conservation in particular needs to be prioritized, and this cannot happen without the involvement of the local community (Local Residents or Campesinos and Ranchers), which currently does not take place. Consequently, implementation of an ecosystem management approach is crucial to maintaining social, economic, and environmental wellbeing. The overall objective of this research project is to promote sustainability of human livelihoods in the Ñeembucú ecoregion, Paraguay, working in partnership with stakeholders in order to balance production with environmental priorities. The principal findings of this research study are presented according to each specific objective it addressed. (1) Determine the socio-economic situation in the Ñeembucú. Campesinos live in a very precarious situation. (2) Assess changes in areas of water bodies and other land cover. Human activities such as drainage, burning and deforestation, are causing a change in the water distribution and the vegetation complexity of the area. (3) Identify general changes in wildlife abundance in the Ñeembucú region with particular emphasis on indicators of ecosystem health. There is a decrease in the wildlife population in the Ñeembucú region. (4) Establish how these changes are associated with cattle and crop production in the San Juan del Ñeembucú District. Ranchers were the main builders of channels and roads. (5) Identify and establish further socioeconomic initiatives with ranchers and farmers that balance production and environmental priorities. There is a lack of networking and joint work among stakeholders. (6) Recommend approaches to enhance sustainability of the ecoregion. The main recommendations are: • Develop an adaptive management plan • Stimulate environmental education to create awareness • Encourage public participation • Create protected areas for wildlife • Support research • Motivate local tourism and create work alternatives • Create a sustainable and regional water management plan for the Ñeembucú Department • Offer government technical support to local producers

No description available.

Social housing, traditionally provided by not-for-profit (NFP) housing associations, has become increasingly competitive as exchequer subsidy has reduced and the market has opened up to the profit-making private sector. These changes have increased the need for housing associations to engage and collaborate with stakeholders. The author’s research examines stakeholder engagement and collaboration in One Vision Housing, a NFP housing association. A constructivist epistemology, based on an idealist ontology, using primarily inductive logic, is adopted through a case study methodology. Data is collected through interviews, focus groups, surveys, participant observation, direct observation and physical artefacts. The review of literature highlights the relationship between stakeholder theory, stakeholder management, organisational culture, organisational learning and knowledge management. The author has developed a conceptual model in respect of these relationships.

A maioria dos projetos de transporte urbano é complexa, pois envolve diferentes áreas do conhecimento e tem que acomodar interesses conflitantes de diversos stakeholders. Apesar das boas práticas já existentes e das leis que regem as melhorias no transporte coletivo urbano, muitas cidades ao redor do mundo não são capazes de realizar estas melhorias devido a fortes pressões diretas e indiretas dos principais stakeholders. No Brasil, muitos são os planos não implementados e os projetos que não saíram do papel. A falta de confiança entre as partes interessadas - órgãos públicos e empresas privadas - tem sido mais forte do que a relação de confiança entre eles. Outros envolvidos, como Tribunais de Contas e Ministério Público só agora começaram a se envolver em questões de transportes. Representantes públicos, como, por exemplo, vereadores, pouco atuam nas melhorias do transporte coletivo. Recentemente, grupos da sociedade civil têm imposto certa pressão para a melhoria da relação custo-benefício dos serviços de transporte público. Dada a importância de certos stakeholders na realização de melhorias no sistema de transporte coletivo, entender as relações entre eles e avaliar os caminhos críticos é fundamental para facilitar a implementação destas melhorias. Ainda, conhecer os principais stakeholders e suas relações pode facilitar a atuação de gestores e otimizar esforços para engajar stakeholders no intuito de viabilizar melhorias no transporte coletivo. O objetivo desta tese é desenvolver um modelo qualitativo e quantitativo que represente a rede de stakeholders envolvidos com o planejamento, operação e fiscalização do transporte coletivo urbano por ônibus, bem como determinar os principais stakeholders e caminhos críticos para a tomada de decisão sobre ações de qualificação. Para demonstrar a aplicação do modelo, foi realizado um estudo de caso na cidade de Porto Alegre. Foram identificados 13 stakeholders principais direta e indiretamente envolvidos no processo. Através de metodologia Stakeholder Value Network, foi possível qualificar e quantificar 59 fluxos de valor entre stakeholders, que podem influenciar na implementação de melhorias no sistema de transporte coletivo. Os principais resultados da pesquisa fornecem informações úteis para facilitar a implementação de melhorias e, assim, qualificar o serviço prestado à população. / Most urban transport projects are complex as they involve different areas of knowledge and have to accommodate conflicting interests of many stakeholders. Despite existing good practices and laws that rule improvements in public transportation, many cities around the world are not able to hold these improvements due to strong direct and indirect pressures from key stakeholders. This is specially the case prevailing in Brazilian cities. The lack of trust among stakeholders – public agencies and private companies – has been stronger than the trust between them. Other players such as Account Courts and Public Ministries have only just started to understand the importance of improving public transport. Political stakeholders, like city councilors, still have shallow acting on improving public transport. Recently, civil society groups have been imposing some pressures for improvements in the value for money of public transport services. Given the importance of some stakeholders in making improvements in the public transportation system, understanding the relationships between them and evaluating the critical paths is key to facilitating the implementation of these improvements. Recognizing key stakeholders and their relations can facilitate the work of managers and optimize efforts to engage stakeholders in order to implement improvements in public transport. This thesis aims to develop a qualitative and quantitative model that represents the network of stakeholders involved in the planning, operation and monitoring of bus public transport as well as determine key stakeholders and critical paths for taking decision on implementing improvements. To demonstrate the application of the model, we performed a case study in the city of Porto Alegre. We have identified 13 key stakeholders directly and indirectly involved in the process. Through Stakeholder Value Network methodology, it was possible to qualify and quantify 59 value flows between stakeholders who can influence the implementation of improvements in public transport system. The main search results provide useful information to facilitate the implementation of improvements and thus qualifies the services provided to the population.

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Economia, Administração e Contabilidade e Gestão de Políticas Públicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Contábeis, 2017. / Submitted by Raquel Almeida (raquel.df13@gmail.com) on 2017-06-14T17:57:45Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2017_GrazielleTatianeSantana.pdf: 1667833 bytes, checksum: 794ba1ae6ca2dd5fdca1b58d27c3c91d (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Raquel Viana (raquelviana@bce.unb.br) on 2017-08-18T20:58:41Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2017_GrazielleTatianeSantana.pdf: 1667833 bytes, checksum: 794ba1ae6ca2dd5fdca1b58d27c3c91d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-18T20:58:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2017_GrazielleTatianeSantana.pdf: 1667833 bytes, checksum: 794ba1ae6ca2dd5fdca1b58d27c3c91d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-08-18 / As empresas buscam legitimar suas atividades frente aos stakeholders por meio de práticas de responsabilidade social. A reputação corporativa surge como a percepção dos stakeholders dessas ações sociais, de maneira que eles exigem maior transparência e relatórios financeiros de maior qualidade. As empresas com maior demanda por esses relatórios, devem apresentar maior qualidade visto que os aspectos financeiros e organizacionais da reputação não são vistos isoladamente e, portanto, comportamentos inadequados podem ameaçar a reputação de uma empresa. Sendo assim, quanto mais positiva a reputação corporativa de uma determinada empresa, melhor será a avaliação por parte do mercado de ações, bem como no desempenho contábil e financeiro. A partir dessa relação, este estudo tem por objetivo verificar se a reputação corporativa contribui para uma maior persistência nos lucros das empresas brasileiras abertas. A reputação corporativa é um conjunto de percepções de diferentes stakeholders, portanto, como proxies de reputação, considerou-se o Índice de Sustentabilidade Empresarial (ISE) para captar percepções de investidores e o Índice de Social Disclosure (ISD) para captar percepções dos investidores e usuários externos. A qualidade dos lucros foi mensurada pela persistência dos lucros, sob a hipótese de que empresas com maior reputação corporativa apresentam lucros mais persistentes e, portanto, mais úteis para fins de decisões econômicas e financeiras. Para tanto, foram analisadas uma média de 48 empresas abertas no período de 2011 a 2015. Os resultados evidenciam que a reputação corporativa, mensurada pelo ISD, afeta a qualidade dos lucros positivamente, contudo não contemporaneamente. Verificou-se que essa associação positiva ocorre de maneira dinâmica, pois o mercado precifica as informações disponíveis prospectiva e retroativamente. Ressalta-se que, o Índice de Sustentabilidade Empresarial (ISE) não apresentou significância estatística, não sendo possível afirmar que a reputação corporativa, mensurada por esse índice, afeta a qualidade dos lucros. / Companies seek to legitimize their activities stakeholders by means of social responsibility practices. Corporate reputation arises with the stakeholders' perception of these social actions, so they require greater transparency and better quality financial reporting. The firms with the highest demand for these reports should be of a higher quality since the financial and organizational aspects of reputation are not seen in isolation and, therefore, inappropriate behavior can threaten a company's reputation. Thus, the more positive the corporate reputation of a particular company, the greater the positive effect on the stock market and on the accounting and financial performance. Based on this relationship, this study aims to verify if corporate reputation contributes to a better persistence of the earnings of Brazilian publicly traded companies. Corporate reputation is a set of perceptions of different stakeholders, therefore, as proxies of reputation, it was considered both the Corporate Sustainability Index (CSI), that was used to capture investor perceptions, and the Social Disclosure Index (SDI) that was used to capture perceptions of investors and external users. The quality of earnings was measured by the persistence of the earnings, because of the assumption maintained that the more persistent earnings are sustainable and therefore more useful for economic and financial decisions. For that, an average of 48 companies were analyzed in the period from 2011 to 2015. The results show that corporate reputation, measured by SDI, affects the quality of earnings positively, but not contemporaneously. It was verified that this positive association occurs dynamically, because the market prices the information available prospectively and retroactively. It should be noted that the Corporate Sustainability Index (CSI) did not present statistical significance, and it can not be affirmed that the corporate reputation measured by this index affects the quality of the earnings.

A maioria dos projetos de transporte urbano é complexa, pois envolve diferentes áreas do conhecimento e tem que acomodar interesses conflitantes de diversos stakeholders. Apesar das boas práticas já existentes e das leis que regem as melhorias no transporte coletivo urbano, muitas cidades ao redor do mundo não são capazes de realizar estas melhorias devido a fortes pressões diretas e indiretas dos principais stakeholders. No Brasil, muitos são os planos não implementados e os projetos que não saíram do papel. A falta de confiança entre as partes interessadas - órgãos públicos e empresas privadas - tem sido mais forte do que a relação de confiança entre eles. Outros envolvidos, como Tribunais de Contas e Ministério Público só agora começaram a se envolver em questões de transportes. Representantes públicos, como, por exemplo, vereadores, pouco atuam nas melhorias do transporte coletivo. Recentemente, grupos da sociedade civil têm imposto certa pressão para a melhoria da relação custo-benefício dos serviços de transporte público. Dada a importância de certos stakeholders na realização de melhorias no sistema de transporte coletivo, entender as relações entre eles e avaliar os caminhos críticos é fundamental para facilitar a implementação destas melhorias. Ainda, conhecer os principais stakeholders e suas relações pode facilitar a atuação de gestores e otimizar esforços para engajar stakeholders no intuito de viabilizar melhorias no transporte coletivo. O objetivo desta tese é desenvolver um modelo qualitativo e quantitativo que represente a rede de stakeholders envolvidos com o planejamento, operação e fiscalização do transporte coletivo urbano por ônibus, bem como determinar os principais stakeholders e caminhos críticos para a tomada de decisão sobre ações de qualificação. Para demonstrar a aplicação do modelo, foi realizado um estudo de caso na cidade de Porto Alegre. Foram identificados 13 stakeholders principais direta e indiretamente envolvidos no processo. Através de metodologia Stakeholder Value Network, foi possível qualificar e quantificar 59 fluxos de valor entre stakeholders, que podem influenciar na implementação de melhorias no sistema de transporte coletivo. Os principais resultados da pesquisa fornecem informações úteis para facilitar a implementação de melhorias e, assim, qualificar o serviço prestado à população. / Most urban transport projects are complex as they involve different areas of knowledge and have to accommodate conflicting interests of many stakeholders. Despite existing good practices and laws that rule improvements in public transportation, many cities around the world are not able to hold these improvements due to strong direct and indirect pressures from key stakeholders. This is specially the case prevailing in Brazilian cities. The lack of trust among stakeholders – public agencies and private companies – has been stronger than the trust between them. Other players such as Account Courts and Public Ministries have only just started to understand the importance of improving public transport. Political stakeholders, like city councilors, still have shallow acting on improving public transport. Recently, civil society groups have been imposing some pressures for improvements in the value for money of public transport services. Given the importance of some stakeholders in making improvements in the public transportation system, understanding the relationships between them and evaluating the critical paths is key to facilitating the implementation of these improvements. Recognizing key stakeholders and their relations can facilitate the work of managers and optimize efforts to engage stakeholders in order to implement improvements in public transport. This thesis aims to develop a qualitative and quantitative model that represents the network of stakeholders involved in the planning, operation and monitoring of bus public transport as well as determine key stakeholders and critical paths for taking decision on implementing improvements. To demonstrate the application of the model, we performed a case study in the city of Porto Alegre. We have identified 13 key stakeholders directly and indirectly involved in the process. Through Stakeholder Value Network methodology, it was possible to qualify and quantify 59 value flows between stakeholders who can influence the implementation of improvements in public transport system. The main search results provide useful information to facilitate the implementation of improvements and thus qualifies the services provided to the population.

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Ciência Política, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência Política, 2014. / Submitted by Albânia Cézar de Melo (albania@bce.unb.br) on 2014-10-14T12:39:34Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2014_MarianaRodriguesMoura.pdf: 1509257 bytes, checksum: f6f0ed62d20c3a112c20a30e69561fc8 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Guimaraes Jacqueline(jacqueline.guimaraes@bce.unb.br) on 2014-10-17T15:35:58Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2014_MarianaRodriguesMoura.pdf: 1509257 bytes, checksum: f6f0ed62d20c3a112c20a30e69561fc8 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-17T15:35:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2014_MarianaRodriguesMoura.pdf: 1509257 bytes, checksum: f6f0ed62d20c3a112c20a30e69561fc8 (MD5) / A primeira agência reguladora brasileira surgiu em meados da década de 1990 e a última em 2005. Dentro de uma década e três mandatos presidenciais, dez agencias reguladoras federais foram criadas, em diversos setores, tais como energia, telecomunicações, petróleo, meio-ambiente, saúde suplementar, vigilância sanitária, transporte e aviação civil. Mas apesar de abarcarem áreas bastante distintas, o formato institucional é o mesmo: autarquias especiais, com mais autonomia do que outros órgãos e entidades governamentais. Neste sentido, o objetivo deste trabalho é discutir o contexto no qual estas agências se tornaram realidade (a chamada Reforma Regulatória) e definir quais foram os fatores que permitiram o agenda-setting do tema repetidamente, em diferentes áreas. _________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT / The first Brazilian regulatory agency was created in mid-90s and the latest one in 2005. Within about a decade and three presidential terms, ten federal regulatory agencies were created and they oversee various sectors, including energy telecommunications, oil, environment, supplementary health care, health surveillance, transport and civil aviation. But, although they oversee such diverse areas, their institutional format is the same: special autarchies, with more autonomy than other government bodies or entities in Brazil. The main goal of this paper is to discuss the context in which these agencies were created (the Regulatory Reform) and determine what where the factors that permitted the agenda-setting of the theme several times over different sectors.

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Ciência da Informação, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência da Informação, 2014. / Submitted by Larissa Stefane Vieira Rodrigues (larissarodrigues@bce.unb.br) on 2014-11-27T18:46:52Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2013_AndréaCarlaMarquesDaSilva.pdf: 4183855 bytes, checksum: 35abddca6347035c8a15f32c81ddea43 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Raquel Viana(raquelviana@bce.unb.br) on 2014-11-27T18:58:40Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2013_AndréaCarlaMarquesDaSilva.pdf: 4183855 bytes, checksum: 35abddca6347035c8a15f32c81ddea43 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-11-27T18:58:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2013_AndréaCarlaMarquesDaSilva.pdf: 4183855 bytes, checksum: 35abddca6347035c8a15f32c81ddea43 (MD5) / Apresenta estudo de caso sobre comportamento de pesquisa da informação dos usuários de portais corporativos, mais especificamente, identifica o perfil dos usuários de portais corporativos e mapeia os padrões de pesquisa da informação para a tomada de decisão, centrando-se especialmente em fatores que estimulam a busca da informação e possíveis obstáculos. Os portais corporativos têm se destacado dentre as organizações competitivas por transcenderem a busca, recuperação e disseminação de informação aos stakeholders, contribuindo com a cultura de interação e compartilhamento de conhecimentos. O estudo realizado no Portal do Conhecimento da Eletrobras Eletronorte utilizou a combinação de métodos quantitativos e qualitativos na análise dos dados coletados para melhor entender a complexidade do fenômeno estudado. O presente estudo toma como referência o modelo de busca e uso da informação de Wilson associado à proposta de Dias, que delimitaram as variáveis utilizadas na pesquisa: acesso, competência e pertinência. Os resultados ratificam a importância do Portal do Conhecimento como fonte de informação qualificada para a tomada de decisão e disseminação do conhecimento organizacional, bem como apresentam o perfil dos usuários composto por profissional experiente, qualificado pelas especializações e vivência na empresa, a maioria do gênero masculino e faixa etária superior a 46 anos. Dentre os fatores que estimulam a busca da informação, destacam-se a centralização do acesso de informações e documentos no portal, com a devida divulgação; além da promoção do compartilhamento de informação entre os públicos-alvo da organização. A falta de letramento informacional e ausência da cultura de compartilhamento de informação entre usuários são aspectos identificados como potenciais obstáculos à pesquisa da informação em portais corporativos. ___________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT / Presents case study of information searching behavior of users of corporate portals, more specifically identifies the profile of corporate portals users and maps search patterns of information for decision making, especially focusing on factors that stimulate the search for information and possible obstacles. Corporate portals have stood out amongst the competitive organizations per transcend the search, retrieval and dissemination of information to stakeholders, contributing to the culture of interaction and sharing of knowledge. The study carried out at the Knowledge Portal Eletrobras Eletronorte utilized the combination of quantitative and qualitative methods in the analysis of data collected to better understand the complexity of studied phenomenon. The present study takes as reference the Wilson's model of information-seeking behaviour related the proposal for Dias, which delimited the variables used in the research: access, competence and pertinence. These results confirm the importance of the Knowledge Portal as a source of quality information for decision making and dissemination of organizational knowledge, as well as present the profile of users composed of experienced professional, qualified by expertise and experience in the company, most males and age range above 46 years. Among the factors which stimulate the search for information, highlights are the centralizing access of information and documents on the portal, with proper disclosure, in addition to promoting the sharing of information between the target groups of the organization. The lack of information literacy and the absence of a culture of sharing information between users are aspects identified as potential barriers to research of the information in enterprise portals.