bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Organizational Departures: The Impact of Separation Anxiety as Studied in a Mergers and Acquisitions Simulation
Authors: Astrachan Joseph H.
Published: March 2006

This article explores the impact of impending layoffs on emotions, both theoretically and empirically, using a simulated mergers and acquisitions scenario in which 119 people participated Root causes of layoff stress, emotional outcomes, and coping mechanisms, both useful and dysfunctional, are examined A major focus of this research is on how the group context of a layoff or merger situation affects emotion and behavior The research shows that anxiety is stimulated by the mere announcement that people in an organization are leaving and that the impact of this anxiety is expressed differently depending on the proportion of people staying in and leaving the organization. This article looks at the basic dynamic of separation anxiety-what it is and why it is stimulated It explores how separation anxiety is manifested in several simple contexts. Psychodynamic concepts, such as denial splitting, and projection, are introduced to help uncover some of the simpler dynamics surrounding separation anxiety as experienced in a group. Next, the article reports an experiment of a simulation in which work groups were formed and then people were chosen to leave their organizations. The experiment varied the number of people who stayed in or left their work groups. Anxiety and attitudes were measured over time, allowing the use of a repeated measures statistical analysis. Based on the theory presented and the research findings, ideas for managing separation anxiety are offered
Assessing Organizational Commitment: An Employee's Global Attitude toward the Organization
Authors: McCaul Harriette S. , Hinsz Verlin B. , McCaul Kevin D.
Published: March 2006

In response to numerous calls for a clarification of conceptual and methodological issues related to organizational commitment, the authors propose using advances in the conceptualization of attitudes. In applying this approach, we asked employees to complete semantic differential scales measuring organizational commitment as a global attitude toward the organization and to complete the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ). With a sample of 258 employees from three organizations, it was found that the attitudinal measure correlated strongly with the OCQ (r > .82). Measures of effort, value acceptance, and intentions to stay with the organization predicted little additional variance in the OCQ. The data support the proposal that organizational commitment as generally assessed may best be defined as a global attitude that employees have toward their organization. The authors discuss how treating organizational commitment as an attitude helps to clarify the meaning of the construct, suggests a more direct method of measurement, and encourages new research examining the causes and consequences of organizational commitment.
Sociotechnical System Principles and Guidelines: Past and Present
Authors: Fox William M.
Published: March 2006

The sociotechnical systems (STS) approach is devoted to the effective blending of both the technical and social systems of an organization. These two aspects must be considered interdependently, because arrangements that are optimal for one may not be optimal for the other and trade-offs are often required. Thus, for effective organization design, there is need for both dual focus and joint optimization. This article traces the development of STS from the presentation of its first principles by Eric Trist, its leading founder, who was guided by earlier systems thinking, research on participation, and the action research work of Kurt Lewin, to the present, including discussion of adaptations and refinements that have enhanced its applicability to nonmanufacturing organizations. The approach has more relevance today than ever before, as organizational personnel seek more fruitful means of empowerment and as their organizations strive for greater productivity and viability in increasingly turbulent environments.
Inventing Cultural others in Organizations: A Case of Anthropological Reflexivity in a Multinational Firm
Authors: Hamada Tomoko
Published: March 2006

This article analyzes a case of "sexual harassment" in an American subsidiary of a Japanese multinational firm, and captures a "movement of meanings" concerning gender, race, and class within the bi-national politics between Japan and America. It argues that organization theories must incorporate the political process of cultural representation, with a sensitivity to multiple self-identities and to intra- and inter-subjective dialogues about organizational control. This study dismisses the ethnocentric, frozen gaze of an outside observer, and instead employs the "emic " analysis of the native `s ethnologic, taxonomic, and affective discourses and categorizations. It denounces the elitist, management-centric, or author-centric monologue on organizational reality that often has a powerful silencing effect on the "cultural others." It calls attention to the complexity of cultural juxtapositions within the postcolonial, postmodern, and global organizational world, and demands a new, more flexible, paradigm for social research.
The Cultural Ecology of the Corporation: Explaining Diversity in Work Group Responses to Organizational Transformation
Authors: Baba Marietfa L.
Published: March 2006

The concepts of human and cultural ecology are extended to explain divergent work group responses to a transformational change program in a Fortune 100 manufacturing corporation. The internal environment of the corporation, specifically the product development process (PDP), is conceptualized as an ecological system containing a diverse population of distinctive work group subcultures. Different ecological zones within the PDP harbor populations that may be distinguished on the basis of work niche and effective environment (including relationships with other work groups and the availability of computing resources). Although work groups in different ecological zones are found to be virtually identical with respect to demographic characteristics, they displayed highly divergent responses to the transformation initiative (a change program aimed at the commonization of tools and methods involved in the PDP). Differences in work group responses to change are explained as a logical outgrowth of complex interactions among communities of work groups and their environments.
Processual Approaches to Multicultural Education
Authors: GonzáLez Norma
Published: March 2006

Although "multicultural education" has been implemented in school districts across the country for more than two decades, these approaches generally have relegated notions of "culture" to observable surface markers of folklore, food, and holidays. Practitioners have been in-serviced with new sets of stereotypes that assume that all members of a particular group share a normative and an integrated view of their own culture. Processual approaches to culture that take into account ambiguity and multiple perspectives can reorient educators to consider the everyday lived experiences of their students. The households from which students emerge are intersected by multiply mediated constructs that can belie a harmonious and homogeneous set of shared cultural forms. Data from an educational project that exposes practitioners to alternate views of cultural processes are presented and analyzed in terms of classroom practice.
The Central Role of Discourse in Large-Scale Change: A Social Construction Perspective
Authors: Barrett Frank J. , Thomas Gail Fann , Hocevar Susan P.
Published: March 2006

This article reconceptualizes the change process from a rational planning perspective to an interpretive perspective emphasizing the social construction of meaning. Discourse is viewed as the core of the change process through which our basic assumptions about organizing are created, sustained, and transformed. To illustrate the dynamics of meaning systems, examples are provided of organizations shifting from mechanistic assumptions to become more adaptive, responsive, quality-oriented organizations. Implications for researchers and managers are included.
A Paradoxical Approach to Teaching Group Dynamics: First Thoughts, First Findings
Authors: Smith Kenwyn K. , Berg David N.
Published: March 2006

This article reports on an attempt to create an experiential group learning structure based on the paradoxical principles described in Smith and Berg's 1987 work, Paradoxes of Group Life. This learning structure departs from the group-on-group design described by Gillette and McCollom in their 1990 work, Groups in Context, in the role prescribed for the facilitator. In this structure, the facilitator is active in providing directions for each of the first five experiential sessions, directions that are intended to prompt members to explore together the influence on group life of (a) contradiction, (b) group membership, (c) opposition, and (d) negotiation with authority. The article includes case material from a single course in which this method was used and includes the authors' reflections on the opportunities and risks they observed in their initial attempt to put this approach into practice.
Learning from Mistakes is Easier Said Than Done: Group and Organizational Influences on the Detection and Correction of Human Error
Authors: Edmondson Amy C.
Published: March 2006

This research explores how group- and organizational-level factors affect errors in administering drugs to hospitalized patients. Findings from patient care groups in two hospitals show systematic differences not just in the frequency of errors, but also in the likelihood that errors will be detected and learned from by group members. Implications for learning in and by work teams in general are discussed.
Understanding Researcher "Projection" in Interpreting Case Study Data: The South Canyon Fire Tragedy
Authors: Neck Christopher P. , Godwin Jeffrey L. , Spencer Eric S.
Published: March 2006

The purpose of this article is to provide insights into the issue of researcher "projection" within case study analyses. It is argued that a potential source of projection lies in the cognitive information processes of the researcher. A case study (written by the authors of this article) serves as a self-study to illustrate the projection potential in case analytic studies. Implications of projection in case analyses are discussed.
A Survey-Based Pedagogical Approach to Ethics in the Workplace
Authors: Snow Roberta M. , Bloom Arvid J.
Published: March 2006

This article introduces an approach for understanding ethical behavior in the workplace that facilitates development of the sensibilities of individual managers. It begins with a general overview of ethical frameworks used to examine individual behavior in management education settings. Then, a scenario-based approach is presented as an alternative for individual and group learning about ethical behavior A specific survey instrument designed to assess individual ethical decision-making styles developed by the authors is central to the approach, and the development and structure of the instrument is outlined. In the final section, the results of a preliminary application of this method in an MBA course setting (with implications for future use in educational and corporate training contexts) are discussed.
Empowering Middle Managers to be Transformational Leaders
Authors: Spreitzer Gretchen M. , Quinn Robert E.
Published: March 2006

The article describes a field study of a large-scale management development program designed to stimulate middle managerial change. The development of a change typology suggests that middle managers are capable of making both transformational and transactional change targeted at themselves, their work unit, and their organization. Those with low levels of self-esteem, job affect, and social support tended to limit their efforts to changing themselves and thus had little impact on the organization. In contrast, individuals with high levels of self-esteem, job affect, and social support were more likely to make transformational changes. Thus the analyses suggest that individual mind-set prior to attending the program moderates the type of change undertaken by the middle managers. The most surprising finding is that those middle managers who were plateaued were most likely to make the most radical changes. The findings have implications for change mastery as well as resistance to change.
Retaning Participants in Longitudinal Community Research: A Comprehensive Protocol
Authors: Sullivan Cris M. , Rumptz Maureen H. , Campbell Rebecca , Eby Kimberly K. , Davidson William S.
Published: March 2006

One of the most daunting obstacles in conducting longitudinal research in the community is retaining participants over extended periods of time. The current study examines this issue and presents a comprehensive protocol designed to maximize retention rates. The techniques developed were highly successful in locating low-income, abused women (97% retention rate at the 24-month follow-up). The authors' experiences indicate not only that it is important to make multiple contacts with participants by phone and in person but that identifying and gaining access to participants' social and community networks is crucial to attaining high retention rates.
Building Learning Organizations: The Design and Implementation of Organizational Learning Mechanisms
Authors: Lipshitz Raanan , Popper Micha , Oz Sasson
Published: March 2006

This article concerns the first phase of a project introducing organizational learning into the Ordnance Corps of the Israel Defense Forces. Conducted as a joint experiment, the project was guided by a set of principles and metaphors that constituted a vision of learning organizations. The article describes the conceptual rationale underlying the project, difficulties encountered and their solutions, and implications of our experience for building learning organizations.
Some Contextual Influences on Training Utilization
Authors: Colarelli Stephen M. , Montei Matthew S.
Published: March 2006

Although behavioral scientists and policymakers have long stressed the importance of more and better worker training, American establishments provide little formal training to their employees. Yet, curiously, little theory or research exists on what might influence the use of training practices. The purposes of this research were to develop a conceptual framework for understanding training utilization and to empirically investigate the framework's suggestions about the role of context in training utilization. Four hypotheses were derived and tested on data collected from 53 establishments. The results indicated that turnover; organization size, and technological complexity correlated with the use of formal training programs; the relationship between technological complexity and training utilization was the most robust. The article concludes with implications for research and practice.
Intellectual, Ideological, and Political Obstacles to the Advancement of Organizational Science
Authors: Hogan Robert , Sinclair Robert
Published: March 2006

This article contends that scientific inquiry is the proper vehicle for examining organizational dynamics and promoting organizational effectiveness. However there are two sets of obstacles that hinder the development of a science of organizations. One set involves the influence of academic ideologies such as behaviorism, humanistic psychology, and postmodernist deconstruction. The other set reflects the reluctance of organizations to alter their practices based on the results of empirical research. We conclude the article with an example of a successful organizational intervention that exemplifies the main themes of the article.
Actionable Knowledge: Design Causality in the Service of Consequential Theory
Authors: Argyris Chris
Published: March 2006

Knowledge produced by empirical research can have external validity, which means it is relevant to the everyday world. Actionable knowledge is that knowledge required to implement the external validity (relevance) in that world. The claim is made that the concept of causality that underlies much rigorous empirical research makes it difficult to transform knowledge with high external validity into actionable knowledge. Moreover, this concept of causality can lead to knowledge that, if made actionable, could inhibit learning and, in some cases, produce undesirable unethical consequences. A different concept of causality is proposed that enhances actionability. Design causality is defined, and how it can be implemented is illustrated.
The Feminine in the Foundations of Organizational Psychology
Authors: Lyons Denise
Published: March 2006

This article examines how early work in the field of organizational psychology manifested the archetypal feminine, despite the lack of a feminist consciousness among notable theorists. It begins with an explanation of Jung's theory of the collective unconscious and the role of archetypes in the human psyche and then presents a hypothesis about how individual, social, and archetypal forces might have contributed to the expression of the feminine in the works of Eric Trist and William F. Whyte, who are chosen as exemplars of this phenomenon. The article concludes with a discussion of the legacy of their work-in particular, the field's amnesia about its roots and the use of the archetypal feminine in understanding gender roles.
Work/Life Balance
Authors: Caproni Paula J.
Published: March 2006

In this article, I contend that the well-intentioned discourse of work/life balance in the popular and scholarly press actually may undermine women's and men's attempts to live fulfilling lives. Drawing on feminist and critical perspectives, as well as my own efforts to find "balance" in a two-career family with two children under the age of 4, I illustrate (a) how the work/life discourse reflects the individualism, achievement orientation, and instrumental rationality that is fundamental to modem bureaucratic thought and action and (b) how such discourse may further entrench people in the work/life imbalance that they are trying to escape.
A Method for Facilitating Controversial Social Change in Organizations
Authors: Austin John R.
Published: March 2006

Leading social change in organizations is a difficult and politically dangerous balancing act. These risks increase if the social change in question directly challenges accepted societal and organizational norms. This article examines the racial integration of the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team as an example of a successful social change that challenged organizational and societal norms. The seven-step method used by Dodgers general manager, Branch Rickey, was guided by an understanding of the social implications of integration. Rickey's method also relied on an awareness of the differing perspectives of important stakeholders. This article pays particular attention to the linking and sequencing of action learning strategies used during the change.
On Initiating "A New Order of Things"
Authors: Latting Jean Kantambu
Published: March 2006

The author refutes Schwartz's thesis that "political correctness" (PC) stems from a narcissistic, unconscious desire to substitute unconditional love for objective standards of performance. The author argues that "objective" assessment is not achievable; that supporters of PC seek standards based on more inclusive criteria, not the abdication of standards; and that Schwartz's dichotomized "biparental" model for universities excludes other sources of support and standards available to students.
Are Asian American Employees a Model Minority or Just a Minority?
Authors: Cheng Cliff
Published: March 2006

This literature review note attempts to review and import from Asian American studies into organizational behavior key aspects of the Model Minority Thesis literature as it relates to workforce diversity. The supportive and critical perspectives on the Model Minority Thesis are explored. On the supportive side, it is argued that Asian Americans are a Model Minority: too successful to be considered a disadvantaged minority. Supporters want other minority groups to emulate Asian Americans and to eliminate affirmative action. Critics disaggregate the statistics used by proponents and find a bimodal distribution; some Asian Americans are economically well off but run into a glass ceiling, whereas others are disadvantaged.
Asian American Managers: An Impression Gap?
Authors: Xin Katherine R.
Published: March 2006

Asian American managers report using significantly lower levels of self-disclosure, self-focused impression management tactics, and supervisor-focused impression management tactics but more job-focused impression management tactics compared to European American managers. Asian Americans appear to use tactics that do not impress supervisors and do not make enough use of tactics that might pay off in improved supervisor-subordinate relationships and upward mobility. Further, supervisors are not impressed by the tactics Asian Americans believe they are using to impress their supervisors. Asian American managers' perceptions of the quality of supervisor-subordinate relationships are not in harmony with supervisors' perceptions of these relationships. European American managers seem to be in tune with their supervisors' perceptions of the quality of the relationship and the impression management tactics they report. If upward mobility is enhanced by good supervisor-subordinate relationships, this impression management gap may help explain why so few Asian American managers attain leadership positions.
Embedded Intergroup Relations in Interdisciplinary Teams
Authors: Lichtenstein Richard , Alexander Jeffrey A. , Jinnett Kimberly , Ullman Esther
Published: March 2006

Many organizations are making a deliberate effort to use teams to carry out work as an alternative to more traditional, hierarchical approaches to defining jobs or supervising employees. The authors posit that structure and composition of work teams are likely to systematically affect group dynamics of such teams. Using the related frameworks of social identification theory and embedded intergroup relations theory, they examine the proposition that greater diversity of team member characteristics and larger team size negatively affect members' perceptions of team integration. Hypotheses were tested on 1,004 individuals working on 105 interdisciplinary treatment teams in a national sample of 29 Department of Veterans Affairs psychiatric hospitals. Five of six hypotheses received support for at least one of three dimensions of team integration examined in this article. The strongest support was found for the effects of diversity on perceptions of team functioning. Results are generally consistent with the basic premise of the embedded intergroup relations model: As teams become more diverse along most identity group and organizational group characteristics, intergroup relations among team members suffer and perceived level of team integration declines. The authors offer several suggestions about how managers and team leaders might use these findings to improve team integration.
Toward a Civic Culture for Multicultural Organizations
Authors: Chen Chao C. , Eastman Wayne
Published: March 2006

As workplaces become more demographically diverse, there is an increased need for an overarching civic culture that explicitly addresses relations and interactions among various identity groups within an organization. Despite differences in the level of analysis and the standpoints of organization versus subgroup, both the integration and differentiation perspectives on organizational culture are inadequate to address cultural conflicts associated with demographic diversity. Based on a literature review of works by philosophers, political scientists, and educators, the authors suggest that civic culture, which focuses on relational values such as equality and a respect for differences rather than on substantive values such as product quality and timeliness, is an appropriate framework for multicultural organizations. An empirical study found preliminary evidence that people in demographically diverse organizations are more likely to emphasize relational over substantive values and that values proposed for diverse organizations emphasize both differentiation and integration.
Systemic Creation of Organizational Anxiety
Authors: Voyer John J. , Gould Janet M. , Ford David N.
Published: March 2006

Inquiry into a product development organization in the semiconductor industry revealed a high level of organizational anxiety. Using causal loop diagramming in conjunction with qualitative data analysis, inside members of a research team created a map of the organization's cognitive schema (or collective mental model) using data obtained from informants in the organization. The map showed how the organization's use of classic defense mechanisms to control organizational anxiety instead created feedback loops that amplified it. Suggestions for controlling anxiety systemically are offered.
Asian Americans and Leadership
Authors: Yammarino Francis J. , Jung Dong I.
Published: March 2006

A levels of analysis perspective involving four views of leadership in groups is presented. Using this framework, relevant literature on Asian Americans vis-a-vis Caucasian Americans and leadership is integrated. In work organizations, Asian American leaders and followers are hypothesized to link in terms of a person-group (i.e., leader-followers) model-based on between-groups differences or a whole-group level of analysis. In contrast, Caucasian American leaders and followers are posited to link in terms of a balanced dyadic model (i.e., based on between-dyads differences or a whole-dyads level of analysis). For culturally heterogeneous groups, depending on the specific composition of Asian American and Caucasian American leaders and followers, different models are hypothesized. The potential moderating effects of acculturation processes, company home base, and geographic location are considered. Implications for future leadership research and practice involving Asian Americans are discussed.
Organizational and Personal Dimensions in Diversity Climate
Authors: Mor Barak MichAl E. , Cherin David A. , Berkman Sherry
Published: March 2006

This article reports results from an organizational evaluation examining gender and racial/ethnic differences in the diversity perceptions of 2,686 employees of an electronics company located in a multicultural community. Based on social identity and intergroup theories, the authors explore employees' views of the organizational dimension as well as the personal dimension. A factor analysis of the 16-item diversity perceptions scale uncovered four factors along the two hypothesized dimensions: Fairness and Inclusion factors comprising the organizational dimension and Diversity Value and Personal Comfort factors comprising the personal dimension. The analysis revealed that Caucasian men perceived the organization as more fair and inclusive than did Caucasian women or racial/ethnic minority men and women; Caucasian women and racial/ethnic minority men and women saw more value in, and felt more comfortable with, diversity than did Caucasian men. The article discusses implications for practice and future research.
Turbulence and Bureaucracy
Authors: Schellenberg Kathryn , Miller George A.
Published: March 2006

It has been argued that bureaucratic strategies are less effective for organizations operating in turbulent environments. This is particularly true for many volatile high-tech companies that have forsaken bureaucratic structures in favor of more flexible strategies. In this article, a case study of a high-tech firm suggests that the effects of turbulence are paradoxical. Turbulence can enhance the appeal of bureaucracy as well as make it difficult for firms to operate according to bureaucratic principles. The study's findings identify the major factors that were associated with the adoption of a bureaucratic structure by this firm. In addition, the problems encountered by firms choosing bureaucracy are identified and discussed. It is recommended that future research focus on the implications of internal expertise for firms' abilities to resist inappropriate bureaucratization.
Business Process Redesign and Organization Development
Authors: Moosbruker Jane B. , Loftin Ralph D.
Published: March 2006

The recent popularity of the reengineering approach to changing the way work is done in organizations, combined with even more recent reports of failures in using this approach, motivate this article. The authors, a business process redesign (BPR) and an organization development (OD) practitioner, draw on their experiences, including five cases of organizational change, to ask whether OD could provide a framework of organizational understanding and change management that would enable BPR to be implemented successfully. The difficulties of collaboration across these two disciplines are explored. These include the different histories and approaches used as well as differences in language, values, and organizational arrangements. The cases suggest that although an OD framework enhances the likelihood of BPR success, more research is needed in this area. Additional variables to explore are the client organization's knowledge base, the roles of the consultants in the change effort, and their mutual relationship.
Spirits at Work in the Promised Land
Authors: Bamberger Peter , Barhom-Kidron Aviv
Published: March 2006

Despite the fact that ethnicity has been at the core of sociologically driven studies of alcoholism for decades, researchers examining the role of the workplace in the etiology of alcohol problems have yet to incorporate this factor into their theories. In this article, the authors investigate how the notion of ethnic identity might be infused into existing perspectives regarding the link between work-related risk factors and alcohol problems. On the basis of an examination of a theoretical sample of 58 recovering Israeli alcoholics, the findings suggest that ethnic identity may play an important role in shaping both the perception of and responses to alcohol-related workplace risk factors such as stress and alienation.
An efficient DNA sequence searching method using position specific weighting scheme
Authors: Kim Woo-Cheol , Park Sanghyun , Won Jung-Im , Kim Sang-Wook , Yoon Jee-Hee
Published: March 2006

Exact match queries, wildcard match queries, and k mismatch queries are widely used in various molecular biology applications including the searching of ESTs (Expressed Sequence Tags) and DNA transcription factors. In this paper, we suggest an efficient indexing and processing mechanism for such queries. Our indexing method places a sliding window at every possible location of a DNA sequence and extracts its signature by considering the occurrence frequency of each nucleotide. It then stores a set of signatures using a multi-dimensional index such as the R*-tree. Also, by assigning a weight to each position of a window, it prevents signatures from being concentrated around a few spots in indexing space. Our query processing method converts a query sequence into a multi-dimensional rectangle and searches the index for the signatures overlapping with the rectangle. Experiments with real biological data sets have revealed that the proposed approach is at least 4.4 times, 2.1 times, and several orders of magnitude faster than the previous one in performing exact match, wildcard match, and k-mismatch queries, respectively.
Usage patterns of collaborative tagging systems
Authors: Golder Scott A. , Huberman Bernardo A.
Published: March 2006

Collaborative tagging describes the process by which many users add metadata in the form of keywords to shared content. Recently, collaborative tagging has grown in popularity on the web, on sites that allow users to tag bookmarks, photographs and other content. In this paper we analyze the structure of collaborative tagging systems as well as their dynamic aspects. Specifically, we discovered regularities in user activity, tag frequencies, kinds of tags used, bursts of popularity in bookmarking and a remarkable stability in the relative proportions of tags within a given URL. We also present a dynamic model of collaborative tagging that predicts these stable patterns and relates them to imitation and shared knowledge.
Social Drama and Construction of the Ah Q Discourse
Authors: Foster Paul B.
Published: March 2006

This article examines the relationship between narrative and discourse through application of Victor Turner’s theory of social dramas to Lu Xun’s A Q zhengzhuan (The true story of Ah Q). Turner’s four-phase model is expanded to a fifth phase of temporal discursive reflexivity as Ah Q’s dramas are reinterpreted and reperformed in stage adaptations and literary derivatives (progeny novels) over eight decades. Foregrounded by Turner’s model, such discursive reperformances yield a highly effective reading strategy which integrates the elements of story and discourse, and thus bridges the gap between fictional literary events and the “real” meaning of events. Ah Q characteristics are reified in the process of constructing literary and social meaning as the progeny works humorously, satirically, and scathingly challenge contemporary readings of social and political history.
Hard struggle and soft gains: environmental management, civil society and governance in Pammal, South India
Authors: Dahiya Bhárat
Published: March 2006

This paper analyzes the relationships of a women-led civil society organization (the Shri Shankara Nagar Mahalir Manram) with the local government and with the local residents of Pammal, a small town on the periphery of the city of Chennai in southern India. It examines these relationships with regard to the organization’s initiative on community-based solid waste collection and management in a middle-income neighbourhood. This initiative began in response to the inadequacies in the waste collection services provided by local government and, to remain successful, it had to change and develop in response to the changing relationships between this organization, the residents and local government. It also had to overcome opposition from some of the residents and the lack of support from local politicians. When local government stopped collecting the waste that the organization had amassed from house-to-house collections, composting and recycling were developed, greatly reducing waste volumes and generating revenues that helped cover costs. The organization also had to network with higher-level political officials for the resolution of conflicts at the local level. The paper concludes that in peri-urban areas, which are in transition from rural to urban in character and have inadequate institutional cover, civil society organizations have enormous potential to improve local environmental conditions, to resolve political conflicts in governance, and to scale up environmental management activities.
The transformation of agriculture and rural life downstream of Hanoi
Authors: van den Berg L M , van Wijk M S , van Hoi Pham
Published: March 2006

This paper discusses the impacts of urbanization and of recent economic reforms on the livelihoods of farmers in Hanoi’s peri-urban areas. Although the proportion of land used for agriculture is declining, agricultural production is intensifying – for instance, with pork, vegetables and fish production increasing and rice production decreasing. The paper looks in some detail at changes in one peri-urban district on Hanoi’s southern outskirts, including the problems that farmers face from losing agricultural land use rights, increased seasonal flooding and water contamination by city wastes. Most farmers have turned to more intensive horticulture and fish farming, in part because these give much higher returns per hectare and usually (but not always) higher returns per hour. Many farming families have some members working in industry or services. Some have built apartments on their house sites and rent these out or sub-divide their residential lot and sell it to urban house seekers. Some farmers leave land fallow, waiting for urban development opportunities. Farmers who lose their land to the city development agency’s residential or commercial developments get compensation, which used to be fixed arbitrarily but is now increasingly up for negotiation, and a few are using this compensation to develop farms further from the city. As in many other cities, the relationship between urban planners, consumers, rural communities and horticultural producers is uneasy and generally not constructive.
Influence of urban wastewater on stream water quality and agriculture in and around Kumasi, Ghana
Authors: Keraita Bernard , Drechsel Pay , Amoah Philip
Published: March 2006

This paper presents some findings from an ongoing International Water Management Institute research project in Ghana on urban wastewater use in agriculture. The paper focuses on the influence of urban wastewater on stream water quality and peri urban agriculture in Kumasi, and aims to develop strategies to reduce environmental pollution and risks from agricultural use of wastewater. It drew on interviews with local authorities, sanitation services providers, vegetable producers, traders and consumers, and on an assessment of the existing sanitation infrastructure and water quality. With few industries in Kumasi, urban wastewater is generated mostly from domestic sources. Population increase and lack of investment have overstretched the few available sanitation facilities, and large volumes of untreated or partially treated wastewater end up in nearby streams. High levels of faecal coliform were recorded in the city and downstream, as well as on vegetables in Kumasi’s markets, as contaminated wastewater streams are used for irrigation. Although urban and peri urban agriculture has a positive impact on food supply and livelihoods, it poses health risks for farmers and consumers. The paper discusses the constraints on addressing these problems and makes some recommendations regarding low-cost strategies for safer use of available water, better urban decentralized wastewater management and increased public awareness.
A financial framework for reducing slums: lessons from experience in Latin America
Authors: Ferguson Bruce , Navarrete Jesus
Published: March 2006

This paper describes how slums have come to house such a significant proportion of the urban population in virtually all low-and middle-income nations. It then discusses a combination of large-scale land development for housing and more efficient upgrading programmes (with attention to keeping down unit costs and integrating microfinance to support house improvement), and how these approaches can greatly reduce the proportion of people living in slums, thus contributing to the Millennium Development Goal of significantly improving the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020. The paper illustrates its points with examples of effective innovations in housing vouchers, land market reforms, and land development programmes from different nations in Latin America.
Financing her home, one wall at a time
Authors: Malhotra Mohini
Published: March 2006

This paper describes the growing trend for microfinance institutions in many different nations to provide loans for home improvements – with examples drawn mainly from India, Peru, Mexico, the Philippines and Bangladesh. It describes the nature and scale of various institutions’ homeimprovement loan portfolios and the modifications needed in loan terms and conditions from conventional micro-enterprise loans. It also considers what is known about the impacts of such loans, and examines their financial sustainability and the conditions that allow for rapid expansion in the number of home improvements supported. It ends by discussing what is needed from national governments and international agencies to support such an expansion.
Water, sanitation and hygiene in Bangladeshi slums: an evaluation of the WaterAid– Bangladesh urban programme
Authors: Hanchett Suzanne , Akhter Shireen , Khan Mohidul Hoque , Mezulianik Stephen , Blagbrough Vicky
Published: March 2006

This paper describes the WaterAid-supported programme of water, sanitation and hygiene education implemented by local NGOs in the “slums” of Bangladesh’s two largest cities, Dhaka and Chittagong. This includes descriptions of the design and management of community-managed water points and sanitation blocks. The paper also summarizes the findings of an external evaluation of their effectiveness and discusses the difficulties of reaching the poorest while also getting full cost-recovery from users (which is required if the millions of urban dwellers in need of improved provision are to be reached with the limited funds available).
Water, sanitation and urban children: the need to go beyond “improved” provision
Authors: Bartlett Sheridan
Published: March 2006

This paper reviews the implications of inadequate provision of water and sanitation for children’s health and general development, especially in urban areas. Research into health differentials shows that child mortality and morbidity rates in poor urban settlements can equal or exceed those in rural areas. This review considers, in particular, the higher vulnerability of children to sanitation-related illness, the links between unsanitary conditions and malnutrition, the impacts for mental and social development, and the practical day-to-day realities of poor provision for children and their caregivers in urban areas. It argues that health education and health care, while essential complements to proper provision, can in no way be considered alternative solutions. The true costs for children of a failure to respond to this ongoing emergency lend another dimension to discussions of the cost-effectiveness of various solutions.
Our needs, our priorities; women and men from the slums in Mumbai and Pune talk about their needs for water and sanitation
Authors: Bapat Meera , Agarwal Indu
Published: March 2006

This paper presents extracts from interviews with slum dwellers, primarily women, in Mumbai and Pune, and discusses the conditions they cope with every day with regard to water and sanitation, and the ways these conditions have changed over time. These women live in a variety of circumstances – on pavements, beside railway tracks, in swampy areas, on steep slopes – and this affects the particular problems they face. But in all cases, dealing with their needs for water and sanitation is a stressful and time-consuming challenge. These interviews provide the kinds of insights that rarely emerge in quantitative studies.
Costa Rica’s Triangle of Solidarity: can government-led spaces for negotiation enhance the involvement of civil society in governance?
Authors: Smith Harry
Published: March 2006

Initiatives in participatory governance can rise from the grassroots or be implemented by government, examples of the latter being particularly notable in Latin America. This paper considers the scope and limitations of spaces of negotiation opened up from above, examining one particular initiative undertaken in Costa Rica between 1998 and 2002, the Triangle of Solidarity, which involved the state (central and local) and civil society, and the relationships between them. Taking an institutionalist approach, a detailed study of two urban neighbourhoods is used to assess the extent to which this initiative offered a new opportunity for political inclusion and enabled a redistribution of resources. In practice, there appears to have been little substantive change in the roles and position of central and local government, and civil society. This raises questions about the processes that are likely to lead to participatory governance, and emphasizes the importance of the weaker groups in negotiating and fighting for a transfer of power, and thus in shaping the spaces for negotiation central to urban management.
Providing environmental urban services to the poor in Andhra Pradesh: developing strategic decision-making
Authors: Dove Lesley
Published: March 2006

This paper describes an urban development programme in Andhra Pradesh, India, one of a new generation of programmes that aim to bring about more sustainable change for the poor within the framework of municipal government and other local institutions. The programme, funded by DFID and implemented through 32 local authorities, worked to improve municipal performance, to fund environmental services for the poor and to strengthen civil society organizations. The paper discusses a participatory introspection in six of the municipalities through which change was assessed. Relationships among the stakeholders were found to have improved, municipal accountability was increased and civil society groups had become eager to take a greater role in decision-making. Women were especially affected (although there continue to be barriers to their participation): their networks grew, their analytical and collaborative skills increased and their input was acknowledged and appreciated. The paper considers the potential for sustaining the positive changes experienced through the programme, and offers some concrete suggestions.
Participatory mapping for crime prevention in South Africa - local solutions to local problems
Authors: Liebermann Susan , Coulson Justine
Published: March 2006

Community policing remains more a talked-about concept than a practice actually taking place in South Africa today. In spite of much legislation pointing to the need for people’s participation, there is limited understanding of how this should be done. The emphasis in this research note is on a process that is being developed that might provide one such methodology to assist the police in its approach to partnership policing. The application of community participatory action planning processes and practices to the crime prevention field was initiated by urban researchers, and resulted in the development of the model described here. Initial results indicate that the process allows people to understand that crime does not occur randomly but that it happens in certain and predictable places. The process has the ability to empower communities to act together with the police in order to prevent and reduce violent crime.
Privatization of the urban water supply in Kenya: policy options for the poor
Authors: K’akumu O A
Published: March 2006

This paper considers how the government of Kenya’s plans to privatize water supplies in urban areas could ensure that the needs of those living in informal settlements and of others with inadequate water provision are served. The need for reform in the water sector is evident from the years of poor performance and the growing numbers lacking piped provision. The government has chosen privatization as the main policy direction. However, privatization can cause the needs of the unserved and of low-income groups in general to be ignored. This paper discusses various policy options to secure advantage for these groups, within the framework of a privatized water sector. These include participatory sector planning, social tarification, contractual clauses, water trust funds and support for alternative water suppliers.