title: The use of social networking technologies for home-based online businesses: The case of Saudi Arabian female entrepreneurs

authors: Alshawaf, Arafat

subjects: Social Networking Technologies

abstract: Over the years, many Saudi Arabian female entrepreneurs have adopted social networking technologies, also called social networking sites, to overcome certain cultural challenges and to manage their home-based online businesses. The effectiveness of adopting social networking technologies to produce business benefits is an area that has received significant attention. However, most of the previous studies focus on ‘what social networking technologies do’ rather than ‘what impact social networking technologies have’. The purpose of this study is to better understand how Saudi Arabian female entrepreneurs -- a group about which little is known -- use social networking technologies to derive benefits from their utilisation and to enhance their home-based online businesses. It employs a qualitative approach to explore the opportunities and challenges that they experience when they use these technologies to run their businesses. 

The research questions centre around the business benefits derived from the use of social networking technologies in a home-based context, the motivations that drove the adaptation of these platforms, and the most critical issues women face when using these platforms for business activities. Interviewees in this study describe how they negotiate between entrepreneurship and technology values, in light of their cultural roles. They discuss how the available technology enables their personal growth and allows them to create jobs for themselves and to enter the labour market without physically leaving their homes.

The study reveals that the use of social networking technologies by Saudi female entrepreneurs achieves multiple objectives, including building their business brand, organising networks, and extending their customer base beyond family circles. The motivations of these female entrepreneurs are largely driven by personal desire, a need for professional growth and personal development, and a desire to serve their communities. The use of these technologies helps to create job opportunities and to achieve financial security, but the entrepreneurs also face a range of challenges. These include determining the most appropriate social networking technology to use for their specific business objectives, an initial lack of online marketing and management skills, and the need for additional resources to help them manage their online presence. In examining how social networking technologies are employed by Saudi female entrepreneurs, this study contributes to the extant literature on home-based entrepreneurship by focusing on a group about which minimal knowledge exists.

text: The use of social networking technologies for home-based online businesses: The case of Saudi Arabian female entrepreneurs Over the years, many Saudi Arabian female entrepreneurs have adopted social networking technologies, also called social networking sites, to overcome certain cultural challenges and to manage their home-based online businesses. The effectiveness of adopting social networking technologies to produce business benefits is an area that has received significant attention. However, most of the previous studies focus on ‘what social networking technologies do’ rather than ‘what impact social networking technologies have’. The purpose of this study is to better understand how Saudi Arabian female entrepreneurs -- a group about which little is known -- use social networking technologies to derive benefits from their utilisation and to enhance their home-based online businesses. It employs a qualitative approach to explore the opportunities and challenges that they experience when they use these technologies to run their businesses. 

The research questions centre around the business benefits derived from the use of social networking technologies in a home-based context, the motivations that drove the adaptation of these platforms, and the most critical issues women face when using these platforms for business activities. Interviewees in this study describe how they negotiate between entrepreneurship and technology values, in light of their cultural roles. They discuss how the available technology enables their personal growth and allows them to create jobs for themselves and to enter the labour market without physically leaving their homes.

The study reveals that the use of social networking technologies by Saudi female entrepreneurs achieves multiple objectives, including building their business brand, organising networks, and extending their customer base beyond family circles. The motivations of these female entrepreneurs are largely driven by personal desire, a need for professional growth and personal development, and a desire to serve their communities. The use of these technologies helps to create job opportunities and to achieve financial security, but the entrepreneurs also face a range of challenges. These include determining the most appropriate social networking technology to use for their specific business objectives, an initial lack of online marketing and management skills, and the need for additional resources to help them manage their online presence. In examining how social networking technologies are employed by Saudi female entrepreneurs, this study contributes to the extant literature on home-based entrepreneurship by focusing on a group about which minimal knowledge exists.

year: 2020

title: International Climate Change Governance: Issues of Democracy, Institutions and the Media

authors: Pandey, Chandra Lal

subjects: climate change policy

abstract: The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was established in 1992 to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere to prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. The nation states of the world have attempted to arrest climate change through a state-centric large scale multilateral treaty making process. Yet, over a period of more than twenty years, little has been achieved toward that objective. The making of international climate change governance required to arrest climate change is falling short. Greenhouse gases, which scientists consider to be the main culprit of climate change, are increasing rapidly making every subsequent year’s emissions concentration a new record. 
Climate scientists say global temperatures rising above 2 degrees Celsius could be extremely dangerous. The 1992 Convention, 1997 Kyoto Protocol, 2009 Copenhagen Accord and subsequent agreements have failed to translate the goal and achieve the threshold target as no serious and viable policies are forthcoming. Instead, the United Nations’ climate conferences have become a yearly chore for diplomats. 
The complexities of climate change governance arise not only from the nature and uncertainty of its impact, but also from its embedded relationships with social, cultural, political, economic, historical and institutional dimensions. Appropriate responses to address the challenges of climate change are difficult in the absence of potential solutions in sight. The pre-requisite for any effective policy responses is that the decision making process be democratic, transparent, and inclusive so that the ultimate addressees can ‘own’ the problem and contribute to solutions.
A sizable literature focuses on the causes and reasons behind climate change and advocates radical actions to arrest it. Other research highlights economic implications, alternatives to fossil fuels, consumption and production, scientific uncertainty and challenges the perennial North-South politics in seeking to explain the lack of progress. There has been little research on why international climate change governance is making only incremental progress.  This thesis takes as its starting point the paucity of attention to working out how and why progress has not been made, drawing on insights from climate change negotiations, major climate agreements and analyses of data on media communications on the issues of international climate change negotiations for policy making. 
The research recognizes the complexity of climate change and takes a comprehensive approach in considering why has there been little progress in the making of an effective international climate change governance to prevent climate change. The thesis takes three complementary approaches in addressing the central research question. The first develops from the concept of a democratic deficit and posits that the failure of progress can be attributed to a lack of the democratic processes in grappling with the issues. The second explores the state-centric framework of UNFCCC and posits that since the environmental issues are non-territorial, the challenges postulated by climate change cannot be resolved and progress made by solely relying on a state-centric approach. The third is to do with media communications and posits the role of the media in public education as central to develop the necessary public support for addressing the issues of climate change. The Kyoto Protocol and the Copenhagen Accord, and how they were achieved are central to this research as these are the two major climate change agreements achieved internationally so far. 
This research concludes that the approaches we have adopted so far have been inadequate because of the lack of involvement of the main stakeholders in decision making processes. The common but differentiated and historical responsibilities, pertinent principles in 1992, no longer reflect current economic growth and greenhouse gas emission patterns. There is a need to review our state-centric institutional framework toward a more inclusive, participatory, and deliberative accountability whereby the public and businesses can ‘own’ the problem. The role of the media is paramount in this because it is the media that passes information from the scientists, experts and policy makers to the public. The research concludes that the media has a key role to play and needs to be more critical in advancing measures to address the problems of climate change.

text: International Climate Change Governance: Issues of Democracy, Institutions and the Media The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was established in 1992 to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere to prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. The nation states of the world have attempted to arrest climate change through a state-centric large scale multilateral treaty making process. Yet, over a period of more than twenty years, little has been achieved toward that objective. The making of international climate change governance required to arrest climate change is falling short. Greenhouse gases, which scientists consider to be the main culprit of climate change, are increasing rapidly making every subsequent year’s emissions concentration a new record. 
Climate scientists say global temperatures rising above 2 degrees Celsius could be extremely dangerous. The 1992 Convention, 1997 Kyoto Protocol, 2009 Copenhagen Accord and subsequent agreements have failed to translate the goal and achieve the threshold target as no serious and viable policies are forthcoming. Instead, the United Nations’ climate conferences have become a yearly chore for diplomats. 
The complexities of climate change governance arise not only from the nature and uncertainty of its impact, but also from its embedded relationships with social, cultural, political, economic, historical and institutional dimensions. Appropriate responses to address the challenges of climate change are difficult in the absence of potential solutions in sight. The pre-requisite for any effective policy responses is that the decision making process be democratic, transparent, and inclusive so that the ultimate addressees can ‘own’ the problem and contribute to solutions.
A sizable literature focuses on the causes and reasons behind climate change and advocates radical actions to arrest it. Other research highlights economic implications, alternatives to fossil fuels, consumption and production, scientific uncertainty and challenges the perennial North-South politics in seeking to explain the lack of progress. There has been little research on why international climate change governance is making only incremental progress.  This thesis takes as its starting point the paucity of attention to working out how and why progress has not been made, drawing on insights from climate change negotiations, major climate agreements and analyses of data on media communications on the issues of international climate change negotiations for policy making. 
The research recognizes the complexity of climate change and takes a comprehensive approach in considering why has there been little progress in the making of an effective international climate change governance to prevent climate change. The thesis takes three complementary approaches in addressing the central research question. The first develops from the concept of a democratic deficit and posits that the failure of progress can be attributed to a lack of the democratic processes in grappling with the issues. The second explores the state-centric framework of UNFCCC and posits that since the environmental issues are non-territorial, the challenges postulated by climate change cannot be resolved and progress made by solely relying on a state-centric approach. The third is to do with media communications and posits the role of the media in public education as central to develop the necessary public support for addressing the issues of climate change. The Kyoto Protocol and the Copenhagen Accord, and how they were achieved are central to this research as these are the two major climate change agreements achieved internationally so far. 
This research concludes that the approaches we have adopted so far have been inadequate because of the lack of involvement of the main stakeholders in decision making processes. The common but differentiated and historical responsibilities, pertinent principles in 1992, no longer reflect current economic growth and greenhouse gas emission patterns. There is a need to review our state-centric institutional framework toward a more inclusive, participatory, and deliberative accountability whereby the public and businesses can ‘own’ the problem. The role of the media is paramount in this because it is the media that passes information from the scientists, experts and policy makers to the public. The research concludes that the media has a key role to play and needs to be more critical in advancing measures to address the problems of climate change.

year: 2014

title: Ngāti Whakaue Māngai Nui

authors: Hiini, Anaha Te Wheoro

subjects: Ngāti Whakaue Māngai Nui

abstract: Ko Ngāti Whakaue tētehi iwi ahurei o te waka o Te Arawa.  Ko tētehi taha ōna kei ngā tahataha o te kōroto moana o Te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe, i Waingaehe ki Waimihia.  Ko tētehi atu taha ōna kei te ūnga o te waka rongomaiwhiti o Te Arawa, arā ki Maketū.  
Kua whai mana a Ngāti Whakaue i ngā rautau e tū whakahīhī ai rātau hei iwi mana nui i ō rātau pūkenga me ō rātau pūmanawa kia mau tonu tō rātau Whakauetanga, tō rātau ahurea me ā rātau tikanga.   Ko tētehi pūkenga pēnei i te āheinga ki te whakairo i te kupu rōreka, ki te tuitui i te kōrero i whakaputaina ai te kōrero ‘Te Arawa Māngai Nui’.  He mea whakapuaki te kōrero rā e iwi kē ki te whakanui i ngā pūkōrero o ngā paepae o Te Arawa, ka mutu, koirā hoki tētehi pūkenga i hau ai te rongo o Ngāti Whakaue.  
Nā, ko te pūkenga e kōrerohia nei, ko te reo o Ngāti Whakaue.  Ko tōna oranga tonutanga te kaupapa matua o tēnei tuhinga e rangahaua ana i te putanga o te kōrero a tētehi o ngā koroua matatau o te iwi i te tau 1992, arā a Hamuera Mitchell, nāna tonu nei i whakapuaki ‘Ka mate te reo o Ngāti Whakaue ā te tekau tau’.  

Nō reira, he whakatewhatewhahanga tēnei tuhinga o te reo o Ngāti Whakaue o tua, o mohoa noa nei hoki kia mōhiotia ai te oranga, te matenga haeretanga rānei o te reo o te iwi, o ngā hapū, o te hapori, o te kāinga o nāianei, kia tau hoki mehemea āe rānei kua whai hua ngā rautaki reo o mua a Ngāti Whakaue ki te whakarauora i tōna ake reo, ā, ka aha te iwi e anga whakamua ai.  Ka mātaitia te āhua o te reo o Ngāti Whakaue kia mōhiotia mehemea i tika tā Hamera Mitchell i kī ai i te tau 1992, karekau rānei, mehemea rānei he wero kē nāna kia kaua e tukuna e te iwi o Ngāti Whakaue tō rātau reo kia mate.

Ko te tikanga rangahau Pākehā, ko te tikanga rangahau Māori, me ngā tikanga ako reo ka kaha mātaitia i tēnei tuhinga kia tika ai te kohinga o ngā raraunga o tēnei momo rangahau, ngā tikanga matatika a te wānanga, ngā tukanga tātari me te whakahōrapatanga atu i ngā whakataunga o te rangahau.  

Hei āpiti atu, ka kōrerohia ngā kaupapa mātauranga a Ngāti Whakaue, tae noa atu ki ngā tini kaupapa whakarauora reo a te iwi kua whakahaerehia mai i te tau 2005 ki ēnei rangi tonu nei mō te oranga o te reo o Ngāti Whakaue te take e anga tōtika atu ai ki te wetenga o te rautaki reo o mua a Ngāti Whakaue i whakahaerehia ai i ngā tau 2013 ki te tau 2017 i kitea ai ōna pikinga, ōna hekenga, ōna ngoikoretanga me ōna hua.  

Heoi anō, hei whaiwhai noa ake i te rautaki o mua nei, ko ngā mātātuhi kua mahue iho rā, ko te korenga o ngā arotakenga, ko te korenga o ngā pūrongo, ko te korenga o ētehi taunakitanga ā-tuhi nei, ko te korenga o tētehi aha kē atu rānei kia kitea he hua, he pikinga, he hekenga, he aha rānei.  Ahakoa tērā raru, nā te kitenga me te rongotanga o te pikinga haeretanga o te āhua o te reo, nā ngā kōrero ā-waha me ngā kauhau a ētehi mō ngā hua i puta ai i te rautaki reo o mua a Ngāti Whakaue i mana ai te whakahaumanutanga o te reo o ngā paepae o te iwi.

Nā te mea ko te reo Māori te remurere o te kaituhi nei, kua tekau mā waru tau ia e whai ana i te kaupapa i a ia e whakaako ana, i a ia e wānanga ana, i a ia hoki e whakapau kaha ana ki te whakaora anō i te reo Māori, kua whakaritea e ia tētehi rautaki reo hou e toru tekau tau te roa hei kōkiri mā te iwi e ora rawa atu anō ai te reo o Ngāti Whakaue, e whai hua anō ai hoki te whakapuakitanga o te kōrero rā ‘Te Arawa Māngai Nui’, hei tohu whakanui i ngā pūkenga kōrero o te iwi.

E ai ki te kōrero, ‘he tīmohea kua pakari’.  Nā roto i te āta rangahaua o te kaupapa nei i mōhio ai e ora tonu nei te reo o Ngāti Whakaue, heoi, kāore e pērā rawa te kaha o te oranga i te wā i a kui mā, i a koro mā.  Ahakoa te kōrero mō te matenga haeretanga o te reo o Ngāti Whakaue, nā ngā kaupapa whakaora reo a te iwi i ngā tau i piki anō ai te oranga o te reo, ka mutu, mā te whakahaerenga tonutanga o ngā wānanga nei e ora tonu anō ai te reo.

text: Ngāti Whakaue Māngai Nui Ko Ngāti Whakaue tētehi iwi ahurei o te waka o Te Arawa.  Ko tētehi taha ōna kei ngā tahataha o te kōroto moana o Te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe, i Waingaehe ki Waimihia.  Ko tētehi atu taha ōna kei te ūnga o te waka rongomaiwhiti o Te Arawa, arā ki Maketū.  
Kua whai mana a Ngāti Whakaue i ngā rautau e tū whakahīhī ai rātau hei iwi mana nui i ō rātau pūkenga me ō rātau pūmanawa kia mau tonu tō rātau Whakauetanga, tō rātau ahurea me ā rātau tikanga.   Ko tētehi pūkenga pēnei i te āheinga ki te whakairo i te kupu rōreka, ki te tuitui i te kōrero i whakaputaina ai te kōrero ‘Te Arawa Māngai Nui’.  He mea whakapuaki te kōrero rā e iwi kē ki te whakanui i ngā pūkōrero o ngā paepae o Te Arawa, ka mutu, koirā hoki tētehi pūkenga i hau ai te rongo o Ngāti Whakaue.  
Nā, ko te pūkenga e kōrerohia nei, ko te reo o Ngāti Whakaue.  Ko tōna oranga tonutanga te kaupapa matua o tēnei tuhinga e rangahaua ana i te putanga o te kōrero a tētehi o ngā koroua matatau o te iwi i te tau 1992, arā a Hamuera Mitchell, nāna tonu nei i whakapuaki ‘Ka mate te reo o Ngāti Whakaue ā te tekau tau’.  

Nō reira, he whakatewhatewhahanga tēnei tuhinga o te reo o Ngāti Whakaue o tua, o mohoa noa nei hoki kia mōhiotia ai te oranga, te matenga haeretanga rānei o te reo o te iwi, o ngā hapū, o te hapori, o te kāinga o nāianei, kia tau hoki mehemea āe rānei kua whai hua ngā rautaki reo o mua a Ngāti Whakaue ki te whakarauora i tōna ake reo, ā, ka aha te iwi e anga whakamua ai.  Ka mātaitia te āhua o te reo o Ngāti Whakaue kia mōhiotia mehemea i tika tā Hamera Mitchell i kī ai i te tau 1992, karekau rānei, mehemea rānei he wero kē nāna kia kaua e tukuna e te iwi o Ngāti Whakaue tō rātau reo kia mate.

Ko te tikanga rangahau Pākehā, ko te tikanga rangahau Māori, me ngā tikanga ako reo ka kaha mātaitia i tēnei tuhinga kia tika ai te kohinga o ngā raraunga o tēnei momo rangahau, ngā tikanga matatika a te wānanga, ngā tukanga tātari me te whakahōrapatanga atu i ngā whakataunga o te rangahau.  

Hei āpiti atu, ka kōrerohia ngā kaupapa mātauranga a Ngāti Whakaue, tae noa atu ki ngā tini kaupapa whakarauora reo a te iwi kua whakahaerehia mai i te tau 2005 ki ēnei rangi tonu nei mō te oranga o te reo o Ngāti Whakaue te take e anga tōtika atu ai ki te wetenga o te rautaki reo o mua a Ngāti Whakaue i whakahaerehia ai i ngā tau 2013 ki te tau 2017 i kitea ai ōna pikinga, ōna hekenga, ōna ngoikoretanga me ōna hua.  

Heoi anō, hei whaiwhai noa ake i te rautaki o mua nei, ko ngā mātātuhi kua mahue iho rā, ko te korenga o ngā arotakenga, ko te korenga o ngā pūrongo, ko te korenga o ētehi taunakitanga ā-tuhi nei, ko te korenga o tētehi aha kē atu rānei kia kitea he hua, he pikinga, he hekenga, he aha rānei.  Ahakoa tērā raru, nā te kitenga me te rongotanga o te pikinga haeretanga o te āhua o te reo, nā ngā kōrero ā-waha me ngā kauhau a ētehi mō ngā hua i puta ai i te rautaki reo o mua a Ngāti Whakaue i mana ai te whakahaumanutanga o te reo o ngā paepae o te iwi.

Nā te mea ko te reo Māori te remurere o te kaituhi nei, kua tekau mā waru tau ia e whai ana i te kaupapa i a ia e whakaako ana, i a ia e wānanga ana, i a ia hoki e whakapau kaha ana ki te whakaora anō i te reo Māori, kua whakaritea e ia tētehi rautaki reo hou e toru tekau tau te roa hei kōkiri mā te iwi e ora rawa atu anō ai te reo o Ngāti Whakaue, e whai hua anō ai hoki te whakapuakitanga o te kōrero rā ‘Te Arawa Māngai Nui’, hei tohu whakanui i ngā pūkenga kōrero o te iwi.

E ai ki te kōrero, ‘he tīmohea kua pakari’.  Nā roto i te āta rangahaua o te kaupapa nei i mōhio ai e ora tonu nei te reo o Ngāti Whakaue, heoi, kāore e pērā rawa te kaha o te oranga i te wā i a kui mā, i a koro mā.  Ahakoa te kōrero mō te matenga haeretanga o te reo o Ngāti Whakaue, nā ngā kaupapa whakaora reo a te iwi i ngā tau i piki anō ai te oranga o te reo, ka mutu, mā te whakahaerenga tonutanga o ngā wānanga nei e ora tonu anō ai te reo.

year: 2020