title: People of faith and sustainable development goals : influencing towards a just, peaceful and sustainable world

authors: Jamil, Nazarina

subjects: people of faith

abstract: The current model of global development driven by Western neoliberal ideology has been considered indispensable to ensure economic growth, as well as national and individual wealth and wellbeing but at the same time, critics claim that people and the environment suffer wherever this form of development is present. This creates a paradox. Religious and spiritual communities express their concerns. They scrutinise this corporate-led form of global development that seems to further self-serving interests against the common good. It stands in stark contrast with the ideals and teachings that are at the heart of all the great religious and spiritual traditions of the world and the universal values that promote peace, justice, and harmony. Bauman and Donskis (2013) suggest keeping an eye on that which is disturbing, an “ethical gaze” (p.9) on the dominant forms of market-driven global development based on neoliberal capitalist ideology. Drawing on the work of Seo and Creed (2002), my research analysed the contradictions and paradoxes in the narrative of the western neoliberal model of global development. The 2015 United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference endorsed a set of seventeen goals to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In the light of these calls and to hold my ‘ethical gaze’, I bring fresh insights from the voices the Parliament of the World’s Religions (PoWR), as one of the voices that increasingly associate the prevailing form of globalisation with the observable degradation in human and planetary wellbeing, in support of the UN SDGs. The primary purpose of my research is to illuminate the ways that people of faith (as represented by PoWR), through their convictions and practices of faith, progress their intention to influence aspects of global justice and environmental responsibility as promoted by the SDGs.  My research is based on a qualitative research approach in accordance with an interpretative paradigm. I analysed the speeches and talks by influential faith leaders, scholars and activists at the 2015 PoWR gathering who presented their concerns and aspirations for peace, justice, and environmental sustainability on the critical issues of climate change, income inequality, and war, hate, and violence. Using Braun and Clarke's (2006) thematic analysis and Aristotle’s rhetorical analysis of persuasive appeals, my inquiry explores the range of views on the causes of and the remedies for human and environmental degradation. Several themes were identified regarding the causes of such degradation. The remedies proposed are the collective commitments of all to take radical action and to act upon the values of religious and spiritual traditions as outlined in the Principles of Global Ethic derived from diverse religious and spiritual traditions. This research extends the understanding of both the theory of institutional logics and rhetorical discourse for change. It also holds an ethical gaze on neoliberal discourses. Most importantly, this research is relevant to and has implications for international organisations such as the United Nations, UN Global Compact, the Parliament of the World’s Religions, and society. The insights generated open up possibilities for future research.

text: People of faith and sustainable development goals : influencing towards a just, peaceful and sustainable world The current model of global development driven by Western neoliberal ideology has been considered indispensable to ensure economic growth, as well as national and individual wealth and wellbeing but at the same time, critics claim that people and the environment suffer wherever this form of development is present. This creates a paradox. Religious and spiritual communities express their concerns. They scrutinise this corporate-led form of global development that seems to further self-serving interests against the common good. It stands in stark contrast with the ideals and teachings that are at the heart of all the great religious and spiritual traditions of the world and the universal values that promote peace, justice, and harmony. Bauman and Donskis (2013) suggest keeping an eye on that which is disturbing, an “ethical gaze” (p.9) on the dominant forms of market-driven global development based on neoliberal capitalist ideology. Drawing on the work of Seo and Creed (2002), my research analysed the contradictions and paradoxes in the narrative of the western neoliberal model of global development. The 2015 United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference endorsed a set of seventeen goals to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In the light of these calls and to hold my ‘ethical gaze’, I bring fresh insights from the voices the Parliament of the World’s Religions (PoWR), as one of the voices that increasingly associate the prevailing form of globalisation with the observable degradation in human and planetary wellbeing, in support of the UN SDGs. The primary purpose of my research is to illuminate the ways that people of faith (as represented by PoWR), through their convictions and practices of faith, progress their intention to influence aspects of global justice and environmental responsibility as promoted by the SDGs.  My research is based on a qualitative research approach in accordance with an interpretative paradigm. I analysed the speeches and talks by influential faith leaders, scholars and activists at the 2015 PoWR gathering who presented their concerns and aspirations for peace, justice, and environmental sustainability on the critical issues of climate change, income inequality, and war, hate, and violence. Using Braun and Clarke's (2006) thematic analysis and Aristotle’s rhetorical analysis of persuasive appeals, my inquiry explores the range of views on the causes of and the remedies for human and environmental degradation. Several themes were identified regarding the causes of such degradation. The remedies proposed are the collective commitments of all to take radical action and to act upon the values of religious and spiritual traditions as outlined in the Principles of Global Ethic derived from diverse religious and spiritual traditions. This research extends the understanding of both the theory of institutional logics and rhetorical discourse for change. It also holds an ethical gaze on neoliberal discourses. Most importantly, this research is relevant to and has implications for international organisations such as the United Nations, UN Global Compact, the Parliament of the World’s Religions, and society. The insights generated open up possibilities for future research.

year: 2019

title: Accountants as institutional entrepreneurs: Changing routines in a telecommunications company

authors: Sharma, Umesh Prasad

subjects: institutional theory

abstract: Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explicate the role of institutional entrepreneurs who use accounting technology to accomplish change within a privatised telecommunication company.
Design/Methodology: The case study method is adopted. We draw on recent extension to institutional theory which gives greater emphasis to agency including concepts such as embeddedness, institutional entrepreneurs and institutional contradiction.
Findings: As part of the consequences of New Public Management reforms, we illustrate how institutional entrepreneurs de-established an older state-run bureaucratic and engineering based routine and replaced this with a business and accounting based routine. Eventually, the new accounting routines were reproduced and taken for granted by Fijian telecommunications management and employees.
Research Limitations/ Implications: As this study is limited to a single case study, no generalisation except to theory can be made. There are implications for privatisation of state sector organisations in Fiji and elsewhere.
Originality/ Value: The paper makes a contribution to elaborating the role of institutional entrepreneurs as agents of change towards privatisation and how accounting was used as a technology of change.

text: Accountants as institutional entrepreneurs: Changing routines in a telecommunications company Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explicate the role of institutional entrepreneurs who use accounting technology to accomplish change within a privatised telecommunication company.
Design/Methodology: The case study method is adopted. We draw on recent extension to institutional theory which gives greater emphasis to agency including concepts such as embeddedness, institutional entrepreneurs and institutional contradiction.
Findings: As part of the consequences of New Public Management reforms, we illustrate how institutional entrepreneurs de-established an older state-run bureaucratic and engineering based routine and replaced this with a business and accounting based routine. Eventually, the new accounting routines were reproduced and taken for granted by Fijian telecommunications management and employees.
Research Limitations/ Implications: As this study is limited to a single case study, no generalisation except to theory can be made. There are implications for privatisation of state sector organisations in Fiji and elsewhere.
Originality/ Value: The paper makes a contribution to elaborating the role of institutional entrepreneurs as agents of change towards privatisation and how accounting was used as a technology of change.

year: 2014-09-23

title: Barriers and facilitators of access to psychological services for indigenous populations: A scoping review and thematic analysis

authors: Plessas, Anna

abstract: Background:
The extent to which behavior-analytic interventions are offered to Indigenous populations across CANZUS in accessible and culturally appropriate ways is unknown. We conducted a scoping review with a thematic analysis of the extant literature to find: (1) what are the barriers and facilitators for providing effective and equitable delivery of psychological services (with a behavioral component) to Indigenous populations; and (2) what tools and practices exist for an effective and equitable service delivery.
Methods:
We systematically reviewed Medline, CINAHL, PubMed, PsycInfo, Web of science, Ovid and INNZ databases between 1990 and 2020. For the scoping review, we adhered to the JBI methodological approach (2015) and the PRISMA strategy for the identification, selection, and appraisal of the reviewed articles. A total of 1265 unique articles met the criteria for the screening by title; 238 by abstract; 57 were included for full text assessment; and 37 were included in the final analysis.
Results:
Three themes were revealed to account for the barriers and facilitators of culturally friendly practices: (1) connecting practices are about interactions shaping the relationship between service provider and service client; (2) innovative practices test new approaches and innovations that could facilitate access to psychological services and overcome barriers, and (3) reflective practices are about critically examining the processes and actions undertaken toward effective cultural adaptation of services.
Conclusions:
Our analysis suggests that the level of success in bringing together services and the recipients of treatment (connection), showing flexibility and persistence in finding solutions (innovation) and examining the role of our behaviors in reaching our goals (reflection) is determined by the providers' action in the aforementioned three dimensions of practice.

text: Barriers and facilitators of access to psychological services for indigenous populations: A scoping review and thematic analysis Background:
The extent to which behavior-analytic interventions are offered to Indigenous populations across CANZUS in accessible and culturally appropriate ways is unknown. We conducted a scoping review with a thematic analysis of the extant literature to find: (1) what are the barriers and facilitators for providing effective and equitable delivery of psychological services (with a behavioral component) to Indigenous populations; and (2) what tools and practices exist for an effective and equitable service delivery.
Methods:
We systematically reviewed Medline, CINAHL, PubMed, PsycInfo, Web of science, Ovid and INNZ databases between 1990 and 2020. For the scoping review, we adhered to the JBI methodological approach (2015) and the PRISMA strategy for the identification, selection, and appraisal of the reviewed articles. A total of 1265 unique articles met the criteria for the screening by title; 238 by abstract; 57 were included for full text assessment; and 37 were included in the final analysis.
Results:
Three themes were revealed to account for the barriers and facilitators of culturally friendly practices: (1) connecting practices are about interactions shaping the relationship between service provider and service client; (2) innovative practices test new approaches and innovations that could facilitate access to psychological services and overcome barriers, and (3) reflective practices are about critically examining the processes and actions undertaken toward effective cultural adaptation of services.
Conclusions:
Our analysis suggests that the level of success in bringing together services and the recipients of treatment (connection), showing flexibility and persistence in finding solutions (innovation) and examining the role of our behaviors in reaching our goals (reflection) is determined by the providers' action in the aforementioned three dimensions of practice.

year: 2021