The UK state has collected data on strike activity for over a century, to inform public policy on industrial relations. This involved creating and maintaining a consistent and reliable data set, despite inevitable limitations and funding pressures. Yet how the Office for National Statistics now constructs and presents its statistics on strikes, collected through the Labour Disputes Inquiry, has been radically transformed. Two revisions to the definition of a ‘stoppage’, departing from International Labour Organisation resolutions, have broken the consistency of this longstanding series. The most egregious is that a multi‐employer strike (such as in health or education), or a multi‐union strike, no longer constitutes just one but multiple stoppages (of each employer and of each union), resulting in an ‘explosion’ of recorded stoppage numbers. Weaknesses in data collection and presentation compound these difficulties. Not only are the dimensions of the 2022–2023 strike surge misrepresented, but the historic role of strike statistics in informing public policy is now undermined. Recommendations are made on how to improve the ONS's published strike data.
The Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the University of Sussex played a significant role in establishing innovation studies as a field and in establishing innovation policy as a framework for governmental thinking. But the SPRU’s first book was not directly about innovation; it was “Thinking about the future: a critique of the Limits to Growth” (1973). The “Limits to Growth” (1972) had been an attempt by researchers at MIT, funded by the Club of Rome and the Volkswagen Foundation, to quantitatively falsify the idea of endless growth on a finite planet. The SPRU’s response—later reprinted with the title “Models of Doom” outside the UK—was one of many that framed “Limits” as overly pessimistic. This paper considers the impact of this work on the developing fields of innovation research and policy. It takes a critical ethnostatistics approach to the modelling practices deployed by these two very different groups of professional social scientists. It focuses on two methodological moves made by the SPRU researchers. First, this paper shows how the SPRU arguments established a fetish for data precision—a standard that the MIT team rejected, but one that carried on through the SPRU’s further work into innovation research and policy. Next, it discusses how the SPRU researchers (role)modelled mathematical faith in socio-technical change. This was more than a techno-optimist (or Promethean) stance. It established a norm of toxic positivity around questions of technology, innovation, and the environment. These two methodological moves—fetishizing data precision while asserting toxically positive Prometheanism—became cultural memes that carried forward from this debate into innovation policy, modelling, and statistical practices. In short, the pro-innovation econometrics developed for this debate by the SPRU researchers had a lasting impact on the epistemic culture of innovation studies.
This article provides information on the main characteristics of typical and atypical non-governmental organizations in Romania, as well as on the legal framework under which these entities operate. The paper is based on qualitative
research, with data collected through document analysis methods to highlight the main trends in the civic sector's evolution. The research results show that, in addition to typical NGOs, Romania has a variety of atypical NGOs that
operate under special laws and carry out activities and provide services in various fields.
Public relations. Industrial publicity, Political institutions and public administration (General)
Researching the dynamics of the performance positioning of trade is a very challenging, continuously current, significant, and complex issue, especially in the conditions of the application of multi-criteria decision-making methods. Based on that, this paper investigates the dynamics of the performance positioning of trade in Serbia for the period 2017 - 2022 using the LAPCOW and EDAS methods. The results of this research show the following: Serbian trade, according to the obtained results of the research on the dynamics of performance positioning using the LOPCOW-EDAS method, was the best in 2022. The following are 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017. Overall, the performance of trade in Serbia continuously improved. The factors that influenced the improvement of the dynamics of the performance positioning of trade in Serbia are geopolitical situation, economy, inflation, interest rate, employment, standard of living of the population, trade policy and strategy, foreign direct investments, new business models (multichannel sales – store and electronic, private label, sale of organic products, etc.), concept of sustainable development, energy crisis, management of human resources, asset, capital, sales and profit, digitisation of the entire business, and others. The target dynamics of the performance positioning of trade in Serbia can be achieved by effective control of these and other influential factors.
Public relations. Industrial publicity, Political institutions and public administration (General)
Burnout is associated with lower levels of job satisfaction. It holds particular importance in the delivery of public services, since employees encounter both psychological-emotional and mental pressure. Due to the recent events that have set the stage for a financial crisis, employees may be forced to work longer hours and experience burnout as a result of the need for more financial resources. The findings presented in this work are applicable to the present situation and help fill the gaps in our understanding of public sector employee burnout and satisfaction levels and the factors that contribute to their development.
This study presents a research conducted at the National Institute for Cultural Research and Training. The aim was to identify the levels of burnout and satisfaction among the institution's human resources. Additionally, the study aimed to determine the factors that influence both of these factors. Simultaneously, the researchers examined the relation between burnout and satisfaction among the participants. The research employed a questionnaire as the primary instrument, incorporating two validated tests from the specialised literature: the Maslach Burnout Inventory for assessing burnout levels and the Job Satisfaction Survey for measuring satisfaction levels. After careful analysis and interpretation of the data, it was found that the level of burnout among the institution's personnel is influenced by the presence of conflicts in the workplace. Regarding HR satisfaction, it was discovered that the monthly
salary level has no impact on the level of satisfaction and does not lead to increased satisfaction among employees, even if they receive a larger income compared to their peers. Finally, by analysing the relationship between burnout and satisfaction, it was discovered that there exists a negative correlation between the two variables. This implies that a higher degree of burnout is associated with a lower level of satisfaction, while a lower degree of burnout is associated with a higher level of satisfaction among employees.
Public relations. Industrial publicity, Political institutions and public administration (General)
Over the past decade, we have witnessed a gradual and consistent evolution of research practices towards a more open science. This shift has been driven by both internal expectations within the scientific community and external demands from research policies.
The push for open science within the scientific community has been further reinforced by negative trends such as slow publication processes, criticism of the peer review system, and challenges in reproducing research results. Moreover, the urgent need for open science outside the scientific community has been highlighted by the COVID-19 crisis, which exposed the inefficiency of the scientific system in responding timely to public concerns. Transitioning towards open science is essential for enabling responsible research and innovation.
In this Special Issue, René von Schomberg's position paper explores how the underlying research values of ‘openness’ and ‘mutual responsiveness’, which are central to open science practices, can be integrated into a new ethos of science. Several colleagues then comment on the article propositions, raising concerns and reinforcing criticism towards the current Ethos (and practices) of Science nowadays. This Special Edition is closed by von Schomberg response to the critiques raised by Carl Mitcham, Mónica Edwards-Schachter, Sabina Leonelli, Lukas Fuchs, and Alfred Nordmann.
This article explores educational public relations by analyzing publicity material that urged public school administrators and educators to adopt formal public relations programs in the 1920s and 1930s. This moment represents a critical juncture for the United States’ public schools, and understanding the motivations behind the push for publicity programs can help us better understand the diverse contexts in which public relations strategies and tactics have been deployed. This study addresses the call for public relations history to broaden its scope of inquiry beyond corporate and political communication and allows for a more complete historical picture of public relations as a field.
The purpose of the article is to consider issues related to the foreign policy relations between Armenia and Israel. During the period under study, the South Caucasus region attracted the attention of many countries around the world. After the collapse of the USSR, a number of independent states were formed here. Since the early 1990s, Israel has become active in its foreign policy in Transcaucasia. This was due to an attempt to minimize the influence of its main enemy in the Middle East - Iran. Diplomatic relations were established between Yerevan and Tel Aviv, high-level meetings began, issues of mutual interest and ways to resolve them were outlined, including in the development of economic and cultural ties. At the same time, trese arose some disagreements on the problem of recognition of the Armenian Genocide and a number of others. The entire period of existence of Armenian-Israeli relations was characterized by the avoidance of unnecessary publicity. The issues under study are devoted to the works of researchers T.K. Martirosyan, V.G. Ruzhansky, A.A. Kornilov, L.S. Perepelkin, S.M. Markedonova etc. The methodological basis of the study is the principles of historicism and objectivity. The article uses the following methods of historical research: synchronous-chronological, retrospective, structural-systemic, etc. The use of the mentioned methodology and methods of historical research allows us to explore the relationship between Armenia and Israel in the context of historical events of 1991 - 2014. The novelty of the study is that the issues of the formation of the contractual and legal framework of Armenian-Israeli relations are considered in a comprehensive manner, based on sources. Based on the work carried out by the authors, it is possible to continue studying the foreign policy of Armenia and Israel in the countries of the Transcaucasia, the Middle and Near East, and to conduct an expert assessment of modern geopolitical realities in this region. The authors came to the conclusion that Armenian-Israeli relations in this period were mutually beneficial. It was important for Armenia to receive external support in the confrontation with Azerbaijan, and for Israel in the fight against Arab forces in the Middle East. Scientific ties between scientists of the two countries are of great importance. In the past decade, the Armenian-Israeli public forum as an important component of bilateral relations has attracted attention, it can become an incentive for strengthening ties between the two countries. Cooperation in the field of agriculture played an important role in bringing Israel and Armenia closer together.
In 2022, Australia's Labor Opposition pledged to reintroduce collective bargaining covering the whole Australian public service (APS) if elected. The elected Labor government is now implementing this ground-breaking reform. The APS has, since 1997, bargained at the agency level with no mandated common terms and conditions of employment applying across the service. This has led to pay dispersion and inequity, and fragmentation of the terms and conditions of employment. The current negotiations aim to rectify this situation. We argue that these reforms represent an ideological shift and a repudiation of New Public Management (NPM) towards a public value approach, which also incorporates being a model employer. We consider whether this refocusing will overcome the problems inherent in the system of bargaining practised under an NPM framework. We examine some of the most important items being negotiated at the time of writing, namely, wages, job security, flexible working, paid parental leave and paid family and domestic violence leave. We conclude that the new approach will overcome the legacy of the previous bargaining system to benefit individuals and the APS as a whole. We further conclude that this public value approach substantially fulfils the government's ideal of becoming a model employer.
The article aims to conduct an analysis regarding the concept of social responsibility in the Romanian Orthodox Church during the COVID-19 period. The research investigates the social activities conducted by the Church in the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to emphasise its social responsibility toward the community and its impact in times of crisis. In this regard, a descriptive case study was conducted that analyses how the Church implemented the decisions taken by the national authorities, as well as its own measures, in order to fulfill its social mission in such difficult times.
Public relations. Industrial publicity, Political institutions and public administration (General)
Digital transformation has become a desire for states due to its real benefits to society. Public sector employees must prepare professionally to successfully implement digitisation projects of public services. In this context, the issue of digital skills of civil servants is a priority for the public administration. In this study, we performed a comparative analysis of institutions that provide professional training in the digital field for public sector employees. The purpose of this work is to analyse which are the models of good practices to follow when we talk about the digital transformation of public administrations in Europe. At the same time, the objective of the comparative analysis is to establish a set of priorities regarding the digital skills that must be pursued through the professional training processes of civil servants. The work offers interesting insights on how these institutions are sharing their responsibilities. The conclusions of this study can be useful to public institutions in Romania in order to improve digital transformation processes.
Public relations. Industrial publicity, Political institutions and public administration (General)
Innovation governance has risen to prominence as a central theme in nurturing and framing contemporary debates surrounding innovation policies. This Special Issue features contributions that critically examine the “complexities of governance and the governance of complexity” (Jessop, 2020), aiming for a deeper understanding of innovation governance processes. The selected papers build on some discussions from the inaugural international NOvation Online Forum (held from 15 to 17 September 2021) around innovation policies and governance practices. The issue focuses on a critical approach to dilemmas and challenges associated with innovation governance in the context of sustainability transformations and its intricate relationships with ethical, social, economic, and environmental concerns.
Despite the abundant literature on the concept of governance, the term governance of innovation or innovation governance becomes diffuse and used in many different ways and perspectives. Some authors refer to innovation policy governance (Kuhlman, 2000; Fagerberg & Hutschenreiter, 2020), and “innovation” usually appears as part of the governance of STI and as a less visible guest into the governance of science and technology, and the governance of change of socio-technical systems (Borrás & Edler, 2014, 2020).
Innovation governance has risen to prominence as a central theme in nurturing and framing contemporary debates surrounding innovation policies. This Special Issue features contributions that critically examine the “complexities of governance and the governance of complexity” (Jessop, 2020), aiming for a deeper understanding of innovation governance processes. The selected papers build on some discussions from the inaugural international NOvationOnline Forum (held from 15 to 17 September 2021) around innovation policies and governance practices. The issue focuses on a critical approach to dilemmas and challenges associated with innovation governance in the context of sustainability transformations and its intricate relationships with ethical, social, economic, and environmental concerns.
Over the past few decades, the concept has gained significant traction, particularly in the corporate sector, as organizations seek to enhance their innovation governance practices. This shift reflects a broader trend toward proactive and anticipatory policymaking designed to effectively address complex challenges and uncertainties (Stoker, 1998; Diercks et al., 2019; Tõnurist & Hanson, 2020). Prominent examples include the emergence of Claims to Responsible Innovation (RI) and Transformative Innovation Policy (TIP), both of which are regarded as essential tools for addressing societal issues and driving systemic change toward sustainability (Diercks et al., 2019; Ludwig & Macnaghten, 2020). Additionally, there is a growing emphasis on enhancing civil society participation through a surge in Public Engagement (PE) initiatives. These endeavors are connected to the proliferation of governance labs and methods aimed at fostering optimistic discussions on participatory citizenship within public policy and innovation processes (e.g., the role of governance labs and Public Sector Innovation Laboratories, PSIL).
In summary, innovation governance encompasses a wide spectrum of perspectives on innovation, mostly focused on innovation systems and interrelationships and the conditions that facilitate thriving innovation. It involves the establishment of decision-making processes and structures that support the management of innovation activities, encompassing the definition of clear roles, responsibilities, and guidelines for innovation, as well as ongoing monitoring and evaluation of innovation performance.
The following papers provide different aspects of governance that are not generally taken into account in the literature, paying attention to the barriers and conundrums that arise in innovation processes and practices.
Since the beginning of 1975, researchers have grown their interest in public service motivation and, despite the increased number of publications until our days, no research has been developed on PSM in the Romanian’ public administration system. The present study analyses the motivation system in the Romanian public administration and the prime goal was to find out the main problems and aspects that must be improved in order to increase both the extrinsic and intrinsic motivation among Romanian’ civil servants. The research is based on a qualitative approach, being an exploratory study conducted using two research methods: the analysis of the official documents and the opinion survey based on an interview, in order to design a series of proposals for improving civil servants’ current level of motivation. The results show a difference in the respondents’ answers regarding the system of motivation for civil servants. The participants in the interview were respondents from the central and local public administration.
Public relations. Industrial publicity, Political institutions and public administration (General)
This Thematic Issue seeks to explore critical perspectives of an international nature on social innovation (SI), social enterprise (SE) and/or social solidarity economy (SSE). The aim is to examine the grand narrative, explore the ontological assumptions of the field, challenge the normative and present alternatives that draw attention to political economy, critical theory and critical management studies.
Critical perspectives emerged in social innovation (SI) literature as a concerted effort sometime in 2008. A few voices sounded from the edges of the field much earlier. Ash Amin, Professor of Geography at Durham University, inspected the new favourite of public policy way back in 2002, discarded it as a “a poor substitute for a welfare state” and never returned to the subject. There were heated debates that challenged the grand narrative of SI at the International Social Innovation Research Conferences (ISIRC) (once called the Social Enterprise Research Conference before becoming ISIRC with the involvement of the social innovation theme from Skoll Centre). The Voluntary Sector Studies Network (VSSN) conferences picked away at the promise of unlimited performance and achievement of the upstart SE in a mature voluntary and charity network (Aiken, 2002, 2006, 2007; Grenier, 2009; Pharaoh, Scott & Fisher, 2004). Still, on the whole, the literature in the last twenty years has been overwhelmingly interested in promoting social enterprise (SE) and SI as (a) an inherently good thing, (b) a solution to all problems and (c) a politically neutral complement to neo-liberal economics globally.
The general objective of the present study consists of a comparative analysis regarding the transparency and the citizens’s participation in order to identify good practices at the local level. The paper proposes a framework for websites’ analysis of the Bucharest and the Paris City Halls based on criteria such as the access to information, consultation, and active participation of citizens. Transparency plays a crucial role in enhancing local democracy. Citizens should be informed by the public administration and stimulated to be engaged in the public decision-making process.
Public relations. Industrial publicity, Political institutions and public administration (General)
DRUGĂU-CONSTANTIN Andreea Ligia, ANGHEL-SIENERTH Andra Karla
One key factor in achieving the modernization both of a country and of a supra-national organization is to have functional mechanisms that facilitate the participation of citizens. This paper aims to explore the efficacy of the European Citizens’ Initiative and its development during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study begins with the theoretical framework covering both several theories on the topic of civic engagement and the legislation ensuring the functioning of the European Citizens’ Initiative. It continues with an analysis of the initiatives that were submitted to conclude if the mechanism is successful. The case study focuses on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on both the functioning of this mechanism and on the characteristics of the proposed initiatives. The article does not study the impact of the approved initiatives or the relevance of their subject; it only analyses the success rate of this mechanism in terms of approval and the effects of the pandemic on the procedure and on the specificity of the initiatives.
Public relations. Industrial publicity, Political institutions and public administration (General)
Atourin is a technology Start-Up company engaged in the tourism sector. As a Start-Up company, they need to increase public brand awareness of Atourin. One of the events that Atourin is doing during the pandemic is a virtual tour. The purpose of this study was to explain Atourin's Marketing Public Relations strategy and the efforts made to overcome obstacles during the pandemic in developing brand awareness through virtual tours. This study uses several supporting concepts, namely Public Relations, Marketing Public Relations, and brand awareness. The author uses a qualitative approach and a case study method. Data from the research results were obtained through observation, interviews with four informants, documentation, and literature. The results showed that the virtual tour had a significant impact on Atourin's brand awareness. Public Relations Marketing Strategies and strategy manifestations that are mostly carried out by publication through online media and social media have made Atourin better known by the government and some people. The obstacles that Atourin got in implementing its strategy were the lack of public awareness of the virtual tour and Atourin, along with the reduced publicity from online media over time to Atourin's virtual tour. The COVID-19 pandemic is not an obstacle for Atourin in carrying out a virtual tour. Atourin used this situation as an opportunity to provide innovation for tourism activities in Indonesia.
Media relations penting bagi berbagai jenis perusahaan guna dapat memperoleh publisitas positif melalui media massa, utamanya bagi perusahaan yang baru merintis. Walau peran Public Relations merupakan aspek penting dalam pertumbuhan perusahaan yang baru merintis (startup), penelitian holistik tentang bagaimana startup dapat memanfaatkan Public Relations masih terbatas. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk membahas secara lebih rinci tentang bagaimana konsultan Public Relations Kennedy, Voice Berliner (KVB) dapat berperan dalam aktivitas media relations sebuah startup properti-teknologi bernama Cove. Penelitian menggunakan metode kualitatif, dengan merujuk pada konsep ilmiah media relations yang meliputi pengelolaan relasi, pengembangan strategi, serta pengembangan jaringan. Data penelitian diperoleh melalui hasil observasi, wawancara, dan studi dokumen yang dianalisis secara deskriptif. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa konsultan Public Relations KVB berperan untuk melakukan follow-up rutin terhadap jurnalis dalam rangka mengelola relasi. Konsultan juga melakukan pengembangan strategi dengan menyusun pedoman komunikasi serta taktik berupa pemetaan media, siaran pers, konferensi pers, serta pemantauan media. Selain itu, konsultan juga turut memanfaatkan jaringan di organisasi usaha dan kehumasan internasional dalam menjalankan aktivitas media relations Cove. Media relations are essential for various companies to gain positive publicity through the mass media, especially for startups. Although the role of Public Relations is a crucial aspect amidst the growth of startups, holistic research on how startups can optimize the use of Public Relations remains limited. This study aims to discuss how Public Relations consultants from KVB (Kennedy, Voice Berliner) can manage the media relations activities of a property-technology startup called Cove. The research uses the qualitative method, referring to the three concepts of media relations; relationship management, strategy development, and network expansion. All data were obtained through observations, interviews, and document studies which were also descriptively analyzed. The study results indicate that the Public Relations consultants of KVB have a role in carrying out the routine follow-up of journalists to manage relations. The consultants also develop strategies by initiating communication guidelines and tactics. Moreover, consultants utilize KVB’s networks in business and international public relations organizations to implement Cove’s media relations activities.
Public relations and social media are basically based on communication. Changing the order of communication along with the development of new technologies affected all fields of work as well as the field of public relations with the implementation of new practices and tools. Social media applications, which are included in public relations studies, have entered the research field of academic studies on this occasion. In this manner, the subject of this study has been carried out in Turkey and named “public relations” with the concept of “new media” or “social media” concept constitutes the graduate theses. The aim of this research in public relations axis graduate of surveys conducted in Turkey in social media and taking in conjunction with new media concepts to what extent to put forth that takes place in the general population and post is to establish a general map of this thesis. The bibliometric analysis method was used in this study. From this point of view, the year of the thesis, the title and thesis advisor, university and department, the research method, the data collection method of this research, the number of pages and keywords categories were created and the data of the theses were recorded. In the first stage of the analysis, 41 theses containing the words public relations and social media were reached, and 13 theses containing the words public relations and new media in the second stage. It was determined that 54 theses obtained as a result of these scans were carried out between the years 2006-2020. It has been determined that there are 11% of 577 graduate theses, which are in the general universe between these years and have the concept of public relations in their names. As a result of the analysis made, it was determined that the graduate theses with the words social media or new media in their names together with the words of public relations are highly postgraduate thesis. It has been revealed that these theses were published by 31% of Marmara University and 67% were studied in the Public Relations and Publicity Department. In addition, it was determined that the content analysis method was preferred as the data collection technique in these theses with a rate of 63%. In addition, 214 keywords were reached in theses, and it was recorded that ring relationships came in the top rank with 53 frequencies and 25% of these keywords.