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- Towns, Ann E., 1970-
(författare)
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Norms and social hierarchies : Understanding international policy diffusion "from below"
- 2012
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Ingår i: International Organization. - 0020-8183 .- 1531-5088. ; 66:2, s. 179-209
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This article aims to rethink the operation of norms in international policy diffusion. Norms do not simply standardize state behaviors, as is conventionally argued; norms also draw on and set up hierarchical social orders among states. Through a conceptual rethinking we gain a better understanding of where-among which states-new policies may first emerge: social hierarchies create incentives for new policies to develop at the margins of international society so that policies may diffuse "from below." We also get a better grasp of how policy advocates frame the appropriateness or benefits of a new state practice: they must frame policy demands in terms of the international standing and rank of the targeted state. This article's empirical aspiration is to use these insights to help account for the international policy diffusion of legal sex quotas, a policy to increase the level of female legislators that developed first among "developing" states rather than among the so-called core of international society. By pointing to the link between norms and social hierarchy, the article helps account for policy diffusion "from below." © 2012 The IO Foundation.
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| 4. |
- Coetzee, Wayne Stephen, 1984-
(författare)
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Ideals and Interests in Swedish Foreign Policy : Explaining the South African Gripen Deal
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This dissertation explores ideals and interests (and their interrelation) in foreign policy. An in-depth case study of this issue examines Sweden’s 1999 JAS-39 Gripen fighter aircraft deal with South Africa. Theoretically, the dissertation responds to the long-standing debate in foreign policy analysis about whether ideals or interests drive foreign policy. Speaking directly to research that has aimed to bridge the ideals-interests divide, this study sets out a framework of analysis that encompasses both ideals and interests as well as the relevant contextual forces that impact on foreign policy behaviour. The analysis shows that due to the multitude of richly interrelated elements connected to arms trade, there cannot be a neat and parsimonious distinction be-tween agents and structures or domestic and international settings. Reflected here are real-world practices and strategic relations between those forces that influence foreign policy behaviour regarding Sweden’s Gripen exports. Empirically, the dissertation provides an in-depth account of what the policymaking elite in Sweden was thinking and doing regarding the export of the Gripen to South Africa in the aftermath of the Cold War. The dissertation contends that the Gripen deal with South Africa is an interesting case study for two reasons: It involves long-standing, deeply (if not passionately) held ideals in Swedish foreign policy behaviour towards a country in the so-called Global South as well as compelling interest-driven calculations regarding the political economy of arms trade. These ideals- and interest-driven aspects stand side-by-side in this case study, explaining how Sweden’s foreign policy behaviour reflected and dealt with these issues in its decision to sell advanced fighter aircraft to South Africa.
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- Jezierska, Katarzyna, 1979-
(författare)
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Three Types of Denial : Think Tanks as a Reluctant Civil Society Elite
- 2020
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Ingår i: Politics and Governance. - : Cogitatio. - 2183-2463. ; 8:3, s. 152-161
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Think tanks, or policy advice institutions, are civil society organizations producing and delivering social analysis to policymakers and the wider public. Their aim is to influence policy in a given direction. Compared to most other civil society organizations, they hold relatively privileged positions, both in terms of wealth (on average bigger budgets and staffs), political influence (their very raison d’etre), knowledge (educational level of the staff), and social networks. Thus, it seems beyond dispute that think tanks adhere to the elite of civil society. This article focuses on think tanks’ negative self-identification, on their reluctance to accept labels. Not only are think tanks unwilling to take on the elite designation, some of them also deny being part of civil society, and some go one step further in denying identification with the think tank community. These multiple denials are expected if we recall Pierre Bourdieu’s observation that “all aristocracies define themselves as being beyond all definition” (Bourdieu, 1996, p. 316). The analysis focuses on how this definitional ambiguity is discursively constructed. Think-tankers are often described as situated in an interstitial space between such fields as politics, civil society, media, market, and academia. While this intermediary position is the source of their unique role as converters of various forms of capital, it also complicates the identity formation of think tanks. The argument is illustrated by Polish think tanks and the data consists of original interviews with think tank leaders. The article provides a novel perspective on think tanks and on civil society elites.
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| 6. |
- Coetzee, Wayne Stephen, 1984-
(författare)
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Doing research on ‘sensitive topics’ : Studying the Sweden–South Africa Arms Deal
- 2020
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Ingår i: Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies. - : Stellenbosch University. ; 48:2, s. 65-85
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The conventional arms trade is a sensitive topic that is often shrouded in secrecy. As with most aspects of so-called ‘high politics’, processes connected to conventional arms trade habitually take place behind closed doors between a relatively small and tightly knit group of individuals. Gaining access to such people is an enormous challenge for any researcher. Moreover, building rapport with key decision-makers takes a long time, and it requires considerable effort and resolve. This article recapitulates the approach and method of a study done on conventional Swedish arms trade with South Africa. It provides insights into several substantive issues related to such research, in particular, aspects connected to elite interviewing and research ethics. The bulk of the article covers matters related to research design, access to elites, the limitations associated with elite interviewing, and the interview process that was adopted during fieldwork. The discussion on research ethics is closely, but not exclusively, connected to elite interviewing, and here the article reflects on various ethical considerations as well as the harsh reality of researching sensitive topics, such as conventional arms trade.
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- Hilletofth, Per, et al.
(författare)
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Competitive priorities and capabilities: High-cost country case survey
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Global Operations and Strategic Sourcing. - : Emerald. - 2398-5364 .- 2398-5372. ; 16:3, s. 641-660
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PurposeGlobalization and the importance of emerging markets have increased the pressure of high-cost manufacturing locations to sustain operations. However, there are still some countries in which manufacturing is prospering despite high costs (like Germany, Sweden and Switzerland). This study examines seven competitive priorities through 24 different capabilities, using a case survey of four manufacturing companies located in Sweden. This study aims to develop a contemporary understanding from vital priorities and capabilities.Design/methodology/approachA case survey was conducted in four different-sized manufacturing companies in Sweden during the autumn of 2018. In total, the survey attracted 89 responses. Respondents were mainly middle managers and other management team members.FindingsIn general, companies assess the importance of manufacturing capabilities higher than performance and improvement. The authors’ analysis shows that quality priority through product and process capabilities is ranked highest in terms of importance, performance and improvement. In addition, delivery capability shows a similarity with quality. At the other end, being lowest ranked are typically different flexibility and advertising capabilities. This study demonstrates with correlation analysis that most often capabilities have a positive correlation in terms of their importance, performance and improvement needs. Some capabilities show potential correlations across importance, performance and improvement.Research limitations/implicationsThis research is limited to one high-cost environment and to four companies within that environment. Further research should examine the impact of the pandemic era on manufacturing priorities and capabilities.Originality/valueIn general, case surveys have relatively rarely been used in management studies. This research offers an alternative and deeper perspective from high-cost country manufacturing, as the responses are from numerous persons in management positions.
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