Search results for "Policy studies"
showing 10 items of 12 documents
Latvia in search of a social policy model
1996
Cultural policy and cultural diversity in Finland
2008
Post‐war immigration has produced new ethnic and cultural diversity in European societies. The issues of multiculturalism and interculturalism have also gradually entered the agendas of local and national cultural policy makers. In this article, we explore the development of the relationships between cultural diversity, immigration policy, and cultural policy in Finland. Special attention is given to the capital city of Helsinki. The analysis of policy documents, institutional arrangements and interviews carried out with key actors reveal discrepancies between official intentions and practical solutions. Neither is the incorporation of the diversity into the traditional minority policy unam…
Do general innovation policy tools fit all? Analysis of the regional impact of the Norwegian Skattefunn scheme
2017
Background: The paper examines the regional effects of a general innovation policy, i.e. a policy tool that does not target specific industries or subnational regions. General policy tools are an important part of the portfolio of innovation policy measures. However, there is a question over whether general tools are equally relevant for all types of firms, irrespective of their size, sector and location. Findings: The economic geography and innovation study literature, as well as the EU’s Smart Specialization approach, are based on the view that innovation policy tools must be adapted to specific regional conditions. General policy tools are insufficient unless they are adapted to individu…
Why Study the Spread of Culture-led Development Strategies?
2012
Culture, entertainment and amenities as urban and regional development policies have received much attention over the last decade. In the wake of recent work on the creative class, culture-led development policies have been applied in cities and regions across the Western world. This article uses quantitative data to examine whether these policies have gained the support of Scandinavian local and regional politicians and, if so, why and how. Drawing on policy diffusion and policy transfer theory, the article examines from where politicians are influenced. Can the sources of influence be characterized as (1) horizontal, (2) top-down or (3) bottom-up? The main finding is that the top-down per…
Development of national climate and adaptation policy in Latvia
2009
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse the development and character of climate policy in Latvia with a special emphasis on policy instruments.Design/methodology/approachIn order to implement policies and measures effectively and monitor progress in achieving its mitigation targets, Latvia uses a wide mix of policy instruments, including regulations (e.g. environmental impact assessment procedures, environmental permits and standards, restrictions and prohibitions), economic and fiscal instruments (the natural resources tax, the excise tax for energy resources, user's charges), and voluntary agreements, also raising public awareness.FindingsThe combination of the policy instruments …
Position of text and discourse analysis in higher education policy research
2008
The article sets out to address the position of text and discourse analysis in higher education policy research, both from theoretical and methodological points of view. Theoretically, the article presents policy processes as discursive processes, arguing that higher education policies are constructed discursively. Methodologically, the article suggests that when policy documents are used as data, as is often the case in higher education policy research, text analytical tools should be applied more systematically than is the case now. To support these views, the article presents two cases of applications of a textual approach in higher education policy studies.
Innovative governance from public policy unities
2016
Abstract This study examines which configurations explain the public policy for innovative governance through comparative qualitative analysis (QCA). The research analyzes the sub-system conditions through a case of Vietnam. The results show the minimum configurations of key variable conditions to achieve the outcome.
Foreign and Security Policy
2015
In early 2014 the foreign and security policy discourse in the Baltic region was transformed as a resurgent and assertive Russia annexed Crimea and launched covert operations in eastern Ukraine.1 Observers were quick to point out that events in Ukraine eerily paralleled the 1940 occupation of the Baltic states. The traditional security concerns about Russian intentions in the region that the Baltic states had increasingly suppressed over the previous 20 years once again rushed to the surface. The post-existential era of Baltic foreign and security policy that had marked the decade that followed accession to the EU and NATO seemed to have come to an end.
Moving context from the background to the forefront of policy learning: Reflections on a case in Gipuzkoa, Basque Country
2016
The article focuses on policy learning processes with the aim of sharing knowledge about how policy learning happens. In doing this, it considers conflict as a natural process in policy learning and proposes action research as a possible strategy to address it. By reflecting on a long-term action research process in the province of Gipuzkoa (Basque Country, Spain), the article proposes a change of focus in assessing the role of context. If we assume that policy learning is oriented towards changing the context, then context plays a more complex and important role than it is usually given in theory. At the core of this argument is the understanding that the cognitive frameworks of policy ma…
Two discourses: researchers and policy-making in higher education
1995
The theme of this article focuses on how policy discourse and research discourse meet in contract research in higher education. The interplay of these discourses has consequences for researchers who have to balance conflicting demands, which we view as links between research and policy cycles. Two evaluation studies on the introduction and effects of new policy instruments are discussed, focusing on the interaction between policy needs, and research design. The examples are taken from policies in the development towards increasing self-regulation in higher education, of which Finland and the Netherlands are interesting examples in the European context.