The legitimacy gap of algorithmic decision-making in the public sector: Why it arises and how to address it

Algorithmic decision-making (ADM) systems are increasingly adopted by the state to support various administrative functions and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of public services, such as in unemployment services or policing. While these systems create challenges of opaqueness, unfairness, and value trade-offs, the present paper argues that a more fundamental challenge lies in the way these systems alter the epistemic bases of decision-making. It contributes to the literature by highlighting why procedural standards of legitimacy in operative decision-making no longer suffice for certain applications and by discussing how the resulting legitimacy gap can be addressed through stakeholder involvement. By adapting research on participatory technology assessments to the particularities of ADM system design, it is possible to identify the core challenges of such a stakeholder process and the necessary steps to deal with them.     

Teargas,taboo and transformation: A neo-institutional study of community resistance and the struggle to legitimize subway projects in Amsterdam 1960–2018

The last decades have witnessed an increasing prevalence of community resistance against large-scale infrastructure projects that pose serious threats to their environment, calling for further empirical scrutiny. Hence, this paper applies a neo-institutional lens to investigate how project actors who plan and implement large-scale infrastructure projects respond to community resistance in their attempt to legitimize and embed these projects in their environment. To do so, we draw from a longitudinal study of two subway projects in Amsterdam; the East line (1965–1980) and the North-South line (1995-2018). While considered crucial for urban development, both projects encountered severe community resistance by locals protecting the historic city. This resistance, in turn, prompted ‘institutional work’ by project actors to socially (re)construct the projects in pursuit of legitimacy from the Amsterdam community. The twofold contribution of the paper to the field of project studies is (1) the application of a neo-institutional lens showcasing the dynamic interrelation between projects and their environment, processes of institutional transformation, and practices of institutional work; and (2) the longitudinal empirical account exhibiting the contextual dialectic of resistance and accommodation with an emphasis on shifting approaches of institutionalization, the constant struggle to acquire legitimacy, and the local embeddedness of projects.     

“What is,Becomes What is Right”: A Conceptual Framework of Newcomer Legitimacy for Online Discussion Communities

Online community newcomers can face challenges in community participation, acceptance and fostering member relationships. Consequently, a crucial behavioral strategy for community acceptance identified by previous research is legitimacy. However, current conceptions lack classification and structure, and have a narrow focus. A broader scope for investigating legitimacy is needed for improved theoretical and practical application. This research expands on newcomer legitimacy by classifying newcomer behavior in 4 parenting and cycling discussion communities using directed content analysis. The analysis developed a newcomer legitimacy conceptual framework with categories including geographical, contextual, cultural, testimonial, lurking and external legitimacy. This research offers a valuable contribution by classifying existing theory, developing new theory, and providing a conceptual framework to guide future studies of newcomer behavior.     

Technological invention to product innovation: A project management approach

The optimal allocation of resources at the firm level to transform emergent technological invention into commercially successful products depends on the effective assessment and selection of projects. This study develops a multidisciplinary model for differentiating, prioritizing, and selecting investment in technological projects within an organization’s portfolio. Approaches from project portfolio and strategic technology management are integrated to explore how a particular product within a diverse project portfolio may be prioritized and developed. Our results suggest that the application of the suggested model to a portfolio of biotechnology projects may enhance the assessment of internal capabilities and external competitiveness, thereby providing a basis for firms to prioritize and preferentially allocate scarce resources within a portfolio of heterogeneous technologies.     

A hybrid life cycle assessment method for construction

Recent publicity shows a shift in the attitude of main contractors to subcontract procurement in the UK. However, a survey of the specialist contractors' sector shows that this impression should be approached with caution: the typical contractor - subcontractor relationship is still traditional, cost-driven, and potentially adversarial. Nevertheless, the co-existence of the two approaches is consistent with the institutional theory of organizational strategy.     

焦虑语境中的从容叙事--"运河岸上的院子"的中国性解读

对时空叙事合法性的普遍焦虑构成了中国当代建筑实践的焦虑语境。在此语境下,非常建筑对运河岸上的院子项目的改造设计消除了原方案内在的紧张感,令该设计蕴含了某种自信、从容的中国性。     

对我国紧急避险正当性根据理论的反思

在紧急避险的正当性根据问题上,我国习惯将排除社会危害性作为紧急避险理论的建构基础,这使得一些问题得不到合理解释,甚至出现自相矛盾的尴尬局面。而照搬国外理论与我国现有的犯罪构成理论又不相符,因此可以期待可能性说为一般原则,同时以法益衡量说为补充,是紧急避险正当性的理论根据所在。其中,对期待可能性理论的运用是有前提的,即我们必须在区分东西方刑法理论及其体系差别的基础上,运用我国刑法理论对其进行消化、吸收与改造后方可适用。     

IT vendors’ legitimation strategies and market share: The case of EMR systems

This study investigates the legitimation strategies adopted by information technology (IT) vendors and their respective influence on market share. We conducted an analysis of the public discourse on websites of top Electronic Medical Record (EMR) vendors in Ontario, Canada. A total of 815 segments extracted from these websites were analyzed. Our findings indicate that strategies under the cognitive and pragmatic forms of legitimacy were strongly represented in the EMR vendors’ discourses compared with regulative and normative strategies. Furthermore, the link between legitimation strategies and market share has not yet been clearly established. Implications for practice and research are discussed.     

Sustainability reporting and ESG performance in the utilities sector

In the last few years, many policymakers started implementing stricter rules about sustainability reporting in their jurisdictions. However, this process has been characterized by criticisms related to the potential misalignments between Environmental, Social and Governance factors (ESG) performance and sustainability reporting quality. This evidence is particularly relevant for the utilities sector because of the existence of reputational risks associated with their activities. The paper aims to contribute to the debate through novel insights about the nonlinear relationship between sustainability reporting quality and ESG performance in the utilities sector.     

The regulatory framework of the hydrogen market in Mexico: A look at energy governance

The global context suggests need to move towards decarbonization as part of international climate change commitments promoting clean energy and social welfare actions. The hydrogen market is a global trend because it responds to energy needs and to be feasible requires effective regulatory and policy frameworks. Mexico has a presence in the hydrogen market, but it is still limited and presents challenges in energy governance. The objective of this study was to analyze the importance of the legality and legitimacy of the current conditions of the hydrogen market in Mexico. A systematic search of the literature was conducted through scientific platforms and various federal laws and policies associated with the hydrogen market were reviewed. The main findings suggest that Mexican regulations present commercial, ecological, human, economic, and technological challenges, that may run counter to international agreements and challenge energy governance by discouraging the hydrogen market and curbing expected decarbonization.