Exploring the Role of Adaptive Capacity on Democratic Performance
Lead Research Organisation:
Edge Hill University
Department Name: Social Sciences
Abstract
COVID-19, and the economic collapse triggered by it, laid bare the precarious financial, educational, and social situations of residents in communities around the world. The collapse has exposed and exacerbated enduring economic and social inequities by pushing those precariously employed, housed, clothed, educated, and fed deeper into a low or no-access abyss and pushing those who were moderately well-off into the uncertainty of hardship. Organisations that serve this high need/high-risk population have also been challenged by new resource constraints, different capacities to adapt, and various levels of capacity for collaboration and to enhance performance in light of unique, widespread need.
This research focuses in two areas: reducing inequalities and vulnerabilities and fostering democratic governance and political participation. These foci are inextricably linked and can fruitfully be explored in tandem. Together, we label them as democratic performance. Using organisational theories, organisational behaviour theories, sociological theories, and democratic theories, with a focus on adaptive capacity, inter-organizational relations, performance, and bureaucratic responsiveness, the research asks four questions across four countries (US, UK, Canada and Poland):
(RQ1) What health, social and economic wellbeing inequalities both real and perceived emerged for vulnerable populations during COVID-19 pandemic, pre- and post-vaccine, and why did they emerge?
(RQ2) How did single and collaborative organisational (government, nonprofit) adaptive capacities affect (in)equitable outcomes for vulnerable populations, pre- and post-vaccine, such as individual felt exclusion and trust in social support organisations?
(RQ3) How did single and collaborative adaptive capacities affect policy compliance and behaviour for vulnerable populations?
(RQ4) What digital tools will facilitate a sustained international and domestic collaboration to enhance global and local action to reduce inequities, increase inclusion in decision-making, and strengthen trust and universal policy compliance?
The research questions will be answered through a multiple embedded case study design using qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis tools. The main cases will be four metropolitan areas (Atlanta, United States; Manchester, United Kingdom; Montreal, Canada; Warsaw, Poland) with government and nonprofit social support organisations. These will include services such as mental health, disability, eldercare, housing, employment, and family and child support. In each city, a combined total of 5-10 organisations will be recruited and a series of in-depth interviews with organisational leaders will address RQ2 and RQ3. A general population survey of 1100 respondents in each city or metropolitan region will be carried out to address RQ1. The findings will be compared to those from the survey that takes place in the second stage of the research with at least 300 service recipients in each metropolitan area. In the final year and phase of the project, in response to RQ4, all participating governmental and nongovernmental organisations will engage in dialogue with researchers in each metropolitan area to co-design a sustainable virtual platform to share practices that address adaptive capacity challenges to reduce the democratic deficit that exists between service producers and providers, and vulnerable and marginalised populations.
This research focuses in two areas: reducing inequalities and vulnerabilities and fostering democratic governance and political participation. These foci are inextricably linked and can fruitfully be explored in tandem. Together, we label them as democratic performance. Using organisational theories, organisational behaviour theories, sociological theories, and democratic theories, with a focus on adaptive capacity, inter-organizational relations, performance, and bureaucratic responsiveness, the research asks four questions across four countries (US, UK, Canada and Poland):
(RQ1) What health, social and economic wellbeing inequalities both real and perceived emerged for vulnerable populations during COVID-19 pandemic, pre- and post-vaccine, and why did they emerge?
(RQ2) How did single and collaborative organisational (government, nonprofit) adaptive capacities affect (in)equitable outcomes for vulnerable populations, pre- and post-vaccine, such as individual felt exclusion and trust in social support organisations?
(RQ3) How did single and collaborative adaptive capacities affect policy compliance and behaviour for vulnerable populations?
(RQ4) What digital tools will facilitate a sustained international and domestic collaboration to enhance global and local action to reduce inequities, increase inclusion in decision-making, and strengthen trust and universal policy compliance?
The research questions will be answered through a multiple embedded case study design using qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis tools. The main cases will be four metropolitan areas (Atlanta, United States; Manchester, United Kingdom; Montreal, Canada; Warsaw, Poland) with government and nonprofit social support organisations. These will include services such as mental health, disability, eldercare, housing, employment, and family and child support. In each city, a combined total of 5-10 organisations will be recruited and a series of in-depth interviews with organisational leaders will address RQ2 and RQ3. A general population survey of 1100 respondents in each city or metropolitan region will be carried out to address RQ1. The findings will be compared to those from the survey that takes place in the second stage of the research with at least 300 service recipients in each metropolitan area. In the final year and phase of the project, in response to RQ4, all participating governmental and nongovernmental organisations will engage in dialogue with researchers in each metropolitan area to co-design a sustainable virtual platform to share practices that address adaptive capacity challenges to reduce the democratic deficit that exists between service producers and providers, and vulnerable and marginalised populations.
