Ushnish Sengupta

Worldwide, there are many Indigenous (the convention in literature for capitalizing “Indigenous” in referring to people is used in this document). communities who distrust the Natural Resources industry due to historical economic, environmental, social, and cultural practices. These communities also often distrust National and Sub-National governments that regulate these industries. At the same time, long-term support and a license to operate from local Indigenous communities has become a critical and necessary requirement for Natural Resource Development. Blockchain constitutes an emerging technology that can be applied to mitigate trust issues, in contexts where there is distrust between decentralized stakeholders. In this chapter, we posit that those business processes that require participation by Indigenous communities, Natural Resources companies, and different levels of governments who lack trust in each other can be performed more effectively using blockchain technologies. The research method included interviews with the Natural Resource industry and Indigenous entrepreneurship subject matter experts, and a case study using an enterprise analysis tool, the Business Model Canvas. Ultimately, our research indicates that governance level control by Indigenous communities over the development and operation of blockchain platforms can be pivotal in rebuilding trust between stakeholders in Natural Resources development. In our findings, control of development and operation by Indigenous communities does not necessarily mean hands on end to end solution deployment, but involves continuous and genuine input into the requirements and direction of blockchain technology development. In the evolving response to the long-term issues of distrust between stakeholders involved in Natural Resource projects, this paper also describes the potential for long-term Smart Contracts, a blockchain technology enabled solution that continues to demonstrate promising applications. Long-term Smart Contract implementation, which can span multiple decades similar to long-term legal contracts, provide an additional layer of assurance that agreements made by all stakeholders involved will be honored through an additional mechanism of software code.

This paper utilizes concepts from a critical social justice discourse on smart cities to identify factors behind resistance to new smart city initiatives from equity-seeking groups. The broader critical discourse is examined based on relevance to the eventual failure of the initiatives selected as case studies. It highlights institutional failure within government-supported initiatives due to the lack of consideration given to equitable distribution of risks and formal accountability mechanisms. It describes outcomes surrounding smart cities in which the benefits accrue to some groups within the city while risks increase for other groups. Finally, we examine the integration of “risk” as an adaptation to the existing practical mechanism of Community Benefit Agreements, for use of this framework to support value sensitive design approaches in future smart city initiatives.

This paper describes a unique seven-year program involving a business school, the Rotman School of Management and the development of entrepreneurs in a low-income community, Toronto’s Regent Park neighbourhood. The success of the program was a result of the breadth of involvement by a number of constituents of the business school including administration, faculty, and alumni. There is a diverse set of approaches to partnerships between business schools and local communities across the world. The Rotman School of Management Small Business Program for Regent Park and surrounding areas was offered in the form of ten weeks of classroom lectures by business school faculty, combined with coaching support by business school alumni. The program ran for seven years, with an average of 25 students per class, on a total estimated budget of CDN $45,000. Based on breadth of participation by the business school; and the seven year iterative and continuous improvement process implemented for the program; the Rotman Small Business Program for Regent Park was successfully able to provide a high level of educational value for participants on a minimal total budget. Describing lessons learned from the seven years of the program enables business schools and communities with existing or potential partnership projects to optimize program decisions instead of repeating lessons learned in similar contexts. The primary lessons learned from the program include: first the need to modify business school course content to a small business context, and second the need to expand the metrics of success to include additional educational outcomes. The ultimate objective of this paper is to provide sufficient information for potential replication of all or part of the partnership program, for academics and practitioners interested in the interaction of business schools and local communities.

Community-university partnership research is an important research paradigm emanating from the roots of participatory research in the early 1970s (Hall, 1993). As with participatory research, it generally involves three main activities: research, education and action. It also seeks to democratize the knowledge process, and to situate the research process in the community, workplace or group affected by the knowledge generated (Hall, 1993; Stoecker & Bonacich, 1992). The Southern Ontario Social Economy Research Alliance (hereafter ...

This paper describes the intersection of class, gender and race in the leadership of cooperatives in North America. Movement of labour across North American borders changes the membership of cooperatives as well as the leadership and formation of cooperatives. The socio-economic shifts that affect cooperatives are also accompanied by marginalization of particular populations, including Indigenous communities and racial minorities. International cooperative principles remain ideals to aspire to rather than a reality in practice. Although women and racial minorities have made some advances in equity in cooperatives, racialized women in particular are not represented in leadership positions in cooperatives in proportion to membership in the broader population. On an optimistic note, cooperatives continue to be more egalitarian organizations than other types of organizations and therefore have the potential for leading as positive role models, addressing the intersection of gender and r...

There is an increased role Information and Communications Technology (ICT) plays in the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This paper focuses specifically on SDG-11 “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable” and how cities are increasingly incorporating ICT toward this goal. The public discourse on Smart Cities suggests economic, social and environmental benefits are possible through the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). However, the increased deployment and use of digital infrastructure and processes in the name of sustainability and optimization itself is the focus of a growing body of critical literature on Smart Cities. This mini-review collates critical literature on digital infrastructures and processes related to SDG-11 and Smart Cities to identify areas of significance for further research. Although many Smart City projects discuss sustainability benefits, the distribution of benefits and risks across...

Information technology has become an essential part of social economy organizations, but many social economy organizations have not been able to realize the full potential of benefits that have been achieved in other sectors through successful adoption of information technology. Research on successful technology adoption strongly indicates support for a broad participatory end user involvement approach throughout the technology development, selection and implementation process. The values of social economy organizations are also reflected in the development, selection, and use of information technology. Without careful consideration, technology selected and used by social economy organizations may not always be harmonious with the values of the organization, leading often to an inability to achieve desired outcomes. This paper presents a review of best practices in information technology adoption by social economy organizations, highlighting participatory and value based approaches.

The algorithm development industry typically views itself as “acultural”, independent of culture, or often “post-cultural”, transcending cultural differences in developing the future. This chapter argues that algorithm development and particularly algorithm development is deeply rooted in narrow cultural practices making it 'monocultural'. Moreover, current cultural practices of algorithm development exclude genuine input from a broader variety of stakeholders, while simultaneously the negative impacts of algorithm development, such as algorithmic bias, are experienced primarily by communities and individuals who are not meaningfully involved in the development of the algorithms that affect them. A deliberate and significant effort towards increasing cultural diversity in the design and development of algorithms is required to enable genuine input from a broader group of stakeholders. Input from a broader group of stakeholders will in turn enable the development of solutions that address issues for a broader group of communities, and greater variety of innovative solutions that cannot be developed from a narrow cultural base. In this chapter the term “algorithm development” refers to the design and development of algorithms in the context of software applications.

This document summarizes research supporting the implementation of blockchain technology in the food and agriculture industry in Ontario. First, our research indicates that blockchain technology based solutions are an existing and proven set of technologies, where it has already been proven that the source of food items can be identified in seconds where previous processes required days and weeks of effort. Second, we also describe how blockchain based supply chain provenance information has many more benefits than its current use for food safety and product recalls. Consumers are willing to pay premium prices for food based on reliable supply chain information that matches the consumers expectations and values. Costs related to blockchain technology based solution development and implementation will be relatively small in comparison to revenues generated through increased market share by organizations providing useful information to consumers, and other stakeholders in the food supply chain. Third, we recommend that costs for development of blockchain based solutions should also be distributed across stakeholders, and apportioned by the relevant industry associations. Implementation of smart contracts can be used to guarantee a pre-arranged distribution of revenues and costs across stakeholders across the food supply chain. A consortium approach will reduce individual organization related risks, and will ensure that complete end to end supply chains participate in blockchain based technology solutions. Our research indicates that adoption of blockchain technology in agriculture will be achieve critical mass earlier when the industry applies a consortium approach, in a regulatory environment that is supported by government. Finally, this report also makes recommendations relevant to the integration of blockchain technology with per item labelling, one of the core competencies and strengths of the project partner, Accu-Label Inc. Instead of each organization attempting to navigate their own path through the different choices in technologies, we recommend a consortium approach where a blockchain technology based solution is selected and implemented through existing industry associations. Industry associations by design address the needs of their members, and therefore have a built-in relationship of trust with their members. This preexisting trust between industry associations and their members will enable pre-arranged distribution of costs and revenues related to implementation of blockchain technology between different stakeholders. Industry associations can pilot simpler low cost blockchain based solutions to reduce the risks developing more complex and expensive solutions. Blockchain based smart contracts provide an additional layer of assurance by pre-defining conditions of revenue/cost distribution, and automating the process. Summary of Recommendations: 1. Pilot different blockchain technologies to determine the best fit for the industry and organization. 2. Determine information that is of value to stakeholders in the supply chain, such as end consumers, and that they are willing to pay for. 3. Distribute the costs of blockchain technology development across different stakeholders in a consortium approach through industry associations. 4. Ensure that a robust mechanism exists to bridge information flows with physical food product flows.

We present the journey by which Novera, a blockchain start-up, partnered with CompanyX, an SME investment firm actively looking for opportunities to leverage disruptive technologies. We believe that the key to this journey is expressed in Novera’s “Business in the front, crypto in the back” perspective. Finance is highly regulated and conservative. So, Novera would not have been able sell its concept for a novel bitcoin tracking fund that received over $1M in venture capital without its corporate ethos: Novera would be able to walk into any boardroom and clearly demonstrate compliance to regulations, and moreover show that their business practices would meet stringent expectations of large financial institutions. At the same time, it is Novera’s vision to innovate beyond the fund to a blockchain-based token platform that keeps its team of technologists motivated and forward-looking. We advise others weighing investment in blockchain, especially SME’s and start-ups in finance, to understand and manage this dichotomy.

Nonprofit organizations and their funders are in a constant state of tension over program evaluation. Funders believe that they are not given sufficient information to ensure funds are spent effectively, while nonprofit organizations complain that program evaluation requirements use up precious resources that could otherwise be utilized in delivering services. This paper summarizes the findings of a literature review of participatory evaluation applied to nonprofit organizations. The study focuses on nonprofit organizations that depend either partly or completely on government and foundations for their funding. The metrics utilized for external evaluation by funders, and measures used for internal operations by nonprofit organizations, can be integrated through a participatory process. The literature review includes historical context, influence of the popular press, changing legislation and current best practices in participatory evaluation.

From Seva to Cyberspace: The Many Faces of Volunteering in India by Femida Handy, Meenaz Kassam, Sharjah Jillian Ingold, and Bhagyashree Ranade is a useful addition to the literature on local volunteerism in different countries. The text is authored by scholars who have a deep understanding of volunteering in countries around the world, including the U.S., Canada and India. They provide a deep analysis of the religious basis of volunteering in India, report on surveys about volunteering conducted across multiple countries (including India), and discuss case studies that highlight the theories and analysis presented in different chapters.

We describe and discuss three types of cases studies – teaching, research, and service learning – that are used in higher education in a variety of disciplines. The three types are compared to highlight when each type of case is appropriately used. We then examine the issue of the importance of accuracy of the three types. We conclude that we need focus less on the issue of factual accuracy but more on the purpose of each case type and how each captures an element of reality.

This article seeks to understand Indigenous social enterprise in a “current state snapshot” and in a complex historical context. Specifically, the authors begin by placing into theoretical context social enterprises serving Indigenous communities. The framework for Indigenous social enterprise is related to theories of Indigenous entrepreneurship and “quadruple bottom line” organizations. The authors explain the role of culture as an under-researched element and as a critical component of Indigenous social enterprise. The article also highlights gender leadership of social enterprise in Indigenous communities. Finally, the article provides three case studies that exemplify Indigenous social enterprise in Canada. Dans cet article, les auteurs cherchent à comprendre les entreprises sociales autochtones dans leur état actuel ainsi que dans la complexité de leur contexte historique. Plus précisément, les auteurs commencent leur article en situant dans un contexte théorique particulier l...