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In a global environment where terrorist organisations based in a poor country target a rich nation, this paper aims to study the properties of a dynamically incentive compatible contract designed by the target nation that involves joint counter-terror tasks with costly participation by each country. The counter-terror operations are however subject to ex post moral hazard, so that to incentivise counter-terror, the rich country supplies developmental aid. Development aid also helps avoid unrest arising from counter-terror activities in the target nation. However, aid itself can be diverted to non-developmental projects, generating a novel interlinked moral hazard problem spanning both tasks and rewards.

The authors use a dynamic model where the aid giving countries and aid receiving countries behave strategically. Then they solve for the sub game perfect Nash equilibrium of this game.

The authors characterise the optimal contract, showing that the dynamic structure of counter-terror resembles the shock-and-awe discussed by military strategists. The authors then prove that it is not necessarily the case that a more hawkish (resp. altruistic) donor is less pro-development (resp. softer on terror). In addition, the authors show that it may be easier to contract for higher counter-terror inputs when the recipient is more sympathetic to terrorists. The authors also discuss other problems faced by developing nations where this model can be readily adopted and the results can endorse appealing policy implications.

The authors characterise the optimal contract, showing that the dynamic structure of counter-terror resembles the shock-and-awe discussed by military strategists. It is proved that it is not necessarily the case that a more hawkish (resp. altruistic) donor is less pro-development (resp. softer on terror). In addition, the authors show that it may be easier to contract for higher counter-terror inputs when the recipient is more sympathetic to terrorists. Other problems faced by developing nations are also discussed where this model can be readily adopted, and the results can endorse appealing policy implications. These results have important policy implications, in particular in today’s world.

The purpose of the study is to heighten intrinsic advantages, dis-advantages, being enjoyed by emerging country firms and the motivational factors that influence multinational enterprises (MNEs) to establish long-lasting relationship with emerging economies. The study also highlights the steps initiated by India by executing reform friendly foreign direct investment policy to attract foreign investments.

The study is descriptive in nature, based on secondary data, sourced from various reports of India Government and the Central Bank of India.

The Indian economy has undergone profound and substantial liberalization and made sweeping reforms in most of its sectors besides adopting internationalization policy agendas to upkeep their domestic firms in “going global”. However, India needs to amend the existing restrictive labour and land laws besides providing efficient employable workforce. India further needs a less cash economy, which ultimately marches into digitized credit system to build India as one of the best attractive countries in the eyes of global investors.

As the study is based on secondary data, it may be general, in explicit and may not be perfect in concluding decision.

MNEs play a major force in driving globalization of the world economy. However, MNEs face a variety of complex and multiple challenges in establishing strategic control over emerging economies. In spite of all odds, MNEs generate and capture value to host country firms by applying unique business models besides combining with or buying a foreign business.

Investment flows to India for the past 15 years (2005-2019) are critically analysed to justify research questions. Further, in the literature “Preparedness of India”, a lot of new interesting insights, incorporated.

The series 7458 small square‐case counter provides a compact, ½ oz counter with good figure legibility. Extensive use of precision moulded acetal resin in the construction ensures low torque and long life. Five types of drive are available — direct, revolution, ratchet, rotary ratchet and geared. They can be arranged for left or right hand shaft extension and four different mounting arrangements are available, flange, plain, panel or lug. According to drive, either 5, 6 or 7 figure models can be supplied. Normal speed is 1,000 cpm except for the direct drive model which has a speed of 5,000 cpm. Figures are white on black, 0·170 in. high by 0·087 in. wide.

This study aims to examine the effects of iPad distribution on all teachers in a university and its application in teaching and student learning at home via wireless network during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The attitude towards the use of iPads, behavioural intentions and the impact on the quality of teaching were evaluated.

This study used the technology acceptance model to explore the use of iPad smart mobile devices in multimedia teaching applications by university teachers. Furthermore, it used the structural equation modelling (SEM) for data analysis to explore the causal relationship between model variables, and it aimed to examine the causal relationship between variables to verify the theory. The SEM analysis included the following two stages: measurement model analysis and structural model analysis.

The “Internet information environment” had a significant positive impact on “perceived usefulness” and “perceived ease of use”. Amongst them, perceived usefulness had a significant positive effect on the use attitude, and use attitude had a significant positive effect on behaviour intention.

The findings confirmed that a good information network environment will directly and positively affect the perceived usefulness and the ease of use of iPad smart devices, of which the perceived usefulness will further positively affect teachers' perception of iPad smart devices. The attitude and behaviour of using such devices will in turn positively affect the quality of teaching. The results of the quality performance evaluation can be referenced further by manufacturers and scholars regarding the use of iPad smart devices for work at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The aim of this paper is to determine whether the effort invested by service companies in employee training has an impact on their economic performance.

The study centres on an intensive labor sector, where the perception of service quality depends on who renders this service. To overcome the habitual problems of transversal studies, the time effect has been considered by measuring data over a period of nine years, to give panel data treatment with fixed effects.

The prepared models give clear empirical support to the hypothesis that training activities are a positive influence on company performance.

The results obtained contribute empirical evidence about a relationship that, hitherto, has not been satisfactorily demonstrated. However, there may be some limitations related to the use of a training indicator based on effort and not on results obtained, with low representation of what happens in the smaller companies that lack structured training policies, or with no differentiation between generic or more specific training.

The results obtained can contribute towards increased manager awareness that training should be treated as an investment and not considered as an expense.

The main contributions can be resumed in three points: a training measurement has been used, based on three dimensions, which presumes to be an improvement on the more frequent method of measuring this variable. A consistent methodology was used that previously was not applied in the analysis of this relationship, and clear empirical evidence has been obtained concerning a relationship that, frequently, is mentioned with theoretical arguments, but which needs more empirical evidence.

The specific purposes of this paper are: to identify the critical drivers for and hindrances to enterprise risk management (ERM) implementation; and to compare the influence of these factors on ERM implementation between large and small-medium (SM) Chinese construction firms (CCFs) in Singapore.

A questionnaire survey was conducted and responses were received from 35 experienced managers in CCFs operating in Singapore.

A total of 13 drivers and 22 hindrances were found critical to ERM implementation in Singapore-based CCFs. “Improved decision making” were the top influential driver, while “insufficient resources (e.g. time, money, people, etc.)” were the most significant hindrances. Additionally, despite significant differences in the mean scores of seven drivers and four hindrances, the large and SM CCFs agreed on the rankings of drivers and hindrances, respectively.

As the survey was performed with the Singapore-based CCFs, there may be geographical limitation on the identification of the critical drivers for and hindrances to ERM implementation. The sample size was still small, despite a relatively high response rate.

The findings of this study allow the management to strengthen the positive influence from the drivers and overcome the challenges posed by the significant hindrances.

Despite studies on ERM in various industries, few studies have attempted to disclose the factors driving and hindering ERM implementation in construction firms. Thus, this study expands the existing literature relating to ERM. An understanding of the drivers for ERM implementation enables the management to obtain sufficient support for the ERM program and strengthen the positive influence from the drivers. The identification of the hindrances allows the management to be clear about the challenges faced by the ERM program and take measures to diminish their negative influence and overcome them. Additionally, other construction firms can use the drivers and hindrances identified in this study to prepare their customized list of drivers and hindrances.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the network structure of technology in and between different fields, as well as the evolution of their relations.

Using the patent data in Derwent Innovation Index (DII) from 1991 to 2010, this paper analyzes the co-classification of Derwent Manual Code (DMC) of patents in all technology fields. Large-scaled co-classification matrices are employed to generate the DMC co-classification networks. In addition, analyses are pursued at different levels of aggregation in four five-year windows: 1991-1995, 1996-2000, 2001-2005 and 2006-2010. Using Girvan-Newman algorithm in the clustering process, the structure transformations over time are detected.

The paper identifies the key technological knowledge in certain fields and finds out how different technological fields are connected and integrated. What is more, the dynamic evolution between networks in different time periods reveals the trend of generic technology development in the macroscopic level.

The paper investigates a large quantity of data – all the patent data in DII from 1991 to 2010 in this paper. The paper applies Girvan-Newman algorithm in the co-classification analysis and uses co-classification networks to reveal technology network structures. Evolution coincident with the realistic technological shifts can be observed.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the three types of ethical consumption (positive, negative and discursive) simultaneously in three different geographical areas, namely, Hebron (PL), Sofia (BG) and Thessaloniki (GR).

Personal interviews were conducted in the three cities during autumn 2016 with the use of a structured questionnaire. Large enough samples were selected with the one-stage area sampling. The sampling unit was one adult person of all households in each randomly selected city block.

The consumers of all cities were not found frequently engaged in any ethical consumption type. Demographic analysis revealed extensive differences across each one of the behaviours in each one of the cities. Attitudinal and psychographic analyses indicated that consumers, who are less ethically disinterested and more generous, were found to be more frequently engaged in ethical purchase in all the three cities. Evidence was found that less ethically disinterested and more generous consumers are more likely to get engaged in boycotting calls, in Hebron and in Thessaloniki. Less ethically disinterested consumers were also found more active in discursive activities in Sofia and Thessaloniki.

Certain amendments of the behavioural and attitudinal scales could be essential to ensure the same level of measurement accuracy in different geographical areas. Larger and more representative of the overall population samples are needed to facilitate the generalisation of the results. Examination of cultural and political perspectives might add to the understanding of consumers’ ethical consumption in different contexts.

Firms interested in adopting ethical strategies or consumer groups that would like to call a boycotting or a consumer activism campaign should address their communication strategies towards targets that are described by the results in regard to each geographical area.

This study added to the limited so far relevant knowledge about the simultaneous examination of the three types of the overall ethical consumption in three different cities; interesting differences and similarities were revealed.

Environmental social work (ESW) is an approach and a perspective in social work focusing on ecological and environmental sustainability and justice within the context of sustainable development (SD). This study aims to analyse students’ reflective tasks on challenges for ESW education and practice from a critical theory perspective. The purpose of this study is to discuss the implications of the findings for accelerating the implementation of SD in social work curricula.

The research participants comprised 49 master level students from four different cohorts studying the course “Social Work and Sustainable Development” at the University of Gävle, Sweden. The sample comprised only those students who had completed at least one of the three non-mandatory reflective tasks that were set within the course. The reflective tasks of the research participants were gathered as data for this study. A qualitative methodological approach with the help of ATLAS-ti V8.4 was used to analyse the gathered data.

This study discusses three primary results, which are categorised as “Being Boxed”, “Safe and Saviour Sweden” and “Politics and Power”. Based on the results, this study argues for a transformative and emancipatory pedagogy (TEP) in the teaching and learning of ESW to accelerate the implementation of holistic SD within the social work curriculum.

This study is mainly based on the analysis of “problematic” discourses of some of the students. The majority of the students and their respective discourses are not considered. Moreover, it would have been interesting, and probably enlightening to explore the background of the students (such as gender, ethnicity and religion) and any concomitant beliefs or prejudices (whether consciously held or otherwise) that would need to be addressed for an effective social work outcome. For ethical reasons, the background of the students was not recorded and analysed in this study.

Based on the results, this study argues for TEP in catalysing environmentalism within the social work curricula.

Social workers have a political mandate from their professional ethics to work for the protection of the planet and for the well-being of all – including non-humans. This study therefore argues for ESW education within social work curricula in promoting SD through social work practice.

Within the context of SD, there is a global call for social work education to shift from an anthropocentric to an eco-centric paradigm. However, ESW education is still in its infancy stage and very few universities are focusing in this particular area. This study therefore brings an important and well-needed layer of empirical evidence in considering the implications for catalysing environmentalism within the social work curricula.

Researchers have argued that video games have great utility for learning. Games promote experiential learning and can be used to facilitate active learning. This paper examines the potential of video games in education. In particular, it examines the benefits of game modding compared to playing and/or creating games. However, video game classes have been primarily attended by male students. This paper looks further into the gender issue regarding the use of video game modding in education. This is demonstrated through a course developed by the authors on game design. The main goal of the course was to introduce middle school and high school female students to IT and assist them in acquiring five basic IT skills. During the course, survey data was collected from participating students. Results from the surveys as well as analysis of student projects and anecdotal evidence suggest that using video game modding is successful in increasing self‐efficacy and motivation as well as teaching female students basic IT skills.