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1 – 10 of over 12000Attempts to discover an internal logic in the high‐speed eventstaking place in the former Soviet Union. In addressing the problems ofthe country′s disintegration, examines the…
Abstract
Attempts to discover an internal logic in the high‐speed events taking place in the former Soviet Union. In addressing the problems of the country′s disintegration, examines the issue in its socioeconomic, political and territorial‐administrative aspects. Analyses, for this purpose, the nature of Soviet society prior to Gorbachev′s reforms, its present transitional stage and its probable direction in the near future.
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The purpose of this paper is to explore which socioeconomic and institutional factors are responsible for different societies’ ideological choices, with reference to Marxist…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore which socioeconomic and institutional factors are responsible for different societies’ ideological choices, with reference to Marxist socialism. Which factors led to the rise of the popularity of socialism? And which factors made a socialist variant relatively more successful in one society but not the other, with social democracy and communism being the focus of the study?
Design/methodology/approach
Conducting a global theoretical and empirical study on the period between the late 1890s and 1945. The theoretical part discusses various perspectives presented in the literature, accounting for the works of major sociologists (e.g.: M. Mann, Lipset) and political theorists (e.g.: Marx, Engels, Lenin). The empirical part uses a number of OLS multivariate panel regressions using voting to various socialist movements as dependent variables, and socioeconomic and institutional factors as independent variables.
Findings
Some of the findings of the conducted empirical study are that: democracy, industrialization, high population growth rates, low linguistic or religious homogeneity, more years of schooling and less years since independence or creation increase the social democrat (SD) vote. The communist vote was affected positively by more urbanization; higher population growth; less years of schooling; more years since independence; recent experience of war; and the presence of insignificant religious minorities. Inequality seemed also to have been a strong significant factor for raising the popularity of various socialist parties, especially when countries were long-established or created. Countries which had a fresh experience with war devastation or which were highly urbanized while having higher levels of inequality witnessed an increasing vote share for the communists. More votes went to SD; however, when inequality existed in highly industrialized countries. High GDP growth, matched with higher inequalities, did not seem to have encouraged voting for various socialist parties, and even affected the communist vote negatively.
Research limitations/implications
There were data limitations on the available proxies.
Practical implications
This study suggests welfarism, public spending on education, social inclusion and democratization as remedies for radicalism, regardless of the ideological origins of such radicalism.
Originality/value
Its novelty is attributed to the deep analytical dimension for the issue done here, combining theory, an empirical study made possible by the newly available rich historical data.
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Bayu Silvia and Masudul Alam Choudhury
Aims to methodologically explain a phenomenological model with empirical contents for modelling ethics in socioeconomic development. Addresses a circular causality between state…
Abstract
Purpose
Aims to methodologically explain a phenomenological model with empirical contents for modelling ethics in socioeconomic development. Addresses a circular causality between state variables and policy variables for the case of socioeconomic development of Indonesia with ethics and values as important focus required for the private sector role.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a methodological paper with good empirical content prescribing policy recommendations for the role of ethics and values in the private sector in Indonesian socioeconomic development. Philosophy of science heads off the methodological part. This is combined with contextual elements of Islamic development financing instruments to highlight the need for ethics and values in the development of Indonesia, the largest Muslim nation.
Findings
The paper highlights how the Indonesia private sector and the Government need to corroborate the focus of ethics and values in the national development plan. This is a novel approach to modelling ethics and values and estimating it by circular causation system of regression equations answering the theme of social wellbeing through socioeconomic development.
Research limitations/implications
The true empirical work would have used complexity methods. In the paper the simple approach has been maintained by using the system of circular causation related regression equations. This is part of an on‐going research project on unity of knowledge and its empirical application to specific problems of science and society including the social economy. Thus, the project presents challenging field of academic investigation for many.
Practical implications
Provides policy recommendations on how ethics and values ought to be incorporated in the socioeconomic development plan through private sector participation in Indonesia. The need for the role of private sector ethical consciousness in Socioeconomic development of Indonesia is highlighted.
Original/value
This is an original contribution in the area of phenomenological investigation on ethics and how it can be modelled and applied in specific circumstances (Indonesia private sector development within her development plan). The paper brings forth a challenging concept along lines of a scientific research program that looks at the methodology of unity of knowledge as the phenomenological basis of development planning and then empirically investigates this methodological conception through modelling of ethics and values.
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Economists have observed that during the last several decades of the twentieth century there have been more examples of national economic success than failure. One leading…
Abstract
Economists have observed that during the last several decades of the twentieth century there have been more examples of national economic success than failure. One leading explanation for this is that socio‐economic evolution has resulted in improved institutions and institutional arrangements. Globalization during the second half of the twentieth century spread capitalist institutions and liberal politics around the world. This paper examines the fundamental forces underlying these socioeconomic processes. If the boundaries of these forces are on the global rather than national level, the issue of a global government naturally arises. The relationship between the forces of socio‐economic evolution, sustainable globalization and global governance are explored. An index of global government is presented to monitor these phenomena over time.
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The purpose of this paper is to present and explore the deleterious socioeconomic consequence of six interrelated trends upon the sustainability of the personal portion of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present and explore the deleterious socioeconomic consequence of six interrelated trends upon the sustainability of the personal portion of America’s social contract.
Design/methodology/approach
Neoclassical economic growth theory is used to frame the discussion of the trends in significant variables. This paper is a general review and draws on widely available data and academic insights of scholars.
Findings
This detailed examination leads to rejection of ergodicity and concludes that the existing social contract is unrealizable and unsustainable in present form for all but a shrinking minority of citizens.
Research limitations/implications
The conclusion is robust but tentative since the trends reviewed are not fixed and may deviate from existing trend lines given undetermined government policies and unforeseeable technological developments.
Originality/value
The paper examines the origins and implications of six adverse systemic trends, highlighting the fact that existing policy prescriptions lack understanding of – and/or scale to comprehensively address – a growing existential threat to the Liberal Tradition’s entrenched social contract.
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Kenneth Reinert and Gelaye Debebe
This paper aims to examine the ethics of authentic talent development in socioeconomic context by considering a set of alternative ethical frameworks. It juxtaposes the ideals of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the ethics of authentic talent development in socioeconomic context by considering a set of alternative ethical frameworks. It juxtaposes the ideals of civic virtue, which involve a concern for the common good, with the reality that socioeconomic deprivation and sociocultural practices severely constrain talent development opportunities and choice.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper draws on several frameworks complementary to the ideals of civic virtue – the basic goods approach, human capital theory, the capabilities approach and the ethic of care – to elucidate the barriers to talent development embodied in sociocultural context, as well as policy and institutional practices to overcoming these barriers.
Findings
While multiple ethical frameworks are necessary to fully capture the issues related to authentic talent development in socioeconomic context, a focus on the ethic of care and basic goods provision is an important starting point. There are also a few fundamental starting points for human resource development in responding to ethical concerns regarding authentic talent development.
Originality/value
While the prevailing approach to talent development is implicitly based on a logic of social identity ascription, this paper promotes an alternative approach based on the ethics of civic virtue. While the former is oriented to the support of social hierarchies based on identity, the latter is oriented to fostering both social and human well-being via choice and authentic talent development.
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This study attempts to identify the rural‐urban migration patterns of children, young girls in particular, exposed to commercial sexual exploitation in urban and semi‐urban…
Abstract
Purpose
This study attempts to identify the rural‐urban migration patterns of children, young girls in particular, exposed to commercial sexual exploitation in urban and semi‐urban environments of Ethiopia. The study also concerns itself with gaining a more accurate understanding and insight into the socioeconomic forces behind the migration process, and young people's experiences in urban communities. In addition, central to the study was its aim to inform programme interventions on curbing the uncontrolled influx of children from the rural areas to urban centres and reducing their exposure to commercial sexual exploitation.
Design/methodology/approach
The necessary body of field data was generated through the use of a triangulation of methods that comprised a survey of children aged 13‐18 exposed to commercial sexual exploitation, in‐depth interviews of 400 children across the three zone capitals and three sub‐cities of Addis Ababa, in addition to semi‐structured interviews with key people such as local government officials and religious and community leaders. Focus group discussions and case studies were also utilised.
Findings
Migrants were most commonly uneducated girls between the ages of 16 and 20 who had been married before leaving their rural communities. Reasons for migration were escaping the oppression of the marital home, seeking independence and a better education, or leaving for fear of being forced into child wedlock. Six key “push” factors were famine and war, environmental and demographic factors, living conditions, the practice of early marriage, family discord and breakdown, and early school leaving. The main “pull” factor was the possibility of escaping poverty. In towns and cities, the realities of low wages, the difficulty of gaining paid employment and the failure of some employers to pay for work all contributed to the movement of migrating children into commercial sexual exploitation. Recommendations include the improvement of rural living conditions through greater health and education provision, the introduction of family planning services, opportunities for off‐farm activities for women and girls, the abolition of child marriage, the provision of child‐focused rehabilitation services and greater collaboration between government and NGO rehabilitation interventions and community based organisations.
Originality/value
Information regarding the migration patterns of children can help governmental agencies and NGOs to target key areas. Identifying the “push” and “pull” factors behind child migration is the first step in its prevention, as vulnerable children migrating alone to large towns and cities are targets for commercial sexual exploitation. Useful recommendations relating to the prevention of child migration through the improvement of rural conditions and the need for rehabilitation services for sexually exploited children are made.
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Grounded in DiMaggio and Powell’s (1983) institutional isomorphism perspective of institutional theory, the purpose of this study is to examine the influence of institutional…
Abstract
Purpose
Grounded in DiMaggio and Powell’s (1983) institutional isomorphism perspective of institutional theory, the purpose of this study is to examine the influence of institutional pressures on the performance measurement system (PMS) within banks and financial institutions.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey was used to collect data from 71 banks and financial institutions operating in Australia.
Findings
Four institutional pressures, the normative pressure “corporate change” and the coercive pressures “economic and financial legislation”, “socio-economic political pressures” and “banking regulations” were found to be associated with the use of multi-dimensional performance measures. In addition, the coercive pressure “economic and financial legislation” and the normative pressure “corporate change” were associated with the use of financial, internal and learning and growth performance measures. Finally, the use of internal and learning and growth measures was positively associated with the coercive force “socioeconomic-political pressures”, and the use of financial measures was associated with the coercive pressure “banking regulations”.
Research limitations/implications
Given the recent global financial crisis, the study offers a reference within the contemporary performance measurement literature in relation to the influence of institutional pressures on the PMS within banks and financial institutions.
Originality/value
While prior research has focused on manufacturing organisations, this study deepens our understanding of the institutional environment of banks and financial institutions and how specific coercive, mimetic and normative forces influence the PMS.
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