Complex Issues Research Articles

Collaboration as organizational empowerment: a network perspective

ABSTRACT Inter-organizational collaboration is central to Organizational Empowerment theory. It enables organizations to strengthen their capacity and to take collective action to achieve empowerment at multiple levels. Despite the growing significance of inter-organizational collaboration in addressing complex issues in our society, little is known about what facilitates or hinders collaboration between local organizations involved with community development in a neighborhood. By applying theories of organizational networks and Institutional Collective Action Framework (ICA), and Exponential Random Graph Modeling, this study analyzes the collaboration networks between 167 local organizations in Chicago in 2016. The results suggest that these local organizations are more likely to collaborate when they are the same type of organization and have a more diverse board of directors. It was also found that organizations built a bonding structure to cope with a challenging period for neighborhood organizations in Chicago. Overall, this study contributes to the understanding of empowerment literature by extending ICA and organizational network theories and a statistical approach to network analysis to describe mechanisms of organizational empowerment.

“By the way I want to give you some masks”: exploring multimodal stance-taking in YouTube videos

Abstract While the effectiveness of facemasks against COVID-19 has now become largely uncontroversial, at the beginning of the global pandemic, wearers of facemasks were often the target of sometimes racially tinged attacks. Wearing facemasks (or not) became not just a question of science, but evolved into a more complex issue of social identity, morality and global citizenship embedded within the “tribal thinking” of mask-wearers and non-mask-wearers. This paper explores to what extent two bilingual YouTube influencers participated in either accentuating or softening of boundaries of the two “tribes” by embedding facemasks in their videos. Based on multimodal transcriptions of the two videos (Wang, Yilei, Dezheng Feng & Wing Y. J. Ho. 2021. Identity, lifestyle, and face-mask branding: A social semiotic multimodal discourse analysis. Multimodality & Society 1(2). 216–237), three moments were identified where facemasks were employed by the social actors to perform everyday activities, such as grocery shopping and family brunch. I then examine the interactional stances (Dubois, John W. 2007. The stance triangle. In Robert Englebretson (ed.), Stancetaking in discourse: Subjectivity, evaluation, interaction, 139–182. Amsterdam: John Benjamins) taken by the actors towards facemasks through language and other semiotic resources. By exploring their multimodal stance-taking, it is argued that the two YouTubers’ intercultural trajectories, their performances of authenticity, and their established influence on social media provided them unique means for participating in tribalizing discourses around facemasks by making perceived differences between different groups materials for cultural consumption. The paper concludes by discussing the opportunities and challenges of vernacular health communication through social media influencers.

Harmonious Human Settlements in the Light of the Principles of Ekistics

Confronted with mounting challenges such as rapid urbanization, global living disparities, climate change, natural disasters, the recent upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Ukrainian-Russian War, the United Nations and other international entities have redirected their focus towards fostering resilient, democratic, cohesive, sustainable, and digital societies. This paradigm shift necessitates a global partnership to conserve, protect, and restore the health and integrity of the Earth's ecosystem. Amid these complex issues, the Ekistics principles provide a comprehensive framework, advocating for harmonious urbanization and balanced territorial development. These principles prioritize the incorporation of ethical, social, environmental, and economic considerations into urban planning and governance processes. Nevertheless, critics argue that sustaining the capitalist system poses a challenge to achieving harmonious settlements, balanced urbanization, and the preservation of natural, environmental, and cultural values. This paper underscores the significance and relevance of Ekistics principles in shaping the discourse around Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It contends that revolutionary changes in globalization, communications technology, and industrial development mandate a reevaluation of existing approaches to address the most pressing global issues and their potential solutions. By highlighting the Ekistics principles, this article contributes to a nuanced understanding of the intricate dynamics shaping urban living in the contemporary era. The analysis aims to stimulate a reorientation of prevailing strategies and policies, fostering a more sustainable and harmonious trajectory for global urbanization.

Illuminating the unseen: an action learning coach's journey

ABSTRACT This is a reflective Account of Practice paper that delves into the author's role as an Action Learning coach, emphasizing the crucial role of intuition in facilitating breakthroughs and creating an environment conducive to problem-solving. It narrates a transformative 2019 coaching session where the author used unconventional techniques to empower a team member to create a comprehensive action plan for a complex issue. The paper underscores the significance of addressing ‘invisible’ group dynamics, such as shifts in group energy and emotional responses. It emphasizes personal reflection, shared learning and heightened sensitivity to group dynamics for effective coaching. The paper discusses daily practices: mindfulness, compassion and post-session reflection; these amplify intuitive responses, resilience and self-awareness. The paper highlights the Action Learning coach's capacity to positively impact others, inspire authentic responses and unveil hidden potential.

Neighbor-based joint spatial division and multiplexing in massive MIMO: user scheduling and dynamic beam allocation

AbstractTwo-stage precoding schemes have been developed to reduce the channel estimation overhead in FDD systems. By integrating user scheduling into these schemes, it becomes possible to meet the quality-of-service requirements of high-density wireless communication systems, despite the limitations on spatial resources and transmit power budget. In this paper, we propose a user scheduling and dynamic beam allocation method for neighbor-based joint spatial division multiplexing (N-JSDM) transmission. The user scheduling problem is formulated as a 0–1 quadratic programming problem to maximize effective spectral efficiency (ESE) using directional channel properties. To address the complexity issue, convex relaxation and linearization methods are employed to transform the problem into a 0–1 mixed integer linear programming, and a dimensionality reduction method is introduced. The proposed user scheduling-aided N-JSDM scheme reduces downlink training length and feedback of channel state information. Additionally, a dynamic configuration form is used for pre-beamforming matrix design based on user distribution, outperforming conventional approaches. Simulation results demonstrate higher ESE achieved by the proposed scheme compared to previous methods.

Intimate partner violence in the LGBTQ+ community: Implications for family court professionals

AbstractLesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual and gender minority (LGBTQ+) individuals likely experience more intimate partner violence (IPV) than their cisgender, heterosexual counterparts. Though the research on IPV among LGBTQ+ individuals is lacking in quantity, available evidence suggests LGBTQ+ individuals have unique risk factors for IPV victimization and perpetration, express identity‐specific reasons for underreporting IPV, and experience types of IPV specific to their sexual orientation and/or gender identities. Bisexual and transgender individuals appear to be at significantly higher risk of IPV victimization compared to their peers. A search of the Family Court Review archives suggests that IPV affecting bisexual parents has never been directly addressed in the publication, nor has IPV affecting transgender or gender‐nonconforming parents, and the last article on the topic of IPV in gay and lesbian relationships (Bunker Rohrbaugh, 2006) was published more than 15 years ago when marriage and adoption rights were unavailable to most LGBTQ+ individuals. The current article provides an updated and comprehensive discussion of IPV within the broader LGBTQ+ community, reviews the limitations of the extant literature and the need for more research, and demonstrates that LGBTQ+ IPV is a complex issue with which all family court practitioners should be familiar.

Crises, business decisions and virtue: A managerial reading of biblical famine narratives

Introduction: Management is a complex issue that necessitates an ethical approach, especially in times of crisis. Indeed, precisely when the decisions to be made are placed in a highly disrupted context, the importance of a managerial class emerges that is not only technically trained but morally cultivated and, therefore, capable of grasping the various social and ethical implications of the decisions made. Aim of the work: This paper, adopting the theoretical framework of virtue eth- ics, aims to analyze biblical famine narratives to identify the moral characters of corporate decision-makers. Methodological approach: The research adopts textual analysis applied to selected biblical texts as an investigative tool. Main findings: This analysis makes it possible to highlight the virtues of the "good decision-maker" who makes wise decisions for himself and for the community; from the results of the analysis follow some practical implications in the managerial sphere, contributing to the debate on the virtuousness of organizations. Originality: The paper is characterized by its exploratory nature, analyzing an- cient texts in an original way on the basis of the theoretical framework of virtue ethics in order to draw some considerations relevant to the current business context.

The Box and Muller Technique for Generating Neutrosophic Random Variables Follow a Normal Distribution

The focus of operations research is the existence of a problem that requires making an appropriate decision that helps reduce risk and achieves a good level of performance. Operations research methods depend on formulating realistic issues through mathematical models consisting of a goal function and constraints, and the optimal solution is the ideal decision, despite the multiplicity of these methods. However, we encounter many complex issues that cannot be represented mathematically, or many issues that cannot be studied directly. Here comes the importance of the simulation process in all branches of science, as it depends on applying the study to systems similar to real systems and then projecting this. The results if they fit on the real system. So simulation is the process of building, testing, and running models that simulate complex phenomena or systems using specific mathematical models. The simulation process depends on generating a series of random numbers subject to a regular probability distribution in the field [0, 1], and then converting these random numbers into random variables subject to the distribution law. Probability, according to which the system to be simulated operates, using appropriate techniques for both the probability density function and the cumulative distribution function. Classical studies have provided many techniques that are used during the simulation process, and to keep pace with the great scientific development witnessed by our contemporary world, we found that a new vision must be presented for this. Techniques A vision based on the concepts of neutrosophics, the science founded by the American mathematical philosopher Florentin Smarandache. The year 1995, in which new concepts of probabilities and probability distributions are used, as we presented in previous research some techniques from a neutrosophic perspective, and as an extension of what we presented previously, we present in this research a neutrosophic vision of the Box and Muller technique used to generate random variables that follow a normal distribution.

Notice of Violation of IEEE Publication Principles: Scientific Workflow Partitioning and Data Flow Optimization in Hybrid Clouds

Notice of Violation of IEEE Publication Principles “Scientific Workflow Partitioning and Data Flow Optimization in Hybrid Clouds” by Rubing Duan, Rick Siow Mong Goh, Zheng Qin and Young Liu in Pre-Prints for IEEE Transactions on Cloud Computing After careful and considered review of the content and authorship of this paper by a duly constituted expert committee, this paper has been found to be in violation of IEEE's Publication Principles. Due to the nature of this violation, reasonable effort should be made to remove all past references to this paper and it should not be used for research or citation The scheduling and execution of workflow applications are complex issues because of the dynamic and heterogeneous nature of distributed computing environments like hybrid clouds. While hybrid cloud computing environments provide good potential for achieving high performance and low economic cost, it also introduces a broad set of unpredictable overheads. This paper describes a novel approach to refine workflow structure and optimize intermediate data transfers without changing the scale of scheduled cloud service for large-scale scientific workflows containing thousands (or even millions) of tasks. These methods include pre- and post-partitioning of workflows, data flow optimization, static and dynamic optimization, as well as virtual single execution environment incorporated into a workflow management system.We demonstrate the effectiveness of our methods on the three real applications, Montage, Broadband, and WIEN2k, executed in a real hybrid cloud.

Theory in tourism

Tourism's relationship with theory is a vexed and complex issue. Previous research has examined the status of the academic study of tourism in disciplinary terms and the epistemological basis of knowledge production, yet very little examination of the conceptual structure of tourism has been undertaken. This conceptual article examines the presence of theory of tourism. It presents evidence, via the use of case study vignettes, of examples of theory/theorizing at the meta-, middle range and micro-levels. It articulates guidelines for theorising tourism and principles for developing a theoretical contribution to knowledge, critical to Annals of Tourism Research, whose mission is to advance knowledge of tourism phenomena at the conceptual level that can lead to progress in theory development.

Analisis Perkembangan Penduduk Miskin, Karakteristik Kemiskinan dan Kedalaman Kemiskinan di Indonesia

Poverty is a very complex issue that affects all countries in much the same way. Poverty is a socio-economic phenomenon that transcends not only religious boundaries but also ethnic and national boundaries. The main purpose of this study is to conduct a descriptive analysis to clarify the number of poor people in Indonesia, the characteristics of poverty, how the depth of poverty has developed and to what extent, and the impact on the Indonesian economy. It is something to do. The data used in this study is panel data that collects cross-sectional data from all provinces in Indonesia, and the time-series data is from the past five years from 2017 to 2021. The analysis results of the "Survey Research" show that the number of poor people living in relative poverty in Indonesia exists in Papua, West Papua, NTT, Maluku, and Gorontalo provinces. Absolute poverty is widespread in East Java, Central Java, and West Java. On the other hand, looking at the characteristics of poverty, poverty among rural residents is more serious than among urban residents. Looking at the depth of poverty, the provinces of NTT, Maluku, and West Papua can be cited poverty levels are high here compared to other provinces in Indonesia.

What is the primary culprit that causes the "Doomsday Glacier" in Antarctica?

Antarctica, situated in the southernmost part of the earth is surrounded by the Southern Ocean. It has an extremely important role in tuning global climate, both because of its geographic location, and its giant ice mass, that comprises ~90% of the world's ice. In the past decades, the Thwaites Glacier in the Amundsen Sea of West Antarctica is undergoing the fastest recession in the region. The ice loss in Thwaites Glacier is currently responsible for roughly four percent of the global sea-level rise, which has been attributed to climate change and ocean warming. Due to the continuous collapsing and melting of Thwaites Glacier and the severe threat to humans, scientists gave it a terrifying name "Doomsday Glacier". With increasingly geological and geophysical studies conducted in West Antarctica, geothermal heat flux has been discovered to play a vital role in icesheet retreating. The rapidly retreating Thwaites and Pope glaciers are underlain by areas of largely elevated geothermal heat flow, which relates to the tectonic and magmatic history of the West Antarctic Rift System in this region, suggesting that this area is coupled to the dynamics of the underlying lithosphere. The collapsing and melting of the West Antarctic glaciers are without doubt a realistic and complex issue. From the current geological surveys, the heat flux of the crust of West Antarctica appears to be accelerating, coupled with frequent earthquakes and volcanoes. Geothermal features such as hot water lakes, thermal rivers, and giant ice caves beneath the glaciers have been continuously discovered. Therefore, it is reasonable to speculate that geothermal effects play a significant role in modifying the vast ice masses, causing glacier sliding, cracking, collapsing, and ultimately melting, and create conditions for a warming climate to melt West Antarctic glaciers. Many studies also suggest that warm ocean water is intruding beneath the glaciers across the grounding line, leading to melting of glacier bottom, which has been generally considered to be associated with human-emitted greenhouse gases, but it is thought here not to be a primary factor for glacier melting, but most likely a secondary factor. It is believed that primary and secondary factors, Milankovitch orbits, black body radiation, solar activities, human activities, and other factors are all interconnected to form a feedback loop between the glacier base and the ocean, or even a positive feedback loop, which further accelerates the collapsing and melting of the west Antarctic glaciers

Telemedicine Could Reduce the Role of Family Physicians to Case Managers.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the widespread and continuing use of telemedicine in primary care. Despite telemedicine's benefits, it threatens to reduce the role of family physician to that of gatekeeper and case manager, nullifying decades of experience and medical intuition that is more difficult to develop and apply virtually. Additionally, many values of family medicine have eroded during this global process. The narrative presents 3 vignettes that illustrate different ways in which we contend with this complex issue. The challenges presented by telemedicine require us to re-examine our professional and personal values such as maintaining the centrality of the therapeutic relationship with patients. The greatest concern, however, relates to the future of the profession and the ability of new family doctors to overcome the challenges of telemedicine in an increasingly digital world.

Pole placement with minimum gain and sparse static feedback

The work addresses the issue of developing polar positioning algorithms for linear control systems with despotic thinning constraints on a static feedback matrix. The design of sparse-limiting feedback control systems is considered to be one of the more complex issues, but the issue of defining the sparse feedback matrix, which allows the selection of eigenvalues or, in other words, the placement of poles, has not been fully studied. Algorithms for determining the eigenvalues, i.e., solving the problem of pole placement and finding the optimal solution of the technological process control system are considered in the work. The results of numerical analysis confirmed the effectiveness of these algorithms, which allows them to be used in solving practical problems of synthesizing adaptive control systems for technological objects.

Metaorganizing Collaborative Innovation for Action on Grand Challenges

Grand Challenges are complex issues that require collaborative innovation among heterogeneous actors who draw upon contradictory institutional logics. While existing literature shows how social enterprises and individual organizations reconcile tensions between economic and environmental logics, scholars know less about how and when a broad set of actors adopt practices and priorities that balance economic and environmental values. This article explores how three agricultural cooperatives act as metaorganizations and facilitate collaborative innovation and sustainable transitions to address grand challenges regarding land use. We find that the cooperatives stimulate awareness of environmental challenges and local experimentation, orchestrate collaborative solutions by enrolling and engaging a broad set of actors, and coordinate the diffusion of novel practices across the institutional field. We add new insights into producer cooperatives' role as metaorganizations in facilitating the creation, validation, and diffusion of practices that balance business and sustainability. Based on our findings, we argue that by metaorganizing, producer cooperatives can galvanize field-level shifts in institutional logics through framing, knowledge sharing, and knowledge brokering mechanisms.

Augmented Reality for Civic Education within Makerspace Museums

This study explores the integration of Augmented Reality in civic education within Maker Space Museums. We devised a methodology using feedback from students at the University of la Costa, Villavicencio, Colombia, and applied legal design techniques for data analysis. The proposed Augmented Reality application aims to enhance civic competency by fostering multiperspectivism. It provides an interactive, digitally enriched learning environment, helping students explore diverse perspectives on complex issues. Our approach includes a prototype tailored to students’ needs, offering an innovative educational tool that bridges gaps between conflicting viewpoints and potential solutions, promoting informed, comprehensive civic understanding.

The main elements of the solution to China’s demotic violence

Domestic violence represents a complex and pervasive issue within China, deeply entrenched in historical norms and sociocultural attitudes. Even with legal reforms aimed at criminalizing domestic violence and establishing legal protections for victims, challenges persist due to the societal perception of domestic violence as a family matter. This paper critically examines the main elements necessary for effectively combating domestic violence in China—policy instruments, policy implementation, and lobbying. By dissecting the shortcomings of current measures, the paper argues for the adoption of multidimensional policy tools beyond policing and legal action, such as public awareness campaigns and persuasive strategies designed to shift societal attitudes. The significance of rigorous policy implementation is emphasized, highlighting the need for iterative enforcement and organizational learning to ensure the efficacy of domestic violence policies. Furthermore, the complex role of lobbying within China's political context is explored, demonstrating its impact on policy proposals and reforms. Overall, the paper posits the need for a comprehensive approach, involving a concerted effort from policymakers, law enforcement, and civil society to address the multifaceted challenges of domestic violence in China.

Reduced-Complexity Decoding of 3D Product Codes for Satellite Communications

This paper aims to provide a reduced-complexity decoding for satellite communication systems to enhance system performance and transmission efficiency. By addressing the complexity, error rate, and latency issues for satellite communications, a novel 3-dimensional product decoding scheme is proposed. The density evolution algorithm is also introduced to analyze and optimize for the binary message passing decoding, which further reduces the computational complexity and latency. The simulation results show that the proposed method can obtain about 0.3- and 0.15-dB performance gains compared to the similar decodings of the conventional 2-dimensional BCH product codes and staircase codes, respectively. Our proposed coding scheme offers a broad prospect to the critical issues of transmission latency and data throughput in satellite networks.

Dynamics of Rural Crime in South Asia: A Criminological Overview

Rural crime in South Asia involves varied and complex issues influenced by various socio-economic, cultural, and political factors of the region. While there are some common types of crime in the rural areas in south Asia, different regions are prone to different kinds of crime. It is because these regions share some common and some unique characteristics. Similarly, there are some shared and unique approaches for addressing the issues related rural crime and ensuring justice. This study, based on a review of existing criminological literature, explores the dynamics of rural crime in the region from a criminological lens. The outcomes of the study will serve the policymakers, law enforcement agencies, and community leaders to address the rural crime and justice issues in the region.

Navigating the Healthcare Conundrum: Leadership Perspective from a Premier Healthcare Organization in Loma Linda's Blue Zone.

Navigating the healthcare conundrum in the Blue Zone of Loma Linda, California, requires understanding the unique factors that make this region stand out in terms of health and longevity. But more important is understanding the healthcare system sustaining the Blue Zone in Loma Linda, California. In an era marked by soaring healthcare costs and diminishing reimbursement rates, hospitals and physicians face an unprecedented challenge: providing excellent patient care while maintaining financial sustainability. This leadership perspective publication paper delves into the multifaceted struggles encountered by healthcare and hospital leaders, exploring the root causes, implications, and potential solutions for this complex issue. As we examine the evolving healthcare landscape, we aim to shed light on the critical need for innovative approaches to sustain the future of healthcare excellence in one of the five original Blue Zones.