Conceptual Paradigm Research Articles

Corporate Social Responsibility: A Conceptual Research

In recent years, it can be noticed that academics are still looking at the concept of CSR from a different perspective. This review focuses on the most relevant academic publications and historical events that have influenced the evolution of CSR as a conceptual paradigm. The literature review shows that the future of CSR must also consider recent technological advancements and their role as part of new business frameworks and strategies. The adoption and adaptation of new digitization processes and tools, as well as the incorporation of Artificial Intelligence into the business environment is a relevant challenge not only for the CSR debate, but for companies in general. The main contribution of this article is a structured historical review accompanied by the evolution of CSR and future research opportunities.

On epigenetic stochasticity, entropy and cancer risk.

Epigenetic changes are known to accrue in normal cells as a result of ageing and cumulative exposure to cancer risk factors. Increasing evidence points towards age-related epigenetic changes being acquired in a quasi-stochastic manner, and that they may play a causal role in cancer development. Here, I describe the quasi-stochastic nature of DNA methylation (DNAm) changes in ageing cells as well as in normal cells at risk of neoplastic transformation, discussing the implications of this stochasticity for developing cancer risk prediction strategies, and in particular, how it may require a conceptual paradigm shift in how we select cancer risk markers. I also describe the mounting evidence that a significant proportion of DNAm changes in ageing and cancer development are related to cell proliferation, reflecting tissue-turnover and the opportunity this offers for predicting cancer risk via the development of epigenetic mitotic-like clocks. Finally, I describe how age-associated DNAm changes may be causally implicated in cancer development via an irreversible suppression of tissue-specific transcription factors that increases epigenetic and transcriptomic entropy, promoting a more plastic yet aberrant cancer stem-cell state. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Causes and consequences of stochastic processes in development and disease'.

„Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem” (Wprowadzenie do metodologii historii, red. nauk. Ewa Domańska, Jan Pomorski, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa 2022, ss. 572)

Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem (Wprowadzenie do metodologii historii, ed. Ewa Domańska, Jan Pomorski, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warsaw 2022, 572pp) In my polemical review I focus on the conceptual apparatus of the textbook, subjecting it to some fundamental criticism. I analyse the vision of the methodology of history presented in the textbook and its relation to research practices in academic historical science.I critically examine, for example, the concepts of myth, language and paradigm discussed in the textbook. In addition, I point to the errors relating to the history of historiography and methodology.

Verfassungs- und Gesetzesvorschriften über die Sprachenregelung im rumänischen Staat während der Zwischenkriegszeit

Language regulations in interwar Romania were affected by the antinomy between their political and legal (especially constitutional) architecture, devised along Western models, and the concrete political circumstances, in a polity whose aims were defined by the ethno-cultural and linguistic character of national community supportive of the state. The perception of the alterity of the new ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities—now accounting for a significant part of the total population—occurred through the lens of two conceptual paradigms, both of them ultimately striving to promote uniformity. On the one hand, the “nation state” character of interwar Romania entailed, at least implicitly, an advancement of the economic, social and professional status of the nation supportive of the state, to the disadvantage of the national minorities. The identity claims of the latter may well be accepted, but in exchange for relinquishing the right to participate in decision-making on major political issues, concerning the state as a whole. On the other hand, the state-centered legal thinking in constitutional and administrative law—adopted under French influence—was an instrument well-suited for promoting and achieving the desired cultural uniformity. Nevertheless, the discrepancy between the Western legal and political paradigm identifying the state with the (political) nation—which formally coined the Versailles Treaty system—and the Central-European (mainly Austrian) pattern of thought, more sensitive to linguistic diversity, was discernable also at the level of the minority treaties.

Roles and Autonomous Motivation of Safety Officers: The Context of Construction Sites

Safety officers have been underlined as key individuals in the implementation of safety programmes at construction sites. However, previous research mentioned that some project managers predominantly focus on other aspects, such as the productivity of construction and the management of time and cost. Such emphases may potentially demotivate safety officers from fully engaging in safety initiatives for construction projects. Moreover, scholars have devoted piecemeal discussions to the motivation of such practitioners. These problems were addressed in the current work through the development of a conceptual paradigm that captures the actual situation between project managers and safety officers. To this end, four constructs were extensively examined: (1) autonomy-oriented support from project managers; (2) the motivation of safety officers; (3) the engagement of safety officers in safety programmes (covering four major categories of safety-related tasks); and (4) safety performance. From August to September 2022, valid data from 195 safety officers working in construction projects were considered, after which the proposed paradigm was analysed via structural equation modelling. The results showed that the autonomous motivation of safety officers was activated by autonomy-oriented support from project managers (β = 0.520, sig. = 0.000). Such motivation significantly affected their safety performance (β = 0.231, sig. = 0.007) and levels of engagement with safety initiatives (β = 0.529, sig. = 0.000). These findings indicate that in the implementation of safety programmes, the autonomous motivation of safety officers serves as the engine, while autonomy-oriented support from project managers functions as the ignition key. Policymakers in construction companies can use the results as a reference for decision-making on initiating safety policy that highlights methods of training project managers in supporting safety officers.

Russian manufacturing industry development in the context of import substitution

The relevance of the study is emphasized by the urgent need caused by the sanctions and geopolitical tensions, which manifested itself in disruptions in the foreign materials and consumer goods inflow to Russia. This in turn affected the operation of the country’s vast manufacturing sector. Such a scenario requires innovative conceptual paradigms development for managing the industrial sector in the forced import substitution era. This article attempts to identify and critically evaluate both existing and emerging strategic directions required to upgrade the nation’s industrial machinery to ensure its operational efficiency in the present circumstances. A scholarly effort con sisting of a thorough analysis and expert papers synthesis relevant to this issue has formed the basis of the study. The ways of solving the problems facing the Russian manufacturing industry in the conditions of forced adaptation and modernization have been traced and identified. The socio-economic vector occupies a central place in the formulated resolution, proclaiming the harmonious unification of efforts to diversify production as a potential lever to stimulate inter-sectoral industrial growth. The author has not only identified various areas ripe for strategic transformation, but also emphasized the critical turn towards a socio-economic trajectory that seeks to utilize all available factors. Collective organization of diversified industrial activities can indeed serve as a catalyst to break the current industrial impasse.

Conceptualization of the category of "soft power" in political science

The subject of the study includes the analysis and interpretation of the concept of "soft power" in the context of political science. The purpose of the article is to investigate the phenomenon of "soft power" in the context of the definition of Western and Chinese scientists and to analyze the balance between "soft power" and "hard power".The modern world is going through a profound large-scale development, changes and restructuring. Economic, political, social and cultural contradictions are accumulating, which leads to an aggravation of the dilemma of global governance, an escalation of international conflicts and a new round of national ups and downs. These processes have become typical symbols of international society in the new era, and the study of the conceptual paradigm of the use of "soft power" in the global governance model has become the subject of research by many scientists in the field of international relations and political science. In preparing this study, the author used: systemic, neo-institutional, comparative and other approaches. Methods of analysis, synthesis, analogy and comparison in the context of identifying common features and contradictions of Western and Eastern models of foreign policy in the context of the implementation of "soft power". An analysis of the scientific literature of Chinese and Western scientists gives grounds to assert the distinctive and original nature of the Chinese definition of "soft power", as well as the positioning of China as such a force in its own foreign policy projections. It has been established that Chinese "soft power" not only goes beyond the original ideological sphere proposed by the author of the concept of "soft power", but also has characteristic Chinese features, and also demonstrates enormous theoretical and practical strength. Special importance is given to the traditional culture of China, which is the basis and advantage of cultural "soft power" and emphasizes its unique advantages. The soft power of China's national culture is visibly reflected in national cohesion, and the strength of national cohesion depends on its core value system and the recognition of its core values in the world.

Self-Development as a Vector of Sustainable Development of Society: The Perspective of Ukrainian Students

The discrepancy between one's own personality and the desired self-image causes dissonance. But one can always change everything if one cares not only about one's own “EGO”, but also about the values of a sustainable future. Self-actualization, self-development, self-determination - these are potential determinants of human existence as such. The ideological identity combines the memory of the past, the value realities of the present life, and outlines the vector of respect for the life of future generations, which in turn actualizes the conceptual paradigm of the concept of sustainable development a priori. The implementation of the social component of sustainable societal development involves maintaining and enriching the mental health and psychological well-being of citizens. A powerful internal resource for this is self-development, which is a vector of self-realization, unlocking potential and increasing the resilience of the individual. The aim of the empirical study was to examine the attitudes and activity of future psychologists regarding self-development as a vector for realizing the ideas of the concept of sustainable societal development. Materials and methods: The study involved 156 Ukrainian students studying psychology. Methods of written surveys, statistical processing and qualitative analysis of diagnostic data, ranking were used. Results: It was found that self-development is an important factor in the professional development success of future psychologists, an effective motive for their learning and a significant professional priority. Most respondents clearly understand the connection between their own self-development and the sustainable development of Ukrainian society. 
 Keywords: self-development, sustainable societal development, social component of sustainable societal development, students, future psychologists, professional training

The Suitability of Translanguaging Pedagogy on Business English Listening Teaching in Chinese Private School

The aim of this paper is to explore translanguaging practices in Business English teaching in Cangzhou Jiaotong College in Hebei Province, China, taking listening as a pilot study and utilizing the IPO conceptual paradigm and quantitative research method to analyze and interpret the statistical results. The findings showed that EFL learners were relatively satisfied with the listening instruction using translanguaging pedagogy method. There was good perception about learning attention, learning interest, learning behavior, and learning satisfaction. A design for teaching listening comprehension was proposed by the researcher. For future study universities should provide orientation program in translanguaging pedagogy for both teachers and students to ensure effective classroom teaching and overcome traditional education culture barriers. Likewise, teachers should conduct further use of translanguaging pedagogy in Chinese higher education institutions to explore new features, teaching modes, and assessment modes using translanguaging pedagogy.

Opportunities and Challenges of Islamic Education Management in Facing the Global Era

This research discusses the concept of a constructive paradigm in Islamic education management, with a focus on opportunities and challenges in the global era. It emphasizes the importance of innovation, developing teaching quality, and effective management in facing global dynamics. The aim of this research is to identify and analyze the implications of globalization for Islamic education. The research method uses a qualitative approach and a literature review to explore the impact of globalization on Islamic educational institutions. The research results show that there are positive opportunities, such as technological advances, as a basis for positive change, but also identify social and cultural challenges that require a holistic approach. Therefore, it can be concluded that this research emphasizes the need to develop quality and globally relevant Islamic educational institutions. In facing global challenges, there is a need to focus on innovation, improving the quality of teaching, and effective management to ensure the sustainability of Islamic education that makes a positive contribution to the global scope.

Concept and Implementation: Managerial Effectiveness in the Era of Society 5.0

Managerial Effectiveness in Society 5.0 Era is characterized by rapid changes in technology, management of big data, adaptation of work paradigms, data security, changing employee skills, stronger innovation, ethical considerations, and increasing complexity of the business environment. Managers need to develop strong leadership, adaptability, and understanding of technology and social trends. In facing this challenge, managers need to develop adaptive leadership, creativity in managing resources, and a deep understanding of the implications of technology and social trends. In this journal, we analyze the concept of the managerial effectiveness paradigm needed to face Society 5.0, explore strategies to overcome existing challenges, and identify important implications for developing effective managerial skills. Through a deep understanding of the concept and implementation of managerial effectiveness in the Society 5.0 era, this journal provides valuable insights for practitioners and researchers in facing dynamic changes in the business and social environment.

“Fit for Purpose?” Assessing the Ecological Fit of the Social Institutions that Globally Govern Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a natural process where microbes develop the ability to survive the antimicrobial drugs we depend upon to treat and prevent deadly infections, such as antibiotics. This microscopic evolution is further propelled by human activities, where each use of an antimicrobial drug potentially induces AMR. As microbes can spread quickly from animals to humans and travel around the world through humanity’s global circuits of movement, the use of any antimicrobial drug has potentially global consequences. As human-induced AMR occurs, mortality and morbidity increase due to increasingly or sometimes completely ineffective antimicrobial treatments. This article considers AMR as a product of the evolving and complex interplay between human societies and invisible microbial worlds. It argues that as a political challenge, AMR requires robust institutions that can manage human–microbial interactions to minimize the emergence of drug resistance and maximize the likelihood of achieving effective antimicrobial use for all. Yet, current governance systems for AMR are ill-equipped to meet these goals. We propose a conceptual paradigm shift for global AMR governance efforts, arguing that global governance could better address AMR if approached as a socioecological problem in need of sustainable management rather than solely as a medical problem to be solved. In biodiversity governance, institutions are designed to fit the biological features of the ecosystems that they are attempting to manage. We consider how a similar approach can improve global AMR governance. Employing the concept of ecological fit, which is defined as the alignment between human social systems and biological ecosystems, we diagnose 18 discrepancies between the social institutions that currently govern AMR and the ecological nature of this problem. Drawing from lessons learned in biodiversity governance, the article proposes five institutional design principles for improving the fit and effectiveness of global AMR governance.

Unia Europejska jako społeczność ludów dobrze urządzonych? Obiektowa interpretacja prawa ludów Johna Rawlsa – przyczynek do przyszłych badań

This article aims to present an interpretative perspective on the concept of the law of peoples, enabling its contemporary conceptualization. According to the main research thesis of the article, the concepts of the object-oriented programming paradigm provide an effective conceptual apparatus for reinterpreting philosophical claims, which, in particular, can be applied to contemporary conceptualization of John Rawls’ law of peoples. In the first part of the article, the relationships between the object-oriented programming paradigm and philosophy in three areas are specified and described: the philosophy of computer science, the philosophy of science, and computational philosophy. The next part presents the key mechanisms of the object-oriented programming paradigm, such as class-object and inheritance. In turn, the third part shows how selected articles of the Treaty on European Union, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty, and the Geneva Conventions flesh out the principles of justice specified in the law of peoples. On this basis, the conclusion is drawn that they are related to each other by the relationship of inheritance. In the fourth part, the emergent structure is subjected to object-oriented interpretation, resulting in the recognition of the law of peoples as an unspecified class.

Conceptual Dichotomy “Word of God – Human Word” in the Biblical Discourse

The article deals with the study of the concept “word” as a basic one in the Holy Scripture. The Bible as a precedent text has always attracted researchers’ attention and still remains topical. It provokes interest as it renders sacral conceptual paradigm to the fullest. The article deals with cognitive linguistic modeling of the mentioned concept in the Biblical discourse, considering binary opposition “word of God – human word”. Cognitive meanings of the nuclear and peripheral concept zones, which are represented in the forms of notional, figurative and evaluative information, have been revealed in the course of study. Its nucleus contains factual and conceptual information, within which two components are characterized: linguistic and theological. The nomens “group of sounds”, “a language unit”, “speech”, “language”,”talk” and “conversation” represent the linguistic nature of a word. The lexemes “Logos”, “Gospel”, “the expressed or manifested mind and will of God”, “Jesus Christ” and “Holy Scripture” verbalize the theological component. A range of senses of the concept “word” has been singled out and analyzed, which often constitute whole microcontexts in the Biblical discourse. The peripheral zone of the concept “word” has been analyzed, that is represented as imagery and value information. The value information has been constructed on the opposition of the positive and negative connotations of the concept “word”. The imagery information naturally complements the notional one mostly by using the conceptual metaphor. The concept “word” in the Biblical discourse has been interpreted through comparison of dichotomies “sacral – profane”, “eternal – temporary”, “ideal – real”, “transcendental – immanent”, which manifest the extreme opposition “Word of God – human word”.

Towards a ‘study at home’ education in the Arab Gulf region: Reterritorializing the ‘study abroad’ model

Drawing on the works of Deleuze and Guattari, which describe the constituent behaviour of cultural assemblages, this article argues that deterritorialization marks the twentieth-century Gulf educational landscape, which problematized Arab Gulf identity. What followed is characterized by what Gilles Deleuze describes as reterritorialization, specifically the proliferation of American and western institutions in the Arab Gulf countries. This article proposes Deleuze and Guattari’s concepts of deterritorialization and reterritorialization as lenses through which to observe and respond to the resulting Arab Gulf epistemic and identity crises that arose in part from the ‘study abroad’ model dominating twentieth-century higher education in the Gulf states. In contrast, the ‘study at home’ model becomes an example of reterritorialization, which serves as a local epistemic response to the hegemonic internationalization of education. Deleuze and Guattari’s notions of deterritorialization and reterritorialization provide helpful conceptual tools to examine the western impact on higher education and identity formation in the Arab Gulf region. These two conceptual paradigms characterize two directions in which higher education has progressed during the second half of the twentieth century and well into the beginning of the twenty-first, especially in their intellectual and identity-related aspects. How can Deleuze’s concepts help us characterize an epistemic uqdah that places Arab Gulf education between two antithetical realities: the push towards international education and a sense of adherence to tradition and culture? How does the move for the internationalization of education within the recent history of the Arab Gulf inform identity formation? This conceptual study explores the impact of internationalized education on the Gulf Arab identity from cultural and epistemological perspectives.

Reinterpreting “Sustainability” and “Resilience” in the post-pandemic urban planning paradigm

In the past three years, there has been no crisis more "unexpected" than the COVID-19 epidemic, which was deemed as pandemic by WHO on March 11, 2020. Indeed, urban planning must play a significant role in resolving the pandemic dilemma. So, given that pandemics are natural disasters and environmental factors are their primary cause, how is it possible we are still experiencing this outbreak even though “resilience” and “sustainability” principles are ingrained in urban planning paradigms? Accordingly, it is essential to grasp how to incorporate “sustainability” and “resilience” ideas into urban planning processes and to develop the institutional capability to manage and monitor these procedures. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to clarify how sustainability and resilience principles might help to define the essential elements of the "post-pandemic" urban planning paradigm through conceptual analysis and a thorough assessment as the methodology. The first section discusses the necessity of the two most relevant concepts of urban planning paradigms; “sustainability” and “resilience” to tackle with pandemics, followed by the discussion of the “pandemic city” and “post-pandemic city” concepts. Finally, the last chapter explores how the attributes of resilience and sustainability can contribute to “post-pandemic urban planning” paradigm.

Przemrażanie historii. "Lód" Jacka Dukaja jako metapowieść historiograficzna

The purpose of the article is to demonstrate that Lód by Jacek Dukaj might be interpreted – referring to the methodology of Linda Hutcheon – as a historiographic metanovel. The most important element indicating such a clue is the shift from an allohistorical narration to a story about the nature of history itself. Dukaj treats history as if it were a personal character in his novel. The notable and almost freezing over presence of history in Lód proves that an attempt at this kind of reading enables interpretive endeavours in the context of the entire contemporary historiographic discourse that was initiated by the works of Hutcheon or Hayden White. The traces of postmodernist persiflage allow to look at Dukaj’s novel in a context that is much broader than only word‑building fiction, which is far too often categorized as popular literature. The author of Lód – as I have been trying to show – has turned his work into a treatise about the mechanisms that rule history, posthistory and postmemory, which in the Polish culture seems to be a direct answer to the concept of romantic paradigm, as proposed by Maria Janion.

Resilience and the shift of paradigm in ecology: a new name for an old concept or a different explanatory tool?

In the shift from the balance of nature to the flux of nature paradigm, the concept of resilience has gained great traction in ecology. While it has been suggested that the concept of resilience does not imply a genuine departure from the balance of nature paradigm, I shall argue against this stance. To do so, I first show that the balance of nature paradigm and the related conception of a single-state equilibrium relies on what Eliot Sober has named the "Natural State Model (NSM)", suggesting that the NSM has instead been dismissed in the flux of nature paradigm. I then focus on resilience as the main explanatory concept of the flux paradigm. After distinguishing between two main different understandings of "resilience", namely engineering resilience and ecological resilience, I argue that the former is close to the concept of balance or stabilityand still part of the NSM, while the latter is not. Finally, I claim that ecological resilience is inconsistent with the NSM, concluding that this concept-being incompatible with the NSM-is not part of the balance of nature paradigm but rather a genuinely new explanatory tool.

ДЕНОТАЦИЯ РЕАЛЬНОГО РЕФЕРЕНТА МИФА (НА ПРИМЕРЕ ОБРАЗА МИРОВОГО ДРЕВА ААЛ ЛУУК МАС)

This work is devoted to the problem of integrating scientific knowledge with the use of systematic methodology in research. The relevance of addressing the problem is due to the insufficient implementation of post-non-classical approaches in modern folklore studies. The level of knowledge of human culture today is increasingly demanding the synthesis of knowledge from different disciplines to expand the boundaries of worldview. The purpose of the study is to update the conceptual foundations of systematic research of mythological texts, and then to identify the real core of the myth of the Aal Luuk Mas world tree in the light of natural science theory. The materials for the analysis are extracted from the epic texts of Olonkho, where the mythological views of the Sakha ancestors are most fully preserved. Scientific novelty is seen in the very formulation of the problem of integrating knowledge and methods in the study of images of the mythological canvas of olonkho texts. The principle of integrity serves as the leading principle in the study, and a systematic approach is implemented. Structural and semantic analysis, the method of mutual interpretation of myth and science, methods of demetaphorization, dehyperbolization of the mythological image are applied. The author clarified that the approach is based on a number of concepts of the scientific paradigm “nature-man-thinking-creation”. It is proposed to introduce into folklore research the consideration of the problems of humanitarianism and myth, and science in the context of the integral field of human culture, which is possible to provide a multidimensional result of research. As a result of the analysis, the content of the ancient image of Aal Luuk Mas appears in a new light, in the form of the most important cosmic process – the spiral dynamics of systems of celestial bodies. It is emphasized that the main cosmic function of the mythological image of the Aal Luuk Mas tree as a driving principle is to ensure the dynamics, integrity and unity of the Universe at all levels of matter (microcosm, macrocosm, and megaworld). The author concludes that the results obtained contribute to the revision and possible adoption of the scientific image of the phenomenon of “spiral motion” in the form of a projection of the “psychological universal and archetype” (S. Yu. Neklyudov) mythological representations of ancient people.

Soft-tissue paradigm: A review

Facial esthetics and balanced facial proportions are the expectations of the orthodontic patient. Promising and achieving the desired facial esthetic outcome, with functional harmony are the major orthodontic challenges. A detailed study of facial hard and soft-tissue structures is required for an orthodontist to evaluate, diagnose, and treat the chief complaints of an individual orthodontic patient. Orthodontic treatment has evolved from the angles paradigm to the soft-tissue paradigm. Evaluation in terms of facial esthetics requires a thorough understanding of the concept of the soft-tissue paradigm. This review article summarizes existing major facial esthetic parameters comprehensively and will also act as a guide for the detailed scientific evaluation of soft-tissue proportions in achieving treatment goals in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics.