Conceptual Work Research Articles

Understanding Food Assistance Through Care: Theoretical Insights

Two theoretical perspectives have been extensively mobilized to understand the social role of food assistance initiatives, namely ‘food security’ and ‘political economy’. The main objective of this article is to develop an alternative theoretical approach that allows for more comprehensive analyses. Building on Thomas’s (1993) conceptual work on care, it is expected to encourage the development of studies that incorporate less-obvious elements that (also) characterize food assistance organizations, such as the various interactions and practices that are not directly related to food donations.

Three-dimensional property: Current development trends on the Polish example

Abstract 126The majority of modern European legislations traditionally follows the concept of land ownership derived from Roman law. It is based on the assumption that the owner’s rights are unlimited in spatial terms. Within this understanding, the spatial scope of ownership extends to open space above and below a specific part of the land’s surface, delineated two-dimensionally. Several exceptions to the general underlying approach have been successively introduced in particular European legal systems in the course of historical development. These include, in the first place, building leases and apartment ownership as well as separate ownership of buildings. Furthermore, widely accepted limitations as to the vertical scope of ownership stem from specific regulations in the fields of mining law, geological law, water law and aviation law. Another manifestation of departure from the traditional concept of land ownership are legal solutions falling into the category of three-dimensional (3D) property, which is of increasing interest nowadays in view of growing needs for new forms of ownership and land use in densely built urban areas. At the core of the concept of 3D property in the strict sense lies the possibility to divide the space into distinct layers defined by horizontal and vertical planes, and to create so-called three-dimensional immovable properties which constitute independent objects of property rights. Such 3D units can serve multiple above- and underground investment purposes. Regulations regarding different models of 3D property rights have already been adopted in a number of countries in Europe and worldwide. Recently, conceptual work on layered ownership has been undertaken in Poland, which has opened a discussion in the legal scholarship on the future legislative changes to be implemented in order to introduce the notion of 3D property to domestic law. In parallel with these tendencies, the idea of 3D cadastre is being promoted. It offers 127the possibility to register real estate objects located at different levels. Worthy of note in this regard is also the impact of the current technological advancements on increasing the investment potential of urban space through 3D property formation. This article elaborates, first, on the general concept and selected types of 3D property rights existing in national jurisdictions. Against this background, the proposal for the new legal construct of layered ownership has been discussed with particular consideration of the possible ways of adapting it to the Polish property law framework. Some of the opportunities and challenges brought about by the 3D property rights development have been then outlined in the context of extensive implementation of emerging technologies in real estate transactions.

Transversality, or How Not to Reproduce the Organisations You Fight

One of Guattari's most important conceptual contributions is his notion of transversality. This complex notion responds to the very concrete problem that, when we oppose certain power formations, we tend to reproduce these same power formations. This article proposes an examination of Guattari's concept of transversality through five of its aspects, which will be related to the various problematics they respond to. The aim is to show how power formations operate and how transversality responds to them, and also to highlight the primordial importance of practical and political issues to Guattari's conceptual work. As we will see, Guattari conceived of transversality in relation to the Leninist cut; it thus is linked to democratic centralism and to the subject-group. Transversality is also linked to enunciation and autopoiesis; it is characterised by Guattari as transmonadic and transitive. The notion of transversality will also be put in relation to the war machine, on which it will thus shed light.

Easy Ontology and Undecidable Sentences

Abstract According to Thomasson’s Easy Ontology, all existential questions have straightforward answers and are solvable by conceptual and empirical work. So there is no need for traditional metaphysics to solve them. First, I give some counterexamples to this thesis from incomplete and undecidable theories. Then I discuss some possible responses, I consider a wider sense of conceptual analysis and argue that even in this sense Easy ontology is not able to resolve the problem and must sacrifice either easiness or answerability. Finally, I will argue that although traditional metaphysics does not make the undecidable sentences answerable, it can still make sense of them and helps us to understand why there are unanswerable questions at all.

Agency and its recognition in international relations

Recognition in general comes in many flavours, and so do desires and hopes for recognition. The same is true of recognition of agency in particular. In this short text, I will engage in some basic conceptual work that could be useful for thinking about the theme of this special issue. I will, first, distinguish between several forms of agency that matter in international relations (though not only there) and that can be either recognised or remain unrecognised. Second, I will reflect on what exactly it may mean to ‘recognise’ agency of these various kinds. Finally, I will discuss possible uses of the denial of agency in international relations.

ROLE OF DESHA IN DECIDING DIET AND LIFESTYLE

Introduction: In Ayurveda, the traditional system of medicine that originated in ancient India, the concept of Desha (region or country) plays a crucial role in understanding lifestyle and diet. Ayurveda recognizes that the natural and environmental factors of a specific region significantly influence the physical and mental constitution of individuals.Acharya Charakareferred to the patients habitat as well as the land by using the name Desha. Acharya Vagbhata listed the 10 examinable elements for Desha and said that a doctor who thoroughly studies these will never hesitate to determine the proper medication for treating an aggravated Dosha. Understanding Desha is required for a complete assessment of the patient and the medication. Material & Methodology:Ayurvedic classics, commentaries, modern literature, research journals available in the institute library, and online resources were all used for inspiration for framing conceptual work. Discussion:Recognising Desha provides assistance not just with medication selection but also with patient examination and disease diagnosis. Everyone needs to be aware of its many practical elements. Applied aspect of Desha includes Role of Desha in health maintenance- SwasthasyaSwasthRakshanam& Role of Desha in Disease- AturasyaVikaraPrashaman. Conclusion:Pursuant to the current investigation, Desha affects a persons food and way of life from conception to death. From a health and illness perspective, Sadharana Desha is typically better than Anupa and Jangala Desha. These days, there is a lot of research being done on the gut microbiota, which highlights how crucial Desha is to leading a healthy life. Thus, this idea of Desha/ land/ locality/ place/ geographical area is crucial and need to be considered while organizing patient care or research projects, framing the policies too.

Assessing Healthy Effects between Local Level Farmer’s Markets and Community-Supported Agriculture and Physical Well-Being at the State Level

Much change has occurred in the recent past around food systems at the local level. As interest continues to rise, we were curious to examine connections of local food systems and well-being in the context of the places they operate at the state level. Health is a central component of food well-being. In this article, we focus on physical well-being. We explore the connection between food systems, as represented by farmers markets (FMs), community-supported agriculture (CSAs), and physical well-being using state level data. To investigate these relationships, we conducted an ordinal logistic regression model analyzing 2016 data from the United States Department of Agriculture for the 50 states. The results of this study suggest that there is an inconclusive relationship at the state level. While local FMs and CSAs may increase physical well-being at the state level, we did not find this in our study. This finding adds to the body of literature where the majority of the studies in this area are case studies, ethnographies, and smaller studies using some regional data and small samples for local data. We believe that this conceptual work will allow for future empirical studies to build upon this study to conduct further empirical work examining regional state and local datasets for more conclusive findings.

Блуждая среди высот гор и низин рек: художественные исследования и то, что их характеризует

This article presents an overview of the origin of the concept of “artistic research” and the discussions around it that unfolded in the artistic and academic environment. Artistic research emerged within the framework of the academy, but at the same time, as many critics emphasize with whom the author of the article agrees, it should not be colonized by it. The article examines the models of conducting artistic research with reference to the Mika Hannula’s, Juha Suoranta’s and Tere Vadén’s Artistic Research Methodology and identifies general patterns that characterize this practice in all its diversity. The basic formula presents artistic research as an artistic process to which contextual, interpretative and conceptual work is added, aimed at argumentation of a point of view. In any case the practices of artistic research are supposed to be performative. The author of the article offers a look at the course of artistic research as a process extended over time, including alternating phases and various “points of visibility”. Artistic research can be presented in the institutional space if it coincides with the program and objectives of a particular institution, but at the same time it can be carried out independently. The finished project demonstrated within the framework of the institution may be preceded by a long research period remaining “behind the scenes”, or some intermediate research results may be presented in a variety of formats.

Studying personality and social structure

AbstractPeople's personalities are expressed and develop amidst a range of social structures, such as laws, social networks, cultural practices, and institutions, which produce and maintain hierarchies in society. In turn, the purpose and form of social structures are impacted by people's personalities. Yet, research on how personality and social structure interact is still rare. Here, I introduce theoretical framework that can help guide research on this topic. I first define personality and social structure and then use concepts from theoretical work on person–environment transactions to describe how personality and social structure interact. I highlight selection, manipulation, evocation, and socialization as transactions between personality and social structure through which hierarchies are enhanced or attenuated. Supported by this conceptual work, I describe two examples of dynamics in which personality and social structure reinforce each other in the U.S.: Conscientiousness and voting, and Openness and protest. Finally, to motivate future research, I propose novel questions that psychologists can ask about how personality and social structure interact, and I address possible limitations of the framework.

Study on transformations in land use in the functional context of extensive city ventilation routes using the example of Bródnowski Ventilation Corridor in Warsaw, Poland

Abstract Ventilation corridors are critical for regulating the appropriate flow of urban air streams. Details on how they function, especially in a specific location, can be found in local eco-physiographic studies. Such analyses are designed during conceptual work on the conditions and directions of the development of a studied area. Such documentation includes advanced research on the impact of natural conditions on the area's growth and evolution. In Warsaw, Poland, such a study makes it possible to define various natural areas that are essential for the appropriate functioning of the city and increase its inhabitants’ well-being. This provides an initial basis for further analysis and motivates researchers to investigate the distribution of natural sites. It inspired the authors to assess the land-use structure in the context of the location of ventilation corridors. Thus, land use and land cover (LULC) modifications were examined in the context of their tendency to aid in the ventilation of the city. The object of the study is the Bródnowski Ventilation Corridor (BVC) – one of several designated for Warsaw in the spatial planning concepts of the 1980s and 1990s. In the research encompassing the years 1982–2020, the authors analysed the land use and roughness determined by the development characteristics and vegetation cover. References were made to current and archival planning documents, aerial photographs, satellite images, and the Topographic Objects Database BDOT10k. The research was prompted by the municipality's intention to urbanize the study area, which will undoubtedly eliminate the ventilation function of the southern part of the corridor and significantly reduce its remaining territory. Analysis of changes in the land cover of the south part of the corridor confirms its marginal importance for the city's ventilation. In this area, ongoing modifications proceed slowly, and urbanization – mainly low-rise and less intensive buildings – is limited. This zone has largely retained and is likely to maintain its favourable features from the point of view of ventilation and air regeneration.

Ethical challenges in the use of digital technologies in psychological science: Introduction to the special issue.

Digital technologies are pervasive in every aspect of our daily lives. The proliferation of such technologies has also influenced the conduct of biomedical, behavioral, and social research. The articles in this special issue provide illustrative examples of the range of applications of digital technologies in psychological science research across a variety of populations. They highlight ethical, legal, and social issues that emerge when digital technologies are employed in psychological science research in the current era of rapid technological change, increasing prevalence of interdisciplinary team science, evolving understandings of ethical precepts and social norms, and promoting open science. This introduction to the special issue provides an overview of challenges to the Belmont principles of respect for persons, beneficence, and justice revealed in the 10 articles. The conclusions reached are that these ethical principles do not always adapt well to the digital environment and that practices cannot always be uniquely classified under one of these three headings. We recommend that conceptual work and practical guidance be undertaken to expand the interpretation of these principles in the light of evolving societal norms and emerging ethical issues. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Anticipation in the biosciences and the human right to science.

Anticipation entails contemplating the beneficial and harmful impacts of scientific and technological progress. Anticipation has a long history in science, technology, and innovation policy partly due to future impacts of scientific progress being inescapable. The link between anticipation, an undertheorized concept, and human rights law is yet to be fully explored. This paper links anticipation to the rights to science, a lesser-studied human right codified in the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. The paper argues that the normative content of the right includes anticipation entitlements and duties. Combining the entitlements and duties with anticipation typologies leads to identifying three forms of anticipation that governments (and, in some cases, scientists) must carry out: beneficial, responsible, and participatory anticipation. The paper concludes by identifying three ways in which further conceptual work can enrich human-rights-based anticipation.

Review of Agile SDLC for Big Data Analytics Systems in the Context of Small Organizations Using Scrum-XP

Software development using agile System Development Life Cycles (SDLC), such as Scrum and XP, has gained important acceptance for small businesses. Agile approaches eliminate barriers to required organizational, technical, and economic resources usually necessary when rigorous software development approaches, through heavyweight methodologies (e.g., Rational Unified Process (RUP)) or heavyweight international standards (e.g., ISO/IEC 12207) are used. However, despite their high popularity in small businesses, their utilization is scarce in the emergent domain of Big Data Analytics Systems (BDAS). Consequently, small businesses interested in deploying BDAS lack systematic academic guidance regarding agile SDLC for BDAS. This research, thus, addresses this research gap, and reports an updated comparative study of three of the main proposed SDLCs for BDAS (Cross-Industry Standard Process for Data Mining CRISP-DM), Two mains were Microsoft Team Data Science Process (TDSP), and Domino Data Science Lifecycle (DDSL)) in the current BDAS development literature, against a Scrum and Extreme Programming (Scrum-XP) SDLC. For this aim, a Pro Forma of a generic Scrum-XP SDLC is used to examine the conceptual structure, i.e., roles, phases-activities, roles, and work products-of these two SDLCs. Hence, this comparative study provides theoretical and practical insights on agile SDLC for BDAS adequate for small businesses and calls for further conceptual and empirical research to advance toward an agile SDLC for BDAS supported by academia and used in practice.

Areas of blockchain technology application in modern city – part I

Purpose: The purpose of paper is to indicate the potential of using blockchain technology in smart cities. The author analyzes the state of development of blockchain-based solutions and relates it to areas of the functioning of cities. The aim is also to indicate blockchain applications importance in the context of city residents quality of life and the functioning of various industries operating within them. Design/methodology/approach: The objectives of the paper were achieved by analyzing literature, industry reports as well as selected blockchain projects’ websites. The theoretical scope of the article is the description of blockchain technology application areas within the modern cities, their main characteristics and the potential for its usage. Findings: The author indicated 6 areas of blockchain application, and then indicated a number of functioning solutions based on blockchain referring to them, and also indicated the potential of the impact of the described solutions on the development of the city. In the summary, areas for further research were indicated, referring to slightly differently perceived aspects of the city's development and improving the lives of its inhabitants. Practical implications: The successful implementation of blockchain solutions depends on a large amount of conceptual and technological work in organizations. The article suggests areas of blockchain use in the city and indicates examples of already implemented solutions that can constitute a reference point and inspiration for new solutions. Social implications: The blockchain technology shows the potential to improve the quality of life of city residents in the context of building solutions that eliminate the need for trust in service providers, weakened by frequently observed unethical behavior and negligence in the security and transparency of information flow. The widespread use of blockchain in the city is therefore undoubtedly in the interest of societies. Originality/value: The paper’s originality is expressed in a comprehensive look at the issue of using blockchain in the functioning of modern cities, together with an indication of both the potential of their implementation and already existing solutions in the subject area. Moreover, the author points out social benefits in the form of increased trust and an increase in the city residents quality of life. Keywords: from 3 to 5 keywords (phrases), justified text, spacing before 6 pt., TNR 12 pt. font, single line spacing. Category of the paper: Literature review, viewpoint

Ownership structures and corporate governance: A systematic analysis

This study aimed to analyze the ownership structures and corporate governance. Good corporate governance helps companies become more efficient, improve access to finance, reduce risk, and avoid substandard governance (Kontogeorga et al., 2022; Mustafa & Morina, 2022; Prasad et al., 2022; Lapina et al., 2016; Raja & Kostyuk, 2015). The study has followed a qualitative research paradigm and systematic review protocol, specifically the PRISMA technique, and included 65 papers published in journals with impact factors during the timeline of 2010–2022, focusing on Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the US by taking topics like time, article type, regions, topics, theory breakdown for ownership structure, theory breakdown for corporate governance, and research methods. It was found that most of the papers were published in 2022. The majority of the articles were empirical, and most were published in Europe. The mainstream papers were related to corporate governance. The theory used in the breakdown of ownership structure was the firm theory, while for corporate governance, the theory was the agency theory, and most of the articles utilized the analysis method. The study recommended that, despite significant research in this area, further research is still needed, especially in developed countries. Most research work is experimental and, and therefore, requires a substantial amount of conceptual work.

Балеты Валерия Кикты: эволюция жанра

The article is dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the creative activity of the composer Valery Grigorievich Kikta, Honored Art Worker of Russia and Ukraine, professor at the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory and the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music. The main objective is to introduce the problematics of the composer's ballet work. The article considers the role of ballet in the author's style, establishes the probable reasons for the commitment to this genre and provides meaningful primary images that inspired the master. The research methodology combines musicological and general humanitarian approaches, including hermeneutic and comparative approaches; the "word of the composer" is essential. A number of questions are raised: the development of the Russian ballet tradition, the "plan of content" and "plan of expression", the specifics of genre processes, the synthesis of genres in various ballet works, the genre features of ballets with chorus. The special significance of the ballet "Andrei Rublev" (2016) as a conceptual work of synthetic genre, which reveals the cross-cutting symbolic leittems of creativity, is shown. The conclusion is made about Kikta’s ballets as an important component of the cultural and historical process of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

Large Language Models and the Future of Organization Theory

In this editorial essay, we explore the potential of large language models (LLMs) for conceptual work and for developing theory papers within the field of organization and management studies. We offer a technically informed, but at the same time accessible, analysis of the generative AI technology behind tools such as Bing Chat, ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, to name the most prominent LLMs currently in use. Our aim in this essay is to go beyond prior work and to provide a more nuanced reflection on the possible application of such technology for the different activities and reasoning processes that constitute theorizing within our domain of scholarly inquiry. Specifically, we highlight ways in which LLMs might augment our theorizing, but we also point out the fundamental constraints in how contemporary LLMs ‘reason’, setting considerable limits to what such tools might produce as ‘conceptual’ or ‘theoretical’ outputs. Given worrisome trade-offs in their use, we urge authors to be careful and reflexive when they use LLMs to assist (parts of) their theorizing, and to transparently disclose this use in their manuscripts. We conclude the essay with a statement of Organization Theory’s editorial policy on the use of LLMs.

The Far West of Nepal as a Remote Area

Remoteness, as a subject for multi-disciplinary analysis, remains largely under-studied and under-theorised. Though the idea of remote areas is familiar in Nepal, thanks to the government’s long-running ‘Remote Area Development Programme (1966-2017), there has hardly been any conceptual work on the subject in the Nepalese context. We ask who defines ideas of remoteness and for whom it is an issue. Data were collected through two Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), organized in Bajhang and Kanchanpur in 2022, as well as through interviews, informal discussion, and observations during fieldwork in the region between 2020 and 2022.
 The paper suggests that remoteness: (a) is both a fact of geography and a state of mind and culture; (b) thus, is an idea imposed from outside, but also a condition of lived reality; (c) is a relative concept, defined in relation to multi-layered hierarchical power centres located elsewhere; and (d) is a development category. Therefore, we argue, the very notions of ‘sudūr’ and ‘remote’ (durgam) are imposed political constructs, symbolizing (more than spatial position) the loci of power elsewhere, and can have detrimental consequences: persistent neglect, the reproduction of marginalization, and increasing dependency.

THE CONCEPT OF CUSTOMER COST ACCOUNTING IN CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT

In any enterprise, the customer plays a key role as the main “provider” of revenue. The profitability of a particular enterprise depends on appropriate customer relations. Profitable customer relations are crucial for conducting and continuing business. The purpose of this article is to present the author’s concept of customer cost accounting, which will effectively support decision-making in optimizing customer relations. The main basis for the conceptual work on the customer account is research conducted on 178 companies, the results of which clearly indicated the need to analyze the profitability of customer relationships. The research used a survey questionnaire and statistical tools. First, basic statistical measures were applied. Non-parametric tests were used to evaluate the relationships between variables: Pearson’s chi-square test, Spearman’s rank correlation, and the Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA test. Through the research, three theses were falsified and confirmed.

An energy justice index for the energy transition in the global South

In order to avoid dangerous climate change and to satisfy the global energy needs energy systems have to change. Hopes are especially high in countries of the Global South for the low-carbon transition to propel sustainable development. Yet, while the energy transition provides opportunities, it also raises questions on how to avoid new global inequalities. This study presents the first quantitative approach to measure the extent to which the energy transitions in the Global South incorporate elements of energy justice. In doing so, this study builds on a rich literature on energy justice that differentiates between distributional, recognition, and procedural justice, thus taking into account social and development objectives such as affordability and accessibility of energy, the inclusion of marginalised parts of society, as well as broader community involvement and participation. Though much important conceptual and qualitative work has been done, what has been lacking so far is a quantitative measure of the degree to which the energy transition lives up to the imperative of energy justice, going beyond the much-studied Global North. The proposed energy justice index is designed and applied to select countries from Southeast Asia (Malaysia), sub-Saharan Africa (Kenya), the MENA region (Jordan), and Latin America (Chile). The index stands the test of the empirical application and demonstrates significant variation between countries along the different dimensions of energy justice. The study also emphasizes the importance of further testing and of improving data quality for informed policy making of energy justice issues in the Global South.