Confidence In Institutions Research Articles

How do product responsibility and corporate philanthropy affect firm value?

Satisfying the consumer and contributing to societal well-being have been globally acknowledged, and these developments consequently boost corporate image, attract investors, increase stock prices, enhance firm value, and enable industrial and other firms to contribute to national development. This paper examines how product responsibility and philanthropy affect the performance of industrial goods firms in Nigeria. A sample of 7 firms was selected from 24 listed firms after employing a judgmental sampling technique and using secondary data and a quantitative research method. Data validation and analysis were aided by econometric views statistical software, panel data regression, fixed and random effects estimators, stationarity test, cross-section dependence test, Durbin-Watson test, and Hausman test. The study revealed that investment in product responsibility, as evidenced by the rising stock turnover rate, is value-enhancing in Nigeria {B1 = 0.076807, P = 0.0171 or P < 0.05}, while philanthropic donation is value destroying {B1 = –0.369535, P = 0.5817 or P > 0.05}. It was concluded that consumers’ confidence in corporate institutions can enhance corporate value, while investment in philanthropy is not usually value-enhancing when done irresponsibly and non-strategically. The study, therefore, recommended that investment in product responsibility should be consolidated to sustain the rising stock turnover rate, while investment in philanthropy should be done strategically and responsibly to make it value-enhancing. AcknowledgmentThis research was based on Nnamdi Azikiwe University Ph.D. Dissertation funded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (Tetfund), Nigeria. University of Calabar in Nigeria is highly acknowledged for funding the PhD dissertation through its Tetfund platform.

Promising the future, encoding the past: AI hype and public media imagery

AbstractIn recent years, “AI hype” has taken over public media, oscillating between sensationalism and concerns about the societal implications of AI growth. The latest historical wave of AI hype indexes a period of increased research, investment, and speculation on machine learning, centred around generative AI, a novel class of machine learning that can generate original media from textual prompts. In this paper, I dive into the production of AI hype in online media, with the aim of prioritising the normative and political dimension of AI hype. Formulating AI as a promise reframes it as a normative project, centrally involving the formation of public and institutional confidence in the technology. The production and dissemination of images, in this context, plays a pivotal role in reinforcing these normative commitments to the public. My argument is divided into four sections. First, I examine the political relevance of stock images as the dominant imagery used to convey AI concepts to the public. These stock images encode specific readings of AI and circulate through public media, significantly influencing perceptions. Second, I look at the dominant images of AI as matters of political concern. Third, as generative AI increasingly contributes to the production of stock imagery, I compare the epistemic work performed by AI-generated outputs and stock images, as both encode style, content, and taxonomic structures of the world. I employ an entity relationship diagram (ERD) to investigate the political economy of AI imagery in digital media, providing a snapshot of how AI hype is materialised and amplified online. With this study, I reaffirm AI’s normative character at the forefront of its political and ethical discourse.

Civic Thought and Leadership: A Higher Civics to Sustain American Constitutional Democracy

Multiple civic crises facing American constitutional democracy—deepening political polarization and dysfunction, loss of confidence in major institutions and professions, and collapse of confidence in higher education—can be simultaneously redressed by restoring traditional civic education in universities and colleges. A nascent national reform in public universities, establishing departments of civic thought and leadership, reintroduces a blend of classical liberal arts and American civic education. This restores a core mission of truth-seeking and Socratic debate to universities, while providing the higher civics needed to perpetuate the American legal and constitutional order through non-partisan, non-ideological preparation of thoughtful citizens and leaders with the necessary civic knowledge and civic virtues, including commitment to the rule of law and American constitutionalism.

Strategic planning and its role in enhancing institutional confidence An exploratory study of a sample of workers in the Kufa leather factory, Najaf Governorate

The research aims to determine the role of strategic planning that works to strengthen and enhance the institutional confidence of the various levels of its workers in the Kufa Leather Factory in the Holy City of Najaf, where the dimensions of (vision, mission, goals, values) were represented as an independent variable in enhancing institutional confidence, the dimensions of which were (trust among employees) (and trust in senior management, and trust in direct superiors). The research community included workers in departments of the Kufa leather factory, numbering (400) workers, from whom a random sample of (205) workers was taken. In addition, the researcher formulated a set of questions that represented the problem of the research, What are effective strategies to enhance confidence among employees in the organization? The questionnaire was relied upon as a main measure for the research, through which data and information were collected from members of the research sample, which was relied upon in the applied aspect. The researcher used the statistical program (Spssv26). The research reached results, the most important of which is the existence of a significant correlation between strategic planning and institutional trust, as well as There is a significant impact of strategic planning on institutional confidence. In addition, the researcher put forward a number of recommendations, the most important of which is maintaining following the correct scientific and technical methods, such as strategic planning, and making optimal use of its available resources for the purpose of achieving its goals efficiently and effectively

The improvised expert: Staging authority at an OECD Nuclear Energy Agency workshop in Fukushima

In recent years, concerns about a crisis of expert authority have been expressed across the globe. Japan is no exception to this trend. Scandals surrounding the (mis)management of the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster severely damaged public confidence in state institutions, posing an additional challenge for those engaged in radiological protection. This article examines how claims to expert authority are made in these conditions of low public trust. To this end, I offer an ethnographic account of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency’s (NEA) Workshop on Post-Accident Food Safety Science—an event staged at the request of the Japanese Cabinet Office with the aim of inspiring confidence in Fukushima produce. I analyse the practices through which the organizers craft a credible public persona using the idiom of dramaturgical improvisation; drawing attention to the ‘performed resourcefulness’ with which they adapted extant institutional scripts in response to a discerned crisis of public reason. Concretely, improvisation invites us to consider how and why nuclear policy actors have sought to demarcate two variants of the deficit model: the (psychological) discourse of ‘radiophobia’ and the (economic) discourse of ‘reputational damage’. Where prior scholarship has identified the continuities between the two discourses, an attention to this boundary work reveals the dramaturgical advantages of ‘reputational damage’ over ‘radiophobia’ in contesting critics’ claims to the mantle of victimhood, securing international support, and producing the expert’s body as a site of evidence.

Summary of the First Thailand-China Youth Scholars Forum on Art and Culture Research

On the eve of the implementation of the permanent visa-free policy between China and Thailand, young scholars in the field of arts and culture research from Thailand and China gathered in Bangkok and actively participated in the first Thailand-China Arts and Culture Research Forum held at Guelph University in Thailand in order to strengthen the research and exchange of arts and culture between China and Thailand and achieve the goal of building a community with a shared future for mankind. The relevant scholars conducted in-depth research in their respective fields and had extensive exchanges at the conference, which played an important role in enhancing the cultural confidence, institutional confidence, and academic confidence of scholars from both countries.

Patient Victimhood and the Risks of Using Artificial Intelligence Technology in Healthcare

Artificial intelligence technologies are of increasing interest in the field of medicine and are one of the key areas for the digital transformation of healthcare . According to a number of experts, medical professionals and digital technology developers, the use of medical devices equipped with artificial intelligence technologies will raise healthcare to a high level, which will lead to improved clinical decision-making, high-quality analysis of digital images, prediction and control of the correctness of the prescribed treatment .However, failures associated with the use of medical devices equipped with artificial intelligence systems can have serious consequences for both clinical outcomes and patients . These consequences could undermine public confidence in artificial intelligence technologies and health care institutions in general . Given the certain novelty of technological solutions, data on the clinical efficacy and safety of products equipped with artificial intelligence are currently considered insufficient .This publication raises two important issues . The first part of the study describes the main physical, social and mental characteristics (properties) of patients that increase the likelihood that they will be victimized in the event of a crime situation in innovative health care services . The second part of the study identifies the risks of using AI technologies in health care that are of greatest concern to both patients and those exploiting innovative technologies .

How Polarised are Citizens? Measuring Ideology from the Ground-Up

Abstract We investigate whether the ideological polarisation of citizens has increased in Western democracies. We propose a novel methodology to identify individual ideologies by applying Latent Dirichlet Allocation to political survey data. This approach indicates that questions related to confidence in institutions play a leading role in defining citizen ideologies, in addition to the questions associated with the traditional left-right scale. We decompose the shift in ideological positions across the population over time and measure polarisation. This reveals evidence of a ‘disappearing centre’ in a sub-group of countries with citizens shifting away from centrist ideologies into anti-establishment ‘anarchist’ ideologies. This trend is especially pronounced for the US.

The Impact of the Fight Against Corruption on Nigeria's Economy: A Case Study of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission

Corruption in Nigeria has long hindered economic development and raised concerns about resource misallocation, reduced foreign direct investment, and eroded public confidence in institutions. Established in 2003, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was tasked with combating economic and financial offenses, including corruption. This study aimed to assess the impact of anti-corruption efforts, particularly the role of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Nigeria's economy. A survey research design was employed, with data collected through 109 structured questionnaires administered to personnel from various units of the EFCC at the Enugu state branch. Out of the questionnaires distributed, 100 were properly filled out and returned for analysis. Respondents were selected using a simple random sampling technique. The collected data were processed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 20.0. Descriptive statistical tools, such as simple percentages presented in tables and charts, were used to analyze and interpret the questionnaire data. The study revealed several key findings. Firstly, it emphasized the importance of the fight against corruption in Nigeria. Secondly, it highlighted the positive impact of anti-corruption efforts on the country's economy. Thirdly, it found that the EFCC has been making progress in combating corruption. Lastly, it confirmed that corruption hinders Nigeria's economic development. In conclusion, this study casts a glaring spotlight on the corrosive impact of corruption on Nigeria's economy, translating to staggering losses exceeding $100 billion in GDP. Consequently, the research emphasized the necessity of intensifying anti-corruption efforts. It proposed recommendations to address this issue, including the strengthening of anti-corruption agencies, the improvement of legal frameworks, and the promotion of economic growth as crucial steps towards achieving sustainable

The Impact of Objective Social and Demographic Respondent Characteristics on Confidence Rate: Findings of Sociologic Survey

   The article provides findings of a sociologic survey dealing with the rate of various types of confidence in the present day Russian society. The author studied the impact of 5 objective characteristics (gender, age, principle occupation, content of principle occupation and region of living) of respondents on the rate of 4 types of confidence, such as inter-personal, generalized, institutional and political. The article draws conclusions about the impact of respondent’s belonging to certain groups, identified on the basis of 5 objective characteristics both on the general rate of confidence and the rate of each types of confidence. In analyzing respondents’ answers a number of paradoxes were found. For instance, a high rate of institutional confidence went with a low rate of political confidence in selected groups of respondents. The author highlighted objective characteristics that exercised the strongest influence on respondents’ answers. Volatility of respondents’ answers was estimated both by groups identified on the basis of objective characteristics and by types of confidence. The most volatile were the answers received from respondents depending on their principle occupation and the most volatile type of confidence was inter-personal. Apart from that, conclusions were made about possible interactions between objective characteristics and the rate of confidence and nature of these interactions.

Fostering social cohesion through Kwame Nkrumah’s philosophical consciencism: The South African case

Since apartheid was formally abolished in 1994, South Africa has had a complicated social environment. Even though the end of apartheid was a great achievement, this country is now facing a number of societal issues that affect social cohesiveness. These issues include high unemployment rates, racial conflicts, economic inequality, and land reform-related problems. In addition, South Africa has problems with crime, corruption, and service delivery, all of which erode public confidence in institutions and exacerbate social unrest. Rainbowism is one tactic employed to promote social cohesion; however, much debate exists about its capacity to deliver. Therefore, this study proposes Kwame Nkrumah’s philosophical consciencism as a means of promoting social cohesion in South Africa.

Enhancement of Financial Management of MSMEs in Cilawu District to Support the Halal Ecosystem

Most of the small traders in Cilawu District, Garut, are trapped by loan sharks. It happens due to their limited literacy and legal sources of capital. Those traders do not seem to have taken advantage of the loans offered by Sharia Banks since it takes effort and time for them to gain confidence in Sharia financial service products. This study concludes that the enhancement of the ability of UMKM financial management in Cilawu District to support the halal ecosystem is to increase the literacy of small traders in financial management, from planning to preparing financial reports, as the level of financial literacy of traders is still low and they do not have confidence in financial service institutions and financial service products. In addition, the provision of literacy in Islamic financial institutions and their financial products and services for traders is necessary since it can directly boost the activities of Islamic financial institutions and contribute to the development of the halal ecosystem.

Enhancement of Financial Management of MSMEs in Cilawu District to Support the Halal Ecosystem

Most of the small traders in Cilawu District, Garut, are trapped by loan sharks. It happens due to their limited literacy and legal sources of capital. Those traders do not seem to have taken advantage of the loans offered by Sharia Banks since it takes effort and time for them to gain confidence in Sharia financial service products. This study concludes that the enhancement of the ability of UMKM financial management in Cilawu District to support the halal ecosystem is to increase the literacy of small traders in financial management, from planning to preparing financial reports, as the level of financial literacy of traders is still low and they do not have confidence in financial service institutions and financial service products. In addition, the provision of literacy in Islamic financial institutions and their financial products and services for traders is necessary since it can directly boost the activities of Islamic financial institutions and contribute to the development of the halal ecosystem.

Trust in public institutions, inequality, and digital interaction: Empirical evidence from European Union countries

Declining institutional trust is one of the central problems in modern societies. Identifying its determinants, among which inequality, is fundamental for designing suitable interventions to restore confidence in institutions and preserve the social contract. We study the relationship between the two phenomena for EU-28 countries over the period 2003–2019. We use OLS and IV estimations to show that increasing income inequality is significantly associated with reduced trust in national governments. We also find that citizens’ digital interaction with the public administrations represents a mitigating channel as it contributes to shrinking the adverse effect of inequality on institutional trust, especially for more vulnerable categories in society, such as individuals with low educational attainment and those who are unemployed. These new insights might be particularly helpful for the government's agenda to meet transparency goals and provide more digital public services. From a policy viewpoint, redistribution policies combined with a well-established e-relationship between citizens and governments may be the road to restore trust in institutions.

Legal Education as Factor for Public Security

Security in modern society means more than just protecting territory and sovereignty. The dynamics of the existing and emerging new threats in the modern world, require ensuring security in society. Security is closely related to legality. Achieving security is directly related to the presence of trust and respect for the rule of law as a factor of fundamental importance for citizens to have confidence in public institutions. Without the existence of such trust, democratic societies cannot function. Legal education is the one that provides knowledge but it also forms personalities. Individuals who can be a provider of guarantees for stability and security in our society.

The Political Scar of Epidemics

Abstract Epidemic exposure in an individual's ‘impressionable years’ (ages 18 to 25) has a persistent negative effect on confidence in political institutions and leaders. This loss of trust is associated with epidemic-induced economic difficulties, such as lower income and unemployment later in life. It is observed for political institutions and leaders only and does not carry over to other institutions and individuals. A key exception is a strong negative effect on confidence in public health systems. This suggests that the distrust in political institutions and leaders is associated with the (in)effectiveness of a government's healthcare-related response to epidemics. We show that the loss of political trust is largest for individuals who experienced epidemics under weak governments with low policymaking capacity, and confirm that weak governments in fact took longer to introduce policy interventions in response to COVID-19. We report evidence that the epidemic-induced loss of political trust discourages electoral participation in the long term.

Assessing the effectiveness of the state information policy of the Russian Federation in the field of increasing the level of trust in financial institutions: regional aspect

This article is dedicated to elaboration and testing of a methodology for assessing the effectiveness of state information policy in the field of increasing the level of public trust in financial institutions at the regional level. Based on the practice-oriented concept of state information policy in the field of increasing public confidence in financial institutions, the main theoretical principles and criteria were analyzed. A system of indicators to assess the effectiveness of this state information policy at the regional level was also presented. The conducted cluster and correlation analysis of the regions of the Central Federal District made it possible to rank them according to the level of socio-economic well-being, which allowed us to identify the Lipetsk, Ryazan and Moscow regions as objects for further testing of the elaborated methodology. In the proposed methodology, effectiveness assessment indicators were grouped into four blocks: 1) strategic planning and programming; 2) methodological and personnel support; 3) implementation of information policy; 4) effectiveness of government programs. The application of a methodology for assessing the effectiveness of state information policy measures in the field of increasing public confidence in financial institutions in the regions showed its average level in all three regions we selected. It was concluded that regions should more flexibly and effectively distribute their activities across all components and stages of the implementation of information policy, from planning (including long-term planning) for the implementation of these functions, to organizing monitoring of the effectiveness of ongoing activities.

Politics in Legal Disguise

AbstractThe article discusses the current legal-political crisis in Israel against the backdrop of the judicial and political powers that have led to the present situation. The disastrous Yom Kippur War of 1973 weakened the government and public confidence in the political institutions. The weaknesses of the government enabled the Supreme Court to carry out a judicial revolution, which completely changed the country's legal system. The legal revolution entered a new stage when the Supreme Court held that the Basic Laws form part of Israel's constitution. This judicially created constitution opened the way for judicial review of legislation. Its weakness stems from the fact that Basic Laws are legislated in much the same way as ordinary legislation. As a result, the Knesset can easily override any ruling of the Court that voids a statute, by amending the relevant Basic Law. The Court is now struggling to find a means of gaining some control over the legislation of Basic Laws. At the same time, the present government declared its intention to carry out legal reforms that are in effect a counter-revolution to the judicial revolution. The article examines how the fluctuation in the political support of the Court affects its decisions.

Corruption under a microscope, a Ghana perspective

Corruption is a global issue and a challenge in Ghana, however in the last few years, it has taken over aspects of the Ghanaian society, from government, public and private sectors, and creating a negative impact on all governance arrangement and performance in Ghana. The prevalence of corruption points to a humongous dishonesty in the Ghanaian society. Some causes of corruption in Ghana are political monetization, low level of literacy, non-enforcement of relevant laws, bureaucracy, and fusing of duties among the arms of governance. Corruption retards economic development and growth, moral degeneration, reduces confidence in government Institutions, Product and poor execution of government projects and contracts. “Perceived” corruption by religious leaders has adversely affected people’s faith in God. Progressively, successive governments have tried to tackle corruption by the introduction of legislation; attempted selective prosecution of persons culpable of corruption; digitizing services, to reduce the interface of humans in service delivery mechanism, but all these have had limited success due to political interferences and selectivity of application. The watchful eyes of Civil and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and world bodies such as the World Bank, United Nations, and Transparency International have all helped in minimizing the impact of corruption to various degrees. The decision to fight corruption is an exceptional one justified by exceptional circumstances. Ghanaians need to make disciplined efforts to produce fundamental decisions that shape and guide how and what they do to fight corruption. Reports from government, NGOs and international bodies were searched and selected according to their relevance to the subject under study and analysed to write this paper. The objective of this paper is therefore to make an exhaustive analysis of corruption in Ghana.

Populism Analytical Tools to Unearth the Roots of Euroscepticism

Populist leaders around the globe magnify pre-existing frustrations and dramatise crises to erode confidence in elites and institutions. They adapt their othering and blame attribution discourses to specific geographical realities to take advantage of local problems and prejudices. Most Eurosceptic parties apply a similar populist logic of articulation simplifying political problems, morally delegitimising their political adversaries and supranational institutions, appealing to an idealised and somewhat homogeneous notion of society as well as presenting popular sovereignty as threatened by Brussels and mainstream parties. Populism literature has developed theories and measurement tools that are very useful to explain the emergence of Eurosceptic movements and to what extent their narratives resonate with citizen’s pre-existing attitudes and/or contribute to shaping them. This article shows the value of using populism as an epistemic framework to analyse Euroscepticism and understand how parties tailor their messages (supply-side) to trigger specific beliefs and behaviours (demand-side) in the inhabitants of different geographic contexts.