Institutional Context Research Articles

Empowerment or ornament? Gender diversity’s impact on cash holdings amid quota enforcement in an emerging market

Purpose This study examines the impact of female directors on cash holdings in Egyptian listed firms, particularly in light of Decree 123/2019, which mandates female board representation. This study aims to determine if female directors mitigate agency conflicts related to cash holdings and how these dynamics shift post-quota implementation. Design/methodology/approach Using a panel fixed-effects model, the research analyzes 1,563 firm-year observations from 223 non-financial Egyptian firms listed on the EGX between 2014 and 2022. The robustness of the findings is tested through additional analyses using alternative proxies for cash holdings, different sample periods and a two-stage least squares approach to address endogeneity concerns. Findings This study finds a significant negative association between female directors and cash holdings, suggesting that female board members may promote more conservative cash management practices. However, this relationship weakens post-quota implementation, becoming statistically insignificant. This implies that while quotas increase female representation, they do not necessarily enhance corporate governance effectiveness regarding cash management. The pre-quota positive link between female directors and excess cash holdings also becomes insignificant post-quota. Research limitations/implications The study focuses on female directors’ impact on cash holdings, excluding potential effects on other board subcommittees or functions. It does not capture long-term benefits of increased female representation, which may emerge as the pool of qualified female directors grows. Future research should explore broader implications of gender diversity guidelines and other diversity dimensions across various corporate governance aspects and institutional contexts. Originality/value This research provides empirical evidence from an emerging market context on the understudied impact of gender diversity on cash holdings. It critically evaluates the unintended consequences of mandatory gender quotas, highlighting the complexity of regulatory interventions in corporate governance. The study stresses the need for policymakers to address factors limiting the effectiveness of such quotas and to consider potential suboptimal outcomes when increasing female board representation without a corresponding increase in the supply of qualified female directors.

Ethical challenges in collecting pre-existing digital data for linguistic research

Abstract Pre-existing digital data are a valuable resource for linguistic research. Collecting these materials is often thought of as straightforward (“the data exist anyway”) and ethical dilemmas are given little consideration. In this article, we discuss microethical issues we encountered while collecting electronic text messages, photos, and videos posted on a digital platform and app during paramedical treatment. Since ethics and methods are intertwined, we discuss the various ethical and methodological aspects of collecting these sensitive digital data for our linguistic research project and reflect on the benefits and limitations of the choices we made during this process. We specifically highlight the interdependence of ethics with technology and discuss how this can be even more challenging when working in a specific institutional context characterized by different conceptions of ethics and technology. Our article highlights the importance of microethics complementing prevalent ethical guidelines. We show that when pre-existing digital data are available in non-public digital spheres, it is difficult for researchers to define in advance in ethical protocols or guidelines how the data can be collected and what ethical measures should be taken. We argue that ethical reflections should be at the center of research, including research on pre-existing digital data, guiding the decisions to be made at all stages.

“I Feel Like I Belong, and I Know Why I Belong”: An Intersectional Identity-Affirming Counterspace

This paper draws on qualitative interview data with student-residents and alumni of an undergraduate residential learning community at a large U.S. university. The authors bring together the frameworks of intersectionality and counterspace to explore how student-residents experienced the intersectional framework of the residential learning community. This paper outlines how the community served as an intersectional identity-affirming counterspace and considers the limitations and challenges of the space within the larger social and institutional context. It concludes with a consideration of the implications for efforts toward educational justice and equity.

Ensuring Data Privacy in Teen and Children Mental Health Analytics: The Role of Differential Privacy in Data Engineering

This article examines the critical intersection of youth mental health data analytics and privacy preservation technologies, focusing on differential privacy implementations. The article explores the growing mental health crisis among adolescent populations and the subsequent need for data-driven interventions while maintaining stringent privacy protections. It analyzes the effectiveness of differential privacy frameworks in protecting sensitive mental health information while enabling valuable research insights across educational and healthcare settings. The article comprehensively evaluates privacy-preserving mechanisms, including privacy budget management, noise addition techniques, and implementation challenges across various institutional contexts. An examination of real-world applications in school-based mental health programs and healthcare platforms it demonstrates how privacy-enhanced analytics can support effective mental health interventions while maintaining individual privacy and regulatory compliance.

Połączenie sztucznej inteligencji i tokenów NFT – nowe wyzwania dla rynku sztuki?

Purpose: The article aims to identify the challenges for the art market resulting from the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and in particular the interdependence between GenAI and NFT tokens. Methodology: Research methods – literature studies, as well as analysis of law and case law. Theoretical, institutional context – economic analysis of law and regulatory impact assessment. Results: The study found that the combination of GenAI and NFT paves the way for innovative forms of artistic expression, challenges conventional notions of art and redefines the relations between artists, collectors and technology. Research limitations/implications: A significant limitation of the research to date is the lack of clarity of the law and scarce, initial case law. The new institution of text and data mining (TDM), although quite narrowly defined, is burdened with legal uncertainty. Originality/value: Theoretical and practical implications of the undertaken topic can contribute to explaining the economic and legal characteristics of the impact of GenAI on the art market and creative sectors, which fills the research gap in the area of management science.

The State Abroad: The Role of Emerging Market SOEs in International Business Dynamics

Purpose: This study examines emerging market State-Owned Multinationals’ (SOEs’) impact on the international business landscape by emphasising their dual role as commercial units and government instruments. Addressing the mainstream frameworks on internationalisation, we uncover the ways these firms navigate the complexities of global trade, thus contributing to the understanding of international business dynamics in the context of global power balances. Design/Methodology/Approach: By making use of a narrative literature review, this research aims to synthesise perspectives from a wide array of academic contributions found in leading international business journals. By examining this literature, the study seeks to integrate theories with findings from recent discussions on the internationalisation of emerging market SOEs. Through this methodological approach, we seek to elucidate the role of these firms in global trade and government dynamics in market operations. Findings: This research shows the increasing role of SOEs in the global market, with the rising protagonist part of emerging markets such as the BRICS countries. These firms play an important role of intersection in the commercial objectives and the geopolitical ambitions of their home country. The interaction between state influence, the institutional contexts in both home and host nation, and strategies both in political and economic terms are important perspectives brought by this research. Research limitation/Implications: The limitations of this research are the reliance on published academic literature, which may not always capture the dynamics of international business and the political scenario and its rapid developments, and the unstructured nature of a narrative literature review. The findings from this research have important implications for policymakers and business managers, as well as for the scholarly literature when understanding the internationalisation of emerging market SOEs.

Artisan development in the AEC industry: strategies for attracting, transitioning and retaining workers

This paper investigates the prospects for artisan development in South Africa's Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. Despite the vital economic contributions of this industry, attracting new entrants, aiding their transition into the workforce, and retaining skilled artisans remain significant challenges. The research focuses on strategies for addressing these issues, specifically within the context of South Africa's Institute for National Development of Learnerships, Employment Skills, and Labour Assessments (INDLELA). A critical literature review and qualitative interviews with key stakeholders revealed insights into existing policy implementation, the quality and relevance of training programs, and the recognition of artisans' prior learning. The research findings underscore the urgent need for robust and inclusive skills development strategies, recognizing prior learning as a key intervention and improved advocacy for artisan professions. Establishing clear targets, enhancing digitization processes, and strengthening institutional roles are vital steps towards addressing artisans' skill shortages in South Africa's AEC industry.

From classroom to industry: Developing universal competencies and AI integration in engineering education for technological advancements

The purpose of this study is to develop strategies for enhancing higher and postgraduate education in Kazakhstan, with a focus on improving graduate readiness for professional roles and building predictive models to analyze and assess doctoral graduation rates in technical fields for 2023–2025. This research emphasizes a flexible framework that integrates universal competencies into engineering programs, adaptable to various institutional and national contexts. Active learning methods, including project-based tasks, problem-solving exercises, internships, and lab work, are employed to cultivate practical skills aligned with real-world engineering demands. The study also highlights the need for comprehensive assessment systems that extend beyond theoretical testing, incorporating continuous feedback and curriculum adjustments to align with labor market needs and scientific developments. Results reveal key areas for higher education reform, as outlined in Kazakhstan’s State Program for Education and Science Development (2020–2025). These include implementing a competency-based approach, optimizing interdisciplinary and practice-oriented teaching methods, and enhancing the global competitiveness of Kazakhstani universities. Additionally, through time-series analysis of doctoral graduation data, a trend model was created, showing a steady increase in graduates, tested for anomalies and trend adequacy, making it reliable for forecasting graduate numbers. The scientific significance of this work lies in its contributions to models that improve graduate training, fostering high-quality education to enhance Kazakhstani universities’ global competitiveness. By integrating AI-driven strategies and emerging technologies, the research provides an adaptive educational model to equip students with essential professional and universal competencies, essential for navigating the evolving labor market and supporting sustainable development.

Why Synthetic Data Can Never Be Ethical: A Lesson from Media Ethics

This Dialogue paper argues that the use of synthetic data can never be “ethical.” My argument imports a normative stance from media ethics that “being-ethical-means-being-accountable” (Glasser and Ettema 2008). Building from discourse ethics, this stance positions such ethics as having “the facility to argue articulately and deliberate thoughtfully about moral dilemmas, which in the end means being able to justify, publicly and compellingly, their resolution” (Glasser and Ettema 2008: 512). Crucially, this approach is dialogical and social, necessitating a space open to all affected by relational practices and processes. While the use of synthetic data in commercial institutional contexts may offer workarounds to privacy concerns regarding personally identifiable information (PII) or unpaid user labor––or seem relatively innocuous, as in the case of training computer vision algorithms in video games––this facilitates, as others in this Dialogue section argue in their respective papers, a “fix” or “solutionist” framing that elides ethics and de-politicizes synthetic data. Synthetic data therefore intensifies a pre-existing lack of accountability inherent within automated systems more generally, and through this, entrenches and compounds surveillant practices. In some arenas, the stakes are quite literally life or death, such as in the development of medical AI, and more perniciously, the migration of models from commercial to state deployment in law enforcement and military contexts. Given the foreclosure of thoughtful, articulate, and reflexive inclusive deliberation on the significant moral implications of AI’s vast and ever-growing assemblages, and synthetic data’s role in further mystifying and legitimating its seemingly unbridled development and deployment, I argue that synthetic data can never meet the standard of “ethical” practice.

Venue‐Making

ABSTRACTVenue‐making describes the process of turning political issues into political institutions. Both public policy and institutionalist scholars have addressed the puzzle of when and how new political institutions arise. We draw on both perspectives, arguing that the interaction between interest groups and government ultimately determines whether an issue remains within the existing institutional setting or if a new venue is made. A repeated stag hunt game illuminates the challenges of this interaction: interest groups and government need to coordinate the move from an old to a new venue by amplifying the issue and creating new institutional structures simultaneously. Because the switch from subsystem politics to venue‐making is rewarding but also risky, several mechanisms, including signaling, sustained interaction, and inspection, encourage cooperation. Our research design provides an analysis of three case studies in a fixed institutional context of unified Germany. A first case process‐traces how political issues about digitalization emerged and became institutionalized. A second, off‐path case shows the short‐lived attempt to centralize administrative competences in the domain of energy policy underscores the crucial role of interest groups. The third case explains the ultimately futile attempt to create a new Ministry of Immigration.

Examining the Role of Organizational Culture in Shaping Security Practices: A Case Study of Tertiary Institutions

This study investigates the critical role of the human factor in enhancing organizational cybersecurity resilience, particularly within the context of tertiary institutions in Nigeria. As organizations increasingly depend on digital technologies, understanding how employee knowledge, behavior, and awareness impact information security is paramount. The research highlights the significant contribution of human error to security breaches, underscoring that even the most sophisticated technological defenses are vulnerable when individuals do not adhere to security protocols. Utilizing a comprehensive literature review, the study examines the implications of human behavior, including negligence and social engineering, on organizational security outcomes. Key findings indicate that insufficient training, lack of supervision, and poor understanding of security policies exacerbate vulnerabilities. Recommendations include implementing robust security awareness programs and ensuring that only qualified personnel teach keyboarding skills, as these practices can mitigate risks. Ultimately, the research advocates for a socio-technical approach to cybersecurity, emphasizing the need for collaboration between technical solutions and human factors to foster a more secure operational environment in the educational sector.

The caring adult role: ethical reflections from an ethnographic study of school bullying

ABSTRACT In this article, we contribute to a discussion of ethics within school bullying research by reflecting on our own recent ethnographic study into the relations between school bullying and the institutional context of schooling conducted at three elementary schools and one lower-secondary school in Sweden. We argue for a reflexive, responsive, and flexible adult researcher role when conducting ethnographic research into school bullying; what we term the caring adult role. The caring adult role provides a means of ethically conducting research by helping to facilitate access, navigate power relations, provide a consistent starting point for deciding when to intervene in ethically questionable situations, and a way for adult researchers to differentiate themselves from those adults in schools who may be perceived by students as non-caring. We argue that this is an ethically sounder approach than one that suspends all adult-like characteristics and avoids directing or correcting the behaviour of children.

The Influence of Discipline and Work Ethics, as well as Work Environment, on Employee Performance through Job Satisfaction as an Intervening Variable among Employees of the East Kutai Regional House of Representatives

This study aims to analyze the impact of work discipline, work ethics, and work environment on job satisfaction, as well as their effect on employee performance among employees of the East Kutai Regency DPRD. The research employs a quantitative approach with a descriptive format, utilizing a saturated sampling technique on a population of 101 employees. Data were collected through fieldwork research and library research. The findings reveal that work discipline has a significant positive effect on job satisfaction, while work ethics shows a positive but insignificant effect. The work environment significantly enhances job satisfaction. Additionally, job satisfaction significantly influences performance, as do work discipline, work ethics, and work environment. Notably, work discipline positively impacts performance through job satisfaction, while work ethics has a positive but insignificant effect through job satisfaction. The study's limitations include the relatively small sample size and focus on a specific population, which may limit the generalizability of the results to broader contexts. Organizations should focus on improving work discipline and the work environment to enhance job satisfaction, ultimately boosting employee performance. This research contributes to understanding the relationships between work discipline, work ethics, work environment, job satisfaction, and employee performance, particularly within the context of local government institutions in Indonesia.

MULTICULTURAL LEADERSHIP: CONCEPT AND IMPLEMENTATION IN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Multicultural leadership has become a crucial aspect in addressing the challenges of diversity within educational institutions, making this research significant in providing an in-depth understanding of its implementation. This study aims to explore the concept and application of multicultural leadership within the context of educational institutions. Using a Systematic Literature Review approach, the research analyzes literature indexed in Scopus, DOAJ, and Google Scholar with focusing on publications from 2014 to 2024. The evaluation results indicate that multicultural leadership has a significantly positive impact on student engagement and academic achievement. This approach not only enhances student motivation but also strengthens their ability to collaborate and interact with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds. Consequently, the implementation of inclusive policies in education becomes increasingly vital for fostering a learning environment that supports diversity and facilitates the optimal development of students' potential. This study contributes to the understanding of the importance of multicultural leadership in improving the quality of education that is inclusive and responsive to the needs of all students.

Strategic Planning in Higher Education Institutions

Strategic planning in higher education has become increasingly essential due to technological advancements, shifting student expectations, and evolving demographic trends. This paper investigates the critical components, processes, and challenges involved in strategic planning, emphasizing its importance for aligning institutional goals with actionable outcomes. The study outlines the key elements of a successful strategic plan, including vision, mission, objectives, and stakeholder involvement. The process of developing, implementing, and monitoring plans is discussed, highlighting data-driven decision-making and adaptability as central themes. Case studies illustrate best practices and the adaptability required to navigate shifting landscapes. Effective planning fosters institutional growth, aligns with societal needs, and ensures accountability while addressing challenges such as resistance to change, resource limitations, and diverse institutional contexts. Keywords: Strategic planning, higher education, institutional growth, stakeholder engagement, vision and mission.

Local Government and Natural Resource Management in Madhya Pradesh, India: A Critical Institutional Analysis

This paper investigates the factors that influence the involvement of local government in natural resource management in a decentralized institutional context. Institutions, regulating resource use patterns and practices are indicated to be decisive for the success or failure of resource management initiatives, and decentralization is considered a promising institutional arrangement in this regard. In this context, it is significant that India adopted decentralization through the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, devolving resource management functions to the local government. However, there is limited work on how local government engages with devolved functions and what factors influence its resource management interventions. Consequently, we investigate the factors that influence the involvement of local government in natural resource management across three village councils in India. Taking a critical realist approach, we find that although multiple factors exert their influence, institutional force and actors’ rational incentives serve as key causal factors explaining local government’s involvement with resource management.

The discrepancies between inclusive campus climate initiatives and realities: the perspectives of Hong Kong students in a Mainland university of the Greater Bay Area

ABSTRACT Within the context of the multipolar higher education landscape, China in the past decade has emerged as an important destination for Hong Kong students, especially in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). However, little is known about their experiences in Mainland universities. The extant literature on international students moving from the rest to the West, considers individuals’ language barriers and cultural differences as main inhibitors for their academic and social engagement in the destination institution. Little research examined the role of the institutional context, especially for international students who do not head to the West to study. Building on the theory of campus climate for diversity, this study interviewed ten Hong Kong students in the early years of their undergraduate programmes in one Mainland China university, located in the GBA, and interrogated the impacts of inclusive campus climate initiatives, perceived and experienced by these cross-border Hong Kong students. Two salient initiatives, namely mixed residential living arrangements with their Mainland peers and a Hong Kong/Macao student organisation, were identified by participants who indicated that when the initiatives aimed to better integrate Hong Kong students into the host institution/society, they separated them from the domestic counterparts while strengthening their in-group trust and safety nets for navigating the university. This study’s findings have implications for the development and evaluation of institutional strategies for the purpose of embracing Hong Kong and other international/non-local students upon their arrival and supporting their well-being and academic progression in Mainland universities.

International trade and institutional quality in West African Economic and Monetary Union countries: A causality analysis

This study explores the intricate relationship between institutions and development, with a specific focus on the causality between institutions and trade in West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) countries. We examine this causality by separately analyzing manufactured goods imports and primary products exports to understand the sensitivity of each, treating these flows in value. Using panel co-integration, panel causality, and the Poisson pseudo-maximum likelihood (PPML) model over the period from 2002 to 2021, our findings indicate a bidirectional Granger causality between trade and institutional quality. The PPML results reveal a positive and significant effect of institutional variables on imports and a negative and significant effect on exports. This implies that the low quality of institutions in WAEMU countries is detrimental to their exports of primary products. Thus, a robust institutional context can generate positive spillovers on trade and proper trade can generate significant revenues to finance the establishment of good institutions. Productive and high-performance exporting companies need to create and strengthen good institutions to remain competitive in the international economy, rather than fortifying them for personal gain to leverage political power and decision-making authority.

Foundational Competencies and Responsibilities of a Research Software Engineer

The term Research Software Engineer, or RSE, emerged a little over 10 years ago as a way to represent individuals working in the research community but focusing on software development. The term has been widely adopted and there are a number of high-level definitions of what an RSE is. However, the roles of RSEs vary depending on the institutional context they work in. At one end of the spectrum, RSE roles may look similar to a traditional research role. At the other extreme, they resemble that of a software engineer in industry. Most RSE roles inhabit the space between these two extremes. Therefore, providing a straightforward, comprehensive definition of what an RSE does and what experience, skills and competencies are required to become one is challenging. In this community paper we define the broad notion of what an RSE is, explore the different types of work they undertake, and define a list of foundational competencies as well as values that outline the general profile of an RSE. Further research and training can build upon this foundation of skills and focus on various aspects in greater detail. We expect that graduates and practitioners will have a larger and more diverse set of skills than outlined here. On this basis, we elaborate on the progression of these skills along different dimensions. We look at specific types of RSE roles, propose recommendations for organisations, give examples of future specialisations, and detail how existing curricula fit into this framework.

The Epistemic Fata Morgana: Appropriation in the Institutional Context

Abstract In this article, I identify a conceptually distinct form of epistemic appropriation: the creation and proliferation of the epistemic fata morgana. An epistemic fata morgana is a hermeneutical resource that is hollowed out, stripped of its meaning and political power, and yet, posited as if it were still accessible. This resource is taken up by dominant knowers in a way that preserves only its perception, but not access to it. This process is illustrated by an examination of the resource “sexual harassment” within the university context. The epistemic fata morgana is an important addition to the field of epistemic injustice for it lends itself to highlighting the frustration that is felt by marginalized people, especially within institutional contexts.