Leaders Of Countries Research Articles

Image of Central Asian leaders in the world media space: theory and practice

ABSTRACT The purpose is to identify the main factors in establishing the image of country leaders in the media by selecting, systematizing, and analyzing the key components of the process of developing the media image of politicians. The main methods in the research were system analysis, statistical method, method of scenario modeling, and comparative analysis. Such key concepts as image, character, and media portrait of political leaders at the present stage were defined; the basic features of the so-called new media, based on using Internet resources, were summarized; the main approaches and principles to the theoretical aspect of exploring the phenomenon of leaders’ image in the media space were summarized. Distinctive features, trends and characteristic factors of developing the right image (images and attitudes that are strategically effective, ethically sound, and aligned with desired outcomes and values) of presidential candidates of such countries as the U.S.A. and France were considered. The results and conclusions of this work can be used as a practical basis for future research on the above-mentioned issues, and for developing strategies and plans to promote and strengthen the image of politicians in the media space.

CO2 Emission Efficiency Measurement: Green Logistics Perspective

Purpose: This study aims to measure the carbon emission activities of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan and evaluate them from a green logistics perspective. Method: Within the scope of the research, efficiency analyses were conducted using the output-oriented Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) constant returns to scale (CRS) model and the super efficiency CRS DEA model. The input and output variables used in the research were obtained from the World Bank website. Findings: In the research, the efficiency scores of the relevant countries were determined. It was determined that the efficiency scores of the countries were generally above 50%. The ranking of the efficient decision-making units among themselves was carried out with the super efficiency CRS DEA model. Some potential improvement suggestions were presented for the decision-making units that were not efficient. Originality: In order to leave a livable world to future generations, green energy production should be supported and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions should be kept under control. Therefore, the efficiency assessment of countries' CO2 emissions is of vital importance. This study has an original feature because the CO2 emission activities of the Turkish Republics were carried out using the super efficiency CRS DEA model. This study can provide guidance to those who will conduct research on this subject and to country leaders.

A call for transforming physicians-as-administrators into professional hybrid medical leaders: insights from northern India.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the non-clinical challenges of physicians in northern India and to re-imagine an alternative scenario of hybrid professional medical management and leadership where physicians enact roles as strategic boundary spanners. In this qualitative study, 30 in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with men and women physicians and thematically analysed. Physicians reported that they were unprepared formally for mainly ad hoc non-clinical responsibilities. Findings identified a range of six types of aspirational, willing, incidental, ambivalent, agnostic and actively resistant behaviours among physicians who were expected to undertake administrative, rather than strategic leadership tasks. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study makes a novel theoretical contribution to the dearth of literature on medical leadership in a low-middle income South Asian country. By examining physicians' views on their non-clinical responsibilities, this study highlights the strategic potential for developing physicians formally as professional hybrid managers and leaders who effectively bridge medical and managerial domains beyond the current scenario of physicians operating as untrained administrators.

SELF-TAXATION OF THE URAL PEASANTS IN THE 1920-1930S

In the history of the Soviet state, the phenomenon of self-taxation of the rural population is of particular scientific interest. When studying the tax policy of our country in the 1920s and 1930s, one cannot ignore additional payments by the population along with the agricultural tax. Self-taxation had various forms: monetary, in-kind, and labor participation. Although the chosen topic has been studied by historians, it has not lost its relevance, since it can be studied from the point of view of domestic history, economic history, and the history of the state and law. Finding itself in the most difficult economic conditions, the country's leadership during the years of the new economic policy decided to use the initiative of the peasantry to improve life in the countryside, their cultural and economic needs with the help of voluntary self-taxation at first. After the grain procurement crisis of 1927/28, self-taxation changed from independent management of peasants’ funds to a mandatory element of the rural economy, when the forced confiscation of peasant funds served as an instrument for encouraging villagers to sell grain and other products on unfavorable terms. The purpose of the study is to reveal the features of the transformation of self-taxation from voluntary to compulsory using the example of the Urals, the largest region of the country. The object of study was the Ural peasantry. The subject of the study is the influence of the authorities, through legislation, on the independent, feasible participation of peasants in the development of rural infrastructure; the transformation of self-taxation into a mandatory payment; and the reflection of villagers on innovations in tax policy. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the comprehensive and systematic analysis of self-taxation in the Ural region based on numerous historical and legal sources, usually introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. The results of the conducted research showed that the authorities violated the initially defined rights of peasants to free expression of will in solving pressing cultural and social issues. Self-taxation became a mandatory, compulsory part of replenishing the rural budget.

Evaluation of emissions and performance of a diesel engine running on graphene nanopowder and diesel-biodiesel-ethanol blends.

Today, there are environmental problems all over the world due to the emission of greenhouse gasses caused by the combustion of diesel fuel. The excessive consumption and drastic reduction of fossil fuels have prompted the leaders of various countries, including Iran, to put the use of alternative and clean energy sources on the agenda. In recent years, the use of biofuels and the addition of nanoparticles to diesel fuel have reduced pollutant emissions, improved the environment, and enhanced the physicochemical properties of the fuel. The current research deals with the experimental evaluation of emissions and performance of a diesel engine running on graphene nanopowder together with diesel-biodiesel-ethanol blends. The engine variables studied included the engine speed (in three stages 1800, 2200, and 2600rpm) and three types of fuel including graphene nanoparticles (with values of 25 and 50ppm), biodiesel (with volume percentages of 4, 6, and 8), and ethanol (with volume percentages of 2 and 4). The results showed that the power and torque of the D86 + B8 + E6 + G50 fuel increased on average by 20.26% and 28.76% at all engine speeds compared to the D100 fuel. The use of D86 + B8 + E6 + G50 fuel resulted in a significant reduction in CO (38.84%), UHC (21.24%), and NOx (19.92%) emissions compared to D100 fuel. In addition, a significant increase in CO2 emissions (23.19%) was observed. The results of this study clearly show that the use of biofuels and the addition of nanopowder to D100 fuel are very effective methods to improve combustion, performance, and emission characteristics in diesel engines.

Critical points in the views of G7’s country leaders on national agendas for SDGs and SFDRR

PurposeDisasters are catastrophic events that result in loss of life, injury and significant disruptions to everyday life. Unsustainable poverty, crises and migration policies worsen them. This study aimed to evaluate the critical perspectives of G7’s country leaders regarding their national agendas in 2022, focusing on the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR).Design/methodology/approachThis study utilized document analysis, one of the qualitative research methods. Using purposive sampling, we analyzed 20,215 words of X (Twitter) data from G7’s country leaders between January 1 and December 31, 2022, with a thematic approach using MAXQDA qualitative software. MAXQDA applied Code Cloud, Code Matrix Browser, Word Frequencies and MaxMaps Code Models tests. Results are presented based on codes, categories and themes identified during analysis.FindingsThe G7’s country leaders emphasized peace, justice and strong institutions as their SDGs priority. However, it was observed that developed nations often overlooked critical issues such as hunger, quality education and inequality in their agendas in 2022. Based on SFDRR, the leaders addressed crisis response and recovery topics, but it is crucial to note that there is a need for a shift towards proactive measures in their disaster policies. The study also noted limited coverage of migration issues affecting many countries globally. There is an urgent need to address hunger, provide quality education and reduce inequality worldwide.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has several limitations: Former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi did not have an X (Twitter) account in 2022, and the data only reflect the situation in 2022. Also, simply analyzing statements does not necessarily indicate what these countries support and promote in practice. However, this study could be enhanced by including analyses of funding allocations for projects that target various SDGs and SFDRR objectives. Lastly, this study focused on the strategic policy statements made by representatives of different countries. It does not include tactical and operational disaster management processes, which is a limitation because it is difficult to provide a broader perspective.Practical implicationsDeveloped countries’ approaches to disaster and development policies are essential for disaster risk reduction strategies. Future analyses of funding allocations for projects targeting various SDGs and SFDRR objectives can lead to practical implications.Originality/valueThe authors present a critical viewpoint on the SDGs and SFDRR perspectives of G7’s country leaders. As developed countries possess significant resources and capabilities, they should set a positive example in the global implementation of disaster policies. Consequently, their annual official statements are a valuable guide for disaster policymakers and practitioners.

Political participation and digital communications of Russians after the start of the SMO: features and main forms

The article is devoted to identifying key changes in the practices of political participation of Russian citizens during the period of a Special military operation on the territory of Ukraine, caused, among other things, by the transformation of public political discourse and the digital environment. Analyzing the phenomenon of social consolidation in the conditions of ITS, key models of political participation and changes in media consumption of Russians over the past two years, the author concludes that after February 24, 2022, a certain transformation of public discourse and structure of media consumption, as well as related practices of political participation of Russians, took place in Russia. There is a differentiation of the socially active part of the population into two unequal groups: on the one hand, a dissenting protest minority, whose main form of political participation and "statements" were emigration or spontaneous protests; on the other hand, a consolidated patriotic majority expressing support for the activities of the country's leadership through traditional as well as new forms of participation: charity, volunteering, "pro-government" electoral behavior, information and campaigning work. It is also noted that the prevailing practices of political participation due to the use of digital technologies today are volunteer activities (including "virtual volunteering"), protest political participation, as well as conventional practices of electoral participation using remote electronic voting technologies.

Migration Challenges of the 21st Century: Origins, Dynamics, and Impact on Sending and Receiving Nations

In today of technological development and globalisation, the issue of migration is relevant and timely, as opportunities to change the country of residence and work have increased. As a result, migration has increased in recent years, which has sometimes led to a crisis. The study aimed to identify the causes and consequences of international migration for the recipient state, donor, and migrant, as well as to develop recommendations for shifting the balance towards the benefits of international migration and offsetting the negative consequences. To achieve the goal, we used information from open sources United Nations 2019 and World Migration Report 2024, which was processed using Excel, using the methods of quantitative trend and graphical analysis, synthesis, forecasting, grouping, scientific deduction and generalisation. We identified an upward trend in migration with a probability of further growth to 350 million people. We assessed the advantages and disadvantages of international migration in terms of countries of origin and destination and the protection of migrants' rights. We created a list of recommendations based on maintaining a balance in favour of benefits and offsetting negative consequences, including combating illegal migration, stimulating temporary labour migration and controlling the number of migrants. We identified the growth trend in the number of refugees and provided recommendations for their involvement in the recipient country's economy. We studied the structure of the leaders of donor and recipient countries as of 2019 based on United Nations statistics 2019. We assessed the country's decisive features for this level and the migration mechanism.

Теоретичні дискусії про розвиток грошової системи в межах РЕВ (1949–1991 рр.)

The study of the past economic and financial experience of communication between geopolitical and geo-economic blocks has become useful and important today when we are witnessing a growing fragmentation of the global economy, the emergence of new economic blocs based on different ideological and conceptual models of economy and society. Our interest in the Comecon (The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, also CMEA) is inspired by the particular organization of the monetary system and its clearing mechanism. The purpose of this paper is to present and discuss some of the major ideas and views on the development of the collective currency and the monetary mechanisms within the Comecon, which lasted from 1949 to 1991. We also present the evolution of the socialist integration, which emerged as an alternative to capitalist integration as a direct result of the WWII. In the first part, we present the basic principles of socialist integration and the role of international socialist currency. In the second part, we focus on the main stages in the evolution of the collective currency and monetary relations, and some theoretical and practical limits of the transferable rouble. We are interested in finding out why the socialist integration and the monetary system developed within Comecon failed. The leaders of the socialist countries attempted various conceptual models. They encountered the constraints of political and ideological factors. They failed to find a mechanism by which to leapfrog the trapdoor of bilateralism and national planning, despite advances in specialization. The socialist countries were more and more attracted by countries with market and capitalist mechanisms of coordination. We argue that the diversity of experience and ideas could be mobilized in order to find solutions to the challenges in the context of the deepening global political and economic fragmentation.

POLITICAL LEADERSHIP AND UNDERDEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

This study examined political leadership and underdevelopment in Nigeria. The challenges associated with leadership and developments in Nigeria are well documented, especially in this age of globalization. While many tend to blame the North's industrialized western nations, the source of Nigeria's problems lies in the country's own leadership response to critical issues, including poverty, food security, political instability, and technological development. The study takes a form of library research approach where extant literatures were reviewed on the topic under study. The Implication of bad or corrupt political leadership in Nigeria is manifold with effects on all sectors of the country including the economic, political and even social spheres of the nation, and these include economic implication, political implication and social implication. Some of the challenges of leadership impeding national development include; lack of rule of law, absence of transparency and accountability, corruption challenges and lack of ideology. The study recommended among others that there should be absolute practices of the rule of law according to international standards without prejudice and that political leaders should see themselves as servants and not masters.

Elections, War, and Gender: Self-Selection and the Pursuit of Victory

Abstract Why might female leaders of democratic countries commit more money, equipment, soldiers, and other resources to interstate conflicts than male leaders? We argue that gender bias in the process of democratic election helps explain this behavior. Since running for office is generally more costly for women than for men, only women who place a higher value on winning competitions will choose to run. After election, they also devote more resources to pursuing victory in conflict situations. To provide microfoundational evidence for this claim, we analyze data from an online laboratory game featuring real-time group play in which participants chose to run for election, conducted a simple campaign, and represented their group in a contest game if elected. Women with a higher nonmonetary value to winning were more likely to self-select into candidacy, and when victorious, they spent more resources on intergroup contests than male elected leaders. The data suggest that electoral selection plays an important role in observed differences between male and female leaders in the real world.

The Pan-African Surgical Healthcare Forum: An African qualitative consensus propagating continental national surgical healthcare policies and plans.

Access to equitable, safe, affordable, timely, and quality surgical healthcare in Africa remains limited. Few African countries have surgical healthcare plans or policies. Where these exist, there are significant gaps in dissemination, funding, and implementation. A Pan-African Surgical Healthcare Forum (PASHeF) was initiated to address this. The inaugural forum was a two-day consensus conference of technocrats from African Ministries of Health hosted by the Honorable Minister for Health of Rwanda in Kigali. Through coordinated discussions, plenary sessions, working groups, and technocrat networking, they charted the path forward for national surgical healthcare policies and plans. Discussions were sparked by country experiences, and working groups focused on curated context-specific, face-validated questions. Documentation involved field notes, audio recordings, and artificial intelligence transcription. Data was coded using a constant comparative method to itemize delegates' observations, declarations, and recommendations, with member checking. A consensus statement was generated using an inclusive decision-making model. Thirty-two Ministries of Health were represented by 42 delegates who drafted and unanimously adopted the PASHeF 2023 Consensus Statement. This was a 50-point consensus addressing country commitment, leadership, financing, stakeholder mobilization, monitoring and evaluation, partnerships, and other aspects of national surgical healthcare planning in Africa. This consensus is the African roadmap and emphasizes implementation, the need for flexibility in policy development, and current opportunities and barriers. It emphasizes that community involvement and sustainability should undergird this planning, in addition to a focus on the entire spectrum of surgical healthcare, including prevention and rehabilitation. Delegates endorsed PASHeF as an annual event with a secretariat and recommended the creation of a Pan-African Surgical Healthcare Policy monitoring system, and that issues of surgical healthcare should be escalated as an agenda item on African Union and sub-regional ministerial meetings. African nations have embraced surgical healthcare policy as an imperative on their journey towards Universal Health Coverage.

Islamic-Centred Leadership: Qualifying Leaders For Islamic Banks

Islamic banking operates under the principles of Shari’ah law, which governs its financial practices and ethical standards. However, a major challenge facing the industry is the disconnect between the leadership skills required for Islamic banking and those currently in place. In light of this, a research study was conducted to evaluate the alignment between the competencies of leaders in Gulf countries’ Islamic banks and the Shari’ah law’s requirements. The study utilized a qualitative approach, including interviews with eight purposively selected HR managers from various banks in the region. The findings revealed a significant gap between the leadership competencies and the principles of trust and justice emphasized in Shari’ah law. This discrepancy highlights the need for a more thorough assessment of competencies to ensure that they align with the values and goals of Islamic banking. By bridging this gap, Islamic banks can effectively incorporate the principles of Shari’ah law into their leadership competencies and promote a more efficient and successful industry.

Is country leaders’ education relevant for policy making? The case of the Covid-19 pandemic

AbstractThis paper examines the impact of a country leader’s education on policy responses and policy outcomes during the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Relying on a quasi-experimental event-study approach, I find that political leaders with a graduate education responded more stringently to the first nationally registered infection than political leaders with lower educational attainment. Subsequently, political leaders with a graduate education reported fewer Covid-19 infections and Covid-19 related deaths at the onset of the pandemic. The results suggest that the education of political leaders can explain policy differences, particularly in countries with low electoral accountability. The low level of accountability allowed political leaders with a graduate education to implement stringent, evidence-based policies to contain the pandemic without fear of electoral punishment.

Topic modelling and sentiment analysis during COVID-19 revealed emotions changes for public health

Between 2020 and 2022, lockdown and restraining measures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic led to changes in daily routines and also in language usage. At certain points during the pandemic, populations in some countries were unwilling or unlikely to respond to government messages, either because of the tone and analytic discourse used by leaders, or because they did not understand the messages. Linguistic markers and meanings were therefore linked to low levels of engagement, negative emotions and high levels of analytical thinking, especially in relation to the discourses of influential international leaders. We subjected sixteen speeches by eight country leaders to topic modelling and sentiment analysis in order to understand how the psychological functions of language were affected during two different periods of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this topic analysis we organize 39,073 words collected from sixteen authentic speeches delivered in two different periods of the acute phase of the pandemic. These were encoded in the Linguistic Inquiry Word Count program (LIWC), with the main aim being to identify differences between the periods. We examined the following aspects: (1) the emotional tone, analytical thinking and clout (empathy dimension); (2) the changes in these three dimensions or factors between periods 1 and 2 (February and May 2020). We observed a negative relationship between emotional tone and analytical thinking and a positive relationship between clout and emotional tone. When we considered the changes in pandemic circumstances, the psycholinguistic profiles of eight country leaders demonstrated fluctuations in language and emotions. Further reviews and research should focus on the current language and deficit wording of this population (leaders). We also note that psychologists and schoolteachers can play an important role in supporting language programmes with positive wording and by emphasising the collateral effects of face-to-face classes when teaching children to read and write.

BRICS Expansion: A Geopolitical Triumph of Partner Countries

The BRICS organization is making significant and consistent progress in its development. The 15th BRICS Summit was held in Johannesburg from 22 to 24 August 2023. This summit is a global event that sets the trends and guiding principles for future economic policies. Four of the five BRICS member countries are among the ten largest countries in the world in terms of GDP, territory and population. According to open sources, the total area of the BRICS countries is 39.7 million square kilometers (26.7% of the world’s land surface), and the population is estimated at3.2 billion people (41.5% of the world’s population). The economic potential of BRICS, as the leading economic organization in the world, is more than significant. These competitive advantages in the economy and financial sphere represent an enormous resource of industrial, human and technological potential that can serve as the locomotive of the global economy. Following the conclusion of the above summit, the leaders of the BRICS countries adopted the final “Johannesburg-2” declaration, which noted the advisability of using their countries’ respective national currencies in international trade and collectively resolving problems related to international debt. In addition, decisions were made to expand BRICS and admit new member states to the organization. BRICS has established itself as a prominent entity on the global stage, whose influence in world affairs is consistently strengthening. The strategic course of their unification is aimed at planning for the future and meets the interests of the leading nations of the international community, the so-called world majority. By acting cohesively on the principles of equality, partnership support and mutual consideration, the BRICS member countries are effectively addressing the most pressing issues on the global and regional agenda. The BRICS member states are strongly in favor of the establishment of a multipolar world order that is based on international law and is fair. At the same time, they are committed to adhering to the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter. BRICS is the most important guarantor of the legal foundations of international relations and a fair world order in general. The recent expansion of the BRICS group is a significant event that enables the group to have an even greater influence in international affairs. The presented article analyzes the features of the recent expansion of BRICS and its impact on world geopolitics, taking into account the admission of new states to the organization. The distinctive features of the BRICS group activities and its role in relation to the G7 and G20 are revealed. The trends in the transition to a multipolar world are discussed. Furthermore, issues of political and economic cooperation between the different BRICS member countries are analyzed.

Female Leaders in Lebanese Private Schools: Perceptions, Barriers and Leadership Characteristics

Globally females are underrepresented in leadership positions. In academic settings, despite the majority of teachers being females, there is no equal representation between the two genders when it comes to leadership. The trend remains that females teach and males manage. This is discriminatory and unfair, especially when female leaders have an advantage over male leaders in school settings. If females are more effective in academic leadership positions, why aren’t they provided with equal leadership opportunities? This paper uncovers the perceptions surrounding female leaders and their ability to lead, the barriers that forbid females from advancing to leadership positions, and the predominant leadership characteristics viewed in each gender. By surveying female and male teachers from Lebanese private schools in the district of Mount Lebanon, this paper indicates that female leaders are surrounded with positive perceptions, but are, however, prevented from advancing to leadership positions by several challenges. The two most prominent barriers to female leadership are found to be related to organizational discrimination, and societal pressures. Moreover, the predominant leadership characteristics visible in each gender are confirmed by this study. Similar to studies about the situation of female leaders in other Arab countries, this research reveals a growing acceptance for female leaders in Lebanese private schools, despite the presence of challenging barriers. By uncovering the current situation of Lebanese female leaders in private schools, this study helps pave the path for much needed solutions in terms of gender equality and equity.

Assessment of the relationship between mineral extraction in the southern hemisphere and sustainable development

Sustainable mineral policies are needed to achieve environmental and social equity in the global South. This study explores the need to align mineral mining in the global South with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It studies the impact of mineral mining on sustainability in 29 global South economies from 2000 to 2021. It also conducts robustness analysis and heterogeneity tests to analyze the mediation effect and the impact of the release of SDGs on sustainability. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) Mineral mining has an inhibitory effect on sustainable development and has become a constraint for the achievement of sustainable development goals in the global South; (2) The more mineral-rich a country is, the more serious the adverse impact of mining activities is. The harm of mineral mining to sustainable development is most serious in Africa; (3) Mineral mining leads to an increase in ecological footprint and undermines environmental sustainability, while mineral rents may become a source of funds for clean production, offsetting the adverse effects of mineral mining; (4) The release of SDGs has prompted leaders of various countries to legislate and reform in the field of minerals, helping countries achieve sustainable development goals. The research results provide an effective reference for promoting environmental and social sustainable development in the global South.

Forough Farrokhzad’s “Let Us Believe in the Beginning of the Cold Season”

Abstract Forough Farrokhzad’s “Let Us Believe in the Beginning of the Cold Season” is an exploration of the poetic form of an elegy, encountering nuances of gender, sexuality, mourning, depression, and unrequited love within the containment of religious and cultural laws that dominate leadership in the Islamic country of Iran. Her poetry extends traditional boundaries of lament and elegy to explore oppositions of love and longing, birth and death, seasonality versus time’s continuance, and winter as entrance rather than ending.

Reimagining Mission in and from Africa: A contextual analysis of OM Mission Approach in Southern Africa

The activities of mainline Western missionaries in Africa have been discussed by scholars from various perspectives, but much attention has not been given to mission organizations that are not affiliated with any denomination. This article therefore focuses on the work and mission approach of Operation Mobilisation (OM) in Africa. The article is based on empirical data gathered through interviews with twelve OM country leaders in Southern Africa (Angola, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe). The key aim of the interviews was to establish from the OM leaders serving in the Southern African countries their self-understanding of the local context and the contextual implications for OM's work in and from the continent. It was to also establish some opportunities and challenges for missions for the African church and Western Established Mission Organizations WEMOs. The article argues for contextual consideration of OM’s mission agenda, missionary training, and discipleship approach in Africa.