Dependent Theory Research Articles

Media dependency, platform-swinging, and psychological depression among young college students in the polymedia environment

As a comprehensive and affordable environment, polymedia lays the groundwork for exploring platform-swinging and offers a theoretical framework for investigating its dynamics. Platform-swinging and its unique niche characteristics provide a novel lens to examine the interplay between media dependency and psychological well-being. Using a survey questionnaire, this study collected data from 1210 university students in the Yangtze River Delta, China’s most economically developed region, to examine the relationship between media dependency, platform-swinging, and psychological depression. Our findings suggest that the affordances of platform-swinging influence media dependency, whereas the nature of media dependency shapes psychological depression. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of how young adults navigate various media platforms and sheds light on the complex interrelations between media use and mental health. Focusing on platform-swinging in the environment of polymedia explores the relationship between media dependency, platform-swinging, and psychological depression. Moreover, it also compensates for the one-sided understanding caused by simply examining media dependency and psychological depression. This study has practical value and theoretical significance for the psychological health of college students and the research and development of the media dependency theory.

Institutional context matters: board diversity and ESG outcomes in the UAE

Purpose This study empirically examines the impact of board diversity on environmental, social and governance (ESG) outcomes in organizations from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The study aims to extend prior literature by covering the impacts of the institutional context on board diversity and ESG outcomes. Design/methodology/approach Using a thematic analysis of interviews with 42 UAE board members, this research uncovers the effects of institutional context on ESG outcomes. The study focuses on the impact of culture, the influence of regulatory bodies and the relationship between critical board diversity traits and ESG. Findings Three major themes emerged from the data: the impact of institutional context and culture, the impact of regulatory bodies and critical board diversity traits’ relationship with ESG. The findings indicate that the institution’s cultural and regulatory context impacts board diversity and ESG. The findings also demonstrate that the board’s functional diversity (educational and occupational diversity) and age diversity impact ESG outcomes. Originality/value This research contributes to resource dependence theory by indicating the specific resources diverse directors bring to a corporate board. The study also highlights how institutional context dictates the types of resources directors seek for effective ESG implementation, providing a novel insight into board diversity’s role in ESG performance.

A comparative study of urban and rural aging systems in China

The paper contrasts the urban elderly care system and the rural geriatric care system in China and evaluates the differences concerning the quality of life of the elderly. The study shows that elderly care facilities in urban areas are more developed. There is greater involvement from the government and a variety of community care services whereas in the rural facilities’ elderly population relies predominantly on family care and insufficient skilled nursing and medical facilities. Employed both qualitative and quantitative methods, this paper explains disparities in resource allocation, service provision, and policy implementation between urban and rural areas of China and provides recommendations to enhance elder care in the rural regions of China. The research also recognizes other countries experience and it utilizes resource dependency and social equity theory to explain and enhance equality-based policies in the provision of elder care.

The Role of Digital Supply Chain Management Practices in the Relationship between Organizational Culture and Customer Development

Through Digital Supply Chain Management Practices (DSCMP), this study investigates the relationship between organizational culture (OC) and customer development (CD), taking into account both direct and indirect influences. Data from 214 respondents who have registered in Indonesia's Riau Islands Province were analysed statistically. The results showed that CD was positively impacted by OC and DSCMP. Additionally, the connection between OC and CD was found to be mediated by DSCMP. Two crucial facilitators for growing a company's clientele in digital supply chains (SC) are DSCMP and OC. Using the Resource Dependency Theory (RDT) as a basis. This study discovered that in order to increase the firm's efficiency, digitalization-related SCMP capabilities need to be developed internally. Organizational leaders (OL), organizational glue (OG), dominating characteristics (DC), and strategic focus (SE) should all be integral parts of DSCMP in organizations.

Cost-sensitive computational adequacy of higher-order recursion in synthetic domain theory

We study a cost-aware programming language for higher-order recursion dubbed $\textbf{PCF}_\mathsf{cost}$ in the setting of synthetic domain theory (SDT). Our main contribution relates the denotational cost semantics of $\textbf{PCF}_\mathsf{cost}$ to its computational cost semantics, a new kind of dynamic semantics for program execution that serves as a mathematically natural alternative to operational semantics in SDT. In particular we prove an internal, cost-sensitive version of Plotkin's computational adequacy theorem, giving a precise correspondence between the denotational and computational semantics for complete programs at base type. The constructions and proofs of this paper take place in the internal dependent type theory of an SDT topos extended by a phase distinction in the sense of Sterling and Harper. By controlling the interpretation of cost structure via the phase distinction in the denotational semantics, we show that $\textbf{PCF}_\mathsf{cost}$ programs also evince a noninterference property of cost and behavior. We verify the axioms of the type theory by means of a model construction based on relative sheaf models of SDT.Comment: Final version for MFPS '24

Exploring corporate financial reporting theories: a systematic approach

Purpose The study aims to identify, summarize and synthesize the theories used in corporate financial reporting (CFR) and propose a conceptual framework based on those theories. Design/methodology/approach The study applied the systematic literature review approach to achieve the study objectives. So, the researchers systematically collected the relevant documents from the Scopus database with the help of an advanced search string containing keywords to the CFR theories. Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses technique was used for the relevant document selection process. Finally, 67 documents were extracted and analyzed spanning from the year of 2017 to 2023. Findings The major findings of this study indicate a predominance of legitimacy, agency and stakeholder theories in CFR studies. Whereas, this study reveals that neo-institutional, signaling, resource dependency, political economics and impression management theories have been less focused on by scholars in the CFR studies. Those theories need to be reemphasized in this field in future research. Originality/value The study’s contributions are significant for academics, policymakers and different parties, as it enhance the understanding of CFR theoretical frameworks and suggest directions for future research to broaden the theoretical landscape. The study maps the motivations of applying a certain theory which will help the researchers to select a specific theory for the underlying context of CFR.

Theoretical Origins and Implications of the Western Linear Development Models in Contemporary International Relations and Development Economics

Beginning with Lenin's criticism of imperialism and working through the modernization theory presented by academics such as Walt Rostow, this study attempts to investigate these development theories' theoretical roots and consequences. This paper examines the theoretical origin and contemporary implications of Imperialism, neocolonialism, neoliberalism, and trade liberalization, focusing on applying linear development models in international relations and development economics. Using critical theoretical frameworks, including Lenin's theory on imperialism, dependency theory, and modernization theory, analyzed the transformation of economic control from colonialism to the neocolonial practice perpetuated by transnational corporations and international monetary institutions. Cases including the reconstruction of the Haitian earthquake in 2010, President Trumans inaugural address, and Chiles neoliberal economic reforms under Pinochet provide an empirical examination of how trade liberalization and neoliberal policy strengthen the economic reliance of developing countries and increase their internal inequality. By challenging the traditional Western linear development model, this paper criticized how the global economic system perpetuates a hierarchical relationship between the Global South and North.

Spatial Pattern and Influencing Factors of Tourist Attractions in Coastal Cities: A Case Study of Qingdao

The spatial distribution of tourist attractions plays a critical role in the development of coastal cities. Qingdao, with its coastal geography, rich cultural heritage, and rapid urbanization, serves as a representative case. This study integrates POI and multi-source data, employing methods such as the average nearest neighbor index, kernel density estimation, standard deviational ellipse, and Geodetector to analyze the spatial characteristics and influencing factors of Qingdao’s tourist attractions. Additionally, path dependence theory is innovatively applied to elucidate the mechanisms of the city’s development trajectory. Both natural and social factors influence this distribution, where the resource environment forms the foundational basis, the economic development provides impetus, and the urban development orientation exerts a regulatory effect. The findings are broadly applicable to other coastal tourist cities and offer strategic insights for sustainable development in such contexts.

Dynamics of Land Governance, Extractivism, Urban Tech and Waste Infrastructures, and the Everyday State in Contemporary Africa

In the development discourse, there has been a tendency to frame the Global South, especially Africa, as a perpetual recipient of ideas from the Global North. This has led to the implementing of “development” initiatives based on the unsuccessful modernization paradigm and the associated Washington Consensus. Despite the emergence of counter theories such as dependency and underdevelopment theories, they share similar assumptions with the modernization paradigm. These assumptions include the belief that historical change brings development or progress, the sidelining of noneconomic factors like ethnicity, race, and gender, and the sole emphasis on economic growth as a measure of development. Both models assume that the state should primarily drive advancement. To address the weaknesses of these development models, alternative perspectives such as women and development, women in development, and gender and development were introduced. However, these perspectives would be integrated into the mainstream development discourse, diluting their impact.

Research on the Communication Path of Domestic High-quality Variety Shows

As a gathering place for popularity and traffic in today’s society, variety shows play an important role in cultural communication. This article takes the Magnolia Award-winning domestic high-quality variety show "Sound into the Heart" as the research object. Based on the media dependence theory, it discusses from the three dimensions of communication content, communication method, and communication effect, and analyzes the path for variety shows to drive the development of the cultural industry. Analyze variety show content, production strategies, and commercial marketing, and seek new ways to spread niche culture and art.

The Influence of China’s Global Soft Power Strategy on Its Relations with African Nations

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the influence of China’s global soft power strategy on its relations with African nations Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low-cost advantage as compared to field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: China's soft power strategy in Africa, through Confucius Institutes, media outlets, scholarships, and cultural festivals, has enhanced its image as a development partner and fostered diplomatic ties. However, challenges include limited rural reach, perceived cultural dominance, and dependency concerns. Effective engagement requires inclusivity, transparency, and alignment with African cultural and developmental contexts. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Soft Power Theory, Dependency Theory and Constructivist Theory in International Relations maybe used to anchor future studies on the influence of China’s global soft power strategy on its relations with African nations. Prioritize mutual respect, transparency, and local empowerment, ensuring that soft power tools are not perceived as mechanisms for cultural domination as well as adapting its Confucius Institutes and cultural programs to African contexts by integrating local cultural elements.

Surviving the COVID-19 pandemic: European and African SMEs and domestic public policies compared

Purpose The paper investigates factors that contribute to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) surviving major exogenous shocks. Global crises such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have increasingly heightened scholarly interest in post-crises responses. However, studies that compare the relative responses to external shocks and the outcomes for SMEs operating in different institutional settings are limited. We examine the relative degrees of success European and African SMEs experienced in avoiding the worst consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachWe use the resource dependency theory (RDT) with variants of institutional theory since the RDT has been shown in practice to have greater explanatory power when used in this way. We augment our framework with a feminist theory dimension. To test our hypotheses, we apply regression analyses using cross-sectional data from the World Bank Enterprise Surveys (WBES), which include responses from private enterprises in 26 European and eight African countries. We construct our data by combining the COVID-19 follow-up surveys with relevant firm-specific characteristics from the WBES conducted in 2020–2021 using firm-specific unique IDs. After removing the firms with missing observations, the sample number of SMEs is 15,178.Findings Our empirical findings support the theoretically posited positive effects of innovativeness, institutional connectedness and governance capability on SMEs’ survival in the face of external shocks. Further, we confirm the importance of firm-specific characteristics (financial status, size and age) for SMEs’ survival. Female-owned SMEs are more likely to suffer during COVID-19, especially in Africa. The results are more nuanced when we consider industry specificity and heterogeneity of government support.Originality/value Our article helps answer the theoretical (and policy-relevant) question of whether SMEs that are resilient to major exogenous shocks may share certain characteristics despite operating in different institutional environments. If that is so, then it may be that lessons from one continent may have at least some relevance for the other. Our approach’s broad value lies in its capacity to test the degree to which established bodies of theory developed in the Northern Hemisphere may be deployed in Africa, well beyond the contexts which provided their initial empirical basis. This paper also contributes to the literature on the effect of environmental-change shocks on entrepreneurship performance outcomes.

Passivating oxidation behavior of Ti0.12Al0.21B0.67 coatings investigated by scanning transmission electron microscopy and chemical environment dependent density functional theory simulations

Passivating oxidation behavior of Ti0.12Al0.21B0.67 coatings investigated by scanning transmission electron microscopy and chemical environment dependent density functional theory simulations

Collaborations for Circular Food Waste Management in Italian Fish Manufacturing Firms: a Resource Dependence Perspective

This paper aims to shed light on supply chain collaborations in circular economy for food waste prevention and management. The exploratory study adopts a multiple case study research design on a sample of two polar cases: a small enterprise and a large company in the Italian manufacturing industry of fishery products. Resource Dependence Theory (RDT) allows for an understanding of the mechanisms of circular supply chains, describing strategic motivators of collaborations for circular economy, and overall provides a novel perspective on food waste prevention and management. This study highlights how companies develop in-house solutions when the food waste streams are moderate but rely on collaborations when the streams are conspicuous, thus, the need to implement circular economy solutions fosters collaborations. The findings provide a novel perspective on collaborations in circular economy; furthermore, RDT offers a novel conceptualization of food waste management practices, highlighting the suitability of further applying RDT to this field of study.

Fueling Doubt or Bridging Knowledge Gaps? The Interactive Influence of Mass and Social Media on Vaccine Skepticism

Misinformation and doubt, often exacerbated in times of public health emergencies, give rise to vaccine skepticism, leading individuals to search for relevant information. This research explores the role of both social and traditional mass media in shaping attitudes toward vaccines. Utilizing the framework of media dependency theory alongside existing studies on skepticism, the investigation seeks to determine if the influence of social media undermines traditional media’s capacity to alleviate vaccine skepticism. A survey conducted with 1,064U.S. adults reveals that while traditional mass media helps to decrease skepticism, the growing use of social media dilutes this impact. The study concludes with a discussion on the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.

Business alliances, shared resources and environmental uncertainty: A qualitative study

Globalisation and competitiveness among companies have been increasing, leading many companies to be unable, in isolation, to meet the demands of markets in constant turbulence. The business model based on isolated competition has given way to establishing alliances between companies, allowing them to face the uncertainty and complexity of the changing environment more easily. A growing number of companies depend on forming alliances to access the necessary resources and thus achieve strategic objectives. Following on from the study by Prabhudesai et al. (2022), the present study aims to determine how the different types of resources available to a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME), in conjunction with the uncertainty of the environment perceived by owner-managers, affect alliance formation. To achieve this goal, a qualitative thematic approach/methodology was used, combining two theoretical perspectives, Resource Dependence Theory (RDT) and Resource Based View (RBV), taking into account the uncertainty of the environment and the resources held. Based on interviews with managers of three companies and analysis of internal documents, the results show that the companies’ resources and the uncertainty of the environment trigger alliance formation. This study distinguishes between the two types of resources, tangible and intangible, and explains how the interaction of resource type and environmental uncertainty affects alliance formation.

Does Agricultural Science and Technological Innovation Always Boost Farmers’ Income? Evidence from China

Agricultural science and technological innovation (ASTI) provides important opportunities to enhance agricultural welfare. Based on comparative advantage, value chain, and resource dependence theories, this study employed a variety of econometric models, including fixed effects (FEs), panel-corrected standard errors (PCSEs), feasible generalized least squares (FGLSs), and the systematic generalized method of moments (SYS-GMM), to investigate the impacts of ASTI on farmers’ income using data from a panel of 31 Chinese provinces spanning from 2012 to 2021. Our results reveal that ASTI contributes significantly positively to income growth, but its effects are not uniform: the central and western regions benefit more from ASTI compared to the eastern region. Moreover, as the level of ASTI increases, its positive impact on income growth diminishes. However, regions with higher levels of rural human capital—measured by educational attainment and skills—experience a more pronounced amplification of ASTI’s benefits on income. Additionally, aging populations in both urban and rural areas initially enhance the influence of ASTI on farmers’ income, but this effect diminishes as demographic gaps widen.

Regional inequalities, dependency, and knowledge base

Using the knowledge base theory, which classifies knowledge into analytical, synthetic, and symbolic types, this paper aims to analyze Brazil's spatial pattern of knowledge distribution in two periods, corresponding to a growth and a downturn phase. The methodology relies on occupational data segmented by knowledge types. Results show that the core region still creates a conducive environment for symbolic, synthetic, and analytical knowledge types, although the regional gap is reducing. Such a spatial pattern can only be understood as an intrinsic outcome of interconnections between Brazil's regional formation process and its position in the global economy. This paper contributes to the discussion on regional disparities by interpreting the results drawing on aspects of the evolutionary economic geography (EEG), the Latin American dependency theory, and the geographical political economy (GPE), together with the hypothesis of uneven and combined development.

Autonomizing Public Universities in Ethiopia: Exploring the Potential Challenges

Background This study examines the challenges faced by Ethiopian public universities in achieving institutional, administrative, academic, and financial autonomy. Institutional autonomy refers to a university’s ability to self-govern, set its mission, and establish policies without external interference. Administrative autonomy concerns decision-making in operations, academic autonomy relates to academic freedom and quality assurance, and financial autonomy involves control over resources and revenue generation. In Ethiopia, centralized governance, political interference, and limited financial strategies create significant barriers to autonomy. Method A qualitative research approach was employed, utilizing semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and direct observations. Data were collected from 59 participants across three public universities. Tools included consent forms, interview guides, focus group discussion guides, and observation checklists. Thematic analysis was used to identify key patterns in the autonomy challenges. The study is grounded in Institutional Theory, Principal-Agent Theory, and Resource Dependency Theory. Result The findings indicate that institutional autonomy is constrained by centralized governance and political interference, limiting universities’ ability to make independent decisions, as explained by Institutional Theory. Administrative autonomy faces similar restrictions, with decision-making influenced by external entities, as highlighted by Principal-Agent Theory. Academic autonomy is challenged by the tension between standardization and institutional diversity, particularly in quality assurance and accreditation. Financial autonomy is limited by restricted revenue sources, economic instability, and a lack of innovative funding strategies, as discussed through Resource Dependency Theory. Conclusion The study concludes that Ethiopian public universities face significant barriers to autonomy. Addressing these challenges requires reducing strict governmental control, improving governance structures, and promoting independent decision-making and sources of incomes. Recommendations The study recommends implementing governance reforms, providing leadership training for university administrators, enhancing academic freedom with flexible quality assurance systems, and diversifying revenue streams through partnerships and expanded university enterprises to ensure financial sustainability.

Mapping stakeholder role and influence: Malik ISCs model for sustainable provision of low-income housing

AbstractHousing provision is an integrated network of stakeholders, resources, institutions, and regulations. This study explores the stakeholder analysis approach through grounded theory to rationalize the stakeholder influence and role in developing collaborative frameworks for the sustainable provision of low-income housing in Pakistan. This study aims to theorize the Institutional Stakeholder Collaborations (ISCs) conceptual framework derived from institutional, stakeholder, collaboration, and resource dependence theories. The research also presents an interesting feature, i.e. stakeholder-resource cross-tabulation in achieving the research objective to develop the ISCs theory by placing core categories against stakeholder categories and resource domains. Stakeholder mapping plotted the influence against attributes of power, legitimacy, and interest (PLI) within the context of low-income housing in Punjab, Pakistan. The new theory was generated from the grounded data as a collaborative model for the sustainable provision of low-income housing, i.e., the Malik ISCs Model. This informed discovery of collaboration through the Malik ISCs Model for effectively providing low-income housing projects suggests some key points for the broader global policy discourse of housing development, emphasizing the low-income segment.