Effective Oversight Research Articles

Crafting effective oversight for the long-term storage of spent nuclear fuel on sites at risk of climate and coastal hazards

Despite a documented push to expand nuclear energy in the U.S., the status quo of indefinite in-situ nuclear waste storage is uncertain and increasingly threatened by climate and coastal hazards. Findings from Humboldt Bay, California, one of the nation’s most vulnerable nuclear storage sites, informed recommendations for managing emergent climate and coastal hazards. The existing legislative framework was not designed to address climate and nuclear waste interactions, but more effective oversight leveraging existing federal, state, local, and Tribal government authorities could adapt spent nuclear fuel management to a climate-changed world. More effective oversight requires updated regulations and site-specific risk assessments as well as enhanced coordination across jurisdictions, disciplines, and publics to increase legitimacy, trust, accountability, and creativity in light of failed solutions to a multi-decadal issue.

A Systematic Review of the Socio-Legal Dimensions of Responsible AI and Its Role in Improving Health and Safety in Construction

Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) in the construction industry could revolutionise workplace safety and efficiency. However, this integration also carries complex socio-legal implications that require further investigation. Presently, there is a research gap in the socio-legal dimensions of AI use to enhance health and safety regulations and protocols for the construction sector in the United Kingdom, particularly in understanding how the existing legal frameworks can adapt to AI integration effectively. Comprehensive research is indispensable to identify where the existing regulations may fall short or require more specificity in addressing the unique implications introduced by AI technologies. This article aims to address the pressing socio-legal challenges surrounding the integration of AI in the UK construction industry, specifically in enhancing health and safety protocols on construction sites, through a systematic review encompassing the PRISMA protocol. The review has identified that the existing legal and regulatory framework provides a strong foundation for risk management. Still, it needs to sufficiently account for the socio-legal dimensions introduced by AI deployment and how AI may evolve in the future. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will require standardised authorities to effectively oversee the use of AI in the UK construction industry. This will enable the HSE to collect data related to AI processes and carry out technical, empirical, and governance audits. The provision of sufficient resources and the empowerment of the HSE within the context of the construction industry are critical factors that must be taken into consideration to ensure effective oversight of AI implementation.

Exploring the nexus between banking stability and market value: Evidence from the Iraqi banking sector

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the relationship between banking stability and market value in the Iraqi banking sector, exploring how the stability of banks impacts their market capitalization. Methodology: The study employs a quantitative approach, utilizing financial ratios such as return on assets, equity/assets, and the z-score index to quantify banking stability. Market value is measured using banks' share prices and outstanding shares. A sample of 17 Iraqi banks is analyzed over a four-year period, employing statistical analysis to examine the relationship between banking stability and market value. Results: The findings reveal a positive relationship between banking stability and market value. Banks with strong risk management practices, adequate capital buffers, and effective regulatory oversight inspire greater confidence among depositors and investors, translating into higher market valuations. Conversely, banks facing poor governance, high non-performing loans, and thin capital cushions struggle to achieve stability, eroding their market value. Theoretical Contribution: The study contributes to the existing literature by providing empirical evidence on the crucial role of banking stability in shaping market valuations. It highlights the importance of sound banking practices, regulatory frameworks, and risk management in enhancing investor confidence and, ultimately, the market value of banks. Practical Implications: The findings offer insights for policymakers, regulators, and financial institutions in Iraq and other regions. Promoting banking stability through enhanced prudential oversight, governance practices, risk management capabilities, and financial inclusion can favorably impact the market valuation and development of the banking system.

Regulating surrogacy intermediaries: a comparative analysis of regulatory approaches and implications in the Chinese context

Abstract This article addresses the significant research gap concerning the regulation of surrogacy intermediaries in China’s rapidly growing surrogacy market. Employing a ‘law in context’ perspective, it explores the question of how to effectively regulate surrogacy intermediaries in the Chinese context. Situated within China’s unique socio-cultural landscape, where procreation carries profound significance, the study navigates the complexities of surrogacy regulation, including ethical dilemmas, rights infringements and regulatory ambiguities. The article advocates for the regulation of surrogacy in China to prevent possible exploitation, referencing three international models: prohibiting commercial surrogacy, governing non-profit surrogacy organisations and imposing duties on for-profit surrogacy agents. The aim is to construct a robust, context-sensitive regulatory framework for surrogacy in China, focusing on identifying suitable intermediaries and defining the scope of effective regulatory oversight.

AIGC Generative Speech Technology: An Examination of Its Communication Paradigms and Evolutionary Reflections

The emergence of Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC) represents a new opportunity for the development of intelligent communication. The development of AIGC technology has given rise to new media transformations, creating new content production and dissemination methods. As one of the core areas of the AIGC application, generative speech technology, due to its low cost and simplicity, has been widely used in scenarios such as audiovisual narration, artificial intelligence anchor broadcasting, and audiobook content production. However, the use of AIGC-generated content in practice, due to default program settings and low barriers to entry, leads to the proliferation of homogenization. On the regulatory side, the lack of effective oversight has led to the misuse of technology and the emergence of communication risks and ethical issues in artificial intelligence. Lastly, the decentralized and fragmented communication model has led to the uncontrollable emergence and development of public opinion events, diluting the discourse power of authoritative media, with rumor clarification becoming the main post-event means to clarify public opinion whirlpools. Based on this, this paper starts from the application scenarios of generative speech technology, reflects on the new issues in the field of "artificial intelligence + speech generation" applications, and aims to provide a deeper technological reflection and new development ideas.

Coupling of a streamlined solid-liquid extraction protocol with LC-ESI-MS/MS for the regular oversight of illegal bromate additive use: An accurate and sensitive determination method in preliminary and bakery products

A reliable solid-liquid extraction protocol coupled with liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry in the negative-ion mode was developed and validated for illegal bromate determination in preliminary and bakery products. Crude and dried-treated samples were directly extracted with acetonitrile-water (4:1, v/v). Bromate was determined using a Phenomenex Synergi™ Polar reversed-phase column and MS/MS under multiple reaction monitoring. The chosen solvent efficiently extracted bromate with all applied extraction-assisting techniques (p > 0.05). Although this assay avoids cleanup procedures, matrix effect of <−11% was achieved. Rapid bromate separation in only 8 min was attained by a reversed-phase column. In both commodities, linearity range, R2, recovery%, repeatability, intermediate precision, LOD and LOQ results were 0.05–100 ng mL−1, >0.9999, 88.6–103%, 2.93–9.80% and 9.64–10.10%, 0.015 μg kg−1 and 0.05 μg kg−1, respectively. Out of 288 tested real samples, 13.9% of violations were observed. This high-sensitivity protocol offers effective oversight and consumer protection.

Behind closed doors: Informal influence on United Nations staffing and pathologies of international bureaucracies

AbstractThis research explores the mechanisms through which member states informally shape staffing decisions in the United Nations, extending the traditional view of influence beyond mere structural power within international organizations. Interviews with UN officials uncover three primary informal governance tactics: leveraging financial contributions, nurturing social networks, and fostering educational and institutional pathways for grooming candidates. These strategies subtly impact UN staffing, policy development, and access to sensitive information. The study points to the UN's structural challenges, such as reliance on voluntary funding and decentralized administration, which, coupled with the intertwined interests across organizational levels and the lack of effective oversight mechanisms, enable member states' informal influence. This environment not only restricts the involvement of developing countries but also undermines the UN's legitimacy and effectiveness. The findings illuminate the intricate dynamics of power within IOs, underscoring the need for a comprehensive understanding of influence and its implications for global governance.

The Liability of Company Board Members: A Comparative Study on Civil, Criminal, and Disciplinary Aspects

This study emphasizes the importance of corporate governance practices in providing strategic guidance for the direction and management of a company. It highlights the need for effective oversight of executive management by the board of directors and underscores the significance of holding the board of directors accountable to both the company and its shareholders. According to general principles, board members can be held responsible if they violate the law or the company's bylaws, whether their actions result in harm to the company and its shareholders or third parties. Board members may face various forms of responsibility, including civil, criminal, and disciplinary liability, depending on the circumstances. Any clause that attempts to exempt board members from liability for their actions is considered invalid, and they can only be absolved from responsibility in cases of force majeure, the fault of the aggrieved party, or actions by third parties. Therefore, this study discusses the multifaceted responsibilities of board members, encompassing civil, criminal, and disciplinary aspects.

Software doping analysis for human oversight

AbstractThis article introduces a framework that is meant to assist in mitigating societal risks that software can pose. Concretely, this encompasses facets of software doping as well as unfairness and discrimination in high-risk decision-making systems. The term software doping refers to software that contains surreptitiously added functionality that is against the interest of the user. A prominent example of software doping are the tampered emission cleaning systems that were found in millions of cars around the world when the diesel emissions scandal surfaced. The first part of this article combines the formal foundations of software doping analysis with established probabilistic falsification techniques to arrive at a black-box analysis technique for identifying undesired effects of software. We apply this technique to emission cleaning systems in diesel cars but also to high-risk systems that evaluate humans in a possibly unfair or discriminating way. We demonstrate how our approach can assist humans-in-the-loop to make better informed and more responsible decisions. This is to promote effective human oversight, which will be a central requirement enforced by the European Union’s upcoming AI Act. We complement our technical contribution with a juridically, philosophically, and psychologically informed perspective on the potential problems caused by such systems.

Examining the Roles of National Assembly in Promoting Good Governance and Nation-Building in Nigeria

The legislature is an institution which represents the common and collective interests of the citizens through the enactment of laws and the exercise of oversight functions on the activities of the executive arm of government. For stable and sustainable international peace, nation-building and good governance require building effective societal, economic and political structures that meet the needs of the people. In the quest for nation-building in a democratic state like Nigeria, the exercise of effective legislative oversight function is crucial. It acts to provide checks and balances in cases when the executive branch operates unconstitutionally. It also aims to ensure that all relevant societal groups are included in and benefit from the nation-building and development exercise and that government policies and budgets are implemented in an effective, efficient, transparent and accountable manner. The power of oversight is constitutionally provided to the Nigerian legislature to enable the National Assembly to curtail corruption, inefficiency, or embezzlement in the executive or administration of laws within its legislative right and in the disbursement and administration of funds appropriated by the Acts. Unfortunately, the Nigerian legislature’s capacity to carry out its oversight functions remains ineffective because the legislature and culture are in their infancy and often confronted by many challenges. The focus of this paper is to examine the roles of the national assembly in promoting good governance and nation-building. This paper further recommends that the citizens elect upstanding individuals with no histories of corruption and greed.

How Board Financial Expertise and Effectiveness of Audit Committee Influence Quality of Integrated Reporting: Firms Listed in Nairobi Securities Exchange

Integrated reporting in corporate reporting is recognized as a powerful tool for accurately portraying acompanyʹs ability to create value over time. Despite gaining attention from professionals and scholars,there is limited exploration into the quality of integrated reporting and its determinants. Financial expertiseamong board members is crucial for effective oversight of integrated reports, which contain both financialand non‐financial information, highlighting the importance of board members possessing financialknowledge. Further, audit committee functionality promotes information disclosure among listed firms. Itunderscores the significance of enhancing audit committee effectiveness to improve the quality ofintegrated reporting, as evidenced by the strong correlation observed between audit committeeeffectiveness and integrated reporting quality. Companies should focus on strengthening the effectivenessof audit committees by ensuring that they comprise members with strong financial expertise andexperience. This can be achieved by appointing individuals with relevant qualifications and experience inauditing, accounting, and financial management to the audit committee.

Financial Market Development and Foreign Portfolio Investments in Nigeria and South Africa

The study investigates the effect of financial market development on foreign portfolio investment in Nigeria and South Africa between the periods of first quarter in 1995 to fourth quarter of 2022. The study employs an ex-post factor research design, the study deploys panel autoregressive distributed lag modelling. The inferences were made at 5% significant level. Findings from the study reveal that lagged Portfolio Investment is not statistically significant to foreign portfolio investment (coefficient = -0.5026613, p-value = 0.275), in contrast, lagged Stock Market Turnover Ratio has a significant positive coefficient (coefficient = 0.5696119, p-value &lt; 0.000), indicating a positive short-term relationship with changes in Portfolio Investment. However, other lagged variables like Stock Market Capitalization, All Share Index, Broad Money Supply, and Real Credit to the Private Sector show coefficients without statistical significance, suggesting limited short-term predictive power. In the long run, the adjusted term for lagged Portfolio Investment exhibits a highly significant negative effect (coefficient = -1.502661, p-value = 0.001). Lagged Broad Money Supply and Real Credit to the Private Sector also lack statistical significance in the long term, while lagged Stock Market Turnover Ratio and All Share Index have statistically significant positive coefficients. However, Stock Market Capitalization lacks statistical significance in predicting long-term changes in foreign Portfolio Investment. In respect to the result, the study recommended that policy makers should implement measures to enhance transparency and regulation within financial markets to promote investor confidence and attract foreign capital inflows. This may include strengthening regulatory frameworks, improving reporting standards, and ensuring effective oversight mechanisms.

Corporate Governance Dynamics and Financial Fortitude in New-Generation Private Sector Banks in India

This study examined the impact of corporate governance parameters on the financial performance of new-generation private sector banks in India, focusing on Return on Assets (ROA) and Profit After Tax (PAT). Using panel data from 2011-12 to 2022-23 and applying fixed effect models, this research explored how board size, board independence, and board meeting frequency influenced financial outcomes. The results indicated that while board size and board independence did not significantly affect ROA and PAT, the frequency of board meetings had a notable impact. Specifically, an increased number of board meetings was associated with lower ROA and PAT, suggesting that excessive meetings might lead to inefficiencies. The study contributed to the existing literature by highlighting the nuanced role of board activities in corporate governance, especially in the banking sector. These findings have practical implications for bank management and policymakers aiming to enhance governance structures and improve financial performance. By emphasizing the importance of balanced and effective board meetings, the study provided actionable insights for optimizing corporate governance practices in the banking industry. This research underscored the need for a strategic approach to governance that prioritizes efficiency and effective oversight, ultimately fostering better financial health for banks.

Risk appetite: A crucial consideration for effective board risk oversight

Progressive risk management has, among other things, inferred that effectively managing risk requires significant commitment to a risk appetite framework (RAF) that educates, trains and enables decision makers to make risk decisions in the context of understanding risk-taking capacity, preference and, ultimately, need. The starting point for this assumes a reliable measure of the current levels of risk has already been taken to understand the wherewithal to take incremental risk — taken for its potential to increase value. Yet, the need for commitment and investment by leadership can be hard to secure. Proving the value and reliability of a RAF is also not easily accomplished. Thus, RAFs have not been widely established across different industries, not nearly as much as in the financial services. Research shows that proving RAFs' impacts on performance is necessary for successful implementation. Both the literature and testimonies of successful practitioners demonstrate that risk culture, strategic priorities, board risk oversight requirements, effective communications to stakeholders, reliable quantification of risk and a commitment to quality decision making that sufficiently considers relevant risks are all crucial to successfully managing risk taking guided by a RAF. Thus, after being properly designed, thoroughly tested and ultimately approved by senior management and the board, a risk appetite strategy (RAS) and RAF can be instrumental in more effectively managing and creating value, ultimately leading to a more resilient enterprise. This paper will delve into the many elements of RAFs, allowing the reader to fully understand why management and governance should support their use. It will cover the challenges that practitioners face and how to resolve them. It will also provide a step-by-step methodology for designing, implementing and operationalising a RAS, including the roles of key players in doing so.

Profil Pendidikan Politisi terhadap Kinerja di DPRD Provinsi Sumatera Selatan

This article discusses the educational background of members of parliament in the field of government studies, political science, or public administration related to their performance in government management, specifically in the area of oversight functions. The method used is literature review, analyzing and drawing conclusions from credible secondary data sources. The research findings indicate that the educational background of new politicians is limited to formal academic degrees and has not yet significantly impacted the implementation of effective oversight functions in government management. However, politicians do understand their roles and responsibilities as members of the council. The recommendation from this study is the appropriate use of information technology to provide transparent and accountable information on the execution of oversight functions to the public

Research on financial risk early warning system model based on second-order blockchain differential equation

A financial risk early warning system (FREWS) is a disclosure and tracking mechanism that provides advance notice of potential issues, hazards, and potentials that might affect the business’s finances. Some elderly individuals living alone may experience financial difficulties, which may hinder their ability to pay for appropriate medical care, property maintenance, and other essential expenses. Financial difficulties can add tension and diminish their quality of life. Financial results, investment risk, and possible insolvencies may all be detected by implementing early warning systems. Management might use the window of opportunity provided by early warning systems to avert or lessen the impact of possible issues. Almost all FREWS rely on some financial statement analysis. Financial measures are combined with the EWS, accounting information, to determine the firm’s success in its field. Organizational success depends on effective financial oversight, which is at the heart of each business. Studying the enhancement of early warning capacities is relevant because there are no adequate risk evaluation methods to generate realistic estimates. To minimize the FREWS, this research provides a systemic model based on a second-order block chain differential equation (SBDE). China’s systemic financial liabilities have also been quantified using the expected investment returns of 64 selected financial enterprises in China between February 2006 and September 2020 as the datasets. The financial risk warning approach is compared and analyzed primarily using analytical and comparative techniques. The suggested method is 96% accurate in experiments. Consequently, the proposed algorithm compares favorably to others regarding both computing efficacy and precision and has strong predictability.

Corporate Governance Mechanisms on Earnings management in the Indonesian Banking Sector

Research Aims: This research aims to examine the influence of corporate governance on earnings management. The corporate governance variable is proxied by independent commissioners, audit committees, and audit quality. The data in this research is secondary data originating from the financial reports of banking companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2019-2022. &#x0D; Design/methodology/approach: The analytical techniques used to test the hypothesis in this research are descriptive statistics, classical assumption tests, and multiple linear regression analysis. The type of data used in this research is quantitative data. The sample for this research was obtained using a purposive sampling method, and a sample of 116 banking companies was obtained.&#x0D; Research Findings: Test results using multiple linear regression show that the independent commissioner variable does not affect earnings management. the audit committee variable has negative impact on earnings management while audit quality variable have a significant positive effect. Test results also show that the control variable ROA has a significant negative influence on earnings management (EM). However, the leverage control variable does not influence management (EM).&#x0D; Theoretical Contribution/Originality: This research contributes by providing nuanced insights into the specific impact of corporate governance components on earnings management within Indonesian banking companies. The findings offer a deeper understanding of the intricate relationships between governance mechanisms and financial practices.&#x0D; Research limitation and implication: Limitations include the focus on banking companies and the specific time frame. Future research may explore diverse sectors and extend the study period. The results imply the need for policymakers and practitioners to recognize the varying impacts of different corporate governance components on earnings management for effective financial oversight.

Effective oversight and management of steam turbine lubrication system using smart sensors

The 210 MW HP, IP, and LP Turbine Rotor are mounted in the log bearings that are lubricated to prevent friction. You should not have direct contact with each other with the rotor shaft and bearings. Direct contact is avoided by developing an oil film layer between the shaft and the bearing [1]. To allow the oil film to be formed, the lube oil header pressure should be maintained at 2.8 ksc. The separate lube oil scheme provides the bearings with continuous lubrication. The header pressure monitoring, main oil tank level, redundancy scheme, and the lube oil coolers for lube oil pumps [3] are concerned with the relevant monitoring and control of the lube oil system. The current monitoring and controlling device is relay logic and each function is run separately. This research work has included level monitoring of MOT, pressure monitoring of lube oil coolers, and redundancy devices using the PIC Microcontroller for lube oil pumps in a single system.

CEO-executive connections and auditor resignations

ABSTRACT This article examines the impact of connections between the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and other executives on auditor resignations. Prior literature documents both the positive and negative effects of CEO-executive connections on financial disclosure quality. However, there remains a lack of understanding regarding whether auditors perceive CEO-executive connections as a factor that potentially increases or decreases audit risk. To address the gap, this study investigates the association between CEO-executive connections and the likelihood of auditor resignations. The results based on 19,452 firm-year observations of S&P 1500 firms from 2004 to 2015 show that CEO-executive connections, especially visible connections, are positively associated with auditor resignations. Moreover, the association is more pronounced for firms with poor oversight over the financial reporting process and management. This suggests that CEO-executive connections are an audit risk factor that heightens the inherent and control risks of the firm, which can be mitigated through effective oversight mechanisms. This study contributes to the auditing literature by investigating an unexplored determinant of audit risk, that is, CEO-executive connections, and highlights the need to evaluate the management-related factors that could potentially heighten risks for auditors and regulators.

Internet of Vehicles (IoV)-Based Task Scheduling Approach Using Fuzzy Logic Technique in Fog Computing Enables Vehicular Ad Hoc Network (VANET)

The intelligent transportation system (ITS) relies heavily on the vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) and the internet of vehicles (IoVs), which combine cloud and fog to improve task processing capabilities. As a cloud extension, the fog processes’ infrastructure is close to VANET, fostering an environment favorable to smart cars with IT equipment and effective task management oversight. Vehicle processing power, bandwidth, time, and high-speed mobility are all limited in VANET. It is critical to satisfy the vehicles’ requirements for minimal latency and fast reaction times while offloading duties to the fog layer. We proposed a fuzzy logic-based task scheduling system in VANET to minimize latency and improve the enhanced response time when offloading tasks in the IoV. The proposed method effectively transfers workloads to the fog computing layer while considering the constrained resources of car nodes. After choosing a suitable processing unit, the algorithm sends the job and its associated resources to the fog layer. The dataset is related to crisp values for fog computing for system utilization, latency, and task deadline time for over 5000 values. The task execution, latency, deadline of task, storage, CPU, and bandwidth utilizations are used for fuzzy set values. We proved the effectiveness of our proposed task scheduling framework via simulation tests, outperforming current algorithms in terms of task ratio by 13%, decreasing average turnaround time by 9%, minimizing makespan time by 15%, and effectively overcoming average latency time within the network parameters. The proposed technique shows better results and responses than previous techniques by scheduling the tasks toward fog layers with less response time and minimizing the overall time from task submission to completion.