Empirical Data Research Articles

THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION IN HIGHER EDUCATION AS A DIRECTION OF ANTI-CRIMINAL POLICY: THE EXPERIENCE OF SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH

In the structure of the anti-criminal policy being developed, the direction of overcoming corruption in the higher education system is considered. The empirical basis of anti-corruption prevention is investigated, its principles are formulated. The anonymous questionnaire method was used to obtain empirical data on corruption in educational institutions. A survey of 416 students of Russian universities was conducted. The questionnaire questions reflect the respondents’ opinion on the causes, conditions and forms of corruption, as well as on the effectiveness of anti-corruption measures applied. The results show that students associate corruption with giving bribes (in monetary or material form) to a teacher. The motives of students’ participation in corrupt relations are manifested in the desire to obtain a diploma of education without making efforts to master the educational material. A significant part of the respondents recognizes the initiative of students in establishing corrupt relations with the teacher. Many respondents justify the permissibility of illegally acquiring a final qualifying work. Students are not sufficiently informed about the content of anti-corruption programs operating at the university. A significant part of the students are indifferent to the manifestations of corruption. During the survey, students expressed idealistic views on anti-corruption issues. Many respondents do not associate anti-corruption prevention at the university with the system of anti-criminal policy of the state, do not associate the rejection of corruption with the system of traditional moral values. The results obtained in this work form the basis for anti-corruption prevention in the higher education system.

Supplier–buyer (in)congruence in environmental management accounting for sustainable development in the context of Japan

AbstractThis study provides a comprehensive perspective on the integration of Environmental Management Accounting (EMA) in translating environmental management strategies into corporate outcomes, both at the firm and supply chain levels. Grounded in legitimacy theory and agency theory, we introduce a conceptual framework to comprehensively investigate the impact of EMA implementation on corporate environmental performance (CEP) and corporate financial performance (CFP). Additionally, by considering the dynamics of supplier–buyer relationships, this research delves into the influence of supplier–buyer alignment in EMA on corporate performance, encompassing CEP and CFP within a supply network. To collect empirical data, we partnered with two prominent information firms in Japan, Toyo Keizai Inc. and., Nikkei Inc and gathered EMA data from chief financial officers of publicly listed companies spanning multiple industries in Japan. We manually paired these public firms with their business partners, including industry buyers and suppliers, to establish focal firm‐business partner pairs. Our findings indicate a positive correlation between the extent of EMA implementation and both CEP and CFP. Furthermore, we observe that board gender diversity enhances the relationship between EMA implementation and CFP, while it exerts no influence on the connection between EMA implementation and CEP. Lastly, our study reveals that supplier–buyer congruence in EMA implementation yields positive effects on the performance of focal firms operating within a supply chain network.

Reverse logistics and financial performance in a developing country context: the moderating role of analytics capability

Purpose This paper aims to examine the financial outcome of reverse logistics among firms in a developing country. The authors draw on the organizational information processing theory to propose that analytics capability moderates the relationship between reverse logistics and financial performance. Design/methodology/approach The authors collected firm-level survey data from 200 manufacturing firms in Ghana, a developing country in sub-Saharan Africa. Partial least squares structural equations modeling is used to examine the proposed relationships, and the moderating effects are further probed using Hayes PROCESS. Findings The empirical results show that reverse logistics is negatively related to financial performance. However, analytics capability attenuates this negative relationship, such that firms with high analytics capability obtain a positive relationship between reverse logistics and financial performance. Practical implications Firms in developing countries should combine their reverse logistics strategies with developing analytics capabilities that help minimize uncertainties and increase the efficient collection and use of information to reduce the cost of reverse logistics. Originality/value This paper examines how reverse logistics relates to financial performance in low-resource contexts. Beyond the novelty of the context, it explores the information processing needs of reverse logistics systems and provides empirical data to support analytics capability. This has yet to be considered in prior studies.

Polityka zakupowa państwa jako cel zamówień publicznych

The article focuses on the role of state purchasing policy as the primary aim of public procurement in Poland, considering its key aspects and impact on various spheres of economic activity. It presents detailed analyses of strategic objectives, legal regulations, and implementation practices, demonstrating the complexity and significance of this process for the way the public procurement market functions. The main research objective of the article is to understand the role that state purchasing policy plays in shaping the structure of the public procurement market and its impact on the efficiency of public expenditure and the economic development of the country. Through the analysis of empirical data and observations gathered from various sectors of the economy, the article seeks to illustrate how effective purchasing policy can support market competitiveness, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship development. The article analyzes the state purchasing policy as a key goal of public procurement, and presents its impact on the economy, competitiveness and sustainable development, emphasizing the efficiency, transparency and innovation of procedures.However, the article not only highlights the positive aspects of purchasing policy but also identifies challenges associated with it. Among them are combating corruption, ensuring the transparency of processes, and promoting fair competition. The findings presented may serve as a valuable source of information for political decision-makers and practitioners involved in public procurement management, aiming to improve the Polish public procurement system in the context of changing economic and social trends on the international stage.

Incorporating empirical knowledge into data-driven variable selection for quantitative analysis of coal ash content by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has become a widely used atomic spectroscopic technique for rapid coal analysis. However, the vast amount of spectral information in LIBS contains signal uncertainty, which can affect its quantification performance. In this work, we propose a hybrid variable selection method to improve the performance of LIBS quantification. Important variables are first identified using Pearson’s correlation coefficient, mutual information, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and random forest, and then filtered and combined with empirical variables related to fingerprint elements of coal ash content. Subsequently, these variables are fed into a partial least squares regression (PLSR). Additionally, in some models, certain variables unrelated to ash content are removed manually to study the impact of variable deselection on model performance. The proposed hybrid strategy was tested on three LIBS datasets for quantitative analysis of coal ash content and compared with the corresponding data-driven baseline method. It is significantly better than the variable selection only method based on empirical knowledge and in most cases outperforms the baseline method. The results showed that on all three datasets the hybrid strategy for variable selection combining empirical knowledge and data-driven algorithms achieved the lowest root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) values of 1.605, 3.478 and 1.647, respectively, which were significantly lower than those obtained from multiple linear regression using only 12 empirical variables, which are 1.959, 3.718 and 2.181, respectively. The LASSO-PLSR model with empirical support and 20 selected variables exhibited a significantly improved performance after variable deselection, with RMSEP values dropping from 1.635, 3.962 and 1.647 to 1.483, 3.086 and 1.567, respectively. Such results demonstrate that using empirical knowledge as a support for data-driven variable selection can be a viable approach to improve the accuracy and reliability of LIBS quantification.

Saliva-derived secondary DNA transfer on fabric: The impact of varying conditions

This study explored secondary DNA transfer involving saliva, a body fluid often encountered in forensic investigations. Various factors were examined to investigate their potential impact on the transfer of DNA from saliva stains deposited onto common types of fabric (cotton, nylon, and towel). We examined varying types of saliva moisture (wet, dry, and rehydrated) and different types of contact (controlled pressure and active/friction pressure) to quantitatively evaluate how such variables could impact transfer and possible conclusions surrounding saliva-derived DNA deposits. The transfer of DNA was generally least pronounced with more absorbent primary fabrics (cotton and towel materials) while a less absorbent primary fabric (nylon) exhibited a greater propensity for DNA transfer. There were significantly higher amounts of transferred DNA (p < 0.05) observed in wet saliva samples compared to dry and rehydrated saliva samples. Further, the use of active pressure (friction) appeared to result in more DNA transfer overall as compared to controlled pressure contact. Experiments conducted with wet saliva and active pressure (friction) demonstrated the highest likelihood of transfer, with the primary nylon and secondary towel fabric combination demonstrating the greatest average transfer percentage of 94.74 %. The variables explored in this study presented multiple combinations wherein a sufficient amount of DNA (≥ 240 pg total) was transferred to the secondary fabric, making it potentially suitable for STR-PCR amplification in our laboratory. The findings from this study indicate that the type of primary fabric receiving the saliva deposit, the type of saliva moisture, the type of secondary fabric and its moisture type, and the type of contact all have the potential to affect the quantity of DNA transferred and recovered. This study provides empirical data on the ease, and to what extent, DNA from saliva transfers between fabrics and aids DNA activity level evaluations. The significance of this research lies in its contribution to expanding our current understanding of DNA transfer involving saliva within forensic science and criminal investigations.

Long-distance communication can enable collective migration in a dynamic seascape

Social information is predicted to enhance the quality of animals’ migratory decisions in dynamic ecosystems, but the relative benefits of social information in the long-range movements of marine megafauna are unknown. In particular, whether and how migrants use nonlocal information gained through social communication at the large spatial scale of oceanic ecosystems remains unclear. Here we test hypotheses about the cues underlying timing of blue whales’ breeding migration in the Northeast Pacific via individual-based models parameterized by empirical behavioral data. Comparing emergent patterns from individual-based models to individual and population-level empirical metrics of migration timing, we find that individual whales likely rely on both personal and social sources of information about forage availability in deciding when to depart from their vast and dynamic foraging habitat and initiate breeding migration. Empirical patterns of migratory phenology can only be reproduced by models in which individuals use long-distance social information about conspecifics’ behavioral state, which is known to be encoded in the patterning of their widely propagating songs. Further, social communication improves pre-migration seasonal foraging performance by over 60% relative to asocial movement mechanisms. Our results suggest that long-range communication enhances the perceptual ranges of migrating whales beyond that of any individual, resulting in increased foraging performance and more collective migration timing. These findings indicate the value of nonlocal social information in an oceanic migrant and suggest the importance of long-distance acoustic communication in the collective migration of wide-ranging marine megafauna.

Assessing automated air-taxis for urban mobility

This paper explores the feasibility and potential implications of automated air-taxis as a new mode of urban transport. By applying flight simulation and operations research, we investigate different questions regarding travel time, travel costs, and transport sustainability. As practical application, we consider the transportation service between the city and the airport, as well as on-demand air-taxi services within the city of Vienna. We compare the air-taxis with gasoline taxis and e-taxis, as they serve analogous transportation needs and cater to a similar clientele. In our effort to assess the feasibility of air-taxis, we aim to answer crucial questions that will influence the future of urban transportation. Our study examines how efficient air-taxis are in reducing travel time and explores their cost dynamics, addressing the affordability for passengers and their value of travel time savings. Additionally, we investigate their environmental impact by looking into energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Through a rigorous analysis of empirical data and simulation outcomes, we aim to provide a comprehensive perspective that informs policy decisions and guides the evolution of urban transportation networks in the years to come.

Can the natural resource balance sheet system promote ecological civilization? --Empirical evidence from panel data of prefecture-level cities in China

As a crucial carrier of natural resource and environmental information, the natural resources balance sheet is important in enhancing ecological governance capabilities and advancing ecological civilization construction. Utilizing panel data from Chinese prefecture cities spanning 2012 to 2018, we employ a Difference-in-Differences (DID) model to examine the policy effects of the natural resources balance sheet system. The findings indicate that compiling the natural resources balance sheet significantly promotes local ecological civilization construction, and local government environmental governance efficiency partially mediates this relationship. Further analysis indicates that the outgoing audit of natural resources and public environmental concern positively moderates the relationship between the two. Drawing on the principal-agent theory, we provide in-depth analysis and elucidation of the mechanisms through which the natural resources balance sheet promotes ecological civilization construction, offering theoretical guidance and empirical data support for strengthening the compilation and application of the natural resources balance sheet.

Does higher education matter in mitigating chronic disease Mortality? evidence from MENA countries with consideration of Globalization, economic Growth, and environmental pollution

This study investigates the relationship between higher education and mortality rates from chronic and fatal diseases in MENA countries from 2000 to 2020. Utilizing a robust panel econometric framework with Generalized Least Square, Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS), and Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS), we analyze empirical data while controlling for globalization, CO2 emissions, and GDP per capita. Our findings reveal a significant negative correlation between education and mortality rates, paralleled by similar trends for globalization and GDP per capita. Conversely, CO2 emissions are found to increase mortality rates, highlighting the detrimental impact of environmental degradation on public health. This underscores the pivotal role of education, globalization, and economic development in reducing mortality rates associated with chronic and fatal diseases. The study advocates for increased investments in education and healthcare infrastructure to address disparities and enhance public health outcomes, alongside promoting responsible globalization practices to further improve health metrics.

Mixed traffic capacity estimation of autonomous vehicles impact based on empirical data

This study refined the composite headway distribution model to estimate the mixed traffic capacity by utilizing extensive empirical mixed traffic data. The enhanced model integrated an automatic iterative algorithm into the stochastic process to capture the headway distributions of autonomous and human-driven vehicles in five types of car-following pair combinations. The proposed iterative algorithm automatically fitted the free-flow headway distribution and dynamically determined the threshold for distinguishing the car-following and free-flow states of autonomous and human-driven vehicles based on extensive trajectory data. Quantitative analysis was carried out to assess the impact of time period and vehicle type on the headway distributions of following vehicles in the five car-following pairs. The mixed traffic capacity was estimated using the overall composite headway distribution model, considering the effects of penetration rate, platoon intensity, and maximum platoon size of the autonomous vehicle. The findings indicated that autonomous vehicles showed more cautious and sensitive car-following behaviors compared to human-driven vehicles. Compared to the daytime, autonomous vehicles showed more cautious car-following behaviors at night. When following heavy vehicles, autonomous vehicles typically adapt conservative and stable car-following behaviors. In addition, the results also showed that the penetration rate, platoon intensity, and maximum platoon size significantly affected the capacity of mixed traffic flow. These results of this study can assist traffic management authorities in formulating rules or policies that take into consideration the growing prevalence of autonomous vehicles.

Mobile Accounting Software and Financial Performance of Small-Scale Hotels in Mombasa, Kenya

This research explores the effects of mobile accounting software on the financial performance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Kenya, specifically focusing on the hotel industry. The utilization of accounting software, which includes various modules like trial balances, payroll, accounts receivable, and accounts payable, improves efficiency through task automation and error reduction. Mobile applications, accessible via platforms such as Google Play Store and Apple Store, further enhance financial processes for SME proprietors, providing instant access to financial data and aiding in precise record-keeping. The study emphasizes the categories of mobile accounting applications—bookkeeping, expense tracking, and invoice tracking—and their combined impact on financial performance. Empirical data from different nations, such as Indonesia and Germany, highlights the advantages of these apps in enhancing financial literacy and management capabilities among SME owners. Particularly in areas like Tudor Ward, Mombasa, Kenya, the awareness and utilization of mobile accounting applications exhibit promising outcomes in elevating financial performance significantly. The study concludes that integrating mobile accounting software is crucial for attaining heightened efficiency, transparency, and financial advancement for SMEs. As technology progresses, its role in bolstering the financial well-being and endurance of small enterprises will grow increasingly pivotal.

More than employment: Belonging and boundary construction among immigrants in rural Finland

Rural communities frame immigrants’ belonging experiences in various ways. In this article, I examine: 1) how do immigrants produce belonging in their speech through symbolic boundaries in rural areas, and 2) what kinds of belonging do those boundary constructions create? This study contributes to the discussion about belonging in rural areas by highlighting immigrants’ own voices in the process. The empirical data is based on twenty-three semi-structured interviews of immigrants living in rural areas in Finland. As a conclusion, the interviewees created belonging in relation to the safety and stagnancy of rural places, the experience of being (not) understood, and within religion and value systems. Within these three frames, the interviewees highlighted the meaning of employment, language, and social relations with Finnish people as aspects that promoted their sense of belonging. However, rural areas’ structural order offers different opportunities for these three elements of belonging to materialise.

Children’s voices on their values and moral dilemmas when being cared and treated for cancer– a qualitative interview study

BackgroundChildhood cancers affect about 350 children every year in Sweden and are life-threatening diseases. During the treatment period, situations arise that can become morally challenging for the child. When knowing children’s values and morally challenging situations in childhood cancer care, targeted ethics support could be developed and used in care.AimTo explore children’s values and moral dilemmas ​​when undergoing cancer treatment.MethodsThis is a qualitative study based on empirical data. The data collection was conducted through three focus group interviews and six individual interviews with children between 10 and 18 years (n = 16). A content analysis methodology was used to generate themes. Children who were/have been treated for cancer at three childhood cancer centres in Sweden were invited to participate. The study was approved by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority. The children’s participation was based on voluntariness and consent/assent.FindingsDuring the analysis, five themes of values emerged: Personal relationships, Bodily ease and identity, Feeling in control and being involved, Positive distractions and Right care that is needed. Their moral dilemmas were thematized into: Should I consider others or not? Should I rest or not? and Should I refuse treatment or not?ConclusionChildren undergoing cancer treatment want to have personal relationships with healthcare professionals. Their moral dilemmas were about questioning their own physical and psychological well-being against their expectations, the values of others and the treatment required. Further research is needed to understand how to deal with moral dilemmas in children undergoing cancer treatment.

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC STATUS OF PUBLIC SERVANTS: EXAMINING THE CASES OF THE UK, CANADA, GERMANY, NEW ZEALAND, AND KAZAKHSTAN

Civil servants play a crucial role in the management and functioning of modern society. Their social and economic status reflects not only their well-being but also broader trends in government structures. This research article examines the socioeconomic status of civil servants in five different countries: Canada, Great Britain, Germany, New Zealand, and Kazakhstan. Through a comparative analysis of policy, practice, and empirical data, this study aims to clarify the factors influencing the status of civil servants, as well as their consequences on the implementation of public policy, the provision of public services, and the development of society. The purpose of the article is to determine the socioeconomic status of civil servants in five countries: Canada, Great Britain, Germany, New Zealand, and Kazakhstan, as well as to identify job satisfaction. The results show that civil servants in Canada, Germany, and New Zealand are more likely to be satisfied with their socio-economic status and service in the public service system. Those who work in the civil service in the UK and Kazakhstan are less satisfied with their work in the civil service system. The study also highlights the unique challenges and opportunities faced by civil servants in each country, emphasizing the importance of context-oriented approaches to enhance their status and promote effective public administration.

Applicability of Both/and Thinking in International Sustainable Business Studies

The purpose of this article is to provide a methodological demonstration making use of the both/and thinking (BAT) framework to perform analysis of intertemporal tensions. The BAT framework as an analytical tool is able to holistically examine complex multi-level business problems that involve tensions, contradictions and paradox that could be useful to others. Engaging the BAT framework in international sustainable business studies can be a challenging choice as it requires holistic understanding of the affects in the separation of contradictory elements across time and distance to shape research inquiry and direction. The approach considers that while paradoxes deal with contradictions, as a methodological process it enables a strategy for juxtaposing apparent opposites using an integrative lens embedded in BAT. As such, the use of BAT is discussed using a constructionist approach to gain insight and understanding on surfacing intertemporal tensions exemplified by the socio-business case study that is situated in the chocolate industry. The article draws on BAT primary and sub-themes and discusses implications and applications as a technique to frame the grappling of tensions. The findings are guided by the existing literature and the analysis from the empirical case study providing contributions in practice to further support the use of the BAT framework. Paradoxes examined in this article are based on affects for the themes of organizing, belonging, performing and learning. This article provides understanding of the findings to gain insight from an empirical and theoretical perspective to illustrate the practical implications of the methodological approach. As such, the principles of paradox theory are placed in the context of the BAT framework which are exemplified by making use of the empirical case study data to surface the potential applicability of the approach for future research. This article aims to contribute to the business and management methodological literature by demonstrating the use of the BAT approach and contributes with specificity in relation to the paradox taxonomy and the use of the BAT framework. Despite certain limitations, the BAT framework can be an excellent choice for qualitative sustainable business research that deals with contradictory demands.

An Heuristic Study on Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor’s Atmanirbhar Nidhi Yojana: Context on a Micro Credit Scheme

This study looks into the Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor's Atmanirbhar Nidhi Yojana (PM SVANidhi), a micro-credit project, and the awareness, utilization patterns, and difficulties faced by urban mobile street food sellers. The study intends to offer insight on the scheme's effectiveness and reach within this specific group through empirical research and data analysis. In order to obtain thorough insights, the research uses a mixed-methods strategy that combines surveys and interviews. The results show that vendors have different levels of awareness, and that socioeconomic background, bureaucratic obstacles, and information availability all have an impact on how merchants use technology. repayment mechanisms. The abstract underscores the significance of understanding these dynamics to enhance the scheme's efficacy and support the socio-economic empowerment The paper also outlines important obstacles to PM SVANidhi's successful implementation, including as loan repayment procedures, documentation requirements, and financial literacy. The abstract emphasizes the need of studying these mechanisms in order to improve the scheme's efficacy and foster the socioeconomic independence of urban street food vendors.

Research Ethics in Swedish Dissertations in Educational Science – A Matter of Confusion

AbstractIn all research, ethical considerations are crucial to reliability and quality and researchers are guided by various national and international documents and ethical committees. Despite different strategies to guide researchers and to ensure quality, there still seems to be uncertainty in educational science about how research ethics should be positioned and handled in practice. The aim of this study is to phenomenologically explore what meanings the phenomenon research ethics are given in Swedish doctoral dissertations in educational research based on how doctoral researchers position, frame and present research ethics in their ethical elaborations. The empirical data consists of 60 doctoral dissertations in educational science at Swedish universities from the past year. The result indicates very different meanings of ethical considerations despite a quite common point of departure in the Swedish Research Council’s guidelines and knowledge of the Ethics Review Act. Some variations can be related to the differences in the studies’ designs, but regardless of such explanations, the conclusion is that consensus regarding ethical considerations in research is largely lacking.

The spatial imaginaries of creative clusters: Examining the role of R&D programmes in creative placemaking

Creative clusters – geographic concentrations of creative industries sector activity, its skilled individuals, organisations and institutions – have attracted significant investment globally, becoming an important driver of economic growth. In this paper, we frame investment in creative clusters as a mechanism for creative placemaking. Creative placemaking occupies a dual role as a driver of economic development via arts-led ‘regeneration’ of high streets and flagship infrastructural projects like cultural quarters, yet also as a sustained stewarding of creative places through social engagement and community-centred decision-making about cultural projects. This distinction is typically framed as ‘top-down’ versus ‘bottom-up’ creative placemaking. We use the Bristol+Bath Creative R+D (BBCRD) programme as a case study to show how this distinction becomes less black and white. BBCRD created a ‘twin city’ spatial imaginary distinct from the geography of existing cultural or placemaking policy remits. The novel contribution of this paper is in how it evidences the intersecting scales of creative placemaking and unpacks the effectiveness of multi-city regionality for creative clustering, using fine-grained empirical data on the impact of top-down placemaking initiatives for the existing creative ecology of a place. This type of data and analysis is largely missing from literature on both clustering and placemaking. Given the continued international replication of the clusters model, recently renewed via ‘supercluster’ and ‘creative corridor’ discourses, we propose that an ecological understanding − that takes place specificity, relationality and scale into consideration – is pressing, and offers a route for complementarity between top-down and bottom-up creative placemaking.

Using a spatial autoregressive model with spatial autoregressive disturbances to investigate origin-destination trip flows.

Spatial interaction models with spatial origin-destination (OD) filters are powerful tools to characterize trip flows in space, which is a classic and important problem in regional science. To the authors' knowledge, existing studies adopting OD filters mostly specify the spatial dependence as an autoregressive process, which may not be the full picture of spatial effects. To examine the problem, this paper proposes the hypotheses that 1) spatial OD dependences can take place in both the spatial autoregressive term and the spatial error term in a spatial interaction model. 2) Estimating a spatial autoregressive model with spatial autoregressive disturbances (SARAR) model with OD filters would disentangle where the spatial dependence exists and by how much. 3) The marginal effects obtained from SARAR models would be preferred to analysts when SARAR models outperform spatial autoregressive (SAR) models and spatial error models (SEM) from the statistical point of view. To assess these hypotheses, this paper specifies, estimates, and applies SARAR models with OD filters to investigate trip distributions. By comparing against alternative models, this paper investigates the estimation results in SAR, SEM and SARAR models using an empirical data collected from Hangzhou, China. The contribution of this paper is to be the first in developing an SARAR model with OD filters for trip distribution analyses and examining its performance.