Empirical Indicators Research Articles

Indicators of absorptive capacity. Conceptual framework and estimates for 25 countries and 24 UK sectors

The paper develops a conceptual and operationalization framework for absorptive capacity (ACAP) leading to empirical indicators useful for the development of innovation policy. Applications are presented for 25 European countries and 24 UK sectors. For the country study, four dimensions are developed. Two in relations to embodiment of knowledge and two to acquisition. On the former, one dimension captures embodiment in assets and scientific activities and one in human resources both on the supply and demand side. Two dimensions capture acquisition of knowledge via social linkages and via physical and digital connectivity. Several variables contribute to each of these dimensions. ACAP values are arrived at by combining all dimensions. The sector study is developed along similar lines. It has two components related to large and medium-sized enterprises. The results show: clear strengths and weaknesses in ACAP by country and sector; and, in the sector study, more sector- than enterprise-size specificity.

EMPIRICAL INDICATORS FOR CONSTRUCTING SOFTWARE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE SYSTEMATIZATION OF NURSING CARE IN ASSISTED REPRODUCTION

Infertility is defined as the inability to develop a successful pregnancy through sexual intercourse or artificial insemination within a period of 12 months or more. Nursing is involved in the implementation of assisted reproduction treatments. In this sense, the use of software provides support in the documentation of the actions that govern care, in addition to assisting in the elaboration of clinical judgment, which can result in better quality care. Thus, the objective was to identify the empirical indicators of women undergoing assisted reproduction techniques in order to structure a support software for the Systematization of Nursing Care for these women. This is a methodological research through the identification of empirical indicators related to women undergoing Assisted Reproduction techniques. As a result, a sample of 40 articles was obtained, from which 166 indicators were extracted. A total of 166 empirical indicators were obtained, of which 74 represented psychobiological needs, 88 psychosocial needs and 4 IES psychospiritual needs. Therefore, from the identification of altered empirical indicators of women undergoing assisted reproduction techniques in light of the theory of Basic Human Needs, it will be possible to develop valid software for Systematization of Nursing Care for women undergoing assisted reproduction techniques.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Sustainable Development Goals Derived Gentrification Scale in the Context of the Pandemic

In the context of human development goals, gentrification has emerged as a significant and unpredictable phenomenon amid the ongoing health crisis, potentially impacting the sustainable development goals (SDGs). This study aimed to analyze the theoretical framework of gentrification and its empirical indicators in the unique context of the pandemic, foreseeing potential risk scenarios. A cross-sectional, psychometric, and correlational study was conducted with 100 university students dedicated to the SDGs during the pandemic. The findings revealed the prevalence of two out of seven factors associated with poverty alleviation and institutional justice for peace. Given the observation of seven factors in the current literature, this study recommends expanding the indicators to enhance the variance percentage and aligning the theoretical model with empirical evidence. It underscores the pressing need for collaborative efforts in urban and sustainable development.

Making sense of big questions that require multiple subjects: preliminary theorisation of an integrative philosophy of knowledge and empirical indications of a lack of subject connection within school curricula

AbstractThis paper provides theorisation about a novel concept for education: an integrative philosophy of knowledge (IPK). This is proposed for school curricula to relate multiple subjects to big questions of personal and existential importance. Critical contemporary issues such as climate change education require multiple subject contributions but there is little clarity in the English education guidance on this drawing together, beyond the encouragement to do so in priority areas. Leading British thinkers have engaged the idea of the unity of knowledge, not without difficulty and criticism. The paper identifies reasons for a practical approach to consilience in school curricula. In addition to preliminary theorisation, in methodological ‘harmony’, this paper adds tentative empirical findings from a related research project that provides quantitative indications that such multi-subject connection is likely not happening. The findings are not definitive, but the perceptions of three groups of beginning and experienced teachers (secondary Religious Education (RE), secondary science and primary teachers) indicate that school curricula do not reflect an integrative approach to climate change education, and sex and relationships education, despite policy priority. A significant national survey could not detect many signs of connection. The paper speculates that RE could have a key epistemic role for the curriculum as a whole in this regard.

Medium-term forecast of the dynamics of life attitudes of Russians

The article presents a method for forecasting trends in changes in mass consciousness in terms of life attitudes, i.e. those values according to which people try to build their lives. Modern applied sociology successfully uses the forecast of electoral and consumer behaviour of citizens. The time lag of forecast reliability: for electoral behaviour - 4-5 weeks, for consumer behaviour - up to a year. Forecasting for 10-20 years is practiced mainly in demography. It is more difficult to forecast changes in mass consciousness based on value attitudes of citizens. If we assume that the development of the state is evolutionary, then the combination of heuristic and mathematical methods allows us to forecast trends in the attitudes of the population aged 40 and older, as basic for the economic and political functioning of the state. In methodological terms, the article proposes a procedure for forecasting trends only, without claiming high accuracy of numerical indicators, with mandatory consideration of weak variability of basic numerical indicators measured as of 2024. To forecast trends, there were used data from an all-Russian representative sociological study, accumulated in integral indices, as well as in verbal constructs using factor analysis. The combination of these methods allowed to make a generally stable 20-year forecast of trends in changes in the life attitudes of Russians. As a tool for a detailed forecast indices as integrated indicators of the intensity and direction of a trend were used, and for a generalised forecast - verbal constructs formed on the basis of factor analysis. The choice of the subject of the forecast is based on the hypothesis that the "catalyst" of life attitudes are three components of life activity: the life trajectory chosen by the individual, including the preferred types of life activity; the identification of the individual with reference groups as a contact environment, a mechanism of value communication and self-realisation; the choice of forms of social behaviour by the individual based on the basic moral principles of people's life activity. These three aspects of the population's life activity are not only socially (phylogenetically), but also to a large extent biologically (ontogenetically) determined, therefore they are highly stable, that allows us to talk about the stability of the medium-term forecast of trends in the interval of up to 20 years. Thus, the article proposes the tested in an applied sociological study combined method of medium-term forecast of social groups' attitudes in a situation where repeated studies are not conducted to build a dynamic series of empirical indicators. The forecast presented in the article operates with indicators that are important for consideration in the practice of medium-term planning of the state’s social policy.

Digitalisation and sustainability measures at the firm level

The paper analyses the “twin transition” of digitalisation and sustainability at the firm level. Operational definitions of digitalisation and sustainability allowing the development of fitting empirical indicators are discussed. The possible technical and social transmission channels of the effects of digitalisation on a sustainable firm development are analysed. Less energy consumption induced by intelligent sensoring systems, the reduction of meetings in presence by video conferences or the promotion of home office work leading to less travel activities may lead to a more sustainable production. Digitalisation might also act as pre-condition of eco-process innovations (e. g. the introduction of intelligent control systems leading to material and energy savings). The empirical analysis is based on firm data of the recent Eurobarometer 486/2020 of the European Commission. The econometric results show that “digitally active” firms seem to be more sustainable for all available indicators, but the marginal effects considerably differ between measures such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, or the use of smart devices and intelligent sensors for the various sustainability-related activities of the firms.

A model-based characterization of confined meandering rivers

In this paper we analyze the dynamics of meandering rivers that flow in geologically confined floodplains. We use a state of art meander morphodynamic model in which the floodplain erodibility can be spatially variable, and can thus be highly reduced where nearly unerodible lateral walls are simulated. We propose a hybrid empirical and model-based indicator to estimate the degree of confinement relative to the potential, unconfined meander belt. Together with commonly used meander morphometric indicators, we propose two novel planform metrics to represent the observed tendency of confined meanders (i) to develop long reaches attached to the geological boundaries, and (ii) to develop more frequent crossing of the floodplain central axis. Results reproduce realistic planforms of confined meanders, quantitatively support previously suggested qualitative classifications of confined meandering rivers, and provide a rational framework to compare meandering rivers having different degree of confinement (strong, moderate, unconfined), as well as different hydro-morphological conditions. Good agreement between model predictions and the few existing field observations support the proposed approach.

Do employee-friendly practices affect inventory leanness?

ABSTRACT We examine the impact of employee-friendly practices (i.e. employment quality, training and development, and employee turnover) on inventory leanness. We use the Empirical Leanness Indicator (ELI) as a proxy for inventory leanness. We employ OLS estimates to estimate our regressions while controlling for country, industry, and year-fixed effects and clustering standard errors at the firm level. We use alternative approaches to address endogeneity issues, such as the instrumental variable and the Heckman two-stage approaches. Our results suggest that employee-friendly practices improve inventory leanness. Our findings suggest that firms should invest in employee-friendly practices. This policy implication is of paramount importance for firms with more employees working in roles involving inventory (as opposed to automation or non-labour methods) and in environments with high dynamism and complexity. We also suggest that reputation mediates the relationship between employee-friendly practices and inventory leanness.

What makes a leader? Antimicrobial resistance leadership among 29 European countries

ABSTRACT This paper investigates which countries are seen as leaders in combatting AMR in Europe, and why they are seen as leaders. We do this by testing the explanatory capacity of three models specifying features of leaders attractive to followers. They are (1) performance, (2) power and (3) common interests. We use data from a survey among experts in the AMR field in 29 European countries, along with empirical indicators, to measure the three models. Our findings show that only eight of the 29 European countries are seen as leaders and that Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands are considered the three top AMR leaders in Europe. Denmark is the top leader in the animal sector and Sweden in the human sector. We also find demand for several possible types of leadership and followership in the AMR problem. Performance explains the leading role of the top three countries, as they all score low on indicators of the severity of AMR. Power and influence explain why France, Germany and the UK are seen as AMR leaders. We also find support for the role of common interests. This factor may explain why neighbouring countries are often seen as leaders in AMR.

Subjectivity of the academic community in the conditions of managerialist management

The article analyzes the negative effects of managerialist management on the subjectivity of the academic community. The aim of the research: to establish a correlation between the decrease in the subjectivity of the academic community and the managerialist model of higher school management. Two methods were used to collect empirical information: a mass survey of teachers at four universities in Rostov region and the analysis of normative-legal documents regulating the application of managerialist norms to the higher education system. The result of the operationalization of basic concepts (subjectivity, academic community, managerialist management) was the definition of three empirical indicators: 1)perceptions of the academic community about the traditional goals of higher education; 2)resources of the academic community to achieve managerialist goals; 3)the presence of deformations in the professional ethics of academics and teachers. The study confirmed the hypothesis that the implemented managerialist policy has a negative impact on the academic community, reducing its subjectivity. Dysfunctions are manifested in two areas of professional activities of scientists and teachers. The first one is caused by the peculiarities of managerialism. Managerialism in any socio-cultural and socio-political conditions inevitably leads to the substitution of goals for the means of their achievement. This occurs due to the absence of reliable indicators for effective managers to assess the quality of reproducible results of their activities by scientists and teachers. The second direction is related to the loss of freedom in decision-making at meetings of historically established in universities sustainable social practices (meetings of the department, academic councils, dissertation councils, etc.). This is due to the administrative subordination of the academic community to the managerial tasks of the bureaucracy.

SPIRITUAL HEALTH IN THE SYSTEM OF MECHANISMS FOR IMPLEMENTING GOALS OF THE NEW UKRAINIAN SCHOOL

The article analyzes the role of spiritual culture in the system of priorities of the New Ukrainian School based on domestic scientific research. It is shown that without the introduction of spiritual health into the basic goal-setting structure of the New Ukrainian School, neither systemic value innovations nor meaningful modernization of the educational process are possible. A complex of tasks, the implementation of which ensures the integrity of educational reforms with an orientation on the values of spiritual health, is substantiated. At the same time, the success of educational reforms is ensured by subordinating the main dimensions of the educational process to the task of forming personal spiritual values in the context of the formation of a culture of health, as well as the use of effective educational technologies for the combination of spiritual and value influence and traditional mechanisms for the formation of physical culture and a healthy lifestyle. The innovative features of the New Ukrainian School are identified, which are established on the basis of the priority of the goal of spiritual health formation in the educational process and allow the use of a systemic approach to the constitution of spirituality as the goal of the educational process in combination with motivation for a healthy lifestyle. The multidimensional nature of spiritual values, the transmission of which in the educational system ensures the formation of the spiritual health of its subjects, is indicated, and the main components of the content of this innovative axiological complex in the system of values of the New Ukrainian School are determined. It has been proven that innovative pedagogical technologies act as a direct mechanism of reorientation of education and upbringing in the process of reforms for the purpose of forming the spiritual health of the younger generation. The formation of the foundations of spiritual health of students in the educational process should be determined using a system of empirical indicators which are reduced to generalized and scientifically based characteristics of spirituality. In the real educational process, the system of the specified indicators should be used by teachers taking into account the specific personality traits of each student.

The relevance of development policies to confront crisis situations: World Bank’s early response to Covid-19

Evaluating the relevance of development policies is a complex task as many different dimensions must be considered. By focusing on one particular, quantifiable aspect of relevance, this study proposes a new method for generating data-driven evidence that can be used both for assessing the relevance of international development policies ex post, and for guiding decisions about future strategic priorities. For this purpose, relevance is defined as the match between (i) the types and scopes of support provided and (ii) the types and scopes of support most needed in a given context, according to measurable indicators (proxies). The latter is operationalized using a multidimensional vulnerability score constructed based on a set of empirical indicators commonly argued to proxy vulnerability to shocks. Comparing the vulnerability score with the sector-specific allocation of support yields two empirical measures of relevance, one at the country level and one at the sector level within each country. The proposed method is then applied to evaluate the relevance of the World Bank Group’s early response to Covid-19 across 133 countries. At the same time, many of the modeling insights are more broadly applicable and may also be useful in informing evaluations of development policies beyond the specific application considered here.

Steel Arch and Rock Bolt Support in Terms of the Gateroad Stability Maintaining behind the Longwall Face

The longwall system is an extraction system commonly used in coal mining in many countries, including Poland. One of the methods for reducing extraction costs is the dual use of the gateroad. In the first instance, the gateroad serves as the tailgate, and during the exploitation of the second coal panel, it functions as the headgate. Such a situation requires maintenance of the roadway behind the longwall face, which is typically challenging, due to significant stress-related loads on the support and its substantial deformation. The support design for this kind of roadway should take into consideration the dual impact of exploitation pressure and the caved zone influence behind the longwall face. This article presents the results of in-situ research conducted on two roadways behind the longwall face. In both roadways, the effectiveness of specially designed steel arch frames and rock bolt patterns were examined to minimize roadway deformations and maintain their functionality. The research project was comprised of several stages. Initially, mining and laboratory studies were conducted to determine the geomechanical parameters of the rocks. Subsequently, excavation stability and functionality forecasts were performed based on the authors’ empirical indicators. Then, numerical analyses were carried out to design support schemes (steel arches and rock bolt) in both roadways. A fully automated monitoring system with programmed data loggers was designed to check the behaviour of a specific rock mass and the support elements. The load on the steel arch support was measured with the help of load cells, while the load on the rock bolt support was carried out with the help of measurement bolts. Behind the longwall face, the loads on the wooden cribs set from the goaf side were also monitored. Additionally, the measurement station was equipped with extensometers to monitor the movement of roof layers and stress meters to determine changes in rock mass stress. Laser scanning or traditional surveying methods were also used to verify the support schemes through roadway convergence measurements. The obtained results allowed us to draw conclusions regarding the optimization of support schemes and to give recommendations for the practical application of specific reinforcements in excavations maintained behind the longwall face.

Contemporary Research on Agency in Education: A Systematization of Key Concepts and Developments

The task of developing individual "agency" (autonomy, proactivity, initiative, etc.), in education is widely discussed in scientific and practical circles. To systematize multi-disciplinary research elaborations in the field of "agency" as an umbrella concept, an analysis was carried out using keywords in the main scientific database Scopus. The analysis includes both publications that directly use the concept, and works using other close terms (resistance, autonomy, initiative, etc.). In addition, a sample of scientific publications of researchers, most authoritative in the field of practical educational policy was separately considered. The systematization of the key concepts and constructs was based on four main criteria: 1) the distinction between “agentic” action and intention/perspective, 2) the scale of the action, 3) the strategic/non-strategic nature of the intention/perspective, 4) the universal/local applicability of the concept or construct. The analysis showed a dominating focus on the "agentic perspective" in the discovered works, as well as a focus on micro-level and local manifestations and effects of “agentic” behavior or plans. From the point of view of empirical indicators of "agency" and related concepts, necessity for operationalization of the action-based and "strategic" manifestations of agency are revealed, which raises the question of the fundamental adequacy of the current approaches to measuring a human being dominating in contemporary mainstream of social sciences.

Concept Analysis of Learned Resourcefulness

Learned resourcefulness is a broad and abstract concept that refers to the ability to use self-observation and self-control to change internal negative feelings, emotions, or thoughts to reduce the adverse effects of stress on emotions and behavior. Excessive stress negatively affects the physical and mental health of individuals, and learned resourcefulness can help alleviate the effects of stress. Nursing measures implemented in a timely manner to enhance patients' self-regulation ability and improve their mental and physical stability are important. In this article, based on the concept analysis method of Walker and Avant (2019), the defining characteristics of learned resourcefulness are summarized as: (1) self-control ability, (2) problem-solving skills, and (3) belief in one's ability to cope effectively with adverse situations. These characteristics are illustrated in case examples, providing empirical reference indicators and introducing the application of nursing research and practice. It is hoped that this article will help nursing colleagues understand learned resourcefulness and provide a reference for clinical assessment and the development of related intervention measures.

Learning from the history of red shrimp fisheries in the Mediterranean to improve sustainability of deep-water bottom trawling

Abstract As deep-water red shrimp (DWRS) trawl fisheries gain importance in the Mediterranean, their impact on fragile deep-sea ecosystems requires careful management. We reviewed the historical development of DWRS fisheries in the Mediterranean to propose a harvest strategy that would enhance fishery sustainability, while preserving habitat and community integrity. We considered two representative typologies of DWRS fisheries: a domestic fleet operating within the Italian territorial waters of the Ligurian Sea, and a distant fleet operating mostly in international waters of the central-eastern Mediterranean and sharing shrimp stocks with non-European countries. Our proposed management approach is based on three main harvesting measures: (i) preventing the uncontrolled growth in number of trawlers, (ii) adopting a catch control regime, and (iii) identifying a network of deep-water areas designated alternately for fishing and conservation purposes. As with fisheries in other regions, new fishing grounds should be explored using “encounter protocols” to avoid areas hosting species indicators of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems. Additionally, empirical indicators such as catch rate thresholds derived from fishers’ experience, could be used to move from one fishing ground to another to avoid local depletion of DWRS abundance and a decrease in fishery profitability.

The causal relationship between gut microbiota and biliary tract cancer: comprehensive bidirectional Mendelian randomization analysis.

Growing evidence has shown that gut microbiome composition is associated with Biliary tract cancer (BTC), but the causality remains unknown. This study aimed to explore the causal relationship between gut microbiota and BTC, conduct an appraisal of the gut microbiome's utility in facilitating the early diagnosis of BTC. We acquired the summary data for Genome-wide Association Studies (GWAS) pertaining to BTC (418 cases and 159,201 controls) from the Biobank Japan (BBJ) database. Additionally, the GWAS summary data relevant to gut microbiota (N = 18,340) were sourced from the MiBioGen consortium. The primary methodology employed for the analysis consisted of Inverse Variance Weighting (IVW). Evaluations for sensitivity were carried out through the utilization of multiple statistical techniques, encompassing Cochrane's Q test, the MR-Egger intercept evaluation, the global test of MR-PRESSO, and a leave-one-out methodological analysis. Ultimately, a reverse Mendelian Randomization analysis was conducted to assess the potential for reciprocal causality. The outcomes derived from IVW substantiated that the presence of Family Streptococcaceae (OR = 0.44, P = 0.034), Family Veillonellaceae (OR = 0.46, P = 0.018), and Genus Dorea (OR = 0.29, P = 0.041) exerted a protective influence against BTC. Conversely, Class Lentisphaeria (OR = 2.21, P = 0.017), Genus Lachnospiraceae FCS020 Group (OR = 2.30, P = 0.013), and Order Victivallales (OR = 2.21, P = 0.017) were associated with an adverse impact. To assess any reverse causal effect, we used BTC as the exposure and the gut microbiota as the outcome, and this analysis revealed associations between BTC and five different types of gut microbiota. The sensitivity analysis disclosed an absence of empirical indicators for either heterogeneity or pleiotropy. This investigation represents the inaugural identification of indicative data supporting either beneficial or detrimental causal relationships between gut microbiota and the risk of BTC, as determined through the utilization of MR methodologies. These outcomes could hold significance for the formulation of individualized therapeutic strategies aimed at BTC prevention and survival enhancement.

Why is inculturation in Catholic theology difficult to operationalize?

This article attempts to explain sociologically why the Catholic Church’s popular theological concept of inculturation is difficult to operationalize or provide empirical indicators in order to make it more observable and measurable for social scientists, missionaries, and inculturation practitioners. Using some secondary data and peer-reviewed literature, it explores how the following major hurdles inhibit the clear conceptualization and operationalization of inculturation projects, namely: the (1) lack of unified definition in the Church for culture, (2) plurality of the meaning of inculturation, (3) ambiguity of the extent of the cultural change in inculturation that results in unsettled levels and units of analysis in measuring it, as well as (4) lack of social science training and expertise of Catholic theologians, clerics, and missiologists, leading to the neglect of empirical studies that operationalize inculturation in the mainstream research. This study recommends intensified social science training for missionaries and clerics in the Catholic Church and active dialogue between inculturationists and social scientists to enhance the empirical dimension of inculturation in research and literature.

Predictors of subjective well-being and life satisfaction of people in late age: applied aspect

Introduction. Maintaining and preserving well-being and life satisfaction in late age is an urgent task for society. Research and educational practice prove the positive relationship between learning, active aging and overall well-being. At the same time, the importance of optimizing educational programs based on reliable empirical data on personal characteristics that determine subjective well-being is emphasized. The study aims to identify general and specific predictors of a person’s subjective well-being in late age to determine the main principles of forming educational programs for older people. Materials and methods. The empirical study involved 528 respondents (387 female, 152 male) aged 45-75, the average age was 58 years. A complex of eleven psychodiagnostic methods, combined into three blocks, was implemented: methods for diagnosing subjective well-being, life satisfaction and their hypothetical predictors. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were used to process the data. Results. Regression models were obtained which describe predictors of types of subjective well-being in late age (model determination coefficients 0.238-0.636) and satisfaction with areas of life (model determination coefficients 0.336-0.619). The results allow specifying the influence mechanisms of such predictors as time perspective, hardiness, purpose in life orientations, optimism, readiness for agerelated changes, coping strategies and self-regulation. Both general and specific predictors, as well as their empirical indicators, were established. Conclusion. Based on the identified predictors of subjective well-being and life satisfaction, the provisions and principles of designing educational programs for people of late age were formulated: creating a time perspective with positive goals, a conflict-free and supportive individual-oriented educational environment, promoting a person’s acceptance and adaptation to new social conditions, creating an adequate understanding of the learning situation, one’s goals and capabilities.

Lean strategy in SMEs: Inventory leanness, operational leanness, and financial performance

Lean strategy, aimed at optimizing resources, minimizing energy usage, and achieving zero waste in the production process, has been increasingly embraced to reduce systemwide costs in manufacturing. However, practitioners in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often lack the necessary expertize to implement lean strategies successfully. This study systematically examines the impact of lean strategy on the financial performance of Chinese SMEs. Specifically, we categorize lean strategy into two components: inventory leanness and operational leanness. We introduce a novel measure, the empirical production leanness indicator (EPLI), to quantify systematic production practices aimed at waste reduction. Drawing on a large sample of SMEs, our empirical findings suggest that both inventory leanness and operational leanness exhibit an inverted U-shaped relationship with an SME’s financial performance. In conclusion, this study contributes to the lean literature and offers significant practical implications for SMEs seeking to benefit from adopting lean strategies.