Empirical Level Research Articles

Risk Management Model of the Islamic Ethical Practice Dimension (i-EP)

Adoption of Sharia Compliance (SC) is one of the dimensions of Islamic Ethical Practice (i-EP) or Islamic Corporate Social Responsibility (i-CSR), which can potentially lead companies to obtain several significant capital market benefits, including affecting risk (cost of equity). However, whether and to what extent SC influences the cost of equity is still an issue and has yet to be widely documented at the theoretical and empirical levels, especially in the Indonesian context. Apart from the low level of cash holding, the evidence gap shows that the Indonesian Sharia financial screening criteria are more liberal than the international criteria, which indicates that Indonesian SC leverage contains a higher financial risk premium, thus possibly having implications for estimating the high expected return of investments and in turn the effect of SC on the cost of equity potentially has different empirical significance from international finding. Implications of liquidity and risk premium on the cost of equity indicate that SC's influence on the cost of equity is more complex than simple causality. Therefore, it is necessary to build a more comprehensive system by formulating contingency factors in the relationship between SC and the cost of equity. The finding reveal from 891 observations that the link between SC and cost of equity is fully mediated relationship, which indicates that SC can only affect the cost of equity with good reputation and by improving performance.

Navigating through digitalization challenges in strategic communication: introducing the VUCA radar

PurposeIn recent years, the acronym VUCA has gained traction in strategic communication (SC) as an umbrella term that summarizes the recurrent challenges (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) of digital communication environments. However, an integrated reflection on how the VUCA dimensions facilitate a deeper understanding of specific digitalization challenges and how to navigate through these challenges is lacking. This article aims to explore and substantiate the descriptive (how) and prescriptive (how to) potential of VUCA for SC under digitalization conditions.Design/methodology/approachWe first provide a systematic discussion of the four VUCA dimensions based on the general strategy literature. While their descriptive value is undisputed, prescriptive advice on how to respond to these challenges is contradictory. We substantiate this observation in a second empirical step based on problem-centered interviews with strategic communicators at the agency and corporate levels.FindingsOur findings reveal that VUCA facilitates a systematic mapping of digitalization challenges consistently identified by professionals. The proposed strategic responses, however, remain contradictory at the theoretical and empirical levels. Hence, we propose the VUCA radar as a comprehensive descriptive and prescriptive framework.Originality/valueThe radar provides (a) a systematic overview of recurrent digitalization challenges to SC at the industry and practice levels and (b) prescriptive advice on how to navigate through these challenges by balancing contradictory strategic responses at the levels of vision, understanding, clarity and agility.

Some non parametric tests for umbrella alternatives in experimental design: A simulation study

Testing the null hypothesis against the umbrella alternative arises in various practical situations. This article has studied some non parametric tests that may be used for umbrella alternatives and their performance in different symmetric and asymmetric distributions, including long-tailed, short-tailed, and a mixture of two distributions. We have considered viz., Mack and Wolfe test, Hettmansperger and Norton test, Shi test, SU test, and Modified Mack and Wolfe test. The simulation approach assesses the empirical level and power of test statistics. The study shows that the SU and Shi tests have performed almost the same in Normal, Cauchy, Contaminated normal, and mixture distributions. However, the overall performance of the SU test was found to be better than that of other selected tests.

How Do Location-Based AR Games Enhance Value Co-Creation Experiences at Cultural Heritage Sites? A Process Perspective Analysis

The sustainable development of tourism in cultural heritage sites benefits from the active participation of tourists in the co-creation process. Location-based AR games show great potential in tourists’ participation in creation and positive experiences. This study explores the relationship between the stage factors of the co-creation experience and the overall co-creation. Combining the service-dominant logic and process perspective of value co-creation theory, this research proposes a conceptual framework for co-creating experiences in cultural heritage tourism using augmented reality technology through two studies. In the first phase of the study, quantitative research was conducted on 256 visitors to measure the impact of factors in the three processes of pre-co-creation experience, on-site experience, and post-co-creation experience on the overall co-creation experience. In the study’s second phase, follow-up qualitative interviews were conducted based on multiple linear regression analysis results to expand the interpretation of the relationship and importance of factors affecting the co-creation experience process. The results show that psychological engagement, awareness, knowledge, and social relations during pre-visitation help enhance the overall co-creation experience. In contrast, the overall co-creation experience is enriched by real-time storytelling, interaction, and emotional resonance in both on-site and post-experience processes. The proposal of this framework model advances the discussion of augmented reality technology and co-creation experience to the empirical level. It provides a basis for further tourism co-creation experience design practice.

Deixis and dementia: Insights from phenomenological philosophy

This article provides an overview of the relevance of deixis in dementia from the perspective of phenomenological philosophy with an inter- and transdisciplinary scope. A key objective is to integrate existing approaches and develop hypotheses for future research. The paper seeks to explore the potential of deixis to enhance interaction and communication in the most common form of dementia, Alzheimer's disease. The paper prepares the ground for three sub-goals: (1) Developing a general taxonomy of deixis, differentiating between verbal deixis (e.g., pronouns), corporeal deixis (e.g., pointing gestures), and medial deixis (e.g., arrows). (2) Investigating the diagnostic, therapeutic and care applications of deixis in Alzheimer's disease in the face of the progressive loss of higher cognitive skills. (3) Pinpointing the desiderata emerging from the relation between deixis and dementia at both conceptual and empirical levels. This paper argues for viewing deixis not solely as a deficit-indicator but also as a resource-indicator. Deixis in dementia can serve on two interconnected yet distinct levels: one for diagnosis, and another for therapy and care. On the one hand, verbal indexicals have a deficit-indicating function for the loss of higher cognitive skills, such as language, orientation and memory. This function is relevant for linguistically shaped dementia diagnosis and a holistic interpretation of key symptoms. On the other hand, all three kinds of deixis, the verbal, the corporeal, and the medial, do have a resource-indicating function. The threefold deixis helps us to advance orientation, communication and interaction in both private and institutional living environments. For example, the corporeal deixis is an important communicative resource, which helps to navigate and maintain attention, intention, and emotion. Finally, the paper proposes an index-ability scale to identify personalized communication resources for individuals with dementia.

Intersectional solidarities and inter-individual affinities: enactments of equity and privilege through doctoral supervision relationships

ABSTRACT This article draws on a research project about the transition from PhD student to academic (British Academy-Leverhulme research grant, 2020–2022). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 recent PhD graduates and six PhD supervisors. Transcripts were subjected to a thematic analysis. On a theoretical level, the article is informed by Bourdieu’s concepts of cultural and social capital, with a focus on the differential cultural and social capital available to participants through their doctoral and postdoctoral journeys. On an empirical level, we focus on two interviews with recent PhD graduates to explore how equity and privilege play out in intersectional ways in the post/doctoral journey and are mediated by doctoral supervisors as gatekeepers. In particular, we identify two discourses of supervisory support which emerged in the participants’ narratives: intersectional solidarities and inter-individual affinities, and reflect on their implications for equity.

A new method for measuring financial resilience

This paper proposes a new model to measure financial resilience from the perspective of external risk shocks, which composes of three submodels, namely, the dynamic factor model, the time-varying parameter vector autoregression (TVP-VAR) model, and the resilience characteristic measurement model with two dimensions: absorption intensity and absorption duration. At the theoretical level, we simulate and analyze the changing paths of financial resilience under different scenarios. At the empirical level, we apply the model to study the resilience of the UK financial market. The results indicate that the UK financial resilience fluctuations exhibit phased characteristics and there is a clear inverse relationship between absorption intensity and absorption duration. Notably, periods of low resilience often coincide with specific risk events.

MARVEL analysis of high-resolution rovibrational spectra of 16O12C18O.

Empirical rovibrational energy levels are presented for the third most abundant, asymmetric carbon dioxide isotopologue, 16O12C18O, based on a compiled dataset of experimental rovibrational transitions collected from the literature. The 52 literature sources utilized provide 19,438 measured lines with unique assignments in the wavenumber range of 2-12,676 cm-1. The MARVEL (Measured Active Rotational-Vibrational Energy Levels) protocol, which is built upon the theory of spectroscopic networks, validates the great majority of these transitions and outputs 8786 empirical rovibrational energy levels with an uncertainty estimation based on the experimental uncertainties of the transitions. Issues found in the literature data, such as misassignment of quantum numbers, typographical errors, and misidentifications, are fixed before including them in the final MARVEL dataset and analysis. Comparison of the empirical energy-level data of this study with those in the line lists CDSD-2019 and Ames-2021 shows good overall agreement, significantly better for CDSD-2019; some issues raised by these comparisons are discussed.

“The revolution born out of a swear”: populist humour, carnivalization, and mass protest in Romania

ABSTRACT This article aims to make two contributions. First, at a theoretical level, I briefly outline an embedded narrative approach to populism, which is critical of treating it solely as an ideology or ontologizing it. This alternative approach provides a better understanding of the connection between populism, humour, and insults. Second, at an empirical level, I argue that the 2018 mass protests against the political elite in Romania were unique in that they turned a gendered and violent insult into a guiding political slogan, reiterated across both high and popular culture. Influential intellectuals, such as Gabriel Liiceanu, the most reputed public philosopher in Romania, proclaimed that this was a “swear (înjurătură) that unites us all” inspiring a new anti-communist “revolution”. By examining both the political imagination of the “institutional intellectuals” and popular artefacts (from T-shirts to popular songs), I interpret the Romanian protests and the role of “bad language” and populist humour as an expression of the carnivalization of politics and the intensification of antagonism in post-communist Romania.

A SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT IN VIEW OF TECHNICAL PARTS AND COMPONENTS OF A MEANS OF AGRICULTURAL TRANSPORT

This study includes research whose main goal was to answer the question of the mandatory features of a sustainable product and the level of their fulfilment in view of the manufacturing process of parts and technical subassemblies of a means of agricultural transport. With reference to the objective formulated in this way, preliminary criteria were established that were then subjected to a comprehensive analysis and breakdown (determining the significance from the research perspective). In the next stage, within the theoretical and design layer – following literature review and expert research – a research tool in the form of an evaluation sheet was created. At the empirical level, a thorough evaluation of the implementation of deliberately selected propositions serving as the global foundation of the concept of the sustainable product manufacturing process was performed (the holistic approach). The investigation was conducted among selected manufacturers of parts and technical subassemblies of means of agricultural transport (agricultural machinery sector). At the onset of the research work, the conceptual model of the thesis was constructed, according to which the surveyed enterprises are focused on individuals (working environment), natural environment and economics (including minimizing waste throughout the product life cycle), which is a prerequisite as far as a sustainable product is concerned.

The relationship between individual characteristics of interhemispheric asymmetry and cognitive style “impulsivity/reflectivity”

The article at the theoretical and empirical levels discusses the peculiarities of the relationship between functional asymmetries of the cerebral hemispheres of younger schoolchildren with the cognitive style « impulsivity-reflexivity. The main approaches to studying this issue in domestic and foreign studies are characterized, a conclusion is made about the relevance of its consideration. The study used the device Activacyometer-6 (Yu.A.Tsygareli) and the technique “Choosing a paired figure” (J.Kagan). The study made it possible to establish and clarify the existence of differences in the processing of information by the left and right hemispheres of the brain, as well as to confirm the existence of a certain connection between the functional asymmetry of the hemispheres with such manifestations of cognitive style as “impulsivity – reflexivity” In particular, it is given that the existence of individual differences (5% level is significant) in the speed of decision-making leads to the fact that children, who are characterized by left-sided hemispheric organization, have “reflexive” signs, make decisions slowly, are prone to analytical means of categorization, are more attentive to individual details, better control their behavior, use more productive means of solving problems and perform tasks with the least number of errors. On the contrary, children who have right-sided asymmetry demonstrate a thematic means of categorization, they are characterized by manifestations of impulsivity, they are less attentive, hyperactive in their actions, give very quick answers, most often focusing on the influence of momentary emotions. The investigation led to the conclusion that in certain conditions of uncertainty, when it is necessary to make the right choice from a number of alternatives, impulsive subjects made their choice quickly, without careful study of alternative options. In turn, reflective subjects, on the contrary, made their decisions on the basis of careful study of all. Pros and cons, while using more productive ways to solve problems.

Управление изменениями и развитие компании с привлечением молодежи

Objective: the article analyzes the signs of competitive advantage of the changes being introduced in the company, based on the characteristic features of different generations and their need to participate in changes. The increased value of attracting young people, increasing involvement in participation in the life of a team, company, and country is becoming one of the highest priority tasks of the state everywhere. Modifications of compliance with the level of competencies and capabilities of newly hired employees from among young professionals have been revised and combinations of implementation of change management have been proposed, based on optimal conditions and the required result. Methods: the work uses methods at the empirical and theoretical level: synthesis, collection and analysis of information, observation, comparison, etc. Results: practical examples of target models of the sequence of decisionmaking when introducing structural changes that meet the expectations of process participants are given. The influence of external and internal factors of the company's development is taken into account and shown. The assessment of the competitive advantage of generations of youth and their influence on changes has been studied. Practical significance: the work examines the advantages of introducing changes, taking into account the assessment of generations of youth, which will allow directing efforts towards the formation of a new high-quality corporate culture.

Doubly Robust Augmented Model Accuracy Transfer Inference with High Dimensional Features

Transfer learning is crucial for training models that generalize to unlabeled target populations using labeled source data, especially in real-world studies where label scarcity and covariate shift are common. While most research focuses on model estimation, there is limited literature on transfer inference for model accuracy despite its importance. We introduce a novel Doubly Robust Augmented Model Accuracy Transfer Inferen Ce (DRAMATIC) method for point and interval estimation of commonly used classification performance measures in an unlabeled target population with labeled source data. DRAMATIC derives and evaluates a potentially misspecified risk model for a binary response, leveraging high-dimensional adjustment features from both source and target data. It builds on an imputation model for the response mean and a density ratio model to characterize distributional shifts. The method constructs doubly robust estimators that are valid when either model is correctly specified and certain sparsity assumptions hold. Simulations show negligible bias in point estimation and satisfactory empirical coverage levels in confidence intervals. The utility of DRAMATIC is illustrated by transferring a genetic risk prediction model and its accuracy evaluation for type II diabetes across two patient cohorts in Mass General Brigham (MGB). Supplementary materials for this article are available online, including a standardized description of the materials available for reproducing the work.

A recommended line list for water vapor in the 12,969–13,418cm-1 interval

We have recently devoted two reports to the very weak absorption spectrum of water vapor in the 12,969 – 13,417 cm-1 region by high sensitivity cavity ring down spectroscopy (CRDS) [Vasilchenko et al. J. Quant. Spectrosc. Radiat. Transfer 275 (2021) 107,847; doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2021.107847; Vasilchenko et al. Molecular Physics e2051762; doi.org/10.1080/00,268,976.2022.2051762]. This spectral interval is important because it includes the region of the oxygen A-band near 760 nm. The achieved sensitivity allowed us to measure lines with intensity on the order of 10–29 cm molecule-1, about two orders of magnitude lower than the detectivity threshold of previous studies. A total of about 240 energy levels of H216O were newly determined. Our comparison to the W2020 empirical levels [Furtenbacher et al. J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data 49 (2020) 043,103; doi.org/10.1063/5.0030680] led us to identify and correct about 300 W2020 energy levels of the main isotopologue differing from our energy value by more than 5 × 10–3 cm-1. In the present contribution, we consider in details the sources of the W2020 energy levels to identify the origin of these deviations. We confirm that more than 260 energy levels should be corrected but for the remaining thirty-two levels, the W2020 energy values are in fact, more reliable. As a result, we propose an improved list of energy levels retrieved from the CRDS data and a recommended line list for water vapor in natural isotopic abundance in the 12,969 – 13,417 cm-1 region, mostly based on the CRDS line parameters.

Power in the Flattened Internet – Research Challenges

Media studies have enhanced the classic discourse-centred analyses of symbolic power with an additional reflection on the agency of the technological infrastructure through which discourse is produced. The article’s starting point is an overview of concepts related to the role of the technological sphere in communication processes and related social practices. The theoretical reflection is then juxtaposed with examples of research that attempts to capture these relationships on an empirical level, and with a reflection on the resistance that technological matter poses to such activities.

Imbalanced and missing multi-label data learning with global and local structure

Label missing and class imbalance problems are two hot research topics in machine learning, and they have been impeding the improvement of model performance, especially in the multi-label learning. Although some existing methods have proven to be effective, they are suitable for only one case. How to effectively address above two issues simultaneously is a challenging problem. In this paper, we propose a novel model named Imbalanced and Missing multi-Label data learning with Global and Local structure (IMLGL) to address the aforementioned challenge. There are following three advantages. At the empirical risk level, we introduce the label correlation matrix C into the loss function and devise a dynamic weighting method to address the aforementioned challenge. At the data level, we analyze the structural characteristics of the data, and introduce local low-rank and global high-rank term to enhance the generalization performance of the model. At the label level, a smoothing term is also introduced for learning the constraint classifier coefficient matrix W. Our method utilizes alternative optimization technique and alternating minimization method for solving. Extensive experiments on six datasets demonstrate the competitiveness of our approach.

Constrains in the articulation between profession, family, and personal life: a case study of the Portuguese police (PSP).

The dangers and stresses of a police officer's career cause physical and psychological distress which in turn cause considerable challenges for the integration of professional, family, and personal life. This study focuses on the conditions that influence this articulation between the personal, family, and professional lives of Portuguese Police (PSP) officers. A questionnaire survey was applied to 414 police officers from 11 divisions of COMETLIS. At the empirical level, several models were tested to assess the articulation between the professional, family, and personal lives of police officers. The results highlight the influence of having young children, elderly people or other dependents living in the family home, as well as the employee's age, on the job's interaction with professional life. At a professional level, the variables shift work, professional category, years of service and working away from home were identified by the officers as conditioning factors in the work-family-personal life balance. Sex differences in the articulation of professional, family, and personal life were also observed.

The where and the who of HRM decision-making: HRM decentralization and devolution

PurposeHRM decentralization and devolution have been highlighted as key HRM processes in organizations’ quest for increased flexibility. Although they have been extensively studied in the MNC and International HRM literature, they have mainly been examined on a separate basis, and their definition and operationalization have often been confused. Thus, we first clarify the difference between the two concepts by refining the definitions by Hoogendoorn and Brewster (1992), and then empirically examine how they are related.Design/methodology/approachThe relationship between HRM decentralization and devolution is examined by means of a survey in a large multi-country sample of multi-unit organizations.FindingsRegarding our clarification objective, we contend that devolution has to do with who takes responsibilities for HRM (i.e. line managers or HRM professionals) while decentralization refers to where HRM responsibilities are allocated (i.e. headquarters or increasingly local units). Regarding the relationship between the two concepts, the results show that higher levels of HRM decentralization are related to higher levels of devolution, but this association is attenuated in organizations with more powerful HRM departments.Originality/valueThe study contributes to theory and practice by disentangling, at the conceptual, operational, empirical and practical levels, two different but related HRM decisions (how much to devolve and how much to decentralize HRM) that organizations must make to efficiently cope with the characteristics of their own structure and competitive environment. It highlights the role of the relative power of HRM departments in how HRM responsibilities are ultimately distributed across the organization.

PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF IMPROVING THE EFFICIENCY OF REHABILITATION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN COMMUNITY DURING WARTIME

In the article, the problem of increasing the effectiveness of rehabilitation of persons with disabilities in the community in wartime conditions is updated and substantiated at the theoretical, legal, and empirical levels. On the basis of a focus group survey, the importance and failure to fully realize the problems of rehabilitation of persons with disabilities in the community in wartime conditions were proven. It was established that according to the opinion of persons with disabilities and their parents, the problems of rehabilitation of persons with disabilities are solved to a greater extent by local authorities and local self-government bodies, social services and health care institutions, etc.; there is a need to create a permanent supportive and developmental environment in the community; there is a problem in the organization of work, employment, opportunities to get to work; a violation of the feeling of security is noted, there is a feeling of powerlessness, irritation, misunderstanding of the nearest prospects; fixed need to be listened to and heard, to regularly communicate with specialists. The foreign and Ukrainian experience of psychosocial aspects of increasing the effectiveness of rehabilitation of persons with disabilities in the community is analysed. The author's social project "Different and Equal" is proposed, aimed at improving the efficiency of providing rehabilitation services to persons with disabilities in the community in wartime conditions. The main feature of this social project is that it is maximally focused on integrating the efforts of community members, persons with disabilities and their family members to promote social adaptation, strengthening the resources of persons with disabilities to overcome the challenges and threats of war.

Robust discrimination of multiple naturalistic same-hand movements from MEG signals with convolutional neural networks

Abstract Discriminating patterns of brain activity corresponding to multiple hand movements are a challenging problem at the limit of the spatial resolution of magnetoencephalography (MEG). Here, we use the combination of MEG, a novel experimental paradigm, and a recently developed convolutional-neural-network-based classifier to demonstrate that four goal-directed real and imaginary movements—all performed by the same hand—can be detected from the MEG signal with high accuracy: >70% for real movements and >60% for imaginary movements. Additional experiments were used to control for possible confounds and to establish the empirical chance level. Investigation of the patterns informing the classification indicated the primary contribution of signals in the alpha (8–12 Hz) and beta (13–30 Hz) frequency range in the contralateral motor areas for the real movements, and more posterior parieto–occipital sources for the imagined movements. The obtained high accuracy can be exploited in practical applications, for example, in brain–computer interface-based motor rehabilitation.