Empirical Research Research Articles

Influence of Foreign Direct Investment on Economic Growth in Fujian Province

This paper aims to study the influence of foreign direct investment on economic growth in Fujian Province, and explore its mechanism and effect. As a form of transnational capital flow, foreign direct investment not only brings capital and technology to Fujian Province, but also promotes the development of industrial structure upgrading, employment increase and international competitiveness improvement. In the context of global economic integration, exploring the contribution of FDI to Fujian's economic growth will help deepen the understanding of global economic interaction and provide references and suggestions for relevant policy making. The research method is mainly based on the analysis of the statistical data of FDI in Fujian Province, combined with relevant economic theories and empirical research, in order to comprehensively and systematically evaluate the impact of FDI on economic growth in Fujian Province. Through the research findings, we can provide valuable references for government departments, enterprises and academia to formulate and optimize policy measures to attract foreign direct investment and promote the sustainable development of Fujian Province's economy.

The quality of social relationships with students, mentor teachers and fellow student teachers and their role in the development of student teachers’ emotions in the practicum

AbstractThe emotional well-being of individuals is largely dependent on the quality of their social relationships, as acknowledged by self-determination theory and the belongingness hypothesis. While the significance of high-quality relationships for teachers has received increasing attention in empirical research, little is known about the impact of social relationships on student teachers' emotions in the practicum, especially from a quantitative perspective and considering multiple relationship qualities simultaneously. Research on this topic is highly topical as emotions have been found to be important drivers both for professional behaviour in the classroom and professionalisation processes in general. Against this backdrop, our study examined how the quality of social relationships between students in class, mentor teachers, and fellow student teachers influences the development of emotional experiences of student teachers in a school practicum. We conducted an online survey with 203 Austrian student teachers studying secondary education, inquiring about their emotional experiences and social relationships before and after their practicum. The results revealed that the quality of relationships with students in class was the most influential factor determining changes in student teachers’ emotional states during their practicum. These findings emphasise the importance of cultivating positive relationships with students in the classroom, especially during the school practicum in teacher education.

Penegakan Hukum Terhadap Pelaku Pengrusakan Objek Wisata Ke’te’ Kesu’ Toraja Utara

This study aims to analyze the enforcement of sanctions against perpetrators of the destruction of tourist objects in Ke'te' Kesu' North Toraja. This research uses empirical legal research methods with a statutory approach. The results of this study indicate that the enforcement of sanctions against the perpetrators of the destruction of tourist objects in Ke'te' Kesu' North Toraja is still less effective and the case has not been followed up, despite having a Regional Regulation of North Toraja Regency Number 7 of 2016. There are several obstacles faced in the application of sanctions in law enforcement against perpetrators of destruction of tourist objects due to, among others: (1) the civil service police unit can’t apply criminal sanctions because it does not have an agreement from the Police, Prosecutor's Office, and the Court; (2) the budget is slow or even non-existent so that the civil service police unit can’t move in guarding every tourist who enters North Toraja, and (3) the lack of personnel of the civil service police unit, so that it does not reach every violation of the destruction of Ke'te Kesu' Toraja Utara tourist objects.

Status and Inheritance Rights of Daha Tua in Balinese Customary Inheritance Law: Study on Balinese Indigenous People in Banjar Dewa Village, Banjar Agung District, Tulang Bawang Regency

Old Daha is an adult woman biologically menstruating, until old age. It is said that Daha Tua if his status does not carry out marriage until the end of reproductive ability. So Old Daha was an adult woman until she died with the status of never married. The situation of Old Daha will be set aside by his family members because it is considered a mere burden, so the issue of Old Daha's inheritance rights arises and the distribution of Old Daha's inheritance rights to his heirs in Banjar Dewa Village, Banjar Agung District, Tulang Bawang Regency. This research is empirical normative legal research, with a descriptive type. The problem approach used is a juridical-sociological approach. The data used are secondary data and primary data. Data collection techniques with literature studies and field studies are interviews. Data analysis is used qualitative data analysis. The results showed that Daha Tua in Banjar Dewa Village was not an heir, however, along with the development of the era, parents assumed that Daha Tua was entitled to receive his parents' property while still paying attention to customary law as a guideline that applies in the Balinese customary inheritance system. The distribution of inheritance rights belonging to Daha Tua to his heirs in Banjar Dewa Village will be inherited to heirs who are related to Purusa by blood, such as his chosen brother or by adopting the nephew of his brother as a legitimate child. These efforts were made to get heirs and shelter in old age.

Effect of Community Building on Church Spiritual Growth

Purpose: This study investigates the relationship between community building and spiritual growth within Pentecostal Churches in the Nairobi metropolitan counties of Kenya, focusing on the Pentecostal Evangelical Fellowship of Africa (PEFA), Kenya Assemblies of God (KAG), and Full Gospel Churches of Kenya (FGCK) under the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK). Grounded in servant leadership, empowerment, and spiritual leadership theories, the research combines quantitative and qualitative methods to explore how servant leaders facilitate community building and its impact on church growth. Methodology: The study was guided by servant leadership, empowerment and spiritual leadership theories. The study was conducted across multiple Pentecostal denominations within the Nairobi Metropolitan counties, including Nairobi, Kajiado, Muranga, Kiambu, and Machakos in Kenya. Data collection involved 333 church leaders and members, with 173 from PEFA, 80 from KAG, and 80 from FGCK, resulting in a response rate of 91%. Additionally, two discussion groups comprising pastors and elders from PEFA and KAG churches in Kajiado County were interviewed using an interview guide, totaling 17 members. The total response rate of church leaders and members was 304 (91%). The descriptive cross-sectional survey research design and exploratory designs were adopted for data collection and analysis where respondents provided relevant data. The research was anchored on the pragmatism philosophy. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analysis, where Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 29 was used. Thematic analysis was employed in analyzing qualitative type of data. Purposive and stratified random sampling techniques were employed to select the sample, ensuring representation of subgroups within the population. This approach facilitated efficient and cost-effective data collection while maintaining the integrity of the study's findings Findings: Data collected from 304 respondents, including pastors, elders, and members, reveals a significant positive association between community building and spiritual growth, with volunteer services rating relatively low. The results showed a positive significance of community building in affecting church spiritual growth. The study findings in all the three models: Model summary, ANOVA and Coefficient confirm the significance of community building in church spiritual growth. The correlation coefficient results yielded a positive relationship of 0.580. However, descriptive statistics on mean scores of how respondents views the practice of community building in their churches, the sub variable of voluntary community services was ranked the lowest (3.7) amongst the other constructs. Nevertheless, there is a need for enhancement of voluntary services by the Pentecostal churches in areas such as health, free cleaning and training services to give back to the community. When church leadership participate in welfare activities such as helping the vulnerable in society, this positively affects church growth both spiritually and numerically. The findings emphasize the importance of enhancing volunteer engagement to foster both spiritual and numerical church growth. This study contributes to theoretical understanding and practical implications for Pentecostal church settings, addressing research gaps and advocating for servant leadership practices that empower church members and promote community building for holistic church growth.Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: The study supported servant leadership, empowerment and spiritual leadership theories. Servant leaders play a crucial role in empowering of church members through community building causing effect on church growth. The study revealed and filled a number of conceptual, theoretical, contextual and empirical glaring research gaps in area of servant leadership attribute of community building and church spiritual growth. The most noticeable gap is the contextual gap where many studies on church growth only delved on numerical growth and leaving out spiritual growth of which this study addressed. The study also revealed a gap in volunteer services with a mean of 4.1. Pentecostal churches therefore need to put more efforts to improve volunteer services as well as promotion of spiritual formation so as to enhance church spiritual growth.

A preliminary investigation of longitudinal associations between ethnic-racial identity and critical consciousness among Black and Latinx youth.

In order for parents, educators, and communities to support racially/ethnically minoritized youth to resist and heal from White supremacy, it is important to examine how youths' beliefs about their ethnic-racial identity (ERI) and critical consciousness (CC) around racism inform one another. Despite this need, limited empirical research examines whether these processes are related across adolescence. The present two-wave longitudinal study investigates whether ERI content (i.e., centrality, private regard) and CC (i.e., critical social analysis, interpersonal antiracism actions) are associated with one another among Black and Latinx youth N = 233; young women (55.6%); young men (44.4%); M = 14.96 years old, SD = 1.46. Autoregressive cross-lagged panel models suggested that youths' centrality at W1 was positively and significantly associated with a critical social analysis at W2, and critical social analysis at W1 was positively and significantly associated with private regard at W2 for both groups. Involvement in interpersonal antiracism actions at W1 was positively and significantly associated with private regard at W2 for both groups. Group differences existed in the link between centrality at W1 and interpersonal antiracism actions at W2. Results indicate that ERI and CC may be viable entry points into stimulating youths' capacity to challenge racism, although there is promise in activating antiracism action to further stimulate ERI development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Project-based learning for all? An examination of the approach for students with disabilities

Project-based learning is popular among educators and has been touted as an educationally viable option for all learners, yet limited empirical research exists to demonstrate its effectiveness with students with disabilities. In this paper, the authors investigate the alignment of project-based learning elements with high leverage practices in special education and enhanced anchored instruction, a similar problem-based learning approach with an evidence base with students with disabilities. Project-based learning shares multiple common elements with high leverage practices and enhanced anchored instruction, suggesting that it has the strong potential to be an effective approach for use with students with disabilities. Systematic research needs to be conducted with various groups of students with disabilities across grade levels and content areas to support the claim “project-based learning for all.”

What are the main drivers of SMEs’ production of sustainability reports?

This study aims to deepen our understanding of the theoretical frameworks that underlie SMEs' disclosure of sustainability information. Qualitative empirical research was conducted on SMEs that proactively engage in sustainability reporting. To identify the key drivers, interviews were conducted with a sample of Spanish SMEs, and the reasons for sustainability reporting provided by informants were ranked by frequency. Our findings indicate that stakeholder theory holds a prominent position, closely followed by legitimacy theory and the resource-based view. This ranking reveals a mixture of external and internal drivers, contributing to the existing literature by emphasizing the predominance of management factors over sociological arguments in favor of sustainability reporting in SMEs. Regulators, practitioners, and academics can benefit from these findings to better understand the decision-making processes of SMEs regarding sustainability reporting practices, while accounting for their relationships in the contexts in which they operate.

Causal Inference About the Effects of Interventions From Observational Studies in Medical Journals

ImportanceMany medical journals, including JAMA, restrict the use of causal language to the reporting of randomized clinical trials. Although well-conducted randomized clinical trials remain the preferred approach for answering causal questions, methods for observational studies have advanced such that causal interpretations of the results of well-conducted observational studies may be possible when strong assumptions hold. Furthermore, observational studies may be the only practical source of information for answering some questions about the causal effects of medical or policy interventions, can support the study of interventions in populations and settings that reflect practice, and can help identify interventions for further experimental investigation. Identifying opportunities for the appropriate use of causal language when describing observational studies is important for communication in medical journals.ObservationsA structured approach to whether and how causal language may be used when describing observational studies would enhance the communication of research goals, support the assessment of assumptions and design and analytic choices, and allow for more clear and accurate interpretation of results. Building on the extensive literature on causal inference across diverse disciplines, we suggest a framework for observational studies that aim to provide evidence about the causal effects of interventions based on 6 core questions: what is the causal question; what quantity would, if known, answer the causal question; what is the study design; what causal assumptions are being made; how can the observed data be used to answer the causal question in principle and in practice; and is a causal interpretation of the analyses tenable?Conclusions and RelevanceAdoption of the proposed framework to identify when causal interpretation is appropriate in observational studies promises to facilitate better communication between authors, reviewers, editors, and readers. Practical implementation will require cooperation between editors, authors, and reviewers to operationalize the framework and evaluate its effect on the reporting of empirical research.

Why Survey-Based Subjective Expectations Are Meaningful and Important

For decades, households’ subjective expectations elicited via surveys have been considered meaningless because they often differ substantially from the forecasts of professionals and ex-post realizations. In sharp contrast, the literature we review shows that household characteristics and the ways in which households collect and process economic information help us understand previously considered puzzling facts about their subjective expectations. In turn, subjective expectations contribute to explain heterogeneous consumption, saving, investment, and debt choices as well as different reactions by similar households to the same monetary and fiscal policy measures. Matching microdata on households’ characteristics with the price signals the same households observe, their subjective expectations, and their real-world economic decisions is crucial to establishing these facts. Our growing understanding of households’ subjective expectations inspires several theoretical and empirical research directions and begets the design of innovative and more effective policy instruments.

ТЕКСТОВЫЙ АНАЛИЗ ПРЕДПРИНИМАТЕЛЬСКОЙ ОРИЕНТАЦИИ: ТЕОРИЯ И ПРАКТИКА

Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) is a key theme in the field of entrepreneurial research, having a profound impact on the development and success of businesses. This paper utilizes a textual analysis approach to comprehensively review the literature on EO, examining the concept from three aspects: the conceptualization of EO, the construction of measurement scales, and empirical research findings. We find that there is debate within the academic community regarding the definition and dimensional structure of EO, the construction and choice of measurement scales, and the mechanisms and moderating factors linking EO to business performance, with no comprehensive consensus achieved. This lack of consensus provides a rich field of options for future theoretical and empirical research on EO. Future studies should focus on achieving theoretical consistency and establishing a dominant academic discourse, while also recommending the integration of alternative measurement tools and improved analytical methods to expand the scope and depth of empirical research. This will enrich the development of EO theory and its application across various economic and social domains.

An inconvenient truth about “bundling” commitment, engagement, and embeddedness: Unbundling to extend theory on turnover motivations and beyond

This paper critiques a research practice that we call “bundling,” which has produced highly popular constructs in the organizational behavior literature, including organizational commitment, employee engagement, and organizational embeddedness. We show how these bundled constructs, using broad labels from common parlance, have produced overlapping meanings, confounded theoretical mechanisms, and imposed limiting “ideal employee” conceptions in the literature, organizations, and ultimately, societal discourse about employees. We argue that “unbundling” these constructs can provide multiple benefits to theory, empirical inquiry, and practical assessment of complex employee motives. As a demonstration, we unbundle the three focal constructs to integrate and clarify their component relations within the nomological net of turnover motivation. Thereby, we enrich conceptions of proximal withdrawal states, while synthesizing the most comprehensive model of turnover motivations. Finally, we discuss further research implications suggested by unbundling our focal constructs, and unbundling more generally.

Critical Science: A systematic literature review of empirical research (1979–2022)

AbstractThe Critical Science Approach (CSA) was developed in 1979 with the intent to create a consistent conceptual identity unifying the Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) profession's philosophy, knowledge, and practice. This systematic literature review examines empirical CSA research published between 1979 and 2022 to better understand what the CSA means for the profession. A total of 71 articles met the criteria with the CSA highly integrated in 22 of those articles. Results illustrate a need for increased CSA scholarship, continuity in keyword usage within the CSA language, and collaboration among preprofessional programs and professional organizations to support and sustain a CSA paradigm shift.

Empirical Research on Ethical Leadership and Knowledge Workers’ Innovative Behaviour: The Mediating Role of Job Autonomy

Introduction: This research studied the mediating role of job autonomy in the relationship between ethical leadership and knowledge workers’ innovative behaviour based on self-determination theory. Data were collected from 377 knowledge workers in the IT industry in Sichuan, Henan, and Guangdong province, China. A conceptual model was constructed and tested with the statistical software SMART-PLS. This paper concludes that job autonomy effectively mediates ethical leadership and knowledge workers’ innovative behaviour. The findings also reveal the strong and positive impact of ethical leadership on knowledge workers’ innovative behaviour. This paper enriched the leadership literature and extended the understanding of the predictors of employee innovative behaviour Objective: To investigate the impact of ethical leadership on knowledge workers’ innovative behaviour. To study the relationship between ethical leadership and job autonomy. To examine the impact of job autonomy on knowledge workers’ innovative behaviour. To investigate the mediating effect of job autonomy between ethical leadership and knowledge workers’ innovative behaviour. Theoretical Framework: Knowledge workers are highly skilled workers with professional knowledge, good education, or experience in their respective fields (Davenport, 2006). According to Correia & Dierendonck (2010), three core elements underpin the global meaning framework of knowledge workers: first, knowledge workers perceive their work as a calling; second, they have a strong desire for membership within a community of peers; third, they demand autonomy. These elements are in consistency with SDT. Method: This research used a quantitative approach to test the hypothesis, a closed questionnaire to collect the data, and SMART PLS version 4 to analyze the data. The survey questions were translated into Chinese with a back-translation approach (Brislin, 1986), as the respondents were all Chinese. Results and Discussion: Due to the single source, we first test common method bias. We adopted a full collinearity assessment approach to check the common method bias (Kock, 2015; Kock and Lynn, 2012). In this approach, the constructs were regressed on a new dummy variable with random values. As shown in table 4.1, the variance inflation factor (VIF) is lower than 3.3 (Kock, 2015), the model is indicated free of common method bias. Research Implications: The study constructed a research model to investigate the mediating effect of job autonomy between ethical leadership and knowledge workers' innovative behaviour. Management in knowledge-intensive industries, like the IT industry, can gain inspiration from the research to develop proper management strategies to promote knowledge workers’ innovative behaviour while guarding the ethical line.

IMPLEMENTATION OF DUE DILIGENCE NOTARY BEFORE AND AFTER THE COMPANY LEGAL ENTITY PT LISTING IN THE CAPITAL MARKET

Background. The capital market involves the public offering and selling of publicly traded firms' securities, with businesses required to complete the necessary paperwork and submit registration statements to Bapepam, supported by organizations and experts. This research aimed to describe the implementation of due diligence notary before and after the company's legal entity listing in the Capital Market. Research Method. This legal research includes normative and empirical legal research. This research is descriptive-analytical, namely research that describes facts and data regarding the implementation of Notary due diligence and the principle of openness before and after the Limited Liability Company listing in the Capital Market. Findings. The application of the principle of openness in the capital market is necessary for the implementation of Notary due diligence. This means that before carrying out the duties of the Notary in making deeds, the Notary verifies the company's data, which will be mentioned in the deed he will draft. The Notary's responsibilities both before and after listing include making amendments to the articles of association, minutes of the General Meeting Shareholders, deeds of agreements about public offerings, and registration with Bapepam. The Notary's role is restricted to the deed he executes; that is, to guarantee that the deed's intent, content, and purpose are correct and do not contravene applicable laws, statutes, regulations, or the code of ethics. Conclusion. The notary has made the deed properly and correctly to the applicable provisions and code of ethics, so in this case the notary has been protected.

Readiness for Autonomy Among CFL Learners: A Malaysian Perspective

Learner autonomy is paramount in 21st-century education, representing a crucial qualification for lifelong learning. In the area of Chinese as a second/foreign language (CSL/CFL), it is also an important objective of curriculum instruction. However, there is a dearth of empirical research on learner autonomy in a wide range of cultural contexts and distinct domains of language use, especially in the context of CFL. This study aims to scrutinize the readiness for autonomy of CFL learners within the Malaysian settings. The research utilized a quantitative approach to analyze the data. A closed-ended questionnaire survey was conducted with 600 participants. Specifically, the data were synthesized through descriptive statistical analysis to concretely consider the respondents' readiness for learner autonomy in terms of perception of responsibility, assessment of ability, and engagement in the activities in Chinese learning. Findings indicated that Malaysian CFL learners demonstrated a medium readiness for autonomy in Chinese learning. While participants exhibit a relatively high perception of responsibility for autonomous learning, their ability to assess autonomy in decision-making within Chinese learning is somewhat unsatisfactory. Additionally, they express less enthusiasm about engaging in autonomous learning activities inside and outside the classroom. The current study illuminates theoretical and practical dimensions concerning the readiness for autonomy in Chinese learning among Malaysian CFL learners. Moreover, it is anticipated to offer implications for further studies on autonomy development among CFL learners in analogous contexts.

Gen-Z: Eksplorasi Identitas Budaya dan Tantangan Sosial Dalam Era Digital

Generation Z, born between the mid-1990s to the early 2010s, grew in a rapidly evolving era of digital technology. Exploring cultural identity and facing social challenges is two important aspects of Gen-Z's life in this era. This article presents an in-depth analysis of the cultural identity of Generation Z and the social challenges it faces in the context of digitalization. By blending empirical research and literature review, this article explores various aspects of Gen-Z's life, including how technology shapes their cultural identity, the impact of social media on mental health, and social challenges such as online activism and the pressure of conformity. By understanding this dynamic, we can help shape more effective policies and strategies to support the positive development of Generation Z in the digital age.

Marketing innovations and digital technologies: A systematic review, proposed framework, and future research agenda

AbstractIn recent years, scholars and practitioners have increasingly recognized the profound impact of digital technologies (DTs) on reshaping organizations' value propositions and their ability to create, communicate, and deliver value to stakeholders. Given this heightened attention, it is imperative to comprehensively examine how DTs affect marketing innovations. This study reports the results of a systematic review of empirical research on DTs' role in marketing innovations. Specifically, it identifies a comprehensive list of technologies and investigates their relevance in enabling innovative approaches within marketing research, strategy formulation (segmentation, targeting, and positioning), and implementation (product, promotion, place, and price). The study synthesizes emerging themes in the literature, pinpoints research gaps, proposes a 3As framework for classifying DTs in marketing, and delineates future research directions in this pivotal domain.

Modelling the developmental path in the acquisition of /l/-final irregular plurals by Portuguese children

ABSTRACT Previous empirical research has shown that Portuguese children aged 4;0 to 6;0 are sensitive to the quality of stem-final vowels when acquiring the irregular plural forms of /l/-final words (acquisition order: plurals of /al, ɛl, ɔl, ul/ > plurals of /il/). This study presents a formal account of this emergent pattern. We first construct an initial-state grammar that arguably instantiates Portuguese children’s grammatical knowledge at the onset of morpho-phonological acquisition. We then simulate morpho-phonological learning using two constraint-based models (Stochastic Optimality Theory and Noisy Harmonic Grammar) and their associated Gradual Learning Algorithm. The results of our learning simulations corroborate the experimental data, showing that the plural form of /il/-final words takes longer to master than that of other /l/-final words. In addition to replicating the empirical results, the learning simulation reveals two important implications. First, the raw frequency of individual forms cannot account for the attested patterns, suggesting that the input frequency is mediated by some principles of grammatical learning. Second, Harmonic Grammar outperforms Optimality Theory in simulating real acquisition data. Through the additive constraint interaction, Harmonic-Grammar learning is more restrictive, avoiding the generation of unobserved data in the course of morpho-phonological acquisition.

A scoping review investigating the perspectives of people with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities on experiences of cyberbullying victimisation and its subtypes.

This scoping review examines cyberbullying victimisation in people with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities, focusing on specific types of cyberbullying behaviours, such as flaming, harassment, and stalking. A five-stage review of empirical research was conducted using 15 electronic databases, covering publications from October 1969 to January 2024. Twelve studies were selected, reporting cyberbullying victimisation rates ranging from 5% to 64%. Harassment was the most common behaviour experienced. However, flaming, cyber-stalking, griefing, and shaming have not been thoroughly investigated. The impact and coping strategies, including support mechanisms, also lack research. Further investigation is needed to understand the various types of cyberbullying experienced by people with intellectual disabilities and to develop coping and resilience strategies. Recommendations for future research and practice are provided.