Formal Mechanisms Research Articles

Peran Masyarakat dalam Pembentukan Peraturan Perundang-Undangan sebagai Pilar Negara Hukum

Community participation in the formation of laws and regulations is an important element in realizing a democratic legal system. Active community involvement in the legislative process is necessary to ensure that the laws produced reflect the needs and aspirations of the wider community. This research aims to examine the importance of community participation in each stage of regulation formation, identify obstacles in its implementation, and formulate strategic steps to increase the effectiveness of this participation. The results of the study show that even though there are legal regulations regarding public participation, their implementation still faces significant challenges, such as a lack of transparency, limited access to information, and a lack of formal mechanisms that support substantial public involvement. To overcome these obstacles, strategic steps are needed, including increasing the transparency of the legislative process, optimizing information technology for public consultation, institutionalizing participation mechanisms, and revising regulations that make community involvement a legal obligation. Collaboration between government, civil society and academics is also an important factor in creating more inclusive and responsive regulations. The conclusion of this research confirms that effective public participation not only strengthens legal legitimacy, but also increases public trust in the legislative system. With integrated steps, community participation can become the main pillar in creating a legal system that is fair, democratic and oriented towards the public interest. Keywords: Community Role; Formation of Legislative Regulations; Democracy.

The Role of Stakeholders in Supporting Student Services in Higher Education in Cambodia

A major policy change was made in 1997 when the Royal Government of Cambodia began to privatize higher education institutions (HEIs). As a result of this reform, there were 189 HEIs in 2024, up significantly from just 8 in the late 1990s. To uphold and ensure the quality of higher education, the Accreditation Committee of Cambodia was established in 2003 as a formal legal mechanism for accreditation. Student Service is essential for improving higher education quality and students’ learning outcomes. Student Services was the fifth of nine standard criteria used to assess the quality of higher education in Cambodia. However, researchers and relevant higher education sectors have not yet shown interest in the student service area in the higher education system in Cambodia. This qualitative research study aims to explore stakeholders involved in supporting student services in higher education in Cambodia. The semi-structured interview was deployed with a purposive sampling of ten key informants from relevant institutions. This interview was in a face-to-face format. The key finding of this research revealed that seven stakeholders support student service in Cambodia's higher education. They are parent ministry, industry and community, development partner, higher education institutions, parent and guardians, religion, and student and alumni. Based on the findings, enhancing and maintaining student service quality requires the involvement of all stakeholders, high commitment, cohesive cooperation, and the upholding of student interests. Particularly, higher education institutions (HEIs) should prioritize creating a supportive environment that facilitates seamless student service processes.

The Effect of Managerial Support on Employee Creativity: A Study on Aircraft Maintenance Personnel

This study aims to examine the effect of managerial support on employee creativity in SHY-145 approved aircraft maintenance organizations operating in Turkey and authorized by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). A quantitative research method was adopted in the study and a relational survey model was used. Data were collected from 362 technical personnel selected by convenience sampling method. A questionnaire form consisting of three sections was used as a data collection tool, and in addition to demographic information, Manager Support Scale and Employee Creativity Scale were applied. According to the regression analysis results, managerial support has a positive and significant effect on employee creativity. Analyses conducted according to demographic variables revealed that both managerial support and employee creativity variables did not show a significant difference according to gender, marital status, age and professional experience groups. In line with the results of the study, it is recommended that creative leadership training programs should be organized for managers in aircraft maintenance organizations, formal mechanisms should be established where technical personnel can share their creative ideas, performance evaluation systems should be restructured to encourage creative thinking, and regulations should be included in DGCA regulations to encourage creative thinking. In future studies, it is suggested investigating the moderating effects of variables such as organizational culture, technological competence and job security climate and conducting comparative studies covering aircraft maintenance organizations in different countries.

Role of Local Water Institutions in Water Resources Management in Sanya-Kware Sub-catchment of the Pangani Basin, Tanzania

This study investigates the role of local water institutions in water resource management in the Sanya-Kware sub-catchment of the Pangani River Basin, Tanzania. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from a sample of 96 traditional furrow committee members representing 20 villages across highland, midland, and lowland zones. The research examines the contributions and limitations of traditional furrow committees and their interactions with newly established Water User Associations (WUAs). Results reveal that traditional institutions, deeply rooted in cultural norms, provide effective localized solutions for water allocation and conflict resolution. However, they face challenges such as limited adherence to Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) principles, lack of legal enforcement, and insufficient capacity for financial and administrative management. Overlapping roles between traditional and formal institutions often lead to conflicts, especially during periods of water scarcity. Despite these challenges, traditional furrow committees remain resilient, effectively managing water resources through collective action and culturally embedded practices. Large-scale irrigators and other stakeholders who engaged with these traditional systems reported better outcomes in water sharing and conflict resolution. The findings highlight the need for a balanced governance framework that integrates the strengths of traditional institutions with formal mechanisms to enhance water resource management. The study concludes by emphasizing the importance of capacity-building, legal recognition, and structured collaboration to ensure equitable and sustainable water governance in sub-catchment areas.

Recovery houses and peer work in them: a service user’s proposal and agenda for change

Purpose The purpose of this viewpoint article is to describe the experience of recovery houses and peer work from the perspective of a service user (Ben). The current profile and visibility of recovery houses on mental health wards is low. Indeed, since Ben’s first diagnosis in 2003 and during the last 17 months as a peer worker the importance of recovery houses has not even been mentioned once by staff or service users. It should be noted that this article expresses the view of the first author (Ben) and not the co-author (Matthew). Design/methodology/approach This is also a service user narrative by Ben. He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2003 and spent two years in and out of the mental health unit where he is now a peer worker. Ben had a relapse in 2013 for about six months and then attended Ron Coleman’s and Karen Taylor’s Recovery Champions course and their recovery house on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland, where he first heard of the recovery approach and which improved Ben’s mental health. Ron and Karen’s organisation is called Working to Recovery. Ben is currently a peer worker on the same unit where he was once a patient and working with the Director of Patient Experience, Matthew Sisto. This article is based on lived experience as a service user and peer worker. Findings This article makes a case for and a case against the proposal to incorporate recovery houses more into the fabric of NHS mental health care as well as a possible alternative to psychiatric units. The main argument in this article is to suggest making recovery houses more mainstream, more of them and more accessible to those currently in traditional mental health units. Currently there are no formal mechanisms of discharge from hospital to recovery houses. Not one person on the wards where I was a patient since 2003 or peer worker in the last 17 months has been discharged to a recovery house. Recovery houses are a therapeutic alternative or complement to traditional psychiatric care. They could also have other potential benefits, such as decreasing bed blocking on psychiatric wards (service users who are well and waiting for accommodation), reducing risk of relapse and remedying the loneliness and isolation that is often faced by service users on discharge to the community (changing from being around a lot of people on the ward to no one and isolation at home). Recovery houses are in short supply and in need of scaling up (more of them). There is the need to increase the referral and accessibility of recovery houses for service users on mental health wards. Currently recovery houses offer short-term support, only a matter of weeks or months. They would be better if they offered longer periods and also ongoing support. Recovery houses would also benefit people with mental illness, their carers and others if they incorporated elements of peer support. Originality/value Recovery houses and peer support are relatively new approaches in the mental health journeys of people with mental illness. This article is important because it makes a case for/ case against and addresses the feasibility of incorporating the recovery approach and recovery houses into the quite antiquated and slow to change fabric of the conventional NHS. It considers traditional and alternative pathways of care and steps for change to make recovery houses more mainstream and accessible to NHS psychiatric patients (and even perhaps to replace conventional psychiatric care in the long run).

Three challenges of social protection in sub‐Saharan Africa: informality, climate change and pandemics

AbstractThis article provides an overview of social protection challenges in sub‐Saharan Africa. It explores three main challenges: the integration of informal workers, the management of climate change and pandemics. Despite the proliferation of social protection programmes in sub‐Saharan Africa, effective coverage remains low. About 76.3% of the population is not covered by any formal social protection mechanisms. Following the principle of qualitative comparative analysis, this article offers a twofold contribution. Firstly, it provides an overview of the diversity of social protection mechanisms in sub‐Saharan Africa. This article proposes to describe the three categories of social protection using the concept of social protection mix: formal, semi‐formal and informal. Secondly, using this concept, this study explores three major challenges of the social protection mix in sub‐Saharan Africa. Finally, this article suggests ways to strengthen social protection systems that address new challenges and incorporate the diversity of social protection mechanisms.

Got your six? Veterans and the family court system

AbstractStatus as a Veteran or military Servicemember (SM) can negatively impact custody determination in family court. Veterans and Servicemembers (SMs) must contend with unique barriers. The first barrier is a dueling media narrative of extremes, in which they are both idolized and demonized, extremes that shape the view that much of American society takes with respect to Veterans and SMs. The second barrier is the Permanent Change of Station (PCS) system. PCS forces SMs to move frequently and they have no formal mechanism to decline a PCS in order to maintain an existing child custody arrangement. The third barrier is an alarmingly high and incorrect over‐association of military service and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) coupled with the incorrect assertion that PTSD manifests itself primarily in a violent manner. The fourth barrier is a unique administrative hearing process within each of the military services known as the Family Advocacy Program (FAP) Incident Determination Committee (IDC) / Case Review Committee (CRC) which reviews claims of spousal or child abuse and is empowered to substantiate abuse claims without affording procedural due process protections. This paper is important because informing the body of professionals who comprise family court matters about these barriers will ideally lead to improved child custody outcomes for Veterans and SMs as well as push for additional research into the subject to understand how and in what manner SMs and Veterans are negatively impacted in custody determinations.

The Institution of the President in Central Asia on the Example of Tajikistan

The authors accept and positively verify the assumption of the functioning of a dominant presidency in Tajikistan, which depicts the historical and cultural conditions of Central Asia and positions the president as the undisputed creator of the state and leader of the nation. For this purpose, the authors present a historical outline of the establishment and development of the presidential institution in Tajikistan, formal mechanisms regulating its functioning and resulting from constitutional competences, as well as traditional tribal dependencies characteristic of the region, i.e. informal mechanisms for holding office.

“Do Not Come”: The US Root Causes Strategy and the Co-optation of the Right to Stay

Executive Summary In 2021, the United States unveiled the Strategy for Addressing the Root Causes of Migration in Central America (“Root Causes Strategy” or “the Strategy”) to improve living conditions in El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala as a means to prevent future migration to the US-Mexico border. Through a combination of foreign policy tools and public-private investment, the US administration focused on enhancing economic, security, and governance conditions in the region. Although the Root Causes Strategy has received scrutiny in light of broader research on policies to address the root causes of migration, more attention is needed from the perspective of communities that these strategies target. Therefore, this article assesses the Root Causes Strategy’s alignment with Northern Central American communities’ plans to ensure their right to stay and thrive. It explores three areas of inquiry: the Strategy’s provision of formal engagement and participation mechanisms for local communities; the Strategy’s alignment with local communities’ priorities to ensure their right to stay; and the Strategy’s respect for local communities’ right to migrate in relation to their right to stay according to local projects of thriving. Through critical policy analysis, relying on primary governmental sources and secondary sources on the lived experience of communities in the region, the article argues that the Root Causes Strategy co-opted communities’ right to stay for three reasons. First, Northern Central American communities’ notions of their right to stay were sidelined. Communities did not have a formal role in the design and implementation of the Strategy, which lacked transparency and accountability mechanisms. Second, the Root Causes Strategy did not align its tools with communities’ notions of thriving. Private investments lacked sufficient labor, environmental and human rights protection, and oversight mechanisms to ensure they would not result in more displacement. Funding structures and processes failed to significantly expand access by local communities in support of grass-roots community projects. The US targeted sanctions for human rights violations and corruption followed communities’ cues in some countries and occasions while neglecting them in others. Third, the United States used its root causes policy to justify a restricted notion of the right to migrate. The US administration utilized its root causes policy and the widening of some insufficient legal migration pathways to justify and advance US border externalization policies and limit access to asylum at the US-Mexico border. The paper concludes with policy recommendations for the US administration, the US Congress, and civil society in Central America, Mexico, and the United States. It recommends delinking root causes of migration strategies from the goal of reducing migration to the donor country and foregrounding communities’ participation and perspectives before, during, and after the implementation of root causes policies.

An Innovative Approach to Navigating Microaggressions in Medical Education Settings.

Microaggressions negatively affect the experiences of medical students, especially those from minoritized groups, indicating the need for heightened awareness and open dialogue. The increasing recognition of the potential harm caused by such behaviors has led to a call for educational strategies that enable medical students to identify and address microaggressions effectively. This report details an innovative approach designed to navigate the complexities of microaggressions within medical education settings. In December 2023, 2 senior medical educators facilitated an in-person lecture, which consisted of short videos cocreated with students, interactive online surveys, and a presentation. The lecture aimed to enable third-year medical students at Imperial College School of Medicine to describe and recognize microaggressions and other forms of inappropriate behavior, understand the impact of microaggressions in medical education settings, develop problem-solving skills to challenge inappropriate behavior, and differentiate the informal and formal mechanisms to raise concerns. The final data set consisted of 183 participants. Participants reported increases in confidence in identifying microaggressions (median [IQR], 4.00 [3.00-4.00] before vs 4.00 [4.00-5.00] after intervention; P < .001), understanding their potential effect on affected individuals (median [IQR], 4.00 [3.00-5.00] before vs 5.00 [4.00-5.00] after intervention; P < .001), and feeling better equipped to challenge inappropriate experienced (median [IQR], 2.00 [2.00-3.00] before vs 3.00 [2.00-4.00] after intervention; P < .001) or witnessed (median [IQR], 3.00 [2.00-3.00] before vs 4.00 [3.00-4.00] after intervention; P < .001) behaviors. They also reported increases in confidence in seeking support from their peers if they experienced (median [IQR], 4.00 [3.00-5.00] before vs 4.00 [4.00-5.00] after intervention; P < .001) or witnessed (median [IQR], 4.00 [3.00-4.00] before vs 4.00 [3.00-5.00] after intervention; P < .001) microaggressions. Next steps include integrating small group workshops on microaggressions into curricula and adapting these interventions for other health care professionals.

Managing Health Without Stable Housing: Dimensions of Treatment Burden and Patient Capacity for People With Chronic Health Conditions Experiencing Homelessness.

Although chronic health conditions and homelessness are prevalent problems in the United States and globally, little research has used the lens of burden of treatment theory to examine the experiences of people facing these challenges simultaneously. This study aimed to illuminate dimensions of treatment burden, which refers to the work of being a patient with chronic conditions, and patient capacity to manage this burden in a sample of people experiencing homelessness and chronic health problems in Buffalo, New York, United States. We completed in-depth interviews with men and women recruited from a homelessness services organization (N = 27) and applied core concepts from burden of treatment theory to our analysis to probe how participants navigated tasks related to treatment and self-care. Using codebook thematic analysis involving three coders, results revealed four interconnected themes of complex coordination, self-monitoring, obtaining and using prescriptions and medical supplies, and communication and explaining health issues, which were confirmed through member checking (N = 6). These dimensions of treatment burden were dynamically impacted by patient capacity factors-which included trauma, medical mistrust, health literacy, and social support-as well as by social determinants of health such as housing and income. Findings support the need for more formal collaboration mechanisms between healthcare providers and social service agencies, active involvement of patients in their health plans, and policies such as Housing First to improve access to stable and affordable housing and social services for people with complex health issues.

A Critical Analysis of Family Dispute Resolution Practices in Pakistan

Informal practices that exist within family relations are as ubiquitous as formal legal mechanisms widely used to resolve family disputes in Pakistan. To achieve this, this study critically examined the FDR Practices in Pakistan in light of the existing legal framework highlighting its strengths and gaps and proffering recommendation to improve upon the same. Legal provisions under the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance of 1961 and the West Pakistan Family Court Act of 1964 exist, but operate in spite of these, obstacles like procedural anomalies and Jirga and Panchayat systems continue to exist and human rights violations are not rare. The study was done using a qualitative research methodology which used a review of legal provisions, court practices and alternative dispute resolution models. Moreover, results proved that current frameworks do not sufficiently take care of family related disputes and that informal methods are not fair and accountable. The results of this study suggest that the formation of regulated FDR centers promotes relatively efficient resolution of disputes, reduces the burden placed on courts and protects family relationships.

Salary Negotiation Role-Playing in Online Course Settings

Preparing to negotiate salary is an important aspect of the employment process, given that compensation varies for different roles. Unfortunately, there are limited formal mechanisms for college students to learn how to negotiate salary. More often than not, students accept the first salary offer for post-collegiate employment without negotiating. This is due to several factors: lack of knowledge that salary negotiation is possible; lack of knowledge of how to negotiate; and possible fear that negotiation will cause job offer recission. However, negotiating salary is a critical skill for business school students. This is because it impacts their financial compensation throughout their professional lives. This exercise prepares students who were enrolled in an asynchronous online course to negotiate salary. Given the prevalence of online hiring processes, the exercise provides relevant negotiation preparation strategies in a virtual setting.

Do religious values mitigate the effect of formal corporate governance rules on earnings management in Islamic countries? Evidence from Jordan

Purpose This study aims to assess the board of directors’ effectiveness in curbing earnings management (EM) in Jordan, a country where Islamic religious values strongly influence corporate practices. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of 51 Amman Stock Exchange-listed firms from 2012 to 2022, generalised least squares regression is used to examine the association between board characteristics and EM. Findings Most board characteristics do not significantly affect EM. Interestingly, board activity is significantly and positively associated with EM, suggesting that the board’s monitoring function has been relegated to a secondary role. Research limitations/implications Formal corporate governance mechanisms may prove ineffective, as their effectiveness in limiting EM is undermined by informal rules. Practical implications Regulators should adapt corporate governance rules to the context in which they are embedded. Greater attention to religious dynamics could improve board oversight effectiveness. Originality/value This study provides a new perspective to analyse the relationship between corporate governance and EM. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is among the first studies to explore this issue within the context of Islamic countries.

Mental Health Support for First Responders Provided Outside of California's Workers' Compensation System.

Concern about psychiatric injuries for first responders has grown. We examine alternatives to workers' compensation (WC). We conducted 15 interviews across 5 California departments contracted with non-WC mental health (MH) providers. We performed content analysis. MH support outside of WC most often was a dedicated contract with outside MH providers for assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. Departments had formal financing mechanisms with union and city support designating funding for MH care. Frustration and past WC experiences drove the desire for WC alternatives. First responders reported high levels of stigma associated with MH care. Compared to WC, these alternatives allowed more comprehensive services to injured workers along with ease of accessing care, expediting the healing process. Contracting culturally competent MH providers outside of WC for first responders has potential and needs formal evaluation.

Kuningamäe(d)

The name(s) Kuningamäe Keywords: linguistics, Estonian, place names, foreign names, name planning, socio-onomastics This article examines Estonian place names containing the term kuningas ‘king’. The earliest records of Kuninga-names date back to the 16th century. The Place Names Archive of the Institute of the Estonian Language lists more than 200 place names beginning with Kuning(a)-. By comparison, terms denoting other noble ranks are significantly less common: there are 86 names starting with krahv ‘count’, 43 with parun ‘baron’, 29 each with keiser ‘emperor’ and prints ‘prince’, four with vürst ‘prince’ (from the German Würst), and one with hertsog ‘duke’. Kuningamäe is a typical Estonian compound place name, composed of kuningas : kuninga ‘king’ + mägi : mäe ‘hill, mountain’. One instance of Kuningamäe is a translation of the German Königsberg, referring to a village near Põltsamaa. Notably, the renowned Königsberg of East Prussia was not translated into Estonian; the German name was retained instead. When Poland reverted the name Kaliningrad to its historical Polish equivalent Królewiec, a parallel debate arose in Estonia. However, Estonia lacks a formal mechanism for standardizing foreign names. Instead, the writing of foreign place names in Estonian is largely guided by the dictionary of standard Estonian. The act of naming is often more than linguistic; it can reflect political, cultural, historical, and societal considerations. This interplay makes it a rich area of study within socio-onomastics.

AbstractTrace: The Use of Execution Traces to Cluster, Classify, Prioritize, and Optimize a Bloated Test Suite

Due to the incremental and iterative nature of the software testing process, a test suite may become bloated with redundant, overlapping, and similar test cases. This paper aims to optimize a bloated test suite by employing an execution trace that encodes runtime events into a sequence of characters forming a string. A dataset of strings, each of which represents the code coverage and execution behavior of a test case, is analyzed to identify similarities between test cases. This facilitates the de-bloating process by providing a formal mechanism to identify, remove, and reduce extra test cases without compromising software quality. This form of analysis allows for the clustering and classification of test cases based on their code coverage and similarity score. This paper explores three levels of execution traces and evaluates different techniques to measure their similarities. Test cases with the same code coverage should generate the exact string representation of runtime events. Various string similarity metrics are assessed to find the similarity score, which is used to classify, detect, and rank test cases accordingly. Additionally, this paper demonstrates the validity of the approach with two case studies. The first shows how to classify the execution behavior of various test cases, which can provide insight into each test case’s internal behavior. The second shows how to identify similar test cases based on their code coverage.

Coordination Strategy for Achieving Community Social Infrastructure Development Goals in Bhola, Bangladesh

This paper aims at identifying the Prospects for Sustainability in Community Social Infrastructure Development having regard to Coordination Mechanisms and Stakeholders: A Case of Bhola Bangladesh. Employing a qualitative research approach, the paper seeks to establish the issues, approaches, and achievements towards owning coordination in rural setting. Interviews, focus group discussions and document review adopting both open ended questionnaires and interviews were conducted with 20 purposively selected participants drawn from different fields similar to previous study. Therefore, this study established that though there is improvement in coordination at the Bhola level, problems like resource constrains, lack of technical know-how and communication barriers are still some of the issues that hinder the functioning of agencies there. Improvement in the coordination measures entailed the maintenance of an open forum, trust amongst the stakeholders, and the adoption of the structure that captured the needs of the locals. Moreover, it was also found that for infrastructure projects to have sustainable outcomes, the community has to be involved actively in the projects. This paper adds to the studies on multi-stakeholder partnership in community advancement and offers ideas concerning the issues of advancing rural, Ashley positioned, limited asset areas. The study therefore can contribute to enhancing the coordination strategies in other contexts with the inference that equal blend of formal and informal coordination mechanism coupled with active community participation plays critical role to enhance the development of infrastructure projects.

The Role of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Shaping India’s Foreign Policy towards the European Union since 2014

Abstract The article aims to analyze the role of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in shaping India’s foreign policy towards the European Union (EU). The article hypothesizes that the BJP, the political party in power since 2014, is the main domestic political actor that impacts India’s foreign policy towards the EU. Its strategy towards the EU is influenced not only by domestic factors but also by external ones. Firstly, the article assesses the formal and informal mechanisms the BJP uses to shape Indian foreign policy. Next, it identifies the main factors influencing the BJP’s foreign policy toward the EU. Finally, it evaluates the importance of the BJP, as an example of a domestic actor, in forming India’s foreign policy toward the EU.

Understanding Social Dialogue: Typology of Approaches and Problems of Conceptualization

The article addresses the issue of conceptualizing social dialogue as both a mechanism of interaction among various social actors and as an instrument of social development. While social dialogue was initially associated with labor relations, contemporary social changes necessitate expanding its scope and institutionalization. The paper presents the philosophical foundations of dialogue, which establish the groundwork for understanding it as a means of achieving mutual understanding and creating new meanings. Organizational dialogue theories offer specific strategies and methodologies for conducting effective dialogue. The authors also explore deliberative governance and deliberative democracy approaches, enabling the comprehension of dialogue within a broader political and social context. Analysis of key conceptualization issues in social dialogue requires defining its participants, objectives, subject matter, and conditions for effectiveness. Various types of social dialogue are identified and analyzed, including transformational, consensus-based, cognitive-innovative, and monitoring dialogues. Each type is examined in terms of its potential and limitations in addressing different social challenges. The article also raises questions about the boundaries of the applicability of dialogical approaches and their relationship with other forms of social interaction and governance. The authors discuss the demarcation between the realm of social dialogue and administrative management, as well as the integration of dialogical processes into existing managerial structures. Issues regarding the role of the state in social dialogue and the balance between formal and informal dialogue mechanisms are also considered. In conclusion, the article emphasizes the need for an interdisciplinary approach to the study of social dialogue, arguing that it can serve as a powerful tool for bridging the gap between individual aspirations and collective interests, thereby fostering socio-individual convergence.