Institutional Foundations Research Articles

“STATÜ TOPLUMU”: GÖBEKLİ TEPE VE KARAHAN TEPE’Yİ TOPLUMSAL TABAKALAŞMA BAĞLAMINDA SOSYOLOJİK DÜŞÜNMEK

Göbekli Tepe and the Neolithic sites around Urfa, which were identified by surveys, provide rich data for the transition of human beings from hunter-gatherer groups to settled and semi-settled agricultural societies. It is possible to trace most of the institutional foundations of today's societies to this transition period. Social theory, which was heavily influenced by the "Neolithic revolution" paradigm, ignored this transitional period. Sociological thought categorizes societies as hunter-gatherer and agricultural societies starting from the back and moves from the axiom that hunter-gatherer societies are egalitarian and agricultural societies are hierarchical. On the other hand, archaeological studies, while addressing the hierarchical "nature" of Neolithic societies, do not sufficiently benefit from the relatively rich theoretical background of sociology. As a result, it becomes important that the two disciplines work in cooperation. This study will emphasize that egalitarian hunter-gatherer groups lived in a relatively long transition period before class-based stratification originating from the economy, and that they went through a hierarchical social order based on social prestige rather than economic inequality during this transition period. For this, Weber's concept of status, which emphasizes different inequalities, rather than Marx's conceptualization of class division based on the ownership of the means of production, will be taken into consideration. Göbekli Tepe society was a classless society, but a hierarchical society based on status. It is possible to define societies that share Göbekli Tepe culture as "status society" in which individuals and groups have prestigious status on an ideological basis. In this scenario, some people had a more prestigious position than others because they monopolized the mythological narrative that made the world meaningful, causing social differentiation. Unlike the main claim of social conflict analysis, the article will argue that the symbolic world, which expresses the social hierarchy in Göbekli Tepe culture, has important functions that enable the Neolithic lifestyle, besides providing a meaningful explanation of the social world rather than causing an exploitation mechanism against a part of the Neolithic society.

PROBLEMS AND DIRECTIONS OF THE STATE POLICY OF TOURISM AND RECREATION DEVELOPMENT IN UKRAINE: GEOGRAPHICAL ASPECTS

The purpose of the article is the identification of problematic aspects, as well as the determination of promising directions of the state policy for the development of tourism and recreation in Ukraine, considering geographical aspects. During the research, such scientific methods of research as quantitative and qualitative comparison were used (to provide a description of the state policy of the tourism and recreation development in Ukraine); statistical analysis (for the analysis of the state and dynamics, geographical orientation of the development of tourist activity; system-structural analysis (for substantiating the priorities and tools of the state policy of stimulating tourism and recreation development in Ukraine). The indicators of the number of subjects of tourist and recreational activities in Ukraine, the distribution of outbound tourists by the countries to which they went, and inbound (foreign) tourists by the countries from which they arrived in Ukraine, the structure of outbound tourists of Ukraine by country, as well as the functioning of children's health and recreation facilities by region of Ukraine are represented. The directions and tools of the state policy for the development of tourism and recreation in Ukraine are substantiated. It has been established that the priority areas of tourism development in the regions of Ukraine should be the improvement of the effectiveness of image management, the implementation of marketing approaches, the formation of tourist flows based on logistics, the development and effective use of local intellectual and personnel resources. In terms of the development of the recreation sector of Ukraine, the leading vectors should be defined as improvement of the institutional foundations of relations regulation in this sphere; achieving high financial and economic activity of business entities in the recreation sphere, stimulating the increase of internal and external investments in the modernization and restoration of recreation facilities, support from the state and society for the creation of new jobs; development of inbound and domestic tourism, rural (green), ecological tourism; expansion of cooperation practices and international cooperation. The scientific novelty of the obtained results lies in the further development of the scientific toolkit for stimulating the activation of tourism and recreation. The practical significance of the obtained results lies in the possibility of differentiation of state policy in the regional aspect. Prospects for further research in this area relate to the substantiation of the priorities and means of the state policy of supporting tourism and recreation subjects in Ukraine in the conditions of war. Keywords: tourism and recreation, geography of tourism, regional features, state development policy, hospitality industry.

SUBJECTS OF PUBLIC DIPLOMACY OF UKRAINE IN QATAR, KUWAIT AND UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

The article defines the main components that form modern public diplomacy, traces the role of public diplomacy subjects of Ukraine in the realization of the goals of public diplomacy in Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE, updates the issue of optimizing the interaction of public diplomacy subjects of Ukraine in Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE. It has been clarified that in the 21st century, the issue of establishing long-term relationships that create favorable conditions for state policy, in particular the influence on public opinion and those who shape it, is urgent. Public diplomacy has become an important factor in the international life of the vast majority of developed countries. It was revealed that the new rules of political interaction, which provide for openness and publicity, can be turned to advantage with the help of a well-thought-out strategy of public diplomacy, the results of which are measured not only by the positive image of the state in the world, but also by success in promoting foreign policy interests on the international arena. The key goals of public diplomacy are: strengthening the country's image, promoting its brand; ensuring a favorable environment in the field of international communication; development of two-way communication, partnership network; broadcast of political, cultural and other values (including through education); formation of public opinion by one state in another. It has been established that a complex of measures aimed at forming messages aimed at informing target audiences and certain groups of people abroad is of great importance for the effective implementation of the goals of public diplomacy in Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE. It has been proven that Ukrainian public diplomacy in Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE has significantly intensified in recent years, as evidenced by a number of successfully implemented projects by diplomatic representatives. The spectrum of such events includes a decent presentation of Ukrainian fields of culture, education, sports, science, tourism, etc It was revealed that the fundamental renewal of the institutional foundations of the cooperation of Ukrainian diplomats in Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE with the Ukrainian diaspora in these countries will give impetus to raising public diplomacy of Ukraine in the Gulf subregion to a new level.

Regulatory Support and Institutions for the Transformation of Enterprises to the Digital Economy

Regulatory support and institutions for the transformation of enterprises to the digital economy are considered. In particular, the basic institutions of the transformation of enterprises to the digital economy, inherent in any society: social (or socio-cultural), economic, political, were studied, and their structure was summarized. It is substantiated that it is the state that is entrusted with the task of ensuring the effective functioning of institutional and legal foundations and long-term development vectors of the country and enterprises in Ukraine. In the conditions of wartime and the development of the digital economy, it is necessary to create a structure of incentives and motivations for digitalization at the enterprises themselves. The institutional and legal foundations of the digital transformation of enterprises by the institutions of state power are considered. The main legislative support for the formation and development of the digital economy in Ukraine is presented, the policy directions of the Ministry of Digital Transformation, its implementation of projects for the development of the digital economy, which create conditions for the development of business in Ukraine, the transformation of enterprises to new operating conditions, the development of human capital, and the preservation of labor potential are considered. The impact of supranational institutions and European integration on the establishment of institutional and legal foundations for the transformation of enterprises to the digital economy is outlined. The main directions of Ukraine’s cooperation with the European Union in the development of the digital economy, which are among the priorities in cooperation, were considered. Proposals regarding the improvement of institutions for the transformation of industrial enterprises to the digital economy are substantiated and relevant recommendations are provided. In particular, it was noted that Ukraine needs a modern industrial policy with defined principles and a vision. A strategy of industrial development is necessary, taking into account the digital economy, martial law, losses of industrial and labor potential, the need for post-war recovery and the adoption of the Law of Ukraine «On State Industrial Policy». The state industrial policy must meet the requirements of the times, therefore it should include the tasks of digital transformation of industrial enterprises and stimulating mechanisms of digital transformation.

About the state cluster policy in the Russian Federation, implemented in order to increase the innovative potential of the national economy and ensure its sustainable economic growth

The article defines the essence of the state cluster policy of the Russian Federation as a federal state, analyzes the regulatory, conceptual, strategic, organizational and methodological documents that formed the basis of the mechanism of its implementation; the fact is noted that the regulatory and legal support of cluster policy, the mechanisms of its organizational, methodological and information support implemented in the Russian Federation in the field of cluster construction, developed taking into account both foreign experience and the peculiarities of the domestic cluster model, most of which are related to national priorities and institutional foundations that have developed in our country, including within its Soviet period. the evaluation of the practical implementation of cluster policy for the period 2009-2022 was carried out. Special attention is paid to the evaluation of the functioning of the mechanism for supporting industrial clusters, as well as to the justification of the need to transition the traditional linear model of the innovation process implemented in cluster structures and focused on supply in the system "research - transfer - technology - use" to a nonlinear model that provides for close functional interconnectedness, interdependence, integration interaction of all cluster participants and orientation innovation on demand. in addition, new conceptual and methodological aspects of the development of modern clusters as complex dynamic network-type systems are considered, which have the properties of ecosystems, where legally independent partners (ecosystem participants, clusters) develop relationships within the framework of interactive collaboration, while relying on a common strategy, common identity, common obligations, interactive coordination of their current actions and opportunities based on the use of common platforms. the article also assesses Russia's place in the Global Innovation Index - 2022 and the possibilities of industrial and innovation clusters to contribute to increasing the innovative potential of the national economy and ensuring its sustainable economic growth.

Civic Participation Platform

Nowadays, daily life is unimaginable without information and communication technologies (ICTs). “New” reality dictates tectonic changes in communication processes that affect all spheres of life, including political ones. In recent years, there has been a trend towards more open and transparent governance. The purpose of this article is to assess the current status of civic participation platforms in the Russian regions of the Greater Caspian Sea on the basis of a comparative analysis of the institutional foundations and practices of their operation. The main empirical method of the research was the monitoring of civic participation platforms in Astrakhan region, the Republic of Dagestan and the Republic of Kalmykia, as well as qualitative content analysis of the texts posted on the above-mentioned portals. Civic participation platforms have a positive impact on the community. Despite the wide range of opportunities that new technologies offer to engage the party concerned and the citizens, the initiatives fail to achieve the expected results and to mobilize a sufficient number of active users. New forms of interaction between the authorities and civic society are just beginning to develop in our country. The development of electronic civic participation portals in the three Russian regions of the Greater Caspian Sea is taking place in different; their level of development can be estimated as average (in Astrakhan region), below average (in the Republic of Dagestan) and zero (in the Republic of Kalmykia). The main reasons for this state of affairs are digital divide between the regions and the governance practices of the federal and local governments in the regions.

Offensive patent litigation strategic choice: An organizational routine perspective

Patent litigation strategy is receiving considerable attention as friction escalates between firms over the legal use of patented technology. Offensive patent litigation is an important corporate strategy to protect intellectual property rights via suing others in the event of an infringement. This study seeks to understand how organizational routines, certificated by the Intellectual Property Rights Management Standard (IPRMS), influence strategic choices of patent litigation. Considering multiple scenarios of firm size and ownership, the results show that organizational routines positively affect the choice of offensive patent litigation, with firm size weakening the effect and state ownership reinforcing the effect. These findings contribute to offensive patent litigation research by highlighting the importance of organizational routines and exploring the interaction between a firm's strategies and the institutional foundations of legal practice.

Water banking in aquifers as a tool for drought resilience in the Murray-Darling Basin

ABSTRACTWater banking in aquifers is an internationally proven, low-cost solution that could improve drought resilience across the Murray Darling Basin. While significant potential for water banking through managed aquifer recharge (MAR) or conjunctive use of surface and groundwater resources has been identified in the Murray Darling Basin Plan, there is a need to establish clear policy and institutional foundations to incentivise adoption. To provide appropriate incentives for schemes, the legal status of rights to recharge, store and recover water, and the rules and costs which apply to groundwater extraction need to be clear and transparent. This paper aims to clarify principles and frameworks to secure water rights for recharge, storage, and recovery within the sustainable limits of water resources currently set under law. The current Basin Plan supports water banking, and banking would be complementary with objective and outcomes sought by future Basin Plans. Existing water accounting systems would need to accommodate this new capacity. Institutional arrangements and financial structures of water banking in the USA provide guidance for Australia. Demonstration sites would enable concurrent policy development and institutional set-up and provide critical experience to serve as models for wider adoption as part of future Murray Darling Basin plans.

From Hyper-Globalization to Global Value Chains Decoupling: Withering Global Trade Governance?

While the 1990s and early 2000s were seen as a golden age for Global Value Chains, the 2010s have witnessed a series of crisis that shacked the political and institutional foundations of global trade.  After years of neo-liberal trade policies, trend is now towards neo-realist mercantilism and trade politics. The COVID-19 pandemics and the rise of geopolitical tensions are redefining and perhaps reversing what have been the drivers of world trade since the end of the Cold War in 1989. Geopolitical and institutional uncertainties increase the chance of unpredictable or unforeseen event disrupting entire international segments of the value chain, with potentially extreme consequences. When fat-tailed black-swans run around like headless chickens, disruptions are unpredictable. Yet, understanding the main changes affecting the geo-politics of trade and the possibilities of safeguarding a functional global trade governance is expected to reduce the risks and help future managers preparing for new business paradigms. 

Caliphs and Merchants: Cities and Economies of Power in the Near East (700–950)

Caliphs and Merchants: Cities and Economies of Power in the Near East (700–950)

Социальное самоопределение как фактор противодействия деструктивным формам солидарности

Introduction. Within the framework of sociological thought, the question of solidarity is mainly raised in the context of the idea of social integration. At the same time, solidarity is not always a constructive, socially-saving and socially-integrating factor. The article raises the question of destructive forms of solidarity. The main signs and factors of the development of destructive solidarity are determined. The influence of the nature of social self-determination of members of society on the level of development of constructive and destructive forms of solidarity is considered. Methods. The research uses an analytical approach, as well as methods of comparison and abstraction. The research also relies on the phenomenological method. Results. The article deals with such problems as lack of solidarity and destructive solidarity and examines them within the framework of the classical interpretation of the concept of “solidarity”. The analysis of the relationship between the forms of solidarity and the nature of the attitude to social conflict is carried out. The predominance of the mechanistic type of solidarity in destructive processes is considered. At the same time, it is proved that mechanistic solidarity in itself is not the basis of social destructiveness. The question is raised about social priorities and the nature of social self-determination as the leading factors in the development of constructive and destructive forms of solidarity. The ways of development of constructive forms of social self- determination are considered. The question is raised about the institutional and cultural foundations for the development of constructive forms of social self-determination. Conclusion. Based on the analysis, the author substantiates the importance of cultural and institutional factors of constructive and destructive solidarity, on the basis of which he justifies the priority nature of socially- oriented organizational activities aimed at the development of constructive forms of social self-determination.

An Exploratory Study Into the Aspects of Work-life Balance Among Academics in Australian Universities

This is an exploratory study on the work-life balance of academics in some Melbourne institutes of higher education. It is important to explore this area of their lives as academics constantly face changes in terms of scope and workload. They also form the foundation of institutions of higher education. This research was done to explore where these institutes of higher education stand in terms of achieving SDG goal number 3, which is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, for their academics through exploring academic lives and well-being. SDG or Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3), refers to one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations in 2015. The reputation and success of institutes of higher education lie fundamentally in the work of its academics so any significant disruption to their health and well-being will have a negative impact on their quality of work and their organisation’s performance. This study revealed a negative impact of changes to the academics’ work-life- balance and the failure of their organisations to achieve SDG goal no 3. A qualitative approach using in-depth interviewing was used to interview nine academics, from different institutes of higher education in Melbourne, Australia. The informants included male and female academics from high and low-ranked institutes of higher education, of different positions and ages. This research used convenience and snowball sampling methods. The findings showed that the majority of informants were overworked with no clear breaks for holidays or weekends. The exception was 2 informants who enjoyed good work-life balance and holidays which may be due to their positions as Deans and Head of Programme. While mental health in education has been mainly focused on students, this research has revealed that the mental health of academics from these institutes is at a critical level and needs to be addressed.

“Contingent power extension” and regional (dis)integration: China’s Belt and Road Initiative and its consequences for the EU

In this article, we explore the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a case of “Contingent Power Extension” (CPE) towards the European Union (EU), assessing its implications for regional (dis)integration in the latter. CPE is a conceptual prism that interprets the BRI as a polymorphous, dynamic, and context-specific mechanism through which Chinese foreign policy elites intend to convey, amplify, and legitimize the regime’s power-reach into other regions, including the EU. Along two examples—the 14 + 1 Cooperation Forum and the Port of Genoa in Italy—we examine the power dynamics of the BRI by tracing (a) the processual impact of power extension towards the EU and (b) the (un)intended consequences for the EU in terms of (dis)integration. The findings of our analysis provide an insight into the multicausal relations between the BRI and European (dis)integration not as a static outcome but rather as a contested process of struggle. The article concludes by discussing whether and how the EU can strengthen its own institutional foundations and use its systemic leverage to respond to the BRI while enhancing regional integration in the process.

Editorial introductions.

Editorial introductions.

Dyplomacja naukowa jako kategoria dyplomacji wpływu – przypadek Francji

In the last decade, science diplomacy, one of the subcategories of diplomacy of influence, has recently gained unprecedented attention as a subject of both an academic inquiry and political discourse. States adapting to these changes create science diplomacy legal and institutional frameworks which combine the priorities of foreign and science and technology policy. But still, there are only a few advanced countries in this respect. One of them is France, which began building the institutional and strategic foundations of science diplomacy in the middle of the 20th century, and can now provide a source of good practice for states at the beginning of this path. The article presents the conceptual basis of diplomacy of influence and organisational model of French science diplomacy, an example of diplomacy of influence based on the potential and attractiveness of science. Analysing particular dimensions of the model, we point to conditions, such as the concept of foreign policy, assumptions of scientific policy or the structure of the state’s science and technology sector, which influence the specificity of French science diplomacy. We argue that the distinctive features of the French model of science diplomacy are its strong link to foreign and development policy objectives, its treatment of science as an essential instrument of foreign policy and diplomacy of influence, but also its emphasis on supporting the internationalisation of science and increasing France’s participation in international scientific undertakings.

Legitimizing path development by interlinking institutional logics: The case of Israel’s desert tourism

The legitimation of new regional industrial paths has become a crucial issue in path development since it touches the institutional foundations of spatial evolution and fits the recent interest in agency. Neo-institutional sociology offers a wealth of insights for how agents build legitimacy. In particular, the institutional logics perspective suggests multiple material and symbolic sources of legitimacy. Seeking a deeper contextualization of paths into their socio-institutional environment, this article argues that new paths are legitimized by agents interlinking institutional logics through symbolic constructions such as visions. Empirical examples from two tourism destinations in Israel illustrate this mechanism.

Anatomy of Nigeria’s Economic Crisis

The economic and social crisis in Nigeria cannot be adequately understood outside the organisation of the political economy as a dependent capitalist one. Political independence did not lead to economic liberation from imperialism as the structural and institutional foundations of imperialism were strengthened at independence and over the post-independence period. The crisis is aggravated by the continuous haemorrhage of resources from the country to the metropolitan world, lack of perspective macro-economic planning, non-diversification of the economy, and the use of the state and its organs and agencies by the ruling political elite to plunder the resources of the state. All efforts towards resolving the crisis have been a disastrous failure because most of the blueprints are formulated by the metropolitan states and their agencies with the ultimate aim to keep the state in unequal relations with the metropolitan states. Internally formulated policy instruments and economic measures have had little or no impact because they have mostly been wrongheaded. It is our argument in this paper that, the choice before the ruling elite is between the minimum programme of reforms to expand production and meet the basic needs of the people or the maximum programme of popular democratic revolutionary change of the existing political and social order.

Biosensor integrated tissue chips and their applications on Earth and in space

The development of space exploration technologies has positively impacted everyday life on Earth in terms of communication, environmental, social, and economic perspectives. The human body constantly fluctuates during spaceflight, even for a short-term mission. Unfortunately, technology is evolving faster than humans’ ability to adapt, and many therapeutics entering clinical trials fail even after being subjected to vigorous in vivo testing due to toxicity and lack of efficacy. Therefore, tissue chips (also mentioned as organ-on-a-chip) with biosensors are being developed to compensate for the lack of relevant models to help improve the drug development process. There has been a push to monitor cell and tissue functions, based on their biological signals and utilize the integration of biosensors into tissue chips in space to monitor and assess cell microenvironment in real-time. With the collaboration between the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and other partners, they are providing the opportunities to study the effects of microgravity environment has on the human body. Institutions such as the National Institute of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF) are partnering with CASIS and NASA to utilize tissue chips onboard the International Space Station (ISS). This article reviews the endless benefits of space technology, the development of integrated biosensors in tissue chips and their applications to better understand human biology, physiology, and diseases in space and on Earth, followed by future perspectives of tissue chip applications on Earth and in space.

The geopolitical reality of the sanction opposition in the context of the need to study the foreign retrospective of import substitution: The experience of Brazil and India

The presented collective work, in accordance with the international classification, is a review article, the purpose of which is to consider the foreign experience of import substitution policy in the context of economic sublimation of the prospects for Russia's opposition to the Anglo-Saxon world's attempts to inhibit high-tech development and the policy of reducing the share of Russia's hydrocarbon economy, as well as in the context of the activation of centrifugal processes of a destructive nature aimed at the institutional foundations of the integrity of the Russian statehood.

Research of corporate compliance in China: Review and reflections

This article sorts out the research from the past decade on corporate compliance in China. Chinese scholars have studied corporate compliance from different disciplines and perspectives. In terms of research methods, the study of corporate compliance should adopt the dogmatics approach to provide a stable theoretical framework for the construction of the compliance system. In terms of research direction, future research needs formal thinking to delimit the institutional boundaries of criminal compliance. As for unit imputation mode, corporate compliance does not solely depend on any certain mode. No vicarious responsibility, strict responsibility or organizational responsibility constitutes the institutional foundation of compliance. Before China's legislation is amended, compliance should serve as a factor to exclude or reduce corporate responsibility so as to encourage corporate compliance.