Greater Levels Of Cooperation Research Articles

Wedge strategies in Russia-Japan relations

This article analyses wedge strategies in the context of Russo-Japanese relations. In particular, it looks at how both countries have sought to generate a dis-alignment in the opposing side, preventing further steps toward the consolidation of potentially threatening partnerships: the US-Japan alliance for Russia, and the Russia-China entente for Japan. After identifying the respective goals of Russia and Japan, the article examines the conditions that enable the success of wedge strategies. Looking at the case of Russia-Japan relations from 2012 to 2020, the article argues that a strategy constituted of a mix of positive economic and political incentives and a limited amount of coercion can succeed in producing a degree of dis-alignment in the opposing camp. Russia’s strategy seems to be more productive than Japan’s since Moscow has managed to minimize the effect of sanctions imposed by Japan and it has reduced political differences to mostly bilateral and regional issues. A greater level of cooperation with established partners for both Russia and Japan, and limited costs of wedging strategies, have resulted in dis-alignment but not a reversal of existing alignments. The article also indicates that in this case credibility issues do not fundamentally affect the degree of success of wedge strategies.

Hospitality training as a means of independence for young adults with learning disabilities

Hospitality training as a means of independence for young adults with learning disabilities

Adaptive evolution of synchronous egg-hatching in compensation for the loss of parental care.

Interactions among siblings are finely balanced between rivalry and cooperation, but the factors that tip the balance towards cooperation are incompletely understood. Previous observations of insect species suggest that (i) sibling cooperation is more likely when siblings hatch at the same time, and (ii) this is more common when parents provide little to no care. In this paper, we tested these ideas experimentally with the burying beetle, Nicrophorus vespilloides. Burying beetles convert the body of a small dead vertebrate into an edible nest for their larvae, and provision and guard their young after hatching. In our first experiment, we simulated synchronous or asynchronous hatching by adding larvae at different intervals to the carrion-breeding resource. We found that ‘synchronously’ hatched broods survived better than ‘asynchronously’ hatched broods, probably because ‘synchronous hatching’ generated larger teams of larvae, that together worked more effectively to penetrate the carrion nest and feed upon it. In our second experiment, we measured the synchronicity of hatching in experimental populations that had evolved for 22 generations without any post-hatching care, and control populations that had evolved in parallel with post-hatching care. We found that larvae were more likely to hatch earlier, and at the same time as their broodmates, in the experimental populations that evolved without post-hatching care. We suggest that synchronous hatching enables offspring to help each other when parents are not present to provide care. However, we also suggest that greater levels of cooperation among siblings cannot compensate fully for the loss of parental care.

Charismatic Movements, State Relations and Public Governance in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone has seen the rise of Charismatic movements that are bringing about greater levels of co-operation with the state. This new church development aims at renewing the Christian faith and projecting a more proactive role towards public governance. This ecclesial development shows that African Pentecostal/Charismatic theology appears to be moving away from the perceived isolationist theology that once separated the church from involvement with the rest of society. By reapplying the movement's eschatological beliefs, Charismatics are presenting themselves as moral crusaders who regard it as their responsibility to transform public governance. The article probes this relationship so that the Charismatic understanding of poverty, prosperity, good governance and socio-economic development in Sierra Leone can be more clearly established.

Inbreeding, but not seed availability, affects dispersal and reproductive success in a seed-inhabiting social beetle

Societies based on family groups have flexible social structures, where genetic relatedness and ecological or demographic factors exert pronounced influence on the social organization. Individual decisions that play an important role in determining the degree of cooperation and resulting social structure include whether to disperse from the natal patch, to breed within the group, or to help rear the young. We investigated individual decisions regarding dispersal and possible cooperation in offspring rearing using the date stone beetle, Coccotrypes dactyliperda (Scolytidae). In this species, cooperative breeding is suggested by the observation that genetically similar beetles share galleries in a single seed (stone) over several generations. We used beetles from two populations to create offspring of higher and lower relatedness, and provided them with high and low availability of date seeds as food and alternative breeding sites for dispersing individuals. We found that care of the eggs by adult females is obligate for offspring development. Seed availability did not affect individual behaviors, but dispersal of inbred beetles was lower compared to outbred individuals. Although the number of eggs did not differ between breeding treatments, more offspring were found in colonies of inbred females, indicating either a greater level of cooperation or reduced conflict in the inbred beetles. Taken together, these results emphasize the importance of relatedness among individuals in determining the social strategy and the potential reproductive output of a colony. The evolution of cooperative group living is often ascribed to two main factors: high relatedness, promoting indirect fitness benefits, and environmental constraints on dispersal. We investigated the influence of relatedness between individuals and food and breeding site availability in the habitat on individual decisions relating to dispersal and reproductive success in the date stone beetle, Coccotrypes dactyliperda. The beetles share galleries in the seed (stone), and several generations may occupy a single seed. We found more independent young and fewer dispersers in inbred colonies than in outbred colonies, but expected food availability (i.e., additional dates in the surroundings) had no influence on dispersal or reproductive success. We suggest that colony social organization in this species is strongly influenced by the level of relatedness among colony members.

Let Me Do it and I will Learn: Investigating Three Models of Student-Centred Learning

Three techniques that foster student-centred learning were trialed in Year 10 English and History classes at a small Queensland school. These included the Socratic Seminar, the Graffiti Model and the Pirozzo Matrix. It was found that each of these methods created discussion, involvement, cooperation and learning at many levels. Ideas were shared by students, all students became involved and differentiation of learning was made possible. Overall there was a greater level of cooperation within the class.

Eastphalia: building a security community in eastasia

Globalization has had a significant on the dynamics of trade. Moreover, these effects have also brought with it negative externalities that exacerbate a country’s propensity towards conflict. Countries today face new threats to security that were not included in a traditional security matrix: piracy, smuggling, transnational criminal organizations, cyber-attacks, terrorism, and ethnic/religious movements. Moreover, there are natural threats such as epidemics, climate change, and natural disasters. These threats all require greater cooperation among countries in a region. One mechanism that creates a pathway for a greater level of cooperation is through regional economic integration. The second half of the twentieth century was characterized by unprecedented progress towards global and regional integration. As a result regional institutions have been established to capture the network effect of economic integration as a means for greater cooperation on traditional and non-traditional security threats. Increasing economic interdependence, as a consequence of globalization, means that countries no longer find themselves in a zero-sum world. While much focus has been given to the link between economic interdependence and conflict, less has been given to the processes. The purpose of this paper is to explore the link between economic integration and conflict. Using intraregional trade share as a proxy measure for economic integration, regression analysis is conducted to examine this relationship among 31 countries in East and Southeast Asia. The quantitative analysis is followed by case study of ASEAN to lend support to the analysis and to explore the practicalities of building a security community in East Asia examining ASEAN’s capabilities for dealing with traditional security challenges, specifically, inter-state conflict.

Collaborative System Model for Dynamic Planning of Supply Chain

The business need to be structured as an integrated supply chain pushes companies to make use of a greater level of co-operation and coordination. As a means of coordination, negotiation has been chosen in this work. The object of this paper is to present formalism for negotiation in dynamic planning of a supply chain with the objective of maximizing the overall profit of each partner. To model the SC, we use the multi agent approach. Each enterprise is represented by its negotiator agent. The negotiations are formalized using UML language. The proposed negotiation process allows agents to develop a feasible production schedule.

Cooperation in the supply chain and lean production adoption

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the impact of the level of cooperation in the supply chain on lean production (LP) adoption. The effect of the level of cooperation with both suppliers and customers with regards to the intensity of LP adoption is examined, as is the joint effect of cooperation and information integration with customers.Design/methodology/approachAnalysis is carried out on a sample of 84 manufacturing plants that are first tier suppliers to original equipment manufacturers in the Spanish automotive industry. Data were gathered from plant CEOs via a combination of regular mail, e‐mail and internet‐based survey methods. Data are analyzed using exploratory factor analysis and hierarchical regression.FindingsThe results show that while greater levels of cooperation with suppliers do not impact on the intensity of LP adoption, greater levels of cooperation with customers do have a significant effect. Also, the greater the cooperation with customers and the more information integrated with them, the higher the intensity of LP adoption.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings stress the importance of having a holistic vision of the supply chain to explain the degree of LP adoption. Further developments include simultaneously studying the role of both information and physical flows along the supply chain in LP adoption, and analyzing the time lag that occurs between a company increasing cooperation with suppliers and customers, and progress being made in the intensity of LP adoption.Practical implicationsPractitioners must be mindful that a greater level of cooperation with customers creates a favourable environment for increasing the intensity of adoption of LP.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to research on the explanatory factors of LP adoption by adding new factors to explain it, including the level of cooperation between supply chain agents and the interaction of information integration and cooperation with customers.

International civil legal co-operation

1This article proposes that Commonwealth countries should work together to achieve a greater level of co-operation in resolving international civil disputes. The purpose is to facilitate international trade and development, to improve access to justice, and to simplify, expedite and reduce the costs of international litigation. Existing arrangements between Commonwealth countries are limited, complex, outdated and inefficient. This article proposes the development of a Commonwealth Scheme for Co-operation in International Civil Matters, a proposal which was accepted by Commonwealth law ministers at their meeting in Sydney, Australia in July 2011. 1This article is based on a paper presented at the Meeting of Commonwealth Law Ministers and Senior Officials in Sydney, Australia, 11–14 July 2011, at which the recommendation proposed in this article, that ministers request the Commonwealth Secretariat to develop a scheme for co-operation in civil matters, was adopted; Meeting of Commonwealth Law Ministers and Senior Officials ‘Final Communiqué’ (Sydney, Australia 11–14 July 2011) paras 14–16 <http://www.thecommonwealth.org/files/238332/FileName/2011CLMMFinalCommunique.pdf> accessed 5 August 2011.

Quality performance in a global supply chain: finding out the weak link

Much has been written on the intensive interconnection between supply chain management (SCM) and quality management (QM) with a particular focus on the systems-based view as the common thread between these two operation management topics. Absent in this debate has been any examination of the dynamics of SCM and QM practices and the resultant implications for the end customer in terms of product/service quality at a global level. In consequence, the nature and extent of their interconnection or interlinking and the resultant implications for the product/service quality has remained tangential. Using a qualitative study of two very large branded athletic and casual sports apparel and footwear manufacturers based in Asia with world-wide suppliers and distribution centres, this study aims to broaden the debate by arguing that partnering with suppliers of high QM capabilities in chains of relationships does not necessarily result in downstream benefits to both the manufacturer and end customers. We argue that both SCM and QM practices must advance from traditional firm-driven, fire fighting and product-focused mindsets to a more collaborative mode of inter-firm relations in that a much greater level of co-operation among both upstream and downstream chains is regarded as a key to competitive advantage.

Factors That Influence Police Conceptualizations of Girls Involved in Prostitution in Six U.S. Cities: Child Sexual Exploitation Victims or Delinquents?

This study examined how the police conceptualize juveniles involved in prostitution as victims of child sexual exploitation (CSE) or delinquents. Case files from six police agencies in major U.S. cities of 126 youth allegedly involved in prostitution, who were almost entirely girls, provided the data for this inquiry. This study found that 60% of youth in this sample were conceptualized as victims by the police and 40% as offenders. Logistic regression predicted the youths' culpability status as victims. The full model predicted 91% of youth's culpability status correctly and explained 67% of the variance in the youths' culpability status. The police considered youth with greater levels of cooperation, greater presence of identified exploiters, no prior record, and that came to their attention through a report more often as victims. In addition, the police may consider local youth more often as victims. It appears that the police use criminal charges as a paternalistic protective response to detain some of the youth treated as offenders, even though they considered these youth victims. Legislatively mandating this form of CSE as child abuse or adopting a ''secure care'' approach is needed to ensure these youth receive the necessary treatment and services.

Scaling-up using condominial technology

Unlike conventional sewerage, condominial sewers run at shallow depths within the household boundaries. Although they require greater levels of co-operation to install and maintain, they are much less expensive, and they are taking off in a big way in Latin American cities.

Molecular targets in melanoma: Strategies and challenges for diagnosis and therapy

In coming years, we expect rapid advances in cutaneous melanoma diagnosis and therapy, because of the incorporation of new technologies into experimental and clinical research. Major discoveries in melanoma are often made by investigators outside the field, and the melanoma research community will need to develop a better means of incorporating these advances into their work, to capitalize on the promise they hold for patients. A far greater level of cooperation between labs and clinics will be to bring new technology-based discoveries from bench-to-bedside and back. Metastatic melanoma should become a treatable disease in the next few years, because specific inhibitors are expected for most major targets. However, major challenges lie ahead in securing funding, building infrastructure and gaining expertise in new technologies. To meet these challenges, multidisciplinary collaborations will be required all the more.

Population Ecology, Nonlinear Dynamics, and Social Evolution. I. Associations among Nonrelatives

Using an individual-based and genetically explicit simulation model, we explore the evolution of sociality within a population-ecology and nonlinear-dynamics framework. Assuming that individual fitness is a unimodal function of group size and that cooperation may carry a relative fitness cost, we consider the evolution of one-generation breeding associations among nonrelatives. We explore how parameters such as the intrinsic rate of growth and group and global carrying capacities may influence social evolution and how social evolution may, in turn, influence and be influenced by emerging group-level and population-wide dynamics. We find that group living and cooperation evolve under a wide range of parameter values, even when cooperation is costly and the interactions can be defined as altruistic. Greater levels of cooperation, however, did evolve when cooperation carried a low or no relative fitness cost. Larger group carrying capacities allowed the evolution of larger groups but also resulted in lower cooperative tendencies. When the intrinsic rate of growth was not too small and control of the global population size was density dependent, the evolution of large cooperative tendencies resulted in dynamically unstable groups and populations. These results are consistent with the existence and typical group sizes of organisms ranging from the pleometrotic ants to the colonial birds and the global population outbreaks and crashes characteristic of organisms such as the migratory locusts and the tree-killing bark beetles.

Collaborative learning: A memorable model

Reform movements envision schools that will involve greater levels of cooperation and collaboration. Collaborative learning strategies provide a powerful mechanism not only to address affective goals in education but also to enhance students’ cognitive development; to deepen their understanding of concepts; and to press them to examine, articulate, and elaborate their ideas with greater clarity and rigor. Unless teachers have effective means to manage the complex problem solving involved in implementing collaborative learning strategies, the rich possibilities offered will not be realized. This paper proposes a five‐part conceptual framework to guide teachers decision making in order to capitalize on these powerful strategies. The framework incorporates a “G” mnemonic to make the elements memorable.