Instrumental Value Research Articles

Voter attention and electoral accountability

What sorts of policy decisions do voters pay attention to, and why? And how does rational voter attention affect the behavior of politicians in office? We extend the Canes-Wrone et al. (2001) model of electoral accountability to allow the voter to choose when to pay costly attention to learn the consequences of the incumbent’s policy. We find that the voter will pay the most attention in close races, when the instrumental value of information about incumbent performance is greatest. When the voter’s cost of attention is ‘intermediate,” she will pay different levels of attention to different policies, and generally pay more attention to an unpopular policy than a popular one. This asymmetric attention can improve accountability by giving a moderately strong incumbent an opportunity to be “caught in the act of being good” after choosing an unpopular policy. However, it can also harm accountability by leading a moderately strong incumbent to categorically avoid the unpopular policy to evade voter scrutiny. This negative effect can be sufficiently strong to harm the voter’s overall welfare, providing a novel rationale for why subsidizing information about government performance may unintentionally harm voters. Finally, we find that rational voter attention can never induce “fake leadership,” i.e., a moderately weak incumbent choosing an unpopular policy precisely because it draws more scrutiny, hoping that the voter discovers an accidental policy success.

IMPROVEMENT OF METHODOLOGICAL PROVISION OF ECONOMIC EXPERTISE OF ACCOUNTING PROCEDURES REGARDING FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

The article is devoted to the generalization of approaches and key aspects of economic expertise of accounting, assessment and taxation of transactions with financial instruments. Based on expert practice, the questions that are most often put before experts by the bodies of preliminary investigation and the court during the investigation are summarized, and the methodology for solving questions of the correctness of financial instruments in the accounting by economic expertise is summarized. Methodical approaches to the economic expertise of accounting issues and valuation of financial instruments have been determined, including identification and generalization of typical offences, standardization of the tools for checking the reliability of accounting data, and methods of expert verification of indicators of the fair value of financial instruments in accounting. The peculiarities of the application of the specified methods in the practice of expert activity have been revealed, which will allow optimizing expert research and contribute to strengthening the reliability of the cost presentation of financial instruments in reporting. The methods for resolving the issues of the correctness of reflection in the accounting of financial instruments by forensic economic expertise were developed to cover and disclose the key aspects of the expertise of accounting, valuation, and taxation of transactions with financial instruments. It presents methodical approaches to the forensic economic expertise of accounting and valuation of financial instruments, including identification and generalization of typical offences, standardization of tools for verifying the accuracy of accounting data, and methods of expert verification of the fair value of financial instruments in accounting. Its application in the practice of expert activities will optimize expert research in this area and will help strengthen the reliability of the value of financial instruments in the reporting.

Global trends and impact of democratic recession: Hard choices for the Global South

ABSTRACT Globally, democratisation momentum has shown a decline in the last two decades. This article contributes to the existing knowledge on the significance of democracy noting its intrinsic, instrumental, and constructive value, and how democratic recession tends to negate these values. The article identifies deep-seated structural drivers and above-the-surface superstructural triggers of democratic recession, highlighting their trends, manifestations, and impact. It advances the discourse by arguing that, while democratic recession has a discernible global reach and impact, its profound salience in the Global South is its distinctive interface with the limits/inadequacy of liberal democracy in place. The article identifies two critical repercussions of the interface between democratic recession and the inadequacy of liberal democracy, namely a strained state-society social contract and enfeebled social cohesion. In redressing democratic recession, the Global South is confronted with hard choices either to maintain the status quo, reform or transform the liberal democratic model.

Production of Biofir Bottled Drinking Water in UD. Sumber Mubarokah Sidoarjo Perspective of Islamic Economic System

The research conducted aims to determine the production process of BIOFIR bottled water in UD. Sumber Mubarokah Sidoarjois reviewed from the principles of Islamic production and the implementation of the Islamic economic system regarding the basic and instrumental values of Islamic economics. Research methods used in research conducted on UD. Sumber Mubarokah Sidoarjo uses a descriptive qualitative approach with a type of case study research on objects. The data collection techniques are through interviews with informants, both in person and online media, direct observation at the informant's place, documentation in the form of photos related to drinking water production business activities carried out by UD. Sumber Mubarokah Sidoarjo as complementary evidence in the research, and triangulation of the methods used by researchers to unearth the truth of business owner informants. The results of the research obtained in this study are the production process of BIOFIR bottled drinking water at UD. Sumber Mubarokah Sidoarjohas been quite good and meets the provisions of production in an Islamic manner. Other results show that islamic principles of production have been applied and the basic and instrumental values of Islamic economics have been applied to the factors of production.
 
 Keywords: Production, Bottled Drinking Water and Islamic Economic System.

Algorithmic legitimacy in clinical decision-making

Machine learning algorithms are expected to improve referral decisions. In this article I discuss the legitimacy of deferring referral decisions in primary care to recommendations from such algorithms. The standard justification for introducing algorithmic decision procedures to make referral decisions is that they are more accurate than the available practitioners. The improvement in accuracy will ensure more efficient use of scarce health resources and improve patient care. In this article I introduce a proceduralist framework for discussing the legitimacy of algorithmic referral decisions and I argue that in the context of referral decisions the legitimacy of an algorithmic decision procedure can be fully accounted for in terms of the instrumental values of accuracy and fairness. I end by considering how my discussion of procedural algorithmic legitimacy relates to the debate on algorithmic fairness.

Evolution of the “American Dream” as a Value System and its Representation in Hollywood Movies

The “American dream” is a value system, which is the locomotive of the development of American society. It is one of the core elements of the American identity. The idea of the “American dream” presents the terminal values of equality, liberty, prosperity and happiness. Hard work, sacrifice, courage in the face of taking risks, diligence and the act of overcoming hardships are presented as instrumental values, which are required to achieve the terminal values mentioned above. The concept of the “American Dream” has evolved with the passage of time and faced different challenges, which resulted in a number of contradictions between the dream and the social reality. Hollywood movies are used as one of the tools to propagate the “American Dream” both inside of the United States and abroad. This article examines the representation of the terminal and instrumental values of the “American Dream” in Hollywood films (2018-2021) with anti-racist content, as well as films about family, the American Armed Forces, the US president, and the rule of law, through visual, verbal and audio means. Nevertheless, while the films communicate the same terminal and instrumental values, they also occasionally show the existing contradictions. Hard work does not always lead to achieving the "American dream". Even though the fight for equality is going strong, inequality still exists. Along with the rule of law, there are also manifestations of corruption. At the same time, the USA continues to be presented as a safe, powerful and wealthy country.

Influence of aerial and vacuum packaging on the quality and shelf life of beef treated with extra virgin olive oil

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of olive oil as a natural preservative and aerial and vacuum packaging on the quality and shelf life of raw beef. Meat samples were divided into four treatments i.e. T0= with 1% olive oil and aerial packaged, T1= without olive oil and aerial packaged, T2 = with 1% olive oil and vacuum packaged and T3 = without olive oil and vacuum packaged. All samples were kept at refrigerated temperature. Days of interval were 0, 5, 10 and 15. The samples were tested for sensory properties (color, flavor, tenderness, juiciness and overall acceptability), physicochemical characteristics (water holding capacity, cooking loss, pH); biochemical properties (TBARS), and microbiological counts (TVC, TCC and TYMC). During the whole storage process, the sensory and instrumental color value were considerably higher (P<0.05) in T0 and T2 treatments. WHC in treatment T2 was higher, CL was lower in T0 treatment and pH in treatment of T0, T1 were considerably higher (P<0.05) than in the T2 and T3 group. The values of TBARS, viable count, coliform count, and yeast-mold count were significantly lower in T0 and T2 group. Based on the findings of this study, it is possible to conclude that olive oil treated beef in aerial and vacuum packaging storage technique can be used in the future for meat preservation, providing antioxidant and antimicrobial agents as a value addition by inhibiting lipid oxidation and extending the shelf life of beef.

Rationalization of Action in Education Investment Decisions: Parents' Perceptions

This research aims to see how the rationality of parents towards their decision to act in improving the quality of human resources owned by children through education. This is due to the problems that arise from various theoretical studies on "Is the decision taken by parents in sending their children to school a rational action or is it only limited to the fulfillment of educational policies that have been made by the government in supporting the improvement of the quality of human resources through education?". Therefore, to answer the problems and objectives of this study, the researchers used a type of quantitative research with correlation and regression test methods. The research data was collected using a 7-point scale research instrument distributed through an online survey, and the data obtained was 185 respondents. The population and sample in the study were parents of students in class XII, Malang, East Java. The results of the study revealed that instrumental action rationalization and value action rationalization were able to significantly influence parents' decisions in investing in education. The hope of this research is more emphasized on the ability of parents to think rationally when making decisions to invest in children's education, especially on rational analysis of costs and benefits, and avoiding implicit or emotional decisions. Therefore, further research is needed on how parents respond to the decision to invest in education when viewed from other factors, both from internal parents and external factors from parents.

Diverse values of nature shape human connection to dryland landscapes in Spain

Understanding the nature's values and landscape preferences that determine the connection between people and nature may provide key insights to unravel some of the major sustainability challenges. However, knowledge of such factors, how they vary across landscapes, or whether they reflect more fundamental causes of (dis)connection from nature is still scarce. In this study, we focused on Spanish drylands, which are frequently undervalued by the local population and impacted by land degradation processes but provide important contributions to sustaining human well-being. We developed a methodological approach for understanding human-nature connectedness across ten representative landscapes of Spanish drylands. We carried out 191 face-to-face surveys to assess how people prefer different landscapes and identify which type of nature's value explain landscape preferences. The findings showed that specific landscapes were preferred differently by the public these preferences were supported by diverse values of nature. For instance, greenhouses were chosen as non-preferred landscape by locals, while protected littoral and desert were identified as the most preferred landscapes. Instrumental value was mainly assigned to greenhouses mostly based on the economic profits they provide, while other preferred landscapes such as traditional agricultural and high mountains were mostly related to relational value. Results show how the understanding of human-landscape connections can help to guide future conservation efforts as well as to foster conservation behavior.

Metrology infrastructure for radon metrology at the environmental level

Since 2020 a large consortium has been engaged in the project EMPIR 19ENV01 traceRadon to develop the missing traceability chains to improve the sensor networks in climate observation and radiation protection. This paper presents results in the areas of: Novel 226Ra standard sources with continuous controlled 222Rn emanation rate, radon chambers aimed to create a reference radon atmosphere and a reference field for radon flux monitoring. The major challenge lies in the low activity concentrations of radon in outdoor air from 1 Bq∙m-3 to 100 Bq∙m-3, where below 100 Bq∙m-3 there is currently no metrological traceability at all. Thus, measured values of different instruments operated at different locations cannot be compared with respect to their results. Whin this paper, new infrastructure is presented, capable of filling this gap in traceability. The achieved results make new calibration services, far beyond the state of art, possible.

Cognitive engagement with AI‐enabled technologies and value creation in healthcare

AbstractDespite the potential for artificial intelligence (AI)‐enabled technologies in healthcare, their benefits are limited owing to the numerous challenges of cognitive engagement. This research paper explores the factors of “cognitive engagement with AI‐enabled technologies” and its impact on the customers' benefits and value creation. A mixed‐method study was utilized in the Indian health‐care setup where AI‐based technology is developing. The qualitative findings shed light on the factors of cognitive engagement with AI‐enabled technologies. Grounded on the theories of customer benefit, an integrative framework of customer‐perceived financial, experiential, psychological, and functional benefits, alongside perceived instrumental and terminal values, was developed. The quantitative findings of PLS‐SEM explain the dynamics of the patients' cognitive engagement with AI‐enabled technologies. The results enrich a more nuanced understanding of how the patient benefits of AI applications have different impacts on perceived value. The study concludes with theoretical and practical implications.

The different values of nature: a comparison between university students’ perceptions of nature’s instrumental, intrinsic and relational values

Human–nature relationships are in a critical state, characterized by increasing environmental problems caused by humans. Thus, it is essential to know how to motivate people for environmental protection. Motivation can arise from intrinsic, instrumental or relational perceptions of why nature is valuable. The present study investigates empirically how university students differ in their view of nature’s value. For this purpose, students from 13 different majors across Germany as well as students engaged in the environmental protection organization Health-for-Future (HfF) were surveyed via an online survey (N = 1885). The majors were divided into four thematic groups (environmental, people-aligned, structures-exploring as well as economics and political science). While all groups showed high levels of agreement with intrinsic and instrumental values, the groups differed strongly in their relational perception of nature. Environmental disciplines were characterized by a stronger relational view, followed by people-aligned disciplines, while disciplines not directly associated with either people or nature agreed less with relational and also intrinsic values. HfF as a conservation organization showed the highest level of agreement in all three value components. Further we found that gender plays a role in value perception, with women holding stronger intrinsic and relational values than men. The study concludes that among students in Germany, regardless of major, there is a pluralistic understanding of values: ecosystem services (instrumental values) and the intrinsic value of nature are both appreciated, whereas relational values appear to be more group specific. Since students will be future decision-makers of society, relational values have special significance for the understanding of conservation.

Identifying Public Value of Zakat Management Organizations: A Review of Muzaki's Perception

Zakat gain in Indonesia as the largest Muslim country in the world has not been compatible to its potential. The issuance of Law Number 23 of 2011 about Zakat management is the manifestation of Government’s attention to an attempt of maximizing zakat management. This study aims to analyze the public value of Zakat Managing Organization (Indonesian: Organisasi Pengelola Zakat or OPZ) viewed from muzaki’s perspective. The research method used was mix methods by analyzing the vision and mission of zakat managing organization and interviewing the zakat institution organizer, and using face-to-face questionnaire distributed to muzakis. The result of the research shows that there are some values identified for zakat managing organization: trustability (amanah), accountability, transparency, and synergy. Trust or trustability is intrinsic value, while accountability, transparency, and synergy are instrumental values. The identified indicator of both intrinsic and instrumental values can be the basis for OPZ to consider muzakis’ need to maximize zakat management.

Students' Perception of the Enforcement Model Approach Towards Radicalism Movement In Malaysia Higher Learning Institutions (HLI's)

Radicalism among undergraduates in a higher learning institution (is an HLI's) thing that is already synonymous in most countries of the world, especially in developing nations. The radicalism brought about by the student movement is not triggered, but it is often influenced by the issue of statehood which is a factor in social change and the formation of community values. The student body movement has enormous potential to influence and shape the country's political landscape as it also indirectly acts as most people's voice. However, the involvement of students in higher learning institutions (HLI's) in Malaysia is now not as intense and aggressive as in the foreign context. Based on scientific studies, student participation in Malaysia is deficient and deteriorating through their involvement in partisan politics, especially in the early 20th century. In other words, the students lack awareness and concern about the current political issues and problems around them. The function of students once upon a time as community spokespeople are now eroding in Malaysia. Now, students are no longer agents of change, not anymore voicing public groans, and not thus far sensitive to issues outside the campus. The enforcement of the University College University Act (AUKU) 1971 in Malaysia, which prohibits students from engaging in politics for five decades, has caused some passivity and paralysis in the students' interest in political activities. Therefore, this study focuses on three (3) primary objectives. First, to identify the development of radicalism among students in three HLI's in Malaysia. Second, to analyze the Student's perception and satisfaction with the enforcement model of the University College University Act (AUKU) 1971. Thirdly, is to develop a resiliencemodel in preventing radicalism in a more student-friendly scenario that does not constrain students' rights in Malaysia, like the Universities and University Colleges Act (AUKU), by benchmarking the good practices in Indonesia's Higher Learning Institution (HLI's) using the Altbach's theoretical framework. Thus, this study uses quantitative methods to analyze the questionnaire accurately. Three HLI's – UTM, UKM and UM are involved in this study and selected according to the required elements. The findings showed that the reliability value of the study instrument was α = 0.906. The questionnaire data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 20.0. The study found that students' perception of the AUKU enforcement model was poorly satisfactory and required a review. Although the enforcement of AUKU aimed at ensuring harmony in creating a conducive campus learning environment, its more worrying adverse effects must be overcome as universities function not to be controlled factories but also as repositories and generators of knowledge for producing great and intellectual national leaders regardless of their calibre and performance.

Telepresence in live-stream shopping: An experimental study comparing Instagram and the metaverse

Advances in digital platforms allow influencers to use live shows to showcase products, which has given rise to live-stream shopping. Moreover, new communication forms have emerged, such as the metaverse. The social interactions that occur in these immersive environments foster influencer-follower interactions. This research compares the impact of live-stream shopping on followers’ experiences and behaviors on two communication channels (live shows on Instagram and in the metaverse) and analyses the moderating role of content involvement in telepresence. Data were collected in a between-subjects quasi-field experiment. Two scenarios that differed in degree of telepresence were created, a live show on Instagram and a live show in the metaverse. The results showed that telepresence is an important part of the user experience and in the success of live shows. Telepresence was seen to have a major influence on experiential value, but not on instrumental value. Both values provided followers with satisfaction with the experience. This satisfaction generated stickiness intention and intention to recommend the influencers’ live shows. The effect of telepresence on experiential value was greater for followers less involved with the influencer’s content. This research is pioneering in comparing an established platform, Instagram, with the metaverse. Despite the greater experiential value provided by the metaverse, to increase its instrumental value metaverse spaces needs to be further developed.

Valuing beaches for beauty and recreation only? Uncovering perception bias through a hashtag analysis

Sandy beaches are ecosystems that hold great economic value at local, national, and international level. However, their perception as social-ecological systems is often limited by users and managers to the recreational asset, and their perception of “beauty”. Such a perception bias can hamper conservation management, negatively impact the biodiversity on sandy beaches and even threaten the ecosystem services they provide. To survey this perception bias, we applied the method of netnography to analyse Instagram posts with the hashtag #sandybeach, extracting perceptions and values for nature (intrinsic, instrumental, and relational) towards sandy beaches and their ecological features. We used the concept of littoral active zone (LAZ) to define the boundaries of this social-ecological system that spans the land and the sea. Our results show that Instagram users focus on their social media mainly on the recreational values of sandy beaches and prioritise ecological features fitting into an imaginary of a “pristine” beach, characterised by white sand and clear water – therewith supporting the hypothesis about a perception bias on sandy beaches. We identified a diverse set of relational values, especially around recreation and aesthetics, with a very marginal number of posts mentioning intrinsic or instrumental values. A recurring activity on LAZ was surfing, which emphasises the LAZ (wave break point, surf zone). To conserve the biodiversity and ecosystem services of sandy beaches, we see it as necessary to move away from a biased and narrow perception to one that, based on the LAZ as a system, is capable of including a diversity of biogeographical and ecological features, and the natural processes that maintain them.

The Macroeconomic Implications of Subprime Crisis

Finance is partly international since financial assets have such high liquidity. Many factors, including national financial institutions, financial markets, financial products, and others, contributed to the financial crisis. People's expectations for the future of the economy are pessimistic, the currency of the region has produced a sizeable budget, the scale and aggregate of the economy have been significantly reduced, domestic economic growth has been severely harmed, and many businesses have closed, driving up the unemployment rate. Moreover, there is some social unrest and political unrest along with a general decline in the social economy. On August 9, 2007, the global financial crisis, also known as the credit crisis and lasting from 2007 to 2009, began. After the early subprime home credit crisis arose, investors began to lose trust in the value of mortgage instruments, which caused a liquidity crisis. Despite continuously pumping large amounts of money into the financial system, the central banks of multiple different countries were unable to halt the financial crisis from beginning. The financial crisis had been under control up until September 9, 2008, but it had begun to spin out of control, leading to the failure of numerous significant financial institutions or government takeover.

Beyond Biodiversity: Eliciting Diverse Values of Urban Green Spaces in Flanders

Nature-based solutions are claimed to offer an effective approach to tackle societal challenges and promote biodiversity. While research has mainly focused on biodiversity and material ecosystem services, non-material contributions and relational values of urban green spaces remain underexplored. How to balance the benefits of nature, well-being, and relational values in their design and performance evaluation remains unclear. To elicit the values expressed in public communication regarding the benefits of urban nature projects in Flanders, three online repositories that feature diverse nature-based solutions projects in the region were chosen. Using coding and quantitative content analysis of standardized descriptions from these repositories, this study found that relational values were most abundant (55%), followed by instrumental values (30%) and intrinsic values (15%), consistently so over socio-demographic and physical contexts. It was also discovered that larger projects have a higher level of multifunctionality, which is calculated based on the variety of values and value dimensions expressed, and that participation—although considered key—rarely reports on inclusivity. The findings suggest that in Flanders, a greater emphasis is placed on relational values associated with urban nature. A broader value scope for the design, management, and evaluation of urban green spaces tailored to the local context is recommended.

The value of creativity: A scoping review

Growing rhetoric from industry-based white papers and global reports states that creativity is a vital skill for the future of work. However, despite centuries of study and debate, there remains a lack of consensus on the exact nature of the value of creativity. This scoping review followed the PRISMA-ScR guidelines with the objective of reviewing and describing the literature since 1980 to find a consensus description of the value of creativity. This review identifies a three-factor typology comprising extrinsic, instrumental, and intrinsic-inherent value as value construct propositions. The synthesis of the reviewed literature (N = 86), including a high Cohen's Kappa for interrater agreement on the articles (κ = 0.993), found that the value of creativity is predominantly instrumental and functions as a tool for achieving both extrinsic and intrinsic-inherent outcomes. This review sharpens the understanding of creativity, primarily in the subject matter area of business and workforce, by creating a value-informed basis that may be valuable for practitioners, scholars, and policymakers responsible for bolstering the rationale for a renewed focus on creativity as a vital 21st Century skill. Future research and limitations are discussed.

Uncover the veil of power: The determining effect of subordinates’ instrumental value on leaders’ power-induced behaviors

Uncover the veil of power: The determining effect of subordinates’ instrumental value on leaders’ power-induced behaviors