International Nature Research Articles

Neoliberalism, internationalisation and higher education: connections, contradictions and alternatives

ABSTRACTWe explore the role of neoliberalism within portrayals of internationalisation in higher education (HE). Through an analysis of four features of internationalisation, we suggest that they embody a complex entanglement of neoliberal categories and assumptions with other, primarily progressive humanitarian ideals. This framing of internationalisation has three affects. One, humanitarian ideals coupled with neoliberal categories normalise inequalities, turning internationalisation into a meritocratic global race, focusing on celebrating the possibility of the few who can achieve, instead of the embedded inequalities within the system, which disadvantage the many. Two, this allows neoliberal practices to be advanced through the discourse of internationalisation and its association with progressive humanitarian values. Three, this neoliberal framing does not explain the nature of internationalisation of HE in many nations; we demonstrate this by analysing internationalisation in China, Israel and Cuba. We suggest that internationalisation in HE cannot be adequately explained by analyses which rely on neoliberalism.

Baseball is Truly International

Baseball is Truly International James J. Donahue (bio) As a baseball fan who grew up in Brockton, Massachusetts—just over twenty miles directly south of Fenway Park—I have more than a few fond memories connected to the Boston Red Sox. There was the 2004 World Series sweep of the Cardinals to end “the curse”; the three subsequent World Series championships that killed that term forever; Pedro Martinez’s masterful performance in the 1999 All-Star game (and Tim Wakefield’s unfortunate stint on the bench ten years later); and Roger Clemens striking out twenty Mariners in nine innings. I was also deep in the right field stands on September 21, 2006, when David “Big Papi” Ortiz launched his fifty-first homerun of the season against Johan Santana, breaking Jimmy Foxx’s sixty-eight-year record. (I suspect we all thought it was hit straight at us, even though it landed several rows down from my location.) However, I have not lived in Massachusetts for twenty years, and have not lived in New England for thirteen years. And while my home in Potsdam, New York, isn’t terribly far from Boston—I last attended a game at Fenway in May 2019 with one of my best friends—my home on the border with Canada puts me much closer to another stadium, another team, and another wonderful baseball community: Ottawa and their former Can-Am League team the Champions. The team played in Raymond Chabot Grant Thorton (RCGT) Park. Over the past several years now, I have regularly made the short drive into Ottawa for a variety of reasons: wonderful people, fantastic food, a vibrant arts culture, and—until recently—live, professional baseball. Unfortunately, I need to use the past tense because the Champions are currently a team without a league. After the merger of the Can-Am and Frontier Leagues in 2020, Ottawa’s professional baseball team was not included on the new league’s 2020 schedule (and this was before the lockdowns related to COVID-19). However, baseball fans have long adopted the mentality that “there’s always next year,” and fans of Ottawa’s professional baseball team remain hopeful for a future that includes baseball. And just as importantly, Ottawa is a city that deserves a professional baseball team, in part because of [End Page 107] its history as a bi-lingual, multi-cultural national capital city whose team and whose fans have wholeheartedly adopted baseball’s international appeal. ________ Originally opened in 1993 as JetForm Park—home to the International League Ottawa Lynx—RCGT Park became the home to the Ottawa Champions in 2014, with the team debuting against the Sussex Country Miners on May 22, 2015. The Ottawa Lynx were a minor league affiliate of the Montréal Expos (1993–2002), the Baltimore Orioles (2003–2006), and the Philadelphia Phillies (2007). My first game was later that season, in the company of a woman who, having grown up a baseball fan in Ottawa, was more than happy to tell me about the park and the team, as well as instruct me on the finer points of keeping a baseball score sheet (and what makes for a well-designed sheet for keeping score). And while I only became marginally better at keeping a proper score sheet over the years, my appreciation for the Ottawa Champions as a microcosm of some of baseball’s better traits certainly grew over time. As an American watching my “national pastime” in a foreign (albeit very familiar) country, I was immediately reminded of baseball’s truly international nature. However, I’m not trying to suggest that Ottawa is alone in this regard. Professional baseball teams have long been home to players from throughout the Americas as well as several Asian and European nations. And in 2017, the South African middle infielder Mpho’ Gift Ngoepe became the first player from continental Africa to play in the MLB when he debuted for the Pittsburgh Pirates against the Chicago Cubs on April 26, 2017 (and recording his first hit against former Red Sox lefty Jon Lester). His MLB debut also coincided with Freedom Day, the South African holiday celebrating the 1994 election for which Black...

Specific Apparatus of Vatican Diplomacy – Charity Organisations

Throughout of its existence, the Catholic Church has always tried to protect the most vulnerable members of society. This is proven by the fact that even the earliest Church documents show how the new church tried to alleviate some acute social problems. The religious and secular legal regulations which govern the operations of Catholic charity organisations and the whole institutional structure of these bodies were created by a long historical process which led to the birth of the current web of multiple different Catholic charities. Furthermore, these institutions are not merely NGOs or humanitarian relief agencies. Instead their activities are based upon the activities of the Founder, Jesus of Nazareth, and upon the spirit of the Gospels. Catholic charitable actions are mainly motivated by theological concepts and the social teaching of the Church even if these activities are executed by formal institutions. The current Pope expects a more active participation of national and international Catholic charities in multiple areas like looking after the poor and the refugees and in the struggle for universal peace. International cooperation, partly because of the universal nature of the Church, is not an unknown concept for the Catholic Church. Therefore, its charities are willing to work with every national and international institution, including secular governments, which work to make life on Earth more bearable for mankind. Since many contemporary humanitarian catastrophes take place in war zones, Catholic charities must find acceptable ways of cooperation with the various armed forces operating in these territories. This paper demonstrates the legal framework governing the work of Caritas Internationalis, which is the official charity service of the Holy See and which also acts as an umbrella organization for the more than 160 national Catholic Caritas bodies. In this article I will only mention these national Caritas institutions and any other international NGOs if this is necessary for the better understanding of either the international nature or the international activities of Caritas Internationalis.

Re-Internationalization v/s Initial Internationalization: Comparison of Modes of Operations

Re-internationalization is defined as firms’ re-entry into international operations after they have abandoned all their previous internationalization efforts. In this paper, we report findings from a survey administered among senior-level managers of re-internationalized Indian firms where we studied the differences in firms’ choices in modes of operations during re-internationalization phase as compared to initial internationalization phase. The results from the survey indicated that firms tended to go for high involvement modes of operations during re-internationalization as compared to the relatively low involvement modes of operations undertaken during initial internationalization. This trend of going for higher involvement modes of operations was more visible in firms that had a presence in a relatively higher number of countries during the re-internationalization stage. This incremental nature of internationalization, i.e. going from initial low involvement modes of operations toward high involvement modes of operations as firms gained experience in both time and space from their initial through re-internationalization attempts, found support for the Uppsala model of internationalization. Being among the first studies on the topic, we expect this study to serve as a foundation for researchers to explore deeper related queries. This study also has meaningful practical and policy implications.

Дериваційні процеси як аспект формування термінологічного фонду медичної науки

The article is devoted to the specificity of the derivation in the field of medical terminology. Among the traditional methods of term formation, morphological (in particular its variants – affixation and composition of words and bases) is the most active. In terminological derivation in the field of clinical medicine, several trends have been identified, the main of which are: the formation of its own terminological fund of word-formation means, the close interaction of national and international components, the high degree of regularity in the formal-linguistic design, which is explained by the international nature of formants and their regular communication with a certain word-making way. Recently, more and more attention is paid to its own word-building resources. It is possible to predict that modern terminology in the field of clinical medicine will deepen this tendency by involving international elements in the creation of terms and using already used for the expansion of the terminological fund of medical science. It is important to study derivation in terms of structural standardization of terms. An analysis of word-formation meanings and their means of expression make it possible, in our opinion, to streamline and generalize the types of relationships that we observe in the terminology field “clinical terminology”. The study of the affixation of a fund of medical-clinical terminology has given grounds for arguing that suffixal and prefixal morphemes largely determine the specifics of clinical terminology, which enable a clear description of certain medical concepts, phenomena, and activity in the creation of new terms. This method provides the possibility of using the same type of word formation, which contributes to the structural systematization of the terminology system.

Ammonia migration from building materials to indoor air; technical, economical and environmental aspects

The state-of-the-art of the problem of the migration of ammonia from building materials into the air of residential premises is discussed in the article. The international nature of the problem of ammonia pollution of indoor air in residential and office buildings was shown in the literature review. A method for the photometric determination of the content of nitrogen-containing compounds in the form of ammonium nitrogen with Nessler's reagent in concrete was propesd by the authors. This technique allows to control the ammonia content at a safe level. Also the method of potentiometric determination of the content of nitrogen-containing compounds for the analysis of additives for concrete was implemented by the authors. This analysis method allows prevent the use of additives that can potentially serve as a source of ammonia emissions during the exploitation of building materials.

The U.S. Response to the 2016 Russian Election Meddling and the Evolving National Strategic Thought in Cyberspace (Part 2)

Given the technical, societal and international nature of cyberspace, national cybersecurity strategy formation demands a hybrid approach of homeland security and the more traditional national security processes. Moreover, as the series of the latest publicly known cyber incidents against the U.S.—the 2014 OMB espionage, the 2015 attack against Sony Pictures, the 2016 DNY attack or the Russian election hack and leaks—show, the dilemma of a proportionate response is a thorny technical, political and strategic task, while the need for a strategic level response is ever growing. Based on the analytical framework elaborated in the first part of this study series, the second part gives a strategic insight into the major determinants of the national response policy options to substantial cyberattacks against the U.S. The article also discusses wider strategic features pertaining to cyberspace, including strategic value of cyber weapons, threat perception, and national strategy cultures, which fundamentally impact cybersecurity and strategy formation.

TERRORIST INSECURITY IN MALI

Since 2008, the Republic of Mali has been suffering from insecurity due to risksposed by radical Islamic terrorists. Initially, the threat was concentrated in the northern territories by terrorist groups from the Magreb that were associated with insurgent Tuareg groups. Military combat operations succeeded in preventing the terrorists from advancing towards the south in 2013. In recent years, however,Islamic terroristshavebeen experimenting with new tactics to infiltrate the communities of central Mali;these threats have been more difficult to combat by military means alone. This article explores and characterizes terrorist insecurity in Mali and the actions taken between 2007 and 2019to reduce it. The methodology consists of the bibliographic, documentary and statistical analyses of published information sources. The conclusions highlight the international nature of the terrorist risk and the need to add, intensive policies to develop rural Mali areas and strengthen its Welfare State, to the military fight against terrorism.

Economic and Commercial Relations of the Prophet Muhammad with the Jews

Prophet Muhammad’s relations with the Jews began with Muslims’ migration to Medina (Hijra). The Prophet firstly signed the Constitution of Medina with all parties to establish social peace and the basis for living together. After the provision of social peace, the Prophet made many arrangements and activities to balance the economic conditions favoring the Jews against the Muslims and other Arab tribes. The social economy, which has been reshaped and balanced in line with the Prophet’s encouragement and recommendations, has been brought into an international nature with the inclusion of the other elements of the society in economic and commercial activities from being a closed Jewish monopoly. The economic and trade relations of the Prophet with the Jews have occurred in two ways, both individual and social. In the individual sense, he has directly engaged in trading and two-way loaning activities personally; in the social sense, he has made commercial, and agricultural arrangements with the Jews on behalf of the Muslims and the community. In this study, the economic and commercial relations that the Prophet had carried out with the Jews, especially during the Medina period, and the principles he introduced will be examined.

Referentes teóricos psicopedagógicos de la formación para el desarrollo de la carrera emprendedora

Con la intención de definir un marco teórico para promover un diseño formativo que motive el desarrollo profesional de personas emprendedoras, en este estudio se validan de los referentes teóricos psicopedagógicos de partida desde la perspectiva práctica. De acuerdo con ello, se presenta un meta-análisis de aportaciones de literatura que desde la perspectiva de 9 personas expertas con un perfil emprendedor consolidado han sido representativas en su actividad laboral. Concretamente, se llevó a cabo una revisión de 107 materiales aportados por el grupo de personas expertas en el ámbito de la orientación profesional para el emprendimiento. Una vez codificado y clasificado dicho material, se analizó en qué medida dichas contribuciones serían recomendables para personas emprendedoras consolidadas, en transición o potenciales, usando indicadores seleccionados intencionalmente según criterios estructurales representativos del estudio. El diseño metodológico planteado es mixto atendiendo a criterios e indicadores de análisis de naturaleza cuantitativa y cualitativa. Los resultados establecen que el mayor número de documentos utilizados proceden de artículos de revistas y de bases de datos como ISOC, Trobes Plus y Dialnet, fuentes por tanto de las que beben las personas expertas consideradas. Al mismo tiempo, se concluye que el mayor número de documentos destacados es de carácter internacional cuya metodología de investigación es de naturaleza cualitativa o mixta. El meta-análisis realizado fue indispensable como puente entre la investigación y el grupo de personas expertas en emprendedurismo, lo que ayudó a complementar y validar el marco teórico planteado, así como a detectar vacíos conceptuales integrando la práctica profesional, de utilidad en la investigación futura y entendido como paso sine qua non para que la investigación científica actual tenga un necesario impacto social.

The Virtual Container Yard: Identifying the Persuasive Factors in Container Interchange

The virtual container yard is an effective solution to the container inventory imbalance problem which is a global issue. It causes substantial cost to carriers which inadvertently adds to the prices of consumer goods. The virtual container yard is rooted in the fundamentals of container interchange between carriers. If carriers opt to interchange their excess containers with those who are deficit, a substantial part of the empty reposition cost could be eliminated. Unlike in other types of ships, cargo cannot be directly loaded to a container ship. Slots and containers are supplementary components; thus, without containers, a carrier cannot ship cargo if the containers are not available and vice versa. Few decades ago, carriers recognized slot (the unit of space in a container ship) interchange as a viable solution for the imbalance of shipping space. Carriers interchange slots among them and it also increases the advantage of scale of economies in container shipping. Some of these service agreements between mega carriers have provisions to interchange containers too. However, the interchange mechanism is still not popular among carriers for containers. This is the paradox that prevails in the liner shipping industry. At present, carriers re position their excess empty containers to areas where they are in demand. This research applied factor analysis statistical method. The paper reveals that five major components may influence the virtual container yard namely organization, practice and culture, legal and environment, international nature, and marketing. There are 12 variables that may impact the virtual container yard, and these are explained in the paper.

International Student Mobility in Israel

The government of Israel is seeking to double the number of incoming international students. This article outlines the antecedents of this policy and identifies issues that are emerging as the state seeks to broaden the nature and purposes of internationalization. It problematizes the policy and raises questions concerning the development of international student mobility in Israel.

Hyperpoliticised internationalisation in a pariah university: An Israeli institution in the occupied West Bank

Internationalisation in higher education is often portrayed as a value-neutral intervention driven predominantly by economic motives yet advocated and prescribed for humanitarian purposes. In this study we investigate how internationalisation takes shape in an institution which is characterised by political controversy that hinders and shapes its internationalisation efforts; we explore the rationales for and enactment of internationalisation at Ariel University (AU), Israel’s only university located in the West Bank, part of the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt). We challenge the dominant framing of internationalisation in higher education and shed light on the nature, purposes and forms of internationalisation.

Uma missão de estudos ao Uruguai: o debate estabelecido nos jornais Correio do Povo e A Federação

O objetivo deste artigo é investigar a Missão de Estudos enviada ao Uruguai no ano de 1913, sob a perspectiva dos discursos produzidos nos jornais A Federação, órgão oficial do governo e favorável a missão, e o Correio do Povo, periódico independente e contrário a esse ato das autoridades. Os dois periódicos estabeleceram um intenso debate em suas páginas sobre as vantagens ou não do envio de um grupo de professores ao Uruguai. Para tanto, foram realizadas pesquisas nas edições do ano de 1913 de ambos os jornais. Ao todo foram localizadas 43 reportagens, sendo 29 em A Federação e 14 no Correio do Povo. As análises permitiram evidenciar um conjunto de oito elementos que justificaram a escolha: (i) o grau de adiantamento da instrução pública do Rio Grande do Sul; (ii) a distinção do Uruguai, (iii) o caráter internacional, (iv) a localização geográfica do Uruguai, (v) a língua utilizada, (vi) o baixo custo financeiro da missão, (vii) as relações culturais, políticas e econômicas estabelecidas entre o Rio Grande do Sul e o Uruguai e (viii) a vigência de um modelo político partidário, tanto no Rio Grande do Sul como no Uruguai, estruturado no positivismo.

Structural and functional diversity of soft-bottom macrobenthic communities in the Southern North Sea

Our study presents a revision of the structural characteristics of the soft-bottom benthic communities in the Belgian Part of the North Sea (BPNS) and provides, for the first time, an insight into their functional characteristics. Compared to previous research, the dataset expanded considerably on a spatial and temporal scale (1994–2012). Five communities were identified, each with their own structural characteristics, indicator species, sediment properties and spatial distribution. The offshore area was dominated by the Hesionura elongata community (formerly Ophelia borealis), and although previously described by low diversity and abundance, this study shows that this community has the second highest sample diversity and moderate densities. Also, a new community, the Magelona-Ensis leei community, was found in very shallow water and characterized by low diversity and the dominance of the non-indigenous species E. leei. The structural characteristics and spatial distribution of the previously described Limecola balthica, Abra alba and Nephtys cirrosa community remained largely unchanged. Though structurally distinct, the communities overlap in some of their functional attributes. Analysis of biological traits revealed that in the coarser permeable sands, both the N. cirrosa and H. elongata community harbor more free living mobile individuals, causing diffusive mixing. The finer sand (A. alba, Magelona- Ensis leei) and muddy (L. balthica) communities hold more sessile, tube building and burrow dwelling species. Apart from diffusive mixing, sediment reworking in these finer sands occurs by surface deposition and downward convection. In combination with higher densities and biomass, this results in a higher bioturbation potential (BPc) for the Abra alba and Magelona-Ensis leei community. Finally, measures for functional diversity and redundancy were calculated, and were also highest in the Abra alba and Hesionura elongata community, thus demonstrating the importance of both communities for conservation purposes from a structural as well as a functional perspective. The analyses revealed that even in well-studied areas new data give new insights, with important consequences for management. Our study forms a benchmark for future ecosystem health status assessments in the framework of international and national nature management obligations such as the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the Habitats Directive and the Marine Spatial Planning Directive.

Market and nonmarket valuation of North Carolina's tundra swans among hunters, wildlife watchers, and the public

ABSTRACTWildlife‐related tourism represents an important and growing economic sector for many rural communities and may be inadequately considered during regional planning. Providing robust estimates of wildlife values can help address this challenge. We used both market and nonmarket valuation methods to estimate the value of tundra swans (Cygnus columbianus) in North Carolina, USA, and compared tundra swan values among hunters, wildlife watchers, and general public. Wildlife watchers reported the greatest willingness‐to‐pay (US$35.2/wildlife watcher/yr), followed by hunters (US$30.53/hunter/yr), and residents (US$16.27/resident/yr). We used the Impact Analysis for Planning system software to estimate market values or economic activity associated with tundra swans. Tundra swan hunters spent an average of US$408.34/hunter/year. Depending on assumptions over the substitutability of tundra swan hunting, we estimate that it generates value added of between US$306,155/year and US$920,161/year for the state economy. Wildlife watchers spent an average of US$171.25/wildlife watcher/year. We estimate that this generates value added of between US$14 million/year and US$42.9 million/year for the state economy, again depending on assumptions about whether watching tundra swans would be substituted with other leisure activities in eastern North Carolina or out‐of‐state. Compared with studies of international nature tourism, we found relatively low leakage rates (i.e., loss of economic benefits outside the study region), suggesting that enhancing opportunities for hunting and wildlife‐viewing may be an effective economic development strategy for rural areas in the United States. Presenting both market and nonmarket values provides a more complete picture of the value of wildlife and may facilitate more effective management decisions; therefore, we recommend that both market and nonmarket values be considered to optimize tradeoffs between development and wildlife recreation. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN FINANCIAL FRAUD INVESTIGATION

The aim of the article is to formulate theoretical principles and practical recommendations for the implementation of international cooperation in the investigation of financial fraud. The subject of the study is international cooperation in the investigation of financial fraud. Methodology. The research is based on the use of general scientific and special-scientific methods and techniques of scientific knowledge. The historical and legal method enabled to determine the preconditions for the origin of financial fraud as a crime of international nature, the establishment of the institute of international cooperation in criminal proceedings. The comparative legal method enabled to compare doctrinal approaches to the differentiation of tasks and forms of international cooperation in the investigation of financial fraud. The system-structural method enabled to determine the tasks of the pretrial investigation bodies in the investigation of financial fraud considering the functional aspect of the relevant bodies and individuals. The methods of grouping and classification were the basis for the author’s approach to the definition of features of financial fraud as a crime of an international nature. The technical legal method enabled to examine the state of affairs in the legal regulation of the application of international cooperation measures in the investigation of financial fraud at the international and national levels, to identify its shortcomings, which determine the problems of practical implementation, to develop recommendations aimed at their elimination. The results of the study revealed that improvement of the international cooperation in the investigation of financial fraud involves the use of new methods and means of investigation (legal proceedings within the framework of international legal assistance, joint investigation teams, etc.); working out effective interaction with the competent authorities of foreign countries and international organizations. It is important to conclude international cooperation agreements, including interagency agreements; to improve the national legislation to comply with the provisions of international law; to harmonize the legislation of Ukraine and European states. Practical implications. In the research, financial fraud is defined as a crime of an international nature; the problematic issues of its investigation are determined; features of international cooperation in the investigation of financial fraud; the areas of its efficiency improvement are suggested. Relevance/originality. The original author’s approach to the formulation of theoretical principles and practical recommendations for the implementation of international cooperation in the investigation of financial fraud is the foundation for the elaboration of the most promising areas for the development of national legislation and practical activities in this sphere.

Setting the "Gold Standard" in Blockchain

It gives me great pleasure to invite you to contribute to the inaugural edition of the JBBA - Journal of the British Blockchain Association. The JBBA is Europe’s first peer reviewed, academic journal devoted to Blockchain & other Distributed Ledger Technologies and Cryptocurrencies. Peer-review is a critical part of the functioning of the scientific community, of quality control, and the self-corrective nature of science, and our aim is to provide a journal which only publishes rigorously reviewed articles which enhance the body of knowledge growing around the Blockchain. The JBBA is an online, open access journal offering a wide ranging and comprehensive coverage of all facets of DLT/ Blockchain Technology and Cryptocurrencies. The JBBA attempts to cover the state-of-the-art advances in all aspects of Blockchain technology. The international and multidisciplinary nature of this field enables us to cover both theoretical research and technological developments. A high-quality peer-reviewed journal will enable authors to showcase their work, and at the same time, allow policy makers to build on an evidence-based framework. This will enable stakeholders to provide government with sound academic support for experimentation, proofs of concept and knowledge transfer. We aim to become the “Gold Standard” for the highest quality, evidence based, peer-reviewed resource on blockchain technology. We will publish: Original research (PhD thesis, Dissertations, Scientific Trials) Interviews with key influencers, Thought Leaders and Experts DLT/ Blockchain Start-ups/ ICO White Papers Case studies & Expert opinions Book reviews Critical reviews, Commentary and Analysis Editorial covering the latest important issues and trends

Validity of the listening module of international English language testing system: multiple sources of evidence

BackgroundA critical issue in International English Language Testing System (IELTS) lies in the significance of the validity of IELTS listening comprehension test (hereafter IELTS LCM). However IELTS listening validity has been investigated, it has not been investigated with reference to multiple sources of evidence regarding item internal factors. To bridge this gap, we investigated its construct validity with use of structural equation modelling (SEM) and assessed differential item functioning (DIF) through cognitive diagnostic modelling (CDM) and Mantel Haenszel (MH).MethodsIn this study, first, the participants signed a consent form for participation in the study; then, 480 participants were administered a proficiency test designed by the university of Cambridge; next, out of 480 participants, 463 participants were administered a 40-item IELTS LCT developed by the University of Cambridge. Finally, the data were analyzed with use of LISREL for probing the construct validity of the test; also, for detecting the potential DIF items, MH and CDM were used to make the results of DIF related findings more reliable.ResultsThe results of the first study confirmed an appropriate model fit, so that all four constructs, i.e., gap filling, diagram labelling, multiple choice and short answer on IELTS LCT, had a statistically significant contribution to IELTS LCT. However, construct-related evidence may not lead to the whole validity. This given, the second study examined the DIF items to argue the validity of IELTS LCT: MH detected 15 DIF items and CDM detected at least 6 DIF items and at most 12 DIF items.ConclusionsDue to its international nature and world-wide evaluative contribution, IELTS needs to have approximately (not absolutely) a stable factor structure, so that it should be invariant across populations and various cultures. More naturally, a test highly valid in one context might suffer from some degree of invalidity with some related constructs in another context. This in mind, our perspective in this research is not recommended to be taken as a one-size-fits-all model: Neither generalization nor claim is made based on the present study.

Competing teammates: food in New Zealand sports settings.

Despite the global popularity of sport, we know surprisingly little about food in sports settings. This two-phased study analysed the foods available in New Zealand sports settings. Phase one included a systematic literature review and 18 interviews with key informants from national and regional sporting organizations. Phase two involved 37 key informant interviews with stakeholders from two exemplar sports, rugby and netball and direct observations at netball and rugby venues. This study found most foods and beverages at New Zealand sports events were energy-dense and nutrient-poor. Caterers' control over food provision, socio-cultural attitudes which view unhealthy foods as normal, and a dominant profit motive, appear to be the key factors influencing the food environment in sports settings. Food environments in sport settings provide frequent opportunities to purchase and consume energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods. The research shows we have competing players in the sports context-unhealthy food and healthy physical activity. Achieving sustainable healthy change in sports settings will be challenging when the prevailing attitude normalizes the unhealthy environment. Nutrition policies in sports clubs are urgently needed to increase the availability of healthy food. This requires support from health agencies and leadership from national sports organizations. Given the international nature of the food industry and sport, these findings from New Zealand may assist other countries to better understand the nature of food in sport and adopt appropriate interventions to reduce the obesogenic environment that is sport.