Multidimensional Conceptual Framework Research Articles

What factors determine innovation performance in emerging economies? Evidence from China

Although the literatures on international trade, FDI and R&D have assisted significantly in improving our understanding regarding the determinants of innovation performance, there has been little research concerning the way in which each informs the other. Integrating theoretical developments from all three literatures, we propose and test a multidimensional conceptual framework that allows us to explain more fully what determines innovation performance in emerging economies. Testing the framework against a recently constructed industry-level dataset for China, the empirical analysis indicates that it has significant power in explaining variations in innovation performance. Nevertheless, our findings also show that factors such as international trade, FDI and R&D do not always have positive consequences. Rather, they indicate that their effects are moderated by technological opportunities and the level of foreign presence, implying that previous mixed findings regarding the role of international trade, FDI and R&D may be the result of incomplete theorizing about the factors that moderate the relationship between innovation performance and these factors.

Party politics and democratization in Indonesia: Golkar in the post-Suharto era

Party Politics and Democratization in Indonesia: Golkar in the post-Suharto era provides the first in-depth analysis of contemporary Indonesian party politics and the first systematic explanation why Golkar is still the strongest party in Indonesia. Applying a multidimensional conceptual framework of party institutionalization theory, the book examines Golkar’s organizational infrastructure, its decisional autonomy and programmatic platform as well as the party’s relations to the mass media. Strengths and weaknesses in the individual dimensions of institutionalization are then contrasted with the corresponding levels of institutionalization reached by Indonesia’s other major parties. Tomsa argues that Golkar remains Indonesia’s strongest party because it is better institutionalized than its electoral competitors. However, while highlighting the former regime party’s strengths in key aspects of party institutionalization, he also shows that Golkar also has some considerable institutional weaknesses which in 2004 prevented the party from achieving an even better result in the general election. Published less than a year before Indonesia's next parliamentary election in April 2009, this timely study will be of huge interest to students and scholars of Southeast Asian politics, political parties and elections, and comparative democratization theory.

A multidimensional conceptual framework for analysing public involvement in health services research.

To describe the development of a multidimensional conceptual framework capable of drawing out the implications for policy and practice of what is known about public involvement in research agenda setting. Public involvement in research is growing in western and developing countries. There is a need to learn from collective experience and a diverse literature of research, policy documents and reflective reports. Systematic searches of research literature, policy and lay networks identified reports of public involvement in research agenda setting. Framework analysis, previously described for primary research, was used to develop the framework, which was then applied to reports of public involvement in order to analyse and compare these. The conceptual framework takes into account the people involved; the people initiating the involvement; the degree of public involvement; the forum for exchange; and methods used for decision making. It also considers context (in terms of the research focus and the historical, geographical or institutional setting), and theoretical basis. The framework facilitates learning across diverse experiences, whether reported in policy documents, reflections or formal research, to generate a policy- and practice-relevant overview. A further advantage is that it identifies gaps in the literature which need to be filled in order to inform future research about public involvement.

Determinants of performance of police organisations in the state of Florida: an evidence-based confirmatory approach

To date, police organisations have not been rigorously analysed by organisational scholars and most analysis of these organisations has been captured through a single construct. The purpose of this study is to develop confirmatory police organisational analysis by validating a multidimensional conceptual framework that explains the relationships among three constructs: environmental constraints, the design structures of police organisations and organisational performance indicators. A total of 113 local police organisations from the State of Florida are included in this non-experimental, cross-sectional study to determine the direct effect of the environmental constraints on the structure and performance of police organisations. For the first time, Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) are used together to confirm the effects of the environment on police organisation structure and performance. The study methodology and results enhance the understanding of the relationship among the constructs while subjecting environmental and police organisational data to two comprehensive analytical techniques. The policy implications and practical contributions of this study provide new knowledge and information to organisational management of police organisations, and this study establishes a new approach to police organisational analysis called Police Services Management Research (PSMR) that encompasses a variety of disciplines with a primary responsibility of theory building and the selection of theoretical framework.

Assessing the Capacity of Pension Institutions to Build and Sustain Trust: A Multidimensional Conceptual Framework

As policy makers have sought to reconfigure the public–private boundaries of their pension systems, trust has become an increasingly salient issue. At stake is the attainment of desired policy outcomes regarding retirement. By what criteria, then, should the capacity of pension institutions to build and sustain trust be assessed? This article emphasises the strategic importance of institutional design in the trust process. Building on Sztompka's seminal analysis of the institutional foundations of trust, and a substantial review of the literature and survey evidence regarding public confidence in pensions, we identify, justify and give indicative operational content to six trust benchmarks. This provides a conceptual foundation for future empirical research on the capacity of pension institutions to build and sustain trust.

Exploring the roles and contributions of industrial psychologists in South Africa against a multi-dimensional conceptual framework (part 2)

The study was undertaken to explore the professional roles and contributions of industrial psychologists in South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among 23 registered psychologists to gain their views on the roles and contributions within each of the dimensions of a conceptual framework of organisational success developed earlier. A process of analytical induction, supported by thematic content analysis, revealed a range of generic roles yet specific industrial psychological contributions. The implications of the findings for the development of academic curricula, the establishment of clarity among industrial psychologists and the fostering of awareness in organisations regarding the value of these professionals are discussed.

Equality: Putting the Theory into Action

We outline our central reasons for pursuing the project of equality studies and some of the thinking we have done within an equality studies framework. We try to show that a multi-dimensional conceptual framework, applied to a set of key social contexts and articulating the concerns of subordinate social groups, can be a fruitful way of putting the idea of equality into practice. Finally, we address some central questions about how to bring about egalitarian social change.

Adaptive value of participatory biodiversity monitoring in community forestry

In the context of action research in community forests, stakeholders' values for biodiversity can be elicited, communicated and understood with the help of a multidimensional conceptual framework. This incorporates levels of diversity (genes, species, habitats and processes), types of values (direct use, indirect use, option and existence) and stakeholders. This paper explores the effect of using this framework on forest monitoring, learning and communication, and wider implications for conservation, in Baglung District (Nepal). Monitoring was initially an unfamiliar concept to villagers, but the process clarified its purpose, whilst helping to elicit and exchange values and knowledge amongst stakeholders. This precipitated proposals for silvicultural experimentation and social inquiry into the diversity of users' needs. The framework allowed the translation of local value statements into categories recognized by other actors. It aided external stakeholders in understanding the factors contributing to values held by community forest users. Villagers' appreciation of ‘quality’ forest did not necessarily equate to the most ‘biodiverse’ forest, but rather the greenest and densest and that stocked with useful species. Elite domination, tenure and access to markets affected values assigned and behaviour in forest management. Elicitation of these values provoked questioning of forest management decisions and benefit sharing among community forest users. This, in turn, stimulated more democratic forest management and more inclusive, wide-ranging biodiversity values. Participatory monitoring is more conceptually challenging than is usually recognized, and the links between equity and conservation merit further attention in different cultural contexts.

A multidimensional conceptual framework for understanding HIV/AIDS as a chronic long-term illness.

New treatment advances have radically altered the course of HIV illness and created new challenges for HIV-affected individuals, families, and communities. This article provides a conceptual framework for understanding HIV in the multiple contexts of the client's culture, strengths, life course, and biomedical progression. The article concludes with a discussion of HIV prevention and treatment adherence as key focal points for social workers and their clients.

Exploring the cultural context of tobacco use: a transdisciplinary framework.

Understanding culture is an essential key to reducing tobacco use. Conceptualizations of culture vary across scientific disciplines and theoretical orientations. Because of the complexity of the causes and effects of tobacco use, no single discipline has sufficient capacity to undertake a comprehensive approach to studying culture and tobacco. Transdisciplinary research offers a means of bridging disciplinary perspectives. This paper reviews epidemiological data on observed variation in smoking patterns across national groups, ethnicities and genders, and presents reasons for studying culture in tobacco control research. We discuss and contrast conceptualizations and specific definitions of culture and identify aspects of each conceptualization that are relevant to research on tobacco. We present a multilevel, multidimensional conceptual framework for transdisciplinary research teams to use to think together about the influence of culture on tobacco and of tobacco on culture. The framework challenges researchers to think about how the sociocultural context influences tobacco use at micro, meso, and macro levels. Finally, we offer suggestions for improving transdisciplinary research on culture and tobacco.

GIS Use in Community Planning: A Multidimensional Analysis of Empowerment

A growing body of research examining the social and political implications of geographic information systems (GIS) considers the extent to which the use of this technology may empower or disempower different actors and institutions. However, these studies have tended not to articulate a clear conceptualization of empowerment. Thus, in this paper, I develop a multidimensional conceptual framework for assessing empowerment (and disempowerment), and employ it in examining the impacts of GIS use by community-based organizations engaged in urban planning and neighborhood revitalization. Drawing on a case study conducted with a Minneapolis, Minnesota, neighborhood organization, I show how this multidimensional framework fosters a more complete analysis of empowerment, and therefore, development of a more detailed explanation of the impacts of this new technology.

Dimensions of Scientific Law

Biological knowledge does not fit the image of science that philosophers have developed. Many argue that biology has no laws. Here I criticize standard normative accounts of law and defend an alternative, pragmatic approach. I argue that a multidimensional conceptual framework should replace the standard dichotomous law/accident distinction in order to display important differences in the kinds of causal structure found in nature and the corresponding scientific representations of those structures. To this end I explore the dimensions of stability, strength, and degree of abstraction that characterize the variety of scientific knowledge claims found in biology and other sciences.

Aging and male sexuality

Awareness of the importance of sexuality and its disorders in the aging population is increasing as the proportion of older people grows. Based in part on the author's clinical experience and research at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, this book presents an up-to-date overview of the sexuality of aging men in health and illness, within a multidimensional conceptual framework, and taking account of physiological, psychological, interpersonal and social influences. Also discussed are the impact of medical illness, psychopathology and drugs, with a review of coping strategies in shaping individual sexual responses to aging and disease. Many case studies and vignettes are incorporated, and a chapter is devoted to the sexuality of older gay men. A balanced account of medical and psychosocial evaluation and treatment concludes the book, which will be of broad interest to clinicians and students interested in sexuality and aging.

Breast Self-Examination by Young Women: I. Characteristics Associated with Frequency

Studying a stratified random sample of university women (n = 869) we investigated the correlates of proficiency (i.e., the correctness or competence) of breast self-examination (BSE). A 19-item BSE quality index score was developed based on the recommended steps a woman should perform when doing the exam in the three BSE positions. A comprehensive set of independent variables including knowledge, attitudes and perceptions, personal characteristics, and environmental factors were studied. While proficiency scores for both undergraduates and graduates were relatively low, the mean score for graduates was significantly higher than for undergraduates. This study corroborates the few recent studies that indicate that frequency of performance is not highly correlated with proficiency (relationships were r = .14 and .04, respectively, for undergraduate and graduate women). Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses demonstrate that the relevance of such factors varies by age (undergraduate and graduate). Results of the regression model indicate that the skill knowledge variable regarding time of month BSE should be performed, awareness of BSE, perceived effect of cancer detection, and perceived benefit of BSE were predictors of more proficient practice for undergraduates. Knowledge of time of month to do BSE and mammogram as a detection technology and discussion of BSE with others were important for graduate women. The independent variables examined accounted for 22 percent and 30 percent of the variance, respectively, for undergraduate and graduate women.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The role of science in technology transfer

The discussion begins by listing three meanings of technology transfer (TT), involving importation of technological products (TTA), the ability to imitatively produce technological products (TTB), and the ability to create new technology (TTC). This is followed by an investigation of the relationship between science and technology, using a multidimensional conceptual framework in which one cannot ask “What is the cause of something else?”, but in which one can trace the contributory and the necessary conditions for something to take place. In this light it is shown that in modern times science is a necessary condition for technology and vice versa, the links being of a variety of sorts, partly epistemological, partly attitudinal, partly infrastructural. The discussion then turns to technological development, and four stages of that are distinguished: stage 1 rests on traditional trial-and-error-based technology, stage 2 on imitative low-level technology locally performed, stage 3 on imitative high-level technology locally produced, and stage 4 on the creation of novel technology. An anomalous stage involving small oil-rich countries is also mentioned. The role of science in each of these four stages is complex, involving both production and importation of technology, forming both direct and indirect links, having both simultaneous and delayed impacts, and acting also though attitudinal influences. Combining the previous conclusions it is then found that science has an essential role in all three meanings of technology transfer. It is, consequently, urged that organizations for international scientific and technological assistance and cooperation take a broad view and orient their activities to deal with the whole interlocking and interwoven complex of science and technology in the Third World.