Mutual Goals Research Articles

Accountability System, Academic Autonomy, and Freedom of Academia Versus Pathways to Educational Excellence in Hawassa University, Ethiopia

The study examined integrated effects of implementation of accountability system, institutional autonomy, and academic freedom of academia versus pathways to educational (professional, leadership and pedagogical) excellence in Hawassa University. The study answered the central research question: “What do the effects of implementation of accountability, academic autonomy and freedom of academia versus professional, leadership and pedagogical excellences look-like?” The study employed mixed method with concurrent triangulation design. The researchers selected samples of the study using purposive, convenient, stratified, and simple random sampling techniques. The researchers collected data using questionnaires, unstructured interviews, and document examination and analyzed data using descriptive and inferential statistics and thematic narration using SPSS-26 and NVivo-14, respectively. There were multiple gaps pertaining implementing performance-based and professional-based internal accountability to accomplish institutional visions, missions, and mutual goals. The findings of the study showed that although academic autonomy relates to the independence of academic institutions in decision-making concerning curriculum, teaching methods, research, and academic policies, it shows practical gaps concerning teachers’ and students’ academic freedom. This includes challenges related to quality teaching, research, community services, and expression of views to criticize the weakness of institutional censorship. The study recommends that the practice of accountability strategies, technological, and pedagogical innovation toward striving for educational excellences needed improvements. Managerial, technological, and pedagogical innovation should promote decision-making competencies, professional, leadership, and pedagogical excellence.

The Inevitable Danger of Faction in James Madison’s Formulation of Society

This study based on the Federalist No.10, one of the most significant political papers of American history written by James Madison, discusses about the cause of factions, which was seen as an unavoidable threat of democratic society. Madison believed that the diversity and liberty of democratic society allowed citizens to follow their different interests, and the majority rule pushed people who had a mutual goal together for a bigger voice to influence the government decision. The three elements were essential and necessary to the democracy, so the factions derived from them were inevitable.

S06-3: We Walk. Developing and pilot testing a dyadic intervention to promote outdoor walking in people after stroke: benefits, challenges and solutions

Abstract Purpose After stroke, physical activity (PA) levels are low, risking secondary stroke, cardiovascular disease, falls and poor mobility. Regular PA reduces these risks. Walking is a preferred PA option for stroke survivors, and social support influences uptake and maintenance of behaviours. We therefore developed WeWalk, a person-centred, dyadic peer-support behavioural intervention supported by walking buddies, to promote regular walking after stroke. This study evaluated participants’ experiences of WeWalk to refine it ready for effectiveness testing and implementation. Methods Intervention: WeWalk involved facilitated face-to-face and telephone sessions with a researcher with behaviour change training, supported by intervention handbooks and diaries. Dyads agreed walking goals and plans, monitored progress, and developed strategies for maintaining walking. Evaluation Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and facilitator fieldnotes during intervention delivery, and were analysed using thematic analysis, guided by a theoretical framework of acceptability. Results We recruited 21 dyads comprising community-dwelling PWS and their walking buddies. Eighteen dyads completed exit interviews, one dyad was lost to follow-up and two withdrew with ill-health. We identified three themes: acceptability evolves with experience, mutuality, and person-centredness with personally relevant tailoring. As dyads recognised how WeWalk components supported walking, perceptions of acceptability grew. Effort receded as goals and enjoyment of walking together were realised. The dyadic structure provided accountability, and participants’ confidence developed as they experienced physical and psychological benefits of walking. WeWalk required careful facilitation. It worked best when dyads exhibited relational connectivity and mutuality in setting and achieving goals however in a few dyads agreeing and enacting mutual goals was more challenging. Tailoring intervention components to individual circumstances and values supported dyads in achieving meaningful goals. Conclusions WeWalk is feasible and acceptable, illustrating the potential of dyadic interventions after stroke. However, its complexity requires considered implementation strategies. Data highlight the need for careful matching of dyads, facilitation of dyadic working by practitioners who can support development of dyadic relationships; and community structures linked to healthcare pathways that support implementation. We have worked with charities health services organisations to plan and develop these implementation strategies and report the challenges and potential solutions to delivering this complex intervention.

Explaining Differential Involvement in Cross-Movement Coalitions on Social Media: the #StopHateForProfit Campaign

Social movements form coalitions to gain leverage and achieve mutual goals, however little is known about how coalitions work, especially in the realm of social media. In this paper we examine the 2020 #StopHateForProfit coalition which pressured corporations to pull their advertising spending from Facebook because of its permissive content moderation policies toward disinformation and hate. From the digital traces of the campaign on Twitter, we explain the participation differentials among coalition social movement organisations (SMO) partners and their followers. The findings show that the coalition's centrality to movement agenda, the ideological homogeneity of followership, and the SMO partners and their followership's central positions in the communication network led to the highest and most time persistent participation rates. Our counter-intuitive findings extend the literature on social movements coalitions by suggesting that multi-issues, “big tent” movements with ideological breadth may find invoking the core of their large followership rather challenging despite the ease of participation afforded by social media.

The work behind an interdisciplinary team: Creating a postpartum hemorrhage virtual reality training platform

BackgroundThis article examines an interdisciplinary team's collaboration experience in the development of a virtual reality (VR) training platform for postpartum hemorrhage management. The project started during the COVID-19 pandemic to support remote training in nursing. Methods & ProcessesComprised of multidisciplinary specialists, the team collaborated through virtual meetings and digital tools such as an online whiteboard. The project went through three processes: (a) initial process, in which the team established the mutual goal, determined the targeted training, understood the subject matter, and created the framework; (b) VR development process, in which members contributed their expertise to map the task flow, create 3D objects, and develop the VR prototype; and (c) evaluation process, in which tests were performed among team members, subject matter experts, and undergraduate nursing students, to gain insights and fix problems. ConclusionLessons learned from this interdisciplinary collaboration include the accommodation of different objectives, workload expectations and distribution, changes of team members, and evaluation implementation.

Nation-Building through History Education: Mutual Goals in Shaping Student Character

Nation-Building through History Education: Mutual Goals in Shaping Student Character

Decision‐chain integrity and sustainment of the individual placement and support model: An embedded single case study in Finland

AbstractThe individual placement and support (IPS) model is an evidence‐based practice proven effective in aiding individuals with mental disorders to achieve and maintain competitive employment. This study examines how policy and structural factors are perceived to influence the model's sustainment as routine practice after a national development project in Finland. We aim to identify critical dimensions related to decision‐making at the national, regional, and local organisational levels. We used a qualitative single‐case approach, analysing 21 stakeholder interviews and nine administrative documents. We conducted abductive thematic analyses. We report the results in compliance with the COREQ guideline. Our analysis identified three main external contextual influences affecting service sustainment: (1) System‐Level Planning—the coherence of formulation and execution of facilitative strategies across different administrative levels; (2) Political Decision Making—the recognition of inception points of policy change and the ability to set the IPS model on a broader policy agenda; and (3) Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration—the need for mutual goals and collaborative platforms. Strategic planning, governance decisions, and stakeholder involvement affect local‐level decisions on the IPS model's sustained implementation. This research introduces the concept of ‘Decision‐Chain Integrity’, highlighting the alignment of strategies and their implementation across different levels of administration as a pivotal factor in producing sustained change in the service system.

Theory versus practice: are insecticide mixtures in Arizona cotton used for resistance management?

Resistance management in pesticide use is critical, yet grower practices, especially pesticide mixing motivations, diverge from theoretical frameworks. This study analyzes 30 years of Arizona cotton growers' practices and pest manager insights to understand mixing trends. Growers predominantly mix pesticides for spectrum or efficacy, not resistance management. This highlights a gap between theory and practice, emphasizing the complexity of real-world dynamics. A shift over time towards selective insecticides and integrated pest management (IPM), supported by extension education, has reduced reliance on broad-spectrum insecticides and increased opportunities to conserve the natural enemies of key pests. This reduced the frequency of insecticide use, a mutual goal of both IPM and resistance management. The availability and adoption of selective products with diverse modes of action, along with the resulting increases in biological control and refuges, likely has delayed or prevented resistances without emphasis on using mixtures specifically for resistance management. In a disrupted system exclusively dependent on broad-spectrum insecticides (1991-1995), 75% ± 5% of cotton area was sprayed with mixtures of these materials. With the availability of selective insecticides, few broad-spectrum products are used today and mixtures of insecticides are sprayed on only 36% ± 3% of the cotton area (2015-2020). Although mixing has theoretical relevance, it is diminishing in stable systems with diverse modes of action and adherence to moderation principles. Arizona cotton guidance prioritizes multi-crop refuges over mixtures for resistance management. Integrated research and education, targeting professional pest managers, are pivotal in advancing resistance management without mixtures specifically designed to prevent or mitigate resistance. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Professional learning activity in and of teacher teams: multilevel assessment of how transformational leadership, goal interdependence, and collective efficacy affect information sharing

Engaging in learning with colleagues is paramount for teachers to enhance students’ learning. To be effective and sustainable, it requires engagement both by individual teachers as well as whole teams. Surprisingly however, research examining learning activity as a characteristic of individuals in teams and a property of teams, as well as their antecedents on both levels, is still scarce. This study examined how perceptions of transformational leadership, as mediated by goal interdependence and collective-efficacy, facilitate teachers’ engagement in information sharing, and whether effects are similar for individuals and teams. Questionnaire data were analyzed using multilevel structural equation modelling. Results showed that individual engagement in information sharing and individuals’ perceptions of goal interdependence were directly impacted by transformational leadership practices. Information sharing of teams, and collective efficacy, were impacted by consistent perceptions of goal interdependence. Teachers shape their learning amongst themselves in teams, with individual support from their leader.

Women's Rights and Gender Equality: Analysis of Issues and Achievements

Purpose: Every day, people are constantly facing unfair situations, conflicts, aggression, etc. For this reason, the desire for a humane solution to acute problems, i.e., peace and an ethical attitude towards others, should become a mutual goal for the entire world population. The issue of gender equality becomes especially relevant today, as it is clear that everyone should have equal rights, the right to self-realization and self-affirmation, and the right to protection. The study aims to describe the issues and achievements on the way to gender equality and fulfillment of women's rights. Research methods: theoretical (analysis, synthesis, and generalization), empirical (sociological survey and description), and generalization. Theoretical framework: The study focuses on the crucial issues of the gender system, its development, and the fulfillment of women's rights in different world countries, including Europe. The authors analyzed the basic problems and achievements in this area. Particular attention is paid to Ukraine as a country that is a candidate for accession to the European Union. Ukraine has committed to meeting generally accepted European and international standards of democracy and humanity. Thus, the sociological survey revealed Ukrainians' attitude to the phenomenon of gender equality and women's rights, their knowledge of the features of the concept, and the legislative basis for its development. It was found that gender policy in Ukraine is formed under the influence and support of Europe. Research findings prove that there should be a unified global system of gender influence. It will ensure the effectiveness of achieving equality between the sexes and facilitate daily life for other marginalized groups faster. Conclusions: The article demonstrates that it is not enough to adopt a legislative framework and be included in various international programs to address the issue of gender equality. The population needs to understand the importance of gender changes. They need to be motivated and ready for these changes. Also, the collection and processing of statistical information on gender issues must be more efficient.

Task-Agnostic Privacy-Preserving Representation Learning for Federated Learning against Attribute Inference Attacks

Federated learning (FL) has been widely studied recently due to its property to collaboratively train data from different devices without sharing the raw data. Nevertheless, recent studies show that an adversary can still be possible to infer private information about devices' data, e.g., sensitive attributes such as income, race, and sexual orientation. To mitigate the attribute inference attacks, various existing privacy-preserving FL methods can be adopted/adapted. However, all these existing methods have key limitations: they need to know the FL task in advance, or have intolerable computational overheads or utility losses, or do not have provable privacy guarantees. We address these issues and design a task-agnostic privacy-preserving presentation learning method for FL (TAPPFL) against attribute inference attacks. TAPPFL is formulated via information theory. Specifically, TAPPFL has two mutual information goals, where one goal learns task-agnostic data representations that contain the least information about the private attribute in each device's data, and the other goal ensures the learnt data representations include as much information as possible about the device data to maintain FL utility. We also derive privacy guarantees of TAPPFL against worst-case attribute inference attacks, as well as the inherent tradeoff between utility preservation and privacy protection. Extensive results on multiple datasets and applications validate the effectiveness of TAPPFL to protect data privacy, maintain the FL utility, and be efficient as well. Experimental results also show that TAPPFL outperforms the existing defenses.

Soundscape techniques applied to urban planning goals

The soundscape method is a powerful tool for understanding the perception of our acoustical environment. Urban planning is the technical and political process by which we manage and mold our cities. Smart growth is a movement within urban planning which emphasizes the livability of our surroundings. These disciplines all seek to shape the form of our communities to improve the quality of life for those who live, work, and play there. Yet, there has been little formal interaction between soundscaping and urban planning. It is imperative that soundscapers who wish to implement improved urban designs and interventions adopt the language and methods of urban planners in order to succeed and accomplish their mutual goals. Soundscape protocols must engage the urban planning process, including the comprehensive, or master, plan to achieve implementation on a city-wide scale. Several recent initiatives which illustrate the integration of soundscape techniques with urban planning methods are presented and discussed.

The Interdependence of the Sustainable Development Goals: Network Analysis as a Methodology for Policy Impact Evaluation

The Interdependence of the Sustainable Development Goals: Network Analysis as a Methodology for Policy Impact Evaluation

Enhancing interprofessional teamwork between youth care professionals using an electronic health record; a mixed methods intervention study

ABSTRACT We aimed to investigate whether using a shared electronic patient record (EPR-Youth) strengthened interprofessional teamwork among professionals in youth care and child healthcare. Using a mixed-methods design, we compared two partly overlapping samples of professionals, who completed questionnaires before the introduction of EPR-Youth (n = 117) and 24 months thereafter (n = 127). Five components of interprofessional teamwork (interdependence, newly created professional activities, flexibility, collective ownership of goals, and reflection on processes) were assessed for this study. Midway through the study period, focus groups were held with 12 professionals to examine how EPR-Youth contributed to interprofessional teamwork. Professionals reported significantly more flexibility after the introduction of EPR-Youth than before. Professionals scored slightly -but not significantly- more positively on the other components of teamwork. Focus group participants reported that using EPR-Youth strengthened their sense of interdependence and collective ownership of goals, and contributed to newly created professional activities. At baseline, levels of interprofessional teamwork differed between organizations. Focus group participants confirmed these differences and attributed them to differences in facilitation of interprofessional teamwork. Our findings suggest that using EPR-Youth can foster interprofessional teamwork. Organizational differences underline that implementing an EPR alone is inadequate: shared definitions of teamwork and organizational facilities are needed to strengthen interprofessional teamwork.

Tom and Jerry in US-China Relations

In the liberal concept, especially neoliberal, countries that cooperate tend to have less potential for conflict. However, this does not apply to US-China relations which are more often in tension, but until the Biden administration China-America still has a strong dependence in economic relations. The China-US relationship is often referred to as the "Thucydides Trap" but this theory has many shortcomings in explaining reality. After analyzing, it is found that China - America relations are more easily analogized to the relationship between cats and mice in the cartoon series "Tom and Jerry" who are often hostile but occasionally also work together for mutual interests, goals, and security.

“Thriving at work” or not? Research on the effects of performance pressure based on achievement motivation theory and two-factor theory

PurposeBased on achievement motivation theory and two-factor theory, this research aimed to synergize cooperative goal interdependence (refer to possessing incentive factors) and illegitimate tasks (refer to the absence of security factors) and build a triple interaction model in the process of performance pressure affecting employees’ thriving at work.Design/methodology/approachThis research collected 291 valid data through a two-point time-lagged method to test the direct effect of performance pressure on employees’ thriving at work and its moderating mechanism.FindingsPerformance pressure has a significant positive effect on employees’ thriving at work. Cooperative goal interdependence imposes an enhanced moderating effect between performance pressure and employees’ thriving at work. Illegitimate task imposes an interfering moderating effect between performance pressure and employees’ thriving at work and further interferes the enhanced moderating effect of cooperative goal interdependence.Practical implicationsUnder the premise of advocating for employees to internalize performance pressure originating from the organizational performance management system into their own achievement motivation, leaders should establish incentive systems and security systems for employees to realize self-achievement through the process of goal management and task management.Originality/valueThis research confirmed the joint determination of incentive effect and insecurity effect on employees’ achievement motivation by cooperative goal interdependence and illegitimate task and revealed the boundary conditions of employees’ choice of thriving at work.

What Drives Interlocal Cooperation in Economic Development? A Qualitative Comparative Analysis of Interlocal Industrial Parks in China’s Yangtze River Delta

Recent studies suggest that influence of contextual conditions and cooperative arrangements on interlocal cooperation should be best understood as part of configurations. This study enriches this nascent perspective by developing a configurational theoretical framework and explores how contextual conditions (institutional proximity, geographic proximity, organizational proximity) and cooperative arrangements (goal interdependence, resource complementarity, collaborative structure) combine to influence interlocal cooperation in economic development. A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis is used to analyze 34 interlocal industrial parks (IIPs) in the Yangtze River Delta of China. The results show two first-order equifinal configurations and six second-order configurations that lead to the success of IIP. The findings underscore that success conditions of interlocal cooperation in economic development work in configurations, not in isolation, and contribute meaningfully to debates pertaining to specific conditions.

Mediation as a cognition: a synergistic approach

The article critically assesses the generally accepted understanding of mediation as the settlement of a conflict (dispute) by the subjects of intersubjective relations by themselves with the help of a mediator. The author substantiates the cognitive nature of mediation. The purpose of the article is to analyze mediation as a living (cognitive) system. The specific objectives of the study are as follows: to clarify the instrumental capacity of the synergistic approach for analyzing mediation as a living (cognitive) system; to analyze the purpose, nature and content of mediation as cognition; to reveal the information matrix of mediation. The authors chose the synergistic paradigm as the methodological basis of the study.
 In pursuit of the aim and specific objectives of the study, the following main results were obtained: mediation as a self-referential nonlinear procedural system belongs to the genus of cognitive systems. The subjects of cognition in it are its parties. The most adequate methodological tool for its cognition, given the purpose of the article and the specific objectives of the study, is the synergistic paradigm. Synergetic discourse is carried out with the help of a category and conceptual apparatus that is unique to it. Among the basic approaches of synergetics are the concepts of attractor, bifurcation, entropy, information, dissipative structures, order and chaos, systemic openness, and some others, which make it possible to analyze mediation as cognition. A fundamental feature of this cognition is that its subjects do not set themselves special cognitive tasks. These subjects reflect on their common intersubjective practices and the meanings of these practices and the experience gained in them, which led to a conflict (dispute) between them. Cognition, which is carried out within the paradigmatic framework of mediation as a system, is discursive and hermeneutic in nature. The key heuristic tool in it is information. The meaning of this cognition is the acquisition and use of the necessary information by the system. Its purpose is to develop and introduce the necessary correlations into the jointly acquired experience and, as a result, to achieve a qualitatively new state of dynamic balance of mutual goals and interests of the subjects of the intersubjective relationship, to overcome the state of dynamic chaos of the system and to establish a new dynamic order in it.

Development and evaluation of a neonatal nurse practitioner mentoring workshop.

New graduate neonatal nurse practitioners (NNPs) need more than an orientation; they need mentoring to facilitate successful role transition and enhance job satisfaction. A gap exists in the literature about mentoring participant training and launching of successful programs for NNPs. This article provides an overview of the development and evaluation of a nurse practitioner (NP) mentoring workshop before the start of a formalized mentoring program. Workshop participants attended a half-day education event with an emphasis on mentoring program expectations, mentor and mentee roles, and effective communication. After the workshop, participants completed an electronic survey to evaluate satisfaction with the teaching and areas for improvement. From January 2022 through January 2023, newly hired NPs paired with experienced NP mentors participated in this structured workshop. Twenty-eight participants in two cohorts evaluated the workshop to identify meaningful aspects of the presentations and areas for improvement. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the interactive components of the 4-hr workshop. An interactive mentoring workshop helps participants establish realistic expectations and mutual goals. Further study is needed to identify time- and cost-efficient strategies in the preparation of effective mentoring participants to enhance the quality of mentoring programs.

How to promote ambidextrous innovation through integration with supply chain partners? The role of external knowledge acquisition and cooperative goal interdependence

ABSTRACT In today’s fiercely competitive environment, integration with supply chain partners and the acquisition of external knowledge have become increasingly important strategies for mitigating the resource tension between exploration and exploitation. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between supply chain external (suppliers and customers) integration and ambidextrous innovation, with a focus on the mediating effect of external knowledge acquisition and the moderating effect of cooperative goal interdependence based on Chinese firm-level data. The empirical results of this study reveal several important findings. First, supplier integration and customer integration have positive effects on ambidextrous innovation. Second, supplier integration and customer integration are more beneficial for ambidextrous innovation in firms holding higher cooperative goal interdependence with both suppliers and customers than in firms holding lower cooperative goal interdependence with both suppliers and customers. Finally, external knowledge acquisition partially mediates the effects of supplier integration and customer integration on ambidextrous innovation. These findings provide top managers with important insights into the role of supply chain external integration in the promotion of ambidextrous innovation. This research also contributes to the literature on ambidexterity theory and enriches the knowledge management literature within the supply chain management framework.