Perspective Of Makers Research Articles

Does social trust restrain excess perk consumption? Evidence from China

We examine the association between social trust and executives' excess perk consumption. Prior studies suggest that excess perks are the result of agency problem that managers benefit themselves at the expense of shareholders. We hypothesize that social trust can discipline managers' opportunistic behavior and facilitate investors' monitoring, and therefore, constrain the level of excess perks. Using a sample of Chinese listed firms, we find that social trust is negatively associated with management's excess perks, consistent with our prediction. Our main finding is robust to the instrumental variable approach that mitigates the potential endogeneity concerns. To explore the potential mechanisms through which social trust affects excess perks, we first show that both the social trust status of firms' locations and the social trust status of CEOs' hometowns can affect excess perks. Additional cross-sectional analyses reveal that the negative association between social trust and excess perks is more pronounced in firms with poorer corporate governance and firms with political connections. Finally, we find some evidence that firms located in the high social trust areas use more cash compensation and options granting to keep motivating their managers. This study provides an informal institutional perspective for both policy makers and shareholders to take social trust into account to enhance corporate governance.

Toward Blockchain Technology in the Energy Environment

Energy management and exchange have increasingly shifted from concentrated to hierarchical modes. Numerous issues have arisen in the decentralized energy sector, including the storage of customer data and the need to ensure data integrity, fairness, and accountability in the transaction phase. The problem is that in the field of the innovative technology of blockchain and its applications, with the energy sector still in the developmental stages, there is still a need for more research to understand the full capacity of the technology in the field. The main aim of this work was to investigate the state of the current research of blockchain technologies as well as their application within the field of energy. This work also set out to identify certain research gaps and provide a set of recommendations for future directions. Among these research gaps is the application of blockchain in decentralized storage, the integration of blockchain with artificial intelligence, and security and privacy concerns, which have not received much attention despite their importance. An analysis of fifty-seven carefully reviewed studies revealed that the emerging blockchain which provides privacy-protection technologies in cryptography and other areas that can be integrated to address users’ privacy concerns is another aspect that needs further investigation. Grid operations, economies, and customers will all learn from blockchain technology as it provides disintermediation, confidentiality, and tamper-proof transfers. Moreover, it provides innovative ways for customers and small solar generators to participate more actively in the electricity sector and to benefit from their properties. Blockchains are a rapidly evolving field of research and growth. A study of this emerging technology is necessary to increase comprehension, to educate the body of expertise on blockchains, and to realize its potential. This study recommends that future work investigates the potential application of blockchain in the energy sector as well as the challenges that face its implementation from the perspective of policy makers. This future approach will enable researchers to direct their focus to the case studies approach, which will facilitate and ease the application of blockchain technology.

Students’ in-moment challenges and developing maker perspectives during problem-based digital making

We report on a case study of eight grade 5 to 6 students (ages 12–14) involved in a three-day “digital-making summer camp” focused on mathematical problem-solving through block-based programming combined with programmable electronics. Data analysis focused on the computational thinking (CT), mathematics, and problem-solving challenges that surfaced during the activities and on the students’ developing perspectives about themselves as computational thinkers and problem solvers. Our results suggest the students developed various CT and problem-solving competences and dispositions during the digital-making activities. However, they experienced difficulties with ill-structured problems. This study supports the creative uses of digital making as complementary to K-12 mathematics learning.

Evaluating Inclusive Campus Environment Design Criteria Using CFPR and FANP Methodologies

University campuses bring together individuals from different socio-cultural backgrounds. At the same time, university campuses contribute to the personal and intellectual development of individuals and serve as a socialization area. Campuses create vitality with their social, cultural, economic, and spatial effects. In this paper, we study for evaluating inclusive campus environment design criteria using the Fuzzy Analytical Network Process (FANP) and Consistent Fuzzy Preference Relations (CFPR) techniques, which are two Multi- Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods. Seven Inclusive Campus Environment Design Criteria are “Land Use Organization”, “Compactness”, “Connectivity”, “Configuration”, “Living campus”, “Greens” and “Context”. The major contribution of our study is to prioritize inclusive campus environment design criteria by using numerical methods from the decision maker's perspective. According to the authors’ knowledge, this will be the first interdisciplinary study to use MCDM methods for evaluating inclusive campus environment design criteria. Additionally, the results of both methodologies are compared

Evaluate the economic and environmental efficiency of land use from the perspective of decision-makers’ subjective preferences

Land resources are not only the spatial carriers of social and economic development, but also the carriers of environmental and ecological services. With the accelerated urbanization, the non-coordinated development of land resources and environmental protection will restrict economic growth and the benefits of land use changes. Moreover, the economic efficiency and environmental efficiency of land use largely depend on the value judgment of the decision makers on the future human environment. Therefore, it is extremely important to achieve a win–win outcome of land development and ecological protection. In this research, a new analysis framework for land use efficiency was proposed from the perspective of decision makers' different benefit preferences. This framework uses the unexpected output of environmental pollution as a bridge to build a two-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) model to evaluate the economic efficiency, environmental efficiency and overall efficiency of land development, and weight parameters were constructed to express decision-makers' preferences. The model not only considers the objectivity of the scores of land use efficiency, but also guarantees the subjectivity of decision-makers in land use management. This is also the biggest difference between previous studies in this study. The specific conclusions are: (I) as decision makers tend to focus on economic benefits, economic efficiency first rises and then declines. It can be seen that ignoring the problem of environmental pollution will reduce economic efficiency. (II) Generally speaking, the efficiency of compact land development (0.883) in various counties and cities in Taiwan is greater than the efficiency of expanded land development (0.737). This research can provide guidance on the distribution of land resources and the development of land space on a macro-regional scale.

Stakeholder point of view on prescription drug affordability - a systematic literature review and content analysis

ObjectivesThe objectives of this research were to: 1) understand perspectives on affordability of pharmaceutical drugs from the point of view of stakeholders as reported in published peer-reviewed journals and conferences; 2) evaluate if (and how) perspectives on affordability overlapped across stakeholders. MethodsThe systematic literature review followed Cochrane and PRISMA guidelines. Content analysis with iterative and systematic coding of text was conducted, to identify themes. ResultsA total of 7,372 unique citations were eligible, and 126 articles included for final synthesis. For patients, 6 core themes emerged: financial barriers, adherence, access, patient-provider communication, financial distress, and factors that impact affordability. For payers, 5 core themes: financing schemes, cost-effectiveness, budget impact, private vs. public preferences, and ethics. For providers, 3 themes: patient-provider communication, physician prescribing behavior, and finding alternatives to support patient access. For policymakers, 2 themes: measuring affordability and the role of government. Limited articles representing the manufacturer perspective were identified. Perspectives of decision makers (payers, policymakers) did not overlap with those affected by affordability (patients, providers). ConclusionsThis research highlights the multi-dimensionality of drug “affordability.” Multiple factors beyond cost influence patient affordability implying interventions can help alleviate affordability issues for some patients. The lack of overlap highlights potential hazards that decisions related to out-of-pocket spending, insurance coverage, reimbursement, and rationing occur without explicitly considering patient and provider perspectives.

Factors Influencing Optimal Hospital Design: A Comparative Study between Thai and Norwegian Public Hospitals

This paper aims to determine the factors that influence the design process for public hospitals. The paper intends to provide knowledge regarding the hospital planning and design process from the perspective of policy makers, facilities managers, hospital planners and hospital designers. This study is a qualitative study, where twelve participants from Thai and Norwegian hospitals were interviewed. Respondents included hospital project directors (n=3), hospital planners/designers (n= 5), and facilities managers (n= 4). Interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic and content analysis. Four main themes were identified from the analysis: (1) organization of the healthcare system (2) hospital management system (3) work systems in the healthcare organization (4) hospital design process. Comparisons of results were made between Thailand (a developing country that strives to provide sufficient healthcare services) and Norway (a developed Nordic country that provides efficient public healthcare services). The main finding of this study indicates the critical importance of user involvement in the hospital design process in both countries. The involvement of different stakeholders in each stage of the design process is the key to successful design outcome. Other issues and recommendations for designers are further discussed.

Low-carbon technology transfer between rival firms under cap-and-trade policies

We investigate the effects of low-carbon technology transfer between two rival manufacturers on their economic, environmental, and social welfare performance under a cap-and-trade policy. We model alternative licensing arrangements of technology transfer and evaluate the model performance from the perspectives of different stakeholders, including manufacturers, customers, and policy makers. Our findings show that the contractual choice on low-carbon technology licensing is dependent on the trade-off between the benefits gained from the licensing of technology and the consequential losses incurred from competition with a strengthened competitor, which is influenced by a combination of factors, including internal technological abilities, the interfirm power relationship, external market competition, and the carbon emission control policy. Among them, the interfirm power relationship is most influential in determining the optimal contractual decision. In addition, we extend the analysis of technology licensing strategies to different carbon emissions caps with additional cost incurred from purchasing emission allowances through auction, and a two-period model considering emissions cap reduction, respectively. Finally, our analyses show it is critical for policy makers to develop appropriate emissions control policies to promote the agenda of a sustainable, low-carbon economy.

An integrated approach of Ecological Footprint (EF) and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) in human ecology: A base for planning toward sustainability.

Environmental challenges to natural resources have been attributed to human behavior and traditional agricultural production techniques. Natural resource degradation in agriculture has always been a prime concern in agro ecological research and sustainability analysis. There are many techniques for assessing environmental performance; one of which, ecological footprint (EF), assesses human pressure on the environment and natural resources. The main purpose of this study was calculation of ecological indices including biocapacity (BC) and EF of rural areas of Fars province of Iran. The study was accomplished using survey and structured interviews consisting of three main questionnaires in two different steps. Different agricultural stakeholders, including farmers (for the first step) as well as the policymakers, extension managers and authorities (for the second step) were interviewed. Based on multi-stage stratified random sampling, 50 villages and 423 farmers were selected. Face validity and reliability of the questionnaires were assessed by a panel of specialists as well as conducting a pilot study, respectively. The paradigmatic perspectives of agricultural policy makers and managers (22 individuals) were also analyzed using another specific questionnaire by Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Findings revealed that most of the studied villages faced a critical environmental condition due to the results of ecological indicator which was calculated in the study. According to the four main components of human ecology (POET model) including Population, Organization, Environment and Technology, village groups that differed in terms of sustainability level also showed significantly differences due to population, social participation, use of green technologies and attitude towards diverse environmental management paradigms. The causal model also revealed that population, green technology, social participation and attitude toward frontier economics, which were in accordance with the elements of human ecology model, were the main factors affecting the ecological index. Finally, AHP results determined the dominant economic perspectives of agricultural authorities. A paradigm shift toward the comprehensive paradigm of eco-development plus consideration of the results of the ecological indicator calculation as the base of agricultural planning at the local level were recommended.

Students’ perspectives on quality of engineering education in India

It is widely held that engineering education in India has expanded massively at the cost of quality, quality being perceived in terms of, inter alia, ranking of institutions in the national and global university ranking systems, and employability and attributes of graduates. Evidence on these aspects is based on the perspectives of the policy makers, administrators in higher education and employers in the labour market. Rarely the students’ perspectives on quality of their education are considered in formulating these conclusions. Assuming that students’ perceptions on the quality of education, which may differ from prevailing perceptions of the others, are important and they need to be paid attention to in research and policy making, the attempt in this study is to examine this aspect and fill the gap in research to some extent. Based on a survey of about 7,000 students enrolled in undergraduate engineering studies in 48 public and private institutions in four major states in India, this article presents a contrasting perspective on quality of engineering education in India. The findings are indeed perplexing, as a majority of students are ‘satisfied’ with the quality of education in their institutions, and they are well prepared for the world of work in India or abroad, and/or for further education. These findings will compel the researchers to widen their approach to study quality-related problems of higher education in India, and administrators and policy makers to rethink on their perspectives and associated actions.

Recovery and exit of zombie firms in Portugal

The resources sunk in zombie firms have risen over the last two decades, hampering productivity growth in developed economies. In this paper, we examine the recovery and exit of zombie firms among small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME), as well as the determinants of these transitions. To our knowledge, this is the first study on the determinants of the probability of a zombie recovering or exiting in a European context. The study also contributes to the discussion of the definition of zombie firms. Based on a panel of Portuguese manufacturing and services firms covering the 2004–2017 period, we do find a widespread presence of zombies. As expected, they are relatively less productive than non-zombies, while the probability of transition into recovery and exit is relatively low, which we interpret as evidence in favour of the presence of high barriers to firm mobility. In turn, the regression results show that downsizing and restructuring, as well as debt restructuring, are crucial in enhancing recovery of zombie firms. These are non-trivial results from the perspective of managers and policy makers. We performed several exercises using alternative definitions of zombie firms and estimation techniques and found that our findings are robust.Plain English Summary A 1% decline in the share of highly indebted and unprofitable firms (i.e. zombies) is estimated to increase the average labour productivity by 3.1 percent. Recovery of zombies in particular can be enhanced by downsizing and restructuring. Based on a very large panel of Portuguese small- and medium-sized manufacturing and services firms, covering the 2004–2017 period, we do find a widespread presence of zombie firms. Moreover, the chance of these firms to recover or exit is relatively low, an evidence of the presence of high barriers to firm mobility and resource misallocation. Our results have important managerial and policy implications: (1) a coordinated and holistic restructuring strategy (technological, operational and debt-related) is crucial to increase the likelihood of recovery of weak companies; (2) governments should formulate an adequate institutional framework in order to strengthen the selection of zombie firms, namely by designing more reallocation-friendly insolvency regimes and discouraging creditors to refinance unviable firms.

Usage of sit-stand workstations: Benefits and barriers from decision makers’ perspective in Australia

The aim of this cross-sectional mixed-method study was to understand the current use, and practices to support the implementation, of sit-stand workstations (SSWs) from the perspective of furniture purchasing decision makers in Australian organisations. An online survey, and in-depth interviews with a purposive sub-sample were conducted. A total of 216 eligible participants from 150 organisations across 18 sectors completed the survey with 17 interviews conducted. 40% of organisations provided SSWs on request while 41% reported not using them appropriately. Over half provided no training on the appropriate use of SSWs (n = 109, 51%) nor used any strategies to enhance their use (n = 163, 84%). From the interviews, SSWs were perceived effective in reducing discomforts and increasing employees’ satisfaction and productivity. Lack of resources and guidelines to support SSW usage, and lack of wellbeing knowledge, were identified as barriers. Education and ongoing monitoring are important to enhance the appropriate use and uptake of SSWs.

Multi-objective robust optimisation model for MDVRPLS in refined oil distribution

ABSTRACT At depots with refined oil shortage, arranging a reasonable distribution scheme with limited supply affects operation costs, demand satisfaction rate of gasoline stations (hereafter, ‘station satisfaction’), and overtime penalty. This study considers the refined oil distribution problem with shortages using a multi-objective optimisation approach from the perspective of decision makers of oil marketing companies. The modelling and solving process involves (i) formulation of a crisp multi-depot vehicle routing model with limited supply (MDVRPLS) which considers station priority and soft time windows, (ii) development of a robust optimisation model (ROM) to manage uncertainty in demand, and (iii) the proposal of a multi-objective particle swarm optimisation (MOPSO)algorithm. Results of numerical experiments show that (i) the crisp model can better balance operation costs, station satisfaction, and overtime penalty, which produces 3.33% and 4.60% increase in station satisfaction at an increased unit cost and overtime penalty respectively; (ii) ROM successfully addresses uncertainty in demand compared to the crisp model, which requires an additional 8.81% in cost and 12.85% in penalty; and (iii) the MOPSO manages these MDVRPLS models more effectively than other heuristic algorithms. Therefore, applying ROM of refined oil supply shortage to the management significantly improves the efficiency and resists the disturbance caused by external uncertainties, providing scope for efficient distribution of scarce resources.

The how and why of producing policy relevant research: perspectives of Australian childhood obesity prevention researchers and policy makers

BackgroundUnderstanding why research is conducted may help address the under-utilisation of research. This study examined the reasons for childhood obesity prevention knowledge production in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, and the factors influencing research choices from the perspective of the researchers and health policy agencies contributing to the research.MethodsA literature search of SCOPUS and ISI Web of Knowledge (affiliation and key word searches) was conducted to compile a database of NSW childhood obesity research outputs, published between 2000 and 2015 (n = 543). Descriptive statistics were used to quantify outputs by research type, differentiating measurement, descriptive, and intervention research, systematic reviews and other publications. Interviews were conducted with a sample of researchers drawn from the database (n = 13) and decision makers from health policy agencies who funded and contributed to childhood obesity research in NSW (n = 15). Researcher interviews examined views about societal impacts, why and under what circumstances the research was conducted. Decision-maker interviews examined policy agency research investment and how research was used in decision making. Content analysis and a thematic approach was used to analyse the interview transcripts.ResultsThe research in this case was conducted for mix of reasons including those traditionally associated with academic inquiry, as well as intentions to influence policy and practice. Differences in funding mechanisms, administrative and employment arrangements, and ‘who’ initiated the research, created differing incentives and perspectives for knowledge production. Factors associated with the characteristics and experience of the individuals involved also influenced goals, as did the type of research conducted. Policy agencies played a role in directing research to address policy needs.ConclusionsThe findings of this study confirm that researchers are strongly influenced by their working environment. Funding schemes and other incentives to support policy relevant knowledge production are important. Contextual factors such as policy priorities, policy-driven research funding and the embedded nature or strong connections between some researchers and the policy agencies involved, are likely to have influenced the extent to which policy goals were reported in this study.

Clinical Decision Making During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The authors apply principles for translating imprecision in diagnostic and therapeutic information into clinical decisions to address 3 ongoing areas of uncertainty related to diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of COVID-19. They briefly review the current state of knowledge, highlight the level of uncertainty, and then suggest a pathway forward for clinical decision making during the pandemic.

Surrogate Informed Consent: A Qualitative Analysis of Surrogate Decision Makers' Perspectives.

Rationale: Clinical critical care research often hinges on surrogate informed consent, as patients commonly lack decision-making capacity because of their acute illness. The surrogate informed consent process has been identified as having flaws and needing improvement. A better understanding of surrogates' perspectives is required to understand and address these shortcomings and thereby improve this process. Objectives: To explore the perspectives of surrogate decision makers of critically ill, mechanically ventilated patients about being approached about having their loved one participate in hypothetical research studies. Methods: We performed semistructured qualitative interviews of surrogate decision makers of critically ill, mechanically ventilated patients, exploring their decisional needs surrounding participation in research. These interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. A thematic analysis of transcripts was performed with an iterative group framework using a mixed inductive and deductive approach. Results: A sample of 21 surrogate decision makers were interviewed. Thematic saturation was achieved by the consensus of the investigators. We identified trust as a unifying domain for the themes that emerged through the analytic process. Embedded within the domain of trust, two central themes became apparent: knowledge-based trust and context-based trust. Knowledge-based trust includes subthemes of logistics, accountability, and mutual respect, whereas context-based trust includes trust in the individual clinicians and trust in the hospital system. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the nuanced layers of trust central to the surrogate informed consent process. To enhance the surrogate informed consent process for participation in critical care research studies, it is crucial that researchers recognize the inherent importance of trust to ensure an effective informed consent process.

Optimal allocation of onshore wind power in China based on cluster analysis

Development of wind power in China, a key measure to mitigate China’s carbon emissions and achieve global climate goals, faces serious curtailment issues. In an interlinked electric power system, a strategic allocation of wind power capacities offers an important means to take advantage of geographical smoothing effects and enhance accommodation of wind power into the electric power system. Applying K-means clustering algorithm with assimilated meteorological data, we differentiate seven wind zones in the Chinese mainland. The zonal variation features of wind power are characterized and associated with influencing weather systems and geographical conditions. A multi-objective optimization model is developed to identify the optimal allocation of wind power capacity across the seven zones in 2030, which demonstrates further improvement of wind power quality from the current distribution case in terms of high power outputs (+0.2%), low short-term variation (−10.3%) and high firm capacity (+3.7%). Northern China, where existing large-scale wind power bases are located, and southeastern regions are identified as key areas for future deployment of wind power. These findings are expected to offer a new perspective for decision makers in the construction of power grid systems and spatial development strategy for wind power in China.

A qualitative study of the perspectives of health workers and policy makers on external support provided to low-level private health facilities in a Ugandan rural district, in management of childhood infections

ABSTRACT Background With the under-five child mortality rate of 46.4 deaths per 1000 live births, Uganda should accelerate measures to reduce child deaths to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 3. While 60–70% of frontline health services are provided by the private sector, many low-level private health facilities (LLPHF) are unregistered, unregulated, and often miss innovative and quality improvement strategies rolled out by the Ministry of Health. LLPHF need support in order to provide quality health care. Objective To explore the perspectives of health workers and policy makers on external support given to LLPHF providing health care for children in Mbarara District, Uganda. Methods We carried out a qualitative study, in which 43 purposively selected health workers and policy makers were interviewed. The issues discussed included their views on the quantity, quality, factors determining support received and preferred modalities of support to LLPHF. We used thematic analysis, employing an inductive approach to code interview transcripts and to identify subthemes and themes. Results The support currently provided to LLPHF to manage childhood illnesses is inadequate. Health providers emphasised a need for technical capacity building, provision of policies, guidelines and critical supplies as well as adopting a more supportive supervisory approach instead of the current supervision model characterised by policing, fault finding and apportioning blame. Registration of the health facilities and regular submission of reports as well as multi-stakeholder involvement are potential strategies to improve external support. Conclusion The current support received by LLPHF is inadequate in quantity and quality. Capacity building with emphasis on training, provision of critical guidelines and supplies as well as and supportive supervision are key strategies for delivering appropriate external support to LLPHF.

Banks Fearing the Drought? Liquidity Hoarding as a Response to Idiosyncratic Interbank Funding Dry-Ups

Since the global financial crisis, economic literature has highlighted banks' inclination to bolster up their liquid asset positions once the aggregate interbank funding market experiences a dry-up. To this regard, we show that liquidity hoarding and its detrimental effects on credit can also be triggered by idiosyncratic, i.e. bankspecific, interbank funding shocks with implications for monetary policy. Combining a unique data set of the Brazilian banking sector with a novel identification strategy enables us to overcome previous limitations for studying this phenomenon as a bankspecific event. This strategy further helps us to analyse how disruptions in the bank headquarters' interbank market can lead to liquidity and lending adjustments at the regional bank branch level. From the perspective of the policy maker, understanding this market-to-market spillover effect is important as local bank branch markets are characterised by market concentration and relationship lending.

Impact of Currency Futures on Spot Market Volatility in Indian Foreign Exchange Market

This work is an endeavor to explore the relationship of Lag between future & underlying market, ie. Spot in foreign exchange market of India. Only the USD/INR exchange rate is considered for the study for the presented work. This study is comprised of both analytical and empirical. The daily exchange rates of US Dollar and Indian Rupee (INR) were collected over some time from 30th January 2015 up to 23rd November 2020. The presented study has been worked out in four phases. First is to get (Augmented Dickey-Fuller), unit root and stationarity tests PP (i.e., Philips- Perron) & Kwiatkowski Phillips Schmidt-Shin) is being applied to check time series data stationarity. Second, to get cointegration between the futures and spot market tests (Johansen’s Cointegration Test) was used. Granger Causality and Vector error correction models are used to get the lag relationship between futures and spot markets. The results depict the long-run relationship between the spot market and futures market, and the futures market is seen as leading in the empirical analysis of this paper. From the perspective of Investors, hedgers, and Policy Maker, Currency Futures has more helpful information to work further.