Power Authority Research Articles

Constitucionalismo transformador y derecho internacional de inversionesTransformative constitutionalism and international investment law

Abstract International investment law faces five core legitimacy challenges: the state-dependency challenge, the human and constitutional rights challenge, the equality challenge, the standard of protection challenge, and the investor state dispute settlement system challenge. This article endorses the claim that constitutional courts can contribute to the solution of those legitimacy challenges when they exercise the power to review the constitutionality of international investment treaties. From a transformative perspective, constitutional courts of host states can: (i) create public deliberation and raise awareness concerning the legitimacy challenges of international investment law; (ii) grant equal treatment to national and foreign investors; (iii) require governments to negotiate less open-textured provisions in international investment treaties; (iv) safeguard the protection of human and constitutional rights, and other common goods; and (v) raise due process, predictability, transparency, and proportionality standards concerning the investor state dispute settlement system. These judicial undertakings can strengthen the bargaining power of host executive branch authorities in the negotiation of international investment treaties and can narrow down the space of discretion of international investment arbitral tribunals. Both outcomes could render international investment treatises’ creation and enforcement more legitimate.

The Impact of Epistemological Beliefs and School Climate on the Sustainability of Critical Thinking Dispositions in Middle School Students

The objective of this study is to ascertain whether school climate and students’ epistemological beliefs serve as predictors of sustainable critical thinking dispositions in middle school students. This research is designed as a correlational study. A total of 585 students from four middle schools in Çanakkale, Turkey, participated in the research. To this end, the researchers administered the Critical Thinking Disposition Scale, the Middle School Students’ Epistemological Belief Scale, and the School Climate Survey, gradually collecting the raw data. Following the collection of the data, they were subjected to analysis using multiple linear regression. The results of the statistical analysis demonstrated that the students’ critical thinking dispositions were significantly predicted by both epistemological beliefs and school climate. In other words, belief in the omniscient power of authority and quick learning were found to have a negative correlation with critical thinking, whereas belief in simple knowledge was observed to have an inverse positive relationship. The dimension of the school climate, relating to positive student–teacher relations, appeared to constitute a prospective positive predictor, while authoritarian student–teacher relations and the lack of resources were identified as the main negative classroom environment factors. The study highlights the complex mutual influence of individual beliefs and the learning environment in the development of critical thinking dispositions.

Educational Diplomacy of Islamic Republic of Iran as the Soft Power Strategy in the Middle East

Nowadays, many countries are trying to increase their soft power authority using the university communication facilities. Educational exchanges and the creation of university branches in different parts of the world, especially in countries where there are common cultural fields, give these countries the opportunity to interact with elites and students expand their influence. The university sector, as the most important and effective branch in creating the future of a country, will have a great impact on understanding and cultural alignment between nations.In this regard, one of the important regions that have a lot of common cultural identity with the Islamic Republic of Iran is the Middle East region. This article aims to answer the question of how the Islamic Republic of Iran can use its academic capabilities as the educational diplomacy in order to promote its position as soft power in the Middle East. Accordingly, Iran can use the cultural capacities, the Persian language, the common background of civilization and the capability of its higher education, especially in the field of university exchanges to empower its soft power authority in the region.

Anayasa Değiştirme İktidarının Sınırlılığı ve Meşruluğu

The powers that write constitutions from the very beginning are the constitution-making powers. It is not possible to make a new constitution when there is a constitutional order and an existing constitution. Especially the new constitution discussions that have been on the agenda frequently lately do not seem possible since the continuation of the existing constitution is in question. During an existing constitution and constitutional order, the constitution may undergo partial or complete changes. A complete change may have been permitted in a constitutional text and this authority may have been used by the amending power. This situation cannot be considered a new constitution under all circumstances. What is important here is the purpose and intention of the amending power in making the change. If this change in question is not made with the aim of establishing a new constitutional order, it is nothing more than the use of the amending power. However, if it is made with the aim of establishing a new constitutional order, the limit of the amending power will be exceeded and the amending power will attempt to transform into the constitution-making power. Considering that the amending power is a limited constitutional authority originating from the constitution, the change it will make should not create a new constitutional order and constitution. Within the scope of the study, the issue of the authority of the constitutional amendment power being a constitutional and limited authority will be discussed. The necessity and legitimacy of the limitation of the constitutional amendment power in terms of the constitution-making power being a constituent authority and the continuation of the constitutional order it has established will be examined. Keywords: Constitutional amendment, constituent power, limitations of the constitutional amendment power

The power of moral authority

Every era has its own spiritual leaders. One of the moral authorities of the nation in the second half of the 20th century was His Eminence Cardinal Vincentas Sladkevičius. His blessing supported the Church’s resistance to the restrictions on freedom of conscience during the Soviet years, the underground Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania, the outbreak of the Sąjūdis reform movement, and the restoration of independence – the adoption of the Act of March 11.

Centering community and care: Enacting the Torres’ rights of the learner to support middle grades students in building collective responsibility in learning mathematics

ABSTRACT In this paper, we propose a teaching approach centered on community and care, aimed at fostering a democratic classroom environment. We highlight the communal co-creation of the Rights of the Learner (RoTL) as the foundation for establishing a shared responsibility atmosphere. Our interpretation of the RoTL challenges traditional power dynamics, control structures, and authority in educational settings, advocating for an environment of mutual respect and collective learning. This approach promotes a more inclusive learning environment, where responsibility is distributed among all classroom members, enhancing unity and collective investment in the learning process. We provide concrete classroom practices to illustrate the enactment of the RoTL by offering a practical approach for integrating community and care to transform teaching and learning of mathematics into a democratic, inclusive, and equitable community for all learners.

Examining teachers’ rhetorical choices

Abstract This study examines the role of disaffiliative reactions, specifically disagreement, in teacher-student interactions. Disagreement is often seen as confrontational and disruptive, but this research investigates whether it is a dispreferred act in these interactions. By analyzing teacher-student interactions and considering students’ final achievement scores, the study explores how teachers respond to students’ arguments. The paper specifically examines the context in which teachers contradict students’ arguments when requesting a reconsideration of their scores. While destructive responses are typically considered face-threatening, the findings suggest that they are the preferred linguistic behavior for teachers in these situations. This is because a constructive or affiliative reaction may potentially undermine the teachers’ fair assessment policy and authoritative power. The study also reveals that the severity of disagreements varies based on the tone of the students’ justifications. When students include compliments in their justifications, teachers tend to respond with mitigated disagreement, whereas openly critical justifications are more likely to elicit aggravated disagreement from teachers. The study illustrates that different cultures may have varying norms and expectations regarding disagreement and confrontational behavior.

Performance Analysis of a 50 MW Solar PV Installation at BUI Power Authority: A Comparative Study between Sunny and Overcast Days

Ghana, being blessed with abundant solar resources, has strategically invested in solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies to diversify its energy mix and reduce the environmental impacts of traditional energy technologies. The 50 MW solar PV installation by the Bui Power Authority (BPA) exemplifies the nation’s dedication to utilizing clean energy for sustainable growth. This study seeks to close the knowledge gap by providing a detailed analysis of the system’s performance under different weather conditions, particularly on days with abundant sunshine and those with cloudy skies. The research consists of one year’s worth of monitoring data for the climatic conditions at the facility and AC energy output fed into the grid. These data were used to analyze PV performance on each month’s sunniest and cloudiest days. The goal is to aid in predicting the system’s output over the next 365 days based on the system design and weather forecast and identify opportunities for system optimization to improve grid dependability. The results show that the total amount of AC energy output fed into the grid each month on the sunniest day varies between 229.3 MWh in December and 278.0 MWh in November, while the total amount of AC energy output fed into the grid each month on the cloudiest day varies between 16.1 MWh in August and 192.8 MWh in February. Also, the percentage variation in energy produced between the sunniest and cloudiest days within a month ranges from 16.9% (December) to 94.1% (August). The reference and system yield analyses showed that the PV plant has a high conversion efficiency of 91.3%; however, only the sunniest and overcast days had an efficiency of 38% and 92%, respectively. The BPA plant’s performance can be enhanced by using this analysis to identify erratic power generation on sunny days and schedule timely maintenance to keep the plant’s performance from deteriorating. Optimizing a solar PV system’s design, installation, and operation can significantly improve its AC energy output, performance ratio, and capacity factor on sunny and cloudy days. The study reveals the necessity of hydropower backup during cloudy days, enabling BPA to calculate the required hydropower for a consistent grid supply. Being able to predict the daily output of the system allows BPA to optimize dispatch strategies and determine the most efficient mix of solar and hydropower. It also assists BPA in identifying areas of the solar facility that require optimization to improve grid reliability.

Powers of the Local Authorities at the Grassroots Level in the Process of Development Planning in Sri Lanka

A development plan implanted at the grassroots level such as a city is one of the physical plans consisting of three sub-plans, i.e. National Physical Plan, Region Plans, and Town Plans. This paper focuses on the laws of the local authorities and their powerfulness in comparison to different agencies and central government arms recently set up to implement similar tasks. Authorities such as the Municipality Council have convinced powers to implement development planning for the betterment of society and to set up public comfort and conveniences through their enforcement and implementation together with its planning agency, the Urban Development Authority (UDA). The remaining local authorities such as in rural areas, are still vesting their powers through the Housing and Town Improvement Ordinance of 1915. This paper discusses the core planning powers of Local Authorities (LAs) and their importance to the general public as a law.

The Power of Tax Authority and Tax Compliance: Does Tax Literacy Matter?

Purpose: Our research aims to prove the influence of tax authority power (coercive and legitimate), tax morality, perception of fairness, and religiosity on tax compliance. Also, we test the moderating effect of tax literacy on the influence of the relationship between perceived fairness and coercive power on tax compliance. Methods: This research used 199 respondents determined by convenience sampling, snowball sampling technique. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares based Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Result: We report that legitimacy power, tax morale, and religiosity positively influence tax compliance. On the other hand, coercive power and perceived fairness do not influence tax compliance. Moreover, our study reports that tax literacy has a role in reducing the influence of perceived fairness on tax compliance. Novelty: Our study contributes to expanding literature in two important ways. First, we re-examined the influence of the power of tax authority on tax compliance of university employees who experienced a change in university status from a public university to a state university with legal entity status (PTN-BH)-causing a change in tax rates. Second, we expand the slippery slope framework by proving the role of tax literacy in increasing the influence of the power of tax authority on tax compliance.

Determinants of enforced and voluntary tax compliance: Adopting slippery slope framework

Research aims: This research aims to scrutinize the influence of factors impacting voluntary tax compliance and enforced tax compliance using the variables of power of authorities and trust in authorities.Design/Methodology/Approach: This study employed a research sample of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) taxpayers in the Special Region of Yogyakarta represented by business school students, utilizing a questionnaire survey via Google Form with a purposive sampling method. The total number of questionnaires distributed was 60 questionnaires, with 59 questionnaires that could be processed. Data analysis was then carried out using the partial least squares (PLS) approach.Research findings: The results of this study demonstrated that using the slippery slope framework theory, trust in authorities was positively associated with voluntary tax compliance, while the power of authorities was negatively associated with voluntary tax compliance. Trust in authorities, however, did not have any impact on enforced tax compliance. Additionally, the power of authorities exerted a positive effect on voluntary tax compliance.Theoretical contribution/Originality: This study provides an understanding of the factors influencing tax compliance by referring to the slippery slope framework theory. Apart from that, this research field is still relatively underexplored in Indonesia.Practitioner/Policy implication: This study can be used to determine the factors driving and inhibiting MSMEs' taxpayer compliance so that it can be used as input and consideration to improve services related to taxpayer compliance further.Research limitation/Implication: This study can serve as a valuable resource for future research and the generation of new ideas. Also, it can be utilized as a reference in educational materials pertaining to aspects that promote taxpayer compliance.

An Overview of the Extent of the Powers of South African Competition Authorities in the Regulation of Price Discrimination under the Competition Act 89 of 1998 in the Context of Digital Transformation

The purpose of the Competition Act 89 of 1998 as amended (the Competition Act) is, among others, to promote the efficiency, adaptability and development of the economy as well as to provide consumers with competitive prices and product choices. In line with this purpose, the Competition Act provides that a dominant firm is prohibited from engaging in price discrimination if such conduct will likely substantially prevent or lessen competition, which would be to the detriment of consumers. Notably the Competition Act has established various bodies to regulate competition and act against any conduct prohibited by this Act in South Africa. These bodies include the Competition Commission, the Competition Tribunal, and the Competition Appeal Court. Notwithstanding the prohibition of price discrimination, the Competition Act does not expressly provide adequate enforcement tools for competition authorities to combat uncompetitive practices in the digital era. Moreover, the Competition Act does not expressly grant these statutory bodies clear roles and mandates on providing consumers with adequate and suitable redress when they have been victims of algorithmic price discrimination. With recent technological developments, electronic commerce (e-commerce), and digital transformation, consumers have become vulnerable to various challenges such as excessive pricing, data breaches and algorithmic pricing. The online and digital markets are characterised by complex transactions, innovative technologies and business practices which expose all consumers, including vulnerable consumers, to different risks. As such, the role of the competition authorities needs to be recalibrated to enhance consumer protection on the pricing of goods and services. To this end this paper seeks to investigate the role and ambit of the powers of these competition authorities in the regulation of price discrimination in the context of digital transformation and the digital economy. This is done to assess whether the competition authorities have the necessary tools of enforcement to ensure that markets are competitive and to combat uncompetitive conduct in the digital economy and online markets.

Breastfeeding Discourses Through Thai Narratives from 1932 to 2022

This textual analysis examines mother-related narratives published between 1932 and 2022 from education and entertainment-based media as well as from traditional and modern social media platforms, to study the discontinuity and construction of breastfeeding discourses in the media. The results show that the discourses rupture into five eras: (1) Pre-framework era: Buddhist mythologies infuse the signification of breastmilk as the product of a mother’s love and blood. The spirit of the mother runs in breastmilk, signifying a wet nurse as a mother-status. (2) Breastmilk is the food from nature: The spirit of the mother runs in the biological mother’s breastmilk, no longer from a wet nurse. (3) Breastmilk is inferior to infant formula: The power of advertisements and the knowledge of nutritional science makes infant formula become the dominant choice for middle-class mothers as it symbolizes rich and smart mothers. (4) Breastmilk is best: The knowledge of medical science with the power of authority controlled over all media platforms sees a return to breastfeeding domination, in which significated infant formula is viewed as poison and non-breastfeeding mothers are viewed as impatient and uneducated. (5) Breastmilk is ideal, but negotiable: With the influence of social media that breaks the discourses into several spheres, one group realizes and avoids the use of binary oppositions to depreciate bottle-feeding mothers, while the other objectifies breastmilk as though it is an industrialized product in which every breastmilk has the same property. The researchers found out that the breastfeeding discourses throughout the history of Thai culture represents the interaction between Buddhist mythologies and Western science, the middle-class mothers are influenced by the upper-class in every era, while capitalism and patriarchy find a way to engrave in both infant formula and breastfeeding in the form of advertising and publicity.

Exploring political corporate social responsibility: a qualitative content analysis of multinational corporations' diplomacy efforts during the Russia–Ukraine war

PurposeUsing political corporate social responsibility (PCSR) as a theoretical framework, this study aims to examine how multinational corporations (MNCs) can function as nonstate actors in public diplomacy efforts during the Russia–Ukraine war.Design/methodology/approachA thematic analysis using qualitative content analysis was conducted on 98 new releases from the websites of the top 50 MNCs listed in the Fortune Global 500.FindingsThe findings indicate that MNCs elucidate their initiatives aimed at providing a secure environment for war victims through their news releases, with notable variations in responses based on the companies' geographical location. MNCs also mentioned strengthening the power of public authorities by rebalancing power dynamics between governments and intergovernmental initiatives under war conditions.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first empirical investigations to research corporate diplomacy and explore the theoretical implications of PCSR for corporate diplomacy.

Characteristics of the qualification of exceeding authority or official authority by a military official personal by subjective characters

The relevance of the research topic is due to the need to improve the legal regulation of the activities of military personnel in the context of the modern political, social and military situation, which requires careful consideration of issues related to their compliance with the law and the preservation of law and order. The main purpose of the study is to analyze and clarify the criteria for the legal qualification of exceeding the power or official authority of a military official on subjective grounds. Within the framework of this analysis, subjective signs of exceeding power or official authority are considered, in particular, awareness of the socially dangerous nature of the committed actions, the compliance of these actions with regulatory and legal acts, the consequences of violations and their connection with the official position. The study also considers the possibility of the emergence of an ideal set of criminal composition in case of committing several offenses in one act. The obtained conclusions will contribute to clarifying the qualification of offenses and understanding the ratio of illegal actions of a military official and their consequences. The methodological basis of the research is based on the analysis of normative legal acts, law enforcement and jurisprudential analysis, as well as on the analysis of judicial practice. The use of these methods allows for a detailed analysis of issues related to the legal qualification of the criminal offense provided for in Art. 426-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The results of the study can be useful for legislators, law enforcement agencies, military groups and judicial authorities. They will help to improve the legal regulation of the activities of military officials, ensuring the preservation of law and order and legality in this area of legal relations. The practical significance of this study also lies in the correct application of the norms of criminal legislation during the investigation of the abuse of power or official authority by a military official. In the conclusions, it is proposed to supplement Art. 426-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Introduction: Development practice, power and public authority

AbstractDrawing upon research across multiple countries, the papers in this special issue explore how public authority dynamics affect development and humanitarian practices and processes. Some focus on places commonly labelled as in crisis or understood to be subject to multiple overlapping crises, where responses to epidemics, persistent conflict and migrations are in progress. Others examine how public authority dynamics affect the everyday governance of development in outwardly more stable contexts. The seven empirical papers are complimented by a conceptual framework for analysing how power permeates the foundations of public authority dynamics. Viewed together, they illuminate why exclusions, coercion and violence are often used by those claiming the legitimacy to govern, and how grasping what this may mean for well‐intended interventions or reform efforts remains a challenge for practitioners. However, they also point towards a pressing need for outsiders to recognise their own roles in constructing and legitimising, sometimes harmful, forms of public authority in the places they work. And they suggest the first step is to confront a reluctance to acknowledge public authority dynamics in their official depictions of programmes' progress, learnings and impacts.

UHV AC/DC power grid geomagnetically induced currents harmonic characteristics analysis

The power grid’s geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) during geomagnetic storms, are associated with a broad and abrupt harmonic impact, with the potential for grid paralysis and extensive power outages in severe scenarios. Therefore, the harmonic characteristics of geomagnetically induced currents in China’s ultra-high voltage (UHV) AC/DC power grid are analyzed in this paper. Firstly, a harmonic equivalent model of transformer GIC is established, and the injection of harmonics into the UHV AC/DC power grid during GIC events is quantified.Secondly, a harmonic state-space model is established by combining the 12-pulse converter switching function theory with the exponential Fourier series. The harmonic transmission and dynamic coupling characteristics of GIC in the UHV AC/DC power grid are analyzed using the harmonic equivalent model of the main transformer GIC and the harmonic equivalent model of the converter transformer GIC. Finally, a harmonic simulation model of the UHV AC/DC power grid under GIC is constructed using PSCAD, and the distribution of harmonics in the UHV AC/DC power grid under GIC is calculated. The calculations indicate that with 30 A injected GIC in the sending end transformers, the 2nd harmonic current on the sending end network side alone is 61.45 A, and the 3rd harmonic voltage on the valve side is 8.57 kV. The characteristics of harmonic transmission in the power grid result in a 2nd harmonic current of 34.87 A on the receiving end network side. Simultaneously, the total harmonic distortion of the AC power grid at the sending end is 2.35 %, surpassing the permissible limit established by the national standard. Consequently, this issue should be prioritized by the relevant power authorities.

Liberatory Praxis in Operatic Rehearsal Processes

As a young operatic performer-scholar, I have observed issues in the industry that I believe stem from opera’s complex, authoritative power structure and many of its leaders’ refusals to change this structure. In working towards rectifying these issues, I ask: How can the operatic rehearsal process, specifically, embrace measures of liberatory praxis and power disruption? Drawing on secondary literature regarding historical practices, philosophies of power, and liberatory praxis in music education, and a roundtable discussion I facilitated among opera practitioners on leadership and power structures, I developed a workshop in which I aimed to enable singers’ agency using alternative rehearsal methods. This workshop used a collaborative, democratic structure which honoured each participant’s expertise and prioritized discussions of the goals of the workshop and of each individual participant. Although some singers seemed uneasy with a collaborative structure of rehearsal as opposed to one with a central authoritative figure, my personal observations and a survey completed by workshop participants showed that singers gained agency through the employment of democratic, liberatory rehearsal praxis. Based on these results, I recommend that opera companies adopt a structure of democracy and collaborative discussion of personal and social praxis to expand singers’ agency. These results also suggest that continued study in singers’ praxis, agency, and power in operatic processes is needed.

Analysis of the constitutional court's decision on the age limit of presidential and vice-presidential candidates in the perspective of Rechtstaat

Purpose: This study aims to determine the application of the concept of obedience and application of the concept of the Rule of Law (Rechtstaat) and the concept of Trias Politica to the Constitutional Court Decision Number 90/PUU-XXI/2023 concerning the age limit for presidential and vice-presidential candidates and how the implementation and principles of individual freedom in the rule of law are implemented in Indonesia. Method: The research was conducted using normative research methods (doctrinal research) and a conceptual approach. Results: The research results show that the Constitutional Court's decision requires an approach to the concept of the Rule of Law (Rechstaat) and the Trias Politica concept so that there is no deviation from power and it is able to face the dynamics of change that occur in society, as well as making laws that are more autonomous from intervention by other authorities, such as political interests. Thus, the implementation of the rule of law in the context of a rule of law can be interpreted and followed by all citizens. Limitations: The main aim of applying the concept of the rule of law (Rechtstaat) and the concept of Trias politica is to limit the power of authority so as to produce legal science teaching centered on rights.

Relational gatekeeper behaviour of HR managers in the Middle East: the role of informal networks

Wasta, the informal network context omnipresent in the Middle East, is widespread in human resource management (HRM) practices. Yet, its influence on the behaviour of HR managers has not been explored. Utilizing relational gatekeeping theory and the informal network perspective in conjunction with in-depth expert interviews with HR managers, we seek to explore whether and how informal networks (wasta) influence and shape their role in an Arab Middle Eastern context. Our findings indicate that the level of wasta penetration in organizations is reliant on the relational gatekeeping behaviours of HR managers. Furthermore, we show how HR managers compensate for structural deficiencies by leveraging their wasta-derived power to amplify their voices. Nevertheless, the findings also emphasize the significance of power sharing in reducing the expansion of culturally derived power associated with wasta, thereby limiting power dynamics and authority to that derived from the formal organizational hierarchy. These insights advance knowledge on gatekeeping behaviour in the Arab Middle Eastern context and contribute new knowledge regarding the operational modes of informal networks within organizations. Our findings underscore the pivotal role that HR managers play in shaping the organizational culture. From a practical perspective, we offer actionable solutions, such as power sharing through committee work, to enhance the effectiveness of the HR function.