Power Base Research Articles

A Questionnaire-based Research and Analysis Report on the Demand and Status of Language Services in the Energy and Power Industry in Hebei Province

This report analyzes the demand for language service professionals in Hebei’s energy and power industry from three key perspectives: enterprise requirements, translation education, and student employment planning. The 45 valid questionnaires cover four key aspects related to enterprises including the business scope, international business activity, language service team building and employment requirements. Despite the energy and power industry in Hebei Province have made significant strides in international collaboration, there is a gap between professional training and industry requirements. Enterprises demand language service personnel to maintain proficiency in terminology, have industry knowledge, master technical competence, and own international communication skills that most translation students lack. It can be seen that there are issues with the alignment between educational content and the actual need of enterprises. In addition, the results from teachers’ survey identified challenges in terms of aspects of teaching methods, curriculum setting, and the cooperation with enterprises. The report thus recommends to enhance the professional skills and industry knowledge of energy and power language services of translation students through various measures, including establishing professional knowledge bases and terminology bases of energy and power, designing relevant courses and practical projects, and strengthening school-enterprise cooperation. By performing these practices, it could better adapt to the future energy and power industry market demand. Furthermore, this report emphasizes that the education system needs to better adapt to the development of the industry, especially in the cultivation of interdisciplinary language service capabilities, and strengthen cooperation with energy and power companies to jointly develop language service talent training programs that meet the specific needs of the industry.

Mining of primary raw materials as the critical foundation of 'sustainable' metals: a wicked problem for technology innovation clusters.

A transition to a more sustainable human-nature system is inextricably linked to raw materials production, if economic growth is to be maintained or increased by the emergence of new, energy- and metal-hungry technology innovation clusters. The dependence on mined raw materials is a wicked problem for societies vulnerable to negative ecological impacts and for global power bases wanting to secure access to an increasing array of feedstocks. We interrogate the issue of what constitutes a sustainable metal from a triple perspective: (i) the characteristics of ore deposits and the primary extractive operations that supply critical raw materials; (ii) the impediments for complex and interacting supply chains to maintain critical (and other) metals in use; and (iii) the lack of transparency in supply chains that makes it challenging for customers to avoid resources that have been produced by unsustainable and poor practices. We examine existing and emerging structures for resource management to explain the limits to the circular economy and what constitutes a meaningful systemic structure for primary production by responsible mining. We call for the inclusion of a standardized statement of the 'natural capital' embodied in R&D for technological materials as a means to create transparency about what constitutes a sustainable metal.This article is part of the discussion meeting issue 'Sustainable metals: science and systems'.

Changing Politics for Changing Times: Rethinking Research Stakeholders and Strategies for Environmental Education

Abstract The history of environmental education in Australia is political, and fraught with power battles. Indeed, environmental education in Australia (as in many places elsewhere) has always been political. The early calls for environmental education came as a response to the perceived growing environmental crises on the 1960s. At this time, it was seen as a scientific and social priority by scientists, environmentalists and academics, but it was not seen as an educational priority by education departments. Rather, environmental educators were treated as yet another adjectival education lobby group wanting space in an already overcrowded curriculum. There was a time when most state education authorities were engaging with environmental education, but the politicisation of the placement of sustainability as (an optional) cross-curriculum priority has enabled avoidance of the politics of environmental issues and thereby a political stance that is tacitly supporting the status quo of the current neoliberal political systems. This article argues that the times have changed and so has the nature of politics and power bases, and it is time to rethink approaches to environmental education research and recognise that the politics of the past may not be the politics of the future as the generations grow different.

Institutional power and the deinstitutionalization of marriage

AbstractIn this article, I revisit the debate surrounding the deinstitutionalization of marriage. I identify the divergent methodologies used to evaluate deinstitutionalization and argue that institutional power requires greater definition. I develop the concept of institutional power by applying a Lukesian lens to new institutionalist theories of institutional activities. I define deinstitutionalization as the loss of connection between institutions and their sources of institutional power which constitutes their institutionality. Further, I argue that the indicators used to assess deinstitutionalization must recognize (a) the formal and informal aspects of marriage's institutionality and (b) the regulatory, normative, and cultural‐cognitive bases of marriage's institutional power. I argue that discursive processes drive developments in the discursive field of intimacy yet the emphasis on individualization in existing scholarship struggles to adequately explain developments such as same‐sex marriage. I propose that the personal life thesis offers a more cogent explanation of these changes.

A numerical simulation framework for wakes downstream of large wind farms based on equivalent roughness model

Accurate assessment of the wake effect of wind farm clusters is of great significance for the development of wind power bases, yet there is currently a deficiency in numerical simulation methods with high accuracy and simple modeling. To address this issue, a numerical simulation framework for large wind-farm wakes based on a wind farm parameterization model is proposed, and is then implemented based on the open-source CFD software OpenFOAM. In this framework, a newly proposed wind farm equivalent roughness model is adopted to parameterize wind farms and incorporated into the simulation via the wall stress model. To validate the method, the large-eddy simulation based on the actuator disk model resolving all the turbines in the wind farm is taken as a benchmark. Thirty two cases including spanwise infinite wind farms and finite wind farms with different streamwise turbine spacings, spanwise turbine spacings, wind turbine thrust coefficients, and roughness lengths of ground surface are set to analyze the sensitivity of the framework to different wind farm parameters. Results show that the proposed method predicts the velocity deficit and turbulence intensity downstream of the wind farm accurately. Compared to the classical wake superposition model, the prediction accuracy of the velocity deficit is improved by more than 30 %. Furthermore, without resolving the turbines using fine mesh, the framework shows a high potential to reduce computational costs compared with the turbine-resolved simulation.

The cry of Landless Smallholder Women Farmers and Agro-Processors in Northern Ghana- Evidence from West Mamprusi Municipality

Women’s access to critical resources such as land is one of the most topical issues amongst development practitioners, gender advocates, and policymakers alike. Land is one of the bases of wealth, power, and authority in most developing countries. As such, no meaningful development takes place without land resources, yet gender inequalities concerning land allocation and distribution exist in most Sub-Saharan African countries, especially northern Ghana where the majority of the affected are women. This paper examined the effect of the customary land tenure system on landless women smallholder farmers and Agro-processors in West Mamprusi Municipality. Primary data from individuals and household heads, chiefs, and Tingban-dima (landowners), were gathered using semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and in-depth interviews. The secondary was also extensively reviewed as a complement to the primary data in the area of study. The study revealed significant gender disparities between men and women relative to land allocation and land access. Women's access to land was abysmal compared to that of men. The situation was also found to be aggravated by the dominant patriarchal relations which favor men relative to property ownership. only a handful of women had owned and had access to some lands but in most cases, such lands were reported to be poorer in quality, and lack proximity relative to complementary resources such as water. additionally, some lands in the hands of women came in with hefty royalties, thereby exacerbating their plight. The productive capacity of women in food production, agro-processing, vegetable production, and animal husbandry was found to be impeded by the land tenure system which limits their livelihood opportunities thereby widening the poverty gap between women and men. Nonetheless, women's access to land has seen a bit of improvement over the years, considering the recognition of women’s contribution to household income and the nutritive diet of children, but Indigenous traditional inheritance structures still limit the potential of women in this direction. The need to therefore advocate for a change in traditional land ownership and distribution by emphasizing on women’s rights and contribution to development. The constitution of Ghana allows for equal access to land irrespective of gender; this must therefore be advocated. This will address the gender gap in land and water resources to pave the way for women in agriculture, which will improve rural livelihoods, especially women of reproductive age.

Leadership power bases influence on quality of work-life and intention to stay among retailing employees

Leadership power bases influence on quality of work-life and intention to stay among retailing employees

English as a foreign language lecturers’ language power bases in the high context culture of Toraja

<span lang="EN-US">This study overviews the English as a foreign language (EFL) lecturers’ language power bases in the high-context culture of Toraja. The writer applied a qualitative study method with a case study design. The writer applied purposive sampling and the subjects of this study are three EFL lecturers. The writer got the data through video observation and interviews. The data analysis technique used is using transcription and coding. It is revealed that the characteristics of lecturers’ behaviors and communication strategies associated with the five bases of power-referent power, coercive power, reward power, legitimate power, and expert power-were observed in the high context culture of Toraja, a common cultural practice among the Toraja learners. Referent power was evident when the lecturer was able to establish a connection with the learners based on shared cultural norms. Coercive power was demonstrated when the lecturer used guilt to pressure learners who were unwilling to do a class presentation. Reward power was characterized by the lecturer providing incentives to learners who complied with requests. Legitimate power was observed when the lecturer maintained strict control over the classroom. Additionally, expert power was identified when the lecturer shared their knowledge and expertise in addressing gaps in the study area.</span>

Lessons for Israel's Gaza War In America's Strategic Blunders

AbstractLessons learned from counterterrorism operations indicate that purely military solutions are doomed to fail, and Israel is primed to repeat many of these mistakes. The comparison between America's post‐9/11 wars and the Israeli‐Palestinian conflict is not perfect: Al‐Qaeda was in Afghanistan but was not native to the country, and the transnational ISIS emerged out of the chaos in Iraq and Syria. Hamas, by contrast, represents a resistance movement indigenous to Gaza. The militant group is deeply rooted in the political and social struggle for Palestinian self‐determination, and its activities and support are motivated by desperate conditions on the ground. If Israel's assaults on Gaza in retaliation for the October 2023 Hamas bloodbath are to achieve enduring security, key questions arise, including whether the conflict will end with military occupation or political settlement. I argue that Israel should learn from the US strategic blunders in Afghanistan and Iraq. Absent a political solution, Israelis are likely to face terrorist assaults in the future. The military campaign may weaken or impair Hamas's infrastructure and power bases in Gaza, but without a plan for governance and development, Israel is likely to face the re‐emergence of a broadly based resistance movement.

Role Theory, Non-Coercive Influence, and the Agency of Target States: The Case of Kazakhstan’s Ambassadorial Corps and the Russian Diplomatic Academy

Abstract This article contributes to foreign policy analysis by applying role theory to the study of soft power, evaluating the relationship between a state’s chosen international role(s) and susceptibility to non-coercive influence. I argue that in countries where said role involves committed engagement with varied power poles, elites derive benefits from their various partners and thus abide soft power bases such as the Russian Diplomatic Academy (RDA) without violating the principle of autonomy maximization. I utilize a mixed methods approach, using logistic regression as part of a qualitative case study of Kazakhstan. Drawing on an original dataset of Kazakhstani ambassadors since 1992, I find that foreign policy role better explains the continued presence of RDA-trained diplomats within the Kazakhstani ambassadorial corps than traditional security arguments. This outcome demonstrates the promise of examining soft power through the lens of role theory, with an emphasis on the agency of potential targets of influence.

“I’m Not Mean”: How the Course Syllabus Communicates Power

To explore how syllabi communicate power and what this genre says about pedagogy and student-instructor interactions, I analyzed selected syllabi from an undergraduate professional writing (PW) program and conducted two focus groups with students and one with instructors to learn their perceptions about the genre broadly and to explore their reactions specific to PW syllabi. To analyze my IRB-approved study’s data, I use McCroskey and Richmond’s bases of power framework. Findings suggest that syllabi reflect contradictions inherent in the instructor role and help to illustrate the often incongruous relationship instructors cultivate with students, evidenced by rule-enforcing on the one hand and relationship- and community-building on the other. To negotiate these contradictions, instructors distance themselves from their syllabi, using a variety of strategies to downplay their authorship. Naming the bases of power and identifying them through the rhetorical and genre convention rules of the syllabus reveals various maneuvers instructors use to communicate (power) through syllabi. Doing so characterizes instructor power as nuanced discourse, surpassing the language written on the page to the ways the genre is used as a rhetorical space for negotiating roles, behaviors, and activities.

Centre-periphery relations in the Ottoman Galilee: the case of Akil Agha al-Hasi, 1840-70

ABSTRACT Akil Agha al-Hasi, a son of a Bedouin family, immigrated into Palestine from Egypt at the start of the 19th century. He was a dominant factor in the history of Galilee from the 1830s to the end of 1860s. His official job was commander of irregular soldiers in the service of the Ottoman governor, although in fact, his job and his status exceeded much, a job in the service of the authorities. Akil Agha knew how to take advantage of the power bases which stood at his disposal: units of irregular soldiers, alliances with Bedouin tribes, villages and townsmen, and the weakness of the Ottoman government in general, and in the region, in particular, in order to become a center of power, indeed a local one, but also worrying at a national level. Sometimes he would overcome this attempt and sometimes he failed, and then he would run rampage against order and security in order to force the authorities to understand that only he was the key to order and security in the region. For the lack of an alternative, they were forced to return him to his job, but not for a long time, and he was again dismissed.

Organizational Commitment among the Top-Level College Basketball Players in Japan: Focused on Bases of Power and School Stages at High School and University

This study examined the degree of organizational commitment, the content of bases of power, and the relationship between organizational commitment and bases of power of high school and university stages of elite university basketball players in Japan. One hundred sixty-six (166) university basketball players from the Kanto University Basketball Federation Men's Division 1 League took part in this study. They completed questionnaires about their high school and university coaches. For organizational commitment, affective commitment was significantly higher for the high school stage than the university stage (p 0.001). For bases of power, the university stage had significantly higher scores for expert power (p 0.001), while closeness-trust power and punishment power scores were significantly higher in the high school stage (p 0.001). For the high school stage, motivational power and for the university stage, motivational and expert powers showed as determinants of organizational commitment. In the relationship between organizational commitment and bases of power in the high school stage, it was noteworthy that no significant influence of expert power was confirmed. The results suggested that it is important for coaches to rely on motivational and expert powers to increase organizational commitment. To nurture players who want to contribute to a team, it was speculated that coaches should constantly have strong motivation for coaching and make efforts to maintain relationships with their targets so that their attitude is understood by players, and also not neglect daily information gathering, training, and interaction among coaches to maintain high expertise in coaching.

Social and economic determinants of electoral behavior in Turkey

PurposeIn this study the authors aim to comprehensively investigate the determinants of voting behavior in Turkey, with a specific focus on the dynamics of the center-periphery debate. Mainly, the authors focus on regional voting patterns during the period that is dominated by the Justice and Development Party (JDP/AKP) in the elections. The authors apply the random effects generalized least squares (GLS) methodology, and analyze electoral data covering four pivotal parliamentary elections (2007, 2011, 2015 and 2018) across all 81 provinces (NUTS III regions). The authors individually examine voting dynamics of the four major parties in parliament: the JDP/AKP, the Republican People's Party (RPP/CHP), the Nationalist Movement Party (NMP/MHP) and the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP/HDP). The authors contribute to a comprehensive understanding of how socioeconomic cleavages, economic performance, party alignment and social dynamics shape voter preferences in the Turkish context, thereby addressing gaps in the existing literature.Design/methodology/approachThis research employs an ecological study of Turkish NUTS III sub-regions, covering national elections from 2007 to 2018. The authors utilize the random effects GLS method to account for heteroscedasticity and time effects. The inclusion of the June and November 2015 elections enables a comprehensive analysis of the evolving dynamics in Turkish voting behavior. The results remain robust when applying pooled OLS and fixed effect OLS techniques for control.FindingsThe study's findings reveal that economic performance, specifically economic growth, plays a pivotal role in the sustained dominance of the JDP/AKP party. Voters closely associate JDP preference with economic growth, resulting in higher voting shares during periods of economic prosperity. Along with economic growth; share of agriculture in regions' GDP, female illiteracy rate, old population rate, net domestic migration, terrorism and party alignment are also influential factors in the Turkish case. Furthermore, differences among sociocultural groups, and East–West dichotomy seem to be important factors that reveal the impact of social cleavages to understand electoral choice in Turkey.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the existing literature by offering a comprehensive multidimensional analysis of electoral behavior in Turkey, focusing on the JDP/AKP dominance period. The main contribution of this study is its multidimensional perspective on the power bases of all main parties, considering key voter choice theories (cleavages, party alignment and retrospective economic performance voting) that have not been systematically analyzed in prior research. The main research question of this study is to examine which factors affect voting behavior in Turkey and how the dynamics of center-periphery or eastern-western region voting behavior under the JDP hegemony can be explained. The contribution of this study consists not only in its empirical testing of panel data approaches but also in its comprehensive analysis of four major political parties. Building upon existing studies in the literature, this research seeks to extend the understanding of voting dynamics for the four main parties in the parliament — JDP/AKP, RPP/CHP, NMP/MHP and PPDP/HDP — by delving into their dynamics individually, thereby expanding the scope of previous studies. This study aims to make a contribution by not only empirically testing panel data approaches but also conducting a comprehensive analysis of four major political parties. Furthermore, the separate inclusion of the 2015 elections and utilization of a panel data approach enrich the analysis by capturing the evolving dynamics of Turkish voting behavior. The study underscores the significance of socioeconomic factors, economic performance and social cleavages for voters' choices within the context of a dominant party rule.

Gifted High School Students’ Perceptions of the Impact of Classroom Power Dynamics on Motivation and Empowerment

Past research has indicated that teachers’ use of relational power directly influences students’ sense of empowerment and that students who feel empowered are more likely to be motivated. This phenomenological, retrospective study investigated gifted high school students’ perceptions of power and empowerment within their classrooms and the relationship of these to motivation. Specifically, I explored the impact of different power dynamics, including teachers’ utilization of various relational power bases (i.e., rew ard, coercive, legitimate, referent, expert) on gifted high school students’ sense of empowerment and motivation to engage in learning. The students in this study described experiences with all of the social power bases; however, the most positively impactful of these were referent power and expert power. Students felt most empowered when they could personally connect with teachers who knew how to teach, who were content experts, and who could manage the classroom to ensure learning could happen for all students.

Good Suggestion - But No! Innovation as the Struggle Between Different Roles and Perceptions in a Municipal Organisation

Collaboration has been increasingly recognised as a key for enhancing capacity, effectiveness, and spurring innovation in the public sector. The purpose of this paper is to study empirically how different perceptions and roles within an organisation handle a proposal from strategic management related to engaging a large municipality in collaboration with social entrepreneurs. The primary focus of attention is middle managers, as they stand out as a central counterpart to the administrative and political leadership. The data collection included in-depth interviews, observation and documents. An abductive analysis that combined empirical findings with theoretical insights showed that middle managers controlled positional and professional power bases, enabling them to block the formal lines of authority. The paper contributes to view innovation as a part of the struggle between different roles and perceptions within an organisation and to an explanation for the outcome resulting from different power bases.

Employee involvement in a hospital building project

Employee involvement in the planning and execution of building projects vastly affects both project success and functionality in the operating stage. This study is based on interviews with employees to investigate how they experience involvement in change processes related to a hospital building project in Norway. This answers the call for more qualitative approaches in project management research to unveil what actually goes on in projects.The study uses several theoretical lenses. First, we look at employees’ access to different bases of power and empowerment. Second, we analyse how path dependence affects experienced involvement. Third, we analyse the employees’ reactions to organizational changes; exit, voice, loyalty and neglect.The findings show the high involvement of appointed employee representatives in project groups, although they sometimes felt powerless and without necessary support. Ordinary employees lacked information and had little experience of empowerment. The project mostly followed a strict process of path dependence, and informants described behaviours of both exit, voice, loyalty and neglect. Lack of employee involvement might have resulted in impractical solutions and undesired employee behaviour.

Feasibility and challenges of multi-source coal-based solid waste (CSW) for underground backfilling − A case study

The multi-source CSW produced in coal mining, power generation and coal chemical industry has become a bottleneck that restricts the green, low-carbon and high-quality development of coal power and coal chemical bases (CPCCBs) in China due to its large stock, many increments and low utilization rate. Underground backfilling has opened up a new way for CPCCBs to dispose of multi-source CSW, and it is also the most practical way, which is conducive to solve the surface accumulation of CSW and reducing the environmental pollution risk. Based on the physicochemical properties and pollution, the feasibility of underground backfilling with multi-source CSW was systematically analyzed from four aspects: environment, technology, economy and policy. Most CSWs can be directly for underground backfilling; the high potential pollution risks of individual CSWs can reduce through technical measures such as heavy metal adsorption and complex passivation, then safely for underground backfilling. Although underground backfilling with multi-source CSWs is feasible, there are still some challenges before achieving large-scale engineering applications, such as potential risks of CGS, technical maturity, economic investment and administration. It requires the joint efforts and cooperation of research institutions, enterprises and governments to realize the harmless and large-scale underground backfilling with multi-source CSW.

Provisioning Systems in Transition: A New Zealand Based Study of Co-Existing Logics, Values and Power Over in Emerging DER Systems

Using case-based thematic analysis, this paper explores Layton and Domegan’s description of change and adaptation within provisioning systems. A 2017 consultation project on the use of Distributed Electricity Resources (DER) within New Zealand’s electricity provisioning system is examined. The project sought industry input into the institutional context required for DER to become an aid to electrification pathways and assist the country to reach carbon zero by 2050. Findings highlight tensions arising from multiple co-existing logics, norms, values and power bases within the electricity provisioning system. Findings also suggest that tensions between supply and market actors combine to stall system-wide acceptance of DER, despite all actors acknowledging its future role in creating additional renewable electricity resources. The paper emphasises the necessity of recognising the political dimensions of power in decision making within transitioning provisioning systems.

Social workers and their understanding of neoliberalism, advocacy, and othering

INTRODUCTION: Advocacy is a fundamental basis of social work and forms part of a social worker’s ethical responsibilities. As part of these responsibilities, it is a requirement for social workers to understand structures and power bases which sustain social injustices. The study was completed for a Master of Arts (Social Policy). The aim was to understand how neoliberalism affected the ability of social workers to provide support and advocacy to disadvantaged people.METHODS: This article reports on the findings of a qualitative-exploratory study. The data was collected from eight participant interviews using semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis then identified key themes within the data.FINDINGS: A key finding of the research was that social workers have limited understanding of neoliberalism; are placing themselves at risk of sustaining neoliberalism; and engaging in ‘othering’ discourses towards their clients.CONCLUSION: The research confirms the presence of neoliberalism, evidenced through increased compliance and a standardisation of social work practice. Social workers identify change as possible within their local communities but require greater leadership to engage in this advocacy. Further research into social workers’ understanding of neoliberalism and how this affects their worldview would offer further insight about their capacity to engage in social change.