Related Propositions Research Articles

Research Commentary—Informing Privacy Research Through Information Systems, Psychology, and Behavioral Economics: Thinking Outside the “APCO” Box

Recently, several researchers provided overarching macromodels to explain individuals’ privacy-related decision making. These macromodels—and almost all of the published privacy-related information systems (IS) studies to date—rely on a covert assumption: responses to external stimuli result in deliberate analyses, which lead to fully informed privacy-related attitudes and behaviors. The most expansive of these macromodels, labeled “Antecedents–Privacy Concerns–Outcomes” (APCO), reflects this assumption. However, an emerging stream of IS research demonstrates the importance of considering principles from behavioral economics (such as biases and bounded rationality) and psychology (such as the elaboration likelihood model) that also affect privacy decisions. We propose an enhanced APCO model and a set of related propositions that consider both deliberative (high-effort) cognitive responses (the only responses considered in the original APCO model) and low-effort cognitive responses inspired by frameworks and theories in behavioral economics and psychology. These propositions offer explanations of many behaviors that complement those offered by extant IS privacy macromodels and the information privacy literature stream. We discuss the implications for research that follow from this expansion of the existing macromodels.

Why Teach Legal Theory Today?

Is legal theory relevant to legal practice? Should legal theory be part of the academic legal curriculum? This article outlines three propositions in relation to these longstanding contentious questions. First, it argues that existing literature has pursued an inadequate argumentative strategy by (1) assuming that there is a single yes or no answer to the questions surrounding the relevance of legal theory; and (2) treating legal theory and legal practice as discrete, unrelated entities. This article distinguishes between different styles of doing legal theory and legal practice, and argues that the role of legal theory needs to factor in changes in the substance of law, legal reasoning, and legal careers. Second, focusing on European civil law countries, this article concludes that most legal theory is irrelevant for conventional legal practice. Concomitantly, it suggests that the constitutionalization, transnationalization, and Europeanization of legal systems are changing the practice of law in a way that is more congenial to theory than hitherto. It also contends that legal roles embodying a legislative standpoint within law are creating a demand for increased theoretical sophistication. Third, this article suggests what a course in legal theory, sketched along the lines of the analysis carried out, might look like.

An extension of Fleck-type Möbius function and inversion

A constructive generalization of Fleck-type Möbius function and inversion via convolution polynomials is presented here. Also provided are certain related propositions and some particular examples including a few classical results as consequences.

The role of child and parent savings in promoting expectations for university education among middle school students in Ghana: A propensity score analysis

The volume of research on high educational expectations among young people is increasing. Yet, there are still research gaps in what we know about the key predictors of young people's educational expectations, especially in the Sub-Saharan African context. This study aims to complement existing research on asset effects by testing two related propositions about how child and parent savings relate independently to children's expectations for university education. We use propensity score analysis with data from a random sample of junior high school students in Ghana. Findings reveal that parent savings are positively associated with higher probability of children having higher educational expectation. We also find that parents' savings have stronger effect on children's educational expectations compared to children's savings. We discuss implications for early exposure of young people to savings opportunities and its potential to ensure educational progression and optimum psychological and economic benefits to students.

Systematic Design of Modular Service Architectures for Complex Service Systems

The principle of modularity has become more and more important for designing modular service systems. During the last years, a number of modularization methods have been proposed and applied to services. In order to systematize and compare these methods, we conducted a systematic integrative literature review. We identified 12 methods published between 1998 and 2013 and developed a set of eight criteria for the subsequent analysis. The results of this analysis indicate that the major part of these methods focuses on analysis and design tasks during the development of modular service architectures. Subsequently, we propose a framework for service modularization that consists of four phases: framework calibration, analysis, module design and architecture design. This framework especially focuses on the systematization of the tasks to be conducted during the analysis of a service system and the design of a modular service architecture. We argue that an iterative refinement and a continual validation of the constituent elements and their interdependencies during the whole modularization process with experts from different domains are indispensable. Finally, we discuss our proposition in relation to existing modularization methods as well as regarding its strengths and limitations.

Breaking mental models as a form of creative destruction: The role of leader cognition in radical social innovations

Theory building on the unique cognitions involved in the generation and implementation of social innovation has grown in the past few years and general theoretical models of social innovation have been proposed. Drawing from prior research, this paper proposes to extend these models and related propositions by further accounting for different types of social innovation, as well as the different contexts and goals in which they are created in and meant to address. In doing so, it will also investigate some fundamental differences in the cognitions of socially-innovative leaders – such as mental models, knowledge, and cognitive strategies applied – and their impact on the generation and implementation of social innovation. Using a case study approach and drawing from the historic record provided by Guy Debord, leader of the Situationist International, this study will formulate some initial hypotheses about the cognitions he drew from and employed to generate and implement radical, as opposed to incremental, social innovations.

Engaging for Results in Civil Service Reforms: Early Lessons from a Problem-Driven Engagement in Sierra Leone

Two related propositions have been central in the recent debates on public sector reforms. The first of these is that the appropriate measure of institutional strength is the ability of public sector management systems to deliver results (“functionality”) rather than what these institutions look like (“form”). This is a central idea in the World Bank’s Public Sector Management (PSM) Approach (World Bank 2012 a). Second, and consistent with this, is the recognition that the process of engagement matters in the sense that how problems, solutions and reform approaches are identified matters at least as much as what the solution is. This suggests that development institutions should focus on bringing a broad range of stakeholders together and facilitate a process of collective problem and solution identification. Other recent contributions to the literature (Andrews et al 2012) describe a “Problem-Driven Iterative Adaptation” (PDIA) approach as a means of putting this idea into practice. While both of these propositions have considerable intellectual and intuitive appeal, they are based on an inductive logic and neither is currently backed with a robust body of evidence. This paper contributes to this literature by documenting the experience of a civil service reform project - the World Bank-financed Sierra Leone Pay and Performance Project - the objective of which is to improve the performance of the civil service in Sierra Leone by targeting a narrowly defined set of critical reforms. The engagement process and project design draw on key elements of the guidance offered by the World Bank’s PSM Approach and PDIA The paper concludes that intensive, client-led engagement together with a use of a financing instrument that focuses on results provides a promising way forward on a difficult reform agenda.

Contesting Intellectual Crisis: Michael D. Higgins and the Irish Postcolonial Mind

Since his election in 2011 Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland, has proposed that his would be a presidency of ideas and one sensitive to language. Central to this proposition has been the defence of the figure of the public intellectual. His own diverse trajectory as an academic, a poet and as a politician conscious of the need to bring culture and ideas into the public sphere gives authority to what is, in effect, an ideological position. In this article I will address the importance of such a proposition in relation to Irish intellectual traditions, particularly that of postcolonial critique and Irish emancipatory politics.

Conceptual Contribution of Social Network Analysis to Internationalization Research

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how specific features of social network analysis (SNA) can sharpen our knowledge about firm internationalization from a network perspective; particularly in the context of liability of outsidership (LOO) approach. It aims to build a more comprehensive understanding of overcoming LOO through revealing how networks’ structural attributes affect the willingness and ability of both outsider and insider to build an insidership position in a relevant network. SNA is offered as an appropriate analytical research tool to reveal structural characteristics of networks. Design/methodology/approach: The article draws on the extant literatures on internationalization, LOO and social network analysis to identify to what extent SNA can be benefited as an analytical research tool in LOO-focused internationalization research. It provides specific SNA measurement constructs and related propositions. Findings: Social Network Analysis, as an analytical research tool, provides strong potential for better understanding the internationalization phenomena through deeply and systematically revealing how structural attributes of networks affect overcoming LOO and the value of insidership. Originality/value: This study proposes SNA as an appropriate and robust analytical tool to reveal structural and positional attributes of networks which affect the willingness and ability of both insiders and outsiders to overcome LOO to a relevant network. It also adds a more comprehensive inside-out perspective into LOO discussion which has been extensively dominated by outside-in perspective in the internationalization literature. Keywords: Social Network Analysis, Internationalization, Liability of Outsidership, Network Structure, RBV

Therapeutic Jurisprudence in Health Research: Enlisting Legal Theory as a Methodological Guide in an Interdisciplinary Case Study of Mental Health and Criminal Law.

Studies that seek to understand and improve health care systems benefit from qualitative methods that employ theory to add depth, complexity, and context to analysis. Theories used in health research typically emerge from social science, but these can be inadequate for studying complex health systems. Mental health rehabilitation programs for criminal courts are complicated by their integration within the criminal justice system and by their dual health-and-justice objectives. In a qualitative multiple case study exploring the potential for these mental health court programs in Arctic communities, we assess whether a legal theory, known as therapeutic jurisprudence, functions as a useful methodological theory. Therapeutic jurisprudence, recruited across discipline boundaries, succeeds in guiding our qualitative inquiry at the complex intersection of mental health care and criminal law by providing a framework foundation for directing the study's research questions and the related propositions that focus our analysis.

Kosovo and Timor-Leste

Why do some states transition, with foreign assistance, from “fragile” to “robust”? Scholars in state-building have argued that neotrusteeship is an effective strategy by which external organizations might build postconflict states. This article tests this hypothesis, and two related propositions, in a paired comparison of Kosovo and Timor-Leste. The two states are similar in many respects and both experienced regional peace enforcement operations to end violent conflict, followed by massive neotrusteeship operations. They have had divergent results, however, in postconflict state-building: while the state and economy are gradually becoming stronger in Timor-Leste, the same cannot be said of Kosovo, which continues to be plagued by high unemployment, low growth, corruption, and organized crime. I argue that many of Kosovo’s problems can be traced back to the strategy of dividing international responsibility for neotrusteeship operations.

Design and Validation of Extended CSP Model

CSP method is very effective for analyzing security protocol, find security attack. But because of the limitation of limited resources, only limited instance verification can be completed. To make up for the inadequacy of CSP protocol model, the CSP mode lis extended to solve the problem of limited detecting in this paper. And then it is proved that the correctness of the extended model based on the related definitions and propositions by using the method of theoretical proof, from several aspects, such as data type of the model, process of trusted agent, process of intruder, process of manager.

The role of performance measurement models in multi level alignment

Purpose – Market deregulation in the utilities sector has led to increased competition and rising customer expectations in both established and new markets. This, in turn, has forced organisations such as electricity and telecoms to make rapid, enterprise-wide changes on an increasingly frequent basis which in turn has led to problems with alignment. Misalignment can occur at many levels and can result in misused resources, loss of competitiveness, excessive cycle times, higher costs and loss of agility. The purpose of this paper is twofold. Given the lack of overarching theory, the paper begins by borrowing from contingency, dynamic capability and organisational learning constructs, to explore the role that performance measurement models can bring to improve the alignment between business strategy and functional strategy (level 1 alignment). Second, the paper analyses the role of performance measurement models in developing functional practices aligned with supply chain management (SCM) strategies (level 2 alignment). Design/methodology/approach – The study adopts an exploratory theory-building approach using four case studies. These are used as key supply chains in both established and new business areas within two longitudinal university-industry research partnerships (each of three years duration). Data from repeat interviews (n=42), focus groups (n=10), documentation and observations is analysed and forms the basis for the development of a conceptual framework and a set of related propositions. The data analysis followed Radnor and Boaden's (2004) method for analysing interpretive research. Findings – The findings show the role and impact of performance measurement models and methods on alignment at two levels, i.e. level 1 alignment – between business strategy and functional (SCM) strategy, and level 2 alignment – between the functional strategy (SCM) and SCM routines and practices. Originality/value – To date, there are few studies which explore the development of theory and practice in relation to the role and impact of performance measurement models and methods in improving organisational alignment. This exploratory theory building study makes a contribution to this gap through the development of the conceptual framework and propositions.

Venture capitalist and entrepreneur knowledge of new venture internationalization: A review of knowledge components

This article offers a review of conceptual and empirical research on knowledge components during the process of new venture internationalization. A framework is developed to illustrate different knowledge components that constitute ‘international knowledge’. We focus specifically upon the interface between entrepreneur and venture capitalist knowledge respectively. Propositions are developed in relation to these knowledge components; based on our framework and the related propositions, suggestions for future research activities are outlined. Finally, we offer insights for managers and investors in the development of their internationalization strategy.

Corporate Social Responsibility & Concession Theory

This Essay examines three related propositions: (1) Voluntary corporate social responsibility (CSR) fails to effectively advance the agenda of a meaningful segment of CSR proponents; (2) None of the three dominant corporate governance theories – director primacy, shareholder primacy, or team production theory – support mandatory CSR as a normative matter; and, (3) Corporate personality theory, specifically concession theory, can be a meaningful source of leverage in advancing mandatory CSR in the face of opposition from the three primary corporate governance theories. In examining these propositions, this Essay makes the additional claims that Citizens United: (A) supports the proposition that corporate personality theory matters; (B) undermines one of the key supports of the shareholder wealth maximization norm; and (C) highlights the political nature of this debate. Finally, I note that the Supreme Court’s recent Hobby Lobby decision does not undermine my CSR claims, contrary to the suggestions of some commentators.

Autopsies and Philosophies of a Merovingian Life: Death, Responsibility, Salvation

In the seventh century a cluster of problems about death, agency, and accountability arose in conjunction with new ideas about the afterlife. Merovingian intellectuals challenged and adapted late antique theories of moral responsibility and eschatology in view of the increasingly attractive possibility that the soul’s destination after death could be influenced by earthly actions. These changes were informed by an increasingly social understanding of human choice and behavior, and that whole knot of related philosophical propositions surfaced in hagiography, when authors began to explain more fully how and why their protagonists died.

TQM IMPLEMENTATION: RELATING CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR TO STRATEGY OF THE FIRM

ABSTRACT TQM literature has identified many Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for its implementation. We argue that for a given strategy of the firm (such as Innovator, Prospector and Defender strategy), some CSFs will be more important than the other CSFs. We build a theoretical argument for above and give related propositions in this paper. We plan to undertake on empirical study to verify the framework given in this paper. Keywords Critical Success Factors (CSFs), Total Quality Management (TQM), Defenders, Prospectors, Innovators, TQM Implementation, strategy of the firm

Individual Motivations to Create Social Enterprises: Cultural Impacts in China

This article presents a theoretical framework and three related propositions linking Chinese culture – specifically collectivism/familism orientation, large power distance, and Confucianism – to social entrepreneurship. The framework identifies how each of the three dimensions affects the individual’s motivation to establish social enterprises. In this article, we review the definition and two dimensions of national culture: individualism vs. collectivism, and power distance; discuss the key components of Confucian ideology; offer a review of social entrepreneurship models that relate culture and individual motivation; and propose the relations might exist between Chinese national culture and social entrepreneurs’ motivation.

Translating Rhetoric

This study investigates the (re)creation of rhetorical structure, a crucial aspect of coherence that plays an important part in establishing functional equivalence in translation. While considerable amount of research is available on certain aspects of coherence, little attention has been devoted to the translation of rhetorical structure, despite its acknowledged significance in discourse processing (Hatim and Mason 1990, Mann et al. 1992, Nord 1997, Tirkkonen-Condit 2002). Based on Rhetorical Structure Theory (Mann and Thompson 1986), this study aims to generate initial hypotheses regarding the (re)creation of rhetorical structure in Hungarian-English news translation and demonstrate the interplay between rhetorical and discourse structure, with a view to highlighting the significance of rhetoric in producing functionally adequate translations. Findings indicate that while no statistically significant shifts occur in the quantity of relational propositions in source texts and translations, considerable shifts may be identified in the quality and position of certain relational propositions . These shifts affect the rhetorical as well as generic structure of the target text and thus exert a very subtle influence on the way it is interpreted by the reader.

Recent progress in carbon-based cathode for lithium-air batteries with organic electrolyte solution

High-energy lithium-air batteries using organic electrolyte have become a research hotspot in recent years. The research on carbon- based cathodes is the critical factor for the development of lithium-air batteries using organic electrolyte. The recent progress in carbon-based cathode for lithium-air batteries with organic electrolyte solution was discussed in detail. The relations in constituent elements, electrode architectures and mechanism of bifunctional catalysis for carbon-based cathodes were introduced. The problems in the research of carbon-based cathode for lithium-air batteries with organic electrolyte solution and the related propositions for future research were pointed out.