Sources Of Empirical Evidence Research Articles

Anglican cathedrals as episcopal theological resource churches for nurturing growth and sustainability

ABSTRACTThis paper examines the case for conceptualising Anglican cathedrals as episcopal theological resource churches for nurturing growth and sustainability. The case is rooted in two sources of empirical evidence: statistical evidence published by the Church of England for the period 2009–2019 show cathedrals to be growing while the rest of the Church is declining; and a series of studies listening to those attending Sunday services and special events explores the motivation and experience of those attending cathedrals. The case is then advanced by exploring three questions that illuminate the distinctive religious and ecclesial identity of Anglican cathedrals within the contemporary spiritual landscape of England that is increasingly characterised by secularity: Why bother with Anglican identity? Why bother with theology? Why bother with bishops? Discussion of these three issues leads to a reasoned response to the fourth question: Why bother with cathedrals?

Classical authors and “scientific” research in the early years of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, 1781–1800

ABSTRACT While a clear distinction was drawn between “classical learning” and “modern science” at Oxford and Cambridge Universities in the early nineteenth century, we see no such contrast being made in other spaces of knowledge making, such as the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society. Drawing on Bacon's insistence that his inductive method should apply across all fields of knowledge, early members of the Society interpreted “science” as referring to any systematic inquiry utilising an empirical approach. An investigation of the ways in which classical authors were used within the researches of early members of the Society raises important questions about how we should think about empirical method and scientific research in early nineteenth–century England. Frequently understood as primarily engaged in researching natural knowledge, the members of the Manchester Society concerned themselves with a wide range of subjects across all branches of knowledge. Crucially, classical authors were drawn upon as sources of empirical evidence across all types of inquiry, from investigations into the colours of opaque bodies to the origins of party feeling. It is possible to identify a common approach – “history as empirical method”, which, this article suggests, was developed from Bacon's call for a “just story of learning”.

Electromagnetism's Bridge Across the Explanatory Gap: How a Neuroscience/Physics Collaboration Delivers Explanation Into All Theories of Consciousness.

A productive, informative three decades of correlates of phenomenal consciousness (P-Consciousness) have delivered valuable knowledge while simultaneously locating us in a unique and unprecedented explanatory cul-de-sac. Observational correlates are demonstrated to be intrinsically very unlikely to explain or lead to a fundamental principle underlying the strongly emergent 1st-person-perspective (1PP) invisibly stowed away inside them. That lack is now solidly evidenced in practice. To escape our explanatory impasse, this article focuses on fundamental physics (the standard model of particle physics), which brings to light a foundational argument for how the brain is an essentially electromagnetic (EM) field object from the atomic level up. That is, our multitude of correlates of P-Consciousness are actually descriptions of specific EM field behaviors that are posed (hypothesized) as “the right” correlate by a particular theory of consciousness. Because of this, our 30 years of empirical progress can be reinterpreted as, in effect, the delivery of a large body of evidence that the standard model’s EM quadrant can deliver a 1PP. That is, all theories of consciousness are, in the end, merely recipes that select a particular subset of the totality of EM field expression that is brain tissue. With a universal convergence on EM, the science of P-Consciousness becomes a collaborative effort between neuroscience and physics. The collaboration acts in pursuit of a unified explanation applicable to all theories of consciousness while remaining mindful that the process still contains no real explanation as to why or how EM fields deliver a 1PP. The apparent continued lack of explanation is, however, different: this time, the way forward is opened through its direct connection to fundamental physics. This is the first result (Part I). Part II posits, in general terms, a structural (epistemic) add-on/upgrade to the standard model that has the potential to deliver the missing route to an explanation of how subjectivity is delivered through EM fields. The revised standard model, under the neuroscience/physics collaboration, intimately integrates with the existing “correlates of-” paradigm, which acts as its source of empirical evidence. No existing theory of consciousness is lost or invalidated.

Unbound: Releasing Inequality’s Grip on Our Economy

There is a transformation now underway in economics that is thoroughly upending the conventional wisdom about how our nation can deliver strong, stable, and broadly shared economic growth. A new generation of scholars, informed by new data and sources of empirical evidence, is challenging long-held assumptions about how the economy works and the extent to which those workings can be understood in isolation from the larger dynamics of the rest of society. Real-world observations are undermining the claim that markets left to their own devices reliably deliver socially beneficial outcomes. All this is paving the way for a major shift. The new framework starts from the understanding—grounded in the evidence—of the ways that inequality obstructs, subverts, and distorts economic growth. While Adam Smith’s famous invisible hand pushes the economy toward broadly beneficial outcomes, economic inequality acts as bind, thwarting the idealized market processes as it transforms into social and political power. A rising tide cannot lift all boats when some cannot even get launched and others pushed off course and deprived of navigation tools, founder on the rocks. Inequality constricts economic growth. This framework exposes dynamics more complex than the conventional economic wisdom of the past can explain. While it is tempting to embrace the simple tale that a rising tide lifts all boats, we need to make sense of a large body of research literature, much of which has focused not directly on the question of how inequality affects economic growth but rather on how inequality affects mechanisms that in turn drive investment and productivity. The reasons that economic benefits are not flowing to families may be disparate, but there are many common themes—which, once fully traced, can reveal new patterns to guide better economic thinking and policymaking.

Industrija 4.0 kao poluga inovacija - pregled potencijala Srbije i prilike za nova istraživanja

This article explores the premises of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and its role in fostering innovation and economic growth, indicating Serbia's Industry 4.0 potential and the gaps. The deployed methodology includes a literature review, both in the context of global developments and Serbia's innovation potential, supported by an analysis of several sources of empirical evidence that could serve as a basis for future research. A more in-depth investigation of blockchain and artificial intelligence (and related automation) developments, as well as a study of the application of other relevant technologies, such as robotics, cloud computing, extended reality, 3-D printing and others are suggested. The Republic of Serbia Statistical Office could support this process by conducting wider and more regular innovation surveys, as well as by adapting its business monitoring tools. It is further proposed that research focus be placed on a review of the dataset of companies and projects supported by the Innovation Fund of the Republic of Serbia, concentrating particularly on the outcomes of these projects and how they impact wider innovation activity. Finally, research should also be continued in the related fields of human capital and knowledge integration, access to finance and the regulatory and infrastructure framework.

Points for Place: Can State Governments Shape Siting Patterns of Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Developments?

There is considerable controversy about the allocation of Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). Some charge that credits are disproportionately allocated to developments in poor, minority neighborhoods without additional investments and thereby reinforcing patterns of poverty concentration and racial segregation. We examine whether Qualified Allocation Plans, which outline the selection criteria states use when awarding credits, can serve as an effective tool for directing credits to higher opportunity neighborhoods (or neighborhoods that offer a rich set of resources, such as high-performing schools and access to jobs) for states wishing to do so. To answer this question, we study changes in the location criteria outlined in allocation plans for 20 different states across the country between 2002 and 2010, and observe the degree to which those modifications are associated with changes in the poverty rates and racial composition of the neighborhoods where developments awarded tax credits are located. We find evidence that changes to allocation plans that prioritize higher opportunity neighborhoods are associated with increases in the share of credits allocated to housing units in lower poverty neighborhoods and reductions in the share allocated to those in predominantly minority neighborhoods. This analysis provides the first source of empirical evidence that state allocation plans can shape LIHTC siting patterns.

Стратегическая культура и фреймы коллективной памяти (на примере постсоветской России)

History is usually considered both a factor in developing strategic culture and a source of empirical evidence about it. However, what actually shapes perceptions of security threats is not “history” as an objectivist analytic reconstruction of the collective past but some shared ideas about this past. The article proposes a theoretical frame for analyzing connections between history and strategic culture based on the concept of frames of collective remembrance, and tests it on the Russian case. It traces the connections between the transforming frames of remembrance of the experience of the USSR and Russia in the 1990s and the perceptions of security threats by the Russian elites. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17072/2218-1067-2018-1-75-91

The effects of the degree of produce perishability and the choice of procurement channel on supplier opportunism: empirical evidence from the food processing industry

Opportunism is an important topic in supply chain management and distribution channels. The emergence of this behaviour in buyer-supplier relationships tends to reduce performance while diminishing value creation in the effected relations. Different transactions call for different control levels depending on the gravity of opportunism in the transaction, with the need for control being higher as opportunism increases. In this regard, it is important to understand the factors that give rise to opportunism to apply appropriate control mechanisms. This study, therefore, explores the effect of the degree of the perishability of the transacted produce on supplier opportunism. Additionally, this study treated the choice of procurement channel as a control mechanism; therefore, we compared the effect of perishability on opportunism in direct and indirect procurement channels. In this study, cross-sectional survey data collected from 239 food processor-produce supplier relationships served as source of empirical evidence. The empirical findings support our hypotheses, and demonstrate that perishability is positively associated with supplier opportunism, with the effect being significantly lower in the direct procurement channels than in the indirect procurement channel.

The effects of the degree of produce perishability and the choice of procurement channel on supplier opportunism: empirical evidence from the food processing industry

Opportunism is an important topic in supply chain management and distribution channels. The emergence of this behaviour in buyer-supplier relationships tends to reduce performance while diminishing value creation in the effected relations. Different transactions call for different control levels depending on the gravity of opportunism in the transaction, with the need for control being higher as opportunism increases. In this regard, it is important to understand the factors that give rise to opportunism to apply appropriate control mechanisms. This study, therefore, explores the effect of the degree of the perishability of the transacted produce on supplier opportunism. Additionally, this study treated the choice of procurement channel as a control mechanism; therefore, we compared the effect of perishability on opportunism in direct and indirect procurement channels. In this study, cross-sectional survey data collected from 239 food processor-produce supplier relationships served as source of empirical evidence. The empirical findings support our hypotheses, and demonstrate that perishability is positively associated with supplier opportunism, with the effect being significantly lower in the direct procurement channels than in the indirect procurement channel.

O USO DA TRIANGULAÇÃO NA PESQUISA CIENTÍFICA BRASILEIRA EM ADMINISTRAÇÃO

O objetivo do presente artigo é investigar o uso dos procedimentos de triangulação em pesquisas científicas em Administração feitas no Brasil. Entende-se a triangulação como um procedimento que combina diferentes métodos de coleta de dados, distintas populações (ou amostras), diferentes perspectivas teóricas e diferentes momentos no tempo, para consolidar suas conclusões a respeito do fenômeno que está sendo investigado. Existem diversos tipos de triangulação, mas, de modo geral, segue-se a classificação de Denzin (2005), que distinguiu a triangulação de dados, da teoria, de investigadores e metodológica, posteriormente ampliada e explicada por diferentes autores. Na análise realizada em artigos obtidos junto à base de dados Scielo Brasil, verificou-se uma diversificação no uso do método, por vezes aplicado de forma distorcida, havendo, sobretudo, confusão entre a triangulação de dados e a metodológica. Nesse sentido, o artigo conclui que são poucos os trabalhos que reconhecem o uso da triangulação com base nas diferentes perspectivas e propósitos apontados na literatura, embora se tenha observado um número significativo de estudos que a utilizam enquanto técnica de análise de dados baseada em fontes distintas de evidência empírica.

The Contributions of the Studies of Health Care Systems to the Examination of the Productivist Welfare Capitalism Thesis

This article demonstrates how the study of the health care systems in Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan contributes to the analysis of the “productivist welfare capitalism” thesis. It focuses on examining the validity of the arguments derived from the discussions of this thesis. The examination is based on different sources of empirical evidence, namely the population health outcomes of Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea and the data provided by a health care typology that covers these three tiger economies and 14 OECD countries.

What is the meaning of behavioural economics?

This article examines the insights into how people actually behave from behavioural economics and how this affects economic explanation and prescription. It argues that implications for explanation are likely always to be contestable (because, as a new source of empirical evidence, behavioural economics encounters familiar problems with empiricism). The implications for prescription, however, are potentially significant, although not in the direction popularised by ‘nudging’. Indeed, the behavioural insights suggest that public policy should be less concerned with forms of preference satisfaction and more concerned with individual autonomy. On many accounts of the philosophy of social science, the tension between these insights into behaviour and the dominant model of rational choice would likely consign behavioural economics to the margins of the discipline. In this context, however, this is not true, and the article concludes with a discussion of this puzzle.

The innovation effects of environmental policy instruments — A typical case of the blind men and the elephant?

In this paper we examine the innovation effects of environmental policy instruments in four literatures: theoretical models on incentives for eco-innovation, econometric studies based on observed data, survey analysis based on stated information and technology case studies. The aim of this paper is to critically examine the methods and the results. We argue that the case studies literature, even when its results are specific and difficult to generalise, is a necessary source of empirical evidence about policy impacts and the factors responsible for these impacts, pointing to issues that are neglected in the theoretical and econometric literature such as the specifics of the innovation context and policy interaction effects. The paper states five synthesised findings and makes a plea for multi-method analysis. One other important synthesised finding is that the influence of market-based instruments on innovation (such as emission trading and taxes) is far weaker than assumed.

Ethical considerations of last chance tourism

Global environmental change is altering natural and built systems in many regions of the world and such changes play a significant role in an emerging travel trend that has been labelled ‘last chance tourism’ (LCT). In LCT, tourism demand is based on the desire to see these vulnerable places and features before they disappear or are essentially and irrevocably changed. The paradox in this new form of travel lies in the fact that the tourists often travel long distances and, thus, are disproportionately responsible per capita for increased greenhouse gas emissions and various other stressors that have the potential to alter further the very attractions being visited. The emergence of LCT requires careful ethical consideration and adds a new twist to the debate about ‘loving a destination to death’. In this case, the relationship is indirect and intangible, and is complicated by spatial and temporal lags, as well as the complex system of biophysical interactions at the heart of climate change. LCT presents a situation that is considerably more difficult to manage and mitigate than those where tourism involves only direct and local impacts. Through a praxis/reflective approach, we discuss this complexity and the various ethical issues associated with marketing and managing LCT. In order to provide context and clarification of the LCT concept, we use one of the most evocative symbols of climate change, the polar bears of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, as a source of empirical evidence and a foundation for exploring ethical considerations.

Taking the Rules of the Game Seriously: Mainstreaming Justice in Development the World Bank’s Justice for the Poor Program

This paper explains the ideas and approaches that underpin the World Bank's Justice for the Poor (J4P) program. J4P is an approach to legal empowerment that focuses on mainstreaming sociolegal concerns into development processes, in sectors ranging from community-driven development and mining technical assistance to labor-rights advocacy and classic judicial reform. It has developed out of a perspective that legal and regulatory frameworks and related justice concerns cannot be conceived of in terms of a 'sector' or a specific set of institutions, but are integral to all development processes. Further, while there is broad agreement that justice reform and building an equitable justice sector is central to good governance and sustainable development, there is limited understanding of how equitable justice systems emerge and how such processes can be facilitated by external actors. J4P addresses these knowledge gaps with intensive research aimed at understanding the ways in which development processes shape and are shaped by local context, and in particular, how the poor engage with and/or are excluded from the multiple rule systems ('legal pluralism') governing their everyday lives. Through three case studies of the program's work, this paper illustrates how understanding the various roles of law in society provides an innovative means of analyzing and responding to particular development problems. The cases also demonstrate the principles that underpin J4P: development is inherently conflict-ridden; institutional reform should be seen as an iterative and thus 'interim' process; building local research capacity is critical to establishing an empirically based and context-driven reform process; integrating diverse sources of empirical evidence is needed to deeply engage in local contexts; and rule systems are ubiquitous in all areas of development, not just the 'legal sector.'

Modelling multiple goals: Electoral system preferences in Hungary in 1989

The constitutional choices that were made in Eastern Europe in 1989 and thereafter have proved a rich source of empirical evidence for theorists of institutional choice. These theorists have typica...

The Distribution of Investment Risk in Defined Benefit Pension Plans: A Reconsideration

The "textbook " description is that members of defined benefit pension plans bear no investment risk, in sharp contrast to members of defined contribution plans. Yet formal or informal bargaining may focus on the size of required employer contributions to a defined benefit plan. If at least some of the costs of such employer contributions are shifted back to workers, then members of defined benefit plans do bear investment risk. We utilize three sources of empirical evidence (a survey of pension specialists, econometric analysis, and case studies) to support the proposition that employees do bear at least some of the investment risk associated with pension fund performance. Poor fund performance leads to larger employer contributions to maintain the defined benefit obligation and this in turn leads to lower levels of other forms of compensation. We conclude that riskshifting does occur, in at least some plans, and that the textbook distinction is overstated.

Health policy-makers' perceptions of their use of evidence: a systematic review.

The empirical basis for theories and common wisdom regarding how to improve appropriate use of research evidence in policy decisions is unclear. One source of empirical evidence is interview studies with policy-makers. The aim of this systematic review was to summarise the evidence from interview studies of facilitators of, and barriers to, the use of research evidence by health policy-makers. We searched multiple databases, including Medline, Embase, Sociofile, PsychLit, PAIS, IBSS, IPSA and HealthStar in June 2000, hand-searched key journals and personally contacted investigators. We included interview studies with health policy-makers that covered their perceptions of the use of research evidence in health policy decisions at a national, regional or organisational level. Two reviewers independently assessed the relevance of retrieved articles, described the methods of included studies and extracted data that were summarised in tables and analysed qualitatively. We identified 24 studies that met our inclusion criteria. These studies included a total of 2041 interviews with health policy-makers. Assessments of the use of evidence were largely descriptive and qualitative, focusing on hypothetical scenarios or retrospective perceptions of the use of evidence in relation to specific cases. Perceived facilitators of, and barriers to, the use of evidence varied. The most commonly reported facilitators were personal contact (13/24), timely relevance (13/24), and the inclusion of summaries with policy recommendations (11/24). The most commonly reported barriers were absence of personal contact (11/24), lack of timeliness or relevance of research (9/24), mutual mistrust (8/24) and power and budget struggles (7/24). Interview studies with health policy-makers provide only limited support for commonly held beliefs about facilitators of, and barriers to, their use of evidence, and raise questions about commonsense proposals for improving the use of research for policy decisions. Two-way personal communication, the most common suggestion, may improve the appropriate use of research evidence, but it might also promote selective (inappropriate) use of research evidence.

Were Small Producers the Engines of Growth in the Canadian Manufacturing Sector in the 1980s

Small firms are often seen to be the engines of growth. There are two main sources of empirical evidence that are adduced to support this conclusion. The first is that job creation has been coming mainly from small firms. The second is that the share of employment accounted for by small firms has increased in the past two decades. Both of these sources rely on a simple metric-employment. This paper asks whether changes in this metric affect the view of the role that small firms play in the growth process.

Evaluating health planning: empirical evidence on HSA regulation of prepaid group practices.

The regulation of HMOs by health planning agencies serves as a "tracer" to aid in evaluating HSAs, and as a source of empirical evidence for the heretofore largely theoretical health policy debate between market reformers and regulators. Two complementary studies (the authors' 1979 survey investigating the hospitalization policies of prepaid group practices, and AMPI 's study of all HMO applications submitted to HSAs from 1975 through mid-1978) provide information about the extent of HMO applications to planning agencies, the rate of rejections, the burden of the planning process of HMOs, and the possibility that negative perceptions of regulation may have led HMOs to refrain from activities requiring planning approval. Both studies reveal that health planning review was detrimental to 20 to 30 percent of HMOs. Thus data collected during the period of extensive HSA regulation of HMOs seem to justify the current policy that gives HSAs only very limited authority over HMOs.