Strategic Preferences Research Articles

Beyond Orientalism: The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Strategic Preferences Regarding Nuclear Weapons

When studying the issue of nuclear weapons proliferation, Iran is often presented as a rogue state driven by a volatile Islamic belief system. Such accounts present Iran as perpetually seeking nuclear weapons due to its foreign and defense policy, which is conceived by irrational Muslim clerics. This article deconstructs such consistent Orientalist discourses across Western academia, think-tanks, lobbying, and governments concerning the rogue and irrational pursuit of nuclear weapons by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Departing from them, the article moves to peruse a range of views held by some prominent Iranian clerics about nuclear weapons and demonstrates the rationales that bring Iran’s clerics to socially construct external threats, dangers, and other strategic concerns from within the Islamic Republic. In doing so, a new framework for understanding Iran’s strategic preferences—unbridled by the limitations of Orientalist discourse, as well as the biases of secular and state-based realist thinking—is offered.

Manufacturer’s Channel Strategy and Demand Information Sharing in a Retailer-Led Green Supply Chain

In the rapidly evolving landscape of e-commerce, companies are increasingly focusing on their channel strategies to gain sustainable development. However, asymmetric demand information poses challenges to these decisions. This paper explores the interplay between a retailer’s information sharing strategy and a manufacturer’s channel strategy in a retailer-led green supply chain, where the manufacturer may establish an online channel to sell its green products directly. The dominant retailer has private demand information about the market and decides whether to share private information with the manufacturer. By establishing a game model, we analyze the impacts of information sharing and the manufacturer’s channel strategy on the payoffs for all the supply chain members, considering sustainability aspects such as the environmental benefits of green products and the efficiency of supply chain operations. The results show that information sharing benefits both the retailer and the manufacturer, irrespective of the establishment of an online channel. When the retailer shares demand information, opening an online channel benefits the manufacturer but benefits the retailer under certain conditions. Furthermore, through a numerical approach, we examine the strategic preferences of the firms and derive the equilibrium strategy. Interestingly, the manufacturer consistently prefers the scenario involving both an online channel and information sharing. The retailer’s preference, however, depends on the direct selling cost; it favors information sharing with or without an online channel based on this cost. Ultimately, our findings suggest that the equilibrium strategy can either be sharing information with an online channel or not sharing information without an online channel, which is contingent upon the direct selling cost and the forecast signal precision. These insights provide actionable strategies for enhancing the sustainability of supply chain operations.

Women’s Academic Career Trajectory to the Top: Strategies and Ways of Doing Gender

ABSTRACT In recent years, the political approach to gender balance in academia has shifted from “fixing the women” to “fixing the system”. Based on an action research (AR) project aimed at enabling more women to qualify for senior positions in the academic field and conducted at one of Norway’s largest university colleges, this study explores the expectations of the participants during the initial phase of the project regarding what measures and strategies the project should offer. Using method triangulation, I have garnered insights into the priorities of these women, the polarizations that arose, and the consequences of these polarizations—all regarding the differences between the participants in strategic preferences and ways of doing gender. More specifically, this research unpacks conflicting norms of these women concerning factors such as community, support and care versus self-protection, individual competition, and professional goal-orientedness. This study mainly draws on the discourse analysis resources and theoretical contributions of Judith Butler and Michel Foucault.

Towards Global Explainability of Artificial Intelligence Agent Tactics in Close Air Combat

In this paper, we explore the development of an explainability system for air combat agents trained with reinforcement learning, thus addressing a crucial need in the dynamic and complex realm of air combat. The safety-critical nature of air combat demands not only improved performance but also a deep understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) decision-making processes. Although AI has been applied significantly to air combat, a gap remains in comprehensively explaining an AI agent’s decisions, which is essential for their effective integration and for fostering trust in their actions. Our research involves the creation of an explainability system tailored for agents trained in an air combat environment. Using reinforcement learning, combined with a reward decomposition approach, the system clarifies the agent’s decision making in various tactical situations. This transparency allows for a nuanced understanding of the agent’s behavior, thereby uncovering their strategic preferences and operational patterns. The findings reveal that our system effectively identifies the strengths and weaknesses of an agent’s tactics in different air combat scenarios. This knowledge is essential for debugging and refining the agent’s performance and to ensure that AI agents operate optimally within their intended contexts. The insights gained from our study highlight the crucial role of explainability in improving the integration of AI technologies within air combat systems, thus facilitating more informed tactical decisions and potential advancements in air combat strategies.

The two-pillared laicism of the Turkish Constitutional Court: from the 1970s to the 1990s

ABSTRACT The dominant scholarly view on Turkish political history, namely the ‘centre-periphery’ approach, has vociferously put forward the judicial and military elites as anchors of an entrenched unitary historical bloc, bequeathed by the Ottoman bureaucratic cadre, which had relentlessly defended a conspicuously definite Kemalist-assertive secularism in the republican period. Diverging from this mainstream historiography, an interrogation of the period from the 1970s to the 1990s shows that (1) the Turkish judges and military did not always act in a unified bloc; at times, they could not exactly agree on the practices and meanings of secularism. Thus, especially at the height of the Cold War, the judges did not only stand in opposition to the societal religious demands but also to some of the pro-Islamic tendencies in the army; (2) the linchpin of the laicism that the judges pursued did not stand in opposition solely with the Islamic religiosity but also impeded certain secularist societal demands. By investigating a selection of court decisions, judicial opinions, and other documents following the congruence method, the article shows that actors’ strategic preferences should be deemed relevant. A revision seems necessary concerning the mainstream academic lens for understanding Turkish laicism in the past and present.

The United States, the Defence of the Middle East and Türkiye: 1946-1952

This study analyses the early years of cooperation between Türkiye and the United States (US) in the field of security and defence by utilising US government documents and the secondary sources that heavily depend on primary sources. It emphasizes the link between the elements of the strategic context in which the US developed its approach to the defence of the Middle East and the American interest in developing defence ties with Türkiye. The major outcomes of Turkish-American cooperation were American support for Türkiye against the Soviet Union in 1946, the provision of American military assistance in 1947, the modernization of the Turkish military, the construction of military bases on Turkish territory, American support for Turkish membership in NATO and Turkish willingness to conduct its relations with the Middle East in coordination with the West. This study reveals that those outcomes reflected for the most time American political and strategic preferences. For this reason, the typical characteristics of those relations between great powers and small states can be observed in Turkish-American security relations during their formative years.

Research on operation mechanisms of shareholding supply chains considering retailers’ marketing efforts

PurposeMarketing is a hot topic, and the purpose of this study is to investigate how shareholding strategies can be applied to achieve strategic synergy between firms in vertical supply chains to improve retailers’ marketing efforts from a long-term perspective.Design/methodology/approachThis study constructs Stackelberg models to analyze the operating mechanisms of shareholding supply chains under forward, backward and cross-shareholding strategies. The authors analyze the effects of shareholding on prices, marketing efforts and profits, and explore the strategic preferences and outcomes of different supply chain members.FindingsForward/backward shareholding plays the same role as cross/nonshareholding in supply chains because the effect of the retailer’s shareholding is offset by the power status of the manufacturer, and the retailer can still profit when wholesale prices are higher than selling prices in certain cases. A manufacturer’s shareholding in a retailer can benefit consumers and improve marketing efforts by reducing retailers’ marketing costs, while a retailer’s shareholding in a manufacturer has no such effect. None of all shareholding strategies can coordinate the interests of all members; however, an effective rebate policy can resolve this problem.Originality/valueThe results reveal the operational mechanism of shareholding supply chains and provide reference values for managers who want to improve marketing efforts and economic performance using a shareholding strategy.

Shared Goals, Diverging Paths: Saudi-Emirati Alliance in Yemen Conflict (2015-2023)

This article explores the intricacies of the Riyadh- Abu Dhabi alliance in Yemen and the potential impact this has had on the conflict. Specifically, it adopts the theoretical framework of Intra-alliance politics, which integrates considerations of individual and collective interests in coalition, and examines how divergent interests and strategic preferences between the two major regional actors shape the dynamics of the alliance and evolving competitions within it. Further, it also assesses the implications of the discord between the two regional powers on Yemen’s stability. The article concludes that beyond distinct national interests, the inability to achieve the coalition’s primary objective of reinstating the government in Sana’a has further fuelled this divergence. While the coalition has undergone a transformation, the situation does not spell the end of the Riyadh-Abu Dhabi alliance, as they have been able to, in many instances, compartmentalize their disagreements for larger gains. Nevertheless, an increasing divergence between these two States in their Yemen policy is likely to be counter-productive to their shared goal of stabilizing Yemen.

How does CEO green experience affect green innovation of energy firms? Evidence from China

CEO characteristics influence their strategic preferences, which are crucial for promoting corporate green innovation (GI). However, the influence and its mechanisms of CEO green experience (GreCEO) on GI of energy firms, especially when comparing different firm types holistically, remain understudied. This study used a moderated mediation model with fixed effects to examine the relationship between GreCEO and GI of energy firms, based on the unbalanced panel data of 821 listed Chinese energy firms during 2004–2021. We find that: (1) GreCEO positively affects energy firms’ GI. (2) Heterogeneity exists in the GI effect of GreCEO regarding business ownership and industry characteristics, and this effect is more prominent in non-state-owned energy firms and high-tech energy firms. (3) Green management (GM) and debt-to-asset ratio (DAR) partially mediate GreCEO's impact on GI of energy firms. (4) Renewable energy policy (REP) moderates the relationship between GreCEO and GI of energy firms, and its influencing mechanisms. In contrast to studies that focus on the direct effect of CEO characteristics on GI, this study identifies the potential influencing mechanisms through which GreCEO affects GI of energy firms. In addition, the moderation analysis reveals the boundary condition that GreCEO affects GI, enriching our understanding of GreCEO's effect on GI from the perspective of a firm's internal conditions and external policy environment. Regarding green development, CEOs’ early experience should be included in the management system and evaluation criteria of energy firms. The Chinese government should continue to implement the REP and accelerate energy firms’ green transition.

Orchestrating listening in EMI university lectures: how listening proficiency and motivation shape students’ use of metacognitive listening strategies

Abstract Recent research has called for cultivating strategic learners in globally expanding English medium instruction (EMI) university programs, so as to help them effectively orchestrate resources to handle the challenging task of learning subject knowledge through an L2. EMI studies exploring students’ strategies have thus far primarily categorized strategy types, with scant research investigating what key learner variables affect their strategic choices. This study focuses on students’ use of metacognitive listening strategies during EMI lectures, and explores how their strategic preferences differ across three groups of English listening proficiency and are influenced by motivational beliefs of self-efficacy, goal orientation, and task value. Results of ANOVA tests and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis of students’ questionnaire responses (N = 412) revealed significant variations in strategy types across different proficiency levels. Although students were found to be highly motivated by extrinsic goals and utility-based task values, these motivational beliefs failed to significantly predict any metacognitive strategy use. Both intrinsic learning goals and self-efficacy significantly predicted the use of directed attention, problem solving, and plan-evaluation strategies, highlighting the pedagogical needs to foster these motivational beliefs of students in EMI university programs to help them become strategic and independent listeners in academic lectures.

The realities of EU industrial policies analysed through automotive value chain dynamics

AbstractProcesses in the past decades have resulted in the segmentation of European industries into ‘headquarter’ and ‘factory’ economies, though these categories are not fully distinct. ‘Headquarter’ economies typically host the higher value added activities and service units while ‘factory’ economies are popular locations for lower segments of the value chains. This setup has implications for EU level industrial policy strategies. In the current times of accelerating technological development and the ever growing servitisation of industries, ‘headquarter’ economies genuinely have better capabilities and resources to gain more share of the value added, and can actually steer the course of events in the sector. In the EU peripheries, new investment often covers relocation of previous technologies and retired assets of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The ‘factory’ economies are in a disadvantage in several aspects, while the headquarters optimise according to their own set of strategic preferences, which further compromises the opportunities of industrial actors in the peripheries to shape their own future. Industrial policies, however smart and well designed, have limited chances to influence the character and speed of changes. We review reported cases through which we test literature and contrast realities with aspirations regarding smart and sustainable industrial development across the EU.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) support for the management of site investigations for radioactive waste disposal facilities

Abstract. Providing safe, secure and environmentally acceptable radioactive waste disposal is a national responsibility that requires a long-term commitment, adequate resources and the involvement of multiple stakeholders. The choice of a particular disposal concept and its detailed design will depend on several factors, such as the properties of the waste inventory to be disposed of, national circumstances and strategic preferences. A concept is likely to evolve iteratively as one or more sites are investigated and the repository design is refined to reflect local conditions. In this context, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently published technical guidance on the management of site investigations for radioactive waste repositories. A key objective of the publication Management of Site Investigations for Radioactive Waste Disposal Facilities (IAEA, 2023) is to ensure that site investigation efforts in Member states have firm foundations based on a clear understanding of data and information requirements. The publication was developed to reflect the experiences and knowledge from a range of disposal programmes, and it is intended to support initiation of well-planned and focused site investigations in Member states with a need to develop and site radioactive waste disposal facilities. A siting process is intended to result in the identification of a suitable location for any nuclear installation, including a deep geological repository, and ultimately to receive authorisation to construct and operate the facility. To achieve this objective, it will be necessary to ensure that the combination of site properties and engineered barrier properties provides requisite levels of safety for the inventory under consideration (IAEA, 2015). The siting process and associated site investigations for a radioactive waste disposal facility follow a stepwise process, irrespective of whether the early stages of siting start with investigating and screening the national territory or whether the iterative investigation process starts with a more focused approach, e.g. volunteer sites, sites with already well-known characteristics, sites with existing nuclear facilities or similar ones (IAEA, 2023). Site investigations should follow a graded approach in an iterative manner, reflecting a phased approach to decision-making and the development of disposal facilities (IAEA, 2011). At each stage in the siting process the disposal system is to be evaluated based on the data and information available at that time. Following an assessment, a gap analysis comparing requirements to knowledge about the site would identify process model and data uncertainties affecting confidence in the implementation of the disposal concept at the site. Furthermore, the IAEA also recently launched a project to develop guidance reflecting good practices in Member states' programmes for establishing site selection criteria and applying a decision-making framework as part of a siting process.

The Effects of Listed Company Charitable Foundation on Business Relationship of Supply Chain: Based on the Empirical Research of Corporate Social Responsibility

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The Public Welfare Foundation of a listed company is a non-profit organization with independent legal personality. It is established and funded by a listed company. The purpose of establishing a foundation for a listed company is generally to carry out charitable activities and make important contributions to charitable causes. However, due to the special power separation model, the autonomy of the foundation is poor, and there may be serious agency conflicts, ultimately leading to listed companies becoming beneficiaries of the foundation's charitable activities. We have found from the perspectives of commercial credit, sales, and cooperative relationships that social responsibility initiating organizations (listed companies) can obtain potential benefits from social responsibility fulfilling organizations (listed company public welfare foundations) in supply chain commercial relationships, that is, listed companies that establish public welfare foundations have good supply chain commercial relationships. When a listed company and a public welfare foundation have a close relationship in terms of fund donation, decision-making, business, and naming, the public welfare foundation has a strategic preference in selecting project names, project service areas, project beneficiaries, and project service areas. It prioritizes the interests of the listed company, enabling the listed company to obtain better supply chain business relationships.</p>

Managing supplier sustainability risk: an experimental study

PurposeBuying firms are increasingly exposed to sustainability risk arising from negative conditions or potential events in their supply base that might provoke adverse stakeholder reactions. Procurement managers at these firms can pursue multiple strategies to address this risk with suppliers, including acceptance, monitoring-based mitigation, avoidance and collaboration-based mitigation. This study aims to investigate how perceived risk, supplier dependence and financial slack resources contribute to the strategic preferences of these managers.Design/methodology/approachA vignette-based experiment with procurement managers is used to examine the factors affecting the managers’ strategic preferences in managing supplier sustainability risk.FindingsThe empirical results revealed that the procurement managers’ preference for avoidance or collaboration strategies was stronger when they perceived higher risk, but their preference varied based on the degree of supplier dependence. Specifically, when they perceived a high level of risk, procurement managers were more inclined toward a monitoring strategy with dependent suppliers and preferred an avoidance strategy when they dealt with independent ones. Financial slack was also an influential factor: managers with more slack at their disposal preferred to collaborate with suppliers to address the risk; on the other hand, limited slack shifted their preference toward an acceptance strategy, regardless of the level of risk.Originality/valueThis study helps to develop a more nuanced picture of how procurement managers make challenging and complex trade-offs when responding to supplier sustainability risk.

When identity meets strategy: The development of British and German anti-torture policies since 9/11

Since 9/11, considerable research has been done on US interrogation and detention operations, but comparatively little is known about the involvement of other traditionally liberal states’ intelligence agencies and their evolving perspectives on torture-related policies for foreigners abroad. Particularly, the United Kingdom and Germany provide interesting cases; despite similar levels of public and political pressure regarding their indirect involvement in Central Intelligence Agency’s operations, the two states took different strategic decisions in 2010 on whether to implement new extraterritorial human rights safeguards. While the United Kingdom introduced a new intelligence guidance for interrogations overseas, the German government opted for policy-continuance, which raises the question why the two states embarked on different policy trajectories, even if they found themselves in contextually similar situations and were subjected to the comparable accountability measures. By bridging insights from Rationalist and normative literature, the article addresses this conundrum by clearly outlining the states’ differing strategic preferences, and by dissecting the multi-layered composition of these interests. As a result, the article delineates how strategic constraints pertaining to the states’ national, international, or political elite level affect decision-makers’ policy responses.

Family firms' social responsibility: Exercise of family control versus family dynasty succession

AbstractFamily owners have common interests of preserving socioemotional wealth (SEW), but their strategic preferences vary with their prioritization of different SEW aspects. This study, based on the SEW perspective, examines the differing effects of exercise of family control (focused SEW) and family dynasty succession (broad SEW) and the moderating effect of family CEO on corporate social responsibility (CSR) of family firms. The results indicate that the effect of exercise of family control on CSR is negative, while the effect of family dynasty succession on CSR is positive. Additionally, when the firm's CEO is a family member, the negative effect of exercise of family control is weaker and the positive effect of family dynasty succession is stronger.

Now that everyone else has panicked, well… I have to panic: regulatory focus predicts panic buying during COVID-19

Purpose The purpose of this paper was to identify social and behavioral factors responsible for panic buying during global pandemics such as COVID-19. Design/methodology/approach According to regulatory focus theory, behavior of individuals is regulated by two motivational systems – prevention and promotion. Prevention-focused behavior is motivated by security and safety needs and is associated with a strategic preference for vigilant means of goal pursuit. Prevention-focused vigilance is reflected in unwillingness to take risks and low ability to cope with uncertain environments and changing conditions. Promotion-focused behavior is motivated by growth and self-development needs and is associated with a strategic preference for eager means of goal pursuit. Promotion-focused eagerness is reflected in willingness to take risks and high ability to cope with uncertainty and change. Two studies tested the notion that panic buying during public health crises such as COVID-19 is related to the strength of the prevention system, perceived scarcity of products, perceived threat of the disease, age and gender. Findings Study 1 showed that the higher the perceived scarcity of products, the higher was the probability that panic buying would set in. Yet, different patterns emerged for men and women. Among women, the stronger the prevention focus, the stronger was the effect. Among men, by contrast, the stronger the prevention focus, the weaker was the effect. Study 2 showed that the higher the perceived threat of the disease, the higher was the probability that panic buying would occur. However, different patterns were observed with age. Among older adults, the stronger the prevention focus, the stronger was the effect. Among young adults, by contrast, the stronger the prevention focus, the weaker was the effect. Research limitations/implications Implications to address erratic consumer behavior during future pandemics are discussed. Originality/value By applying the theory of regulatory focus to consumer marketing, this research helps to identify marketing strategies to manage panic buying and develop contingency plans that address erratic consumer behavior during future pandemics.

Iran’s Strategic Behaviour Against ISIS: Religio-Cultural Context of Shrines and Martyrdom

The killing of Qassem Soleimani in 2020 again brought the religio-cultural significance of ‘martyrdom’ into limelight in Iran. He got recognized as the ‘Defender-Martyr of Holy Shrine’ given his role against ISIS in protecting the Shi’i holy shrines. This article analyses the relationship between ‘shrines and ‘martyrdom’ in Iran’s strategy against ISIS. It uses the strategic culture approach to understand Iran’s threat perception of ISIS and how the narratives of ‘defence of shrines’ and ‘martyrdom-seeking’ reinforce each other in Iran’s support to the ‘Defenders of Holy Shrines’. It analyses socialization in the Shi’i religious culture on the part of the Iranian policy elite, which influenced Iran’s strategic preferences against ISIS.

Foreign Language Learners’ Beliefs and Use of Language Learning Strategies

Variation in individuals’ success in learning a foreign/second language is often attributed to a host of cognitive, psychological and socio-cultural factors. Learners’ language learning strategies and preconceived beliefs have been explored as possible factors contributing to this variation. Research suggests that successful language learners usually utilize, whether consciously or subconsciously, more effective strategies than less proficient learners (Chamot, 2004). Similarly, learners’ beliefs are thought to shape the course of their linguistic development and their whole language learning experience (Debreli, 2012). Thus, any mistaken beliefs could have prolonged detrimental and negative effects on the learners’ learning experience (Peacock, 2001). Hence, this paper investigates the intricate relationship between learners’ beliefs and their strategic preferences. The study uses two questionnaires to collect data from 173 students in the English Department at SQU, Oman. Inferential statistical analysis shows an overall medium use of learning strategies, with metacognitive strategies occupying a top position. The results about learners’ beliefs reveal that learners’ motivation and expectations are the strongest set of beliefs held by language learners. Learners seem to accord less significance to the traditional role of grammar and vocabulary in language learning. As for the relationship between strategies and beliefs, the findings show that students’ beliefs intricately correlate with different categories of strategies. In specific, foreign language aptitude and learners’ motivation and expectations strongly correlate with almost all sets of strategies. From a pedagogical perspective, the findings of this investigation are of a great significance for both learners and instructors. To ensure a successful language learning experience, instructors need to give special attention to helping learners overcome any preconceived negative beliefs and providing them with proper training on how to use appropriate strategies.
 Keywords: beliefs, strategies, correlation, metacognition, strategy training.

Combined differentiation in European defense: tailoring Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) to strategic and political complexity

ABSTRACT Sustaining meaningful defense cooperation in Europe is made difficult by defense-industrial fragmentation, a multiplicity of institutional frameworks, divergent strategic cultures and domestic opposition to integration. The European Union’s recent foray into defense integration incorporates multiple forms of differentiation to overcome these barriers, with Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) characterized by selective membership, external participation, and project-based clustering. Such “combined differentiation” offers an instructive example of how EU practices and principles can contribute to meaningful defense collaboration, even though Brussels is often thought a weak actor externally. It also illustrates how distinct forms of differentiation can be embodied within a single structure to accommodate complexity in strategic preferences. Using the example of PESCO, this article shows how “combined differentiation” has emerged as a response to the nature of the European defense landscape and how debates between member states about how to respond to specific challenges have brought about further differentiation over time.