Strong Ties Research Articles

Corporate Social Responsibility in Canadian Family Businesses: A Socioemotional Wealth Perspective

After having gained prominence in the late 20th century, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has emerged as a critical business aspect, adopted widely across the corporate landscape. Although family firms play a significant global role, research on their relationship with CSR performance remains sparse and inconclusive. This paper seeks to bridge this gap by employing the primary classification of family firms, the socioemotional wealth perspective, and its FIBER model to examine their influence on CSR performance. The focus is on Canadian public companies listed on the S&P/TSX Composite Index from 2014 to 2022. Utilizing the NBC Canadian Family Index, the findings suggest that family firms exhibit superior CSR performance compared to their non-family counterparts. Further analyses indicate that family firms with greater control and influence by family members, those named after the family, those with strong emotional ties, and first-generation family firms tend to have enhanced CSR performance. By developing a socioemotional wealth score through FIBER dimensions to classify family firms, this study underscores the association of family firms with higher CSR performance, validating the robustness of the results.

Get back: analysing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Lowlands festival

ABSTRACT This article investigates the impact of COVID-19 through a case study of Lowlands, a music festival in the Netherlands. Analysing how the Cultural and Creative Sector is affected by and recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic has received growing attention among academics. This article contributes to this body of research by analysing the structure and dynamics of the production network of Lowlands, combining elements of the Global Production Network approach and Grabher’s project-ecology framework. With this novel lens, we unravel the embeddedness of linkages between Lowlands’ management and its partners. We conclude by showing how these strong ties are simultaneously Lowlands’ strength and weakness, as recursive collaborations create an efficient production process but are also prone to fall away in crises like COVID-19, leaving the management without reliable alternatives. However, bonds of trust and friendship motivate and underpin mutual support, and therefore form a crucial key for its resilience.

The strength of weak ties and fake news believability

Are we more likely to believe a social media news story shared by someone with whom we have a strong or weak tie? We tend to trust close ties more than weak ties, but weak ties are sources of new information more often than strong ones. We conducted an online experiment to examine the effect of tie strength (strong ties vs. weak ties) on the decision to believe or not believe fake news stories. Participants perceived false stories from weak ties to be more believable than false stories from strong ties (after controlling for the trustworthiness of the sharer). We found that a sharer's perceived ability to share reliable information plays a significant role in individuals' decision to believe news stories on social media, regardless of whether the source is a strong or weak tie. Interestingly, a sharer's perceived integrity was found to be important only when the information came from weak ties, while a sharer's perceived benevolence was not important for either weak or strong ties. These findings show that the perceived integrity of the sharer is a key factor in the decision to believe stories from weak ties, more so than from strong ties. Furthermore, a sharer's perceived ability to share reliable information is less critical when weak ties share true stories. The impact of weak ties does not stem from the novelty of their information, as we used identical headlines across both study groups. Thus, while the strength of weak ties effect is present in this context, the underlying theoretical mechanism differs from the novelty of information traditionally observed in other settings.

Vaccination homophily in ego contact networks during the COVID-19 pandemic

Vaccine hesitancy is an inevitable risk for societies as it contributes to outbreaks of diseases. Prior research suggests that vaccination decisions of individuals tend to spread within social networks, resulting in a tendency to vaccination homophily. The clustering of individuals resistant to vaccination can substantially make the threshold necessary to achieve herd immunity harder to reach. In this study, we examined the extent of vaccination homophily among social contacts and its association with vaccine uptake during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary using a contact diary approach in two cross-sectional surveys. The results indicate strong clustering among both vaccinated and unvaccinated groups. The most powerful predictor of vaccine uptake was the perceived vaccination rate within the egos’ social contact network. Vaccination homophily and the role of the interpersonal contact network in vaccine uptake were particularly pronounced in the networks of close relationships, including family, kinship, and strong social ties of the ego. Our findings have important implications for understanding COVID-19 spread dynamics by showing that the strong clustering of unvaccinated individuals posed a great risk in preventing the spread of the disease.

Language Delivery Styles in Academic Trainings: Analysis of Speaker' s Emotional Connection to Audience for Lasting Learning

Academic training’s language delivery approach has a big impact on learning, just as the speaker's emotional bond with the audience has a big impact on how long and how well the learning process lasts. The subject matter and targeted learning results will determine the speaker’s style, which can vary from professional to informal. However, the speaker’s capacity to build an emotional bond is essential because it stimulates interest and engagement, which improves the quality and significance of the learning process. Speakers with strong emotional ties are better at breaking down difficult concepts and fostering an inclusive, encouraging environment in the classroom. Because students are more likely to retain and absorb information connected to emotional responses, this relationship strengthens learning. Body language, tone of voice, facial expressions, storytelling, comedy, and personal tales are all elements that help people learn information for a long time. In summary, an emotional bond with the audience is essential to learning that is both successful and long-lasting, and examining this bond can help trainers and teachers improve their techniques and design more memorable and stimulating learning environments.

The Role Of The State In Turkey’s Domestic Automobile initiatives (Devrim and Togg)

The automotive sector, where the highest foreign investments are made in the world, plays a critical role in the economic development of countries. The reason why the automotive sector is the locomotive in the development of national economies is that it has strong ties with other industrial branches of the economy in the production process. Therefore, the sector is seen as a strategic development tool by governments. Therefore, supporting the sector through various incentives or direct public capital is a long-standing development policy. In this study, the development stages of Turkey's automotive industry, the policies pursued by the state to strengthen the automotive industry, and other factors that contributed to the development of Turkey's automotive industry are examined specifically through Turkey's two domestic automobile initiatives (Devrim and Togg). In line with the aim of the research, studies on the automotive sector in Turkey from the Ottoman period to the present have been analyzed. In particular, a detailed literature review was conducted with the studies on Turkey's first domestic automobile initiative, Devrim cars. The resource dependency theory, which is considered to be related to the subject of the study, was examined and then the relationship between the state and the business world in Turkey was briefly summarized. Finally, the role of the state in Turkey's domestic automobile initiatives (Devrim and Togg) was analyzed.

Understanding the pathways linking visual impairment and depression among older Indian adults

BackgroundVisual impairment(VI) is a multifaceted condition that significantly impacts mental health, notably depression. With the population ageing, the incidence of VI is expected to rise, consequently increasing depression rates. This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the pathways linking VI and depression among older adults in India. Data & methodsThis study uses data from the Longitudinal Ageing Survey of India (LASI Wave-1) with a sample of individuals aged 45 years and above (n=56,353). Binary logistic regression along with causal mediation analysis was conducted to assess the roles of mediating factors and other socio-demographic factors contributing to depression among older adults in India. ResultsAn association between VI and an increased likelihood of depression was observed after accounting for functional, behavioural, psychosocial mediators and other covariates (OR:1.10, 95% CI: 1.01–1.19). The overall effect of visual impairment on depression, including both direct and indirect effects shows that visual impairment has a significant total effect on depression, with a coefficient of 1.11 (95 % CI: 1.01–1.10). The natural direct effect is significant, with an OR of 1.05 (95% CI: 1.01–1.10) for functional mediators, while the natural indirect effect through functional mediators suggests that a portion of the relationship between VI and depression is mediated through functional pathways. ConclusionFindings highlight the importance of addressing not only the direct impact of VI on individuals' well-being but also the various indirect effects mediated through functional limitations, behavioural, and psychosocial factors. This necessitates the interventions aimed at enhancing daily functional capacity and health perception among the visually impaired elderly. Findings suggest the need for fostering strong social ties and ensuring a supportive environment for older adults experiencing visual impairments.

Budaya Bakiauan di Sampanahan Kotabaru, Kalimantan Selatan

In Kotabaru, there is a culture known as bakiauan for wedding banquets. It is an attitude of mutual cooperation between residents as a family and emotional strength to work together to minimize the high cost of wedding parties in their area that has been carried out for generations by the community. This article will analyze the culture in depth by considering two values, namely Islamic and socio-cultural values. This research aims to find out about how the culture of social norms and religiosity of the community integrate each other in this bakiauan culture. The method used in this research is the analysis of primary legal materials in the form of the Koran and relevant Hadiths, literature studies, and interviews with several Kotabaru people who have carried out this culture for generations with a sociological approach. Based on this, the results show that the preservation of this culture is motivated by a sense of family and strong emotional ties. So that with the announcement of a wedding party in their community, residents automatically come to help each other fulfill the various needs of the wedding event. The Islamic perspective is used to provide a view that the importance of a sense of Taawun (helping) between fellow humans to ease each other's burdens and an unbroken sense of friendship. The Socio-cultural perspective is used to explain the sociological aspects contained in this culture so that the sense of kinship between communities is getting stronger which goes straight with the noble culture of the Indonesian nation. This discussion leads to the importance of preserving this culture which has a positive influence on society, especially helping during sacred ceremonies, namely marriage events that require a lot of money. This article is expected to be able to contribute to readers about the importance of helping in matters of worship to get closer to God through the Bakiauan culture.

Does psychological safety matter for innovative behaviour in hybrid workforce? The role of proactive personality, inclusive leadership and affective climate

Purpose The study aims to understand the impact of psychological safety on employee creativity leading to innovative behaviour in a hybrid workforce. It further examines the drivers of psychological safety: inclusive leadership and affective climate as well as the interaction of employee creativity and proactive personality on innovative behaviour at remote work. Design/methodology/approach Using multi-source survey-based data, the study has been conducted in two phases for independent variables (IV) and dependent variables (DV). The first phase has gathered data for IVs from 515 team members and DVs from 105 teams’ leaders from various software development teams in the information technology and information technology enabled services sectors. The study has used component-based partial least square structural equation modelling to test various arguments developed in the paper. Findings The results of the study confirm the positive association of affective climate and inclusive leadership to psychological safety, which facilitates employee creativity leading to innovative behaviour. However, the results show there is no interaction of a proactive personality with employee creativity on innovative behaviour. Also, the results have supported the social network theory, which says that the strong ties among employees promote innovative behaviour. Practical implications According to the study, psychological safety might help strengthen and increase the social ties that bridge structural holes and improve collaboration across business units. This may encourage employee creativity, especially in remote work. Further, it highlights how employee creativity and proactive personality are important independent factors that facilitate innovative behaviour. Originality/value The study is a unique attempt to explore the role of psychological safety in enhancing creativity and innovative behaviour in hybrid mode of work setting.

Young people in social networks: scaling social interactions and practices of forming individual media environments (based on regional studies)

The relevance of young people’s digital practices in social networks learning is connected both with the growing influence of social media on all spheres of young people’s life and with the processes of adaptation of digital technology users to their own needs. Students’ use of social media is considered as a communicative practice influenced by objective and subjective factors. The users act as active persons, undertaking actions to combine communication channels based on the one hand, upon the socio-technical affords of social media and on the other hand, on their own goals and needs. The empirical basis of the analysis is the data of sociological research conducted among the student youth of Nizhny Novgorod from 2021 to 2023, including four questionnaire surveys (2021–2023) and one series of in-depth interviews (2023). Triangulation of the data from questionnaire surveys and materials of in-depth interviews of students allows describing media use practices both in quantitative data and in terms of social interactions meanings. The obtained data allow to identify the main elements that shape the practices of media using: 1) the choice of digital space of interactions (according to the parameters of publicity-privacy) and the practice of individual combination of social networks and messengers; 2) the number of accounts used; 3) user control over the personal information posted in the profile. Objective factors influencing young people’s choice of digital space are described through analysing the dynamics of social network popularity. It is concluded that the trend towards privacy of social interactions in the digital space is increasing. The paper outlines the scenarios of constructing an individual polymedia environment based on sociotechnical parameters corresponding to user motives and needs. Three main communication needs satisfied in social media are consi de red: 1) informal communication along the lines of “strong ties”, realised mainly through messengers; 2) maintaining “weak ties” by combining different media channels and managing the number of participants in interactions; 3) forming “quasi-connections” and observing “others”. It is shown that fulfilling these needs motivates young people to adapt their digital practices to different frames of social interactions, marking demarcations between public and private spaces. Two dominant strategies for shaping individual media environments are identified. It is concluded that young people scale their digital interactions based on a system of social expectations, needs and goals.

Santur-Playing Iranian Americans in Northern California

In Northern California, there are Iranian Americans who play santur, originally a representative instrument of Iranian music. The present article focuses on this community, taking the following issues under consideration: · What are the aesthetic conceptions of Iranian santurs and their sounds, held by santur-playing Iranian Americans in Northern California? · What are the social applications of Iranian santurs in Northern California? Regarding methods, participatory study in the field served as the basis for this work. Partners of the study took part in intensive interviews, and also shared their opinions on various music samples. Literary investigation was also applied, clarifying the necessary historical and social backgrounds. My particular interest in santur led me to conduct this work. An aspect of it lies in underlining of diaspora discourse in ethnomusicology. Although there are strong ties between Iranian santur practitioners in Iran and santur-playing Iranian Americans in Northern California, the latter group has its own distinctive social identity and follows its concerns. Their repertoire goes beyond Iranian music as understood in Iran: it includes folk music and takes influences from neighboring minorities, such as Indian Americans. Regarding social applications of santur in Northern California, this study focuses on two main trends: political motivations, and interest in establishing dialogues with neighboring cultures. In both cases, the role of Radif-inspired improvisation is strongly present. In Northern California, the santur is used by various segments of the society. This practice sometimes goes beyond the Iranian American community. As this study focuses on a specific practice of santur away from the instrument’s original homeland, its outcomes can contribute not only to ethnomusicology, but also to areas of diaspora studies, music history, and such creative directions as music performance and improvisation.

Spiritual and Psychological Well-Being among Uniformed Personnel in Philippine National Police

This study aimed to determine the spiritual and psychological well-being among uniformed personnel in Philippine National Police. The descriptive correlational research design was used employing the survey questionnaire distributed randomly to 100 uniform personnel of the PNP province of Cavite. The descriptive statistical tools were used including the percentage, mean, ranking and Pearson-r. The research highlights the significant impact of spiritual and psychological well-being of uniformed police personnel. Regular practices like prayer, meditation, and yoga help maintain balance, concentration, and resilience against adversity. This positive mental health contributes to job satisfaction, morale, and stress reduction. A sense of belonging and camaraderie within the police force also contributes to overall wellbeing. A strong spiritual affiliation can serve as a coping mechanism, enhancing mental well-being and fortitude in challenging professional situations. A positive outlook on life can impact colleagues, work, and obstacles faced in the police force. A strong spiritual foundation provides a sense of identity, purpose, and value, enhancing the effectiveness, satisfaction, and resilience of public sector personnel. Recognizing and addressing this component can improve the effectiveness, satisfaction, and resilience of the police force.

The Important of Management Functions in Sustainable MICE

This study aims to analyze the importance of management functions in sustainable meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibition activities at Hotel Indigo Bali Seminyak Beach. The informants in this study were the director of events, assistant director of events, and business development executive who purposively determined. Data collection is carried out through observation, literature study, interviews, group discussions, and documentation. The results reveal that sales teams managed meeting, incentive, conference, and exhibition activities have made significant strides in implementing sustainable practices in various aspects of meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions. Many aspects have been successfully integrated, such as local souvenirs, adoption of renewable energy, electronic registration, and health and safety promotion still need improvement. The gap arises from the scale of events, resource limitations, and technical constraints. A comprehensive analysis of the implementation of sustainable meeting, incentive, conference, and exhibition management functions shows the establishment of strong local community ties, innovation in menu variations, prioritizing environmentally friendly practices, collaborating with local craft entrepreneurs, optimizing technology and social media, maintaining environmentally friendly commitments, and recommending the use of digital-based media in various management functions. The implementation of this management function supports improving the hotel's ability to achieve sustainable meeting, incentive, conference, and exhibition activities.

FinTech development and household resilience to negative income shocks: The role of informal risk sharing

In this study, we investigate the impact of FinTech development on household resilience to negative income shocks from the perspective of informal risk sharing. We find that experiencing negative income shocks weakens household resilience by 33.17% on average, and the enhancement of FinTech development by 1% mitigates the impact of negative income shocks on household resilience by 1.3974% on average. By estimating the marginal effects for households at different well-being quantile groups, we further disclose that the effects of regional FinTech development on household resilience to negative income shocks are more prominent in richer households, showing the potential challenges of the digital divide, although the mitigation effect of FinTech is significant for all groups. The mechanisms underlying the effects of regional FinTech development on household resilience to negative income shocks are increases in the income transfer within risk-sharing networks among households due to the reduction of risk-sharing costs, especially for households with strong ties. The results further confirm the importance of FinTech development and informal risk-sharing to households on household resilience enhancement.

Youth and Young Terror: Canadian Case Law and the Socio-Carceral Dynamics of Youth and Young Offenders Convicted of Terrorism Offences

Focusing on developments within Canadian jurisprudence, the authors explore significant case law and its impact on our understanding of the challenges faced by youth and young offenders convicted of terrorism offences while navigating the legal and correctional systems. We demonstrate how Canadian law has often failed to address the needs and lived experiences of youth and young offenders convicted of terrorism offences while dealing with legal supports and corrections’ resources. To that end, we scrutinize important Canadian case law. Preliminary findings highlight the inadequate interventions measures, both at the state and non-state levels, available to inmates who have committed terrorism-related offences, as well as question whether such interventions have any reintegrative value for youth and young offenders’ personal growth and desistence upon release. Moreover, institutional deficits, such as the absence of correctional programing leave open the opportunity for re-offending and radicalization upon release. If there is a role for law to play in rehabilitation, a thorough exploration of case law as it relates to youth offenders convicted of terrorism offences is required. In addition to examining Canadian jurisprudence and its impact on understanding the challenges faced by youth and young offenders convicted of terrorism offences, it is crucial to underscore the importance of strong and conventional community ties after release. These ties can significantly mitigate further alienation and extremist tendencies. Socio-legal and carceral recommendations are discussed.

Low-carbon city pilot policy and enterprise low-carbon innovation–A quasi-natural experiment from China

This study investigates whether the implementation of this policy fosters low-carbon innovation amongst enterprises and identifies the mechanisms underpinning its effects. Utilising low-carbon patent authorisation data from A-share listed companies in the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock markets between 2008 and 2019, this study employs a difference-in-differences model to conduct a multi-dimensional empirical examination of these questions. The findings indicate that the low-carbon city pilot policy can stimulate low-carbon innovation at the enterprise level to a certain extent, and this conclusion remains robust after a series of rigorous tests. The impact of low-carbon innovation is more pronounced in the authorisation of invention patents, with the pilot policy exerting a more significant influence on state-owned enterprises and enterprises with strong political affiliations. Further analysis reveals that government subsidies constitute the primary mechanism through which the pilot policy takes effect, effectively promoting low-carbon innovation in enterprises. This paper offers theoretical and empirical support for evaluating the low-carbon city pilot policy at the enterprise level and advances policy implications in three areas: further policy development, enterprise characteristics, and the application of various policy instruments.

The Central Asian Countries Relations with Russia and China: The Impact of Sensitivities, Dependencies, Threat Perceptions and Regional Organizations

In their relations with Russia and China, Central Asian countries have been influenced by their sensitivities regarding independence and their strong ties with the two states regarding security, economy and trade. Central Asian countries have shown they are unwilling to compromise their sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity while maintaining intensive relations with the two states. The regional organizations led by Russia and China are also inevitable partners of regional states. They took utmost care not to fall under hegemony within these organizations. Their main strategy has been to balance the organizations and the two states against each other and try to protect their interests and sovereignty by creating a network of relations among many actors. This article analyses relations of Central Asian countries with Russia and China in the post-Cold War era by focusing on the relevant factors and aims to shed light on regional and global policies and attitudes and policies of regional countries.

The Impact of Mental Models on the Transition from Communism to Capitalism. The Comparative Case Study of Azerbaijan and Poland

The purpose of the article. The breakdown of the so-called Eastern Bloc, the disintegration of the Soviet Union, and the demise of communism fueled transition processes in Central and Eastern Europe, Western Asia, and Central Asia. The great majority of transformation difficulties across different areas demonstrate that when pursuing the process of a structural change, it is important to take into account diverse sets of formal and informal institutions preserved in each country. Each country has a unique set of formal and informal institutions. These differences are easily observed between Poland and Azerbaijan. The aim of this paper is to compare and contrast the outcomes of Poland and Azerbaijan's transitions from communism to capitalism and to identify the primary factors driving these two different transformations. Methodology. The paper presents two complementary methods to compare the transitions from communism to capitalism in Poland and Azerbaijan. The first method involves secondary analysis, where existing data from reputable sources such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) database, the Bertelsmann Transformation Index (BTI), and country reports are compiled to provide insights into economic, political, and social indicators. Additionally, a comparative case study approach is employed, using Geert Hofstede's six cultural dimensions framework to explore the cultural influences on transition outcomes. By integrating these methods, the study aims to offer a comprehensive analysis of the transformation processes in Poland and Azerbaijan. Results of the research. The results of the analysis presented in the paper support the hypothesis that the historically-shaped differences in mental models and strong ties to international protectors determined the paths of transformations in Poland and Azerbaijan. The primary similarities and contrasts in the mindset are justified by the colonial or imperial history of the nations.

Dignity enhanced through faith & family support in palliative care: a qualitative study

BackgroundDignity is integral to palliative care. Illness can diminish it, causing hopelessness and the wish to hasten death. Yet, dignity is a complex multidimensional phenomenon, influenced by values and context. Understanding its varying interpretations can inform practice and policy. The aim of the study is to explore the understanding of dignity in adult patients with palliative care needs from a Lebanese perspective and how it is preserved during illness and while receiving health services.DesignQualitative interview study underpinned with a social constructionist lens. Fourteen patients recruited from home-based hospice and outpatient clinics in Lebanon. Data analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.ResultsFour themes were developed across all the interviews: (a) Dignity anchored through faith in God and religious practices; (b) Family support in maintaining physical, psychological wellbeing, and social connectedness; (c) Physical fitness, mental acuity, and healthy appearance through which patients may escape the stigma of disease, (d) accessible, equitable, and compassionate healthcare.DiscussionDignity is elusive and difficult to define but faith and religious beliefs play a significant contribution in this study. For the participants, illness is seen as a natural part of life that does not necessarily diminish dignity, but it is the illness related changes that potentially affect dignity. Findings show the importance of family and children in preserving dignity during illness and how their active presence provide a sense of pride and identity. Participants aspired to restore physical, social, and mental well-being to reclaim their dignity and normalize their lives. Challenges related to physical appearance, memory loss, vitality, and social stigma associated with illness diminished dignity. Accessible, equitable and compassionate healthcare services are also crucial in preserving dignity. Participants valued clear communication, respect, and empathy from healthcare providers and identified affordability of care essential for maintaining dignity.ConclusionFaith in God, and strong family ties are dominant elements to maintaining dignity in the Lebanese context. Relational connectedness with family, children or God is also a need in maintaining dignity in other communal countries with variations in emphasis. The study indicates that religious and cultural context shapes the needs and perceptions of dignity during illness. These findings are likely to be transferable to many Middle Eastern countries but also countries with strong religious and family ties globally.

Horizontal subcontracting and the global factory

The focus of this article is the examination of the factors that trigger the addition of horizontal subcontracting to the structure of global factories. Horizontal subcontracting takes place when one firm is contracted to produce a given item, fills as much of the order as they are able to based on their available capacity, and subsequently subcontracts the remainder to a qualitatively identical firm. We find that similar entrepreneurial backgrounds of contract manufacturers lead to strong business ties in the same industry and stage of production; low-cost, used production machinery and inexpensive factory rent lead to low barriers to entry; tightening labor markets, limited capital access and lumpy or uncertain demand lead to the need to avoid underused internal capacity, and the widespread use of digital sourcing platforms by buyers enables contract manufacturers to receive orders both small and much larger than their internal production capacity. These factors combine to produce many networked small manufacturers who use horizontal subcontracting to ensure sustained demand. Currently a largely China-based phenomenon, horizontal subcontracting is likely to spread beyond China, offering a new source of vitality to low-cost manufacturing in global factories, keeping global factories viable into the future.