Theoretical Perspectives Research Articles

Origins of Ligand-Controlled Stereoselective Polymerization of ortho-Methoxystyrene by Rare-Earth Catalysts: A Theoretical Perspective.

The stereoselective polymerization of polar vinyl monomers has recently received much attention due to their excellent physicochemical properties. Over the past decade, breakthroughs have been achieved in this field by rare-earth catalysts. However, the mechanistic origins of those stereoselective polymerizations still remain unclear. Herein, stereoselective polymerization of ortho-methoxystyrene (oMOS) by several representative rare-earth catalysts bearing different ligands (i.e., η5-C5Me5, pyridinyl-methylene-fluorenyl, quinolyl-anilido, β-diketiminato) were systematically investigated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. After achieving agreement between the calculations and experiments, we focused on discussing the role of ligands in controlling stereoselectivity. Our results reveal that the stereoregularity of oMOS polymerization is mainly controlled by the steric effect of the catalyst-monomer structures. Specifically, the type of ligand influences the orientation and configuration of the inserting monomer, thereby affecting the tacticity of the polymers. In the cases of η5-C5Me5-, pyridinyl-methylene-fluorenyl, and quinolyl-anilido-ligated yttrium catalysts, we observe consistent insertion directions and alternating insertion sides of oMOS monomers, leading to syndiotactic selectivity. The opposite insertion directions and the alternating insertion sides of oMOS monomers were observed in the case of the β-diketiminato yttrium catalyst, leading to isotactic selectivity. These findings reported here offer valuable insights into the role of ligands in controlling stereoselectivity in rare-earth catalyzed coordination polymerization of polar vinyl monomers, thus providing guidance for the rational design of new ligands for stereospecific polymerization of polar monomers in the future.

Incorporation of adaptive compression into a GPU parallel computing framework for analyzing large-scale vessel trajectories

Automatic Identification System (AIS) offers a wealth of vessel navigation data, which underpins research in maritime data mining, situational awareness, and knowledge discovery within the realm of intelligent transportation systems. The flourishing marine industry has prompted AIS satellites and base stations to generate massive amounts of vessel trajectory data, escalating both data storage and calculation costs. The conventional Douglas-Peucker (DP) algorithm used for trajectory compression sets a uniform threshold, which hampers effective compression. Additionally, compressing and accelerating the computation of large datasets poses a significant challenge in real-world applications. To address these limitations, this paper aims to develop a new Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) parallel computing and compression framework that enables the acceleration of the optimal threshold calculation for each trajectory automatically in maritime big data mining. It achieves this by incorporating a new Adaptive DP with Speed and Course (ADPSC) algorithm, which utilizes the dynamic navigation characteristics of different vessels. It can effectively solve the associated computational time cost concern when using the ADPSC algorithm to compress vast trajectory datasets in the real world. Additionally, this paper proposes a novel evaluation metric for assessing compression efficacy based on the Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) method. Comprehensive experiments encompass vessel trajectory datasets from three representative research areas: Tianjin Port, Chengshan Jiao Promontory, and Caofeidian Port. The experimental results demonstrate that 1) the newly developed ADPSC method outperforms in terms of compression, and 2) the designed GPU parallel computing framework can significantly shorten the compression time for extensive datasets. The GPU-accelerated compression methodology not only minimizes storage and transmission costs for data from both manned and unmanned vessels but also enhances data processing speed, supporting real-time decision-making. From a theoretical perspective, it provides the key to the puzzle of realizing the real-time anti-collision of manned and unmanned ships, particularly in complex waters. It hence makes significant contributions to maritime safety in the autonomous shipping era.

Generational Differences in Sustainable Consumption Behavior among Chinese Residents: Implications Based on Perceptions of Sustainable Consumption and Lifestyle

To deal with the challenges posed by generational differences in China’s sustainable consumption transition, this study’s pioneers using a mixed-methods approach with data mining and literature research to classify Chinese residents into four generations based on the sustainable consumption perspective. We developed a conceptual model of generational differences and conducted an empirical study using structured interviews with a multi-stage random sampling approach. The results highlight significant differences and distinct influencing mechanisms among the four generations regarding perceptions of sustainable consumption, lifestyle, and sustainable consumption behavior. Based on this, multi-generational differentiated green marketing strategies, green product development and green marketing practices, as well as consumer education systems and strategies for stakeholders including the government, enterprises, and society are proposed. The findings contribute to advancing theoretical perspectives in sustainable consumption research, serving as a valuable reference for sustainable consumption research worldwide.

Modelling the Combined Effect of Green Leadership and Human Resource Management in Moving to Green Supply Chain Performance Enhancement in Saudi Arabia

Previous research has been limited in examining the causal relationship between green transformational leadership (GTL) and green supply chain management (GSCM), with the intermediary influence of green human resource management (GHRM), within the pharmaceutical sector of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). This gap persisted despite the recognition in Saudi Vision 2030 of logistics, specifically, supply chain management (SCM), as fundamental to the national development agenda, given that contemporary competitiveness lies in the efficacy of supply chains (SCs) rather than individual companies. Moreover, the achievement of economic progress hinges significantly on how well these accomplishments align with sustainability demands and obstacles. This paper aims to investigate the extent to which GTL fosters GRHM practices to enhance the maturity of GSCM performance in the pharmaceutical industry in the KSA. In other words, the research goal is to explain the variance of GSCM due to GHRM and GTL. Drawing upon the Resource-Based View (RBV) and the Ability–Motivation–Opportunity theory (AMO), GTL can enhance many aspects of GHRM, such as employee performance measurement, training content design, recruitment criteria, and green-based rewards policies, which positively influence GSCM practices. The methodology employed is deductive and translated into a questionnaire derived from a comprehensive review of the existing literature. This questionnaire was subsequently tested through the collection of 111 responses from pharmaceutical companies operating in the KSA. The results show the critical effects of GTL and GHRM on GSCM in this sector. The research provides fresh theoretical perspectives and actionable recommendations based on the outcomes. As for originality, this research explores the contribution of transformational leadership and green human resource management in enhancing SC sustainability. The research provides directions for future research to investigate the mediating or moderating impacts of other significant factors, such as green thinking or eco-friendly behaviour, on SCM sustainability. As for practical implications, this research came up with an in-depth understanding of SC managers and professionals regarding their practices related to sustainability.

The local governance of Swedish schools in light of a new educational policy landscape empirical exploration and theoretical elaboration

ABSTRACT In the Nordic curriculum theory (CT) tradition, questions linked to educational change and school governance have long been a crucial research issue. However, despite several decades of decentralized school systems, local school governance has been a highly neglected field of research. Considering the changing landscape of school governance in terms of re-centralization, where the state’s aim is to take stronger control of school outcomes, the conditions for local school governance have changed. Based on results from two research projects in two Swedish municipalities, and from a neo-institutional theoretical perspective, the aim of this article is to contribute to the CT research field by exploring and theorizing on local school governance. Four management strategies that local educational authorities (LEAs) employed to manage the schools could be distinguished: local school management via i) data use, ii) the standardization and formalization of schools’ quality assurance processes and routines, iii) quality dialogues, iv) professional learning and best practices. These management strategies and activities were mostly organized, and conducted within the scope of the LEAs’ quality assurance systems and were primarily built on normative and cultural – cognitive elements. A way to conceptualize this form of governance is through the concept of ‘local quality management’.

Limitations of the international approach to anti-corruption: a systematic review of South Africa’s compelling case of failing anti-corruption

AbstractIn the Global South, anti-corruption initiatives continue to fail despite varying commitments to the international anti-corruption agenda. Concurrently, as this study demonstrates, researchers investigating this paradox appear confined within orthodox explanations for failing anti-corruption efforts. Through a systematic review of 58 studies, this paper demonstrates that South Africa’s anti-corruption corpora from 1995 to 2022 fall to this critique. By employing socio-legal theoretical perspectives, the paper elucidates how and why the orthodoxy dominates the corpora and subsequently suggests a more nuanced understanding of the country’s ongoing failure to combat corruption. For example, the paper argues that the intricacies of South Africa’s corruption challenge the perspective that anti-corruption measures fail simply due to widespread rule-breaking. Through the prism of legal pluralism, this paper demonstrates that adherence to rules is indeed prevalent in South Africa, albeit often not aligned with formal state anti-corruption legislation and regulations. Finally, the paper posits innovative approaches to enhance and broaden our comprehension of why anti-corruption efforts fail, especially in the Global South.

Consumer Behavior in Food Delivery Applications: A Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Agenda

Over the past few years, there has been notable interest among consumers in food delivery applications. Consequently, understanding consumer behavior within this context has become crucial for practitioners seeking to execute effective marketing strategies. While academic studies in this field are gaining traction, there remains a lack of a comprehensive overview. Existing literature on the subject is often fragmented and inconsistent, hindering a thorough comprehension of consumer behavioral patterns in food delivery applications. Thus, this study aims to address this gap by conducting a systematic literature review to organize and synthesize current knowledge on consumer behavior in such applications, elucidating how consumers interact within these platforms. We analyzed 587 journal articles extracted from primary databases (Scopus and Web of Science), ultimately reviewing 112 articles spanning from 2014 to August 2023. Furthermore, we developed a conceptual framework to fully grasp the variables influencing consumer behavior, showcasing frequently reported factors in food delivery application literature. This research also identifies nine directions for further exploration, including regional and country comparisons, methodological approaches, theoretical perspectives, demographic analyses, independent variables, moderating effects, affective and cognitive evaluations, outcome responses, and drone-based food delivery application perspectives. This review is expected to offer valuable insights for both researchers and practitioners.

The sociopolitical turn in mathematics education and decolonial theory

This literature review examines how the theoretical perspectives aligned to the sociopolitical turn in mathematics inform social justice mathematics education. While existing literature has established the importance of social justice frameworks informed by critical theory, there has been limited exploration of critical race theory, poststructuralism and feminist theory, perspectives that offer a broader and more complex understanding of the social and political. After examining how these perspectives contribute to social justice mathematics, we explore the potential contributions of decolonial theory, particularly the way it unsettles accepted notions of social justice. By drawing and building on the sociopolitical turn in mathematics education, this article argues that decolonial thought can also assist in reimagining social justice mathematics education theoretically, methodologically and pedagogically. Ultimately, the article argues that there is no social justice without cognitive/epistemic and ontological justice, meaning that social justice loses ethical and political weight when modernity’s violent epistemic and ontological foundations are not questioned by social justice mathematics education research.

Political psychology and the study of LGBTQI+ groups, politics, and policy: Existing research and future directions

AbstractSocial science interest in LGBTQI+ politics and policy has grown in the 21st century. Likewise, the political opportunity structure for LGBTQI+ activists has changed significantly, with historical expansions of legal protections only to be followed by the current period of backlash and retrenchment. In this article, we outline existing and potential research in LGBTQI+ politics and policy employing theoretical perspectives from political psychology. Promising advances in the study of LGBTQI+ politics and policy draw on framework and theories grounded in social and political psychology. Nevertheless, we also identify several significant gaps in the literature including the lack of focus on intersectional perspectives, subpopulations such as intersex people and those born with differences in sexual development, and the psychology of LGBTQI+ people and its relevance for their political attitudes and behavior.

Convivialist multilingual education: theoretical and practical suggestions from a Norwegian perspective

The article aims at exploring the use of multilingual education to build a convivialist society. The article reflects theoretically on how to combine convivialist education and multilingual education. Today’s hyperdiversity in society faces a dual challenge in accelerating and unsettling climate change. The convivialist manifesto entails five key principles namely: common naturality where humans are interdependent with nature; common humanity which must be respected in each person beyond any identity differences; common sociality, based on long-lasting and rich relationships in various human communities; legitimate individuation where the singularity of the person contributes to the common good; and eventually, creative opposition where conflicts are dealt in a fertile, peaceful and deliberative manner. These key principles are additionally subordinated to the need to control human desire for hubris and never-ending possession which represents a political alternative to material growth ideology. The concept of intertwining convivialist education and multilingual education is illustrated through a case study [Master dissertation] in a Norwegian school context focusing on the significance of mother tongue education in the school curriculum for mitigating climate change. The data for the case study was gathered by conducting focus group discussions with three mother tongue teachers and two Norwegian language teachers working in a language school for newly arrived immigrant pupils in Norway. The findings identified the limitation of the Norwegian, section 2-8, lacunas in the bilingual learning curricula and it argued for the need to strengthen mother tongue education and the role of mother tongue teachers in promoting sustainable development in the school curriculum. Based on the study’s specific contextual findings and theoretical perspectives combining convivialist and multilingual education, the article infers that promoting multilingual education in schools can help mitigate climate change, and promote biocultural diversity and build a more convivialist society. The article thus aims to suggest some practical suggestions in a Norwegian plurilingual context and furthermore, it explores an expanded theoretical frame for convivialist multilingual education.

Conceptualizing Integration in Mixed Methods Research

Integration lies at the heart of mixed methods research, but it has primarily been considered from a practical rather than a conceptual or theoretical perspective. In this paper, I develop a contextually situated, parsimonious conceptual model of the substantive dimensions that constitute integration. I conclude that integration between heterogeneous components in mixed methods research is constituted by interdependence that is connected, transactional, transformative, coherent, and dynamic. This conceptual model is presented here in the expectation that it will prompt researchers to think more deeply about the phenomena they study and the integration of the methods they use to study those phenomena.

Can new urbanization pilot policies promote green technology innovation in cities: Empirical evidence from China.

The development of urbanization has brought new challenges to the ecological environment, and the promotion of green technology innovation and development is widely recognized as an essential method to achieve cities' economic benefits and environmental protection. This paper examines whether the new urbanization pilot policies (NUP) increase green technology innovation (GTI) from both theoretical and empirical perspectives. This paper examines the impact of new urbanization on GTI by analyzing data from 285 cities in China between 2010 and 2021, using the multi-period DID model with the implementation of NUP as an exogenous policy shock. The study results indicate that NUP significantly affects GTI, and the conclusion still holds after the parallel trend test, placebo test, and other robustness tests. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the NUP significantly enhances GTI in low environmental pollution, non-resource-based, Medium-sized, and Central Region cities. The test of moderating effect shows that NUP has a "linkage effect" with the government's environmental attention, financial investment in innovation, and regional talent pooling. The findings of this paper provide empirical evidence and decision-making reference for promoting NUP and sustainable development of cities.

Establishing an inverted U-shaped pattern of violence and war from prehistory to modernity: towards an interdisciplinary synthesis

AbstractHow have broad patterns of violence and war changed from the dawn of humanity up to present time? In answering this question, researchers have typically framed their arguments and evidence in terms of the polarized debate between Hobbes (or hawks) and Rousseau (or doves). This article moves beyond the stalemated debate and integrates the most robust existing theoretical developments and empirical findings that have emerged from various disciplines over the past 20 years– primarily sociology, political science, anthropology, and archaeology– to answer the question. Drawing on carefully curated violent lethality data for pre historically appropriate hunter-gatherers, as well as historical pre-state and state societies, it shows that simple narratives of violence and war decreasing through history from ostensibly high levels in the human state of nature, on the one hand, and the obverse insistence that the once mostly peaceful communities became highly belligerent with the transition to modernity, on the other, are both wrong. Instead, multiple lines of existing evidence and theoretical perspectives suggest a complex, non-linear, Kuznets-style relationship between violence and the passage of history.

Inflection class interactions and valency changes in Matlatzinca

Abstract In this paper, we explore how changes in the inflection class membership of verbs in Matlatzinca (Oto-Pamean, Oto-Manguean, Mexico) lead to changes in both their valency and meaning. In Matlatzinca, verbs often exhibit multiple class membership so that a given verb may be inflected as transitive in one class but as intransitive in another. For instance, the verb chun+ta, when inflected in different classes, can encompass diverse meanings: the action of ‘waking someone up’; the result state of ‘being awake’; and the spontaneous event of ‘waking up’. This linguistic phenomenon is intriguing from both a typological and a theoretical perspective as it challenges our understanding of lexical representation by prompting the question of whether these meanings represent distinct lexical entries or various construals of the same verb (Spencer 2013).

Bcubed revisited: elements like me

BCubed is a mathematically clean, elegant and intuitively well behaved external performance metric for clustering tasks. BCubed compares a predicted clustering to a known ground truth clustering through elementwise precision and recall scores. For each element, the predicted and ground truth clusters containing the element are compared, and the mean over all elements is taken. We argue that BCubed overestimates performance, for the intuitive reason that the clustering gets credit for putting an element into its own cluster. This is repaired, and we investigate the repaired version, called “Elements Like Me (ELM)”. We extensively evaluate ELM from both a theoretical and empirical perspective, and conclude that it retains all of its positive properties, and yields a minimum zero score when it should. Synthetic experiments show that ELM can produce different rankings of predicted clusterings when compared to BCubed, and that the ELM scores are distributed with lower mean and a larger variance than BCubed.

Reimagining Feminism and Gender Relations in Saudi Arabia: A New Theoretical Framework

This article seeks a deeper understanding of the issues Arab women face in the Arab world and their rights. It is set in a framework that considers the context of these rights and issues. Whilst women throughout the Arab world often share similar experiences, there is variation, and this article focuses mainly on the experience of Saudi women. Theoretical feminist and interdisciplinary approaches analyse and highlight diverse perspectives in seeking a more profound understanding of women's rights, roles, status, challenges, and achievements. They also expose the various feminist paradigms underlying the theoretical framework. The study emphasises the importance of recognising the unique experiences of Arab women, respecting cultural differences, and avoiding universalisation and homogenisation of gender. It highlights the value of integrating feminist and postcolonial theoretical perspectives to comprehend better the complexities surrounding Saudi women's study. It also emphasises the contextualisation of literary works within local environments to provide a deep understanding of women's evolving roles, rights, and status contributions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Ultimately, the study aims to bridge the academic gap between English and Arabic scholarship in the representation of Saudi women.

Examining the Commonalities and Differences Between Gamblification and Gamification: A Theoretical Perspective

Gamification has arguably emerged as the most dominant of persuasive technologies, giving rise to a multidisciplinary field and diverse associated industries. As the field has grown, so too has the need for further resolution, nuance, and conceptual acuity; it is important to be able to distinguish different facets once the use of umbrella terminology becomes insufficient. One notable area of interest is gamblification, the study of which is not yet as well-developed; while gamblification is often conceptualized as an extension of gamification, recent research has found it to be an effective means of engaging users in alternative ways. This article examines points of similarity and difference between gamblification and gamification, with the intention to highlight the scope of gamblification as a means to promote specific user behavior and, furthermore, to provide a clear theoretical basis for the ongoing investigation into this phenomenon. The most significant point of difference is that while successful gamification primarily utilizes intrinsic motivations to effect meaningful change, gamblification does so predominantly through leveraging extrinsic motivations. Consequently, gamification and gamblification are used to achieve different aims and are suited to different contexts. Finally, a future research agenda for developing the study of gamblification is presented.

Creating more opportunities through multimodal literacy and positioning in online and in-person Chinese heritage language classrooms

The manuscript describes Chinese immigrant children’s literacy and identity in online and in-person Chinese heritage language classrooms. The theoretical perspectives on multimodality and positioning theory are utilized as theoretical perspectives. The data were collected with the same heritage language teacher and the students during the COVID-19 and post-pandemic. Data sources included field notes based on observations, video recordings of class conversations, and interviews with the teacher. The findings present similar and different patterns in relation to multimodal literacy activities in both online and in-person settings. The findings also show that the students’ identities shifted in these settings. Implications include offering more multimodal activities for immigrant children in both settings in the post-pandemic period, providing more digital tools and resources for the children, and calling more attention from funding agencies to support heritage language education.

Moral disengagement and neutralization techniques as explanations of unethical behavior

AbstractEthical consumption is important for both consumers and social welfare. However, many consumers avoid or ignore ethical consumption practices. An explanation of the psychological processes that impede ethical behavior is important research. A survey of 436 American consumers reveals that various types of moral disengagement (behavior and victim loci) and neutralization techniques sequentially explain unethical consumer behavior. From a theoretical perspective, both these constructs are relevant in this context, yet prior research utilizes these constructs separately or conflates them. Moreover, findings show that a particular type of moral disengagement, the agency locus, paradoxically promotes ethical consumer behavior. This research also examines locus of control (chance) and trait cynicism as antecedents of unethical consumer behavior. Locus of control (chance), not trait cynicism, leads to less ethical consumer behavior through moral disengagement and neutralization techniques. Insights benefit consumers, marketers, and policymakers in promoting ethical consumption that enhances consumer well‐being.

Megaprojects in austerity times: Populism, politicisation, and the breaking of the neoliberal consensus

Drawing on the literature on neoliberalism and populism this paper examines the potential of contentious politics that target iconic megaprojects for promoting societal politicisation and effectively challenge the neoliberal consensus over the necessity of sustained growth and competitiveness, in a context of enduring austerity. Using the case of Valencia as an entry point, it looks at how, just as decision makers and global architects alike had mobilised iconic megaprojects and events to generate consent for the city’s neoliberal urban policy, opposition movements, with less economic resources but in innovative ways, provided an alternative narrative to interpret the urban policy and its social consequences. Empirically, this paper draws upon 35 semi-structured research interviews and a press coverage analysis of national and regional newspapers. Interviews were conducted with urban environment professionals, members of business associations, members of political parties, elected politicians, journalists, community representatives and members of the social movements involved. From both theoretical and empirical perspectives, the case of Valencia raises important questions regarding the potential of populist strategies to foster politicisation and challenge the neoliberal post-political consensus.