Traditional Motives Research Articles

Motivações do P&D transnacional em Brasil e efeitos locais de absorção de conhecimento

Este trabalho tem como objetivo discutir as características do P&D transacional em países emergentes, a partir do ponto de vista das estratégias globais das grandes corporações transnacionais (GCTs) e das vantagens oferecidas pelos receptores, fazendo uma especial referência ao caso brasileiro. As tradicionais motivações para a internacionalização tecnológica baseadas na visão home-base tiveram que ser ampliadas para explicar a nova geografia da inovação voltada para países emergentes sob uma visão host-base. Os principais atrativos destes países são o tamanho de seus mercados, as especificidades de suas demandas e menores custos relativos de P&D compatíveis com níveis aceitáveis de qualidade de seus recursos tecnológicos. Indicadores recentes colocam o Brasil como receptor de investimentos líquidos em P&D, embora o direcionamento seja assimétrico entre setores e tecnologias. As potencialidades locais que o Brasil oferece poderiam representar uma fonte de criação de capacitação local, a partir da combinação de esforços internos e externos com políticas públicas de absorção de conhecimento.

Reliability analysis method based on determination of the performance function’s PDF using the univariate dimension reduction method

In addition to traditional motivations for application of the reliability analysis, significant growth of the structural design optimization utilization can be observed nowadays, where minimization of the structural weight and maximization of the structural safety are the most common objectives. Application of the existing reliability analysis methods in the context of the multi-criteria optimization of complex structures (e.g. ships), which are characterized by a large number of the design and random variables, is very time consuming due to extremely large number of the pertinent calculations. Consequently, an efficient reliability analysis method is proposed within the scope of this article. Proposed method provides very accurate results within significantly lower computational timeframes with respect to the existing reliability analysis methods, which makes it appropriate for application in computationally very demanding reliability based design optimization (RBDO) environment.

Men Choosing Nursing

In the nursing profession across the Western world, women outnumber men by a ratio of 10 to 1. The profession is often seen as being synonymous with being female and with femininity. This study aimed to illustrate the gendered aspects of career choice for men who choose to nurse and how a masculine identity can be negotiated within the profession. Using a qualitative interpretive approach, interviews were carried out with 18 male nurses. The findings indicate contradictions and difficulties for men in identifying with the profession and as men. Little encouragement is given to men to join the profession, and for men who have chosen to nurse, there is an attempt to distance themselves from traditional motivations for choosing nursing such as caring and vocationalism. This has implications for the recruitment and retention of men into the profession and also points to a need to examine the relationship of nursing to gendered concepts.

Informal care motivations and intergenerational transfers in European countries.

This work sets out to analyze the motivations adult children may have to provide informal care, considering the monetary transfers they receive from their parents. Traditional motivations, such as altruism and exchange, are matched against more recent social bond theories. Our findings indicate that informal caregivers receive less frequent and less generous transfers than non-caregivers; that is, caregivers are more prone to suppress their self-interested motivations in order to prioritize the well being of another person. Additionally, long-term public care benefits increase both the probability of receiving a transfer and its amount, with this effect being more intense for both the poorest and richest households. Our findings suggest that if long-term care benefits are intended to increase the recipients' welfare and represent a higher fraction of total income for the poorest households, the effectiveness of these long-term care policies may be diluted.

Payout Policy

We survey the literature on payout policy, with a particular emphasis on developments in the past two decades. The cross-sectional empirical evidence for the traditional motivations behind firms paying out (agency, signaling, and taxes) is most persuasive with regard to agency considerations. Studies centered on the May 2003 dividend tax cut confirm that differences in the taxation of dividends and capital gains have only a second-order impact on setting payout policy. None of the three traditional explanations can account for secular changes in how payouts have been made over the past 30 years, during which repurchases have replaced dividends as the prime vehicle for corporate payouts. Other payout motivations, such as changes in compensation practices and management incentives, are better able to explain the observed variation in payout patterns over time than the traditional motivations. The most recent evidence suggests that further insights can be gained from viewing payout decisions as an integral part of a firm’s larger financial ecosystem, with important implications for financing, investment, and risk management.

Green ICT practices in event management: case study approach to examine motivation, management and fiscal return on investment

Events are a key component to tourism and play an active role in the development and marketing of a destination (Getz 2007). Festivals, in particular, are an exciting way for communities to celebrate culture, sense of place and social change (Picard and Robinson 2006). However, events’ impact on environmental sustainability has been difficult to measure due to their short duration, high visitor volume, diversity of clientele, and the intangible nature of the event experience (Getz 1989). Proenvironmental attitudes are being adopted by governing agencies that support event planning, although debate surrounds the most efficient means to integrate such goals (Mair and Laing 2013). Fredline et al. (2005) argue that sustainability in event management must be promoted through planning and management practices that deter negative outcomes and encourage positive ones. However, the more traditional motivation for green events come from a need to improve the financial bottom-line rather than a commitment to environmental values (Mair and Jago 2010) and technology is seen as an avenue to achieve this. The management and adoption of ‘‘Green ICT’’ in event businesses are just beginning to be broached in academic circles. Information communication technology (ICT) has become a holistic integrated system of networked equipment and software, which enables effective data processing and communication for an organisation’s benefit (Buhalis and Law

Bryennios’ Hyle historias: The good ruler, the tyrant and their confidants

Contrasting the character traits and the behaviour of a good ruler and a tyrant is one of the traditional motives of Byzantine literature. Essential constituents of this comparison were four cardinal virtues (temperance, prudence, justice, and fortitude), philanthropy, piousness, accession to the throne, concern for subjects, and choice of confidants. Each writer did not necessarily discuss all the elements mentioned; he simply chose those that corresponded to his intention and his conception of his literary work. The same writing strategy was used by Nikephoros Bryennios, a Byzantine military commander and historiographer of the 12th century, in his work titled Hyle historias, in which he depicted in detail the reigns of three emperors: Romanos IV Diogenes, Michael VII Doukas, and Nikephoros III Botaneiates. Bryennios ascribed to each of them some typical traits of a tyrant; Romanos lacked prudence, Michael fortitude, and Botaneiates temperance. Furthermore Romanos listened to flatterers, Michael was manipulated by the eunuch Nikephoritzes, and Botaneiates consulted the dishonest barbarian Boril and trusted the perfidious eunuch John. The examples given imply that, from the list of characteristic mentioned above, Bryennios focused on the choice of confidants and used depictions of the emperor’s confidants to complete the portrayal of the emperor himself. The aim of this paper is to analyze the application of this technique in Hyle historias, which created negative portrayals of former emperors and paved the way for the future emperor Alexios Komnenos, the true hero of Bryennios’ writing.

Liquid-claim production, risk management, and bank capital structure: Why high leverage is optimal for banks

Liquidity production is a central function of banks. High leverage is optimal for banks in a model that has just enough frictions for banks to have a meaningful role in liquid-claim production. The model has a market premium for (socially valuable) safe/liquid debt, but no taxes or other traditional motives to lever up. Because only safe debt commands a liquidity premium, banks with risky assets use risk management to maximize their capacity to include such debt in the capital structure. The model can explain why banks have higher leverage than most operating firms, why risk management is central to banks׳ operating policies, why bank leverage increased over the last 150 years or so, and why leverage limits for regulated banks impede their ability to compete with unregulated shadow banks.

Factors influencing on-market share repurchase decisions in Australia

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine factors influencing decisions to repurchase shares on-market in Australia. The present study also examines the role of board size, board independence and chief executive officer duality on the decision to repurchase shares on-market by Australian firms. Design/methodology/approach – This study blends the traditional motivations of share repurchases with the influences of governance. The sample consists of all non-financial firms included in the Australian All Ordinaries Index (AOI) for the period 2004-2010. The repurchase sample consists of 104 repurchases undertaken by 62 firms. A probit panel model is used to analyse the decision to repurchase shares on the market. To account for unobserved heterogeneity, random effects panel models are also used. Findings – Analyses of a sample of non-financial firms included in the AOI for the period 2004-2010 show that size is significantly positively correlated with the decision to repurchase shares, thus supporting the agency cost. Findings also support the undervaluation and signalling hypotheses. Similarly, there is evidence in support of the view that firms repurchase shares to reach their target optimal capital structure. The present study also finds a significant positive association between board independence and the decision to repurchase shares in Australia. Research limitations/implications – On-market share repurchases help firms to signal their future growth opportunities and resolve agency conflicts. Signals from repurchases also help markets discover the true fundamental values of firms. Governance plays an important role in improving the effectiveness of on-market share repurchases, as independent directors provide both monitoring and discipline which helps to ensure that firms have valid motivations in undertaking share repurchases. Practical implications – These findings have implications for capital restructuring and governance policies. Principle-based governance frameworks that prevail in countries like Australia work as well as rule-based governance. Originality/value – This study highlights the complementary roles that financial policies and corporate boards play in corporate governance. Independent boards ensure that firms pursue appropriate financial policies that help resolve agency conflicts and information asymmetry problems.

The Establishment of an e-Learning System Based on SDT

This study established an elementary-school English e-learning system on the basis of theory-based motivation strategies, and verified the effectiveness of the motivation strategies through educational practice and the applicability of traditional motivation theories in e-learning environments. Six motivation strategies were deducted, two from each of the three psychological needs (Autonomy, Competence, Relatedness) presupposed as preconditions that increase human motivation based on the Self-Determination Theory. Next, the e-learning system intended to increase intrinsic motivation for English learning was established based on the motivation strategies. Then, this system was used for year-long educational practice in 115 private educational institutes nationwide. Finally, a survey was conducted with 2,300 students to determine whether the e-learning system applying the motivation strategies satisfied the three psychological needs of elementary-school English learners, and whether it improved intrinsic motivation for English studies. Moreover, this study analysed the correlation among motivation strategies, three psychological needs, and five motivation groups. The results revealed that the motivation strategies applied to the e-learning system had a significant influence on the three psychological needs, and those needs had a significant influence on the five motivation groups. This proved the effectiveness of motivation strategies applied to the e-learning system. It was found that SDT, the traditional motivation theory that has been applied to face-to-face classes, is also effective in the e-learning environment. Finally, even in the e-learning environment focusing on individual learning, learners were found to value relationships with others, in addition to competence, which has been studied relatively often in the past. The significance of this study is that it established a theory-based e-learning system and that it is an empirical study applying motivation theories from face-to-face classes to the e-learning environment through educational practice.

Financing Asset Sales and Business Cycles

Using a dynamic model of financing, investment, and macroeconomic risk, we investigate when firms sell assets to fund investments (financing asset sales) across the business cycle. The model reveals that financing asset sales entail a lower wealth transfer from equity to debt than otherwise identical but equity financed investments. Exploring the dynamics of this motive across business cycles helps explain novel stylized facts about asset sales and their business cycle patterns that cannot be rationalized by traditional motives for selling assets.

Comparative reasoning and the making of a common constitutional law: EU-related decisions of national constitutional courts in a transnational perspective

This contribution argues that recent EU-related decisions of national constitutional courts demonstrate a new quality of comparative legal reasoning. While classic EU-related case law at best reflects comparative law dimensions by sporadic references to foreign case law, some constitutional courts in Europe have now taken a path towards a more elaborate use of comparative reasoning, including in-depth and sometimes even critical evaluations of foreign jurisprudence in the ratio decidendi. Beyond the traditional motives for courts to rely on comparative law, one particular reason for this intensification seems to be taking an active role in an EU-wide process of shaping common constitutional law. Seen in a transnational perspective, comparative reasoning by judges can be more than a mere reference to foreign law as such; in fact, the judicial evaluation of foreign EU-related decisions can simultaneously be an evaluation of propositions on common constitutional standards. Comparative reasoning by courts then becomes an active contribution to a transnational dialogue of judges on the making of a common constitutional law in Europe.

A Multilevel Optimal Feature Selection and Ensemble Learning for a Specific CAD System-Pulmonary Nodule Detection

The traditional motivation behind feature selection algorithms is to find the best subset of features for a task using one particular learning algorithm. However, it has been often found that no single classifier is entirely satisfactory for a particular task. Therefore, how to further improve the performance of these single systems on the basis of the previous optimal feature subset is a very important issue.We investigate the notion of optimal feature selection and present a practical feature selection approach that is based on an optimal feature subset of a single CAD system, which is referred to as a multilevel optimal feature selection method (MOFS) in this paper. Through MOFS, we select the different optimal feature subsets in order to eliminate features that are redundant or irrelevant and obtain optimal features.

한국 전통문양의 현대적 재구성을 통한 티셔츠 디자인 개발

This study presents a T-shirt design process that utilizes modernized traditional patterns; in addition, it also includes various modernization techniques for Korean traditional patterns. T-shirts are a representative casual wear item worn in everyday life, especially among young people. The association of traditional elements and public goods such as T-shirts effects the diffusion of the Korean image into global society. Through the whole design process, target groups and design concepts were determined first: collegiate students as well as clean, natural, refined, simple and sporty image, respectively. Subsequently, Dokkaebi, lotus, Dangcho, dragon and Taegeuk patterns were selected as traditional pattern sources. Along with the technique of the division, transformation, and configuration of original patterns, the combining method of geometrical figures, stripe patterns, and check patterns with traditional patterns was helped create modernized traditional motives. Finally, T-shirt designs with a Korean image were developed with the harmonized deployment of modernized motives and color planning. The survey showed that designs had a clean, natural, refined, simple and sporty image that was preferred by collegiate students. This study is relevant in three aspects. First, the design process of modernization was very creative to combine traditional patterns and basic figures. Second, this study expanded the scope of traditional image design to casual wear to promote the Korean image to young people all over the world. Third, the whole design process, from planning to final product development, presented in this study is applicable to other design processes.

Why High Leverage is Optimal for Banks

Liquidity production is a central function of banks. High leverage is optimal for banks in a model that has just enough frictions for banks to have a meaningful role in liquid-claim production. The model has a market premium for (socially valuable) safe/liquid debt, but no taxes or other traditional motives to lever up. Because only safe debt commands a liquidity premium, banks with risky assets use risk management to maximize their capacity to include such debt in the capital structure. The model can explain why banks have higher leverage than most operating firms, why risk management is central to banks’ operating policies, why bank leverage increased over the last 150 years or so, and why leverage limits for regulated banks impede their ability to compete with unregulated shadow banks.

Investment Policy for Time-Inconsistent Discounters

This paper explores how a principal with time-inconsistent preferences invests optimally in technology or capital. If the current principal prefers her future self to save more, she can increase current investments complementary to future savings and decrease investments in the strategic substitutes, for example. To characterize the principal’s choices they are compared to a market equilibrium where the investors are private agents. Each investing agent applies the same discount factors as do the principal and he obtains full property rights to the future returns. With geometric discounting, there would be no need to regulate (subsidize/tax) these agents. With time-inconsistent preferences, however, the current principal benefits from subsidizing investments in “green” capital (complementary to future savings) and tax investments in substitute capital such as “brown” technology and even adaptation technology. The paper can thus compare policies for different types of investments at the same level in the production hierarchy, but investments at different levels are also compared. With quasi-hyperbolic discounting, the optimal subsidy is unrelated to this level. With discount rates that are strictly decreasing in relative time, however, upstream investments (needed for downstream investments) will optimally be subsidized at a higher rate. When applied to environmental policy, the paper provides a new rationale for subsidizing green (and taxing brown) technology unrelated to the traditional motivation emphasizing public good aspects.

From White Males to Black Females

This essay argues that the racial identities assigned to Ethiopia in the late 19th century and early 20th century were a direct result of the sexualized racial identities that were due to racist philosophies of colonialism. Teshale Tibebu’s and Harold Marcus’s essays on the national identity of Ethiopia and Lewis Gordon’s philosophical views of the sexual nature of racial identities serve a foundation for the rationale behind Ethiopia’s identity redefinition. Ethiopia, defeating Italy at Adwa, could not be seen as Black by many in the global community. Key contributions of this essay are how Ethiopians themselves defined their own nation and a discussion of how this identity was redefined in the discourse surrounding the global response to Italy’s occupation in 1936. This new characterization allows us to move beyond traditional motivations of colonization and examine the racialized and gendered bodies of the colonized and colonizers in the context of modern Ethiopia.

Knowledge-sharing in virtual communities: familiarity, anonymity and self-determination theory

Although the role of motivation has been emphasised in knowledge-sharing literature, traditional motivation theories, such as self-determination theory (SDT), have not been actively used as a research framework in knowledge-sharing research. The purposes of this study are twofold. The first objective is to propose a model, based on SDT, to test the effect of the three basic psychological needs – perceived competence, perceived autonomy and perceived relatedness – on knowledge-sharing behaviours in virtual communities. The second objective is to explore the effects of familiarity and anonymity on the basic psychological needs to better understand individuals’ knowledge-sharing behaviours in virtual communities. The results show that perceived competence and perceived relatedness influence knowledge-sharing behaviours in virtual communities; however, perceived autonomy does not influence knowledge-sharing behaviours; familiarity influences positively perceived competence and perceived relatedness, and anonymity influences negatively perceived autonomy and perceived relatedness.

Leisure Worlds

With information supplied by a large ( n = 3393) sample of high school students from Toronto, this paper tests the assumption that three forms of leisure activity—peer, risky, and self-improving leisure—have a relatively independent impact upon patterns of offending and victimization. Although we find significant support for this proposition, we also find that traditional criminal motivations are still strongly related to criminal incidents, particularly offending behavior. The positive association between leisure and victimization includes, counter intuitively, the sort of self-improving leisure that might have been expected to reduce the risk of victimization. We discuss our findings in terms of the relationship between traditional motivational explanations of crime and newer, more situational ones.

Diary of a Dabbler: Ecological Influences on an EFL Teacher's Efforts to Study Japanese Informally

In this diary study, the author draws from journals written over the course of 8 years working as an English instructor at a Japanese university, with the aim of documenting the influences on her desire to invest effort in the self‐study of Japanese (what she refers to as the ecology of effort). An ecological perspective reveals the idiosyncratic and fluctuating nature of motivation due to daily contextual, personal, and emotional factors that interacted in unpredictable ways. One point of interest to researchers is that important ecological and relational influences on and emotional reactions to language learning cannot be uncovered with traditional motivation research. A second point of interest to adult language learners is that when full‐time language study is not possible or desired, dabbling is an excellent way to stay connected to active but low‐pressure language learning and to maintain a sense of wonder at the miracle of language.