bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Religion, Migration, and Change in a European City
Authors: Williams Roman R.
Published: January 2017

A sociologist of religion, culture, and globalization captures all three at work in Antwerp.
Test–Retest Reliability and Internal Consistency of the Activity Card Sort–Australia (18-64)
Authors: Gustafsson Louise , Hung Inez Hui Min , Liddle Jacki
Published: January 2017

The Activity Card Sort (ACS) measures activity engagement levels. The Activity Card Sort–Australian version for adults aged 18 to 64 (ACS-Aus (18-64)) was recently developed, and psychometric properties have not yet been determined. This study was established to determine the test–retest reliability and internal consistency of the ACS-Aus (18-64) and describe activity engagement trends for healthy adults. Fifty-four adults aged 18 to 64 participated in this descriptive study. The ACS-Aus (18-64) demonstrated excellent test–retest reliability ( r = .92, p < .001) and acceptable internal consistency (α = .83). Adults aged 18 to 40 retained a lower percentage of activities than adults aged 41 to 64 for personal care, daily life, home maintenance activities ( t = −2.22, p = .03), and recreation and relaxation activities ( t = −2.38, p = .02). The ACS-Aus (18-64) may be used to explore the activity engagement patterns of community-dwelling Australian adults aged 18 to 64. Further research will determine validity for clinical populations.
Erasure channel modelling–based secure bit allocation schemes for multipath routing in wireless sensor networks
Authors: Yuan Zhenhua , Chen Chen , Jin Ye
Published: January 2017

In this article, we study secure multipath routing with energy efficiency for a wireless sensor network in the presence of eavesdroppers. We consider two objectives: (1) the multipath routing scheme for maximising the energy efficiency with security constraints and (2) the multipath routing scheme for maximising the secrecy capacity. The binary erasure channel model is adopted to describe the wireless channel states among neighbouring nodes. Based on the binary erasure channel model, the problem of multipath routing degrades to a problem of bit allocation for each path. We formulate the problems and find that the problems are both quasi-convex. For the first one, it is a linear fractional optimisation problem. The optimal solution is obtained by the Charnes–Cooper transformation. For the second one, we propose an iterative algorithm to obtain the [Formula: see text]-optimal solution. The performance analysis shows that the probability of the secure bit allocation increases along with the number of multipaths and decreases along with the number of hops per path and eavesdroppers. Simulation results are presented to illustrate the proposed algorithms.
Internet Ethnography: Online and Offline
Authors: Sade-Beck Liav
Published: January 2017

This article proposes a new methodology for qualitative research on the Internet, based on the integration of qualitative data-gathering methodologies both online and offline. This combination enables the creation of rich ethnography or, as Geertz (1973) has called it, “thick description,” not limited to the Internet alone. The importance of this article lies in its contribution to a better understanding of the research potential of the Internet and its implementation in qualitative research methodologies.
Using PAR or Abusing its Good Name? the Challenges and Surprises of Photovoice and Film in a Study of Chronic Illness
Authors: Allen Dawn , Hutchinson Thomas
Published: January 2017

Without dispute, kidney dialysis treatment has been successful in saving lives. As a result of this intervention, increasing numbers of people are now facing the many physical, social, and emotional challenges of living with ESRD (end stage renal disease). Compromised vision, mobility, dexterity, and overall health have presented important methodological challenges to the authors' participatory action research (PAR) study of ESRD patients' quality of life. This article proceeds broadly in three steps: (a) an explanation of the authors' interest in PAR and the challenges that ESRD poses for PAR, (b) a description of how they adapted two visual techniques (photovoice and documentary film making) to address those challenges, and (c) a discussion of how they have and have not overcome the challenges of working with PAR.
Learning to Think Qualitatively: Experiences of Graduate Students Conducting Qualitative Health Research
Authors: Hunt Matthew R. , Mehta Anita , Chan Lisa S.
Published: January 2017

In this paper the authors discuss their experiences as graduate students using qualitative approaches to conduct health research. They explore how their engagement with qualitative research has related to feelings of humility, the desire to honor research participants' stories, challenges of pacing and other practical considerations, experiences of isolation and uncertainty, struggles with method and methodology, and moments of elation and discovery. They offer practical suggestions for students who are beginning similar academic endeavors. Supervisors might also find this paper of interest as they mentor and guide graduate students who are using qualitative methods.
Using Phenomenology to Study how Junior and Senior High School Students in Japan Perceive their Volunteer Efforts
Authors: Ueda Kayoko , Sakugawa Hajime
Published: January 2017

The purpose of this paper is to describe the methods used in a phenomenological study aimed at understanding students' perceptions of volunteer experiences from the viewpoint of their existential meanings. In Japan, as volunteer activities have just been recently introduced to youth education, it is necessary to verify the effect of the activity on the students. The authors present phenomenological reduction, which is a fundamental concept in phenomenology, as a health care research method to elucidate the essence of people's lived experiences. The 22 statements presented from volunteer students' group discussion after their practices were redescribed by phenomenological reduction, a method of valid interpretation based on their embodiment and desire. The phenomenological approach allows us to understand the essence of students' perceptions in terms of their purpose in life, which suggests that educators could inspire the students to realize existential growth by participating in volunteer activities through practical communications with others.
Growing Quality in Qualitative Health Research
Authors: Macdonald Mary Ellen
Published: January 2017

Qualitative methodologies are growing in popularity in health research; however, the integration of these methodologies into the clinical context is not always straightforward. In this article the author discusses some of the paradigmatic and methodological tensions that characterize the use of qualitative methodologies in clinical health research and showcase one solution to these tensions. The McGill Qualitative Health Research Group is a scholarly group of qualitative health researchers working together to advance a qualitative research agenda in clinical disciplines.
Windows on the world: Memories of European cinema in 1960s Britain
Authors: Stokes Melvyn , Jones Matthew
Published: January 2017

During the 1960s, European cinema became increasingly available to British audiences. The expansion of university film societies and art-house cinemas meant that domestic and US productions, which made up the vast majority of films screened in this country, were now in competition with the work of directors such as Bergman, Fellini and Truffaut. Using responses from nearly a thousand participants in an investigation of cultural memory and British cinemagoing in the 1960s, this article explores how these encounters with European cinema are now remembered. While audiences tend to characterise these films as innovative, unusual and cerebral, they are also often thought of as obscure and baffling. This article argues that, however the films are now remembered, British cinema audiences sensed that they were having their eyes opened to new perspectives on the world through their exposure to films from other countries.
Critical issues of human resource planning, performance evaluation and long-term development on the central region and non-central areas
Authors: Fogarassy Csaba , Szabo Katalin , Poor Jozsef
Published: January 2017

In human resource management practices of various nations, companies have to adapt to the local specifics. This claim is strongly supported by the results of the international Central and Eastern European International Research Team research. Based on the instances of research conducted in various countries, we can clearly see that only the ‘best practice’ is not enough when used exclusively, and a ‘best fit’ perspective has to support it, which optimizes the usage of resources to the local economical–social environment. Our notes revealed that non-central areas have many more employees per human resource (HR) specialist, which may result in excess tasks. In the case of companies from Central Hungary (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics 2 region), one HR professional usually deals with 55 employees, while in non-central regions, this number may reach up to 112 workers. This means that in non-central areas, HR employees have double the work. Also, their daily operative work may bring in a huge overload, which concerns all functions of HR. Critical issues are HR planning, training, development and keeping talented individuals (talent management), which mean serious questions and problems for companies that are not in the Central Hungarian region.
Gifted Middle School Students’ Achievement and Perceptions of Science Classroom Quality During Problem-Based Learning
Authors: Horak Anne K. , Galluzzo Gary R.
Published: January 2017

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of problem-based learning (PBL) on student achievement and students’ perceptions of classroom quality. A group of students taught using PBL and a comparison group of students taught using traditional instruction were studied. A total of 457 students participated in the study. Pre- and post-student achievement data were collected using a 25-item multiple-choice test that aligned with state and local objectives. Data analysis indicated statistically significant gain scores in both the groups with a higher gain score in the PBL group. Data analysis also revealed statistically significant differences in the total score on the Student Perceptions of Classroom Quality (SPOCQ) in favor of the PBL group. This study found positive effects for well-implemented PBL instruction with these students. Future research should include longitudinal studies expanded to different subjects, grade levels, and populations of students.
The Intertwined Nature of Adolescents’ Social and Academic Lives
Authors: Ben-Eliyahu Adar , Linnenbrink-Garcia Lisa , Putallaz Martha
Published: January 2017

The relations of academic and social goal orientations to academic and social behaviors and self-concept were investigated among academically talented adolescents ( N = 1,218) attending a mastery-oriented academic residential summer program. Results supported context effects in that academic mastery goal orientations predicted academic (in-class engagement, scholastic self-concept) and general outcomes (global self-worth self-concept) more than any other goal orientation. There were also gender differences such that academic mastery goal orientations predicted course performance and responsible classroom behavior only for girls, whereas for boys, academic mastery goal orientations were positively related to close friendship self-concept. The relation of social goal orientations to social outcomes also varied by gender. For instance, social development goal orientations were uniquely associated with social self-concept for girls, whereas there were some unique patterns regarding social demonstration-avoidance goal orientations for boys. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Reply to my critics
Authors: Merry Michael S
Published: January 2017

In this reply I respond to criticisms offered by Richard Harris, Ludi Simpson, Ron Johnson and Nissa Finney as it concerns my book, Equality, Citizenship and Segregation: a defense of separation.
Can the straw man speak? An engagement with postcolonial critiques of ‘global cities research’
Authors: van Meeteren Michiel , Derudder Ben , Bassens David
Published: January 2017

This paper engages with postcolonial critiques of global cities research (GCR). We argue that such criticisms tend to be hampered by their tendency to be polemical rather than engaging, as evidenced by both the quasi-systematic misrepresentation of the core objectives of GCR and the skating over of its internal diversity. We present a genealogy of postcolonial critiques starting from Robinson’s (2002) agenda-setting discussion of GCR, followed by an analysis of how her legitimate concerns have subsequently morphed into a set of apparent truisms. These misrepresentations are then contrasted with the purposes, diversity, and critical character of GCR as actually practiced. We interpret this discrepancy to be part of a gradually routinized straw man rhetoric that emerged as an unfortunate rallying point for postcolonial urban scholars. The consequence is that GCR tends to be casually invoked to distinguish one’s own position. We conclude by advocating practices of ‘engaged pluralism’ rather than ‘polemical pluralism’ when doing global urban research and propose that critical realism can provide an important epistemological bridge to make different positions communicate.
What if the global city was postcolonial?
Authors: Collins Francis L.
Published: January 2017

Michiel van Meeteren, Ben Derudder and David Bassens’ essay asks whether the alleged ‘straw man’ of ‘global cities research’ (GCR) can speak in response to its postcolonial critics. Their intervention takes aim at the style of critique that postcolonial urban scholarship has employed and in particular the ways in which GCR has been framed as homogeneous, normatively charged and entangled in the neoliberalization of urban life. My response centres on two key issues that emerge from this intervention. Firstly, I reflect on their troubling account of routinized or rehearsed critique and suggest that this may be indicative of wider trends as academic work is increasingly accelerated, intensified and made measurable. Secondly, I invert the authors’ invitation to join the putative ‘invisible college’ and explore what postcolonial GCR might look like, its heuristic capacity to develop new meaning and the comparative potential of starting elsewhere. Together, the response addresses not just the practical problems of critique but also the ethics of different scholarly manoeuvres to assemble and deploy knowledge.
Doing global urban studies
Authors: van Meeteren Michiel , Bassens David , Derudder Ben
Published: January 2017

By way of rejoinder to commentaries by members of the invisible college of postcolonial urbanism, we further develop issues of praxis regarding engaged pluralism and plead for its usefulness. Engaged pluralism when doing global urban studies depends on a research culture where both deconstructive and reconstructive moments are encouraged. Deconstruction benefits from the provincialization of all knowledge. Reconstruction can occur when we bracket ontological and epistemological incommensurability and focus on the cognitively enriching research praxis of frame switching, where research perspectives constitute nonexclusive, temporary, or alternating entries for research.
Reply to my critics
Authors: Joseph Miranda
Published: January 2017

In this author’s response to the forum on Debt to Society, Miranda Joseph appreciates the responses for the ways they elaborate and expand on the potential resonances of the book. And, noting that Haiven and Hall both take this book to be a prompt to further work, Joseph invites readers to take up the counter-accounting project.
Whose Spirituality? Which Rationality? A Narrational Locus for Learning
Authors: Blomberg Doug
Published: January 2017

SCHOOLS SHOULD LEAD students in learning to fulfil their many vocations in life. To do this, they must ask, what learning is of most value? The criteria employed to select this rather than that educational experience will reflect the answer given. But what is learned is inextricably linked with how it is learned. Though there are many differing forces at work in shaping contemporary schooling, one perennial factor is a primary commitment to autonomous reason focusing on relatively self-contained subject matters. I believe this is no mere “academic” concern but one of deep spiritual significance. After further contextualising this remark, I will examine prominent theories of moral development, a prime site for understanding our culture's conception of values and value acquisition. I will then propose that an alternative, relational rationality (“narrationality”) will enable schools better to reflect the interdependence of all creatures that Scripture proclaims and students to realise multidimensional value.1
Christian Friendship as Faculty Development: A Narrative Account
Authors: Phelps Matthew P. , Waalkes Scott
Published: January 2017

IN THIS ARTICLE we offer a narrative account of three faculty development groups on one campus: an interdisciplinary summer reading group, a writers group, and a spiritual formation group. Grounded in the literature on Christian friendship, the narrative testifies to the development, characteristics, and impact of these groups. We conclude that communities of Christian friendship are a significant source and locale of faculty development.
Education for Discipleship: A Curriculum Orientation for Christian Educators
Authors: Hull John E.
Published: January 2017

THIS ARTICLE INVESTIGATES the long-held assumption that Christian educators need their own curriculum orientation. Seminal documents published by Philip Jackson and Harro Van Brummelen in the nineties are analyzed against the background of a brief history of the field of curriculum theory. The author accepts Jackson's conclusion that curriculum theorists and classroom teachers are generally confused about the true nature of curriculum orientations and about the way curriculum reform takes place. Jackson's own understanding of curriculum orientations raises the bar of curriculum reform from the mere substitution of one conceptual model for another to the preference of one way of life over all others.

The investigation reveals that Van Brummelen's presentation of an alternative Christian curriculum orientation both rises above Jackson's critique and is vulnerable to it. Education for Discipleship is a highly evolved alternative curriculum orientation; nevertheless, its implementation is limited to a learning community actualizing a biblical world and life point of view from a conceptual model to actual practice. This investigation suggests that substantive curriculum reform requires two-way traffic along the conduit of influence that connects faith, theoretic frameworks, curricular practice, and community life experience.
Chinese and world cultural models of developmental hierarchy
Authors: Dorius Shawn F
Published: January 2017

Prior research on cultural models of developmental hierarchy finds broad cross-national agreement among publics about the rank ordering of societies on perceived level of development, based on an omnibus measure of development. In this research, I use a multidimensional index of world hierarchy derived from subjective evaluations of a large number of national attributes to explore dimensionality in Chinese perceptions of global hierarchy. Statistical analysis show that the data exhibit over time stability and strong association with objective measures of development and with alternate subjective measures of world hierarchy. Irrespective of the national attributes evaluated, Chinese respondents produced a very similar rank-ordering of countries on each of six different indexes. The Chinese model of world hierarchy shows broad overlap with the global hierarchy produced by raters from 19 other surveyed publics. Notable differences between Chinese and world cultural models of hierarchy include especially negative views of Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and India among Chinese respondents, and unusually favorable opinions of Russia, relative to the ratings of these countries by other publics. Analyses also show that respondents from 19 societies ranked China higher on the cultural dimension than on any other dimension but ranked the Chinese government lower than all but one country. Results suggest that scales based on an omnibus subjective measure of developmental hierarchy and indexes based on subjective ratings of national attributes produce a similar world hierarchy of nations.
Developmental idealism in China
Authors: Thornton Arland , Xie Yu
Published: January 2017

This paper examines the intersection of developmental idealism with China. It discusses how developmental idealism has been widely disseminated within China and has had enormous effects on public policy and programs, on social institutions, and on the lives of individuals and their families. This dissemination of developmental idealism to China began in the 19th century, when China met with several military defeats that led many in the country to question the place of China in the world. By the beginning of the 20th century, substantial numbers of Chinese had reacted to the country’s defeats by exploring developmental idealism as a route to independence, international respect, and prosperity. Then, with important but brief aberrations, the country began to implement many of the elements of developmental idealism, a movement that became especially important following the assumption of power by the Communist Party of China in 1949. This movement has played a substantial role in politics, in the economy, and in family life. The beliefs and values of developmental idealism have also been directly disseminated to the grassroots in China, where substantial majorities of Chinese citizens have assimilated them. These ideas are both known and endorsed by very large numbers in China today.
Universal, yet local: The religious factor in Chinese Muslims’ perception of world developmental hierarchy
Authors: Lai Qing , Mu Zheng
Published: January 2017

Since its introduction in the late 19th century, developmental thinking has quickly diffused throughout Chinese society. Nowadays, Chinese people extensively employ the concept of development to understand different countries in hierarchical order. Using survey data collected in Gansu, China, we confirmed the nearly universal existence of such developmental worldviews. Overall, our respondents’ perceptions conformed to the United Nations’ developmental hierarchy based on the Human Development Index scores. However, local Muslims tended to deviate slightly more than other Chinese from the UN standard. This does not mean that Chinese Muslims were reluctant to adopt developmental thinking. In fact, in their eyes, developmental ideas have been prominently associated with Islam since the beginning of the 20th century. Our analysis shows that the observed Muslim–Han disparity is entirely due to Muslims’ higher evaluations of development in countries with strongly Islamic populations – in this case, Pakistan. Other than this religion-based disparity, Gansu Muslims and local Han Chinese do not differ in their perceptions of the world developmental hierarchy.
A Study of Errors and Misconceptions in the Learning of Addition and Subtraction of Directed Numbers in Grade 8
Authors: Makonye Judah Paul , Fakude Josiah
Published: January 2017

The study focused on the errors and misconceptions that learners manifest in the addition and subtraction of directed numbers. Skemp’s notions of relational and instrumental understanding of mathematics and Sfard’s participation and acquisition metaphors of learning mathematics informed the study. Data were collected from 35 Grade 8 learners’ exercise book responses to directed numbers tasks as well as through interviews. Content analysis was based on Kilpatrick et al.’s strands of mathematical proficiency. The findings were as follows: 83.3% of learners have misconceptions, 16.7% have procedural errors, 67% have strategic errors, and 28.6% have logical errors on addition and subtraction of directed numbers. The sources of the errors seemed to be lack of reference to mediating artifacts such as number lines or other real contextual situations when learning to deal with directed numbers. Learners seemed obsessed with positive numbers and addition operation frames—the first number ideas they encountered in school. They could not easily accommodate negative numbers or the subtraction operation involving negative integers. Another stumbling block seemed to be poor proficiency in English, which is the language of teaching and learning mathematics. The study recommends that building conceptual understanding on directed numbers and operations on them must be encouraged through use of multirepresentations and other contexts meaningful to learners. For that reason, we urge delayed use of calculators.
Prevalence of Common Mental Disorders and its Association with Life Events and Social Support in Mothers Attending a Well-Child Clinic
Authors: Husain Nusrat , Mukherjee Ipshita , Notiar Amber , Alavi Zahir , Tomenson Barbara , Hawa Florence , Malik Abid , Ahmed Aabid , Chaudhry Nasim
Published: January 2017

Common mental disorders (CMD), such as depression and anxiety disorders that affect mothers with young children, are a major public health issue in developing countries. This study investigates the prevalence of CMD and its associated factors among mothers attending a well-child clinic in Mombasa, Kenya. In this cross-sectional study, 429 women were screened for the presence of CMD using the Self-Reporting Questionnaire–20 (SRQ-20). Social support and social stress were measured using the OSLO Social Support Scale and the Life Events Checklist. The prevalence of CMD was 20%. High SRQ scorers were more likely to be single or separated/divorced compared with low scorers. Language, neighborhood, and financial difficulties were found to be significant independent correlates of CMD through multiple logistic regression analysis. Rates of CMD among mothers with young children in Kenya are high. This is important for nurses and pediatricians whose contact offers them an opportunity to detect CMD and refer mothers for appropriate support.
Attachment as a Moderating Factor Between Social Support, Physical Health, and Psychological Symptoms
Authors: Rapoza Kimberly A. , Vassell Kemesha , Wilson Denise T. , Robertson Thomas W. , Manzella Dana J. , Ortiz-Garcia Alberto Luis , Jimenez-Lazar Lorielle A.
Published: January 2017

This study investigated the extent to which perceived social support functioned as a protective factors, and dimensions of insecure attachment (i.e., avoidant and anxious) functioned as risks factors for physical and psychological health. We explored whether insecure attachment was a mechanism that modified the relationship (i.e., protect against or increases risk) between social support and adult health. Participants were 155 non-traditional adult college students from demographically diverse backgrounds. Students were approached in common areas on campus or in classrooms during break and were asked to complete the questionnaire. Bartholomew and Horowitz’s Attachment Questionnaire assessed avoidant and anxious attachment dimensions, the Brief Social Support Questionnaire assessed perceived social support, and the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale measured physical and psychological symptoms. Model results indicated that the anxious dimension of insecure attachment was more directly and positively associated with poorer general physical health and psychological symptoms, whereas greater perceived social support was linked with better reported health. However, an interesting pattern emerged with avoidant attachment through a moderated relationship with social support. The absence of a satisfying supportive network was significantly related to poorer physical and psychological health outcomes for those low in avoidant attachment, but not for those high in avoidant attachment. Results from this work suggest that insecure attachment plays a detrimental role in adult health. Perceived social support does not necessarily function as a blanket protective factor for health, as it seemed to offer less benefit to those high in attachment avoidance.
The Connection Between the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union and the Prohibition Party
Authors: Chamberlain Adam , Yanus Alixandra B. , Pyeatt Nicholas
Published: January 2017

Scholars have long been interested in the complementary relationships forged by membership groups and political parties. The post-bellum period presents an opportunity to consider these connections using a case study of two groups concerned with the ills of alcohol, the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) and the Prohibition Party. Our analysis of presidential elections from 1876 to 1900 reveals that—although women were disenfranchised at the time—the WCTU’s organization and infrastructure was essential to early Prohibition Party success. In 1884, the first election after the two created a formal alliance in 1882, the strength of the WCTU helped the party grow its voter base. However, the two slowly diverged over how to achieve prohibition, and this relationship dissipated; there is little evidence of any significant connection between the groups after 1884. This supports the proposition that a shared means of accomplishing goals is an essential element of an effective group–party partnership.
Will Strategy Prevail over Economics? An Analysis of Charanka Solar Park in Gujarat
Authors: Siddiqui Saif , Jan Sumaira
Published: January 2017

The Charanka Solar Park, one of the world’s largest multi-developer and multi-beneficiary solar parks, is the hub of solar power production in India. It contributes about 6 per cent to the total solar power production in the country. Although solar power is more expensive than the traditional power in the country, its sheen is still not high to make it a potential source to eliminate energy crisis not just in India but all across the world. Researchers are continuously pushing their envelope to explore as to why solar energy should be adopted over traditional energy sources irrespective of the fact that it is more expensive. The war between its financial and strategic viability is going on. Efforts are being made in the direction of reducing its costs and making it as a financially viable and strategically active option. This case is an attempt in the same direction. We are using Charanka Solar Park as a base to explore if there is any future for such projects in the country. There are projects which are no doubt operational but their long-term viability is truly questionable.
King’s Confectionery: Transferring Tacit Knowledge from Malaysia to Bangladesh
Authors: Yew John Lee Kean
Published: January 2017

This case traces the birth and growth of King’s Confectionery by Wong Yoke Khing and her husband in Malaysia. They started their first bakery by selling an array of pastries and cakes in the Kepong’s wet market. Eventually, they owned their first outlet in Jinjang and later on they opened their second outlet in Kepong. Currently, the enterprise owned by the second generation of Wong family continues the legacy and tempts their customers with delicious baked goods, pastries and other delicacies. King’s Confectionery continues to expand its production capabilities and has started preparing for globalization, by entering into ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA). This case narrates such penetration into Bangladesh and the issues they had to face in the transfer of tacit knowledge.
Collective Bargaining and Trade Union: A Decision Imbroglio at UPSRTC
Authors: Sharma Archana , Srivastava Sachin Kumar
Published: January 2017

Any fundamental change in structures, processes or business operations is bound to trigger reactions from stakeholders’ perception about the intention to change. These reactions need to be addressed with due consideration to the stakeholders’ interest or else may prove detrimental to all. Resolving disputes and trade unions roles are crucial in establishing peace and safeguarding the interest of employees. Trade unions initiate dialogues, organize collective actions and use the dispute machinery for resolving conflicts to bring an agreeable solution satisfying all. Collective bargaining is a major tool towards a mutual consensus and agreement through bipartite measures. Continuous efforts at arriving at a mutual agreement may fail and resorting to the third-party intervention may hold the key to arriving at an agreeable and a peaceful end to problems. This has been demonstrated in the given case. Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) is a major player in roadways transportation with very low competition from private transporters. The corporation provides comfortable and economical services to the passengers and holds a monopoly position with the private operators relying heavily on infrastructure support of the corporation. The state government decided to introduce public–private partnership (PPP) model on which UPSRTC model would work. Such a move by the government was not acceptable to the unions and the employees. Major agitations and intervention of the court forced the government to withdraw some of its decisions perceived as a threat and detrimental to the corporation.
Loan Allocation and Guarantee Structure for Group Borrower Networks in Microfinance
Authors: Sridhar Usha , Mandyam Sridhar
Published: January 2017

In this article we consider the problem of allocating microcredit among a set of networked cooperating agents by a social planner. Network structure, risk aversion and risk sharing of the borrowers have been analyzed in the context of microfinance. We propose a partial liability model, where the borrowers need to take responsibility in case of defaults by their immediate connected neighbours, by committing guarantees as social collateral ex ante to the social planner. We have developed a utility-based allocation model that is Pareto optimal and maximizes a social welfare function. The methodology computes the guarantees and the allocations for the borrowers. We show that the allocation formula for arbitrarily connected networks captures the notion of dominance over neighbours which are one hop away. We also show how the synergy between connectivity, risk aversion and guarantees impacts allocation. We develop the properties of the rule and illustrate them with suitable examples.
AP Land Licensed Cultivators Act in Retrospect and Prospect
Authors: Murty C. Samba , Reddy M. Srinivasa
Published: January 2017

The Licensed Cultivators Act, 2011 of the composite state of Andhra Pradesh (AP) breaks a new ground in that it seeks to issue loan eligibility cards (LECs) to tenants and thereby entitle them to gain access to bank credit, crop insurance, input subsidies and disaster relief. Noting that the Act presently bestows benefits on only a limited number of tenants—because the landlords, threatened by the provisions of the tenancy acts of the state, thwart the attempts of the revenue authorities in the issue of LECs—the article suggests that the incorporation of the liberal provisions of the Model Agricultural Land Leasing Act, 2016, formulated by the Expert Committee on Land Leasing, into the statutes of AP would serve the desired purpose eminently. It also argues that the rationale behind the Model Act, 2016 is sound, and that it can for sure prop up equity and efficiency in the land lease market in the contemporary setting.
Gharkhia System in Western Odisha
Authors: Mishra Dharmendra Kumar
Published: January 2017

Gharkhia is a commonly accepted mediation process widely practiced in western part of rural Odisha, now seems to be vanished but its existence in some remote villages cannot be denied. Our occupation-based caste system, local labour practices and social customs are some factors responsible for mass acceptance of the gharkhia system. But common assumption among public towards work done by a gharkhia as non exploitative is the main catalyst of this illegal practice. In this article an attempt has been made to find out different nomenclatures of the gharkhia system, its characteristics and community’s response towards this practice in different parts of western Odisha through the gender lens. Since the subject is believed to be a non-studied area and very little work has been done earlier, the author mainly relies on primary sources of information. The article describes about 13 different forms of gharkhia practices, out of which Halia Pila (Boy) and Gouden Tukel (Girl) are the two most popular ones. Launching of national child labour project, stringent action against employers of child labour pronounced by the apex court and rapid industrialisation in the area are the main reasons for disappearance of this prohibited practice.
Dynamic Incentives and Microfinance Borrowers
Authors: Singh Vijeta , Padhi Puja
Published: January 2017

In recent years microfinance has been recognised as one of the policy mechanisms to achieve the goal of financial inclusion. Different lending models have been appropriated in microfinance sector to provide micro-loans to microfinance borrowers and their likely socio-economic impact on microfinance borrowers varies across different lending models. In case of microfinance, credit contracts between lenders and borrowers are designed in such a manner that borrowers’ initial loans are smaller but increases with each loan cycle over a period of time, termed as progressive lending.2 The present study using primary data collected from Mirzapur district in Uttar Pradesh attempts to explore the determinants/variables that explain progressive loan demand by microfinance borrowers in self-help groups (SHGs) and joint liability groups (JLGs). Using logit model, the paper concludes that in both SHGs and JLGs, longer association with microfinance groups helps in availing progressive loans from SHGs/microfinance institutions (MFIs) followed by loans procured from other sources also compel microfinance borrowers to demand larger loans from MFIs primarily for paying loan instalments. In addition to this income, size of group, number of dependents in household and asset endowment characteristics of SHG/JLG members also affect progressive loan demand by SHG/JLG members.
Salient Aspects of Software Professionals’ Performance Context: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Singh Anupriya
Published: January 2017

Given the knowledge-intensive performance context, software services organizations heavily rely on employee performance. As these organizations desire and expect high performance, perhaps it is equally important to focus on the context in which the software professionals work, perform and deliver results. This research is an attempt to explore and understand the performance context and its salient aspects. Semi-structured in-depth interviews ( N = 44) were conducted with experienced software professionals of five Indian software organizations to understand the software services work set-up, how it shapes their performance context and its underlying challenges. Interview data was analyzed to examine patterns, clusters and common themes. Responses clustered around four facets–project-based work set-up, client involvement, team-related dependencies and nature of work. Specific issues within these facets are discussed in terms of the challenges faced by employees in the software industry, the managerial interventions required and the potential of this area for further research.
Six Thinking Hats Approach to HR Analytics
Authors: Patre Smruti
Published: January 2017

Historically, the human resources (HR) function and functionaries have struggled to establish their credibility and value in the eyes of key stakeholders, including the top management and line managers. Arguably, one of the reasons for this struggle for acceptance is their inability to present data-driven, business-oriented proposals, requiring urgent attention to elevate the analytical capability of the HR function. This paper focuses on the role and significance of HR analytics to organizations through a Six Thinking Hats approach. It presents a holistic understanding of HR analytics encompassing the concept, benefits, limitations, and likely solutions.
Biting the Cow’s Tongue: Securitization and Capacity Building in the South China Sea
Authors: Garcia Zenel , Breslin Thomas A.
Published: January 2017

The South China Sea (SCS) territorial disputes have become one of the most significant security challenges in the East Asian Supercomplex (EAS). Described in Buzan and Wæver’s classic study as a Great Power Bipolar Supercomplex defined by China and Japan, the emergence and actions of South Korea and Indonesia as regional powers have rendered the EAS multipolar and unusually volatile. As the hierarchy in the EAS transforms into a multipolar one, the securitization of China has allowed Japan and South Korea to facilitate the capacity building efforts of Southeast Asian states at the expense of China. As a result, the littoral states surrounding the SCS have taken advantage of this strategic competition in order to advance their own interests.
Japan’s Security and Historical Revisionism: Explaining the Variation in Responses to and Impact of Textbook Controversies
Authors: Pollmann M. Erika
Published: January 2017

This article builds on previous academic works to elucidate a theory as to how Japan’s historical revisionism could have a negative impact on Japan’s security. It then tests this theory by examining the impact that the 1982, 1986, 2001 and 2005 controversies had on Japan’s relationships with China, South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. It concludes that historical revisionism does not have a significant security impact, defined as audience states’ distancing themselves from Japan, diplomatically ‘soft’ balancing Japan, or militarily ‘hard’ balancing Japan. This research design is an improvement over previous works on this subject because it draws a clear distinction between reaction and impact. Even though it is ‘cheap’ to impute Japanese motives following an act of historical revisionism, it is ‘costly’ to act on such accusations by either distancing from Japan or balancing against Japan. This helps clarify what concerns– if any–Japan should have about the collateral damage arising from historical revisionism. Based on the empirical evidence examined, historical revisionism per se does not pose a serious problem to Japan because the most important determinant of how severe a controversy’s impact on Japan’s relationship with a given audience state is the pre-existing nature of Japan’s security and economic relationship with that state. The most significant consequence of revisionism is that it presents an opening for China—Japan’s main security rival in the region—to attempt to ‘soft’ balance Japan by rallying international opinion against Japan in such a way as to impede other Japanese diplomatic objectives.
The Anatomy of a Story Less Told: Nehru and the Balance of Power
Authors: Roy Nabarun
Published: January 2017

Nehru’s foreign policy is conventionally understood as being idealistic. However, there are those who claim that Nehru was motivated by realist considerations. Such a contrarian viewpoint is often made using the balance of power lens. While some use this lens explicitly, others utilize it implicitly. This study brings together such contrarian claims and tries to understand how they all ‘hang together’. In order to do so, it creates an overall balance of power framework within which scholarship arguing that Nehru was motivated by balance of power considerations is situated. Such an exercise brings rigour and clarity to the ‘Nehru the realist’ argument and enables one to better understand the nature of Nehru’s foreign policy.
The US Rebalance towards the Asia-Pacific: Really Realist?
Authors: Thuy Hang Nguyen Thi
Published: January 2017

The Obama administration perceives the Asia-Pacific as a vital and dynamic region and thus prioritized it in its foreign policy agenda. Some scholars have suggested that the Obama administration’s rebalance towards Asia has taken a realist approach to engagement with the Asia-Pacific while others suggested that it deviated significantly from realism. This article seeks to examine more closely the question of the realist nature of the US rebalance policy towards the Asia-Pacific. It begins with a discussion of views of the Obama administration’s rebalance towards the Asia-Pacific before giving an overview of realism. Then, it seeks to establish a realist model of foreign policy and examine the Obama administration’s rebalance towards the Asia-Pacific against that model. It finds that the Obama administration has high scores on two of the indicators of realism—the emphasis on military capabilities and the emphasis on alliance-building—but has lower scores on the third and the fourth—a low regard for multilateral institutions, and a low regard for values. The Obama administration has actively engaged with regional institutions and has strongly supported the spread of democracy and human dignity all over the Asia-Pacific. Hence, the Obama administration’s rebalance towards the Asia-Pacific is a realist foreign policy with certain modifications.
Parliamentary Elections in Egypt, 2015
Authors: Sanyal Paulami
Published: January 2017

Following the 2014 presidential election, Egypt’s parliamentary elections failed to uphold democratic ethos. Despite the fact that the electoral process was better and the participation of women improved, it failed in terms of freedom of media, civil societies and allowing multiple political parties. Lack of clarity in the voting process, continued crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood, and absence of an opposition led to loss of faith among Egyptians regarding the so called transitional period and directed the future of Egypt back to the history.
Atheism and Unbelief among Indian Scientists: Towards an Anthropology of Atheism(s)
Authors: Thomas Renny
Published: January 2017

Taking into account the specific contexts and cultural specificities lends different meanings to categories like ‘atheists’, ‘agnostics’ and ‘materialists’, this ethnographic discussion of scientists shows the limitations of Western atheism to capture the everyday life of Indian scientists. The article argues that Indian atheism(s) need not be, nor is it actually, identical with the brands of Western atheism. By trusting ethnographic data, we see that atheistic scientists called themselves atheists even while accepting that their lifestyle is very much a part of tradition and religion. For them, following the lifestyle of a religion is not antithetical to atheism. The study of atheism and rationality should not be just a simple-minded attempt to find Western parallels. We need to acknowledge the locations while studying atheism(s) and unbelief.
Understanding Indian Newsroom: A Review of Select Ethnographic Texts
Authors: Devi Sudeshna
Published: January 2017

The three selected texts are a timely addition to the scantly researched area of newsroom ethnography in the Indian context. They make a substantial case for the need of an ethnographic study into newsrooms in a non-Western context. The authors argue that the ethnographic studies of the 1970s and 1980s are proving ineffectual to grasp the complexities of the fast-changing news ecology of the current time. These earlier studies were conducted in Western countries and replicating the same model to understand non-Western media is futile.