bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Why Sen’s interpretation of the liberal tradition matters and is also problematic to understanding his social economics
Authors: Weinstein David 
Published: November 2016

Purpose
Sen has recently acknowledged his “immense” debts to the liberal tradition of J.S. Mill and, to much lesser extent, to T.H. Green. This essay explores how identifying himself so enthusiastically with Mill sheds light on one’s understanding of Sen’s defense of the capabilities approach. But trying to understand him through the lens of Mill can be a double-edged sword. Sen not only risks causing his readers to append too much Mill to capabilities liberalism, but he also risks encouraging them to misinterpret Mill. These implications naturally bear significantly on how compelling readers find both Sen’s conception of distributive justice and the public policy recommendations based on it. Besides exploring some of the problematic implications of Sen’s readily identifying with Mill’s liberalism in particular, this essay also speculates on what it means to identify with any political philosophical tradition and how such identification colors and adds momentum to both one’s political theorizing and practical recommendations. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach
Textual interpretation.

Findings
As noted above, this paper examines how Sen’s esteem for J.S. Mill sheds light on the capabilities approach. It also suggests that using Mill to understand Sen better is fraught with difficulties.

Research limitations/implications
The paper also speculates on what it means to identify with a particular political philosophical tradition much as Sen identifies with Mill’s liberalism.

Practical implications
This paper also explores how such identification with a particular political philosophical tradition colors and adds momentum to both one’s political theorizing and practical recommendations.

Originality/value
Using Mill to understand Sen better is certainly worthwhile. On the other hand, doing this sort of thing risks distorting Mill and even Sen.
The effect of health expenditure on selected maternal and child health outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Nicholas Ashiabi , Edward Nketiah-Amponsah , Bernardin Senadza 
Published: November 2016

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of public and private health expenditures on selected maternal-child health outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).Design/methodology/approachThe study utilizes panel data on 40 SSA countries spanning the period 2000-2010. The data are analyzed using the fixed effects estimation technique.FindingsThe results indicate that public health expenditure is inversely and significantly related to infant (IMRR) and under-five (U5MR) mortalities in SSA. Though public health expenditure has the a priori negative sign, it has no significant effect on maternal mortality (MMR) in SSA. Further, private health expenditure did not prove to be significant in improving maternal-child health outcomes (IMRR, U5MR and MMR) in SSA.Practical implicationsThe implication of the findings is that a percentage point increase in public health expenditure (as a share of GDP) across the region will result in saving the lives of about 7,040 children every year. Hence, it is important for governments in SSA to increase their shares of health expenditure (public health expenditure) in order to achieve improved health outcomes.Originality/valuePrevious studies have not adequately explored the effect of various components of health expenditures – public and private – on health outcomes in the context of SSA. In addition to the focus on maternal-child health variables such as infant, under-five and maternal mortalities, the study accounts for the possibility of a non-linear and non-monotonic relationship between healthcare expenditures and health outcomes.
“Happy slaves”? The adaptation problem and identity politics in the writings of Amartya Sen
Authors: Burns Tony 
Published: November 2016

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between Amartya Sen’s notion of adaptation and his views on identity politics by focussing on the issue of slavery and, more specifically, on the example of the happy or contented slave.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is text based. The methodological approach adopted is that of conceptual analysis, as is typical for work of this kind.FindingsThe paper concludes that the example of the happy or contented slave is indeed a fruitful one for those interested in exploring the relationship between Sen’s views on “the adaptation problem” and his views on identity politics, especially in relation to the subjection of women. Here Sen’s debt to the ideas of Mary Wollstonecraft and John Stuart Mill is particularly important.Research limitations/implicationsOne implication of the argument of the paper is that there is a need to consider more carefully the differences that exist between the views of Wollstonecraft and Mill, so far as the example of the happy or contented slave is concerned.Practical implicationsOne practical implication of the paper is that, hopefully, it establishes the continued relevance of the ideas of thinkers such as Wollstonecraft and Mill today, not least because of the influence that they have had on theoreticians such as Amartya Sen.Social implicationsThe paper addresses issues which are of considerable social and political significance, especially for women in underdeveloped societies today.Originality/valueThe example of the happy or contented slave has not received much discussion in the literature on Sen, although Sen himself has suggested that the distinction between happiness and contentment is an important one, which does merit further discussion.
Virtual reality and robots for autism: moving beyond the screen
Authors: Good Judith , Parsons Sarah , Yuill Nicola , Brosnan Mark 
Published: November 2016

Purpose
This short paper reports on the fourth seminar in a seven-seminar series entitled, “Innovative Technologies for Autism: Critical Reflections on Digital Bubbles”, funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council. The purpose of this paper is to consider in more depth the technologies being developed and used in the autism field, and to critically reflect on their relative benefits and potential pitfalls.

Design/methodology/approach
Presentations from key researchers and practitioners are reviewed, highlighting contemporary issues in the area of autism and technology. The presentations include descriptions of cutting-edge technologies as well as the role of technology in human-human interaction.

Findings
Despite its potential, technology for autism is regarded by many with some caution: technology per se cannot provide solutions to key issues in the field. However, by looking in more depth at the features of new technologies and the interactions that take place with and around them, we can begin to build up a picture of best practice around technology for autism.

Originality/value
This paper offers up-to-date insights from leading academics on the benefits and challenges of innovative technologies in the field of autism research and practice. Specifically, it highlights the importance of including a breadth of expertise in the design of such tools, and the need to consider technology as a means to an end, rather than an end in itself.
Use of a sonification system for science learning by people who are blind
Authors: Lahav Orly , Chagab Nuha , Talis Vadim 
Published: November 2016

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine a central need of students who are blind: the ability to access science curriculum content.

Design/methodology/approach
Agent-based modeling is a relatively new computational modeling paradigm that models complex dynamic systems. NetLogo is a widely used agent-based modeling language that enables exploration and construction of models of complex systems by programming and running the rules and behaviors. Sonification of variables and events in an agent-based NetLogo computer model of gas in a container is used to convey phenomena information. This study examined mainly two research topics: the scientific conceptual knowledge and systems reasoning that were learned as a result of interaction with the listen-to-complexity (L2C) environment as appeared in answers to the pre- and post-tests and the learning topics of kinetic molecular theory of gas in chemistry that was learned as a result of interaction with the L2C environment. The case study research focused on A., a woman who is adventitiously blind, for eight sessions.

Findings
The participant successfully completed all curricular assignments; her scientific conceptual knowledge and systems reasoning became more specific and aligned with scientific knowledge.

Practical implications
A practical implication of further studies is that they are likely to have an impact on the accessibility of learning materials, especially in science education for students who are blind, as equal access to low-cost learning environments that are equivalent to those used by sighted users would support their inclusion in the K-12 academic curriculum.

Originality/value
The innovative and low-cost learning system that is used in this research is based on transmittal of visual information of dynamic and complex systems, providing perceptual compensation by harnessing auditory feedback. For the first time the L2C system is based on sound that represents a dynamic rather than a static array. In this study, the authors explore how a combination of several auditory representations may affect cognitive learning ability.
Online corporate social responsibility communication: an emerging country’s perspective
Authors: Appiah Kingsley Opoku , Amankwah Mary Asare , Adu Asamoah Lawrence 
Published: November 2016

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of online corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting of the insurance industry in Ghana. Specifically, it explores the impact of firm age, size and origin on online CSR reporting using data from 31 private insurance companies in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachThe authors employ ordinary least squares regression analysis in the estimation of the influence of the predictive variables on firms’ online CSR disclosure.FindingsThe findings indicate positive insignificant association between online CSR disclosure and firm-specific characteristics (i.e. firm age, size and origin). These findings are robust to different specifications.Originality/valueResearch directed towards online CSR communications amongst private insurance firms in the context of emerging market are almost non-existent. This study therefore makes an important contribution by addressing the imbalances of CSR reporting in Ghanaian insurance firms.
A comparative excellence framework for communication management
Authors: Vercic Dejan , Zerfass Ansgar 
Published: November 2016

Purpose
Why are excellent communication departments actually outstanding? The purpose of this paper is to address this question from a multidisciplinary perspective and identify two different strands of the excellence debate, one from general management and the other from public relations and communication management. Insights from both perspectives are combined in a new approach – the comparative excellence framework (CEF). This framework has been applied in two studies among 3,691 communication departments across Europe. Characteristics of excellence identified in this empirical exercise are described. The results are then matched with insights from the excellence literature to test the plausibility of the new approach.

Design/methodology/approach
A literature survey has been used to identify current excellence approaches and to build the comparative framework. In the empirical part, two subsequent editions of an annual online survey of communication professionals across Europe were used to test the approach. Excellent departments were identified across four dimensions: advisory influence, executive influence, success and competence. Approximately one-fifth of each sample was identified as excellent.

Findings
The study shows that excellent communication departments are not simply better at communication; they are different. The characteristics identified are in line with popular organizational excellence models from management theory. Excellent departments employ different people (more experienced, with higher positions and in more strategic roles); they partner and collaborate more closely with the executive board and other departments in the organization; they base their work on different processes with more listening and research; and they produce more products at the strategic level, like overall communication and messaging strategies. There is also a strong congruence with excellence theory in communication management.

Research limitations/implications
The CEF uses a limited number of variables to distinguish excellent from other communication departments. This is typical for excellence approaches based on benchmarking and self-assessments. It helps to apply such approaches in practice. The empirical testing is based on data collected on one continent (Europe). Further research should employ data from other regions of the world and test whether results vary.

Practical implications
In its pragmatic simplicity, the CEF is a viable tool for practitioners for the assessment of communication department and for establishing a quality control system. It can also guide the development of training and education in communication management.

Originality/value
The paper demonstrates that communication management research fits into a larger stream of research in the field of quality management.
Measuring online dialogic conversations’ quality: a scale development
Authors: Romenti Stefania , Valentini Chiara , Murtarelli Grazia , Meggiorin Katia 
Published: November 2016

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a measurement scale for assessing the quality of dialogic conversations among companies and digital publics in social media. Dialogic conversations are defined as sequences of communicative actions and counteractions taken by social actors for different purposes based on specific linguistic choices and characterised by diverse communicative approaches and the role played by the involved parties.

Design/methodology/approach
A multidimensional scale for measuring dialogic conversations is developed from relevant literature concerning dialogue and public engagement in the fields of corporate communication, public relations, management studies and conversation analysis. The scale is built on three main dimensions: organisation turn-taking, sequencing of conversation, repair strategies and procedures. A pilot study was conducted to purify it from irrelevant variables.

Findings
Results of the pilot study show a general good level of reliability for the majority of the proposed variables for Facebook but not for Twitter. This may indicate that Facebook is a more dialogical forum than Twitter.

Originality/value
This is the first study proposing a systematic measurement of the dialogue orientation of online conversations that takes into consideration the role of language and communicative actions. The proposed measurement offers corporate communication managers a concrete tool for evaluating the quality of their online communications and for identifying those areas of their online communication that need improvement.
Intangible resource management: social capital theory development for public relations
Authors: Dodd Melissa Dawn 
Published: November 2016

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to conceptualize a meso-level (organizational) social capital theoretical approach to public relations. A theory and conceptualization of social capital as a resource- and exchange-based function of public relations is proposed. Here it is argued that public relations professionals serve as the managers of intangible resources on behalf of organizations. These intangibles serve as social capital for organizations and are managed through strategic, goal-directed communication behaviors. Social capital is conceptualized alongside other forms of capital that contribute to organizational advantage. The author proposes a conceptual social capital model of public relations and argues that the strategic management of intangible resources as social capital offers an ontology for public relations.Design/methodology/approachThe author employed a process of open-system theory building. Extensive research from multi-disciplinary areas of scholarship – namely, sociology, business, and public relations – formed the basis for the conceptualized model and propositions.FindingsPublic relations theory is narrowly defined and does not offer an adequate ontology. This paper extends and refines existing public relations scholarship surrounding social capital to focus on competitive advantages for the organization. This paper uses input from the larger fields of sociology and business, while contextualizing social capital within the public relations scholarship. The result is a resource- and exchange-based social capital model of public relations and propositions for further theory building and empirical analyses.Practical implicationsThe public relations discipline often struggles to demonstrate return-on-investment for organizations. The social capital model of public relations offers support for the capital generation and maintenance role of public relations for organizational advantage.Originality/valueThis paper represents one of the first comprehensive attempts at developing a meso-level social capital theory of public relations focused on intangible resource management for the organization.
Reframing the evidence base for policy‐relevance to increase impact: a case study on forest fragmentation in the oil palm sector
Authors: Lucey Jennifer M. , Palmer Georgina , Yeong Kok L. , Edwards David P. , Senior Michael J. M. , Scriven Sarah A. , Reynolds Glen , Hill Jane K. 
Published: November 2016

Summary

It is necessary to improve knowledge exchange between scientists and decision‐makers so that scientific evidence can be readily accessed to inform policy.

To maximise impact of scientific evidence in policy development, the scientific community should engage more fully with decision‐makers, building long‐term working relationships in order to identify and respond to ‘policy windows’ with science that is reframed for policy‐relevance.

We illustrate the process and challenges using a case study in which we synthesised evidence from studies of habitat fragmentation to provide information for improved biodiversity conservation in the oil palm sector, resulting in the uptake of this research into new industry guidelines.

Policy implications. The case study demonstrates how having an in‐depth understanding of the ‘policy arena’ (the state of policy and the actors and influencing factors that affect policy) and responding with relevant and specific information, enabled effective uptake of science to inform the design of conservation set‐asides in the oil palm industry.
Plant litter mixture partly mitigates the negative effects of extended drought on soil biota and litter decomposition in a Mediterranean oak forest
Authors: Santonja Mathieu , Fernandez Catherine , Proffit Magali , Gers Charles , Gauquelin Thierry , Reiter Ilja M. , Cramer Wolfgang , Baldy Virginie 
Published: November 2016

SummaryA major challenge of current ecological research is to determine the responses of plant and animal communities and ecosystem processes to future environmental conditions. Ecosystems respond to climate change in complex ways, and the outcome may significantly depend on biodiversity.We studied the relative effects of enhanced drought and of plant species mixture on soil biota and on litter decomposition in a Mediterranean oak forest. We experimentally reduced precipitation, accounting for seasonal precipitation variability, and created a single‐species litter (Quercus pubescens), a two‐species litter mixture (Q. pubescens+Acer monspessulanum) and a three‐species litter mixture (Q. pubescens+A. monspessulanum+Cotinus coggygria).In general, drier conditions affected decomposers negatively, directly by reducing fungal biomass and detritivorous mesofauna, and also indirectly by increasing the predation pressure on detritivorous mesofauna by predatory mesofauna. This is reflected under drier conditions in that Collembola abundance decreased more strongly than Acari abundance. One Collembola group (i.e. Neelipleona) even disappeared completely.Increased drought strongly decreased litter decomposition rates. Mixed litter with two and three plant species positively affected soil biota communities and led to a more efficient litter decomposition process, probably through a greater litter quality. Faster decomposition in mixed litter can thus compensate slower decomposition rates under drier condition.Synthesis. Our results highlight that, within our study system, drier climate strongly impacts on soil biodiversity and hence litter decomposition. Species‐rich litter may mitigate such a decline in decomposition rates. Diverse plant communities should hence be maintained to reduce shifts in ecosystem functioning under climate change.
Precipitation mediates the effect of human disturbance on the Brazilian Caatinga vegetation
Authors: Rito Kátia F. , Arroyo‐Rodríguez Víctor , Queiroz Rubens T. , Leal Inara R. , Tabarelli Marcelo 
Published: November 2016

Summary

Seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTFs) are one of the most threatened forests world‐wide. These species‐rich forests not only cope with several acute (e.g. forest loss) and chronic (e.g. overgrazing and firewood extraction) human disturbances but also with climate change (e.g. longer and more severe droughts); yet, the isolated and combined effects of climate and acute and chronic human disturbances on SDTF vegetation are poorly known.

Given the environmental filter imposed by drought in SDTFs, the composition and structure of vegetation is expected to be strongly associated with annual precipitation, and thus the effects of human disturbances on vegetation may also depend on precipitation (i.e. interacting effect).

We tested these hypotheses in the Brazilian Caatinga – a SDTF threatened by climate change and human disturbances. We evaluated the isolated and combined (both additive and multiplicative) effect of precipitation, a chronic disturbance index and acute disturbance (landscape forest cover) on the diversity, stem density, evenness, taxonomic composition and above‐ground biomass of adult trees and shrubs across 19 0·1‐ha plots distributed along a disturbance and precipitation gradients.

We recorded 5541 stems from 129 species. Precipitation showed a stronger (positive) effect on species diversity than acute and chronic disturbances and, as expected, the effect of disturbance depended on precipitation (interacting effect): that is, species diversity (especially the number of rare species) was negatively related to forest loss but positively related to chronic disturbance in wetter sites, whereas in drier sites, species diversity was weakly related to forest cover, but strongly and negatively related to chronic disturbance. Contrary to species diversity, community evenness, stem density and biomass were weakly related to all predictors.

Synthesis. Precipitation appears to be a strong environmental filter determining the distribution of water‐demanding plant species. Chronic disturbance in wetter (high‐productive) forests may favour species diversity by increasing ecosystem heterogeneity (intermediate disturbance hypothesis). Yet, the biodiversity costs of chronic disturbance are higher in drier (low‐productive) forests; that is, there is a co‐limitation imposed by drought and disturbance in drier forests. Overall, our findings indicate that rapid climatic changes in the region will probably have strong negative effects on this seasonally dry tropical forest.