Structural Isomorphism in Australian Nonprofit Organisations

This paper assesses the extent of structural similarity or isomorphism among non-profit organizations in Australia. Based on neo-institutional theory, the paper explains such isomorphism in terms of these organizations’ subordination and dependency, the uncertainties they face, and the networks of experts of which they are a part. The analysis uses the non-profit component of a 2001-2002 random sample of Australian employment organizations. It finds surprisingly little isomorphism in this subsample and few differences in isomorphism according to the level of the factors thought to produce similarity. The discussion of the findings focuses on the suitability of the non-profit sector as the appropriate organizational field within which isomorphism involving these organizations is likely to be produced. Industries, which include all organizations that produce the same product or service, be they non-profit, for-profit, or government, may be more appropriate interactional fields for the development of isomorphis

Weak & Strong Financial Fragility

The stability of the financial system at higher loss levels is either characterized by asymptotic dependence or asymptotic independence. If asymptotically independent, the dependency, when present, eventually dies out completely at the more extreme quantiles, as in case of the multivariate normal distribution. Given that financial service firms' equity returns depend linearly on the risk drivers, we show that the marginals' distributions maximum domain of attraction determines the type of systemic (in-)stability. A scale for the amount of dependency at high loss lovels is designed. This permits a characterization of systemic risk inherent to different financial network structures. The theory also suggests the functional form of the economically relevant limit copulas

Postsocialist disability matrix

This paper explores injustices experienced by disabled people in the postsocialist countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Drawing on Nancy Fraser’s theory of social justice, the analysis proposes a ‘matrix’ that reveals the negative impact of two factors – state socialist legacy and postsocialist neoliberalization – on disabled people’s parity of participation in three dimensions of justice – economic redistribution, cultural recognition, and political representation. The legacy of state socialism has underpinned: segregated service provision; medical-productivist understanding of disability for assessment purposes; denial of disability on everyday level; and weak disability organizing. Neoliberal restructuring has resulted in: retrenchment of disability support through decentralization, austerity, and workfare; stigmatization of ‘dependency’ through the discourse of ‘welfare dependency’; responsibilization of disabled people; and depoliticization of disability organizations by restricting their activities to service provision and incorporating them in structures of tokenistic participation. The analysis is informed by reports and academic studies of disability in the postsocialist region

Nonprofit Human Services Agencies and Reliance upon Government Funding: Implications for Organizational Development

Based on interviews with the executive directors of twenty human service agencies from San Francisco, CA, which received 60% or more of their funding from government sources, this study explores what organizational and operational benefits and challenges these executives attribute to reliance on government for funding support. The theoretical framework for the study relies on resource dependency theory within a natural or open systems model of organizational development. This illuminates the relationships between nonprofit human services agencies and the government agencies that fund them. The dependency relationship is seen as being of mutual benefit, although power distribution within these relationships is not equal. Due to their dependence on funding, nonprofit agencies may be pressured to develop or operate in ways that are not self-determinant. This study explores this influence from an organizational perspective, seeking to determine what effect, if any, this funding dependency has on organizational structure, internal systems, allocation of resources, targeting of consumers, and program (product) choice and delivery. Specific inquiry concerns the adequacy of government support for the operations of the programs and the indirect costs associated with their operation. This study finds reliance on government funding has considerable influence on the organizational infrastructure and internal systems of the recipient agencies, both in response to the demands placed on them by virtue of this funding relationship and in passive consideration of resource allocation and the support of activities and structures that could reduce their level of dependency. Respondents note serious consequences for agency infrastructure and human resource practices, particularly occurring over time, as most government contracted funding fails to keep pace with wage inflation and increases in the general costs of doing business. An impression of a service delivery system in decline develops, largely attributed to these non-compensated inflationary factors. Conclusions seed recommendations for the reexamination of funding and contracting policies of government agencies to improve the health and well -being of the service delivery systems they fund, including steps local government could consider to help ensure service delivery-system health. The study questions the strategic decisions of nonprofit operators and the resistance of many to attempt balancing government support with private and foundation fundraising. It recommends the adoption of-- and investment in -- diversified funding strategies

Потокові моделі мережі Інтернет за умов атак на відмову

Дана робота присвячена потоковому моделюванню процесів керування потоками даних у мережах за умов поглинаючих атак на відмову. Описано алгоритм керування перевантаженням ТСР (протокол керування передачею), побудована потокова модель ТСР з’єднання. Розглянута задача оптимального завантаження файлу та ігрової взаємодії двох користувачів. Для моделі поглинаючої атаки отримані аналітичні оцінки погіршення якості зв’язку в залежності від обсягу атаки.This paper deals with fluid controlled models of networks under flooding denial of service attacks. We proposed a new approach to analyzing network work using fluid models and conflict control theory domain. Using analytic model there is found solution for certain class of networks and Nash equilibrium. We consider special case of network activity – denial of service attack and found dependency on download time depending of attack direction and traffic volume. The theoretical results were tested in simulation environment NS-2

The applied model of kansei engineering, servqual, kano, and triz considering ergo-sustainability: A case study on international airport services

With respect to Ergonomics sustainability (Ergo-sustainability) concerns, this study focuses on how to model customer emotional needs (known as Kansei) with service-based performance and experience, taking into account the Kano model and TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) to filter and refine the improvement concepts effectively, efficiently, and without contradiction. This model has been applied into an international airport services. By involving 100 subjects, it was found out that mostly passengers experienced the Kansei ‘Happy’, and perceived the service attribute ‘The availability of security in the airport lounge and lobby’ as the most critical one, subjected to Kano attractive [A] category, importance and satisfaction score. By incorporating TRIZ and Ergo-sustainability concept, providing a porous security system and video-based metal detection security checking procedure in the airport lounge and lobby were deemed of critical. This finding will bring benefits to airport authority, even for any service designers with less experience dependency. Keywords: Kansei Engineering; TRIZ; Ergo-sustainability; airport services

A Construct Validity Study of the Cynicism Scale of the MMPI-2

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the construct validity of the Cynicism Scale, a content scale of the MMPI-2, using cognitive appraisal as the theoretical framework. It was predicted that cynical chemical dependency counselors would report more symptoms of burnout, as well as more frequent and severe daily stressors. A respondent group of 247 members of a statewide organization returned research packets out of a sample of 464 (53.3%). Compared to non-cynical counselors, moderately cynical counselors reported more symptoms of burnout. They also reported more overall coping, although not always as predicted by theory for specific types of coping, as well as more frequent and severe daily stressors. The results are discussed in terms of implications for further research, as well as the practice of chemical dependency counseling. Future research could include a replication of the study with a nationwide sample of counselors, as well as cross-validation using other types of measurement such as participant observation. In terms of practice, the findings are related to supervision, in-service training and alternative treatment models

Social Services, Social Innovation and Multi-Actor Collaboration : A Civil Society Organisation Perspective

A central focus of this PhD dissertation is to advance an understanding of how social innovation is generated through the perspective of civil society organisations (CSOs) that provide social services to vulnerable groups through collaboration with multiple actors in the fragile context, with a legacy of war. An “agency-structure” approach has been applied as an overarching perspective throughout this dissertation. Theories such as institutional theory (new institutionalism and institutional networking), resource-dependency theory as well as the concepts of social innovation, collaboration, non-state service provision, NGO-isation and the third sector-public services provision present the main theoretical framework of this dissertation. Using Bosnia and Herzegovina as a case, this dissertation adopts an exploratory sequential mixed methods research design, in which the overarching study has consisted of three constituent articles. The data source for this study consists of 15 semi-structured interviews with representatives from local CSOs, international aid/development donors and the public social sector institutions, as well as a survey of 120 CSO representatives from a variety of social service CSOs with the experience of the implementation of socially innovative services, models and interventions.publishedVersio