4,853 research outputs found

    Confrontation Confidential: The Nixon Administration's Response to the Cienfuegos Crisis of 1970-71

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    During a period of uninterrupted crises across the globe in the late summer and early autumn of 1970, the United States (US) compelled the Soviet Union (USSR) to abandon its efforts to establish a nuclear submarine base in the Cuban harbor of Cienfuegos. Follow-on negotiations that concluded in May 1971 restricted the operation of Soviet submarine tenders in the region that threatened to serve a similar role to the base, albeit to a lesser degree. This neglected episode of Cold War history highlights core attributes of the Nixon administration's approach to international politics in general and crisis resolution vis-á-vis the USSR in particular. Firstly, the budding détente between the two superpowers, which arose primarily because of the changing world balance of power, guided the US response. Meanwhile, efforts to link various developments and political imperatives at home and abroad shaped Nixon's framing of the issue. Finally, the organization of, and the culture in, the White House witnessed various actors—most notably the President's Assistant for National Security Affairs Henry A. Kissinger—use the situation to undermine others and increase their influence over policymaking.The Ohio State University Department of History Lloyd Roberts Evans Endowed Scholarship, April 2022The Ohio State University Department of History Adrienne A. and Marvin R. Zahniser Scholarship, April 2022The Ohio State University Department of History Thesis Research Grant, April 2022The Ohio State University Department of History Dr. John T. von der Heide Scholarship, April 2022No embargoAcademic Major: Histor

    Did you just make that up? An auto-ethnographic investigation into the emergence of images in painting, as situated within the framework of C20th and C21st British Art

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    I am a painter. My paintings depict figures in groups or alone, enacting narrative in illusionistic space. The paintings are produced without much explicit preparation in terms of their content, relying on improvisation in the studio for their realisation. I do not have a clear idea of when they are finished, either, and I often alter paintings long after their first conclusion. I set out to examine where the images and spaces I depict come from, how their form develops and how they might continue to emerge; how I make things up, in other words. In doing this, I hope to make the paintings better by increasing the complexity of my understanding of them, to shed light on creative practice in general, and to offer insight to other painters like me, and to researchers into creative practice. I have subjected the emergent and shifting nature of my paintings to academic study by combining a close attention to the work and its processes with a self-reflective journal of the activity and ongoing theoretical writing. This process generates a virtuous spiral of activity in the studio, as writing about the painting produces insight, which is fed into the painting, making it better, and producing more insight, which is fed into the painting and so on. In subjecting my studio practice to study, I hope to open it up in a way that might be useful to others. The analysis of reflections on my own painting - developing the concept of the intersubjective object - is an attempt to make sense of interrelationships between the material, social and theoretical territories of painting. This is where the originality of my study lies. In presenting it, I offer insights into my creative practice that will be useful for other creative practitioners, and for academic study of creative practice. I address questions about improvisation and narrative development in my paintings. First, I introduce the thesis and lay out its terms. In chapter 1 I set out the literature which informs the thesis, and in chapter 2 I set out the methodologies I have approached in working out my own method. In chapter 3 self-reflection and reflexivity are discussed in relation to improvisation and narrative, in chapter 4 which I examine how meaning is realised in relation to the surface of the painting, in chapter 5 which the positioning of my studio practice in terms of its wider contexts is examined in relation to painting as an intersubjective object and in chapter 6 which I look at continuity in my studio practice. I propose cloth as a metaphor for the work, as an articulation of development within individual paintings and within the practice. In chapter 7 I discuss the problem of finishing paintings. This research has brought my painting into sharper focus, examining the relationship of painting to the improvisation of content. It has allowed me to re-examine elements of my practice that I have either taken for granted or overlooked, revealing historical parallels that would have remained invisible otherwise. It develops an understanding of the significance of narrative and improvisation in any creative practice, elucidating ideas about the self in creativity. In differentiating painting from other fine art practices and creative forms it produces a powerful sense of the significance of the painting in making meaning. The research leads me to the identification of a painting as an intersubjective object, in that my own subjectivity and those of others meet and operate there to generate and develop meaning. This theoretical construction can be employed in discussion of other art works, as well as my own

    Investigating Digital Corporate Reporting from an Upper Echelons Theory Perspective: Evidence from the Arab Middle East

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    Utilising the insights of Upper Echelons Theory (UET) and bounded rationality assumption, this original study aimed to investigate the association between corporate leaders’ characteristics and both the extent and readability of Digital Corporate Reporting (DCR). Content analysis of corporate websites of 122 publicly listed Jordananian firms has been carried out. The logistics regression analysis revealed that maintaining a functioning corporate website is inversely associated with CEO age. This indicates that younger CEOs are more likely to retain a web presence for the firm than their older counterparts. The OLS regression analysis revealed that CEOs’ education and tenure were negatively associated with the extent of DCR. Moreover, it was found that Corporate Governance (CG) moderating variables hardly lessen this relationship. The results confirm the current thoughts regarding the rise of CEO effects in corporations with unique evidence from the Arab Middle East (AME). Building on the previous evidence, the study also aimed at uncovering the association between chairman characteristics and the readability of the digital version of the chairman’s Letter to Shareholders (LTS). A hand-built dataset from a sample of 379 LTS from 101 publicly listed firms in 7 AME countries over five years (2014 – 2018) were employed to achieve this objective. Focusing on the clarity of DCR, the results of this second part of this study emphasizes the potential of UET to provide incremental plausible explanations of the variance in the levels of readability of LTS. The clustered regression results of the panel data demonstrate that older and less educated chairpersons are associated with more readable disclosures. Such findings on disclosure styles demonstrate the power of individuals in positions of authority as a consequence of higher education and tenure. Such findings contribute to the evolving inquiry on the significance of readability for enhancing corporate disclosure transparency and have implications for improving the DCR extent and readability

    BETWEEN RUSSIA, CHINA, AND THE US: WHY DOES AUTHORITARIANISM PREVAIL IN KAZAKHSTAN?

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    Abstract The significance of the external influence of Russia and China on the strengthening of authoritarianism in Kazakhstan has yet to be revealed due to the lack of a theory of the interaction of external influence and domestic political regimes. In my research, I sought to show that the authoritarian regimes of the Eurasian states have a common political legacy that unites the states that have joined them into a single political world. Their main actors are the supporting states interested in preserving kindred regimes throughout the common political space. Using tracing process analysis, I have mapped out causal relationships through the survival mechanism of kinship regimes and restoration of interdependence between pivotal and non-pivotal actors that determine how key states, such as Russia and China, react to external factors—geopolitical threats. The most important conclusion of my research is that the weakening of an authoritarian regime in one of the non-pivotal states poses a threat to regimes in core states such as China and Russia and triggers their survival reaction through increased foreign policy towards non-core states. In addition, my research has shown that political regimes that share a common legacy are interdependent and that the external influence of the central states of a common political space is primary in maintaining internal regimes throughout its entire length. Therefore, pivotal states of other political legacies can influence political regime change when the causal mechanism fails

    The effectiveness of computer-based information systems: definition and measurement

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    Determining and enhancing the effectiveness of computer-based information systems (1/S) in organisations remains a top priority of managers. This study shows that the essential nature and role of 1/S is changing and that classic views of 1/S effectiveness have become increasingly inappropriate. Drawing on the organisational effectiveness literature, it is argued that user perceptions provide a practical alternative and a conceptually sound basis for defining and measuring 1/S effectiveness. A popular measure - User Information Satisfaction - is examined and empirical studies using this measure are critiqued. This reveal limited theoretical grounding or convergence but a growing emphasis on behavioural theory. Based on prior empirical work by the author and expectancy and motivation theory, a model of 1/S behaviours is offered. The model suggests that fit between the needs of the organisation and the capability of 1/S to satisfy these needs is essential to achieving 1/S effectiveness. Several hypotheses are formulated. The development and validation of a particular measurement instrument is traced. The instrument addresses 37 facets of the overall information systems function and respondents complete perceptual scales tapping the relative importance of these facets and how well each is performed. The instrument is used in a field survey of 1025 managers and 1/S staff in eleven large organisations. Attitudes towards 1/S are found to correlate with perceptions of fit between organisational needs and 1/S capabilities. The survey is complemented by management interviews, document analysis and an assessment of the dynamics of the relevant 1/S groups. Cultural and other features associated with perceived 1/S success are found. It is concluded that perceptions of organisational members are central to the meaning of information systems effectiveness, but that the user information satisfaction construct and purely attitudinal measures are inadequate. Based on the notion of fit, a new definition of 1/S effectiveness is proposed. Guidelines for measurement are presented and it is argued that the instrument used in this study is a satisfactory tool. Specific recommendations for management are made and rich opportunities for future research are identified

    Practitioners perceived effectiveness and application of maturity status bio-banding for talent identification and development

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    Bio-banding is an approach used to group athletes based on their characteristics in relation to growth and maturity, rather than their chronological age. Although recent research has explored the effect of bio-banding on various markers (e.g., technical, tactical) of talent identification in young athletes, research has yet to explore to what extent practitioners use this approach, how they use it, or their perspectives about its perceived effectiveness. This mixed-methods study sought to address this gap by using an on-line survey with twenty-seven practitioners from Elite Player Performance Program (EPPP) affiliated clubs followed by a semi-structured individual interview with seven practitioners (age: 32.1 ± 8.44 years). Survey results revealed maturity-related differences impact practitioners’ ability to accurately assess competence (e.g., physical “aggregated agree” = 68%, psycho-social “aggregated agree” = 56%), bio-banding enhances assessment when matching (e.g., Early vs Early or pre-PHV vs pre-PHV) (e.g., physical “aggregated agree” = 95%, technical “aggregated agree” = 85%) or pairing (e.g., Late vs Early or pre-PHV vs post-PHV) athletes for maturity status (e.g., physical “aggregated agree” = 55%, technical “aggregated agree” = 65%). Interview findings revealed the benefits of bio-banding include injury prevention, introducing challenge, and the design of individual development programmes. Interviews revealed barriers to the implementation of bio-banding include planning and organisation (time, resources and communication), failure to establish the buy-in, lack of understanding amongst coaches, and the prioritisation of short-term success over long-term development. Overall, the findings of this study contribute to the current knowledge and understanding of bio-banding efforts, and also emphasise the potential application of maturity status 'bio-banding' for identifying and developing professional youth soccer athletes. Increasing coaches understanding of bio-banding via the delivery of coach education courses and workshops may be one way of increasing its uptake in the future. The study concludes by recommending sports practitioners use the findings as a basis for implementing bio-banding in their own settings
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