4,243 research outputs found

    Corporate Social Responsibility: the institutionalization of ESG

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    Understanding the impact of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on firm performance as it relates to industries reliant on technological innovation is a complex and perpetually evolving challenge. To thoroughly investigate this topic, this dissertation will adopt an economics-based structure to address three primary hypotheses. This structure allows for each hypothesis to essentially be a standalone empirical paper, unified by an overall analysis of the nature of impact that ESG has on firm performance. The first hypothesis explores the evolution of CSR to the modern quantified iteration of ESG has led to the institutionalization and standardization of the CSR concept. The second hypothesis fills gaps in existing literature testing the relationship between firm performance and ESG by finding that the relationship is significantly positive in long-term, strategic metrics (ROA and ROIC) and that there is no correlation in short-term metrics (ROE and ROS). Finally, the third hypothesis states that if a firm has a long-term strategic ESG plan, as proxied by the publication of CSR reports, then it is more resilience to damage from controversies. This is supported by the finding that pro-ESG firms consistently fared better than their counterparts in both financial and ESG performance, even in the event of a controversy. However, firms with consistent reporting are also held to a higher standard than their nonreporting peers, suggesting a higher risk and higher reward dynamic. These findings support the theory of good management, in that long-term strategic planning is both immediately economically beneficial and serves as a means of risk management and social impact mitigation. Overall, this contributes to the literature by fillings gaps in the nature of impact that ESG has on firm performance, particularly from a management perspective

    Technologies and Applications for Big Data Value

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    This open access book explores cutting-edge solutions and best practices for big data and data-driven AI applications for the data-driven economy. It provides the reader with a basis for understanding how technical issues can be overcome to offer real-world solutions to major industrial areas. The book starts with an introductory chapter that provides an overview of the book by positioning the following chapters in terms of their contributions to technology frameworks which are key elements of the Big Data Value Public-Private Partnership and the upcoming Partnership on AI, Data and Robotics. The remainder of the book is then arranged in two parts. The first part “Technologies and Methods” contains horizontal contributions of technologies and methods that enable data value chains to be applied in any sector. The second part “Processes and Applications” details experience reports and lessons from using big data and data-driven approaches in processes and applications. Its chapters are co-authored with industry experts and cover domains including health, law, finance, retail, manufacturing, mobility, and smart cities. Contributions emanate from the Big Data Value Public-Private Partnership and the Big Data Value Association, which have acted as the European data community's nucleus to bring together businesses with leading researchers to harness the value of data to benefit society, business, science, and industry. The book is of interest to two primary audiences, first, undergraduate and postgraduate students and researchers in various fields, including big data, data science, data engineering, and machine learning and AI. Second, practitioners and industry experts engaged in data-driven systems, software design and deployment projects who are interested in employing these advanced methods to address real-world problems

    The rhetoric and reality of equitable access to higher education in the Anglophone Caribbean: Transforming vision into action

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    This study is about access to higher education (HE) in the Anglophone Caribbean. It seeks to answer two questions: what rhetoric is evident in current policies that guide access to higher education in the Anglophone Caribbean? And what is the reality of how policies and practices impact access to higher education opportunities for students? These questions are answered through an equity-focused lens. The study used a sequential mixed-method design and the research was conducted in three phases. Phase one was an analysis of extant documentation on existing policies and practices for twelve Anglophone Caribbean countries. Phase two comprised a series of interviews with government officials and higher education officers about their conceptualizations and perceptions of equitable access to HE. In phase three, an online student survey was organized to compare the experiences of students across the region in accessing HE and to examine their perceptions about the policies and practices guiding access. The findings of this research reveal a region-wide deficit in data management, program and policy implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. Additionally, the existing policy documents include mostly implicit references to equity of access to HE. Further findings reveal that while there is ample provision for HE across the region, fair access to those opportunities is still a challenge. The major barriers to access perceived by students and education officials are HE funding, HE cost and related expenses, access for persons with disabilities, and rural/remote access. Equity groups most affected are those with low socio-economic status (SES) and first generation in higher education students (FGHEs). Variables NOT perceived as barriers to HE access in the region were gender, race/ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation and cultural/linguistic background. These findings are discussed in the context of the Caribbean’s ongoing development

    New Research and Trends in Higher Education

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    This book aims to discuss new research and trends on all dimensions of Higher Education, as there is a growing interest in the field of Higher Education, regarding new methodologies, contexts, and technologies. It includes investigations of diverse issues that affect the learning processes in Higher Education: innovations in learning, new pedagogical methods, and new learning contexts.In this sense, original research contributions of research papers, case studies and demonstrations that present original scientific results, methodological aspects, concepts and educational technologies, on the following topics:a) Technological Developments in Higher Education: mobile technology, virtual environments, augmented reality, automation and robotics, and other tools for universal learning, focusing on issues that are not addressed by existing research;b) Digital Higher Education: mobile learning, eLearning, Game-based Learning, social media in education, new learning models and technologies and wearable technologies for education;c) Case Studies in Higher Education: empirical studies in higher education regarding digital technologies, new methodologies, new evaluation techniques and tools, perceptions of learning processes efficiency and digital learning best practice

    Migration Research in a Digitized World: Using Innovative Technology to Tackle Methodological Challenges

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    This open access book explores implications of the digital revolution for migration scholars’ methodological toolkit. New information and communication technologies hold considerable potential to improve the quality of migration research by originating previously non-viable solutions to a myriad of methodological challenges in this field of study. Combining cutting-edge migration scholarship and methodological expertise, the book addresses a range of crucial issues related to both researcher-designed data collections and the secondary use of “big data”, highlighting opportunities as well as challenges and limitations. A valuable source for students and scholars engaged in migration research, the book will also be of keen interest to policymakers

    TOWARDS AN UNDERSTANDING OF EFFORTFUL FUNDRAISING EXPERIENCES: USING INTERPRETATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS IN FUNDRAISING RESEARCH

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    Physical-activity oriented community fundraising has experienced an exponential growth in popularity over the past 15 years. The aim of this study was to explore the value of effortful fundraising experiences, from the point of view of participants, and explore the impact that these experiences have on people’s lives. This study used an IPA approach to interview 23 individuals, recognising the role of participants as proxy (nonprofessional) fundraisers for charitable organisations, and the unique organisation donor dynamic that this creates. It also bought together relevant psychological theory related to physical activity fundraising experiences (through a narrative literature review) and used primary interview data to substantiate these. Effortful fundraising experiences are examined in detail to understand their significance to participants, and how such experiences influence their connection with a charity or cause. This was done with an idiographic focus at first, before examining convergences and divergences across the sample. This study found that effortful fundraising experiences can have a profound positive impact upon community fundraisers in both the short and the long term. Additionally, it found that these experiences can be opportunities for charitable organisations to create lasting meaningful relationships with participants, and foster mutually beneficial lifetime relationships with them. Further research is needed to test specific psychological theory in this context, including self-esteem theory, self determination theory, and the martyrdom effect (among others)

    Practices of cultural democracy : the Cultura Viva program in Brazil

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    Despite the socio-economic crisis Brazil has experienced since 2014 and that has been considerably deepened by political instability in a polarized scenario, in 2022 the cultural area resists. The sector has confronted a deliberate dismantlement in the last two governments, Michel Temer's (2016-2018) and, since 2019, Jair Bolsonaro’s. On the other hand, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s mandates (2003-2010) represented in Brazilian contemporary history a radical paradigmatic shift to the approach to culture from a political and ideological perspective, as culture was a crucial aspect for fostering social equality and economic development, besides its role for overcoming social exclusion. In other words, culture was transformed into one of the main pillars of Brazilian identity's construction and preservation (Lula da Silva 2003). Twelve years after the end of Lula's government, this research examines practices of cultural democracy during his two mandates through the analysis of the National Plan of Culture and of the National System of Culture. Special attention is given to the Cultura Viva program and its pontos de cultura, understood as the most significant governmental initiative to expand and democratize the access to culture, especially in terms of its production. Bearing in mind the political disruption and the dismantlement of the cultural-artistic sector in the last two governments, this dissertation aims at evaluating Lula’s practices of cultural democracy and the legacy of Cultura Viva.Apesar da crise socioeconômica que o Brasil vive desde 2014 e que foi consideravelmente aprofundada pela instabilidade política em um cenário polarizado, em 2022 a área cultural no resiste. O setor enfrentou um desmonte deliberado nos dois últimos governos, no de Michel Temer (2016-2018) e, desde 2019, no de Jair Bolsonaro. Por outro lado, os mandatos de Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (2003-2010) representaram na história contemporânea brasileira uma mudança radical de paradigma na abordagem da cultura sob uma perspectiva política e ideológica, pois a cultura foi um aspecto crucial para a promoção da igualdade social e do desenvolvimento econômico, além do seu papel para a superação da exclusão social. Em outras palavras, a cultura se transformou em um dos principais pilares da construção e preservação da identidade brasileira (Lula da Silva 2003). Doze anos após o fim do governo Lula, esta pesquisa examina as práticas de democracia cultural durante seus dois mandatos por meio da análise do Plano Nacional de Cultura e do Sistema Nacional de Cultura. O foco principal é o programa Cultura Viva e seus pontos de cultura, entendidos como a mais significativa iniciativa governamental em ampliar e democratizar o acesso à cultura, especialmente no que se refere à sua produção. Tendo em vista a ruptura política e o desmonte do setor artístico-cultural nos dois últimos governos, esta dissertação tem como objetivo avaliar as práticas de democracia cultural dos governos Lula e o legado do Cultura Viva

    AIUCD 2022 - Proceedings

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    L’undicesima edizione del Convegno Nazionale dell’AIUCD-Associazione di Informatica Umanistica ha per titolo Culture digitali. Intersezioni: filosofia, arti, media. Nel titolo è presente, in maniera esplicita, la richiesta di una riflessione, metodologica e teorica, sull’interrelazione tra tecnologie digitali, scienze dell’informazione, discipline filosofiche, mondo delle arti e cultural studies

    Chinese Benteng Women’s Participation in Local Development Affairs in Indonesia: Appropriate means for struggle and a pathway to claim citizen’ right?

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    It had been more than two decades passing by aftermath the devastating Asia’s Financial Crisis in 1997, subsequently followed by Suharto’s step down from his presidential throne which he occupied for more than three decades. The financial turmoil turned to a political disaster furthermore has led to massive looting that severely impacted Indonesians of Chinese descendant, including unresolved mystery of the most atrocious sexual violation against women and covert killings of students and democracy activists in this country. Since then, precisely aftermath May 1998, which publicly known as “Reformasi”1, Indonesia underwent political reform that eventually corresponded positively to its macroeconomic growth. Twenty years later, in 2018, Indonesia captured worldwide attention because it has successfully hosted two internationally renowned events, namely the Asian Games 2018 – the most prestigious sport events in Asia – conducted in Jakarta and Palembang; and the IMF/World Bank Annual Meeting 2018 in Bali. Particularly in the IMF/World Bank Annual Meeting, this event has significantly elevated Indonesia’s credibility and international prestige in the global economic powerplay as one of the nations with promising growth and openness. However, the narrative about poverty and inequality, including increasing racial tension, religious conservatism, and sexual violation against women are superseded by friendly climate for foreign investment and eventually excessive glorification of the nation’s economic growth. By portraying the image of promising new economic power, as rhetorically promised by President Joko Widodo during his presidential terms, Indonesia has swept the growing inequality in this highly stratified society that historically compounded with religious and racial tension under the carpet of digital economy.Arte y Humanidade
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