413,924 research outputs found

    Different perceptions of adaptation to climate change: a mental model approach applied to the evidence from expert interviews

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    We argue that differences in the perception and governance of adaptation to climate change and extreme weather events are related to sets of beliefs and concepts through which people understand the environment and which are used to solve the problems they face (mental models). Using data gathered in 31 in-depth interviews with adaptation experts in Europe, we identify five basic stakeholder groups whose divergent aims and logic can be related to different mental models they use: advocacy groups, administration, politicians, researchers, and media and the public. Each of these groups uses specific interpretations of climate change and specifies how to deal with climate change impacts. We suggest that a deeper understanding and follow-up of the identified mental models might be useful for the design of any stakeholder involvement in future climate impact research processes. It might also foster consensus building about adequate adaptation measures against climate threats in a society

    Data driven decision support systems as a critical success factor for IT-Governance: an application in the financial sector

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    IT-Governance has a major impact not only on IT management but also and foremost in the Enterprises performance and control. Business uses IT agility, flexibility and innovation to pursue its objectives and to sustain its strategy. However being it more critical to the business, compliance forces IT on the opposite way of predictability, stability and regulations. Adding the current economical environment and the fact that most of the times IT departments are considered cost centres, IT-Governance decisions become more important and critical. Current IT-Governance research and practise is mainly based on management techniques and principles, leaving a gap for the contribution of information systems to IT-Governance enhancement. This research intends to provide an answer to IT-Governance requirements using Data Driven Decision Support Systems based on dimensional models. This seems a key factor to improve the IT-Governance decision making process. To address this research opportunity we have considered IT-Governance research (Peter Weill), best practises (ITIL), Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) and frameworks (COBIT). Key IT-Governance processes (Change Management, Incident Management, Project Development and Service Desk Management) were studied and key process stakeholders were interviewed. Based on the facts gathered, dimensional models (data marts) were modelled and developed to answer to key improvement requirements on each IT-Governance process. A Unified Dimensional Model (IT-Governance Data warehouse) was materialized. To assess the Unified Dimensional Model, the model was applied in a bank in real working conditions. The resulting model implementation was them assessed against Peter Weill‘s Governance IT Principles.Assessment results revealed that the model satisfies all the IT-Governance Principles. The research project enables to conclude that the success of IT-Governance implementation may be fostered by Data Driven Decision Support Systems implemented using Unified Dimensional Model concepts and based on best practises, frameworks and body of knowledge that enable process oriented, data driven decision support

    THE EFFECTS OF TRADE LIBERALIZATION ON THE ENVIRONMENT: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

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    We seek to contribute to the emerging economic theory on trade, the environment and development. Using panel data across countries, econometric models are estimated to predict the effects of openness on organic water pollutant (BOD) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Results indicate that freer trade significantly increases emissions of both pollutants, thus reducing environmental quality. Moreover, the panel nature of the data allows heterogeneity across countries to be controlled, so that comparisons can be made of how different national characteristics influence the environmental impact of freer trade. By testing the effects of democratic versus autocratic governance, it is found that while greater democracy can induce significant reductions in BOD emissions as openness increases, it may also lead to increased CO2 levels. Meanwhile, by testing for and failing to reject the pollution haven hypothesis, it is suggested that environmental gains from openness in relatively rich countries may be coming at the expense of environmental degradation in poorer countries.Environmental Economics and Policy, International Relations/Trade,

    Transplanting the Anglo American corporate governance model into Asian countries: prospects and practicality.

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    The works in this document illustrate the difficulties in implementing measures based on the Anglo American model to improve corporate governance in four Asian countries; Korea, China, Malaysia and Japan. The evidence shows that corporate governance transformations in these countries have brought about conflict between newly adopted governance mechanisms and the existing domestic environment. I argue that attempts to improve corporate governance through adopting models from foreign jurisdictions cause enormous complications, and that their adoption is often prompted by a flawed belief that they will naturally bring about order to corporate governance in the host country. The works in this document also explore the impact of transplanting Anglo American employment practices (an important constituent of the Anglo American corporate governance model) on employment relations in Asian countries. Employment relationships in these countries, traditionally characterised by norms of life long employment, promotion and remuneration based on seniority and strong ‘familial’ relations between employers and workers, are increasingly being undermined by Anglo American employment practices which promote certain forms of labour flexibility, erode trust between employer and workers and encourage increasing reliance on formal legal rights to protect interests. I conclude that Asian countries need to ensure that laws and practices which are adopted to advance corporate success are appropriate for their domestic environments. The works in this document contribute to the study of corporate governance in three ways. First, it contributes to an understanding of the problems and practicalities in implementing the Anglo American model across different national systems. Second, it contributes to the growing literature on this subject in Asian countries, a significant area of growth in the world economy. Third, it generates ideas which may be useful in instigating empirical research to investigate further impacts on Asian corporate governance of the adoption of foreign models

    Linking Agricultural Trade, Land Demand and Environmental Externalities: Case of Oil Palm in South East Asia

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    Reduction of support measures affecting soybean oil in the major soybean producing countries, as a consequence of WTO rules, coupled with rising demand for palm oil in non-traditional palm oil importing countries may lead to pronounced increases in agricultural land demand for oil palm expansion in Malaysia and Indonesia – two main palm oil producing and exporting countries. However, it is expected that the effects on agricultural land demand and consequently impact upon the environment will depend much on existing governance affecting environmental and forestry management in the two countries. Given the relatively more prevalent policy and institutional failures in Indonesia, it is anticipated that deforestation consequences and open burnings in the country will be stronger, inevitably giving rise to recurring haze externalities in the region. This study employed single and multi-country output supply exogenous policy models with explicit factor markets to examine agricultural land demand-trade linkages in the world vegetable oil markets. Shifts in export demand for palm oil and reductions of support measures affecting soybean production were simulated and effects on land use in Malaysia and Indonesia were observed under varying assumptions of environmental and forestry policy regimes in the two countries. Inferences on environmental effects are also provided.Agricultural trade and environment; Oil palm economy in Malaysia and Indonesia; Oil palm expansion and haze; Transboundary pollution; Policy failures and environmental impacts

    Precaution and protection policies of urban ecosystem in the Iblea north eastern coast of Sicily

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    According to the hypothetical urban scenarios in the future, the urban ecosystem will be the piace where the most part of people live, with a deep negative impact on the world ecosystem. So it is necessary for all the people to get better ways of life in the towns and less and less unbalanced urban space, that to say a clean, efficiency and productive place that satisfies the needs of its inhabitants. A fundamental aim to the restoration of conditions of equity in the city seems to come from the models of development of sustainable city, related to the improvement of the environment and, above all, to a plan of sustainable society. Leaving from the indications of the European urban policies and those coming from issues about European, Mediterranean and Sicilian experiences, the team of present research may suggest he better political and technological choices adapted to the governance of urban ecosystem (with particular care for the waste, he transports, the management of the water and energetic resources) of the greater Sicilian cities an above all, of those if the Eastern Sicily. They will not come finally neglected the problematic related to the monitoring activities, both in function of the control of the environmental state and that of the continue verify of environmental impact of the pursued choices. Particular attention will be turned to the preventing of the seismic risk.

    The Impact of Economic Crisis on the Emerging Administrations from Southeastern Europe. Case Study: Romania

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    After 7 February 2007, the date on which in the United States was the beginning of the mega-global economic crisis, the financial world is vastly different and its reshaping is likely to persist for years or even decades. The consequences of the economic crisis extended beyond the economy itself. It affected the entire World, with a considerable impact on the EU Member States. The economies of the countries have been altered dramatically, and their patterns of governance have changed. One of these components of the models of governance is the public administration system. The paper can be included in the interdisciplinary field of administrative sciences, where the study of the economy plays an important role. The aim of the study is to analyze the impact of the crisis on the public administrations from Southeastern Europe, and the role of the anti-crisis measures taken at the level of the governance process of public administration. Therfore, the research attempts to provide an answer to a number of central research questions: 1. How the economic crises affected the emerging administrations from Southeastern Europe? 2. What were the anti-crisis measures taken at the level of public administration? The study is mainly qualitative based, and tries to identify in which consisted the impact of the economic crisis. It will be focused on the Southeastern European region, a region with some economic and democratic particularities due to the historical legacies of the totalitarian regimes it had. In particular, the paper focus on a case study- Romania public administration- a country from the Southeastern Europe. The paper develops on the premises that Romania public administration system was altered directly by the crises and the measures undertaken to reduce its impact. The research raises the awareness for academics and practitioners to the hardships that transition countries and emerging administrations from Southeastern Europe had to face in keeping the governmental system functionally. On these grounds, specialists can quickly realize how important it is to adapt administrative values and to rethink the reforms to rapidly changing environment

    IT Governance: Who Cares More? First Evidence from EU Banks and Supervisors

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    Even if first scientific research regarding the concept of IT governance was developed in the 1960s, only in the late 1990s did this topic obtain systematic attention from scholars. From then on, the concept of IT governance has become an object of greater attention and has been analysed in the broader context of corporate governance mechanisms. The literature provides various definitions and a range of constructs to describe the concept of IT governance in the form of different structures, processes, domains, facets, and elements, analogous to the study of corporate governance in general. It is important to note however that IT governance merits distinct attention within other corporate governance mechanisms for two reasons: – most organizations in today’s complex and competitive business environment rely heavily on IT to improve operating efficiency and sustain competitive advantage (Mata et al. 1995); – IT governance can help firms to arrange and specify an efficient IT decision making structure for a range of IT-related topics, such as IT investment, IT principles, and IT infrastructure management (Sambamurthy and Zmud 1999; Weill and Ross 2004; Xue et al. 2008, 2011). Therefore, the effective governance of IT can support organizations in generating value-added objectives on top of IT, thereby contributing to the broader objectives of corporate governance (Weill and Ross 2004). IT, as for other industries, is an intrinsic component of banks’ operational functioning too; and has become the backbone of almost all banking processes considering the growing role assumed in: a) supporting management in strategic decisions; b) facilitating the automated control environment on which core banking data are based; c) developing new products and services to compete in the financial markets; and d) the improvement of distribution channels. While IT has emerged as a strategic resource in today’s banking business environment, it can also raise critical issues, such as effective IT decision making and management control, IT investment priorities, and IT risk management. Regarding the latter, one lesson learned from the financial crisis that began in 2008 was that banks’ IT and data architectures were, on the one hand, necessary to improve banks’ efficiency and risk management process, and, on the other, deeply inadequate to support the broad management of financial risks. Banks’ capacity to capture robust data for timely and automated risk identification increasingly relies on data and technology infrastructures. Two are the relationships between risk management and IT that are most relevant: – risk management in banks is increasingly supported by IT: for instance, databases allow the recording and analysis of risk events, systems support models for risk quantification, internal rating models, etc.; – the more that IT penetrates the banking processes, the greater the dependence of business activities on IT, which, in turn, increases the relevance of IT risk management. The lack of the ability of many banks to efficiently and effectively provide Senior Management with a true picture of the risks the organization faces-more evident during the global financial crisis has led to a renewed attention on IT management from regulators. For instance, at the international level BCBS and EBA have intervened defining a set of new rules (e.g. Basel III framework) and guidelines (e.g. Principles for effective risk data aggregation and risk reporting) which affect—albeit indirectly— IT governance. However, regulators do not specifically address banks requisites for effective IT governance and risk management systems, even so these changes likely result in strategy overhaul, process review and IT systems impact on the banking industry. Given the awareness that risk management systems have failed in many cases due to inadequate corporate governance mechanism rather than the failure of IT systems strictu sensu, in this chapter we wish to highlight if banks have begun to ascribe greater importance to the coordinated management of all IT resources, in other words to IT governance. We explore the attention payed to IT governance in four EU countries by a sample of banks and national Supervisors, to point out if, after the crisis, the interest on this topic as well as the level of investments in IT has increased. In contrast to previous studies which use case studies and/or questionnaires to investigate IT governance practices, we base our analysis on banks’ public disclosure. We root our research on the largely shared assumptions that firms with good IT governance tend to disclose more on related mechanisms (e.g. Clarkson et al. 2004). To observe if the attention to IT governance has increased in the last few years, we develop an original descriptive framework of IT governance (ITGF) disclosure tailored to the banking sector. Using the ITGF we perform a content analysis to measure the level of attention on IT governance through the years (2008–2015) and cross countries from both banks and Supervisors. This study, to the extent that constitutes a pilot study, provides several insights into the academic debate within the macro strand of literature on corporate governance mechanisms, and more specifically on the less analysed topic of IT governance focusing on the banking sector. The chapter is organized as follows: Sect. 4.2 provides the background of the research, including the existing literature and development of research questions, Sect. 4.3 describes the research methodology and the sample and data collection, the main results are presented in Sect. 4.4; finally, Sect. 4.5, presents the conclusions and outlines areas for future research

    The impact of regulation, ownership and business culture on managing corporate risk within the water industry

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    Although the specifics of water utility ownership, regulation and management culture have been explored in terms of their impact on economic and customer value, there has been little meaningful engagement with their influence on the risk environment and risk management. Using a literature review as the primary source of information, this paper maps the existing knowledge base onto two critical questions: what are the particular features of regulation, ownership and management culture which influence the risk dynamic, and what are the implications of these relationships in the context of ambitions for resilient organizations? In addressing these queries, the paper considers the mindful choices and adjustments a utility must make to its risk management strategy to manage strategic tensions between efficiency, risk and resilience. The conclusions note a gap in understanding of the drivers required for a paradigm shift within the water sector from a re-active to a pro-active risk management culture. A proposed model of the tensions between reactive risk management and pro-active, adaptive risk management provides a compelling case for measured risk management approaches which are informed by an appreciation of regulation, ownership and business culture. Such approaches will support water authorities in meeting corporate aspirations to become "high reliability" services while retaining the capacity to out-perform financial and service level targets
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