Experiences of exploitation and human trafficking among a sample of Indonesian migrant domestic workers

Foreword: Indonesia has one of the highest rates of workers seeking employment abroad, with the majority of these workers being females employed in domestic service. Due to the nature of recruitment, the process of migration and the location and characteristics of the work, Indonesian migrant domestic workers may in some instances be at risk of abuse, exploitation and human trafficking. Drawing on data contained in the International Organization for Migration’s Counter Trafficking Module, the experiences of Indonesian victims of human trafficking who were exploited as domestic workers in Malaysia are examined, as well as the risk factors that may have contributed to their exploitation. Understanding the nature of human trafficking and the risk factors for exploitation is crucial for developing domestic and regional responses that can effectively contribute to anti-human trafficking strategies in the southeast Asia region

Male victims of non-sexual and non-domestic violence: service needs and experiences in court

This report presents the findings of a study that explored the experiences and support needs of male victims of violence living in New South Wales. Abstract: While a great deal of research has been undertaken into female victims of violence, male-focused victimology research undertaken in Australia and internationally is scant. This means it is currently unclear what the support needs of male victims are and if these support needs are being met by the currently available services and programs. The findings of this report derive from a study commissioned by the NSW Department of Attorney General and Justice Victims Services that sought to address this knowledge gap by exploring the experiences and support needs of male victims of violence (excluding sexual assault and domestic violence) living in New South Wales. The study involved a comprehensive review of the currently available literature and interviews and focus groups with criminal justice and support service representatives who have contact with male victims of violence as part of their everyday work

ACT victims of crime referral project: final report

This report presents the findings of a project funded by Victim Support ACT and ACT Policing to examine the experiences of victims referred by police to support services and the operation of the referral process in the ACT. Since the completion of the report in 2009, Victim Support ACT and ACT Policing have used it to facilitate better access to support services for people affected by crime. Following the establishment of the Victims Advisory Board in 2011, the Victims of Crime Commissioner sought the support of the Board to progress matters that had been raised in the report. The Commissioner was of the view that the Board, having a function to develop and maintain protocols and procedures for the treatment of victims by agencies involved in the administration of justice, was well placed to assist Victim Support ACT and ACT Policing to progress these issues. To assist the Board to perform this function, the report is now being published to allow public access to the information

COMPETITIVE STRATEGY, ALLIANCE NETWORKS, AND FIRM PERFORMANCE

This dissertation explores the interplay between competitive strategy and alliance network structure in explaining firm performance in highly volatile environments (e.g., personal computers or consumer electronics). In particular, I examine the following three questions: (1) Which competitive strategies enable firms to gain superior performance? (2) How do these strategies affect the firm‘s networking behavior and lead to the formation of particular network positions? (3) What optimal combinations of competitive strategies and network structures maximize firm performance? Firms can outperform rivals by pursuing two types of competitive strategies: advantage-creating and advantage-enhancing. Each of these strategies creates different needs, motivations, and opportunities for collaborative activity. Therefore, certain regularities in the firms‘ strategic behavior in the previous period can lead to distinctive and recognizable patterns of networking behavior in the future period, which in turn leads to predictable types of network structure. This study shows that firms with superior advantage-creating strategies become embedded in sparse network structures and are more likely to form non-equity alliances in the future period, whereas firms with strong advantage-enhancing tendencies become embedded in dense network structures with many equity-based alliances in the future period. However, if different strategies lead to formation of different types of network structure, are these tendencies beneficial for firm performance? If not, what is the optimal combination of competitive strategy and network structure that maximizes firm performance? I argue that network structure provides advantageous access to external resources that can both complement (enhance) the internal capabilities of the firm and substitute for the capabilities that a firm is lacking. I find that network structure plays both complementary and substitutive roles. However, my findings suggest dense network structure is more beneficial for firms that have superior either advantage-creating or advantage-enhancing capabilities, whereas firms with inferior internal capabilities can benefit more from a sparse network structure. I tested the proposed dynamic model on a sample of the largest 125 firms from computers and electronics industries that initiated 11,075 competitive actions and were embedded in a larger network of 36,766 alliances over 7 years

Trafficking in persons monitoring report: January 2009–June 2011

Since 2008, the Australian Government has increased the tempo on investigating and understanding these crimes, and the Australian Institute of Criminology’s research and monitoring program is part of this effort.  The Government has introduced new legislation to crack down on trafficking slavery and servile marriages. Human trafficking is a serious but underreported problem as victims are unwilling to come forward. Since 2004 only 14 people have been convicted of people trafficking-related offences (nine of the 14 defendants were convicted of slavery offences, three of sexual servitude, one of people trafficking and one of labour exploitation). Between January 2009 and June 2011 there were 73 police investigations in Australia and 145 trafficked people entering the government’s victim support program—slightly more than in the previous period. Victims continue to be overwhelmingly from south-east Asia, one-third from Thailand alone. Authored by Jacqueline Joudo Larsen, Lauren Renshaw, Samantha Gray-Barry, Hannah Andrevski, and Toby Corsbie

A Handbook for new baristas and policy makers in sustainable tourism

This handbook has been prepared for the needs of the project "Barista - the perfect coffee connoisseur - Support for young baristas from the EU", co-financed by the Erasmus+ program. In the development of the material, relevant professional literature was used to sublimate the previous studies in the fields of sustainable tourism, coffee culture, and the barista profession, which will help the users of the handbook acquire new knowledge, skills, and competencies. The content is concise and clear, supplemented with photos, tables, and diagrams that will contribute to an easier understanding and mastering of the material. The handbook is divided into an introduction, eight chapters, and references. In the first chapter "Tourism and sustainability", we pay attention to the basic concepts of tourism, as well as the various aspects of sustainable development. The second chapter is entitled: "Implications of the Policies of the Sustainable Tourism Agenda" and it presents the material related to the goals for sustainable development as well as the initiatives of the World Tourism Organization in the direction of sustainable tourism development. In the third chapter "Structures and strategies for sustainable tourism", we made an overview of the institutional structures for sustainable tourism, strategies for sustainable tourism, as well as the basic characteristics of coffee tourism. In the fourth chapter "Best practices for barista education in the EU countries," we also made an overview of the best practices for barista education in the European Union countries. The fifth chapter "Being a Barista" covers the matter related to the concept of barista and professional service, as well as uniform, and personal and work hygiene. The sixth chapter of the handbook "Techniques of the great professional baristas" contains material related to the basic aspects of coffee, arabica and robusta, coffee roasting, coffee grinding, coffee machine, espresso basics, milk heating, coffee offering, and latte art. The seventh chapter presents the activities that were carried out during the study stay in Slovenia and Turkey, and the eighth chapter reviews the next steps in the education and future development of baristas

Competitive Rationales: Beneath the Surface of Competitive Behavior

Competitive dynamics research has focused on studying whether rivals are able and likely to carry out competitive actions, typically by examining indirect reasons such as characteristics of the actions themselves, the firms involved, or the competitive context. We explore why rivals initiate a specific competitive action at a particular time and situation. Drawing from the philosophy of action literature, we introduce the concept of competitive rationales to examine the primary reasons that cause tactical actions. Given the rapid exchanges characterizing tactical competitive dynamics, we conducted an inductive, multicase study to explore the reasons behind over 800 discrete tactical decisions carried out by 9 professional basketball coaches during 15 basketball games. To garner insight, we develop a conceptual framework revealing their types and scope. Even during intense head-to-head rivalry, most rationales were not rivalrous but were instead organizational—to optimize resource use, strategic consistency, and reputation—or social—to manage relationships. Moreover, the three main types of rationales varied in scope, extending beyond immediate competitive situations and rivals to address longer term, strategic outcomes, and assorted stakeholders. Thus, our analysis reveals these rationales to be complex and potentially difficult for rivals to decipher. It also recasts each component of the dominant awareness-motivation-capability (AMC) model of rivalry, suggesting that awareness is challenged by subtle rationales, motivation drives not only action but also forbearance, and capability is both a requirement and product of action

‘Short Interest Pressure’ and Competitive Behaviour

This study introduces and examines a new-to-strategy form of Wall Street pressure – ‘short interest pressure’ – the tension felt by management caused by short sales of the firm\u27s stock. Drawing from a sample of over 5000 competitive actions carried out by competing firms over a 6-year time period, we test whether the level of short interest pressure experienced by the firm in one time period is predictive of properties of the firm\u27s competitive action repertoire in the ensuing time period. Our findings suggest that when faced with short interest pressure firms tend to carry out a higher number of competitive actions in the following time period, as well as a set of actions that deviate from the industry norm. In addition, post hoc analysis reveals that this effect is amplified for poorly performing firms. Thus, our study contributes to a deeper understanding of the relationship between capital market signals and competitive strategy

THE INFLUENCE OF AEROBIC TRAINING ON THE BIOCHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PARAMETERS OF OBESE WOMEN

The study was conducted on a sample of 23 working age female subjects of average age 38. 3 ± 4.45 years from Pancevo classified by body mass index (BMI≥25 kg/m2). Their blood and body composition was measured during the initial and final measuring. The experimental factor involved directed low intensity aerobic training for a period of eight weeks. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of the transformation process and relation of biochemical parameters at the initial and final body composition variables assessment measuring. The research results obtained by Paired-Samples T test revealed statistically significant differences in the following variables: Body Weight, Body Fat Mass, BMI, Body Fat Percent, Visceral Fat, Blood Glucose, LDL and HDLD in favor of final measuring. Regression analysis showed that the system of biochemical parameters determine BMI in a small extent, Visceral Fat and Body Fat Mass (from 16% to 30% at the initial measuring and from 18% to 32.8% at the final measuring) and that the predictor system was significantly associated in neither of the cases. Biochemical parameters for the most part were associated with nutritional status at the final measuring, while this percentage was lowest in the Visceral Fat criteria at the initial measuring. On the final measuring the share of biochemical parameters the Body Fat Mass was reduced, while BMI and Visceral Fat had been slightly increased. The authors recommend moderate intensity training as an effective way to improve the physical and biochemical parameters of the health preservation of and weight reduction

Harnessing demographic differences in organizations:what moderates the effects of workplace diversity?

To account for the double-edged nature of demographic workplace diversity (i.e,. relational demography, work group diversity, and organizational diversity) effects on social integration, performance, and well-being related variables, research has moved away from simple main effect approaches and started examining variables that moderate these effects. While there is no shortage of primary studies of the conditions under which diversity leads to positive or negative outcomes, it remains unclear which contingency factors make it work. Using the Categorization-Elaboration Model as our theoretical lens, we review variables moderating the effects of workplace diversity on social integration, performance, and well-being outcomes, focusing on factors that organizations and managers have control over (i.e., strategy, unit design, human resource, leadership, climate/culture, and individual differences). We point out avenues for future research and conclude with practical implications