Bargaining Practice and Negotiation Failure in Russia-Ukraine Gas Relations

What causes 'gas wars' between Russia and Ukraine? In this paper I argue that contract disputes in the eastern European gas sector are specific instances of a broader set of phenomena: bargains over strategically important resource issues outside of any international framework to facilitate cooperation. Non cooperative game theory helps to shed light on the reasons we see crises emerge despite the fact that both parties would be better off reaching an agreement short of conflict. I develop a framework for crisis bargaining that departs from canonical games in one important dimension: it explicitly considers impact of bargaining practices and strategies on the negotiation process and the probability of failure. While bargaining practices are endogenous to both the preferences of the players and the structure of the game, they intervene in the causal process in substantively important ways by modifying the effect of both preferences and structure. Critically, practices embedded in earlier rounds affect practices and outcomes later on independent of the preferences of each player or the structure of the game. I use this practice-theoretic bargaining framework to develop an in-depth case study of 2008 negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. This framework helps produce a nuanced understanding of bargaining breakdown that led to the most damaging of the ���gas wars��; the resulting explanation outperforms the standard bargaining model as well as a number of competing arguments

DDT in the tropics: The impact on wildlife in Zimbabwe of ground spraying for Tsetse fly control

Acclaimed less than twenty-five years ago as the greatest chemical ever discovered, DOT has been instrumental in changing the course of history for many nations. Yet today, with the realization that its residues are persistent and can accumulate in the environment and man himself, DOT pollution has become a major concern of the western world. Public agitation has led to policy decisions which take little account of the risks and benefits of continued use, particularly for less-developed countries. DDT in the Tropics presents the results and conclusions of four years of research in Zimbabwe. The study is the first to assess the impact of DOT ground-spraying on animal populations in tropical ecosystems, and is also one of the most comprehensive studies of DOT undertaken anywhere. Consequently, the findings can contribute significantly to the development of a rational policy on the use of DOT in the Tropics. The organization of the text reflects the different needs of its potential readers. The Scientific Report can be read as an uninterrupted narrative covering the investigation of each component group in the system for those who need a sound background knowledge. Readers requiring greater detail will find experimental techniques and results included in the numbered boxes within each chapter. Finally, those involved in policy planning and implementation will be most interested in the overview given by the opening Environmental Statement

The Use of DISC Behavioral Profiling and Training: An Innovative Pedagogical Strategy to Enhance Learning and Future Career Opportunities in Sport Management and Sport Coaching Higher Education Classrooms

Implementing effective training and education programs is of critical importance for sport management and sport coaching academic education programs. This exploratory ­­­­­research examined the implementation and effectiveness of DISC behavioral profiling in sport management and sport coaching classrooms at the university level. Over four academic years (eight semesters), pre- and post-tests were collected from multiple samples of sport management and sport coaching students (N = 216) at two universities in the United States. Students received a personalized DISC behavioral profile and educational activities were used to enhance the value of the behavioral profiling initiatives. Using pre- and post-activity surveys of the knowledge and skills gained during in-course activities, paired sample t-test showed positive and significant results for 11 of 16 measured areas. The findings suggest that behavioral profiling tools and activities within sport management and sport coaching curricula can enhance student’s self-awareness and help develop leadership skills which will prepare for future career opportunities. Limitations and opportunities for future research are also presented

Transformational Learning in Business Education: The Pivotal Role of Experiential Learning Projects

In this paper, we posit experiential learning projects in business as a valuable alternative to internships to meet the new AACSB standards for accreditation. While internships have traditionally been used as the main method to provide hands-on learning experiences for students in business schools, their effective implementation imposes stringent demands on faculty, curriculum, and program resources. The pedagogical and administrative benefits of experiential learning projects (ELP) are analyzed using the Kolb model and the literature on learning. We illustrate the versatility of the ELP learning tool by describing two very different applications currently in use at a small private university and advance guidelines for the effective implementation and assessment of experiential learning projects in business curricula

Transformational Learning In Business Education: The Pivotal Role Of Experiential Learning Projects

In this paper, we posit experiential learning projects in business as a valuable alternative to internships to meet the new AACSB standards for accreditation.  While internships have traditionally been used as the main method to provide hands-on learning experiences for students in business schools, their effective implementation imposes stringent demands on faculty, curriculum, and program resources.  The pedagogical and administrative benefits of experiential learning projects (ELP) are analyzed using the Kolb model and the literature on learning.  We illustrate the versatility of the ELP learning tool by describing two very different applications currently in use at a small private university and advance guidelines for the effective implementation and assessment of experiential learning projects in business curricula

Exploring Referee Abuse Through the Lens of the Collegiate Rugby Coach

Referees are valuable contributors to the legitimacy of a sporting contest. Despite this, abuse in sport has become a growing concern and is regularly noted as an obstacle with which referees must contend. Continued abuses have been associated with referee discontinuation and have been noted as a detrimental influence in the recruitment and retention of referees. Sporting organizations, coaches, and players all feel the impact when there is an inadequate supply of referees. Coaches have been noted as a primary perpetrator of referee abuse; thus, in this study, the authors utilize a phenomenological approach to explore perceptions of referee abuse through the lens of the collegiate rugby coach. Data were collected from 15 participants, all of whom completed two phone interviews. Five factors that influence one\u27s perceptions of and proclivity towards referee abuse emerged from the data: (a) personal characteristics/philosophies, (b) relationships, (c) social influences, (d) organizational expectations, and (e) culture. Implications to practice and recommendations for future research are discussed

Probing the magnetic ground state of the molecular Dysprosium triangle

We present zero field muon spin lattice relaxation measurements of a Dysprosium triangle molecular magnet. The local magnetic fields sensed by the implanted muons indicate the coexistence of static and dynamic internal magnetic fields below $T^* ~35$ K. Bulk magnetization and heat capacity measurements show no indication of magnetic ordering below this temperature. We attribute the static fields to the slow relaxation of the magnetization in the ground state of Dy3. The fluctuation time of the dynamic part of the field is estimated to be ~0.55 $\mu$s at low temperaturesComment: 5 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Valuing Transgenic Cotton Technologies Using a Risk/Return Framework

Stochastic Efficiency with Respect to a Function (SERF) is used to rank transgenic cotton technology groups and place an upper and lower bound on their value. Yield and production data from replicated plot experiments are used to build cumulative distribution functions of returns for nontransgenic, Roundup Ready, Bollgard, and stacked gene cotton cultivars. Analysis of Arkansas data indicated that the stacked gene and Roundup Ready technologies would be preferred by a large number of risk neutral and risk averse producers as long as the costs of the technology and seed are below the lower bounds calculated in this manuscript.cotton, financial risk, market value, SERF, transgenic, Agribusiness, Crop Production/Industries, Risk and Uncertainty, Q12, Q16,