A ‘3P’ soft power model: an agile approach to diplomatic strategy

Soft power is the ability to shape the preferences of others through appeal and attraction rather than coerce using hard power. Today, most countries are embracing the notion of soft power. Managing soft power resources at the disposal of governments and deploying them effectively is critical for an agile government to build an attractive country image, and thereby enhancing their competitiveness in today’s dynamic and competitive global landscape. This includes but not limited to promoting their country’s products and services globally, attract foreign investors, and promoting international tourism. In this study, we develop and validate a novel ‘3P’ soft power model, using the perceptions about a country’s ‘products’, ‘places’, and ‘people’. Using 167 usable responses obtained from a structured country-wide survey in the UAE, the 3P model developed from the literature was tested for reliability, validity, and model-fitness. While Cronbach’s alpha values confirmed the reliability of first-order constructs (products, place and people), the second-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) established the convergent and discriminant validity of the constructs, and operationalization of ‘3P Soft Power’ as a higher (second)-order model. The results have implications for governments and researchers in promoting soft power by leveraging its products, places and people. A robust higher-order factor model for soft power using 3P’s has not been developed previously and constitutes the novelty of this study

A comparative cross-national examination of online investment promotion

The internationalization of operations has led to more countries trying to attract foreign direct investment by promoting themselves through nation branding and other activities including online promotion by national or regional Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs). This paper utilizes a nation branding framework to identify and analyze online IPA promotion cross-nationally. Results show that IPA websites have certain common elements but also vary greatly in their use of promotional approaches that contribute to branding the places they represent. This implies a need for a better practice of nation branding oriented strategies to influence investors’ perceptions and decisions

Impact of psychological stress on the outcomes of assisted reproduction in Tunisian infertile women

Introduction: childlessness is an emotionally difficult experience for infertile couples. Undergoing assisted reproductive treatments (ART) could generate further stress in these patients. Studies investigating the impact of anxiety on ART outcomes have shown controversial results. Moreover, there are no publications focusing on anxiety symptomsin infertile Tunisian couples. Methods: we conducted a prospective study including 79 infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization at the Reproductive Medicine Unit of the Farhat Hached Hospital (Tunisia). Participants were asked to answer to the Beck anxiety inventory (BAI) on the day of oocyte retrieval. Accordingly, they were classified into the 3 groups: group A: very low anxiety (n= 36; BAI<21), group B: moderate anxiety (n= 24; 22≤BAI≤35) and group C: severe anxiety (n=19; BAI≥36). For each patient, two blood samples were collected to assess free cortisol level on the day of oocyte retrieval and on the day of embryo transfer. Results: results showed that women with primary infertility were significantly more stressed than those with secondary infertility (p= 0.011). Cortisol level was significantly higher on the day of embryo transfer than on the day of oocyte pick-up (p<0.0001). A lower implantation rate was found in severely anxious patients compared with moderately anxious women (p= 0.03) and those having low levels of anxiety (p= 0.001) and was negatively correlated to BAI score (r= -0.65; p= 0.001). Both clinical pregnancy and livebirth rates were similar among the three groups. Conclusion: the day of embryo transfer is the most stressful timepoint and psychological counseling is crucial to enhance implantation rate. Hence implantation took place, no effect of stress on pregnancy and live birth was found