492 research outputs found

    Several roads lead to international norms, but few via international socialization. A case study of the European Commission

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    Can an international organization socialize those who work within it? The European Commission of the European Union is a crucial case because it is an autonomous international organization with a vocation to defend supranational norms. If this body cannot socialize its members, which international organization can? I develop theoretical expectations about how time, organizational structure, alternative processes of preference formation, and national socialization affect international socialization. To test these expectations for the European Commission, I use two surveys of top permanent Commission officials, conducted in 1996 and 2002. The analysis shows that support for supranational norms is relatively high, but that this is more because of national socialization than socialization in the Commission. National norms, originating in prior experiences in national ministries, loyalty to national political parties, or experience with one's country's organization of authority, decisively shape top officials' views on supranational norms. There are, then, several roads to international norms. © 2005 by The IO Foundation

    From Points to Potlucks: An Exploration of Fixed Point Theorems with Applications to Game Theory Models of Successful Integration Practices

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    Potlucks have many names: shared community dinners, faith suppers, “bring-a-dish” dinners, etc. They represent the desire to share food with other people and make new friends, sometimes learning about other cultures in the process. Not only does one have to decide what dish to bring, but one must also decide how large of a dish, if there will be a theme, and what course it will fit. For instance, if everyone brings side dishes, there will not be enough food for everyone, and if someone brings food that most of the group cannot eat, then feelings will be hurt on all sides. And in a way, having a potluck is similar to creating integration policies. Successful integration policies are fair to all people and take a “two-street” approach, while simultaneously being a collaborative affair. This paper will first explore fixed point theory, including the Kakutani Fixed Point Theorem and Brouwer Fixed Point Theorem; fixed point theorems are a significant field of mathematics and have many well-known applications. One of these applications is game theory, which is the study of how rational actors make decisions in everyday situations. Building upon the mathematical aspects of the first few chapters and the basics of game theory, this paper aims to build its own game theory model called the “Potluck Metaphor” that will model several methods of integration in the European Union; context for the model will be provided by critiquing three primary integration models and a brief literature review of the related field. Starting off with a simple game theory model for a dinner party, this paper will then slowly expand these models to show their applicability to European integration policy on an organizational level and on a member-specific level

    Beyond Liabilities: Survival Skills for the Young, Small, and Not-for-profit

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    This dissertation offers insight into the organizational lives of small and new not-for-profits. The first essay used three different estimation strategies to model the role of revenue type in the growth in young and small not-for-profits. We find that increases in the percentage of a not-for-profit’s revenue portfolio going to dues, indirect support, or non-mission income will suppress growth and that there is no “optimal” model across subsectors. The second essay uses over twenty years of panel data to predict which factors indicate the impending recovery of a financially vulnerable small and young nonprofit. Support for hypotheses based in the literature is mixed, but the key insight is that nonprofits need to save if they want to get healthy: bringing in revenues is not enough. Finally, the third essay uses a qualitative approach on young and new mental health not-for-profits in the state of New York. Using comparative case studies, this study analyzes the internal and external factors surrounding the demise of small and young mental health nonprofits. This study finds support for several of the potential causes of nonprofit demise in a newly proposed typology

    Fine Lines: cosmetic advertising and the perception of ageing beauty

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    Fine Lines is a study investigating the language used in adverts for female facial cosmetics (excluding makeup) in UK Vogue magazine. The study queries whether this has been affected by the introduction and rise in popularity of minimally invasive aesthetic procedures to alleviate the signs of facial ageing. The contemporary cultural landscape is explored: this includes the ubiquitous nature of advertising as well as the growth of the skincare market. Emergent thematic analysis of selected advertisements showed a change in the language used before the introduction of the aesthetic procedures (1992 and 1993) compared with later years (2006 and 2007). We have noted a decline in numbers of advertisements within some themes (nourishing in particular showed a marked fall in number of mentions) while others have shown increases (those offering protection against UV radiation and pollution increased by 50% in the later data set). The remaining thematic categories were relatively constant over the period of study, though the emphasis shifted within the themes over time. This article concludes by asserting that the language has changed, that the vocabulary has become more inventive and that skincare products appear to be marketed as complementary to cosmetic procedures. In addition, some of the products appear to be being marketed as luxury items, something to be bought because owning and using it gives you pleasure and bestows prestige on the owner

    Discrimination in Home Finance

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    Alfred of Wessex a study in accidental greatness.

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    This thesis examines the application of the epithet great to King Alfred of Wessex (r. 871--899). It sets a standard for greatness within the context of early medieval Christian kingship, applies it to Alfred, and then compares Alfred to Charlemagne and Charles the Bald. It traces the development of the cult of Alfred from his own lifetime to the early twentieth century. It examines the mythical achievements of Alfred and how they developed, then summarizes his actual accomplishments, and compares them to the standard for greatness developed in the thesis

    Discrimination in Home Finance

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    Discussion of Digital analysis and the reduction of auditor litigation risk

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    https://egrove.olemiss.edu/dl_proceedings/1114/thumbnail.jp

    Assessing the sensitivity of two TEWL measuring methods: open vs. closed chamber

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    Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) is a key parameter in the assessment of skin barrier impairment and recovery. The aim of this study was to perform a comparative assessment of the two types of TEWL instruments, with specific emphasis on their sensitivity in detecting small differences. An open chamber (Tewameter TM300, Courage & Khazaka, Germany) and a closed, condenser-chamber instrument (AquaFlux AF200, Biox Systems, UK) were used in the study. A complimentary skin hydration test (Corneometer CM825, Courage & Khazaka, Germany) was also carried out. In the first study, the closed chamber results have revealed two additional sets of significantly different data, in comparison to the open chamber method. In the second study, where the level of barrier impairment was higher, both methods have resulted in the same statistical outcome. It was concluded that the condenser-chamber instrument possesses higher sensitivity than the open chamber when assessing small differences in TEWL, under the same experimental conditions
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