scholarly journals The Moral Consideration of Artificial Entities: A Literature Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie Harris ◽  
Jacy Reese Anthis

AbstractEthicists, policy-makers, and the general public have questioned whether artificial entities such as robots warrant rights or other forms of moral consideration. There is little synthesis of the research on this topic so far. We identify 294 relevant research or discussion items in our literature review of this topic. There is widespread agreement among scholars that some artificial entities could warrant moral consideration in the future, if not also the present. The reasoning varies, such as concern for the effects on artificial entities and concern for the effects on human society. Beyond the conventional consequentialist, deontological, and virtue ethicist ethical frameworks, some scholars encourage “information ethics” and “social-relational” approaches, though there are opportunities for more in-depth ethical research on the nuances of moral consideration of artificial entities. There is limited relevant empirical data collection, primarily in a few psychological studies on current moral and social attitudes of humans towards robots and other artificial entities. This suggests an important gap for psychological, sociological, economic, and organizational research on how artificial entities will be integrated into society and the factors that will determine how the interests of artificial entities are considered.

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1566
Author(s):  
Ernesto Mesa-Vázquez ◽  
Juan F. Velasco-Muñoz ◽  
José A. Aznar-Sánchez ◽  
Belén López-Felices

Over the last two decades, experimental economics has been gaining relevance in the research of a wide range of issues related to agriculture. In turn, the agricultural activity provides an excellent field of study within which to validate the use of instruments employed by experimental economics. The aim of this study is to analyze the dynamics of the research on the application of experimental economics in agriculture on a global level. Thus, a literature review has been carried out for the period between the years 2000 and 2020 based on a bibliometric study. The main results show that there has been a growing use of experimental economics methods in the research on agriculture, particularly over the last five years. This evolution is evident in the different indicators analyzed and is reflected in the greater scientific production and number of actors involved. The most relevant topics within the research on experimental economics in agriculture focus on the farmer, the markets, the consumer, environmental policy, and public goods. These results can be useful for policy makers and researchers interested in this line of research.


2021 ◽  
pp. 004723952110188
Author(s):  
Ali Battal ◽  
Gülgün Afacan Adanır ◽  
Yasemin Gülbahar

The computer science (CS) unplugged approach intends to teach CS concepts and computational thinking skills without employing any digital tools. The current study conducted a systematic literature review to analyze research studies that conducted investigations related to implementations of CS unplugged activities. A systematic review procedure was developed and applied to detect and subsequently review relevant research studies published from 2010 to 2019. It was found that 55 research studies (17 articles + 38 conference proceedings) satisfied the inclusion criteria for the analysis. These research studies were then examined with regard to their demographic characteristics, research methodologies, research results, and main findings. It was found that the unplugged approach was realized and utilized differently among researchers. The majority of the studies used the CS unplugged term when referring to “paper–pencil activities,” “problem solving,” “storytelling,” “games,” “tangible programming,” and even “robotics.”


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8594
Author(s):  
Angela Mallette ◽  
Timothy F. Smith ◽  
Carmen Elrick-Barr ◽  
Jessica Blythe ◽  
Ryan Plummer

Lack of public support for coastal adaptation can present significant barriers for implementation. In response, policy makers and academics are seeking strategies to build public support for coastal adaptation, which requires a deeper understanding of peoples’ preferences for coastal adaptation and what motives those preferences. Here, we conduct a systematic literature review to understand preferences for coastal adaptation options and the factors influencing these preferences. Ninety peer-reviewed publications meet the inclusion criteria. The findings revealed that hard protection options were often the most frequently preferred, likely due to a desire to maintain current shoreline, for the protection of recreational spaces and private property, and a perceived effectiveness of hard protection options. Soft protection, including nature-based approaches, accommodation, and no action were the next most preferred options. Finally, retreat options were the least preferred, often due to strong place attachment. We identify twenty-eight factors that could influence preferences, with risk perception, place attachment, and financial considerations occurring most frequently in the literature. In the conclusion, we outline the most significant research gaps identified from our analysis and discuss the implication for adaptation research and practice.


Evaluation ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah F. Shmueli ◽  
Michal Ben Gal ◽  
Ehud Segal ◽  
Amnon Reichman ◽  
Eran Feitelson

The aim of evaluating a regulatory system is to enable governments to improve the ways in which they function, regulate, and prioritize attention and resources to the system as a whole. Academic and professional literatures provide useful principles with which to proceed. However, off-the-shelf methods for assessing regulatory systems with generic characteristics are scarce. The Regulatory System Scan and Assessment methodology was designed for this purpose and applied to the current regulatory framework that governs Israel’s actions to plan—mitigate, prepare, respond, and recover—from the damage which may be caused by a severe earthquake. Although there is oftentimes widespread agreement concerning the existence of problems in a regulatory system, there is rarely consensus or a thorough understanding of what those problems are. Only when problems are identified can policy makers create viable and effective solutions. Development of the Regulatory System Scan and Assessment is a step toward addressing this challenge.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-78
Author(s):  
Gibriel Badjie

Communication and delegation are two important and parts of the leadership function. However, it is still a matter of debate whether leaders can delegate responsibility for communication, especially policy information, to those under their authority. Various opinions state that there is no prohibition for leaders to delegate their responsibilities because this is the leader's prerogative. This study aims to identify whether leadership should or should not delegate communication. The method used in this study was Systematic Literature Review (SLR). The SLR method is used to identify, review, evaluate, and interpret all available research by topic area phenomenon of interest, with specific relevant research questions. The results showed that leaders can delegate communication but it is highly dependent on the type, style, and approach of leadership on the table at that time. Such a leadership style or approach will automatically influence the style and approach of communication and delegation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 55-91
Author(s):  
Brenda Nansubuga ◽  
Christian Kowalkowski

PurposeFollowing the recent surge in research on carsharing, the paper synthesizes this growing literature to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of research and to identify directions for future work. Specifically, this study details implications for service theory and practice.Design/methodology/approachSystematic selection and analysis of 279 papers from the existing literature, published between 1996 and 2020.FindingsThe literature review identified four key themes: business models, drivers and barriers, customer behavior, and vehicle balancing.Practical implicationsFor managers, the study illuminates the importance of collaboration among stakeholders within the automotive sector for purposes of widening their customer base and maximizing utilization and profits. For policy makers, their important role in supporting carsharing take-off is highlighted with emphasis on balancing support rendered to different mobility services to promote mutual success.Originality/valueThis is the first systematic multi-disciplinary literature review of carsharing. It integrates insights from transportation, environmental, and business studies, identifying gaps in the existing research and specifically suggesting implications for service research.


Author(s):  
Barbara Wieliczko

Financial instruments (FIs) have been an element of EU policies for almost 2 decades. They are in use also in CAP. Yet, they have not gained much popularity due to both their novelty in CAP and the complexity of their implementation. However, given the diminishing allocation of funds for CAP they are sure to become an important part of CAP support as they offer an important advantage to policy makers due to the leverage effect which enables the funds to be used more than once and thus to offer support to a larger group of beneficiaries. The paper is based on literature review and the analysis of EU documents related to FIs. Its aim is to assess the proposal of the EC relating to the use of FIs in the CAP 2020+ taking into account the lessons learnt during the implementation of FIs in rural development programmes (RDPs) in the previous and current programming periods. Results show that wider use of FIs in CAP 2020+ as compared to the current period is inevitable. Yet, there are serious problems that have to be tackled to make the FIs’ implementation a success. This included careful planning and educating potential beneficiaries.


2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (04) ◽  
pp. 1550023 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHARISIA VLACHOU ◽  
OLGA IAKOVIDOU

Entrepreneurship has been widely considered as the power that drives development and well-being in the regions it affects. As a result, local, regional and national institutions, as well as researches in different disciplines, have focused on finding and researching the factors leading to the installation of business on a certain location. Therefore, it seems well-timed to present a quantitative survey of the literature review of this field. The scope of this article is to present past and present research studies related to the business location factors (BLF) identifying the most important sub-topics, contributors and their geographical distribution, major outlets, main empirical methodologies employed, as well as the most frequently studied countries. The presentation and documentation of the existing literature review could be a valuable tool for policy makers in the regional and national level, as well as for active entrepreneurs and researchers engaged in relevant academic disciples. Policy makers could take advantage of the BLF to attract investments in regions seeking development while active entrepreneurs could realize the important role played by the factors affecting the location of their business in a specific place and researchers could trace and fill in potential research voids on this subject.


2019 ◽  
pp. 480-499
Author(s):  
Syed Abidur Rahman ◽  
Noor Hazlina Ahmad ◽  
Seyedeh Khadijeh Taghizadeh

Entrepreneurship has been deliberated as multidimensional and multidisciplinary study. From the economic point of view entrepreneurship is the central force for economic development for any nation. Scholars and policy makers now have started to see entrepreneurship as panacea for inclusive growth. Entrepreneurships are most widely popular and discussed area. Study on small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) has been maturing for the last decade as it has been regarded as significant player for the social development along with the economic development. In Bangladesh, SMEs account for a large proportion of the total establishments in various sectors. Considering the importance of the SME sector in Bangladesh, this study intends to explore and sketch-out the landscape of current SME setting in Bangladesh. With this aim the study has extensively carried out literature review, observed and understood the secondary data obtained from various organizations, and finally presented a policy driven recommendation (micro and macro level) which would enable to develop the SME sector in a developing country like Bangladesh.


2022 ◽  
pp. 123-140
Author(s):  
Samuel Muthee Kamunya ◽  
Robert Obwocha Oboko ◽  
Elizaphan Muuro Maina ◽  
Evans Kirimi Miriti

The focus of this study was to review and evaluate the effectiveness of gamification within e-learning platforms. The study deployed systematic literature review methodology to evaluate how effective gamification has been used within e-learning platforms. The study used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Approach (PRISMA), starting with 366 articles, shifting to a final 34 articles for consideration. It was established that gamification positively influences and enhances learning within the e-learning platform. Therefore, the study recommends policy makers, designers, and implementers of e-learning platforms to consider incorporating gamification elements in order to increase user motivation and engagement for enhanced learning.


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