Technology revolutions and social development

2005 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 454-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter L. Daniels
Keyword(s):  
Energy Saving ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Production Factor ◽  
Human Welfare ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Energy And Environment ◽  
Socioeconomic System ◽  
Trade Competitiveness ◽  
Development Approach

PurposeAims to assess the potential for a broad “green” technoeconomic paradigm (TEP) to effectively achieve and sustain higher levels of welfare from economic and environmental sources in manylower income countries (LIC). A green TEP comprises a new socioeconomic system based upon a set of inter‐related technologies that increase human welfare, but focus upon saving material, energy and other environmental resources. TEPs have pervasive social and economic effects that include substantial productivity, trade competitiveness, and environmental quality advantages. The desirability of such economic change must incorporate the general approach of social economics and alternative notions of well‐being.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is largely discursive in nature and provides a systematic identification of the LIC conditions that are likely to promote, and benefit from, the pervasive adoption of material‐ and energy‐saving technologies. Some results of an exploratory cross‐country study of the empirical link between technology capability and the human development index (HDI) are utilized in the discussion.FindingsThe paper concludes that a green TEP may well provide a viable alternative development approach in the LICs. The main advantages are derived from related resource efficiency gains and reductions in the socioeconomic metabolism, and the benefits of a relative production factor shift toward labor (and away from materials, energy, and environment‐intensive capital). The potential for LICs is also facilitated by the positive spillovers and decreasing cost of green TEP‐related knowledge and technology diffusion in the expanding, decentralizing global communication network. The higher income nations would need to play a significant role in this process.Originality/valueEcological modernisation and material and energy‐saving technologies are widely viewed as essential for achieving long‐term economic and social well‐being improvements in the twenty‐first century and beyond. Discussion of this promising approach typically assumes that this transformation is only viable in the technological and economic context of the higher income nations. However, this paper provides a detailed case for the strategic encouragement and adoption of a green TEP for sustainable economic development and environmental conditions in LICs.

In defense of profit-seeking

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-59
Author(s):  
Jonathan Lingenfelter ◽  
Walter E. Block
Keyword(s):  
Private Property ◽  
Adam Smith ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Wealth Creation ◽  
Human Welfare ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Private Property Rights ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Business Cycle ◽  
Von Mises

Purpose – Profits have a bad press. They are associated in the public mind with greed, avarice, self-seeking. The purpose of this paper is to make the case in behalf of profit-seeking, so as to right the balance of publications on this topic. Design/methodology/approach – The authors undertake an economic analysis of the phenomenon of profit-seeking. The paper explores how profits lead to resource allocation, wealth creation, the promotion of human welfare and well-being. Findings – The paper finds that the system of profit and loss, part and parcel of economic freedom and laissez faire capitalism, does indeed promote wealth. It is the last best chance to fight poverty. Contrary to the views of the economically illiterate, it does not cause inflation or the business cycle nor any other economic malady. Originality/value – We cannot give ourselves good marks as to originality. Adam Smith, Ludwig von Mises and Murray Rothbard beat us to the punch as to the benefits of the profit and loss private property rights system. However, as Friedrich Hayek said each generation must fight these battles in its own context. So, the authors claim value for this paper, since it confronts more modern criticisms, and addresses more recent contexts.

Effects of financial instability on subjective well-being: a preference-based approach

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stathis Polyzos ◽  
Khadija Abdulrahman ◽  
Jagadish Dandu
Keyword(s):  
Financial Stability ◽  
Banking Sector ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Banking Crises ◽  
Optimization Techniques ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Agent Based

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the link between banking crises and the subjective well-being of individuals. In addition, the authors examine the transmission of crises from the banking sector to well-being and show that negative financial shocks have significant adverse effects.Design/methodology/approachThe authors employ agent-based modeling to test for the direct and indirect welfare effects of banking crises. The model includes a support vector machine (SVM) optimized subjective well-being function. The existing literature suggests that this is influenced by both the negative psychological effects of recessions and the adverse economic effects of income loss and increased unemployment.FindingsThe authors show that the different choices of policy response to a banking crisis carry different opportunity costs in terms of welfare and that societal preferences should be taken into account. The authors demonstrate that these effects influence different population classes in an asymmetric manner. Finally, the results demonstrate that the welfare loss of a bank failure is much higher than the cost of a bailout.Practical implicationsThe authors are able to propose to the authorities the best policy mix in order to handle banking crises in the most adequate manner, according to society's preferences between financial stability and public goods.Social implicationsThe findings extend the existing literature on subjective well-being, by quantifying the welfare cost of banking crises and showing that authorities should reconsider bank bailouts as a policy solution to bank distress.Originality/valueThe originality of this article lies in the use of an agent-based model to model the relationship between societal well-being and financial stability. Also, the authors extend existing agent-based methodologies to include machine learning optimization techniques.

Helping the people innovation leaves behind: the potential benefits of entrepreneurship

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Alan Baron
Keyword(s):  
Job Loss ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The People ◽  
Human Costs ◽  
Harmful Effects

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the human costs of innovation – the personal difficulties, aside from economic ones, experienced by persons whose jobs are permanently eliminated by innovations.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual analysis of the negative personal effects (i.e. intra-individual) resulting from job loss due to innovation was used. These include reduced self-esteem, hope for the future, increased stress and increased and disturbing cognitive inconsistencies.FindingsProposals are developed concerning the harmful effects experienced by whose jobs are made unnecessary by innovation.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper, being conceptual, does not involve empirical research; rather it offers suggestions for future research.Practical implicationsAttention is called to the potential “downside” of innovation in terms of the persons whose jobs it renders superfluous. Reasons why entrepreneurship may be especially attractive to these persons are reviewed.Social implicationsInnovation generates many economic benefits but also makes many jobs unnecessary. As a resut, a growing number of persons lose jobs they can never hope to regain. These personal costs adversely affect both their psychological and physical well-being. Further, job loss due to innovation can add to income inequality and so be a source of conflict in society. Efforts to reduce these problems are essential for the continued well-being of both individuals and the societies in which they live.Originality/valuePast research concerning innovation has focused primarily on its economic effects. This paper extends this research by examining innovations' potentially harmful effects on persons it makes unemployed.

Engaging leadership in the job demands-resources model

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 446-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilmar B. Schaufeli
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Work Performance ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Job Demands ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Organizational Outcomes ◽  
Job Resources ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to integrate leadership into the job demands-resources (JD-R) model. Based on self-determination theory, it was argued that engaging leaders who inspire, strengthen, and connect their followers would reduce employee’s levels of burnout and increase their levels of work engagement. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was conducted among a representative sample of the Dutch workforce (n=1,213) and the research model was tested using structural equation modeling. Findings – It appeared that leadership only had an indirect effect on burnout and engagement – via job demands and job resources – but not a direct effect. Moreover, leadership also had a direct relationship with organizational outcomes such as employability, performance, and commitment. Research limitations/implications – The study used a cross-sectional design and all variables were based on self-reports. Hence, results should be replicated in a longitudinal study and using more objective measures (e.g. for work performance). Practical implications – Since engaged leaders, who inspire, strengthen, and connect their followers, provide a work context in which employees thrive, organizations are well advised to promote engaging leadership. Social implications – Leadership seems to be a crucial factor which has an indirect impact – via job demands and job resources – on employee well-being. Originality/value – The study demonstrates that engaging leadership can be integrated into the JD-R framework.

Development and validation of financial well-being related scales

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 1025-1040 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farah Diba M.A. Abrantes-Braga ◽  
Tania Veludo-de-Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Interest Rates ◽  
Credit Card ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Convergent And Discriminant Validity ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Development And Validation ◽  
Additional Income

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop valid and reliable scales for assessing a driver and two obstacles potentially related to financial well-being (FWB): financial preparedness for emergency, beliefs of credit limits as additional income and risky indebtedness behaviour.Design/methodology/approachThe scales were developed from scratch across six studies, employing a two-step methodology, which encompassed both qualitative (e.g. focus group, interviews) and quantitative (i.e. online surveys) data collection. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were employed to test and validate the proposed scales.FindingsThis study provides a set of three parsimonious, self-reported behavioural measures that could be employed in conjunction with objective economic indicators to identify individuals who are financially ill prepared and potential candidates for delinquency. The three proposed scales achieved satisfactory levels of reliability and convergent and discriminant validity.Research limitations/implicationsThe resulting scales still need to be tested for predictive validity and in different consumer groups. The scales were validated in a single culture population (Brazil, a country that presents extraordinarily high credit card interest rates), and they should be tested cross-culturally in countries with different economic and credit policies.Originality/valueThe literature on FWB has traditionally employed objective financial indicators as an attempt to measure the concept of FWB and its elements. Self-reported behavioural measures of such constructs are scant to the point of being non-existent for some elements. This study is the first to offer scales for measuring the elements of financial preparedness for emergency, beliefs of credit limits as additional income and risky indebtedness behaviour.

An exploratory study of teacher buoyancy

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Angel Kit Yi Wong ◽  
Sylvia Yee Fan Tang ◽  
Dora Dong Yu Li ◽  
May May Hung Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Professional Growth ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Initial Teacher Education ◽  
Enabling Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Daily Work ◽  
Component Framework ◽  
Personal Strengths ◽  
New Instrument

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is threefold. Firstly, a new concept, teacher buoyancy, is introduced. Based on the significance to study how teachers bounce back from minor and frequent setbacks (vs. major adversities emphasized in resilience) in their daily work and the research on buoyancy by Martin and Marsh, a dual-component framework to conceptualize this new concept is introduced. Secondly, the development of a new instrument, the Teacher Buoyancy Scale (TBS), to measure it is presented. Thirdly, results of a study using the TBS are reported, which provide insights into how teacher buoyancy can be fostered.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed a quantitative design. A total of 258 teachers taking a part-time initial teacher education (ITE) program completed the TBS. Their responses were analyzed by exploratory factor analysis (EFA). In addition to descriptive statistics and reliability coefficients, Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to examine the relationship among the factors.FindingsThe data analysis indicated five factors, namely, Coping with difficulties, Bouncing back cognitively and emotionally, Working hard and appraising difficulties positively, Caring for one's well-being and Striving for professional growth. These factors can be readily interpreted by the dual-component framework. Correlations among the factors further revealed that enabling factors can be subdivided into more proximal personal strengths relating to direct coping, and more distal personal assets pertaining to personal well-being. It is the latter that correlates most highly with perceived teacher buoyancy.Originality/valueThe most original contribution of this paper is the proposal of the new concept of teacher buoyancy which is teachers' capacity to deal with the everyday challenges that most teachers face in their teaching. The delineation between buoyancy and resilience sharpens the focus of the problem domain that is most relevant to teachers. The development of the TBS provides a useful and reliable instrument to examine teacher buoyancy in future studies.

Financial capabilities development: essential discourse in social work

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (10) ◽  
pp. 1234-1246
Author(s):  
Lambert K. Engelbrecht ◽  
Abigail Ornellas
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Financial Literacy ◽  
Community Education ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Vulnerable Households ◽  
Definition Of

Purpose Within a neoliberal environment, financial vulnerability of households has become an increasing challenge and there is a requirement of financial literacy education, a necessary activity to facilitate sustainable development and well-being. However, this is seldom a mainstream discourse in social work deliberations. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach First, introducing the neoliberal impact on financial well-being and capability for vulnerable households, the authors’ postulation is substantiated on a seven-point argument. The contexts of financially vulnerable households are sketched. Second, a conceptualisation of financial literacy is offered, and third, perspectives on and approaches to financial literacy as a fundamental capability are presented. This is followed by a theoretical foundation of community education as a practice model in social work to develop financial capabilities. In the fifth place, prevailing practices of Financial Capabilities Development (FCD) programmes are offered. Subsequently, the implications of a neoliberal environment for social work practice are examined. Findings The revised global definition of social work encourages the profession to understand and address the structural causes of social problems through collective interventions. As a response, it is argued that community education towards FCD of vulnerable households within a neoliberal environment should be an essential discourse in social development. Originality/value The authors reflect on the significance of FCD, highlighting its contribution towards human security and sustainable development. Although this paper draws on Southern African contexts, the discourse finds resonance in other contexts across the world.

Applicability of Human Development Index for Measuring Economic Well-being: A Study on GDP and HDI Indicators from Indian Context

2021 ◽  
pp. 001946622199862
Author(s):  
G G Sajith ◽  
K. Malathi
Keyword(s):  
Human Development ◽  
Human Development Index ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Human Being ◽  
Composite Matrix ◽  
Human Welfare ◽  
Development Index ◽  
Development Indicator ◽  
Per Capita

The tracking of gross domestic product (GDP) as a measure of well-being of the society or human-being has been debated by many researchers and economists (Elizabeth, 2007; Abhinav, 2014; Deb, 2015 ) There are many deficiencies in tracking GDP as the economic development indicator, as it does not capture the inequality or true development of Human-being. Noted economist Mehbub ul Haq’s human development project defined a composite matrix which captures the life expectancy, education and per capita indicators in one matrix. This was developed to track as a development indicator of human welfare. In the previous studies, the GDP or GDP per capita was regressed with the Human Development Index (HDI) composite index and indicated a direct correlation between the two variables. However, this article examines the contribution of the income component in the HDI index by recalculating the composite matrix. This article also qualitatively examines the ability of HDI index to measure the human development parameters. JEL Classification Codes: E01, I12, O1

scholarly journals Credit card cue effect

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 368-383
Author(s):  
King Yin Wong ◽  
Michael Lynn
Keyword(s):  
Credit Card ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Credit Cards ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Financial Security ◽  
Consumer Spending ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Moderation Effect ◽  
Show Evidence

Purpose The extant literature has mixed results regarding the credit card cue effect. Some showed that credit card cues stimulate spending, whereas others were unable to replicate the findings or found that cues discourage consumer spending. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how consumers’ sensitivity to the pain of payment affects their mental associations about credit cards and how the differences in credit card associations moderate the credit card cue effect on spending, providing a possible explanation for the mixed results in the literature. Furthermore, this paper examines the role of consumers’ perceived financial well-being, measured by their perceptions of current and future wealth and their sense of financial security, in mediating this moderation effect. Design/methodology/approach An experimental study was conducted with a sample of 337 participants to test the hypothesized model. Findings After being shown credit card cues, spendthrift participants had more spending-related thoughts and less debt-related thoughts, perceived themselves as having better financial well-being and consequently spent more than tightwad participants. Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the direct link between an exposure to credit card cues and perceived financial well-being, and one of the few to show evidence of the moderating effect of consumers’ sensitivity to the pain of payment on spending when credit card cues are present. This study suggests that marketers may use credit card cues to promote consumer spending, whereas consumers, especially spendthrifts, should be aware of how credit card cues may inflate their perceived financial well-being and stimulate them to spend more.

scholarly journals Correlates of social media fatigue and academic performance decrement

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aqdas Malik ◽  
Amandeep Dhir ◽  
Puneet Kaur ◽  
Aditya Johri
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Adult Students ◽  
Instant Messaging ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Online Behavior ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Self Disclosure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Antecedents And Consequences

PurposeThe current study aims to investigate if different measures related to online psychosocial well-being and online behavior correlate with social media fatigue.Design/methodology/approachTo understand the antecedents and consequences of social media fatigue, the stressor-strain-outcome (SSO) framework is applied. The study consists of two cross-sectional surveys that were organized with young-adult students. Study A was conducted with 1,398 WhatsApp users (aged 19 to 27 years), while Study B was organized with 472 WhatsApp users (aged 18 to 23 years).FindingsIntensity of social media use was the strongest predictor of social media fatigue. Online social comparison and self-disclosure were also significant predictors of social media fatigue. The findings also suggest that social media fatigue further contributes to a decrease in academic performance.Originality/valueThis study builds upon the limited yet growing body of literature on a theme highly relevant for scholars, practitioners as well as social media users. The current study focuses on examining different causes of social media fatigue induced through the use of a highly popular mobile instant messaging app, WhatsApp. The SSO framework is applied to explore and establish empirical links between stressors and social media fatigue.

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