Israel ' s failed experiment with American-style welfare reform

2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 226-241
Author(s):  
Orit Fisher-Shalem ◽  
Jill Quadagno
Keyword(s):  
Welfare Reform ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Convergence Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Political Processes ◽  
Smooth Path ◽  
Reform Plan ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Multi Method Approach

Purpose – According to convergence theory, over time societies form similar social structures, political processes and public policies. In 2001, Israel adopted a welfare reform plan that rejected the traditional strategy of passive income support and instead endorsed the concept of activation. The plan was modeled on the Wisconsin Welfare to Work program and was designed to put the long-term unemployed to work. The program began operating in four regions in 2004 but was abruptly terminated six years later. The purpose of this paper is to analyze why Israel’s welfare reform failed to follow the smooth path predicted by convergence theory and elucidates the factors in the Israeli environment that made the implementation of a program borrowed from the USA unsustainable. Design/methodology/approach – A multi-method approach including interviews with key informants, content analysis of media materials and government documents and a quantitative comparative values analysis of four nations. Findings – The failure of US-style welfare reform in Israel was due to four main factors: a more diverse recipient population, a lack of understanding of Israeli cultural values, a welfare population that included a substantial number of ethnic minorities whose customs conflicted with program regulations and a social movement against the program by non-profit organizations. Originality/value – This paper demonstrates the limitations of convergence theory and highlights the salience of cultural values in the transmission of activation policies across nations. Specifically, it shows that outcomes vary when policies that are superficially similar are implanted in nations with fundamentally different cultures.

Reducing apartment vacancy duration: lessons from affordable housing

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 450-466
Author(s):  
Christina S. Bollo
Keyword(s):  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Qualitative Variable ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Sequential Mixed Methods ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Multiple Variables

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine how much variance in vacancy duration can be explained by the architectural attributes of apartments and to illuminate strategies to reduce vacancy duration utilized by non-profit housing providers. Design/methodology/approach This is a sequential mixed methods research study with a qualitative variable-gathering phase followed by a quantitative variable-testing phase. Vacancy duration in days was the dependent variable and the attributes of the apartments were the independent variables. Each building functioned as a separate case, with its own results, and the cases were compared to draw conclusions about the strongest predictors for vacancy duration. Findings Each case study project has a significant linear regression equation with multiple variables contributing to the variance in tenancy duration. The R2 statistic varied for the case study projects from a low of 10.2 percent to a high of 36.9 percent. Factors that resulted in longer vacancies for two or more of the projects include: unit mix, floor level, road proximity and length of tenancy for the tenant moving out. Factors resulting in shorter vacancies include: corner position in the building and relatively larger size of the apartment. Research limitations/implications The geography of the study is limited to Washington State in the USA. However, the case study projects represent three metropolitan statistical areas, with distinct climates and economic conditions. There are limitations to the stepwise analysis method because the degrees of freedom limit the complexity of models that can be estimated. Practical implications This paper highlights influences on vacancy duration and proposes conceptual models for measuring the periods of vacancy duration. Social implications Through this study, architectural contributions to vacancy were uncovered and tested so that subsidized housing, a public good, can be distributed more efficiently. Originality/value This research is the first known study to compare vacancy durations on a unit-by-unit basis.

Preference for group work in China and the US

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayne H. Decker ◽  
Thomas J. Calo ◽  
Hong Yao ◽  
Christy H. Weer
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Group Work ◽  
Extrinsic Motivation ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Global Business ◽  
Content Type ◽  
General Acceptance ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine whether Chinese and US students differ in preference for group work (PGW) and whether the factors contributing to PGW differ in the two countries. Design/methodology/approach – The sample included 412 Chinese and 423 US college students who completed a survey measuring cultural values and motives. Hierarchical regression and simple-slope analyses were used to examine main effects and interactions. Findings – Overall, the US and Chinese students did not differ in PGW. Although US men exceeded US women in PGW, no gender difference occurred in China. PGW was positively associated with others focus (concern for what others think) and helping others in both countries, but the association was stronger in China. In China, but not in the USA, PGW was positively associated with extrinsic motivation and need for achievement. Therefore, despite the general acceptance of group work in the USA, participation in groups is not seen as critical in attaining rewards as it is in China. Research limitations/implications – Other populations, including practicing managers, should be studied to better represent the workforce of each country. Also, other variables, including personality traits, may impact PGW. Practical implications – Managers and educators should pay attention to how cultural values and motives of group members vary. Business education should offer more opportunities to increase exposure to cultural differences, including experience working in culturally diverse groups. Originality/value – The study supports some traditional assumptions concerning the impact of culture upon PGW, but also suggests that a global business orientation can mitigate the impact of traditional national cultures.

Risk, resilience and effectiveness in the non-profit sector: the case of housing associations

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 349-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth Gibb ◽  
Desmond McNulty
Keyword(s):  
Welfare Reform ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Public Funding ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Risk And Resilience ◽  
Housing Associations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Social Mission ◽  
Scottish Government

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine emergent risk and resilience strategies being adopted by non-profit housing associations faced with uncertainties as a result of public funding austerity and the implications of welfare reform. Design/methodology/approach – The study draws on an evidence review of the impacts of welfare reform on social housing conducted for the Scottish Government and on analysis of annual reports, circulars and other grey literature, including risk registers produced by a range of housing providers in Scotland. Findings – In some associations, exposure to new risks is generating fresh thinking about effectiveness and performance measurement, and is also stimulating the development of new strategies and activities aimed at creating a more resilient business model. Practical implications – Managers of non-profit housing providers need to focus on both risk and resilience if they are to successfully combine conventional business accountability with their obligations to tenants and the local communities their organisations serve. Social implications – Housing associations are a key gatekeeper protecting and supporting vulnerable tenants and disadvantaged communities from the impacts of austerity and welfare reform. It is essential that as organisations they effectively manage risk and develop resilient principles that allow them to continue as ongoing concerns into the long term. Originality/value – The paper asks challenging questions about the link between the purpose or mission of an organisation and its conceptualisation of risk, arguing that resilience is a vital consideration alongside risk for non-profit organisations with a social mission.

Institutional shareholder engagement with Japanese firms

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordon L. Clark ◽  
Sarah McGill ◽  
Yukie Saito ◽  
Michael Viehs
Keyword(s):  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Institutional Investor ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Responsible Investment ◽  
Shareholder Engagement ◽  
Global Standards ◽  
Target Firms ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Multi Method Approach

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how shareholder engagement on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues is informally exercised by a large global institutional investor with locally embedded, geographically remote firms. This field is still a new area of research due to a scarcity of data, and because ordinarily, private engagement activities are conducted confidentially. Therefore, the paper aims to fill this gap in the literature by studying the private corporate engagement activities of a large UK-based institutional investor on ESG issues with Japanese investee firms in order to achieve a greater understanding of the under-researched area of corporate social responsibility. Design/methodology/approach – The authors employ a multi-method approach to analyse engagement activities by the institutional investor. The authors have obtained a unique data set of the institutional investor’s engagement activities. The institutional investor is UK-based, has a long history of active engagement, and is considered one of the oldest and largest specialists in responsible investment. Further, the authors have conducted several in-depth interviews with a UK-based ESG service provider as well as one of the largest Japanese trust companies. Findings – First, it is found that main target firms of engagement activities are large firms with global operations, and that corporate governance issues are the most important engagement topic in Japan. Second, in trying to effectively exercise voice across societies, engagement activities are conducted with geographically remote target firms on various ESG agendas in a self-enforcing, face-to-face, and sometimes collective manner. Finally, this study argues for the gap between the asset manager’s motivation to engage and local target firms’ readiness to respond due to corporate organisational and language issues. Originality/value – The authors contribute to social responsibility literature by focusing on the role of global investors in Japan to diffuse global standards. This area has been largely neglected in this stream of literature, despite the increasing presence of foreign investors in Japan. This is one of the first attempts to analyse a global investor’s engagement strategies with one specific country outside of the USA and Europe. Further, within the literature on shareholder engagement, this is the first paper that focuses on the means of engagement activities and the responses by target firms.

Perspectives on social impact measurement and non-profit organisations

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Jay Polonsky ◽  
Stacy Landreth Grau ◽  
Sharyn McDonald
Keyword(s):  
Social Impact ◽  
Objective Assessment ◽  
International Perspective ◽  
Impact Measurement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
True Value ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose – Acknowledgement of the social impact created by organisations has become an increasingly frequent discussion among practitioners. The importance of such value creation cannot be understated, yet in an increasingly competitive funding environment, the need to articulate “true” value is paramount. The purpose of this paper is to examine how Australian and US managers of non-profit organisations (NPOs) and foundations view the measurement of the social impact of NPOs. Design/methodology/approach – The paper includes 19 in-depth interviews of non-profit professionals in the USA and Australia. Respondents included non-profit managers, foundation managers and consultants in both countries. Findings – The in-depth interviews found that in both countries respondents generally agreed that objective measures of impact are desirable, but recognised the difficulties in developing objective assessment frameworks enabling comparisons across the non-profit sector. These difficulties, as well as the implications for developing assessments of social value for NPOs, are discussed. This paper demonstrates that there is an opportunity to reposition reporting expectations. The NPO sector can pool together and build on each other’s strengths and market their outcomes as a collective entity. A sector-wide approach provides potential for much needed within-sector mentoring and will showcase the rich and varied outcomes generated by NPOs. Originality/value – This research compares viewpoints in two Western countries, thus offering at least an exploratory examination of social impact assessment from an international perspective. Additionally, this research shows commonalities in terms of what is valued and what is most difficult for non-profits when determining social impact.

Collaboration between designers and facility managers

Facilities ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (9/10) ◽  
pp. 557-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saleh Kalantari ◽  
Mardelle M. Shepley ◽  
Zofia K. Rybkowski ◽  
John A. Bryant
Keyword(s):  
Facility Management ◽  
Design Teams ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Non Local ◽  
Multi Method Approach ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Method Approach ◽  
Selection Of

Purpose The aim of this study is to focus on the perspectives of facility managers in each region and the different challenges impacting collaboration in each geographical context. This research analyzed obstacles to collaboration between facility managers and architectural designers in three international regions. Design/methodology/approach A multi-method approach was used, allowing the researchers to triangulate data from in-depth interviews and a widely distributed survey instrument. The participants included a large cross-selection of facility management professionals in each of the regions under study. The interview data were parsed to identify recurring themes, while the survey data were analyzed statistically to test specific hypotheses. Findings Significant differences were found in the culture of the facility management profession in each region. These differences created unique challenges for collaboration, especially in the context of a non-local design team. While the facility management profession was perceived as most established and professional in the UK, rates of collaboration between facility managers and designers were actually much higher in the USA. Collaborations between facility managers and designers were almost non-existent in the Middle East. Originality/value While the importance of collaboration between facility managers and designers is increasingly recognized for improving the efficiency of building operations, crucial obstacles continue to limit the scope of this engagement. There has been limited previous research analyzing obstacles to collaboration that are specific to international contexts and non-local design teams. This study helps to fill an important gap in the literature by providing a comparative analysis of collaboration challenges in three international contexts.

Cultural values, institutional arrangements and stakeholder management culture

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 450-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamalesh Kumar ◽  
Giacomo Boesso ◽  
Jun Yao
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Stakeholder Management ◽  
Institutional Arrangements ◽  
Institutional Setting ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Culture ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Management Approaches ◽  
Stakeholder Culture

Purpose This study draws upon the cultural values model, institutional theory and comparative capitalism to investigate differences in organizations’ approach to stakeholder management across country boundaries. Design/methodology/approach The authors developed a multi-dimensional scale, following the stakeholder culture framework (Jones et al., 2007) to identify differences in the prevalent stakeholder cultures in the USA, Italy and Japan. Data were collected in form of a questionnaire from managers of 530 companies in the USA, Italy and Japan. Findings Results show that there are important differences in the extent to which different stakeholder cultures exist in each of these three countries, and that the prevalence of stakeholder culture types in each country is influenced by the country’s cultural values and institutional arrangements. Originality/value Understanding stakeholder management beyond the conventional firm level to a wider institutional setting has important implications for the dissemination of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices across cultures. Developing an understanding of how organizations’ stakeholder management approaches are embedded in the context of the institutional arrangements that exist in a particular country will lead to CSR practices that are better suited to the specific national context. It may also help in a more widespread acceptance of these concepts and practices.

Is China transmuting to fast overtake the USA in innovation?

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weibao Li ◽  
Weiwei Wu ◽  
Bo Yu ◽  
Check-Teck Foo
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Brain Research ◽  
Group Processes ◽  
Knowledge Flows ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Multi Method Approach ◽  
Statistical Trends ◽  
Interactional Processes ◽  
Near Future

Purpose – This paper aims to argue for a China transmuting to fast overtake USA in innovation based on the extrapolation of past statistical trend. Case studies in self and co-innovation are provided so that the documentation of the dynamics of knowledge flows and a brain-linguistic explanation is given as to why, in the future, the Chinese are likely to lead in innovation. Design/methodology/approach – This paper illustrates a multi-method approach in research for Chinese Management Studies. First, the sociological background of China is highlighted (Mao Zedong’s aphorism). Second, insights from OECD patent database are utilized. Third, the use of comparative research and development case-studies: self-innovation (Chinese) and co-innovation (contrasting Japanese versus French cooperation with Chinese). Fourth, is the inter-disciplinarily approach wherein the assimilating of knowledge is related to recent advances in brain research. Fifth, emphasizing the different levels in organizing for innovation: national (China), organizational (SOE), group processes and person-to-person, synapses within individual brains. Findings – Statistical trend suggests that China is transforming and is on the path toward overtaking the USA in innovation. When will this happen? Using extrapolation as an indication, China may surpass the USA by the 50 per cent mark within the next decade. Insights into the processes of self-innovation and co-innovation are provided. Authors argue for a brain-linguistic explanation (Hebb, 1949) for further understanding why China will eventually lead ceteris paribus innovation, a function of the human brain. Originality/value – This paper highlights on the basis of statistical trends (using OECD database) a rising, innovative China that is poised to overtake the USA in the near future. A major contribution is in providing insights of interactional processes required to foster innovation: self and co-innovation (comparing Japanese and French). The critical brain-linguistic role as the rationale as to why the Chinese are given a greater, more developed brain power that will eventually surpass the West in innovation.

The Macheke Sustainability Project

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 47-57
Author(s):  
Stuart Rosenberg ◽  
Susan Forquer Gupta ◽  
Moleen Madziva
Keyword(s):  
Software Engineer ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Governmental Organization ◽  
Her Family ◽  
Strategic Initiatives ◽  
The People ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Global Understanding ◽  
Major Decision

Case description Molly Madziva, who was born in Zimbabwe, was sent by her family to the USA to attend college. When she graduated in 2000 there were no jobs for her in Zimbabwe, as the economy was among the weakest in the world. While working as a software engineer at Bell Labs in New Jersey she decided that she wanted to help the people in her village of Macheke, the majority of who were farmers. Her idea would be an ambitious one. Molly called this the Macheke Sustainability Project. Molly met with various stakeholders who had an interest in the project. Following a thorough situation analysis and the formulation of a list of strategic initiatives, the major decision that she was left with was how to most effectively go about handling the implementation of the project. Her options included: a project within the Institute for Global Understanding at Monmouth University where she was enrolled as a graduate student; a non-profit business located in the USA; a non-governmental organization (NGO) located in Zimbabwe; and a private business in Zimbabwe. Each of these options had clear benefits. Molly was torn, however, as to which she should choose.

Talking to the mentees: exploring mentee dispositions prior to the mentoring relationship

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 296-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z.W. Taylor ◽  
Victoria G. Black
Keyword(s):  
Reciprocal Relationship ◽  
Mentoring Programs ◽  
Mentoring Program ◽  
Program Outcomes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Mentoring Relationship ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Peer Community

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how postsecondary mentoring programs address mentee dispositions prior to the mentee entering the reciprocal relationship, particularly which mentee dispositions are valued across mentoring program types, including peer, community-to-student, faculty-to-student and faculty-to-faculty programs. Design/methodology/approach This study employed quantitative content analysis to examine 280 institutional US postsecondary mentoring websites across four different institution types (public, four-year; private, four-year, non-profit; private, four-year, for-profit; public, two-year) and four different mentoring program types (peer or student-to-student, community-to-student, faculty-to-student and faculty-to-faculty programs). Grounded coding strategies were employed to generate these four mentoring program types, supported by extant research (Crisp et al., 2017). Findings Of 280 mentoring programs, 18.6 percent articulated mentee dispositions prior to entering the reciprocal relationship. When mentoring programs did address mentees, most programs articulated mentor duties aligned with mentee expectations (47.5 percent of programs) and program outcomes for mentees (65.7 percent of programs) rather than what the mentee can and should bring into a reciprocal relationship. Research limitations/implications This study is delimited by its sample size and its focus on institutional website content. Future studies should explore how mentoring programs recruit and retain mentees, as well as how website communications address the predispositions and fit of mentees within different types of mentoring programs. Practical implications This study provided evidence that many postsecondary mentoring programs in the USA may not be articulating programmatic expectations of mentees prior to the mentoring relationship. By failing to address mentee predispositions, mentoring programs may not be accurately assessing their mentor’s compatibility with their mentees, potentially leading to unproductive mentoring relationships. Originality/value This study affirms extant research (Black and Taylor, 2017) while connecting mentor- and coaching-focused literature to the discussion of a mentee dispositions scale or measurement akin to Crisp’s (2009) College Student Mentoring Scale and Searby’s (2014) mentoring mindset framework. This study also forwards an exploratory model of mentoring program inputs and outputs, envisioning both mentor and mentee characteristics as fundamental inputs for a mentoring program rather than traditional models that view mentors as inputs and mentee achievements as outputs (Crisp, 2009; Searby, 2014).

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