The Formation of Regional Boards and the Devolution of Victorian State Education

1987 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 252-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Watkins ◽  
F. Rizvi ◽  
L. Angus

This paper discusses a research project, conducted over 1985 and 1986, which studied a regional board of education in Victoria. It describes how the board members have constructed and developed their understanding of their roles and functions and how, in such a process, they have negotiated a collective identity for the regional board. The research raises a number of issues concerning the nature and scope of democratic governance: in particular, the relationship between the regional bureaucracy and the regional board, the problem of representativeness and, more generally, the tension between representative and participatory democracy.

2013 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 605-612
Author(s):  
Marek Szmechta ◽  
Tomasz Boczar ◽  
Dariusz Zmarzły

Abstract Topics of this article concern the study of the fundamental nature of the sonoluminescence phenomenon occurring in liquids. At the Institute of Electrical Power Engineering at Opole University of Technology the interest in that phenomenon known as secondary phenomenon of cavitation caused by ultrasound became the genesis of a research project concerning acoustic cavitation in mineral insulation oils in which a number of additional experiments performed in the laboratory aimed to determine the influence of a number of acoustic parameters on the process of the studied phenomenona. The main purpose of scientific research subject undertaken was to determine the relationship between the generation of partial discharges in high-voltage power transformer insulation systems, the issue of gas bubbles in transformer oils and the generated acoustic emission signals. It should be noted that currently in the standard approach, the phenomenon of generation of acoustic waves accompanying the occurrence of partial discharges is generally treated as a secondary phenomenon, but it can also be a source of many other related phenomena. Based on our review of the literature data on those referred subjects taken, it must be noted, that this problem has not been clearly resolved, and the description of the relationship between these phenomena is still an open question. This study doesn’t prove all in line with the objective of the study, but can be an inspiration for new research project in the future in this topic. Solution of this problem could be a step forward in the diagnostics of insulation systems for electrical power devices based on non-invasive acoustic emission method.


2021 ◽  
pp. 014616722110244
Author(s):  
Steffen Zitzmann ◽  
Lukas Loreth ◽  
Klaus Michael Reininger ◽  
Bernd Simon

Our own prior research has demonstrated that respect for disapproved others predicts and might foster tolerance toward them. This means that without giving up their disapproval of others’ way of life, people can tolerate others when they respect them as equals (outgroup respect–tolerance hypothesis). Still, there was considerable variation in the study features. Moreover, the studies are part of a larger research project that affords many additional tests of our hypothesis. To achieve integration along with a more robust understanding of the relation between respect and tolerance, we (re)analyzed all existing data from this project, and we synthesized the results with the help of meta-analytic techniques. The average standardized regression coefficient, which describes the relationship between respect and tolerance, was 0.25 (95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.16, 0.34]). In addition to this overall confirmation of our hypothesis, the size of this coefficient varied with a number of variables. It was larger for numerical majorities than for minorities, smaller for high-status than for low-status groups, and larger for religious than for life-style groups. These findings should inspire further theory development and spur growth in the social-psychological literature on tolerance.


2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 521-540
Author(s):  
Mara Malagodi

The relationship between federalism and identity was the single most contentious issue in the drafting of Nepal's 2015 Constitution, and remains an embattled feature of the country's post-conflict constitutional settlement. This article explains why ‘constitutional incrementalism'—the innovative constitution-making strategy for deeply divided societies theorised by Hanna Lerner—was ultimately (and wisely) rejected in Nepal's federalisation process. Historically a unitary state since its creation in the late eighteenth century, Nepal committed itself to federal restructuring in 2007, but profound disagreements endured over the set of institutional choices concerning the features of Nepal's federal arrangements throughout the constitution-making process (2008–15). Constitutional incrementalism with its emphasis on deferral, ambiguity and contradiction was thought of in some quarters as a pragmatic and instrumental way out of Nepal's political impasse. In the end, the 2015 Constitution expressly named the provinces (even if by just using numbers) and demarcated their boundaries already at the time of its promulgation. Any changes to this framework can only take place by way of constitutional amendment. This article explains why the incrementalist approach was rejected in Nepal's federalisation process, and reflects on the conditions under which constitutional incrementalism may succeed in societies that present profound disagreements over the collective identity of the polity.


Author(s):  
Julio F. Carrión

The relationship between populism and democracy is a hotly debated topic. Some believe that populism is inherently bad for democracy because it is anti-pluralist and confrontational. Others argue that populism can reinvigorate worn-out democracies in need of an infusion of greater popular participation. This book advances this debate by examining the empirical relationship between populism in power and democracy. Does populism in power always lead to regime change, that is, the demise of democracy? The answer is no. The impact of populism on democracy depends on the variety of populism in power: the worst outcomes in democratic governance are found under unconstrained populism. This book discusses the conditions that explain how populism becomes unconstrained, and advances a dynamic theory of change that shows how the late victories of populists build on early ones, resulting in greater power asymmetries. The book analyzes five populist presidencies in the Andes. In four of them (Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela), populism became unconstrained and regime change followed. In one case, Colombia, populism in power was contained and democracy survived. The concluding chapter places the Andean cases in comparative perspective and discusses how unconstrained populism in other cases (Nicaragua and Hungary) also lead to the end of electoral democracy. Where populism in power was constrained (Honduras and the United States), regime change did not materialize. This book advances a theory of populism that help us understand how democracies transition into non-democracies. To that extent, the book illuminates the processes of democratic erosion in our time.


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simona Alfiero ◽  
Massimo Cane ◽  
Ruggiero Doronzo ◽  
Alfredo Esposito

This research, based on stakeholder theory and the national cultural dimensions, aims to test the influence of foreigners on board and its size on Integrated Reporting (IR) practices. The analysis is based on a sample of 1,058 European companies from 18 different countries, who adopted or not the IR for the year 2015, and it relies on a Logit. The dependent variable is a dummy (presenting or not the IR) and the independent variables are represented by the board characteristics (foreigners and size). The impact of the critical mass on the presence of foreigners and the cultural dimension on the basis of directors’ nationality was tested relying on the masculinity/femininity dimension of Hofstede. Besides, the directors’ country of origin was considered, namely if they belong to the major European countries presenting a wider IR diffusion. The relationship between foreigners on board and IR is found to be negative. This means that companies with at least one foreigner are less inclined to adopt IR. The results show that the boards with more of three foreign administrators have a major propensity to adopt the IR. The membership of the directors in countries with a feminist culture also has a positive effect.


Author(s):  
Langa Esmael KAREM ◽  
Hawkar Anwer HAMAD ◽  
Hakar Abubakir BAYZ ◽  
Naji Afrasyaw FATAH ◽  
Diary Jalal ALI ◽  
...  

Having a board of directors is very important to ensure the smooth running of business processes and have an impact on the company's financial performance. This study to determine the impact of board characteristics namely board size, board ownership and board composition on the financial performance of organizations as measured by Return on Assets. The study employed a descriptive-explanatory research design based on a cross-sectional approach. Correlation and regression analyses were conducted to determine the depth and extent of the relationship between the variables. The study revealed a positive and significant association between the board size and financial performance on an average of 9 board members. Board composition revealed that having more external directors had no effect on the financial performance, it neither increased it nor decreased it, leading to the rejection of the hypothesis. On the other hand, board ownership was found to be beneficial in terms of having directors as owners of the business, corroborating the Stakeholder Theory. The studies showed that there was still a need to select board members with caution striking a balance between the number of directors as well as their composition to ensure that the organization reaps maximum benefits from the board.


2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 7
Author(s):  
Barry King ◽  
Allison Oosterman ◽  
Rosser Johnson

THIS ISSUE of Pacific Journalism Review engages with the theme of the dynamics of fame in a small country. In contrast to the dominant focus in the newly emergent field of Celebrity Studies on celebrity as a global phenomenon, the emphasis in this issue is on the interface between the global and the local; on questions of how the distinctiveness of national and local values fares when caught up in or of willingly imitating the circulation of global fame and influence. Accounts of celebrity often focus on the notion of fetishism—the complex process through which specific idols become objects of veneration on whose admirable or even infamous qualities are presented as emanating from the inner recesses of a luminous personality. The importance of this aspect of celebrity and celebrity worship is not to be denied. But there is another feature of celebrity and stardom that complements and energises the engagement of fans, the interest of the general public and the ambitions of the press and media to create and sustain a market for copy. Celebrities and stars are also totems that create a sense of unity, an imagined community. Individuals express and explore a sense of collective identity, define rituals of belonging, separate themselves from others and manage the relationship between society and nature—in the case of celebrities, the nature in question, is most often, human nature (Rojek, 2012, pp. 130-131). In the case of small countries, like New Zealand, the internal impact of Hollywood stars and celebrities on American popular culture is intensified by the fact that the celebrity system is a totemic import. Patterns and processes for rewarding talent and ascribing fame that have reached the acme of intensity in Global Hollywood, interface with locally situated systems of beliefs and values. This might be seen as a process of colonisation—and to an extent it is.


Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 736
Author(s):  
Jean Marc Barreau

This article proposes to study the changing relationship between religion and the digital continent as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve this objective, the paper is divided into three parts. First, it offers an overview of the connection between religion and the digital environment, outlining four possible paradigms of the open relationship between these two worlds. Second, the article discusses the research project undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic on behalf of the Corporation of Thanatologists of Quebec, focusing on the relationship between delayed funerals and delayed grief. In particular, this article deals with one of the solutions proposed to thanatologists, i.e., the development of a culture of bimodal ritual, both in person and remote, and therefore partly digital. Using this solution as a pointer, religion’s shift toward digital technology in the COVID-19 period is analyzed in the third part of the article. To this end, the four paradigms drawn from the overview are set against the research focus areas resulting from the solution proposed to the Corporation of Thanatologists.


2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam Ngwenya ◽  
Mahlomolo Khumalo

The study investigates the relationship between CEO compensation and performance of State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in South Africa, using data for the period 2009 to 2011. The results indicated that there exist no positive relationship between CEO compensation and SOEs performance as measured by return on assets. The results also indicated a positive relationship between CEO compensation (base salary) and the size of SOEs as measured by total revenue and number of employees. The results suggest that board members of SOEs in South Africa should hold CEOs accountable for the performance of SOEs, and should not pay huge salaries and bonuses to non performing CEOs.


Author(s):  
Florent Guy ATANGANA MVOGO

Through the constitutional law of January 18, 1996, Cameroon endowed itself with a constitutional justice. The question is to what extent do the mechanisms of access to constitutional justice contribute to the democratic governance of the country? To analyse this fact, it appears that the mechanisms of access to constitutional justice in Cameroon are highly prohibitive and deny the rule of law and participatory democracy; all things that are resolutely situated at the antipodes of a democratic governance.


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