The Challenges of Future Leadership in International Affairs

The article deals with the structural shifts towards multipolarity and global changes such as climate change, Industrial Revolution 4.0 and pandemics as phenomena that will shape the future generation of political leaders. The author works with neoclassical realism as a primary paradigm that enables him to evaluate structural shifts and the quality of political establishment on the unit level. The article entails both qualitative and quantitative methods. The Composite Index of National Capability and the comparison of gathered data falls into the quantitative methods, while analysis of scientific literature is the qualitative research method. The articles primary aim is to determine the scope of the current challenges for future political leaders. The papers central argument formulates the hypothesis that future leaders will be vastly shaped by the shift towards multipolarity in which the balance of power logic drives international affairs. At the same time, the future political thinkers are about to deal with the global emergencies caused by climate crisis, pandemics and Industrial Revolutions 4.0 and 5.0.

Download Full-text

A Composite Index to Measure Smartness and Competitiveness of Heritage Tourism Destination and Historic Building

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su132313135 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (23) ◽

pp. 13135

Author(s):

Maysa Ali Selim ◽

Noura Anwar Abdel-Fattah ◽

Yasmine Sabry Hegazi

Keyword(s):

Quantitative Methods ◽

Composite Index ◽

Economic Resources ◽

Validity And Reliability ◽

Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽

Tourism Sector ◽

Investment Opportunities ◽

High Level ◽

Critical Intervention

The key issue of this current study is related to shaping the attractiveness of heritage destinations, highlighting the significance of reuse and upgrading their historical buildings to achieve a high level of competitiveness and distinctiveness through a smart approach. Some of these cultural assets and events tend to be monotonous, and not so attractive for various categories of tourists, which negatively affects investment opportunities, tourism development, and social and economic resources. Furthermore, previous works have criticized the lack of evidence to support that the structure contains critical attributes and measurement items linked to the competitiveness of smart heritage destinations. As a result, this study aims to design and develop a composite index for evaluating these destinations and their buildings, which includes nine dimensions (attributes) and a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) of intelligent performance and competitiveness, reflecting the combination and noticing the distinct perspective between them. A mixed-methods approach was used between qualitative and quantitative methods to perform content validation on the proposed index. Furthermore, a pilot study was implemented for tourism heritage destinations to improve the quality and efficiency of the proposed index. Then, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to analyze the data to develop the proposed index and measure its validity and reliability. Finally, the proposed composite index was finalized with 139 KPIs and applied to a case study (Salah El-Din Citadel). After that, we validated its utility in providing a quantitative evaluation of this heritage destination, identifying critical intervention priorities, and determining dimensions that need to be restructured. Additionally, it highlighted recommendations for future improvements to strengthen these heritage destinations to become smart heritage destinations capable of competition in the tourism sector.

Download Full-text

Voicing the Voiceless

Handbook of Research on Social and Cultural Dynamics in Indian Cinema - Advances in Religious and Cultural Studies ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-3511-0.ch017 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 197-210

Author(s):

Tamilselvi Natarajan

Keyword(s):

Sexual Minorities ◽

Visual Representation ◽

Future Generation ◽

Political Leaders ◽

Digital Platforms ◽

The Third ◽

The Future ◽

Third Gender ◽

Tamil Cinema

Cinema always represented the society, and any visual representation about ‘not so commonly discussed' topics becomes crucial as they are the image blocks for the future generation. The power of cinema is high among Tamil audience, which is evident from the emergence of two great political leaders who are byproducts of it. It is essential to understand how sexual minorities are represented in a culture-specific society. In India, representation of the third gender was insensitive, and Tamil cinema is no exception. These representations cannot be ignored as ‘just in screen' as screen represents reality. Nevertheless, few fair images are making a significant impact on the audience about transgender. Studying representations about sexual minorities in Tamil cinema is important in today's context, where young minds are exposed to digital platforms. This chapter explains the description of the transgender community in Tamil cinema and analyses its impact on society.

Download Full-text

Augmenting Social Media Research with Q Methodology: Some Guiding Principles

The Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods ◽

10.34190/jbrm.17.3.005 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 17 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Charmaine du Plessis

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Media Studies ◽

Q Methodology ◽

Quantitative Methods ◽

Industrial Revolution ◽

New Technologies ◽

Media Study ◽

Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽

Media Research ◽

Social Media Research

This paper proposes that social media studies could be complemented with Q methodology when a topic that plays out in social media is complex, controversial or sensitive to allow for deep‑seated, integrated online and off‑line perspectives. Although the Fourth Industrial Revolution brought researchers more opportunities and advantages to study topics that were previously inaccessible, using technologies for research does not come without challenges. This is especially the case with social media studies comprising large datasets and where it is not always possible to identify fake profiles, bots, spam or manipulated information without having access to advanced data analysis software. Another point is that views expressed in social media do not always represent offline perspectives. However, while Q methodology has, over the years, adapted its techniques to accommodate new technologies, more can be done to embrace a web 2.0 environment. Why and how social media studies could be augmented with Q methodology to reveal individuals’ perspectives and attitudes about topics will be examined and potential difficulties will be highlighted. Not yet a mainstream method, Q methodology combines the strengths of two robust qualitative and quantitative methods sequentially to reveal and isolate the subjective perspectives of groups of participants. This methodology could, therefore, be useful when a social media study puts forward novel ideas and findings that should be supported by offline views. In this regard, the paper provides some guidelines by referring to the five phases of a Q study and describing how a social media study could not only benefit from but also apply Q methodology to augment results. Supplementing social media research with Q methodology could be empowering and provide opportunities for further research and debate.

Download Full-text

RECYCLING PRACTICES AND PERCEPTIONS AMONG RURAL PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN SJK CHUNG HUA ASAJAYA, SAMARAHAN, SARAWAK

Journal of Borneo-Kalimantan ◽

10.33736/jbk.624.2017 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Parveen Kaur ◽

Chai Nyet Foong ◽

Arif Jawaid

Keyword(s):

Primary School ◽

School Children ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Quantitative Methods ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Future Generation ◽

Primary School Children ◽

Face To Face ◽

Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽

The People

Recycling is one of the best ways to have a positive impact on the world in which we live in. In this modern hectic world of ours, people are indulging in activities which harm the environment. It is vital to educate our future generation in the preservation of our pleasant environment by not only polluting but also spreading crucial diseases. The purpose of this research is to understand the recycling practices and perceptions among rural primary school children. The sample for this study included Primary Three to Primary Six (N=16, M=11.31 years) school children with different ages and ethnic groups. The research was carried out in SJK Chung Hua Asajaya, Samarahan, Sarawak. This study used both qualitative and quantitative methods to collect the data. Face-to-face interviews guided by questionnaires as a tool determine the habits and practices on recycling activity. Findings of this study indicated that majority of the school children have good habits of recycling in both school and at home. Their perceptions indicated that they were aware on the importance of recycling in preserving the environment. This study would benefit the people in rural areas to be aware on the importance of recycling and how they can practice and improve their habits in recycling. School plays an important role in cultivating this practice. Recycling will help the town council and related institutions to giveindividuals a better quality of living.

Download Full-text

Voicing the Voiceless

10.4018/978-1-6684-3674-5.ch032 ◽

2022 ◽

pp. 578-591

Author(s):

Tamilselvi Natarajan

Keyword(s):

Sexual Minorities ◽

Visual Representation ◽

Future Generation ◽

Political Leaders ◽

Digital Platforms ◽

The Third ◽

The Future ◽

Third Gender ◽

Tamil Cinema

Download Full-text

Paradigm Shift in Business Education: A Competence-Based Approach

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12041348 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 1348 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Constantin Bratianu ◽

Shahrazad Hadad ◽

Ruxandra Bejinaru

Keyword(s):

Business Education ◽

Paradigm Shift ◽

Quantitative Methods ◽

Business Students ◽

Business Environment ◽

Ecosystem Dynamics ◽

Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽

Business Competencies ◽

The Future ◽

Critical Literature

The fast and unpredictable changes in the business environment lead to significant changes in the future job market. For current business students, the future will offer many new opportunities for their employment but, at the same time, it will also create many threats disguised in the disappearing jobs. Business education centered mainly on knowledge transmission is challenged to switch towards a competence-based approach which includes knowledge, skills, and attitudes. The present research focuses on the need to change the paradigm of business education by creating a new learning environment centered on business competencies, and on a new knowledge ecosystem dynamics. The approach uses both qualitative and quantitative methods. In the first phase the research is focused on a critical literature review, and extraction of ideas for the next phase based on quantitative methods. In order to evaluate the students’ perception on the need of competence-based business education, a questionnaire has been designed and applied to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in business and management programs. Data is processed by using SPSS and deriving six logistic regressions based on the conceptual model designed similar to a hierarchy Findings coming from students show a significant awareness for the need of paradigm shift in business education, from knowledge transfer to business competence development.

Download Full-text

ANALYSIS OF THE DYNAMICS OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC SECURITY IN THE CONDITIONS OF A CHANGING SOCIO-ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT

New Medit ◽

10.30682/nm1902b ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

pp. 15-38 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Augustin Ignatov

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Quantitative Methods ◽

Economic Security ◽

Economic Environment ◽

The European Union ◽

Qualitative And Quantitative ◽

Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽

Political Interests ◽

The Future ◽

Present World

The speed the present world changes, is at least impressive. During the last decade the global socio-economic environment faced major adjustments dictated by globalisation, technological progress and political interests. The European Union seems to fail in keeping up with the changing environment. Thus, if in 2007 the European Union represented 30.7% of the global nominal GDP, then in 2016 it accounted only for 21.7% (World Bank). The economic positions of the European Union have declined much as compared to the rest of the world the fact which inevitably leads to the decrease of the community’s political and economic strength. The main scope of the present paper is to assess the extent to which the economic security of the European Union has changed in the period of 2007-2017. At the same time, it has been proposed to identify the main subversive factors which affected the economic security of the European Union in the period of 2007-2017 and threaten the future perspectives of the Union. The results reached by the use of both qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis explicitly point out that economic security is decreasing and the identified threats menace the future existence of the European Union.

Download Full-text

Weak Signals and Wild Cards Leading to Transformative Disruption: A Consumer Delphi Study on the Future of e-Commerce in China

World Futures Review ◽

10.1177/1946756717752921 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 54-82 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Yuan Qi ◽

Petri Tapio

Keyword(s):

Delphi Study ◽

Quantitative Methods ◽

Business Environment ◽

High Tech ◽

Ripple Effect ◽

Weak Signals ◽

Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽

Horizon Scanning ◽

The Future ◽

Wild Cards

The future of businesses is not only orchestrated by emerging trends and megatrends but also to a greater extent struck by surprising events. With the accelerating presence of high-tech innovations and smart technologies, business activities are exposed to an increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environment. Any unexpected changes in the environment could lead to the malfunction or even collapse of a company, a business, or even an industry. Discerning the seeds of change and anticipating the potential disruptions in the external environment is a precondition for avoiding potential risks and threats. The present study contributes to the conceptual and methodological discussion of disruptive transformation by identifying, analyzing, and interpreting the potential disruptive factors in the external business environment. The venture is undertaken through the lens of probing into the dynamism of China’s e-commerce industry, considering its growing influence both domestically and abroad. Any unexpected disruptions would result in a significant ripple effect on interrelated businesses, industries, and even economies. The research adopts a combined mode of qualitative and quantitative methods in the form of horizon scanning and a Consumer Delphi study. Horizon scanning collects futures signals indicating the seeds of change (i.e., weak signals) and potential disruptions (i.e., wild cards), whereas Delphi study solicits the evaluations on the degree of likelihood and impact of the collected factors from an expert panel. As a result, twenty-seven potential disruptive factors are discovered, categorized, estimated, and discussed.

Download Full-text

Resistance and Motivation to Share Sustainable Development Knowledge by Web 2.0

Journal of Information & Knowledge Management ◽

10.1142/s0219649210002656 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 09 (03) ◽

pp. 251-262 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Rita Yi Man Li ◽

Don Henry Ah Pak

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

Web 2.0 ◽

Knowledge Sharing ◽

Future Generation ◽

Political Leaders ◽

Present Generation ◽

The Future ◽

To Receive ◽

The Web

The concept of sustainable development — development which meets the needs of the present generation without depriving the needs of the future generation — has been in the lips of many political leaders, educators, NGOs and green groups. Living in the age of knowledge explosion, we want to receive the most updated information and knowledge. The Web 2.0 revolution provides the best solution to all those hungry knowledge seekers. This paper sheds light on the major resistance and motivations on sustainable knowledge sharing.

Download Full-text

Peculiarities of developing intercultural professional competence during distance learning

SHS Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/shsconf/202112702004 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 127 ◽

pp. 02004

Author(s):

Galina Nikolaevna Makhmutova ◽

Liliia Finadovna Mursalimova ◽

Ludmila Aleksandrovna Sergeeva ◽

Ludmila Konstantinovna Chicherina

Keyword(s):

Quantitative Methods ◽

Professional Competence ◽

Learning Technologies ◽

Professional Competencies ◽

Global Changes ◽

Digital Learning ◽

Human Communication ◽

Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽

Deductive Method ◽

The Impact

The acceleration of global changes taking place in various spheres of life of our society, changes in the structure of the labor market and qualification requirements of various professions suggest new approaches and assessment of the level of intercultural professional competence. A deductive method based on empirical generalizations was used for the study. The purpose of this research is to identify the place and role of intercultural competences, intercultural communication in general in the formation of professional competencies in the context of digital learning technologies use. The problem of relationship between applied teaching methods and sociocultural, as well as psycho-emotional factors is investigated. The study used both qualitative and quantitative methods for assessing company personnel: a personal questionnaire and a behavioral interview. The survey was used in groups of students of economic specialties studying German as a second foreign language. The theoretical and practical parts of the study showed that changes in the nature of human communication in modern conditions are irreversible and rapid, exerting a global impact on the culture and education of a person. Researchers are actively exploring dynamics and transformations of professional competencies, as well as methods for determining the levels of various types of competencies. The novelty of this study lies in raising the question of developing a methodology for testing the level of intercultural professional competence, taking into account factors of the impact of a digital environment on its formation.

Download Full-text