More diversity enGENDERed by African languages: an introduction

We give an overview of current research questions pursued in connection with an ongoing project on nominal classification systems in Africa, with a particular focus on Niger-Congo. We first introduce our cross-linguistically applicable methodological approach which provides new insights into the design of a range of gender systems on the continent. We then apply these ideas to the “noun class” systems of Niger-Congo. We focus on non-canonical phenomena of poorly known languages, which attest to an unexpected systemic diversity beyond the well-known Bantu type and promise to change the synchronic and diachronic perspective on the gender systems of this family.

Judges Ad Hoc at the International Court of Justice

This chapter analyses whether the presence of judges ad hoc can enhance the representativeness of the International Court of Justice, and so add to the Court’s overall legitimacy. It argues that, at least in principle, the appointment of judges ad hoc may also serve the purpose of increasing regional and legal systemic diversity on the bench of the Court. The question is whether in practice States have given importance to this aspect in selecting judges ad hoc. An examination of recent practice shows that a State’s choice of judge ad hoc is generally guided by their reputation before the Court and experience within the Court, rather than by elements such as nationality, geographic origin, or cultural background. While recognizing the autonomy of the parties in the selection of judges ad hoc, greater regional and legal diversity amongst judges ad hoc would likely benefit the Court by enhancing its reputation as an institution representative of the international community.

Offensive but not so offensive Fostering Ethical and Socially Responsible Marketing in Undergraduate Marketing Students

Advertising that pushes the boundaries can sometimes be negatively received, some of these advertisements were reported to the regulator of advertising in the UK while Companies has had to apologise for their advertisements. The systemic diversity problem within the advertising industry is also acknowledged wondering if the industry is diverse enough to produce an advertisement that can appeal to a diverse audience. With this background, this paper presents a teaching innovation with the aim of addressing students’ understanding of creative marketing campaign in a multicultural society through the integration of advertising practises codes, ASA rulings and secondary research into the public perception of advertisement. The project is divided into five main parts and takes place over a three-week period. Students are expected to work with advertisements that vert reported being offensive, research public’s attitude towards them and present their justifications for either agreeing or disagreeing with the rulings. This project allows a better understanding of the creative challenges in developing an ethical and socially responsible marketing campaign; finding a balance between creativity and freedom of expression, they can better internalise the integrative nature of the marketing concept, a valuable skill for the industry.

Offensive but not so offensive Fostering Ethical and Socially Responsible Marketing in Undergraduate Marketing Students

Advertising that pushes the boundaries can sometimes be negatively received, some of these advertisements were reported to the regulator of advertising in the UK while Companies has had to apologise for their advertisements. The systemic diversity problem within the advertising industry is also acknowledged wondering if the industry is diverse enough to produce an advertisement that can appeal to a diverse audience. With this background, this paper presents a teaching innovation with the aim of addressing students’ understanding of creative marketing campaign in a multicultural society through the integration of advertising practises codes, ASA rulings and secondary research into the public perception of advertisement. The project is divided into five main parts and takes place over a three-week period. Students are expected to work with advertisements that vert reported being offensive, research public’s attitude towards them and present their justifications for either agreeing or disagreeing with the rulings. This project allows a better understanding of the creative challenges in developing an ethical and socially responsible marketing campaign; finding a balance between creativity and freedom of expression, they can better internalise the integrative nature of the marketing concept, a valuable skill for the industry.

Engaging Gatekeepers, Optimizing Decision Making, and Mitigating Bias: Design Specifications for Systemic Diversity Interventions

In this contribution to the Journal of Applied Behavioral Science Special Issue on Understanding Diversity Dynamics in Systems: Social Equality as an Organization Change Issue, I develop and describe design specifications for systemic diversity interventions in upward mobility career systems, aimed at optimizing decision making through mitigating bias by engaging gatekeepers. These interventions address the paradox of meritocracy that underlies the surprising lack of diversity at the top of the career pyramid in these systems. I ground the design specifications in the limited empirical evidence on “what works” in systemic interventions. Specifically, I describe examples from interventions in academic settings, including a bias literacy program, participatory modeling, and participant observation. The design specifications, paired with inspirational examples of successful interventions, should assist diversity officers and consultants in designing and implementing interventions to promote the advancement to and representation of nondominant group members at the top of the organizational hierarchy.

Coupling Mechanism and Coupling Degree Measurement Model of Shipbuilding Industry Cluster

This article was aimed to analyse the working condition of the coupling mechanism in Chinese shipbuilding industry cluster. Literature review was conducted to unveil the coupling mechanism of shipbuilding industry cluster, providing analysis of the present development of shipbuilding industry. A theoretical model was proposed by using the efficacy function and the capacity of the coupling coefficient while measuring the coupling of the shipbuilding industry cluster. Four coupling characteristics were found including relevant, systemic, diversity, and collaborative in the shipbuilding industry cluster. The shipbuilding industry cluster has two levels of coupling mechanism including the core layer coupling mechanism and the support layer coupling mechanism respectively. The improvement through coupling the core layer, support layer, and the coupling between two levels, is an effective way to achieve long-term stable development in Chinese shipbuilding industry cluster.

Measuring Systemic and Climate Diversity in Ontario’s University Sector

This article proposes a methodology for measuring institutional diversity and applies it to Ontario’s university sector. This study first used hierarchical cluster analysis, which suggested there has been very little change in diversity between 1994 and 2010 as universities were clustered in three groups for both years. However, by adapting Birnbaum’s (1983) diversity matrix methodology to Ontario’s university sector, the author appears to have found a decrease in systemic diversity (differences in the type of institution and size of institution; Birnbaum, 1983) and climate diversity (differences in campus environment and culture; Birnbaum, 1983) between 1994 and 2010. Policy implications resulting from this study are also considered.

EC Law and Biodiversity

The term biodiversity itself was not coined until the 198os, when it was popularised by the eminent Harvard biologist Wilson. Biodiversity entails at the macro level ecosystemic diversity (ecosystems and landscapes), specific diversity (the species of plants, animals and micro-organisms that surround us) and at the micro level it includes genetic diversity. Although less marked than on other continents, Europe's systemic diversity displays a number of particular characteristics. However, Europeans should seriously fear for the future of their wildlife. Indeed, many wild fauna and flora species today are passing through a period of major crisis. As most natural or semi-natural, continental and coastal ecosystems are now undergoing significant modifications as a result of human activity (fiagmentation, isolation, intensification, ... ), animal and plant species are suffering an unprecedented rate of extinction. To make matters worse, this negative trend is compounded by an array of additional threats (poaching, excessive hunting, disturbance inflicted by tourism, collision of birds with power-lines). Last, on a more global scale, global warming and the depletion of the ozone layer risk precipitating much more profound changes to the distribution, structure and functions of European ecosystems. Given that this issue has been identified as a pressing concern by the EC institutions, the aim of the present article is to highlight the different strategies, plans and programs as well as the main directives and regulations that were enacted with the aim of conserving biodiversity.