Inter-organisational communication: organisational future orientation, inter-organisational interaction quality and inter-organisational group mechanism

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of organisational future orientation and interaction quality on inter-organisational communication, and the mediating role of inter-organisational group mechanism on the relationship between organisational future orientation, interaction quality and inter-organisational communication. A questionnaire assessing the experience of organisational future orientation, inter-organisational interaction quality, inter-organisational group mechanism and inter-organisational communication was administered to 101 out of 136 humanitarian organisations delivering social services to refugee settlements in Uganda. The proposed hypotheses were tested using PLS-SEM in the SmartPLS version 3.3.0 for professionals. The paper found that organisational future orientation has a positive impact on inter-organisational communication. Inter-organisational group mechanism partially mediates organisational future orientation and inter-organisational communication whilst it fully mediates the relationship between inter-organisational interaction quality and inter-organisational communication. The findings of this research provide useful insights into the role of inter-organisational group mechanism in boosting the role of organisational future orientation and interaction quality in inter-organisational communication in humanitarian relief delivery. Hence, a high level of inter-organisational group mechanism not only improves inter-organisational communication in humanitarian relief delivery but also enhances the benefits of organisational future orientation and interaction quality for inter-organisational communication. This research is one of the limited studies that investigate the effect of organisation future orientation and interaction quality on inter-organisational group mechanism and inter-organisational communication in humanitarian relief delivery in sub-Saharan Africa.

Humanizing siege warfare: Applying the principle of proportionality to sieges

Siege warfare and its devastating humanitarian consequences have been one of the defining features of contemporary armed conflicts. While the most apparent restriction of siege warfare appears to be provided by the prohibition against starvation of the civilian population as a method of warfare, the prevailing restrictive interpretation of this prohibition has left civilians remaining in a besieged area unprotected from the hardships they endure. This article demonstrates that shifting the focus from the prohibition against starvation to the rules regulating humanitarian relief operations does not seem helpful due to the ambiguities regarding the requirement of consent and the right of control of the besieging party. In remedying this protection gap, this article examines whether and how the principle of proportionality applies in the context of a siege. After analyzing whether the encirclement and isolation aspect of a siege can be considered an attack in the sense of Article 49(1) of Additional Protocol I (AP I), to which the proportionality principle applies, the article investigates how this principle operates in the context of a siege. It will be demonstrated that Article 57(2)(b) of AP I requires that the proportionality of a siege must be continuously monitored.