Place-making, Politics and Borderscapes in Southeastern Europe

This article introduces a collection of case studies on the politics of borders and the place-making processes in Southeast European border environments. It opens with explorations of how the social analysis of borders oscillates between border studies and border theory, and between the study of borders as things and as ideas. The focus on the territoriality of borders, analyzed as dynamic social-spatial formations, is proposed as a meeting point between the two approaches. On this premise, this article examines some key elements in contemporary ethnographic research on borders in Southeastern Europe.

Does flexible work arrangements decrease or increase turnover intention? A comparison between the social exchange theory and border theory

PurposeMore companies embrace flexible work arrangements (FWA) as one of their employee retention strategies, yet its effectiveness is not consistent. Generally, past researchers use the social exchange theory to explain how FWA lowers turnover intention, while the rest adopts the border theory to justify why FWA can be ineffective. Here, the authors compare the competing theories for the first time to differentiate the theoretical reasoning of three forms of FWA (flex time, flex leave and homeworking). Two mediators (organisational commitment and work−family conflicts) are chosen to represent the mechanism of each theory.Design/methodology/approachThe authors employ the latest wave of the International Social Survey Program (ISSP) Work Orientation Module from 2015. Based on nationally representative data from 35 nations and 17,604 participants, the authors employed simple mediation and parallel double-mediation models via bootstrapping procedures to investigate the theoretical reasoning behind each FWA.FindingsThe results indicate that organisational commitment and work−family conflicts as significant mediators in all models, supporting both theories. The authors first tested each mediator in separated models. In models concerning the social exchange theory, all FWA lead to increased organisational commitment before lowering turnover intention, implying the beneficial outcomes of FWA. However, findings also support the border theory's perspective where flex time and homeworking increase turnover intention through heightened work−family conflicts. The parallel double-mediation further suggests that all three FWA forms have their unique theoretical framework, impacting turnover intention differently.Originality/valueBoth the social exchange theory and border theory are well-developed theories but grounded on different theoretical reasoning. This is the first paper that compares both theoretical perspectives in the context of FWA. It offers a new perspective in explaining the inconclusive effectiveness of FWA and provides future researchers a more integrated interpretation and prediction of FWA's impact on turnover intention.

Emerging Career Realities during the Pandemic: What Does it Mean for Women’s Career Development?

The Problem Women must often overcome inequitable workplace policies and unsupportive family for career development. Although remote work allows women the freedom to manage both work and family domains, stigma rooted in gender-stereotypes dissuades women from utilizing remote work policies and working flexibly. The Solution Working from home during the pandemic, has led to some erosion of the stigma attached to remote work. Through the work/family border theory, we explore the new realities for employees working remotely and its positive impact on women’s career development. We argue, organizations can promote women’s careers by capitalizing on employee’s positive experiences with remote work during the pandemic, and support women’s career development even after the pandemic. The Stakeholders Stakeholders for this article include colleagues, supervisors, partners, and spouses, who have the power to influence women’s career development, as well as HRD professionals and organizational leaders who implement policies and practices supporting women’s career development.

Introduction

In San Diego, the neighboring city of Tijuana has a reputation for vice and violence, yet there are many other possible narratives about Tijuana as a place. This introduction lays out the questions and summarizes the main arguments for the book, which examines the ways that Tijuana has been stigmatized over time and how that stigma reinforces local inequalities and borders. More broadly, this case study contributes theoretically to literatures on border theory, territorial stigmatization, and spatial inequalities. The introduction offers a brief discussion of methods and data (including the analysis of archival materials, qualitative interviews in San Diego and Tijuana, and photojournalism representations), as well as an overview of the book.

Deconstruction of the Border Theory through the Axiological Paradigm

<p>Granice i regiony przygraniczne to szczególnie ważne miejsca dla badań społecznych, zwłaszcza w erze postępującej globalizacji oraz rozwoju regionów ponadpaństwowych, takich jak Unia Europejska (UE). Migracyjny kryzys Europy wymusił aktualną refleksję na temat bezpieczeństwa granic. Wszystko to natychmiast znalazło odbicie w literaturze badawczej, która oferuje krytyczne spojrzenie na bieżąca politykę migracyjną dotyczącą zatrzymań, deportacji i kontroli granicznej w trakcie ostatnich lat. Poprzez paradygmat aksjologiczny nowego materializmu oraz krytycznej i radykalnej geografii spróbuję porównać koncepcje granic z lat 90ch (É. Balibar, A. Paasi, H. Donnan i Th.M. Wilson) z koncepcjami z pierwszych dziesięcioleci XXI wieku, które reprezentują nowy sposób myślenia o granicach Europy poprzez takie definicje, jak <em>wahanie granic, dyfrakcja, dehumanizacja</em> i <em>animalizacja migrantów, biopolityczne bezpieczeństwo</em>. Artykuł pokazuje, w jaki sposób powstała w ostatnich latach sytuacja na europejskich granicach wpływa na hierarchię wartości europejskich, uwidoczniającą się w mediach i internetowych sieciach społecznych. Ponadto w artykule mowa jest o moralnych kwestiach kryzysu środowiska i zmiany klimatu.</p>

Review of Work-Life Balance Theories

Objective - This paper’s objective is to make a comprehensive compilation of the various theories used in studies of work-life balance (WLB) in order to understand their usage. Methodology/Technique – Based on past literature, this paper focused on review of relevant literature from various online data bases as well as manual texts of studies on WLB with particular attention on the theories used. Using descriptive layout, the paper gives adequate review of WLB theories. Finding – This paper found that there are numerous prevailing theories on WLB explaining the relationships in various WLB studies. Such as Overall Appraisal, Structural Functionalism, Enhancement, Facilitation, Segmentation Spill-over, Compensation, Conservation, Conflict, Human Capital, Congruence, Ladder, Instrumental, Resource drain, Ecology, Border, Boundary and Integration Theories. Based on literature, this paper found that Boundary theory and Border theory are the two major foundation theories used in many studies to explain the different aspects of WLB. Novelty - This paper found that there are no universally accepted theories for WLB. Theories used on WLB studies depend on the range of the study’s framework, variables or perspectives of the study. This leads to omissions or overlapping in frameworks. Type of Paper: Review JEL Classification: B54, D63, E24, J24. Keywords: Work-life Balance; WLB Concepts; Work-Life Balance Theories; Family-Work Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Bello, Z; Tanko, G.I. (2020). Review of Work-Life Balance Theories, GATR Global J. Bus. Soc. Sci. Review, 8(4): 217 – 227. https://doi.org/10.35609/gjbssr.2020.8.4(3)

Introduction to the Special Issue: Borderlands in the Era of COVID-19

This introduction outlines the themes of the special issue (borders, borderlands, and border theory since the onset of COVID-19 lockdowns) and summarizes its contents (a research article, two dozen essays, plus photography and videography). The introduction also includes an interactive map hyperlinking the contents of the issue, and raises new lines of thought for border studies in the era of COVID-19.

Exploring the Tensions Between Masculinities and Connections with Faculty and Staff among Gay Latino Collegians

This study utilizes Gloria E. Anzaldúa’s Border theory to explore how internalized messages of masculinities shape the ways that gay Latino men develop connections with university staff and faculty. Specifically, we highlight how such messages learned primarily in the context of the home create spaces of tension, nepantla, within heteronormative campus settings. We present portraits of five Latino collegians enrolled in a large public four-year institution, followed by three themes. The themes include gay Latinos developing relationships (1) solely for academic purposes, (2) that explicitly involve women, and, in other cases, (3) displaying resistant behaviors to developing connections. We conclude by offering practical implications for university administrators and faculty.