Biało-ruskij mir. Reaktywacja reintegracyjna w relacjach rosyjsko-białoruskich White-Russian world.

The relations between the Russian Federation and Belarus in the 21st century are characterized by dynamics and volatility. The integration processes of both countries, initiated in the 1990s, are an element of the strategy of domination in the post-Soviet area, which is consistently implemented by Russia. The authors conclude that this strategy in the case of Belarus is a kind of mixture of soft power and hard power, and the choice of instruments depends on the stability of the authoritarian regime, which is embodied by Alyaksandr Lukashenka. The rigged presidential elections triggered a wave of protests, leading to the gradual loss of social legitimacy by the Belarusian president. Russia has a dilemma: whether to continue to support Lukashenka, who is losing support, or to look for a “new personal alternative”, a politician that would guarantee the implementation of a “pro-Russian vector” in Belarus’s domestic and foreign policy. Regardless of how the situation develops, Russia’s strategic goal remains to keep Belarus in its sphere of influence using the already existing mechanisms of cooperation between the two countries.

External pressures on accounting study programs: An institutional approach of stakeholder expectations

Research Question: What are the requirements and expectations of each class of external stakeholders? Is there any convergence between the identified expectations? Motivation: There is a large variety of stakeholder expectations that universities are confronted with in their permanent search for social legitimacy, acknowledgement and survival. In the case of accounting study programs, their strong relationships with practitioners and professional associations, as emphasized in previous research in accounting education in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, add to the expectations that need to be met. Idea: This paper explores external stakeholder expectations of accounting study programs provided by Romanian universities, in order to identify the elements to which these expectations converge. Data: Data was collected only from public documents (laws and regulations, reports, studies, press releases, websites of relevant bodies etc.). Tools: A review of relevant public documents has been performed. Findings: As expected, all stakeholders require quality. Still, they ascribe different meanings to quality, evaluate quality in different manners, and hence exert various pressures. More, we observed that all types of isomorphism: coercive, mimetic, normative, as well as competitive are involved in assuring quality and meeting expectations. Contribution: The study contributes to literature with a complex approach, employing stakeholder and institutional theory, in the context of the extensive environment of higher education. In terms of practice, by taking stock of stakeholder requirements and expectations, the study calls the attention of decision makers to stakeholder pressures and the need to adjust accounting study programs accordingly.

Anti-globalization implications for NME performance

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Increase in populism is fueling anti-globalization sentiments and negatively impacting on the investment, expansion and location plans of many multinational enterprises. By focusing on social legitimacy, resilience and institutional arbitrage, such organizations can develop appropriate nonmarket strategies to help alleviate risk and better adapt to the changing business environment. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers’ hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Haunting Bodies

The goal of this study is to describe and assess evidence of trauma in the osteological remains of three individuals that were fortuitously found in southernmost Fuego-Patagonia (52°–56°S). The cases correspond to individuals AH4354 (Laguna Verde), 29751 (Posesión Olympia-2), and 96074 (Caleta Lennox) located in continental Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego, and the Fuegian Archipelago, respectively. Age and sex estimations were conducted based on established anthroposcopic methods. Taphonomic changes and traumatic lesions were examined and characterized. Antemortem trauma was identified in the postcranium of AH4354 and the cranium of 96074. All individuals show perimortem traumatic lesions in the skull. In AH4354 the cranial lesion was likely caused by a bola. In 29751 and 96074 the cranial wounds were caused by sharp weapons (spears or sharpened sticks). In all three individuals, the perimortem cranial lesions were likely lethal given their severity and the absence of healing. But, while AH4354 was injured at a distance, individuals 29751 and 96074 were wounded at proximity. Although the lesions in 29751 and 96074 could be interpreted in various ways, their location and characteristics lead us to interpret them as resulting from intentional and performative executions that carried specific cultural meanings. All individuals were interred in the same manner as others, suggesting that they were either members of the group, or that notions of equality and social legitimacy prevailed among those who interred them. This study offers an interpretation of the role of lethal violence among hunter-gatherers in extreme environments. Este estudio describe y evalúa los traumas presentes en los esqueletos de tres individuos de la zona sur de Fuego-Patagonia (52-56⁰S). Los casos corresponden a los individuos AH4354 (Laguna Verde), 29751 (Posesión Olympia-2) y 96074 (Caleta Lennox), quienes fueron hallados en Patagonia continental, Tierra del Fuego, y los archipiélagos Fueguinos respectivamente. El sexo y la edad fueron estimados con métodos antroposcópicos estándar. Se examinaron y caracterizaron los cambios tafonómicos y las lesiones traumáticas. Se identificaron lesiones traumáticas antemortem en el postcráneo del individuo AH4354 y el cráneo del individuo 96074. Todos ellos presentan lesiones traumáticas perimortem en el cráneo. En AH4354 la lesión craneana perimortem fue posiblemente causada por una bola. En los individuos 29751 y 96074 las heridas craneanas fueron producidas por objetos afilados (e.g, lanzas). En todos ellos, las lesiones perimortem craneanas fueron posiblemente letales dada su severidad. Pero, mientras AH4354 resultó herido a distancia, los individuos 29751 y 96074 fueron lesionados por alguien que se encontraba cerca. Las lesiones de los individuos 29751 y 96074 pueden ser interpretadas de varias maneras, pero su ubicación y características sugieren que estas resultaron de ejecucionesperformativas imbuidas de significados culturales específicos. Los enterratorios de estos tres individuos se adhieren al mismo patrón que se observa en otros de la misma región. Esto sugiere que conceptos de igualdad y legitimidad social primaron en aquellos que los enterraron. Este estudio ofrece una interpretación sobre el rol de la violencia letal en cazadores-recolectores de ambientes extremos.

Disruptive Behavior in the Postdisciplinary Society

Responding to disruptive behavior has become increasingly problematic in current Westernized societies, impacting people’s well-being globally. In the context of the current Special Issue, in this article, we advance the concept of problematic disruptive behavior (PDB) as a suitable “window” to better understand some aspects of the deep interdependence of social participation, citizenship, justice, and well-being. To do so, we also advance the notion of postdisciplinary society to account both for the apparent rise of problematic disruptive experiences, and the increased social conflict within which such experiences get often entangled. More specifically, we argue that formerly morally acceptable responses to problematic disruption, such as punishment and discipline, have lost social legitimacy and, to that extent, they aggravate the problems they were intended to resolve. We provide a genealogical account of the surge of such postdisciplinary order with a focus on the moral transition on ideas of justice, of personal entitlements, and authority. We conclude outlining an alternative way to respond to disruptive behaviors that we anticipate will be both more effective and acceptable in the current postdisciplinary milieu.

Welcoming Wolves? Governing the Return of Large Carnivores in Traditional Pastoral Landscapes

Wolf populations are recovering across Europe and readily recolonize most areas where humans allow their presence. Reintegrating wolves in human-dominated landscapes is a major challenge, particularly in places where memories and experience of coexistence have been lost. Despite the observed expansion trends, little has been done to prepare communities for the return of these apex predators, or to understand what fosters and perpetuates coexistence. In this study, we present a theoretical framework for resilient coexistence based on four conditions: Effective institutions, large carnivore persistence, social legitimacy, and low levels of risk and vulnerability, nested within the social-ecological systems (SES) concept. To empirically show how the conditions can be manifested and interconnected, and how this knowledge could be used to improve local coexistence capacities, the framework is applied in a case study of human–wolf relations in Spain. We examined three traditionally pastoral landscapes at different states of cohabitation with wolves: uninterrupted presence, recent recolonization, and imminent return. We found that both the perceptions of wolves and the capacity to coexist with them diverged across these states, and that this was largely determined by a diversity of vulnerabilities that have not been recognized or addressed within current management regimes, such as economic precarity and weak legitimacy for governing institutions. Our results illustrate the importance of working in close contact with communities to understand local needs and enhance adaptive capacities in the face of rural transitions, beyond those directly related to wolves. The framework complements emerging tools for coexistence developed by researchers and practitioners, which offer guidance on the process of situational analysis, planning, and resource allocation needed to balance large carnivore conservation with local livelihoods.

The double-edged sword effect of social media usage on new product development performance: evidence from Chinese firms

PurposeResearch on social media frequently analyze social media usage (SMU)'s positive consequences for organizations and individuals; however, recent innovation studies caution that SMU may not always lead to positive new product development (NPD) outcomes. The competing streams of research highlight a fundamental tension that exists in the social media literature exemplified by the question: Is SMU good or bad for NPD? In this manuscript, the authors suggest that a more appropriate question as follows: What are the positive and negative indirect effects of SMU on NPD performance? The purpose of this paper is to discuss the aforementioned points in detail.Design/methodology/approachA literature review provides the model and hypotheses. Using a sample of 168 Chinese firms, the authors conducted an empirical test following multiple regression analysis.FindingsThe results demonstrate that SMU facilitates business analytics (ability) and social legitimacy (opportunity) but impairs entrepreneurial proclivity (motivation). These three constructs in turn mediate the effect of SMU on NPD performance. Moreover, this paper explores how technological turbulence moderates SMU's effects on business analytics, entrepreneurship proclivity and social legitimacy.Research limitations/implicationsThe results may be affected by both the context (solely in China) and type (cross-sectional) of the data set. Future research might take a decompositional approach to study SMU's effect on innovation in different NPD stages. Furthermore, with widely varying purposes (e.g., marketing, information searching, partner collaboration, new product launch, etc.), there is certainly a need for more clarity and understanding of how firms can leverage each of these different social media activities for successful NPD.Practical implicationsFirst, we suggest that managers in China should be explicitly aware of the double-edged sword effect of SMU on NPD performance. Second, this study encourages managers to use social media carefully when technological turbulence becomes intense.Originality/valueDrawing on the ability–motivation–opportunity framework, this is one of the first studies to simultaneously examines the benefits and costs of SMU for NPD. In addition, this paper bridges the separate literatures on social media, business analytics, entrepreneurial proclivity and social legitimacy and contributes to the NPD research.

The deliberated decision in children’s mainstream cinema: On socialization in the discourse of freedom

The purpose of this article is to highlight a trend in the narrative use of decisions that reinforces a widely accepted discourse of freedom. Through a discursive analysis focusing on contemporary mainstream screenwriting, it explores the relationship between the protagonist’s decision and the climax of the story. This relationship is shaped by the need for a change between the darkest moment and the climax, and causality between the events and the conflict that triggers them. The decision is a standardized possibility compatible with these principles, reproducing a discourse of freedom upheld by numerous social institutions despite the problems and dysfunctions pointed out by its critics. This freedom is underpinned by the notion of individual authenticity, which promises that anything can be achieved as long as nothing hinders the individual or his/her power to make decisions. Specifically, the article highlights a channel through which this discourse influences the sector of the public that is most sensitive to socialization processes: children and youth. With the normalized practice of screenwriting and without necessarily being aware of the fact, screenwriters can reproduce this discourse of freedom and thereby take part in reinforcing its social legitimacy.

Great Power, Great Responsibility: Addressing the Underestimated Issue of Central Bank’s Social Responsibility

This paper deals with the neglected issue of central banks’ social responsibility. Since central banks exert the “structural power” on economies as well as on societies, their power should be regulated and controlled by society through a reliable framework of social responsibility. To that aim, this article sheds light on the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ of central bank’s social responsibility: I suggest reforms in order to increase central banks’ social legitimacy, while being consistent with the mapping out of a new framework of social responsibility.

Public attitudes toward economic growth versus environmental sustainability dilemma: Evidence from Europe

As global warming and other environmental threats intensify and become more visible, scientists are increasingly questioning the desirability of economic growth as an overarching national and global policy imperative. Several theories in environmental sociology and economics—degrowth, steady-state economy, and “agrowth”—offer compelling arguments that environmental sustainability and continuous economic growth are incompatible. However, there is a shortage of empirical evidence about public opinion on the growth versus environment dilemma, despite its great relevance for the social legitimacy of governments’ approach to the issue. In this article, we aim to narrow this research gap by applying multilevel models to data from the 2017 European Values Study (EVS). We find that the idea of sacrificing a certain level of growth for the sake of the environment receives high levels of support in most European countries. Nevertheless, within countries, we find clear indications of social divides in opinions regarding the growth versus environment dilemma: post-materialists, politically left-leaning people, the better-off, and the higher-educated are in favor of reduced growth, whereas materialists, right-wing individuals, and disadvantaged groups prioritize the economy over ecological concerns. At the country level, economic affluence is associated with greater support for reduced growth, irrespective of the differences in post-materialist values and the ecological situation. In practical terms, our results suggest that politicians can be bolder in promoting substantive environmental measures, even those that reduce growth.