Journal articles on the topic 'Cross-sector framework agreements'

European Autonomous Social Dialogue – Chances and ThreatsSummaryThe article is about development of European social dialogue under 138 and 139 of EC Treaty. One can see clearly, that European social partners (ETUC, BusinessEurope, UEAPME, CEEP) want to achieve more independency from European Commission. This aim at development independency manifest oneself in sign of autonomous agreements which shall be implemented by national social partners in accordance with the procedures and practices specific to management and the labour in member states. So far was sung 3 cross sector autonomous agreements –Framework Agreement on Telework, Framework Agreement on the WorkRelated Stress and Framework Agreement on Harassment and Violence at Work. The article is also about first multi sector autonomous agreement on Workers’ Health Protection Through the Good Handling and Use of Crystalline Silica and Products Containing it.In Poland implementation of autonomous agreements can be seen as misgiving. In Poland intensification of social dialogue is low. Number of sectoral employer organizations is unsatisfactory. Implementation of autonomous agreements animates bilateral dialogue among employer organizations and trade unions in Poland. However if one thinks about weakness of social partner in new members states can see that it can bring to different level of protection between workers from old and new members states.

The Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation (hereinafter referred to as the Singapore Convention) entered into force on 12 September 2020. The States’ striking enthusiasm for the Singapore Convention since the day of its enactment and onwards seems to be an encouraging indicator of the increasing use of mediation for the settlement of international commercial disputes. More precisely, the Convention establishes an international legal framework for the enforcement of settlements reached through mediation, and provides for a very limited number of requirements thereon. Hence, and considering that the enforceability of arbitral awards is perceived as arbitration’s most important feature, the cross-border enforceability of the settlement agreements reached through mediation conferred by the Singapore Convention could somehow erode arbitration’s edge. Furthermore, the entry into force of the Singapore Convention will promote the use of mediation in the States comprised within the Belt and Road Initiative, in Europe and in the Asia- Pacific, namely within the construction sector and the shipping industry and also in investor-state disputes insofar as the wording of the Convention leaves room for an extensive interpretation that could encompass such disputes. Investment funds, reserved AIFs, share classes, fair treatment, seniority privilege, minimum interest privilege, non-contagion principle, preferential treatment, shift of wealth

For a long time, services were considered non-tradable in the literature of international economics. However, the sector has emerged with profound importance on the basis of strong underpinnings. Technological advancement, financial constraints and limited options, and regulatory changes have greatly expanded the range and scope of trade in services especially in the context of increasing share of knowledge intensive products at the world market. Services now account for a substantial and rising share of output and employment in the economy of Pakistan and its trading partners. However, it is argued that the growing share of services in the economy of Pakistan and its trading partners has not translated into a significant increased share in their over-all trade. Pakistan is heading towards liberalisation of trade in services through unilateral, bilateral, multi-lateral agreements under the broad framework of WTO. Recently, in the wake of trade liberalisation in EBOPS services among Pakistan‘s trading partners; Pakistan has received request lists from its trading partners in the context of national treatment and market access under four modes of cross-border supply of WTO framework. In this regard, the opportunities as well as risks associated with trade liberalisation depend primarily on the relative competitiveness among the trading partners. It is, therefore, essential for the policy makers to design such a trade policy which not only helps in promoting domestic services industries but also open up new opportunities of employment generation and economic growth and development with a guarantee of peace and stability within and across its neighbouring countries. In this connection, this research paper develops a strategic framework of liberalising trade in services in 12 categories of services with 26 partner countries of Pakistan using various economics tools (RCAI, TII, TCI, TBI) and econometric models and techniques (OLS, PLS, 2SLS) by using panel data on annual and quarterly frequencies. JEL classifications: C52, C63, C87, F1, F13, F14, L8, F15, O24 Keywords: Trade in Services, Growth and Development, Trade Potential through Two Stage Least Square with Cross-section Fixed Effect Model by Using Panel Data, Trade Intensity Indices (TII), Trade Complementarity Indices (TCI), Trade Biased Indices (TBI), Revealed Comparative Advantage Indices (RCAI), Determinants of RCAI Using Pooled Least Square Method (PLS), Price and Income Elasticities Using Ordinary Least Square Method (OLS),

(1) Background: Water security is at the front and center of climate change, human security, and sustainable development in regions and communities with competing water usage contexts, climate change effects, and cross-border water-sharing agreements, resulting in conflicts arising. Shared water agreements are affected by geopolitics, segregation, water availability, and access rights. Climate change can worsen water problems by changing precipitation trends or causing droughts. (2) Methods: Document and content analysis and primary and secondary data assessment were used to develop spatio-temporal patterns. In establishing a water security narrative for the region, the selection of SDG 6 (water) and SDG 13 (climate action) targets and indicators was also evaluated. UN-Water’s 2013 water security conceptual framework was used to examine water and climate security concerns and give a set of principles to assess gaps and fulfill needs toward a ‘water security future’ for communities and states in the region. Also, hydro-political perspectives in the region or state were evaluated using discourse analysis and guiding notes from emerging scholarship to support suggestions and prospective solutions toward mitigating water insecurity and risks from climate change and disasters, including resource (water) related conflicts. (3) Results: Hydro-hegemony keeps the water sector in one state under massive stress, and the lack of consensus-building for the regional water agenda continues to breed conflicts between communities and states. (4) Conclusions: We reiterate that the escalating water and climate crises will deepen, and at the national and local scale for OPT, the restrictions and geopolitical tensions about shared waters can render coping and adaptation mechanisms for people and stakeholders challenging.

AbstractFor many years now, there has been an attempt in the European Union to create a common legal framework for mortgage credit contracts and cross-border activities in the mortgage financial sector. One of the greatest challenges has been the establishment of a corresponding level of consumer protection in EU residential mortgage markets. This issue has become particularly important at the time of financial crisis. Consumers are increasingly exposed to the risk of losing their homes because of failing to fulfil, in due time, their obligations arising from mortgage loans, and thus losing confidence in the EU financial sector. Therefore, the European Union has intensified its efforts to improve consumers’ ability to inform themselves of the potential risks when entering into mortgage loans and mortgaging their real property. On 4 February 2014 the EU adopted the new rules on mortgage credits in the Mortgage Credit Directive. The main objective of the Directive is to increase the protection of consumers in EU mortgage markets from the risks of defaults and foreclosures. A higher level of protection must be ensured by consumers’ increased information capacity related to mortgage credits, as well as by developing a responsible mortgage lending practice across the EU. The Mortgage Credit Directive is also aimed at contributing to the gradual establishment of a single internal market for mortgage credits. In this chapter, the author analyses previous and current attempts by the EU to establish a uniform market of mortgage loans, and assesses the possible impact of the Mortgage Credit Directive on the protection of consumers in the market of mortgage credits and on the development of cross-border activities in the mortgage financial sector. Special emphasis is placed on the possible impact of the new EU rules on mortgages on national protection measures aimed at consumer protection at the time of financial crisis. The transposition of the Mortgage Credit Directive will undoubtedly contribute to a higher level of consumer protection when consumers enter into home loan contracts. However, the question arises whether, because of different levels of harmonisation of some rules laid down in the Directive, its implementation will actually contribute to an increase in cross-border home loans. The possibility for Member States to opt for increased consumer protection in some aspects of credit agreements when implementing the Directive, or the existence of different options for the exercise of individual rights that they may use cannot bring about an integration of mortgage credit markets.

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to assess the impact of China’s trade agreement and foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to Nigeria with special reference to the manufacturing sector utilizing the following key economic performance indicators: inflation, unemployment, income and gross domestic product, to name a few. Since the turn of the millennium, China has enjoyed a substantial presence in the African continent. In fact, the country has signed bilateral agreements with Angola, South Africa and Sudan to name a few. Recently, China established its West African trade hub in Lagos, the economic capital of Nigeria, to be strategically positioned. The results of the study revealed conclusively that although China’s investments over the years have benefited the Nigerian economy and its various firms in the manufacturing sector, the agreement signed by both countries ultimately needs to be reexamined to ensure equity. Design/methodology/approach – To thoroughly analyze the effects of China’s investments in Nigeria, this study was carried out in two phases. The first analysis of this study is anchored on a “before/after” framework based on descriptive statistical analysis of the selected economic performance indicators chosen from selected cross-national data. Accordingly, the time frame for this study runs from 1993-2012 which roughly corresponds to the era when China commenced significant investments in Nigeria. Second, employees, policymakers and individuals in the manufacturing/textile industries were interviewed. Furthermore, participation from federal as well as local government agency staff members was solicited using the Delphi technique. Findings – Empirically, the results conclusively reveal China’s dominance in the manufacturing and textile sectors in Nigeria. In other words, at face value, China’s investments are ultimately good for the Nigerian economy. However, at a micro-level analysis, the researcher examined the human factor, that is, the families of former and current employees, abandoned businesses/factories and a decaying textile industry that was once vibrant. Originality/value – To the knowledge of the researcher, this is the first study attempting to assess the impact of the rise of China on the Nigerian economy by combining key economic performance indicator in tandem with face-to-face interviews and the Delphi technique.

PURPOSE: The management of cross-border natural resources has been the focus of research in different disciplines. Nonetheless, beyond theoretical insights, empirical evidence of successful cross-border management or governance of natural resources is still limited, even in the European Union (EU), where a range of instruments are provided to foster cross-border cooperation between its Member States. This is where our paper departs, providing evidence from an example of cross-border cooperation between two Member States of the EU, Austria, and Slovenia, adding to the analytical framework to identify the drivers of successful cross-border cooperation. METHODOLOGY: Drawing from the example of the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) Geopark Karawanken we evaluate the success factors and limits for transboundary cooperation encompassing different forms of cooperation. Furthermore, based on empirical evidence of workshops with local, regional, and national stakeholders, we investigate the potential of the EGTC organizational framework to provide for the successful cross-border management of water resources within the Geopark area. FINDINGS: Our analysis of project bundles, joint ventures/consortia, and EGTCs as possible forms of transboundary cooperation indicates that EGTCs have various advantages over looser forms of cooperation. Higher operational costs for the organization are contrasted by enhanced governance of transboundary activities, in accordance with legal frameworks and representation on both sides of the border. This increases acceptance and facilitates decision-making. Furthermore, it increases the potential for receiving funds in accordance with planned activities and regional requirements, while decreasing the individual financial risk for partners. The genesis of the Karawanken/Karavanke UNESCO Global Geopark (Geopark Karawanken) indicates that looser forms of organization, for instance, project bundles, enable stakeholders to get to know each other without great institutional effort. In the course of increasing integration, the organizational form can be more complex. The experience in developing transboundary, water management instruments shows that even in a more sophisticated form of cooperation like an EGTC, there are remaining obstacles in managing transboundary natural resources. Obstacles result from e.g., national laws and regulations, data standards, monitoring techniques, and soft factors such as language barriers. IMPLICATIONS: The example of the Geopark Karawanken shows that cross-border public authorities can be significantly supported with the introduction of an EGTC. Still, an EGTC tends to exclude private companies or societal actors because they cannot be active members of the Board. Exploring further options for closer integration of the private sector in Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) models may be useful to maintain the opportunity to include much-needed private skills and resources. The experience of the Geopark Karawanken suggests that EGTCs can and will be a significant form of organization in Europe for a number of activities, for example, in the field of cross-border resources, cross-border protected areas, or cross-border predicate regions. This will support the achievement of the goals of EU programs to face the climate and biodiversity crises through transnational agreements, e.g., the Green Deal or the Biodiversity Strategy. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: This article provides a concise overview on transnational water resource management in the European Union in the context of an EGTC, and raises points for practitioners about potential challenges for the successful introduction of an EGTC. While the analysis of common experiences of various EGTCs could lead to the development of a European standard and guideline for the successful foundation of this territorial cohesion tool, this paper provides the first step, paving the road for future research.

Background: Staff retention has always been a significant concern as well as a challenge for all sectors of organizations. This work aims to identify the major factors that serve as determinants of staff retention, specifically in the hotel industry. The work has been solely guided to establish a conceptual framework that could be used for the systematic and objective investigations to be initiated in the future in this particular sector of the specialized economy. Methodology: Since this study is entirely thematic desk research-based, the present scribe has used exploratory research by comprehending different influencing factors of staff retention that were assessed through the review of various lead articles, policy guidelines, related published research reports, conceptual perspectives available in other sources, and institutional best practices in the global arena. Results: The overall findings of the study reveal that the factors including the prevalence of two-way communication, style and quality of leadership, autonomy at the job, motivation level, involvement at work, organizational support, performance management, work-life balance, level of involvement in decision-making, career growth opportunity, availability of training and development opportunities, organizational culture, valuable inputs and constructive feedbacks, trade union and employer agreements, staff recruited from employment agencies and compensation package serve instrumental in the retention of staff. Additionally, this work has established the staff perceived level of glamour and lifestyle, job prestige, social recognition, and opportunity for learning and growth as the industry matched valences. Conclusions: The study concludes that in addition to several conventional factors affecting staff retention in different sectors, the tradition of scientific inquiry in the hotel industry should also focus on exploration of the shared impact of more innovative constructs, including state of glamour and lifestyle, social recognition, personal branding, opportunities for cross-cultural learning. Implications: The present work would serve as instrumental for the new generation of researchers to craft more innovative and suitable research areas with a balance of constructs to be observed. Similarly, this work establishes a stock of resources to be used in the academic discourses aimed at exploring determinants of staff retention with a specific focus on the hospitality industry, particularly the hotel sector. Also, the management in the respective industry may find suitable ways forward to adjust their organizational process climate and culture to retain the valuable staff.

The relationship between China and Taiwan since separating in 1949 continues to fluctuate, particularly with the One China Policy. However, despite the political tension between the two, they have close bilateral economic ties relations, where China is Taiwan's largest trading partner. China and Taiwan signed an agreement entitled "Cross-Straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement" (ECFA) in 2010. The ECFA challenges Taiwan's agricultural sector. This paper evaluates how the Taiwanese government response to boost the competitiveness of their agricultural exports through three channels: 1) foreign policies, 2) trade regulations, and 3) supports to domestic firms.

In New Zealand the Clark Labour government (1999-2008) advocated entering into a compact with the country’s community and voluntary sector. However, owing in part to the reticence of New Zealand’s national umbrella organisations, a bilateral framework agreement between government and the sector was never formalised. It was not until May 2011 that a framework document – Kia Tūtahi Standing Together: The Relationship Accord between the Communities of Aotearoa New Zealand and the Government of New Zealand – was ratified by the National Party government led by Prime Minister, John Key, thus marking the culmination of a decade-long national discussion. This paper charts that policy journey and highlights the importance of key political events and the ways in which key policy actors exploited the windows of policy opportunity associated with those events.

Urgency of the research. The agricultural sector is an important component of the economy of Volyn region. However, at this stage of development in the industry there are several key problems to be resolved in the future. Target setting. Despite the fact that Volyn region occupies a special place in the geostrategic context of social and economic and political development of Ukraine, as the region is geographically bordered by two European countries, in our view, this opens up significant prospects of development of the analyzed sector of agriculture in Volyn, particularly in the framework of the signed Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU. Actual scientific researches and issues analysis. Agricultural Economics were studied in the works of B. Gldych, M. Berdar, O. Borodina, A. Bulatova, S. Pysarenko, V. Zbarski, V. Matsybora. Clusterization processes, including in the agricultural sector, were studied in the works M. Porter, E. Fezer, H. Swon. Uninvestigated parts of general matters defining. However, actual remains the problem of the study of the prospects of agriculture in the country as a whole and at the local level, taking into account regional peculiarities and possibilities of cross-border cooperation, increase exports of agricultural products to the EU. The research objective is analysis of the status and prospects of development of the agricultural sector of the Volyn region, considering the possibility of such a development due to the deepening of cooperation of our country with the EU, namely the current Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU. The statement of basic materials. The article analyzes the main indicators of agriculture in the region, including indices in agricultural production. The problems of agricultural exports to the EU. It was found opportunities on increasing exports of agricultural market within the region signed the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU. Conclusions. Considering that the EU has unilaterally cut the export duties, on condition of passing the appropriate certification, we believe that the region will be able to increase exports of agricultural product to the EU that provides significant opportunities for the development of agricultural enterprises in the region.

BackgroundBy 2010 English health policy-makers had concluded that the main NHS commissioners [primary care trusts (PCTs)] did not sufficiently control provider costs and performance. After the 2010 general election, they decided to replace PCTs with general practitioner (GP)-controlled Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). Health-care commissioners have six main media of power for exercising control over providers, which can be used in different combinations (‘modes of commissioning’).ObjectivesTo: elicit the programme theory of NHS commissioning policy and empirically test its assumptions; explain what shaped NHS commissioning structures; examine how far current commissioning practice allowed commissioners to exercise governance over providers; examine how commissioning practices differ in different types of commissioning organisation and for specific care groups; and explain what factors influenced commissioning practice and the relationships between commissioners and providers.DesignMixed-methods realistic evaluation, comprising: Leximancer and cognitive frame analyses of policy statements to elicit the programme theory of NHS commissioning policy; exploratory cross-sectional analysis of publicly available managerial data about PCTs; systematic comparison of case studies of commissioning in four English sites – including commissioning for older people at risk of unplanned hospital admission; mental health; public health; and planned orthopaedic surgery – and of English NHS commissioning practice with that of a German sick-fund and an Italian region (Lombardy); action learning sets, to validate the findings and draw out practical implications; and two framework analyses synthesising the findings and testing the programme theory empirically.ResultsIn the four English case study sites, CCGs were formed by recycling former commissioning structures, relying on and maintaining the existing GP commissioning leaderships. The stability of distributed commissioning depended on the convergence of commissioners’ interests. Joint NHS and local government commissioning was more co-ordinated at strategic than operational level. NHS providers’ responsiveness to commissioners reflected how far their interests converged, but also providers’ own internal ability to implement agreements. Commissioning for mental health services and to prevent recurrent unplanned hospital readmissions relied more on local ‘micro-commissioning’ (collaborative care pathway design) than on competition. Service commissioning was irrelevant to intersectoral health promotion, but not clinical prevention work. On balance, the possibility of competition did not affect service outcomes in the ways that English NHS commissioning policies assumed. ‘Commodified’ planned orthopaedic surgery most lent itself to provider competition. In all three countries, tariff payments increased provider activity and commissioners’ costs. To contain costs, commissioners bundled tariff payments into blocks, agreed prospective case loads with providers and paid below-tariff rates for additional cases. Managerial performance, negotiated order and discursive control were the predominant media of power used by English, German and Italian commissioners.ConclusionsCommissioning practice worked in certain respects differently from what NHS commissioning policy assumed. It was often laborious and uncertain. In the four English case study sites financial and ‘real-side’ contract negotiations were partly decoupled, clinician involvement being least on the financial side. Tariff systems weakened commissioners’ capacity to choose providers and control costs. Commissioners adapted the systems to solve this problem. Our findings suggest a need for further research into whether or not differently owned providers (corporate, third sector, public, professional partnership, etc.) respond differently to health-care commissioners and, if so, what specific implications for commissioning practice follow. They also suggest that further work is needed to assess how commissioning practices impact on health system integration when care pathways have to be constructed across multiple providers that must tender competitively for work, perhaps against each other.FundingThe National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme.

Today's world is far different from what it used to be few decades ago. As knowledge becomes more important, so does higher education. In World Trade Organisation (WTO), the objective of General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) was to establish a multilateral framework for services similar to trade in goods involving reduction in tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade. GATS covered all the four modes of supply, i.e. cross-border supply, consumption abroad, commercial presence and presence of natural persons. Out of the twelve basic and miscellaneous service sectors identified under GATS schedules, educational services constitute an important sector. The major challenge of all education is to develop an efficient and pro-active quality oriented education system, which fine-tunes itself regularly to meet the changing demand of WTO. Thus India must realise the impending threats of trade in education and try to convert these into opportunities. With many more countries waiting to tap this lucrative sector, India has to take the lead on behalf of the developing countries by using WTO as the forum and a worldclass education sector as the weapon to demand its due share of the colossal education market.

Abstract Cross-border cooperation on the island of Ireland has a long history, if often a limited scope. The emergence of statutory North/South bodies after the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement of 1998 added a new dynamic. This paper argues that the further development of the Dublin–Belfast Economic Corridor will require key stakeholders to engage widely, not only with a private sector whose rationale will be greater levels of commercial activity along the Corridor but also with others who will bring additional agendas into discussion, including sustainability and quality of life. Political engagement will also be critical to ensure that the top-down support, in terms of investment and alignment with other policy priorities, is present. The framework for this collaboration is already in place, something that was absent in the 1990s. Actors and policy entrepreneurs who can bring together the different types of engagement on a cross-border basis are required.

Research aims: This paper undertakes a cross-country comparative analysis of corporate governance of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in South Africa and Singapore, two countries using two different models for organising SOEs, with specific reference to agreement with the themes identified in the World Bank’s Framework for good Corporate Governance practices for SOEs. The aim of this paper is to identify differences and similarities in practice and to document how the states have fared using different models.Design/Methodology/Approach: The paper deploys a pragmatic mixed methods approach conducted in two phases, to understand the practices utilised by South African and Singaporean SOEs. The data emerging from these two phases, were compared to the Framework for good Corporate Governance practices for SOEs issued by the World Bank.Research findings: Findings suggest although South African SOEs have good corporate governance practices in place, Singaporean SOEs are better organised and governed compared with South African SOEsTheoretical contribution/Originality: This paper contributes to the scholarly discourse on SOEs in by expanding the discourse on public sector entrepreneurship and opening up new debates and research areas corporate governance of SOEs.

The UN climate regime has served as the focal point for interstate cooperation on climate change in the political and legal domains for the last twenty-six years. However, since the lead-up to the Paris Agreement, the regime’s interstate elements have been complemented by an evolving transnational sphere of governance in which sub-national and non-state actors engage in voluntary cross-border initiatives. These initiatives serve two key functions: first, they facilitate and implement climate action at the sub-national level and in the private sector, and second, they promote transnational normative frameworks which require members to take active steps to address climate change. This article describes how the UN climate regime has developed to recognize transnational climate governance initiatives, and it reflects on the implications of this development for legal scholarship on international climate change law.

The article discloses the importance of cross-border cooperation of Ukrainian rural areas in the context of convergence-integration processes in Ukraine in the context of the European vector of development of foreign economic relations. The regulatory framework and peculiarities of such cooperation are analyzed on the example of Zakarpatska Oblast. The means of increasing the efficiency of cooperation in order to deepen and develop the cross-border economic ties are proposed. Modern European countries are in a state of constant integration changes due to globalization and great interdependence, especially in the economic sense. Thus, cross-border cooperation is an important component of convergence processes, which largely shapes the agenda of European integration of our country. Ukraine has significant potential in the agricultural sector, cooperation with European neighbors in rural areas and agricultural districts deserves attention and a detailed study. In addition, a qualitatively new cross-border zone with the Member States of the European Union is being formed. Therefore, it is considered expedient to research the processes of interpenetration and integration of Ukrainian rural areas next to the State border. Recently, Ukraine has been distributing and implementing initiatives and projects aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s relations with neighboring countries, in particular with the European Union. To promote such cooperation in the border areas, the formation of appropriate infrastructure has begun, which is an important element for the successful implementation of the planned projects. The Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union provides for a wide range of opportunities for the modernization of regional policy, the implementation of cross-border cooperation and the development of rural areas. At the same time, the integration and convergence of border rural areas is the key to strengthening trade, economic and other relations between the countries.

Electronic Government (e-government) is growing in popularity across the globe. Given the increasing relevance of electronic services in the public sector, there is a need for a global agreement on a consistent framework for assessing e-government. This study uses a cross-cultural comparison to assess the fundamentals of e-government adoption in the United States (USA) and Spain. In particular, the authors explore the effects of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, compatibility and trust on intentions to use e-government services. A survey was administered to citizens in both countries to test the hypotheses derived from adoption literature and Hofstede's dimensions of culture. Results indicate that there are differences in the relationship between compatibility and use intention, with stronger effects in the USA sample. Furthermore, while perceived ease of use significantly impacts intentions for the USA sample, it does not for the Spain sample; and, while trust is not significant in the USA sample, it is for the Spain sample. The implications of these results, mostly consistent with the hypotheses as suggested by the dimensions of culture, are discussed for both research and practice.

Realizing the economic importance of SMEs in the context of service-related industry, Malaysian government’s commitment for service SMEs were reinforced especially in the internationalization of service SME in Malaysia; post GATS (General Agreement on Trade in Services) & AFAS (Asean Framework Agreement on Services Agreement). One of the liberalization preparation is to explore market access opportunities abroad through partnerships. Generally, this research is to establish the relationship of network capital determinants namely access to resources and knowledge, access to market opportunites and collaboration that can accelerate the degree of internationalization of service SMEs in Malaysia. It also seeks to establish that the network capital moderated by the Internet-enabled environment will accelerate the internationalization of service SMEs. A cross-sectional design was deployed together with survey method of data collection and systematic random sampling technique were utilized. The population of this study is 1,500 export-ready SMEs in the Malaysia`s service sector and was obtained from the SME business directory. The study postulated and tested 7 hypotheses. Based on the outcome, all the direct hypotheses, namely; H1, H2, H3 and H4 were supported. Based on the results, all the independent variables have t-value ≥ 1.645, significant at 0.05. Specifically, access to resources and knowledge (β = 0.477, p˂ 0.01), access to market opportunities (β = 0.241, p˂ 0.01), business collaboration (β = 0.148, p˂ 0.01) and internet-enabled environment (β = 0.159, p˂ 0.01) have positive influence on the degree of internationalization. Thus, H1, H2, H3 and H4 are supported. Access to resources and knowledge has the largest effect in producing the R2 for the degree of internationalization. While, the effect of other 2 predicting variables namely; access to market opportunities and business collaboration, as well as the moderating variable, internet-enabled environment is small in producing the R2 for the degree of internationalization.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to challenge the assumptions prominent in the Anglo-American context that the objective of a business is to increase its profits and that managers have to make “the business case” to implement environmentally sounder solutions or other sustainability considerations into their business decisions. The paper argues that these assumptions are not presented as a human construction or agreement, instead they are treated as though they are a given, a prerequisite to a business system. By comparing qualitative statements in a cross-cultural study, the paper highlights different ways in which economic rationality could be conceptualised. Design/methodology/approach – Habermas’ (1984) framework of instrumental and communicative reason has been used to analyse the accounts of German and British managers in the Food Retail and Energy Sector. Findings – Only the British managers “make the business case” when dealing with environmental problems. German managers use a different instrumental reason from that applied by British managers; they would argue that cost-intensive environmental improvements can be made as long as the survival of the company is not at risk. Practical implications – The study challenges the perceived objectiveness of the “business case”, which has strong implications for the theoretical and practical application of Business Administration in the British context and beyond. Furthermore the paper suggests that new conceptualisations of “economic rationality” might help to better solve sustainability challenges. Originality/value – Practical application of Habermas framework to question underlying assumptions in the business discourse about environmental issues.

Since 2010, mining companies have requested permission for the destruction of over 463 Aboriginal heritage sites. Recent high-profile events have profoundly impacted culturally significant Indigenous sites, and mining companies are under intense pressure to demonstrate greater sensitivity in their relationships with stakeholders. The Australian Disputes Centre uses several case studies to explore how the upstream petroleum industry can leverage current interdisciplinary research to engage with Indigenous communities more effectively, both nationally and internationally. Interest-based negotiation frameworks are considered as actionable mechanisms that are as applicable in day-to-day business operations as they are in supporting consistent, culturally-sensitive stakeholder agreements. The application of a range of communication strategies and skills to harness intersectional decision-making is reviewed, and asks the extent to which engagement with external stakeholders reflects internal corporate culture. Obtaining and retaining a social licence to operate is top of mind for all resource companies, but it does not come without a congruent culture of principled negotiation. This study considers the emerging challenges within the sector, including how to empower all parties to negotiate more fulsome outcomes. Using various case studies, including one involving the conservation of submerged Indigenous heritage, an holistic, interdisciplinary methodology for managing cross-cultural sensitivities while companies undertake technical investigations, liaise with archaeological and ethnographic experts and negotiate with local community leaders has been reviewed. Clearly, inclusive communication is just the beginning.

Стремительное изменение климата из-за огромных выбросов парникового газа вынудило правительства многих стран мира всерьез заняться этой проблемой. Разработки национальных стратегий призваны решить данную проблему и построить новую, безуглеродную экономическую систему, но на данный момент их недостаточно. Европейским Союзом было принято решение дополнить свою стратегию развития заключением дополнительного соглашения «Зеленая сделка», в рамках которой летом 2021 года было принято решение о введении нового механизма углеродного регулирования границ, основой функционирования которого стал трансграничный углеродный налог. Введение данного налога отразится на промышленном секторе российской экономики. В связи с этим возникает необходимость в качественной и количественной оценке влияния данного налога на российскую экономику. Worldwide climate change due to huge greenhouse gas emissions has forced the governments of many countries of the world to solve this problem. The development of national strategies supposed to solve this problem and build a new carbon-free economic system, but now they are not enough. The European Union decided to supplement its development strategy. Conclude an additional agreement “Green Deal”. Within the framework of which, in the summer of 2021, was introduced a new mechanism for carbon regulation of borders. The basis of the functioning of which was the cross-border carbon tax. The introduction of this tax will eff ect on industrial sector of the Russian economy. In this connection, there is a need for a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the impact of this tax on our economy.

This paper presents an econometric, recursive dynamic, partial equilibrium multi-commodity model for the Finnish agricultural sector developed within the AG-MEMOD modelling framework, a joint endeavour by several European research institutes. The objective of the AGMEMOD project is to build and validate an econometric model of the whole EU agricultural sector for projection and policy simulation purposes. The building blocks of the AGMEMOD model are the national policy models. The specific aim of the Finnish modelling project was to build a country model on a common format so that it would link-up to provide an integrated model for the whole EU. The different commodities in the model are linked together through cross-price effects in supply and demand equations and the price transmission equations that link domestic prices with EU prices. The responsiveness of the model to policy changes is demonstrated by comparing the results of different policy scenarios with that of the baseline scenario, i.e. continuation of the Agenda 2000 agricultural policy. The policy scenario examined in the paper is the CAP reform approved at the EU Agricultural Council in Luxembourg in 2003. The main impacts of the CAP reform in Finland can be summarised as follows. Changes in crop sector are moderate. As regards to milk, the results indicate that the additional 10 percent cut in intervention price of butter beyond the Agenda 2000 agreement is estimated to reduce milk producer price by 4 percent and total milk production by 6 percent relative to the baseline. The impact in the beef production is expected to be dominated by the developments on the dairy sector. Beef output will decline progressively to stand at around 6 percent below the baseline levels by 2010. Lower beef availability in the EU will trigger a rise in EU producer prices of some 6.5 percent and result a 3 percent higher producer price in Finland at the end of the simulation period compared to the baseline. Though the broad patterns of reactions to agricultural policy reform are fairly predictable, the specific details are not so. In particular, when several geographic markets simultaneously change the policy, the impact of policy reform depends not only on domestic price elasticities, but also on the transmission of domestic production and consumption adjustments to the other countries’ markets for that commodity, and the feedback effects between market prices and production and consumption decisions in the group of countries pursuing policy reform. It is also highly promising that the findings are consistent with the other studies on the impacts of CAP reform on Finnish agriculture. Thus although there remains substantial scope for further research on the model (improving the estimation and specification of the sub-models), the model offers considerable potential for application even without additional development.

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: The use of digital practices and approaches can potentially increase the quality and efficiency of all phases of the traditional clinical translational research (CTR) process. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe key stakeholders’ perspectives on the need to: (A) formalize training in digital practices and approaches among CTR trainees; and (B) develop an aligned educational framework that defines core competencies, educational methods, and evaluation metrics. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Participants (n=66) were recruited via email from June to November 2017 using purposive and snowball sampling methods across 4 groups: (1) English speaking national and international experts from academic and private sector institutions with working experience in using digital practices and approaches in research (n=36), (2) CTR educators (n=8), (3) CTR trainees (n=13), and (4) Members of the Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute at the University of Southern California (n=9). Online focus groups were conducted using a semi-structured, open-ended interview guide through Google Hangouts and a conference call interface. Sessions were recorded and transcribed verbatim, and 2 research team members performed independent content analyses to identify before and emergent themes using an inductive analytic approach. Kappa was calculated for inter-rater agreement and repeated until agreement was at least 0.70. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Participants’ average age (41.2 yrs, SD 9.26), gender (59% females), non-Hispanic (97%), race (72% White), and doctoral degree (67%). In total, 85% reported experience in teaching digital practices and approaches in research, although 70% were currently not teaching in this field. Participants reported that complementary teaching in digital practices and approaches across the 15 Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) CTR competency areas was relevant, especially in literature review, research implementation, statistical approaches, biomedical informatics, regulatory support, responsible conduct of research, scientific communication, translational teamwork, cross-disciplinary training, leadership, and community engagement; and less so in literature critique, study design, sources of error, and cultural diversity. Additional competencies were identified, for example, online study recruitment, crowdfunding, team and project management, scholarly impact metrics (Altmetrics), ethical and regulatory guidance for conducting research using digital approaches. Five main educational practices were identified including online training sessions, flexible on-demand modules, in-person consultations and training, and project-oriented hands-on workshops. Among the identified challenges were the need for clear metrics in order to evaluate such a training program. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: There was consistent support for a structured program to help CTR trainees to develop competency in digital research practices and approaches. Our results indicate that an education program focused on digital practices and approaches should include a step-wise approach to meet different research and training goals, allowing attendees to increase their awareness and specialized hands-on practical experience.

Background Champions are widely recognized as playing a key role in the successful implementation of evidence-based interventions within the health care sector; however, little is known about which characteristics and skills enable them to play that role. Furthermore, previous studies have measured only individual champions’ responses to personal attributes without incorporating input from other observers. A mixed-methods study was conducted to identify, analyze, and group the behaviors and characteristics of champions who have successfully promoted the adoption of new initiatives within the health care delivery system, taking into consideration self and peer perspectives. Methods Using a mixed-methods, cross-sectional triangulation design with a convergence model, quantitative data were collected and analyzed from health care champions (n = 30) and their colleagues (n = 58) from 11 countries using a survey. Every champion and a subset of colleagues (n = 14) also participated in in-depth interviews. Descriptive statistics were used to explore the relationship between champion and colleague responses to survey items; chi-squared tests and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to compare the differences. Thematic content analysis of qualitative data was used to explore champion-like behaviors and features. Characteristics of champions were categorized using the Transformational Leadership Theory framework. Results Champions exhibited characteristics that facilitated trust and encouraged motivation among their colleagues to adopt innovations, such as being intrinsically motivated, persistent, enthusiastic, and highly effective communicators. Champions were described by their colleagues as empathetic, curious, physically present, approachable, and often soliciting feedback from others. Although there was a high degree of agreement between champion and colleague survey responses, champions were more likely to underrate their skills and abilities to instigate change compared to their colleagues. Conclusion Both champions and colleagues described key champion-like characteristics, but champions often downplayed the characteristics and behaviors that make champions uniquely effective at facilitating the adoption of evidence-based interventions. Plan language abstract Health care champions are people who promote the adoption of new initiatives to improve the quality of patient care among their colleagues within health care settings. Champions are often viewed by organizational leaders and researchers as critical for the successful implementation of new ideas; however, little is known about what specific skills or characteristics make them effective at promoting the adoption of new ideas among their colleagues. Most studies on champions’ behaviors have only included the perspectives of champions, and not perspectives from others within the organization. The goal of our study was to not only explore champions’ perspectives of themselves, but also the views of champions’ colleagues to understand why and how champions motivated and influenced their colleagues to try new things. Findings from this study could lead to more accurate identification of health care champions, which in turn could lead to more efficient and effective adoption of new initiatives to improve the quality of patient care.

This paper is one in a series of follow-up papers on The Fund’s Mandate—An Overview and The Fund’s Mandate—The Legal Framework discussed by the Executive Board on February 22, 2010. This paper proposes ideas to modernize the mandate and modalities of surveillance. It addresses how the Fund might increase the value of its surveillance by considering both the substance of surveillance (what it should do) and its modalities (how to do it). The main ideas focus on how the Fund can do more—and more sharply defined—multilateral surveillance, generate greater value and traction from bilateral surveillance, and integrate the two better. Options to buttress multilateral surveillance include doing more analysis of outward spillovers, holding multilateral consultations as needed on special topics to foster collaboration and collective action, and strengthening financial sector surveillance by mapping interconnectedness across borders and sectors and the transmission channels of macro-financial instability. The adoption of Multilateral Surveillance Decision could help support these ideas. Options to increase the value and traction of bilateral surveillance include promoting better cross-country understanding, with more thematic multi-country reports, producing more timely and topical reports, and increasing outreach and engagement with stakeholders.

PurposeDue to the young age of proptech, little is known about the dynamics of its expansion. In particular, there is limited agreement about a definition of “proptech,” while different categorizations are popping up. A severe lack of information emerges for the proptech scenario in Italy. The goal of this paper is to systematize multiple proptech maps in the attempt to create a framework for comparison of country-specific trends and an overarching definition of proptech. The research examines the evolutionary stage of the Italian digital real estate sector and compares it to the international context.Design/methodology/approachAn in-depth analysis of 12 proptech maps at both national and international level was conducted based on online research. A list of Italian proptech companies was composed through multiple methods. A map was built for a cross-country comparison.FindingsEach country or organization tends to develop its own categorization. This creates a multifaceted context where comparison and analysis are challenging. The Italian proptech sector seems underdeveloped compared to neighboring countries. Big room for improving the proptech business in this country still exists.Practical implicationsThe results are valuable for proptech start-ups, business investors and well-established real estate actors to build on new entrepreneurial initiatives. The opportunity to advance proptech mapping and categorization emerges as a prospect for future research.Originality/valueThis research adds an overview of cross-country proptech categories and proposes the first analysis of Italian proptech. This will contribute to support entrepreneurial opportunities.

Agriculture is both highly sensitive to climate change and a major global emitter of greenhouse gases (GHG). With growing international pressure to curb global emissions through the 2015 Paris Agreement and mounting climate change-related losses in agriculture, countries are in need of an increasingly robust agricultural policy framework. This paper takes an in-depth look at the agricultural sector in Viet Nam, contributing to a better understanding of the main bottlenecks in implementing the Paris Agreement, evaluating the relevance and impact of selected barriers for the implementation of current climate policies and their implications for nationally determined contribution (NDC) design. To address these questions, an exploratory mixed method approach was employed: (i) identifying and mapping key policies, (ii) reviewing global literature sources on barriers, (iii) conducting stakeholder interviews (n = 25), and (iv) follow-up quantitative surveys (n = 16). The interviews revealed numerous barriers within Viet Nam's institutional setting that acted to impede the creation and implementation of climate policy. As seen in other countries, insufficient inter-ministry collaboration and information sharing restricted the overall success of climate policy, with poor representation of non-lead ministries in drafting and inadequate channels for bottom-up engagement also considered major constraints. These coupled with gaps in financing make for fragmented policies that often lack clear implementation guidelines, particularly at a local level. The NDC process presents an opportunity for Viet Nam to coordinate their cross-sector climate response around a single international agreement, facilitating greater inter-ministry information and data sharing, while utilizing the technical and financial support provided through international partners to build capacity in this vital area.

Abstract Objective Cancer supportive care comprises an integrative field of multidisciplinary services necessary for people affected by cancer to manage the impact of their disease and treatment and achieve optimal health outcomes. The concept of supportive care, largely driven by Margaret Fitch’s seminal supportive care framework, was developed with the intent to provide health service planners with a conceptual platform to plan and deliver services. However, over time, this concept has been eroded, impacting implementation and practice of supportive care. This study therefore aimed to examine expert contemporary views of supportive care with the view to refocusing the definition and conceptual framework of cancer supportive care to enhance relevance to present-day cancer care. Methods A two-round online modified reactive Delphi survey was employed to achieve consensus regarding terminology to develop a contemporary conceptual framework. A listing of relevant cancer supportive care terms identified through a scoping review were presented for assessment by experts. Terms that achieved ≥ 75% expert agreement as ‘necessary’ were then assessed using Theory of Change (ToC) to develop consensus statements and a conceptual framework. Results A total of 55 experts in cancer control with experience in developing, advising on, delivering, or receiving supportive care in cancer took part in the Delphi surveys. Expert consensus assessed current terminology via Delphi round 1, with 124 terms deemed relevant and ‘necessary’ per pre-specified criteria. ToC was applied to consensus terms to develop three key statements of definition, and a comprehensive conceptual framework, which were presented for expert consensus review in Delphi round 2. Conclusion Finalised definitions and conceptual framework are strongly aligned with relevant international policy and advocacy documents, and strengthen focus on early identification, timely intervention, multidisciplinary collaboration, and end-to-end, cross-sector, cancer supportive care.

The world has come to terms with the alarming impacts of climate change, and their costs which are both monetary, and non-monetary. Increasing emissions and their global warming bearings, have resulted in disequilibrium of the climate system, and the associated ecosystems. This makes mitigation (low carbon strategies) to be essential. With the current world being on a high carbon trajectory, there is need for transition. A move in the energy sector (away from fossil fuel intensity), building the right financial investments, transitions in the planning (e.g. transform market systems for sustainability), policies and livelihood choices that acknowledge limits to planetary provisions, and, to safeguard humanity. The planet is on an increasingly unfamiliar trajectory, hence uncertainty to support lives as before. However, COP26 and the IPCC 2021 report indicated shortfalls in mitigation ambitions, which are needed to bring the planet back on track. Emissions need to be cut, to realise the Paris Agreement objectives, as well as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as climate change has far-reaching negative impacts, due to its cross-cutting nature. There are data gaps on the costs of current climate change i.e. the mitigation and adaptation costs, at national levels. The data would enable ease of implementation, build standardisation through agreed tables and formats, for accounting and reporting, and the necessary targets. Thus national plans, policies, technologies, institutional frameworks, business sector response mechanisms, and livelihood choices need to respond, so that the planet remains sustainable. The conclusions of this overview indicate that, national plans, those of private sector and of the citizenry need to escalate sustainability to a higher level. Most impacts of climate change would add to costs of production, heighten risks, and bring more uncertainty as well as negatively disrupting services and industries. The climate action needs to prioritize costs of climate change, to inform action on the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), SDGs, livelihood assets and lead to the building of right investments. These are underlined by partnerships for delivery, governance, data interventions, and inclusion, in a world which is increasingly exhibiting inequalities, and their associated vulnerabilities. All these have mitigation and adaptation costs, which need to be part of Paris Agreement compliance frameworks for Parties/nations.

Abstract We investigate a possible realization of pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone (pNG) dark matter in the framework of a singlet-extended 2 Higgs doublet model (S2HDM). pNG dark matter gained attraction due to the fact that direct-detection constraints can be avoided naturally because of the momentum-suppressed scattering cross sections, whereas the relic abundance of dark matter can nevertheless be accounted for via the usual thermal freeze-out mechanism. We confront the S2HDM with a multitude of theoretical and experimental constraints, paying special attention to the theoretical limitations on the scalar potential, such as vacuum stability and perturbativity. In addition, we discuss the complementarity between constraints related to the dark matter sector, on the one hand, and to the Higgs sector, on the other hand. In our numerical discussion we explore the Higgs funnel region with dark matter masses around 60 GeV using a genetic algorithm. We demonstrate that the S2HDM can easily account for the measured relic abundance while being in agreement with all relevant constraints. We also discuss whether the so-called center-of-galaxy excesses can be accommodated, possibly in combination with a Higgs boson at about 96 GeV that can be the origin of the LEP- and the CMS-excess observed at this mass in the b$$ \overline{b} $$ b ¯ -quark and the diphoton final state, respectively.

AbstractAn important task at future colliders is the investigation of the Higgs-boson sector. Here the measurement of the triple Higgs coupling(s) plays a special role. Based on previous analyses, within the framework of Two Higgs Doublet Models (2HDM) type I and II, we define and analyze several two-dimensional benchmark planes, that are over large parts in agreement with all theoretical and experimental constraints. For these planes we evaluate di-Higgs production cross sections at future high-energy $$e^+e^-$$ e + e - colliders, such as ILC or CLIC. We consider two different channels for the neutral di-Higgs pairs $$h_i h_j=hh,hH,HH,AA$$ h i h j = h h , h H , H H , A A : $$e^+e^- \rightarrow h_i h_j Z$$ e + e - → h i h j Z and $$e^+e^- \rightarrow h_i h_j \nu {{\bar{\nu }}}$$ e + e - → h i h j ν ν ¯ . In both channels the various triple Higgs-boson couplings contribute substantially. We find regions with a strong enhancement of the production channel of two SM-like light Higgs bosons and/or with very large production cross sections involving one light and one heavy or two heavy 2HDM Higgs bosons, offering interesting prospects for the ILC or CLIC. The mechanisms leading to these enhanced production cross sections are analyzed in detail. We propose the use of cross section distributions with the invariant mass of the two final Higgs bosons where the contributions from intermediate resonant and non-resonant BSM Higgs bosons play a crucial role. We outline which process at which center-of-mass energy would be best suited to probe the corresponding triple Higgs-boson couplings.

Human deaths from rabies are preventable and can be eliminated by applying a systematic One Health approach. However, this ancient disease still threatens the lives of millions of people in up to 150 countries and kills an estimated 59, 000 people every year. Rabies today is largely a disease of poverty, almost always linked to dog bites, with most deaths occurring in neglected communities in Africa and Asia. The disease places an immense economic burden on its victims, a cost that far outweighs the investment needed to control it. A global framework for rabies elimination in humans is set out in Zero by 30: The Global Strategic Plan to end human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030. Despite the existence of proven control strategies and agreement on the path to eliminating human rabies deaths, mortality numbers from rabies remain high, and COVID-19 has set back efforts even further. But COVID-19 has also highlighted the value of a One Health approach to zoonotic disease and pandemic prevention. Rabies control programs offer a practical route to building One Health capacities that can also address other zoonotic threats, including those with pandemic potential. The United Against Rabies Forum aims to accelerate progress on rabies elimination while applying a One Health approach. The Forum promotes cross-sector collaboration among stakeholders and supports countries in their rabies elimination efforts. Increased political engagement and resource mobilization, both internationally and nationally, will be needed to achieve global rabies goals and can also make One Health implementation a reality.

Abstract Background In Ontario Canada, the Healthy Kids Community Challenge (HKCC) is a program intended to reduce the prevalence and prevent childhood overweight and obesity through community-based initiatives to improve health behaviours. Guided by the RE-AIM framework and Durlak and DuPre’s Ecological Framework for Understanding Effective Implementation, the evaluation focused on two objectives: 1) to describe the organization of the program at the community level; and, 2) to identify opportunities for improvement through an early assessment of factors contributing to implementation. Methods Participants (n = 320) – members of the HKCC local steering committee, including the local project manager – completed a cross-sectional survey using SurveyMonkey and descriptive statistics were calculated. A sample (20%) of qualitative open-ended responses was thematically analyzed. Results Results indicated strong respondent agreement that the HKCC enhanced individual knowledge of access to health-promoting programs (88.3%) and messaging regarding healthy behaviours for healthy kids, with less for its effectiveness in reducing weight (53.1%). There was a high-level of adherence to HKCC social marketing messages and overall program structure, with few Local Project Manager reports of adaptations to theme one (9.2%) and theme two messages (15.4%). Fewer Local Project Managers (50%) reported the existence of private partnerships. While most respondents agreed they had the appropriate information to complete mandatory reporting, the usefulness of the HKCC online networking platform was in question (only 47% of Local Project Managers agreed that it was useful). Results reveal sufficient funding from the province to support program implementation, with a moderate level of local political commitment (63% of respondents). Conclusions Results indicate that the HKCC was considered beneficial for enhancing access to health promoting programs, could be feasibly implemented with adherence to centrally-developed social marketing messages, and was amendable to local adaptation. Despite this, few private partnerships were reported. Going forward, there is opportunity to further evaluate factors contributing to HKCC program implementation, particularly as it relates to buy-in from intervention providers, and strategies for forming private sector partnerships to support long-term program sustainability.

IntroductionPsychosocial safety climate (PSC) refers to workers’ shared perceptions of organizational policies, practices and procedures for the protection of psychological health and safety. PSC offers a multilevel organizational approach that expands traditional models of workplace stress, giving a more comprehensive understanding of occupational health and safety issues. Although considerable research on psychosocial risks in the healthcare sector has been conducted, few studies have explored the role of PSC among healthcare workers at middle management level. Additionally, no validated version of PSC is available in Italian language. The aim of this study is to contribute to the validation of the Italian 4-item version of the PSC and to explore this theory within the Job Demands-Resources model (JD-R) among a sample of Italian healthcare workers by testing PSC at the middle management level.MethodsWe used cross-sectional data from 276 employees working in 17 different wards in a large Italian hospital. Intra-class coefficient (ICC) coefficient and agreement index were used to test PSC as a climate construct (data nested to hospital ward level). We performed hierarchical linear models to test mediation and moderation effects.ResultsThe Italian version of PSC-4 proved to have good psychometric properties and confirmed its role as a group-level construct (α = 0.84; ICC = 0.16). Multilevel random coefficient models showed PSC was associated with Job demands (Effort: B = −0.36, SE = 0.07; Emotional demands: B = −0.03, SE = 0.01) and Job resources (Reward: B = 1.16, SE = 0.01; Physical work environment: B = 0.06, SE = 0.01). Results confirmed the indirect effect of PSC on Psychological (Burnout) and Occupational health (Job satisfaction) outcomes supporting the role of Job resources and Job demands as mediators. The multilevel analysis did not find a significant interaction terms between PSC and Job demands on Burnout therefore the moderation hypothesis was not supported.DiscussionThe Italian version of PSC-4 is a valid tool to evaluate PSC. These findings sustain the multilevel framework of PSC and the significant role played by mid-leaders in both the health impairment and motivational path. Further studies should explore the buffering effect of PSC at higher baseline levels as well as the adoption of PSC as a target for occupational health intervention the Italian context.

The Australian Government has been actively evaluating how best to merge the functions of the Australian Communications Authority (ACA) and the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) for around two years now. Broadly, the reason for this is an attempt to keep pace with the communications media transformations we reduce to the term “convergence.” Mounting pressure for restructuring is emerging as a site of turf contestation: the possibility of a regulatory “one-stop shop” for governments (and some industry players) is an end game of considerable force. But, from a public interest perspective, the case for a converged regulator needs to make sense to audiences using various media, as well as in terms of arguments about global, industrial, and technological change. This national debate about the institutional reshaping of media regulation is occurring within a wider global context of transformations in social, technological, and politico-economic frameworks of open capital and cultural markets, including the increasing prominence of international economic organisations, corporations, and Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). Although the recently concluded FTA with the US explicitly carves out a right for Australian Governments to make regulatory policy in relation to existing and new media, considerable uncertainty remains as to future regulatory arrangements. A key concern is how a right to intervene in cultural markets will be sustained in the face of cultural, politico-economic, and technological pressures that are reconfiguring creative industries on an international scale. While the right to intervene was retained for the audiovisual sector in the FTA, by contrast, it appears that comparable unilateral rights to intervene will not operate for telecommunications, e-commerce or intellectual property (DFAT). Blurring Boundaries A lack of certainty for audiences is a by-product of industry change, and further blurs regulatory boundaries: new digital media content and overlapping delivering technologies are already a reality for Australia’s media regulators. These hypothetical media usage scenarios indicate how confusion over the appropriate regulatory agency may arise: 1. playing electronic games that use racist language; 2. being subjected to deceptive or misleading pop-up advertising online 3. receiving messaged imagery on your mobile phone that offends, disturbs, or annoys; 4. watching a program like World Idol with SMS voting that subsequently raises charging or billing issues; or 5. watching a new “reality” TV program where products are being promoted with no explicit acknowledgement of the underlying commercial arrangements either during or at the end of the program. These are all instances where, theoretically, regulatory mechanisms are in place that allow individuals to complain and to seek some kind of redress as consumers and citizens. In the last scenario, in commercial television under the sector code, no clear-cut rules exist as to the precise form of the disclosure—as there is (from 2000) in commercial radio. It’s one of a number of issues the peak TV industry lobby Commercial TV Australia (CTVA) is considering in their review of the industry’s code of practice. CTVA have proposed an amendment to the code that will simply formalise the already existing practice . That is, commercial arrangements that assist in the making of a program should be acknowledged either during programs, or in their credits. In my view, this amendment doesn’t go far enough in post “cash for comment” mediascapes (Dwyer). Audiences have a right to expect that broadcasters, production companies and program celebrities are open and transparent with the Australian community about these kinds of arrangements. They need to be far more clearly signposted, and people better informed about their role. In the US, the “Commercial Alert” <http://www.commercialalert.org/> organisation has been lobbying the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission to achieve similar in-program “visual acknowledgements.” The ABA’s Commercial Radio Inquiry (“Cash-for-Comment”) found widespread systemic regulatory failure and introduced three new standards. On that basis, how could a “standstill” response by CTVA, constitute best practice for such a pervasive and influential medium as contemporary commercial television? The World Idol example may lead to confusion for some audiences, who are unsure whether the issues involved relate to broadcasting or telecommunications. In fact, it could be dealt with as a complaint to the Telecommunication Industry Ombudsman (TIO) under an ACA registered, but Australian Communications Industry Forum (ACIF) developed, code of practice. These kind of cross-platform issues may become more vexed in future years from an audience’s perspective, especially if reality formats using on-screen premium rate service numbers invite audiences to participate, by sending MMS (multimedia messaging services) images or short video grabs over wireless networks. The political and cultural implications of this kind of audience interaction, in terms of access, participation, and more generally the symbolic power of media, may perhaps even indicate a longer-term shift in relations with consumers and citizens. In the Internet example, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) Internet advertising jurisdiction would apply—not the ABA’s “co-regulatory” Internet content regime as some may have thought. Although the ACCC deals with complaints relating to Internet advertising, there won’t be much traction for them in a more complex issue that also includes, say, racist or religious bigotry. The DVD example would probably fall between the remits of the Office of Film and Literature Classification’s (OFLC) new “convergent” Guidelines for the Classification of Film and Computer Games and race discrimination legislation administered by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC). The OFLC’s National Classification Scheme is really geared to provide consumer advice on media products that contain sexual and violent imagery or coarse language, rather than issues of racist language. And it’s unlikely that a single person would have the locus standito even apply for a reclassification. It may fall within the jurisdiction of the HREOC depending on whether it was played in public or not. Even then it would probably be considered exempt on free speech grounds as an “artistic work.” Unsolicited, potentially illegal, content transmitted via mobile wireless devices, in particular 3G phones, provide another example of content that falls between the media regulation cracks. It illustrates a potential content policy “turf grab” too. Image-enabled mobile phones create a variety of novel issues for content producers, network operators, regulators, parents and viewers. There is no one government media authority or agency with a remit to deal with this issue. Although it has elements relating to the regulatory activities of the ACA, the ABA, the OFLC, the TIO, and TISSC, the combination of illegal or potentially prohibited content and its carriage over wireless networks positions it outside their current frameworks. The ACA may argue it should have responsibility for this kind of content since: it now enforces the recently enacted Commonwealth anti-Spam laws; has registered an industry code of practice for unsolicited content delivered over wireless networks; is seeking to include ‘adult’ content within premium rate service numbers, and, has been actively involved in consumer education for mobile telephony. It has also worked with TISSC and the ABA in relation to telephone sex information services over voice networks. On the other hand, the ABA would probably argue that it has the relevant expertise for regulating wirelessly transmitted image-content, arising from its experience of Internet and free and subscription TV industries, under co-regulatory codes of practice. The OFLC can also stake its claim for policy and compliance expertise, since the recently implemented Guidelines for Classification of Film and Computer Games were specifically developed to address issues of industry convergence. These Guidelines now underpin the regulation of content across the film, TV, video, subscription TV, computer games and Internet sectors. Reshaping Institutions Debates around the “merged regulator” concept have occurred on and off for at least a decade, with vested interests in agencies and the executive jockeying to stake claims over new turf. On several occasions the debate has been given renewed impetus in the context of ruling conservative parties’ mooted changes to the ownership and control regime. It’s tended to highlight demarcations of remit, informed as they are by historical and legal developments, and the gradual accretion of regulatory cultures. Now the key pressure points for regulatory change include the mere existence of already converged single regulatory structures in those countries with whom we tend to triangulate our policy comparisons—the US, the UK and Canada—increasingly in a context of debates concerning international trade agreements; and, overlaying this, new media formats and devices are complicating existing institutional arrangements and legal frameworks. The Department of Communications, Information Technology & the Arts’s (DCITA) review brief was initially framed as “options for reform in spectrum management,” but was then widened to include “new institutional arrangements” for a converged regulator, to deal with visual content in the latest generation of mobile telephony, and other image-enabled wireless devices (DCITA). No other regulatory agencies appear, at this point, to be actively on the Government’s radar screen (although they previously have been). Were the review to look more inclusively, the ACCC, the OFLC and the specialist telecommunications bodies, the TIO and the TISSC may also be drawn in. Current regulatory arrangements see the ACA delegate responsibility for broadcasting services bands of the radio frequency spectrum to the ABA. In fact, spectrum management is the turf least contested by the regulatory players themselves, although the “convergent regulator” issue provokes considerable angst among powerful incumbent media players. The consensus that exists at a regulatory level can be linked to the scientific convention that holds the radio frequency spectrum is a continuum of electromagnetic bands. In this view, it becomes artificial to sever broadcasting, as “broadcasting services bands” from the other remaining highly diverse communications uses, as occurred from 1992 when the Broadcasting Services Act was introduced. The prospect of new forms of spectrum charging is highly alarming for commercial broadcasters. In a joint submission to the DCITA review, the peak TV and radio industry lobby groups have indicated they will fight tooth and nail to resist new regulatory arrangements that would see a move away from the existing licence fee arrangements. These are paid as a sliding scale percentage of gross earnings that, it has been argued by Julian Thomas and Marion McCutcheon, “do not reflect the amount of spectrum used by a broadcaster, do not reflect the opportunity cost of using the spectrum, and do not provide an incentive for broadcasters to pursue more efficient ways of delivering their services” (6). An economic rationalist logic underpins pressure to modify the spectrum management (and charging) regime, and undoubtedly contributes to the commercial broadcasting industry’s general paranoia about reform. Total revenues collected by the ABA and the ACA between 1997 and 2002 were, respectively, $1423 million and $3644.7 million. Of these sums, using auction mechanisms, the ABA collected $391 million, while the ACA collected some $3 billion. The sale of spectrum that will be returned to the Commonwealth by television broadcasters when analog spectrum is eventually switched off, around the end of the decade, is a salivating prospect for Treasury officials. The large sums that have been successfully raised by the ACA boosts their position in planning discussions for the convergent media regulatory agency. The way in which media outlets and regulators respond to publics is an enduring question for a democratic polity, irrespective of how the product itself has been mediated and accessed. Media regulation and civic responsibility, including frameworks for negotiating consumer and citizen rights, are fundamental democratic rights (Keane; Tambini). The ABA’s Commercial Radio Inquiry (‘cash for comment’) has also reminded us that regulatory frameworks are important at the level of corporate conduct, as well as how they negotiate relations with specific media audiences (Johnson; Turner; Gordon-Smith). Building publicly meaningful regulatory frameworks will be demanding: relationships with audiences are often complex as people are constructed as both consumers and citizens, through marketised media regulation, institutions and more recently, through hybridising program formats (Murdock and Golding; Lumby and Probyn). In TV, we’ve seen the growth of infotainment formats blending entertainment and informational aspects of media consumption. At a deeper level, changes in the regulatory landscape are symptomatic of broader tectonic shifts in the discourses of governance in advanced information economies from the late 1980s onwards, where deregulatory agendas created an increasing reliance on free market, business-oriented solutions to regulation. “Co-regulation” and “self-regulation’ became the preferred mechanisms to more direct state control. Yet, curiously contradicting these market transformations, we continue to witness recurring instances of direct intervention on the basis of censorship rationales (Dwyer and Stockbridge). That digital media content is “converging” between different technologies and modes of delivery is the norm in “new media” regulatory rhetoric. Others critique “visions of techno-glory,” arguing instead for a view that sees fundamental continuities in media technologies (Winston). But the socio-cultural impacts of new media developments surround us: the introduction of multichannel digital and interactive TV (in free-to-air and subscription variants); broadband access in the office and home; wirelessly delivered content and mobility, and, as Jock Given notes, around the corner, there’s the possibility of “an Amazon.Com of movies-on-demand, with the local video and DVD store replaced by online access to a distant server” (90). Taking a longer view of media history, these changes can be seen to be embedded in the global (and local) “innovation frontier” of converging digital media content industries and its transforming modes of delivery and access technologies (QUT/CIRAC/Cutler & Co). The activities of regulatory agencies will continue to be a source of policy rivalry and turf contestation until such time as a convergent regulator is established to the satisfaction of key players. However, there are risks that the benefits of institutional reshaping will not be readily available for either audiences or industry. In the past, the idea that media power and responsibility ought to coexist has been recognised in both the regulation of the media by the state, and the field of communications media analysis (Curran and Seaton; Couldry). But for now, as media industries transform, whatever the eventual institutional configuration, the evolution of media power in neo-liberal market mediascapes will challenge the ongoing capacity for interventions by national governments and their agencies. Works Cited Australian Broadcasting Authority. Commercial Radio Inquiry: Final Report of the Australian Broadcasting Authority. Sydney: ABA, 2000. Australian Communications Information Forum. Industry Code: Short Message Service (SMS) Issues. Dec. 2002. 8 Mar. 2004 <http://www.acif.org.au/__data/page/3235/C580_Dec_2002_ACA.pdf >. Commercial Television Australia. Draft Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice. Aug. 2003. 8 Mar. 2004 <http://www.ctva.com.au/control.cfm?page=codereview&pageID=171&menucat=1.2.110.171&Level=3>. Couldry, Nick. The Place of Media Power: Pilgrims and Witnesses of the Media Age. London: Routledge, 2000. Curran, James, and Jean Seaton. 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Thomas, Julian and Marion McCutcheon. “Is Broadcasting Special? Charging for Spectrum.” Conference paper. ABA conference, Canberra. May 2003. Turner, Graeme. “Talkback, Advertising and Journalism: A cautionary tale of self-regulated radio”. International Journal of Cultural Studies 3.2 (2000): 247-255. ---. “Reshaping Australian Institutions: Popular Culture, the Market and the Public Sphere.” Culture in Australia: Policies, Publics and Programs. Ed. Tony Bennett and David Carter. Melbourne: Cambridge UP, 2001. Winston, Brian. Media, Technology and Society: A History from the Telegraph to the Internet. London: Routledge, 1998. Web Links http://www.aba.gov.au http://www.aca.gov.au http://www.accc.gov.au http://www.acif.org.au http://www.adma.com.au http://www.ctva.com.au http://www.crtc.gc.ca http://www.dcita.com.au http://www.dfat.gov.au http://www.fcc.gov http://www.ippr.org.uk http://www.ofcom.org.uk http://www.oflc.gov.au Links http://www.commercialalert.org/ Citation reference for this article MLA Style Dwyer, Tim. "Transformations" M/C: A Journal of Media and Culture <http://www.media-culture.org.au/0403/06-transformations.php>. APA Style Dwyer, T. (2004, Mar17). Transformations. M/C: A Journal of Media and Culture, 7, <http://www.media-culture.org.au/0403/06-transformations.php>