Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Community Of Practice For Chinese Ngos, Reza Hasmath, Jennifer Yj Hsu

Reza Hasmath

A community of practice represents an important resource for the sharing of sector-specific knowledge. It is a mechanism for Chinese NGOs to learn from each other, and collaborate. Drawing upon original data elicited from over 100 NGOs, this article examines the organizational capacity for Chinese NGOs to cultivate a mature community of practice. We find that there are inherent headwinds that Chinese NGOs will have to navigate to accomplish this goal. On the one hand, the majority of NGOs in our sample do not see themselves as part of a community of experts, which presents a huge challenge for the …

From Data To Decisions In Local Government, Michael P. Johnson Jr.

Michael P. Johnson

The Pennsylvania Adoption Exchange Improves Its Matching Process, Vincent W. Slaugh, Mustafa Akan, Onur Kesten, M. Utku Ünver

Vincent Slaugh

The Pennsylvania Adoption Exchange (PAE) helps case workers who represent children in state custody by recommending prospective families for adoption. We describe PAE's operational challenges using case worker surveys and analyze child outcomes through a regression analysis of data collected over multiple years. A match recommendation spreadsheet tool implemented by PAE incorporates insights from this analysis and allows PAE managers to better utilize available information. Using a discrete-event simulation of PAE, we justify the value of a statewide adoption network and demonstrate the importance of better information about family preferences for increasing the percentage of children who are successfully adopted. …

A Maturing Civil Society In China? The Role Of Knowledge And Professionalization In The Development Of Ngos, Jennifer Yj Hsu, Reza Hasmath

Reza Hasmath

Cross-Functional Integration And New Product Performance: An Empirical Analysis And Findings, Lisa C. Troy, Tanawat Hirunyawipada, Audhesh K. Paswan

Tanawat "Tom" Hirunyawipada

Although cross-functional integration is often considered an important element in a successful new product development program, a great deal of variance exists in extant literature regarding how integration is defined and implemented and how relevant studies are conducted.

The authors attempt to bring clarity to a diverse set of 25 studies that investigate cross-functional integration by empirically analyzing 146 correlations between integration and aspects of new product success. The authors examine the impact of 12 potential moderators that affect the integration–success link using meta-analysis techniques.

The findings indicate that though cross-functional integration may indeed have a direct impact on success, …

International Management: Strategic Opportunities And Cultural Challenges, Paul B. Sweeney, Dean B. Mcfarlin

Paul B. Sweeney

As the economies of many countries become more interrelated, international managers are facing huge challenges and unique opportunities associated with their roles. Now in its fifth edition, Sweeney and McFarlin's International Management embodies a balanced and integrated approach to the subject, emphasizing the strategic opportunities available to firms on a global playing field, as well as exploring the challenges of managing an international workforce. Integrating theory and practice across all chapter topics, this book helps students to learn, grasp, and apply the underlying principles of successful international management: Understanding the broad context of international business, including the critical trends impacting …

Transforming Impossible Into Possible (Tip): A Group Work Model In Workforce Development, Philip Young P. Hong

Philip Hong

This presentation introduces a newly developed social work group intervention model in workforce development. Transforming Impossible into Possible (TIP) program empowers participants to develop self-awareness, confidence, hope, goal-orientation, leadership, accountability, conscientiousness, and grit, it is anticipated that it improves both employment and retention outcomes.

‘Going Out’ Or Staying In? The Expansion Of Chinese Ngos In Africa, Jennifer Yj Hsu, Timothy Hildebrandt, Reza Hasmath

Reza Hasmath

Take Two Tablets And Do Not Call For Judicial Review Until Our Heads Clear: The Supreme Court Prepares To Demolish The 'Wall Of Separation' Between Church And State, Terence Lau, William Wines

Terence Lau

In this article, we examine the issues that bring First Amendment jurisprudence to the grant of certiorari in Pleasant Grove v. Summum, scheduled for oral argument in the Supreme Court of the United States in November. We examine the historical basis for America’s religious heritage, the historical judicial treatment of the religious clauses, and the erosion of the wall of separation between church and state. We examine the Ten Commandments, finding inherent discrimination present in modern-day attempts to advance a particular version of the Ten Commandments as secular. By drawing upon Rousseau’s civic religion, we suggest alternative routes for the …

Attitudes Toward And Behavioral Intentions To Adopt Mobile Marketing: Comparisons Of Gen Y In The United States, France And China, Rebecca Wells, Catherine E. Kleshinski, Terence Lau

Terence Lau

The rapid global diffusion of mobile marketing makes it increasingly important to understand cross-­‐cultural consumer attitudes and behavioral intentions toward mobile marketing as a promotional channel. By building on the previously published research of Altuna and Konuk (2009), this work investigates the attitudes and behavioral intentions toward mobile marketing of Generation Y consumers in the United States, France, and China. Based on this analysis, Chinese Gen Y have the most positive attitude toward mobile marketing, and their overall attitude is significantly more positive than the attitudes of French and American Gen Y groups. While American Gen Y's behavioral intentions are …

Donor Coordination In Project Funding: Evidence From A Threshold Public Goods Experiment, Luca Corazzini, Paola Valbonesi, Christopher Cotton

Paola Valbonesi

We present results from an experiment with multiple public goods, where each good produces benefits only if total contributions to it reach a minimum threshold. The presence of multiple public goods makes coordination among participants more difficult, discouraging donor participation and decreasing the likelihood of any public good being effectively funded. Applied to the case of fundraising, the results show how overall donations and the number of effectively funded projects may both decrease as the total number of projects vying for funding increases. The analysis considers whether making one of the contribution options salient, either through its merits or by …

The Problem Of Unwanted Pets: A Case Study In How Institutions “Think” About Clients’ Needs, Leslie Irvine

Leslie Irvine, PhD

The research on organizational framing and the metaphor of institutional “thinking” highlight the ways that social problems organizations shape the ameliorative services they deliver. Social problems work then perpetuates representations of problems that may not match the conditions clients face. This study extends social problems literature to argue that organizations sometimes “think” differently about the problems they intend to solve than do persons involved with these problems in everyday life. Using ethnographic research and interviews, this article contrasts the way in which animal sheltering, as an institution, frames the problem of unwanted animals with how the public interprets that problem. …

Innovation In The Not For Profit Sector: A Regional Australian Case Study., Grant Cairncross, Charlie Brennan, Julie Tucker

Grant Cairncross

This paper explores the impact of the “Innovation Farm,” a social innovation project that aimed to help long-term unemployed, highly disadvantaged jobseekers living on the Coffs Coast of the Mid-North Coast of New South Wales, overcome barriers to employment and/or further training. The project was delivered by the Coffs Harbour Employment Support Services (CHESS), a not-for-profit, social enterprise organisation. It was funded from 2009-2012 by the Australian Federal Government’s Department of Employment Education and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) through the Department’s Innovation Fund. The research found that whilst the project achieved a commendable level of success its on-going viability was compromised …

Perceived Importance And Future Use Of Online Channels Of Distribution By Small Businesses In The United States And Australia: An Exploratory Study, Irene Dickey, William Lewis, John Vanbeveren

Irene J. Dickey

Online marketing is important to small-business owners and operators because they are typically faced with limited budgets to design and implement traditional marketing programs. This paper compares the perceived importance of specific online marketing tactics and their anticipated future use of online marketing tactics by small businesses in the United States and Australia. Results of the study reveal that both in the United States and in Australia, there is a growing use of online marketing tactics to accomplish marketing objectives. While most online marketing tactics were effective in both the United States and Australia, there were some statistically significant differences.

Distance Learning Librarians: Their Shared Vision, Anne M. Casey

Anne Marie Casey

Shared vision is a component of leadership that fosters innovation through buy-in at all levels of the organization. It is often evident in circumstances people see a need for innovation but do not have the power to make changes on their own. Many librarians in academic institutions that were early adopters of distance learning envisioned a need for new services that were tailored to off-campus students. This study examines shared vision among librarians through a content analysis of planning documents from early distance learning library programs. It offers a shared vision model relevant to the study and application of leadership.

Impact Of Political Transparency On Public Service In Uganda, Peter Adoko Obicci Esq.

Peter Adoko Obicci

Transparency is a significant political virtue to ensure efficient and effective public service delivery. This study examined the impact of political transparency on public service delivery in Uganda, using Agago district as a case study. A cross-sectional, correlation study was conducted. Questionnaires data of 110 public officials and interview data of 40 local community members in Agago district were analyzed using multiple regression and correlations. Results show that political transparency has a strong and positive impact on public service delivery with a 50 per cent variance among the variables. The insights gained from this study demonstrated the important role that …

Navigating Uncertainty: The Survival Strategies Of Religious Ngos In China, Jonathan Tam, Reza Hasmath

Reza Hasmath

Data, Analytics And Community-Based Organizations: Transforming Data To Decisions For Community Development, Michael P. Johnson Jr.

Michael P. Johnson

The past ten years have seen a revolution in two disciplines related to operations and strategy design. “Big Data” has transformed the theory and practice of producing and selling goods and services through methods associated with computer science and information technology. “Analytics” has popularized primarily quantitative models and methods by which organizations and systems can measure multiple aspects of performance. As these fields rely on information technology to collect, store, process and share data, we refer to the collection of knowledge and applications associated with Big Data and analytics as “data analytics and information technology.” The impacts of data analytics …

Effect Of Workplace Bullying On Employee Performance In The Public Sector, Peter Adoko Obicci Esq.

Peter Adoko Obicci

Workplace bullying presents a serious problem causing substantial damage to the employees, the organization and the society as a whole. The focus of this research is two-fold: to find out if workplace bullying exists in Uganda, and to examine its effects on employee performance. By using a questionnaire survey, data was collected from 180 public employees in Uganda. The results indicate that bullying is present in workplaces in Uganda and poses a serious problem for the respondents affecting their performances adversely. The research contributes to the literature on workplace bullying by developing a comprehensive framework that examines its existence and …

Tripping And Falling Into The Future: An Eolithic Perspective, Keri Schwab

Keri Schwab

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Thirty years ago, Dustin and McAvoy (1984) published an essay in Environmental Ethics titled “Toward Environmental Eolithism.” The article compared and contrasted two distinct orientations to environmental planning and management: the design mentality and the eolithic mentality. The authors concluded that the more popular design mentality lacked obscure eolithic mentality was a superior orientation to environmental planning and management. Environmental Ethics and then discuss how an eolithic perspective might complement the strategic planning process. We begin by describing the similarities between strategic planning and the design mentality as well as the shortcomings of strategic planning in a rapidly …

Validation Of The Employment Hope Scale: Measuring Psychological Self-Sufficiency Among Low-Income Jobseekers, Philip Young P. Hong, Joshua R. Polanin, Terri D. Pigott

Philip Hong

The Employment Hope scale (EHS) was designed to measure the empowerment-based self-sufficiency (SS) outcome among low-income job-seeking clients. This measure captures the psychological SS dimension as opposed to the more commonly used economic SS in workforce development and employment support practice. The study validates the EHS and reports its psychometric properties. Method: An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted using an agency data from the Cara Program in Chicago, United States. The principal axis factor extraction process was employed to identify the factor structure. Results: EFA resulted in a 13-item two-factor structure with Factor 1 representing “Psychological Empowerment” and Factor …

同构压力，认知群体，政府-Ngo 合作在中国, Reza Hasmath, Jennifer Yj Hsu

Reza Hasmath

Isomorphic Pressures, Epistemic Communities And State-Ngo Collaboration In China, Reza Hasmath, Jennifer Yj Hsu

Reza Hasmath

The Local Corporatist State And Ngo Relations In China, Jennifer Yj Hsu, Reza Hasmath

Reza Hasmath

中国统和主义地方政府与非政府组织关系, Jennifer Yj Hsu, Reza Hasmath

Reza Hasmath

Accountability In The Church, Professor Ben C Osisioma

Prof Ben Chuka Osisioma

Traditionally, accountability is the obligation to give a reckoning or explanation for one’s actions and responsibilities to a higher authority. However, for the purpose of this paper, we define accountability as the processes through which an organisation makes a commitment to respond to and balance the needs of stakeholders in its decision making processes and activities, and delivers against this commitment. In the church setting accountability involves managing the resources God has entrusted us with, organising for service and mission, and providing programmes to carry out the church’s mandate. The goal is to help people grow in Christ and learn …

Individual And Community Level Determinants Of Public Attitudes Toward Nonprofit Organizations, Lindsey Mcdougle, Marcus Lam

Lindsey McDougle

It is often suggested that nonprofit organizations positively impact our local communities. Studies, however, have consistently shown that the distribution of these organizations varies considerably from one community to the next. These differences have led some scholars to begin raising serious concern about the degree of “charitable equity” across communities. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore how the makeup of a community’s nonprofit sector affects the views of those who potentially depend on nonprofit services. Specifically, using data from a countywide survey of public attitudes toward nonprofits in southern California (n = 1,002), we examined whether differences …

Comparative Study Of Determinants Of Food Security In Rural And Urban Households In Ashanti Region, Ghana, Stephen Frimpong, Samuel Asuming-Brempong

Stephen Frimpong

This study assessed determinants of food security in rural and urban households of Ashanti Region of Ghana using a Tobit regression model. The significant determinants of food security in rural households were household size, expenditure on food, access to credit, total own production, remittances, number of income generating activities and land endowment. Similarly, household size, migration, per capita food expenditure; own production and land endowment were the significant determinants of food security in urban households. The Chow coefficient test was used to test for equality of coefficients. The results showed that significant differences exist between the magnitudes of the determinants …

Public Policy Implementation Innovation; Mapping New Models Of Implementation Involving Third Sector Organisations, Thomas Dick, Ben Farr-Wharton, Kerry Brown, Neal Ryan

Thomas Dick

No abstract provided.

Deep Dive Into Understanding The Theory Of Military Organization, Military Leadership, Skill Transfer, Aspects Of Program Management, And Decision Support Systems, Maurice Dawson, Darrell N. Burrell, Emad Rahim

Maurice Dawson

The focus of this paper is to understand the theory of military organizations and leadership, skill transfer, aspects of program management, and decision support systems. This will further aid in revealing how the decision-making theories are applied to organizations within the Department of Defense (DoD) to include the changing environment within the leadership style. Through the research, major points found in articles highlight decision making, learning leadership execution through educational means, and leadership in the military to include large corporate organizations.