Showing papers in "Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies in 2020"

The Effect of Green Transformational Leadership on Organizational Citizenship Behavior in Egypt

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of Green Transformational Leadership (GTL) on Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) of Information Technology (IT) employees in Egypt. Significant research has been conducted to understand the influence of transformational leadership on various, yet outdated, OCB constructs. Since Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is closely related to OCB, this research looks at the effect of transformational leadership style, from an environmental perceptive on OCB. A simple random sample consisting of 378 IT employees working for Egyptian owned organizations was studied. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient and Multiple Linear Regression Analysis were used to test the research hypotheses. The research results show that all GTL dimensions had a significant effect on all OCB dimensions. This paper makes substantial contributions in highlighting the relationships between GTL and OCB. It also adds to the critical and theoretical understandings, essential in developing green leadership styles and OCB.

Strategic management in the hotel industry: Proposed strategic practices to recover from COVID- 19 global crisis

Abstract: Hotel companies operate in a highly competitive environment, targeting much clientele from the international market with many specialties. The management in these too demanding conditions is called upon to apply modern strategic management practices by analyzing global developments and supporting the decision-making process by limiting the uncertainty created by the external environment. In this context, it is imperative to analyze the financial and administrative impact of COVID- 19, which strongly threatens tourist traffic and largely overturning current budget estimations. Strategic management can make a decisive contribution to addressing this threat by adopting the established business strategy. This article is based on similar past crises, as they were faced with strategic tools. This work aims to discuss and present the most appropriate recovery management strategies, which can help the hotel industry respond to this unprecedented crisis.

Covid-19 and the tourism industry: Critical overview, lessons and policy options

Abstract: Coronavirus pandemic has enormous impacts on the entire socio-economic structure of countries worldwide. It accounts for the epileptic service delivery of many enterprises globally. The pandemic has massive consequences that have to reshape the present and future landscape of the tourism industry. Thus, this paper critically examines the impact of nCOV on the aviation, cruise-shipping, and hospitality components of the tourism industry. It investigates why the tourism industry is the first and the most hit sector by Covid-19. In light of these, the paper provides an in-depth discussion on how Covid-19 affects jobs, man-hours, revenue, income, and livelihood of workers, as well as owners of the tourism industry. Discussions were also channelled on how the impacts of the pandemic on the tourism industry affect global GDP and foreign exchange earnings of countries whose economy relays significantly on tourism. The study concluded that with the prolonged lockdown, the tourism industry would continue to experience a large slide down. The paper posits that urgent policy remediation is necessary to revamp the sector and rescue it from imminent collapse and extinct.

The Potential of Organisations’ SWOT Diagnostic Assessment

Abstract: The need to demonstrate high organisational efficiency has become central. In this context, organisational assessment becomes a critical element, although the specificities of each organisation are indisputable and have to be considered in their assessment. This paper aims to reflect on a specific type of diagnostic assessment – SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) – in its potential, implementation and limitations and, thus, to add to the analysis of organisations. For this purpose, the methodology used was based on the researchers’ reflection and discussion of an empirical process of organisational diagnosis. The results of this reflection allow concluding that the SWOT diagnostic assessment needs to incorporate, in its systematic analysis, a prospective dimension to improve its efficiency in organisational strategy.

Adaptive Strategies of External Environmental Effects in Digital Entrepreneurship in the Strategic Management Perspective

Abstract: The rapid development of information technology and digitalization has formed a specification in the economic field, in the form of a digital creative economy. This economic cluster generally refers to entrepreneurship developed through the use of the internet and digital advancements to create business opportunities with excellence in the value of services and products. In strategic management, the development of technology that is widely adopted in company policy in improving service and product quality is an external element. In addition to having an extraordinary impact on consumption patterns, distribution and production, information technology is now able to become a fundamental instrument as the essence of creating value for products and services. This leads to a paradigm shift in the strategic management perspective, from the perception of technological externalities to internalities in value creation and policy making. This study seeks to identify shifts in the paradigm of the external environment of technology in contemporary business that develops ICT and the internet as the basis for digitalization and virtualization of exchanges of products, services and transactions between business actors. The results show that unlike conventional companies that respond to technological advances need technological advancements as an added value of their products and services, digital entrepreneurship uses technological advancements as a core part of product development and value creation. This study identifies important elements regarding adaptive strategies of external environmental effects in digital entrepreneurship. The results show that the shift in technological externalities to integrated digital entrepreneurship is capable of digitizing the creation of values ​​and opportunities and operating digital-based businesses.

Exploring the Concept of Social Change in the Thought of Ibn Khaldun

Abstract: The concept of social change could be considered an ever-constant phenomenon in human society. This is because virtually nothing has ever remained static since the advent of man and his society. Thus, issues surrounding social change have occupied the mind of scholars for many centuries. Consequently, its applicability to social life issues has gained prominence among authors across cultures. In spite of this, however, it appears the contribution of Ibn Khaldun to social change as it relates to Christian religion has not been adequately addressed in academic and the Christian literature, mostly from tertiary institutions in Africa. This inadequacy may have prevented the enrichment of the literature on social change and the Christian religion. The present article intends to address this flaw in knowledge. It tries to compare the ideas of Western scholars on social change with that of Ibn Khaldun and highlighted similarities and differences which could be used to corroborate or negate the existing literature and further research. Data from a secondary source was used in this article while content analysis served as the methodology. Further to that, the article analyzed areas of food for thought in the change that occurred in the Christian religion, using the West and Africa as a point of reference The article in its concluding remarks argued that Africans may be in control of Christian religion currently, but the likelihood of losing it in the nearest future could be very bright, judging from the escalation of corruption in the faith which Ibn Khaldun argues is usually responsible for a decay of every civilised region. The escalation of corruption has been responsible for the underdevelopment of the continent and needs to be dealt with to advance the continent.

Charting Socio-Legal Approaches to International Law in China: Taking the Interdisciplinary Study of International Law and History as an Example

Abstract: The mainstream of international legal academia has started to address a distinctive fundamental question of whether international law is international in recent years, in which national differences in terms of the understandings of and approaches to international law have been (re)recognized and accentuated. Thanks to its increasing importance and influence in the international community, the ways in which China engages with a variety of international legal issues and topics have garnered more attention from the so-called western scholars. Meanwhile, Chinese international legal scholars have also committed to establishing a Chinese school of international law through which to intensively and comprehensively showcase its own characteristics in this regard. Against this backdrop, this article aims to unveil the underestimated part of its characteristics concerning the socio-legal scholarship in China’s international law research by taking the interdisciplinary study of international law and history as an example. To that end, this article first reviews the overall configuration of international law research in China and roughly summarizes the current “Chinese characteristics” as follows: 1. The ternary, multipolar, and marginal morphology of the scholarly field of international law; 2. The China-based, trending topic-driven, and positive law-oriented contents of international legal scholarship. These characteristics also imply the present dominance of the doctrinal tradition in Chinese international legal scholarship, which has impeded the interdisciplinary collaboration between international law and other disciplines or fields of research. However, this article also recognizes that the emergence of socio-legal approaches to international law in China by assessing the status quo of research on international law and history in particular and international law and other social sciences in general, although the voices of this group of interdisciplinary academics are still relatively feeble.

Psychological Aspects of Corruption in Public Administration: Case-Study of Ukraine

Abstract: The purpose of this research was to explore the psychological aspects of corruption in public administration through a combination of methods such as the non-systematic review, a semi-structured interview, a survey questionnaire, and observations of the anti-corruption court hearings. The study employed a case research design using the exploratory research strategy. It relied on a combination of data collection methods. The study was designed as a flow of three basic stages such as identification of psychological factors of corruption, validation of factors, and assessment of relative importance of every factor using the Triangular Assessment Method. It provided first-hand evidence and cases for the course in “Psychological, Behavioural and Economic Triggers of Corruption.” The IBM SPSS Statistics 25.0.0.1. Software was used to process the yielded data. The study found that civil servants’ ambitions to get rich quick, their low self-esteem, psychological dependencies, community-accepted image, sense of impunity were the major psychological aspects pushing the people to corruption in Ukraine. It was also found that the sense of impunity could be considered to be the primary psychological impact factor stimulating corruption actions by the civil servants, specifically. The self-esteem could be regarded as a second important psychological factor of corruption in public administration, which is related to the persons’ vision of their role in the community. The third important factor was ambitions driven by ‘easy money’ and status. The last two factors such as psychological dependencies, the community-accepted image were judged to be the least important ones. Further in-depth research is needed to identify the gender difference in the psychological aspects of corruption in public administration.

Overcoming Barriers in Intercultural Communication: A Case Study on Agricultural Idioms in English, Ukrainian and Chinese

Abstract: The paper deals with the case study, focused on exploring certain problems in intercultural communication of Ukrainian and Chinese students in the academic environment of Sumy National Agrarian University. The participants of the ethnographic-linguistic stage of the experiment learned, interpreted and compared the phraseological funds of the Chinese, Ukrainian and English languages, displaying the conceptual sphere “Agriculture”, in order to find out similarities and divarications in the outlook of people, engaged in agricultural production, as well as the perception of agricultural sphere in these cultural-ethnic communities. The qualitative stage of the experiment was conducted to discover the stereotypes about the representatives of other nations, which the informants had. It was revealed that learning idioms and participation in the experiment helped students overcome the stereotypes and improve the intercultural interaction amid academic groups. It was concluded that the students, who learned the target language idioms, belonging to the conceptual sphere “Agriculture”, gained knowledge of the geographical and economic conditions, moral values and traditions of the target language native speakers, became aware of the analogies in their own background. Thus, the participants realised that they could eliminate obstacles that impeded intercultural communication by mastering culturally marked target language material concerning the sphere of their future professional activity.

Human Rights Concerns in Indonesia’s Counterterrorism Policies: The Emergence of a Domestic Security Dilemma in Indonesia’s Densus 88 Security Posture

Abstract: The counterterrorism policies of Indonesia have led the community to perceive the government as both protectors of human rights, but fear possible oppressions at the same time. The recorded figures of human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, torture, and the dismissal of legal rights for individuals suspected as terrorists, have led to the construction of fear and insecurity among the Indonesian people of the state’s approach to counterterrorism. Employing the concept of ‘Domestic Security Dilemma’ developed by Field in 2016, this article argues that; (1) Detachment 88’s coercive methods in counterterrorism have led to human rights oppression and the construction of fear and insecurity among Indonesian citizens, and (2) the emergence of a ‘Domestic Security Dilemma’ due to the growing discourse of Detachment 88’s dismissal initiated by individuals and Islamic community organization in Indonesia.

Islamic versus Conventional Fiscal policy: The Effect of Zakat on Education and Employment

Abstract: Zakat is one of the pillars in Islam. It is the portion of a man’s wealth designed for the poor. It is deemed to empower eight specific groups in society, i.e. the poor, the needy, those in debt, those in the wayfarer, the sympathizers, those in the cause of God, those in bondage and the fund administrators. The main goal of Zakat is to alleviate poverty through assistance to the poor and the needy and to achieve socioeconomic justice by closing the gap between the poor and the rich in the society. This paper focuses on the effect of Zakat on employment namely the effect of subsidising education of individuals who fulfil the criteria to be recipients of Zakat, thought taxing rich workers who are above Nisab, on employment. We also compare this Islamic policy (zakat) with the conventional one (namely subsidising education of all individuals by taxing their wages) used by most of countries and evaluates the effectiveness of both fiscal systems in reducing unemployment. We develop a theoretical neoclassic model showing that the conventional fiscal policy does not affect employment, which may justify the persistence of high unemployment rates observed in many developed and developing countries despite the massive public resources devoted to the education sector in these countries. The model proves that the Islamic fiscal policy will reduce unemployment.

ICT Investment Impact on Human Capital Development through the Channel of Financial Development in Bangladesh: An Investigation of Quantile ARDL and Toda-Yamamoto Test

Abstract: The study aims to assess the causal effects of ICT investment, financial development, and human capital development in Bangladesh for the period 1990-2019. To do so, we applied liner ARDL, Quantile ARDL, and directional causality investigated by performing a non-granger causality test. The result of Quantile ARDL confirms long-run effects running from ICT investment and financial development to human capital development. Considering the result short-run estimation, study findings established a positive association between financial development and human capital development but both positive and negative observed in ICT investment on human capital development. Furthermore, the nonlinear relationship established with the standard Wald test. Second, the results of directional causality test following Toda and Yamamoto (1995) proposed framework. Study findings established bidirectional causality running between financial development and human capital development and unidirectional causality running from ICT investment to human capital development. Therefore, it assumed that human capital development in Bangladesh critically relies on financial sector growth and development in the ICT sector. Furthermore, it is also observed that the bidirectional causal relationship also confirmed that is the development of either independent variables can influence each other.

The Politics of Law of Pancasila-based Democracy in Indonesia as the World’s Third Largest Democracy

Abstract: The Indonesian Constitution explicitly states that Indonesia is a country that manages the democratic political system. In the practice of managing the State, democracy that takes place in Indonesia always changes following the development of the Indonesian constitutional system. The aim of this research is to investigate the political development of democratic law in the world's third largest democracy and the ideal democratic system for Indonesia at this time. The research method used is normative juridical, with descriptive analytical research specifications and secondary data types. The data collection method was carried out through a literature study and research results were analyzed by qualitative methods. The results showed that the ideal democracy for the Indonesian state was Pancasila democracy as stated in the Preamble to the Constitution, which stated that democracy was led by wisdom in the deliberative representation and stated that sovereignty was in the hands of the people and implemented according to the Constitution.

Contagions: Domains, Challenges and Health Devices

Abstract: This article aims to understand the domains and uses of the various conceptual frameworks of contagion, its modalities and effects, in its different acceptations and historical contexts, as an expression of the process of interdependence between the stances and the different viewpoints of diverse actors involved with multiple scientific, moral, social and political challenges. Another objective focuses on understanding the process of collective management of contagion, disease and health, in which prevention is a critical element of its objectives and justifications, its discursive order and its practical activities.

Territorial Branding as an Instrument for Competitiveness of Rural Development

Abstract: The conceptual foundations, principles and mechanisms of territorial branding concerning the prospects of rural development in different countries are the subject of the study. The systematization and study of territorial branding problems and experience of the rural areas in Ukraine is the purpose of the paper. The main method of research was the study of the unique experience of individual rural communities. The methodology of the study foresaw the study of the prospects of rural development through the determining the role of territorial branding. Monitoring the potential of territorial branding for rural areas in Ukraine with using SWOT-analysis has shown the uniqueness of risks, limitations and prospects. It had been established that the conditions of neutralization of weaknesses and risks mean the combination of economic (primarily investment), cultural and political initiatives, where a significant role belongs to the effects of community self-organization. At the same time, the prospects are formed from the presence of unique institutional assets, natural, climatic and economic conditions, possible perception of this idea by ​​the rural population which does not contradict the basic cultural values. The emphasis is placed on the fact that the realization of rural development in Ukraine as a national policy should take into account that Ukrainian rural communities remain "difficult", mostly depressed economies, where the level of economic activity is traditionally low and unemployment is high. At the same time, studying the experience of the effectiveness of territorial branding had allowed to generalize and to classify the factors of brand-forming idea in Ukraine. These factors are: 1) a unique institutional history; 2) landscape and recreational potential; 3) special economic behavior of local inhabitants; 4) investment attractiveness of the territory; 5) unique economic specialization of the territory; 6) tourism activity; 7) the role of local government. Significant socio-economic effect of these examples is fixed. The area of ​​application of these results is the activity of local authorities at rural communities, non-governmental organizations and universities, regulatory policy in terms of decentralization.

Photovoltaic Solar Spectral Filtering Using Bio-Filters

Abstract: The harsh solar irradiance measurement in recent times has further supported the existence of global climate change. It is not clear if this challenge is located in other parts of the world. Over the years, it has been observed that PV panel have a lower lifespan with a failing performance. Due to the peculiarity of this challenge in the research, the bio-filter was synthesized to shield the PV panel from damage via the aforementioned harsh solar radiation. The bio-filter was tested using the monocrystalline and polycrystalline panel. The results proved that the bio-filters are good stabilizing medium.

Innovative Approaches of Political Education in Ukraine: On the Example of Developed Western Democracies

Abstract: This article was composed to discuss the particular traits of the contemporary political education of students in Ukraine. A system of political education is introduced to develop the fundamental political knowledge and skill-set of students, as well as aiding in the formation of their civic consciousness. The innovative modernization approaches are represented by American Political Science Association. The main purpose of the research to show modernization methods of political education what is the basis for the formation of democratic values of Ukrainian society. Much attention is paid to the correlation between civic and political education. The need for value content of political education adds to the urgency of the study. This involves making greater use of the tools of political education to support the dialogue of cultures in the modern world. Ensuring that society is prepared to solve global problems by developing the active position and individual responsibility of each young person should be an equally important result of political education in the 21st century. Political education now requires a walkthrough approach of implementation (through project initiatives, socio-cultural activities, networking and various types of cooperation between those who get education in the socio-political sector). The authors emphasize that it is worth rethinking the new opportunities of social networks, the Internet era to build youth initiatives and teams for project work. However, one of the challenges of the information society is the dominance of different types of data (“information noise”), which requires young people to have a higher level of media literacy and more developed critical thinking. Systematization literary sources and approaches for solving the problem indicates that the new systems of political values have been formed, which are essential for the democratization. Two groups of mutually perceived values were approved. The first group is dominant. It is associated with values such as security, sovereignty, patriotism, freedom, human rights, justice, political stability. The second group of established values is evolving: legality, responsibility, equality, political pluralism, legitimacy. This article reveals the understanding of these values of Ukrainian citizens on the basis of Ukrainian and European sociological research.

The Significant Effect of Leadership and Conflict Management on Job Satisfaction

Abstract: The purpose of this work is to present evidence which illustrate the significant effect of leadership and conflict management on employee satisfaction in a range of professions. Leadership and conflict management have a significant effect on job satisfaction. This is illustrated with examples of the interaction between these parameters in a range of professions. It is worth noting that a significant effect of leadership is exhibited in a range of different professional sectors and groups of employees, reflecting the universal value of leadership interacting with a wide range of parameters which may vary according to age, level of education, working conditions, cultural differences and employee expectations. Irrespective of the complexity and variety of determinant parameters, the effect of leadership and conflict management on job satisfaction has been widely exhibited in the reviewed data of the present analysis. Motivated and satisfied employees are a key in achieving organizational goals and leaders should take into account factors related to work performance, motivation and job satisfaction.

Procedures for Completing Small Claims Lawsuit of Civil Cases in District Court in Indonesia

Abstract: The development of legal relations in the economic and other civil sectors in community highly requires a faster and less costly dispute resolution process, especially in small civil disputes. In connection with this matter, Indonesian Supreme Court issued various Supreme Court regulations, including Regulation No. 2 of 2015 concerning Procedures for Completion of Small Claims. The issuance of this regulation was to resolve special civil disputes regarding the acts against the law. In a small claim court lawsuit, it is required that the plaintiff and defendant be in the same jurisdiction. The value of the material suit in a small claim lawsuit is at most IDR 200 million or equal to 13,811 USD. Furthermore, for a small claim examination and verification of a lawsuit, it is carried out in a small manner, where the period of completion is determined a maximum of 25 days from the first trial day to the decision.

The Effectiveness of ICT-based Learning in Improving English Skills of Elementary School Teacher College Students

Abstract: This research aims to investigate the effectiveness of ICT-based learning on improving all aspects of the English skills of Elementary School Teacher College students. To achieve that goal, we use an experimental methodology with a pretest and post-test design of two groups, using the cluster random sampling. For this research, there were nine classes of Elementary School Teacher College students who enrolled in the Integrated English course with a total of 311 people as the population. From that population, we took samples consisted of four classes: two classes, consist of 76 people that treated with blended learning, and the other two classes, consisting of 73 people, using conventional learning. In this research, we focus on the skillsets of the English Language they are reading, writing, listening, and speaking. To test students’ ability in the first three skills, we used some form of descriptions, while for the speaking skills, we collected data using observation sheets. SPSS version 20 was used for the analysis of pretest and post-test data using the Manova test and Normalized gain (N-gain). Manova’s result showed that a significant difference in English language skills, which can be concluded that the treatment that combines the Moodle-based e-learning and face-toface classes has effectively impacted students’ English skills.

Hybridization of the Cultural Identity in Disney’s Mulan

Abstract: Hybridization has become a fluid notion due to its association with ideas and themes that were once mutual contradicting but have now become mutual celebrated. However, such changes are inevitable as the trend of globalization continuously generates new transnational cultural elements. This study will examine the hybrid cultural identity in Disney’s animated film Mulan (1998) which was adapted from The Ballad of Mulan, a folktale that originated from China. Specifically, it focuses on the cultural identity of Disney’s Mulan and explores how it is reconstructed as a transnational culture which flowed from China to America. This phenomenon, to some extent, implies the West’s increasing acceptance of cultural productions from Asian countries. The paper employs Daphne A. Jameson’s analytic model of cultural identity consisting of vocation, class, geography, philosophy, language, and biological components which seek to examine the emergence of mixed and relational and hybrid cultural identities. Through this study, the paper aims to discuss how the process of hybridization brings the character’s cultural identity in the original folklore to an international audience and how this facilitates cultural exchange and growth. The findings show that hybridization in cultural identity presents a tension between cultural Americanization and orientalization as well as modernity and tradition, which ultimately leads to a transferable cultural identity. The study is significant in elevating the status of Chinese folktales and highlighting cultural hybridity as a mediating factor in the growing trend of cultural globalization.

Sustainable Civil Justice through Open Enforcement: The Ukrainian Experience

Abstract: Ukraine, which is a member of the Council of Europe and is firmly on the path to European integration, develops legislation and legal doctrine with the aim of the implementing European standards. The Association Agreement signed in 2014 set out to put into effect, in particular, the approximation of legislation, the strengthening of judicial cooperation etc. The comprehensive reforms taking place cover various areas of legal regulation, specifically, legal proceedings and the enforcement of judgments. This new legislation in the field of the judicial system was approved in Ukraine in 2015-2017. The low level of trust in the judiciary, inside as well as outside of Ukraine, causes economical relations to suffer increasingly. It impacts inter alia the circulation of judicial decisions between EU Member States and Ukraine, which is not unencumbered by this and may be described as uncertain at best. Regarding all of these, the first part of this paper is about the goal of civil justice definition and defining the enforcement part throughout the process of judicial rights protection in Ukraine. In the second part we are investigating the transitional issues of the creation of an open enforcement system in Ukraine, the challenges and ways to resolve them within the most current trends of sustainable development and inclusive justice. In the conclusion, some theoretical approaches are criticized due to the lack of attention to the very ideas of sustainable justice and a peaceful and strong institutions promotion, which elude the attention of the legislators. The way of its fruition of an open and peaceful judicial enforcement creation through proper goal definition were proposed.

Legal Protection of Solvent Companies from Bankruptcy Abuse in Indonesian Legal System

Abstract: In bankruptcy legal system in Indonesia, the court can issue bankruptcy verdict without assess a company’s solvency condition, whether the company is solvent or insolvent. The provision of this law is very prone to be misused by creditors with bad faith. Insolvency test is able to protect debtors and to prevent the abuse of bankruptcy by malice creditors. This paper aims to analyze the legal protection of solvent companies from bankruptcy abuse in Indonesian legal system. By using normative and juridical approach, the results showed that the insolvency test can be included in the future amendment of Indonesian bankruptcy law. The implementation of insolvency test therefore is not administered outside the bankruptcy proceedings, but still in the respective bankruptcy proceedings. Insolvency test can be implemented by judges based on convincing evidences such as money report made by registered Public Accountant Office. A debtor, with bad faith, should not be eligible to get protection to avoid himself from bankruptcy with the insolvency test, although the debtor has good solvability.

Discourse on Social Media Use and Reading Culture of Nigerian Youths

Abstract: There is a growing public concern over the perceived decline in the reading culture of youths in Nigeria. A wider section of analysts strongly insinuate that the increasing use of social media and other new media technologies is the most significant cause of this social ill; hence, emphasis has been placed on how to control the use of online platforms principally for social interaction in Nigeria. This study examines the nature of relationship between social media use and the reading culture of Nigerian youths. Using a survey of 1,000 youths selected from Nigeria’s South-south geopolitical zone through a multistage sampling technique, the study found that 94.3% of the respondents use the social media and there is a generally poor culture of reading among young Nigerians. Contrary to popular opinion however, the study found a weak and insignificant relationship between social media use and reading culture (rho = 0.241, p> 0.05). Nevertheless, reading culture tended to be positively and significantly associated with certain demographic variables such as sex (.787**), education (.731**) and employment status (.654**). The study recommends the urgent reinvigoration of societal campaigns aimed at improving the reading culture of youths through the provision of a favourable socio-economic environment that encourages people to read.

Vertical Collectivism and Public Sector Corruption in South Asia: Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis

Abstract: Using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), this article intended to discover the combinations(s) of the vertical-collectivism dimensions inducing the high level of public sector corruption in South Asian countries. The analysis showed that the three combinations are instrumental in the high extent of public sector corruption in South Asian region: (a) the relatively low magnitude of power distance OR (b) the relatively low magnitude of masculinity AND the relatively high magnitude of uncertainty avoidance OR (c) the relatively low magnitude of individualism AND the relatively high magnitude of uncertainty avoidance. The startling result is that the relatively low level of power distance was revealed as one of the core causal conditions affecting the high level of public sector corruption in South Asian region. On this notable result, this article argued that it resulted from the region’s circumstances where the necessary resources and means to provide the less powerful members with an opportunity for upward social mobility is hardly achieved. In light of the finding, this article suggested that policy makers in South Asian countries should prioritize the improvement in regional situation which gives no other options to people, but corruption

Analysing Gender Effect on the Speech Act of Suggestion: A Pilot Study

Abstract: This is a pilot study on analyzing the effect of gender on the speech act of suggestion. It introduces preliminary analyses of whether gender affects the use of suggestion strategies produced and recognized by Iraqi EFL learners. The strategies are dealt with from three perspectives: structural, directness, and politeness. The purpose of this small-scale study is twofold, (1) to explore if there is a relationship between gender and suggestions and (2) to check the validity and reliability and thus the workability of the instruments in question to a large-scale study. To this end, the study sampled voluntarily, on an equal base, 10 male and 10 female fourth-year undergraduates using a name-in-box method. The study used two quantitative-based instruments to elicit suggestions: Written Discourse Completion Task (WDCT) and Multiple-choice Discourse Completion Task (MDCT). Each of which consisted of 12 situations approximating real-like interactions. The corpus was statistically analyzed via SPSS and yielded that gender affected the use of structural and directness strategies of suggestions, but it had no effect on the politeness strategies. Results along with the feedback of the raters, who were chosen to rate the situations, have both proven that the instruments in question are valid and reliable to work on relevant further studies.

Causes and Effects of Child Marriage in Bangladesh: A Case Study at Halishahar, Chattogram, Bangladesh

Abstract: Child marriage is one of the social diseases in Bangladesh which is an obstacle to overall progress of the country. It is still remaining a strong social custom in Bangladesh which causes high population growth rate of the country. It is a social phenomenon in Bangladesh that might be defined in many ways such as a legal problem, social problem, health problem, population problem and gender discrimination problem. Child marriage is the violation of child rights and an apparatus of discrimination against women. A considerable portion of the population of the country is children and in order to convert them into productive human resources of the country the problem of child marriage has to be addressed properly and steps should be taken immediately. This paper attempts to highlight the socio-economic causes and consequences of child marriage in Bangladesh. This paper also suggests some procedure to eliminate child marriage in Bangladesh. This research is conducted on the basis of primary and secondary data. For primary data a survey is conducted from September, 2018 to December, 2018 among 150 women aged 25 to 45 who got married before 18 years and live in slum at Santibag Area, Halishahar, Chattogram, Bangladesh. Secondary data are collected from various journals, books, reports and news paper writings.

Contributions of Ivan Illich to Education in a Digital Society

Abstract: Ivan Illich was a heavy critic of traditional schooling. His proposals were disregarded, perhaps too quickly, for various reasons. This paper, based on review research, aims to add to a current (re)reading of Illich, seeking to answer the following question: what is the relevance of Illich’s proposal for a successful education in an increasingly digitalised society? The results of this research allow concluding, on the one hand, that Illich’s proposal to replace strict schooling with (self)training networks in a society that is increasingly digitalised and linked by the internet may offer potential benefits, and it is worth, at least, of an in-depth analysis. On the other hand, provocative scholars that allow us to get out of any ideologically and socially delimited system have the merit of helping to provide instruments that enable a better understanding of the present and, consequently, a rationale for the options for the future. Ivan Illich is one of these scholars.

Accommodating minorities into Sri Lanka’s post-civil war state system: government initiatives and their failure

Abstract: Many observers view the defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May 2009 as a significant turning point in the protracted ethnic conflict that was troubling Sri Lanka. The armed struggle and the consequences of war have encouraged the state and society to address the group rights of ethnic minorities and move forward towards state reconstitution. The Tamil minority and international community expect that the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) must introduce inclusive policies as a solution to the ethnic conflict. They believe the state should take measures to avoid another major contestation through the lessons learned from the civil war. The study is a qualitative analysis based on text analysis. In this backdrop, this paper examines the attempts made for the inclusion of minorities into the state system in post-civil war Sri Lanka, which would contribute to finding a resolution to the ethnic conflict. The study reveals that numerous attempts were made at various periods to introduce inclusive policies to achieve state reconstitution, but those initiatives failed to deliver sustainable peace. The study also explores problems pertaining to contemporary policy attempts.

Gender Specificity in Democratic Elections: International Implementability as an Exemplary for Indonesian Political Landscape

Abstract: Women's participation in the electoral field is very important to be guaranteed by the state. In practice, there is often an imbalance in the number of female and male members. There needs to be a special policy to accommodate women's rights in these elections. This paper aims to examine how the legal construction in the electoral field is responsive to the right of women to participate. The method of approach used in this study is the socio-legal approach. The results found that the legal construction of gender justice-based elections to the electoral system is by increasing women's representation through the zipper system or alternating position between men and women in elections. In addition, this mechanism should be mutually agreed upon in various technical arrangements to implement this mechanism design.