Showing papers on "Global Leadership published in 2021"

World Health Organisation : The challenges of providing global leadership

Abstract: The chapter deals with WHO communication during the pandemic. It analysis its ability to communicate, provide current information and respond to disinformation.

Rhetoric and Reality of China’s Global Leadership in the Context of COVID-19: Implications for the US-led World Order and Liberal Globalization

Abstract: When President Trump-led America abandoned the global leadership, China casted itself as the global leader in response to COVID-19, placing challenges to the US-led world order and liberal globaliz...

Global Leadership for Sustainability

Abstract: Given the social and environmental challenges facing all organizations, there is a need for new leadership models, methods, and tools for implementing organizational change for sustainable development. Toward that end, we review current approaches to leadership for sustainability in terms of their conceptual frameworks and extant research, which all advocate a balanced stakeholder approach to leadership to address the social and environmental issues related to sustainability and sustainable development. Then, drawing from spiritual and being-centered leadership theories, we offer a model of Global Leadership for Sustainability (GLfS) that incorporates and extends the conceptual domain beyond current approaches to leadership for sustainability. In doing so we propose that spirituality, through the qualities of self-transcendence and interconnectedness, is critical for sustainability and is foundational for GLfS. We also emphasize the importance of cultivating a Global Mindset for Sustainability, which incorporates two ethical principles—an ethic of remote moral responsibility and an ethic of care and compassion. As a result, global leaders for sustainability become more committed to moving beyond satisfying stakeholders’ demands for economic returns, toward a more sustainable, triple bottom line, balanced approach. Finally, we discuss implications for theory, research, and practice of GLfS.

The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World: by S. Jaishankar, Uttar Pradesh, HarperCollins, 2020, 226 pp., $ 9.61 (hardcover), ISBN 978-93-5357-979-1

Abstract: Of late, world politics faces unprecedented challenges and uncertainty. The United States’ failure to take responsibility for global leadership, China’s unrestrained military and economic prowess, ...

Global Leaders for Global Teams: Leaders with Multicultural Experiences Communicate and Lead More Effectively, Especially in Multinational Teams

Abstract: In an era of globalization, it is commonly assumed that multicultural experiences foster leadership effectiveness. However, little research has systematically tested this assumption. We develop a t...

Artificial Intelligence and Sustainable Development in China

Abstract: This paper examines artificial intelligence (AI) and sustainable development in China. The Chinese government has developed ambitious policies for global leadership in the field of AI and sustainab...

Экономическое развитие в условиях технологической и социальной трансформации

Abstract: Aim. The presented study aims to formulate the conceptual features of the implementation of transformations in the field of technology and social issues and to substantiate methods for achieving technological competitiveness of industry to ensure global technological leadership. Tasks. The authors determine the theoretical and methodological features of economic development in the context of technological and social transformations based on developing the conceptual framework of the formation of the conceptual foundations of neo-industrial society, taking into account the contradictions of the global socio-economic system in the era of technological and social transformation; comparatively analyze the preparedness of Russia and certain other countries for the fourth technological revolution; substantiate the conceptual foundations of the new phenomenon of neo-industrial society, taking into account the contradictions of the global socio-economic system in the era of technological and social transformations based on the genesis of management paradigms and theories of industrial development in Russia; analyze the development of the Russian industrial complex and the actualization of its technological transformation to ensure global leadership; formulate a conceptual framework for managing the development of industry in the context of reindustrialization and digitalization; substantiate methodological recommendations for the development and adaptation of long-term socio-economic development strategies and clarify directions for technological development in Russia. Methods. The tasks set out in the study are solved using methodological tools associated with the conceptual features of the formation of a new economic development model in transformational conditions. The authors use conventional scientific methods (induction, deduction, historical, logical, and comparative analysis, monographic description, etc.), special research methods (systems and economic analysis, synthesis, grouping and comparison, continuous and selective observation, methods of expert assessments, methods of rank statistics), as well as methods, approaches, and other scientific provisions presented in the works of scientists and researchers. Results. The results of the study aimed at developing conceptual approaches, methodology, and recommendations for the formation of new fundamental principles for the implementation of the national economic policy in the era of technological and social transformations are substantiated. Unlike other existing developments, the obtained results, make it possible to develop the conceptual foundations of a neo-industrial society to ensure technological leadership in the context of a new industrial revolution and the digital economy, which corresponds to current and projected trends in socio-economic development. Conclusions. This study expands theoretical and methodological knowledge. The authors substantiate new theoretical and methodological principles. Thus, a scientific and methodological basis for economic development in the context of transformations has been created, increasing strategic technological competitiveness. The proposed approach to the formation of methodological tools strengthens the apparatus for studying problems in the subject area and develops tools associated with integration into the national innovation system.

Identifying global leadership potential

Abstract: This article investigates which criteria and processes are used to identify global leadership potential (GLP) in multinational corporations.,First, the literature at the intersection between leadership potential and global leadership is reviewed to identify a set of criteria that can be used for assessing GLP. The findings are then validated in a qualitative study against a sample of nine global corporations.,Several traits (integrity and resilience), attitudes (learning orientation, motivation to lead, change orientation, drive for results, customer orientation and a global mindset) and competencies (cognitive complexity and intercultural, interpersonal, leadership, learning, change and business competencies) are associated with GLP. The core steps in the GLP identification process are nomination, assessment and confirmation. These steps can be complemented by a preassessment phase and a subsequent talent dialogue.,The results of this research can inform human resource (HR) management practitioners in their endeavor to successfully identify and assess potential future global leaders.,Prior research has focused either on defining global leadership or on assessing leadership potential in general, without a clear focus on identifying global leaders. In this article, the two concepts of global leadership and leadership potential are combined, thus providing an integrated content and process model that indicates how global corporations select their future global leaders.

Organizational Justice in the Hotel Industry: Revisiting GLOBE from a National Culture Perspective

Abstract: Purpose - Despite its significance, national culture is often underrepresented in the hospitality industry. Implementing tools such as the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE), while valuable to a considerable extent, might induce false assumptions about of the universality of managerial practices for hotels through purposefully ignoring the in-group variations within each cultural cluster. Because employees’ perceptions are deeply rooted in context-specific value systems, this study challenges the tendency to adopt a globalized approach to leadership and management through investigating potential variations in employees’ perceptions in two countries in the south Asian cluster of the GLOBE. Design/methodology/approach - Data were collected by using hard-copy and online by convenience-sampling technique from a sample of hotel employees and managers in Iran (392) and India (421). Structural equation modeling using AMOS 22 was adopted to test the hypotheses. Findings - Both similarities and differences were observed between the Iranian and Indian contexts. The similarities confirm that GLOBE is correct to place them in the same regional cluster but the differences which relate to perceptions of organizational justice are also revealing. While Procedural Justice affects organizational factors that influence employee motivation with the Iranian sample, Distributive Justice has no effect, whereas with the Indian sample these results were the other way around. Implications – For scholars and practitioners we show that organizational theories and concepts cannot necessarily be transferred from a Western context to other parts of the world without making adjustments for national culture and generalizations cannot even be made within regions of similar culture. For example, this study shows that in Iran organizational justice is perceived differently from how it is perceived in India. Originality - This study extends the literature about the effect of national culture on the hotel employees’ cognitions and behaviours through shedding light on the divergence between countries within the same regional cluster in the GLOBE classification.

GCC countries’ geoeconomic significance to China’s geopolitical ends

Abstract: The study aims to examine the geoeconomic significance of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to China’s global geopolitical ends. In this vein, the paper also seeks to explore the interplay between China’s grand geoeconomic strategy and China’s geopolitical ends from a realist perspective.,The study uses the realism theory to explore the interplay between China’s geoeconomic presence in the GCC countries and its geopolitical global ends.,The study concludes that China under President Xi Jinping has geopolitical ends, and they are the regional and global leadership. To achieve them, President Xi has formulated a grand geoeconomic strategy consisting of four strategies: going out strategy, periphery strategy, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. These strategies will maximize China’s economic power and presence around the world. From a realist perspective, this presence and its evolving consequences such as the balance of dependence will enable China to achieve its geopolitical ends. In this vein, China’s geoeconomic strategy in the GCC countries has largely maximized China’s economic presence in the Gulf. This presence highly serving China’s geopolitical global ends for two reasons: the economic weight of the GCC countries and their strategic location within BRI.,The study can prove the realistic dimension of geoeconomics in the neoliberal era on the application to China’s geoeconomic strategy.

Let nine universities blossom: opportunities and constraints on the development of higher education in China

Abstract: China’s pursuit of global superpower status compels the country to make coordinated efforts across numerous sectors. Global leadership in higher education is one example and provides a case study i...

China’s Global Leadership Through G20 Compliance

Abstract: What kind of leadership role is China playing in the G20? How has this leadership role evolved over time, particularly with the recent global crises created by the COVID-19 pandemic? In addition, will China’s rising role in providing badly needed global public goods reinforce its rivalry with a declining US, present the opportunity of co-leading with its BRICS counterparts, or mediate and foster co-operative solutions among all? This study seeks to address these critical questions using quantitative analysis based on G20 compliance data since its start in 2008, and especially at the recent Osaka Summit in June 2019 and the emergency virtual summit on March 26, 2020. Specifically, this study analyses China’s changing compliance levels over time and across issue areas, in comparison with its key G20 partners (or rivals): the US, India and Russia. Observing China’s compliance trends alongside those of other major G20 powers provides important insights into the characteristics, evolution and interactions of China’s leadership. This analysis finds that China’s leadership role has increased over time but that China remains largely a flexible and co-operative leader. From 2008 to 2018, China’s compliance rose while that of the US declined. Overall, China leads more with its BRICS partners than with the US. China’s leadership model has been characterized by flexibility and cooperativeness, as China has never led alone, and China’s closest compliance companions vary across different issue areas. China and other G20 members’ compliance in 2020 largely confirms these trends and the causal strength of the shock activated vulnerability of COVID-19 and members’ relevant specialized capabilities in response.

Perlmutter Revisited: Revealing the Anomic Mindset

Abstract: The assortment of issues that arise in situations where there is a divergence between managers’ prevailing mindsets and the demands of their complex operating environment have yet to be fully revealed. Engaging critically with Perlmutter’s framework and the broader global mindset literature, and drawing on insights curated from a 2-year field study, we reveal the existence of the anomic mindset among a cohort of international managers. We conceptualize this mindset as a stock of knowledge, cognitive and psychological attributes that results in these managers returning to and entrenching themselves in an outdated, most probably idealized, world view of business in opposition to a changing socio-economic context. Its presence sees them resisting rather than adapting to the globalization that surrounds them, and leads them to engage in detours from the pathway toward the development of a global mindset. Unlike the ethnocentric mindset which describes ex ante managerial thinking in organizations moving toward internationalization, the anomic mindset results from the ex post responses of managers following a protracted period of involvement in international business. Its existence opens up a significant debate on progress in, and the prospects for, globalization and the development of global mindsets, along with their preservation in the face of this persistent anomie.

Intercultural Communication for Global Business: How Leaders Communicate for Success

Abstract: This book brings together principles and new theories in intercultural communication in a concise and practical manner, focusing on communication as the foundation for management and global leadership. Grounded in the Cultural Intelligence Model, this compact text examines the concepts associated with understanding culture and communication in the global business environment to help readers: • Understand intercultural communication processes. • Improve self-awareness and communication in intercultural settings. • Expand skills in identifying, analyzing, and solving intercultural communication challenges at work. • Evaluate whether one’s communication has been effective. Richly illustrated with examples, activities, real-world applications, and recent case studies that make the content come alive, Intercultural Communication for Global Business is an ideal companion for any business student or manager dedicated to communicating more effectively in a globalized society.

The Saudi Data & Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) Vision: Leading the Kingdom's Journey toward Global Leadership.

Abstract: The emerging field of data and artificial intelligence (AI) and its noticeable expansion has motivated nations to transition from traditional economic models to learning economies using these technologies. In April 2016, the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud introduced Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 that identifies the long-term goals and expectations of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) was established in August 2019 by a Royal Decree to facilitate the transition and help achieve Vision 2030's goals and reach KSA's fullest potentials. SDAIA's core mandate is to support and drive the data and AI agenda within the Kingdom, and its vision is to position KSA as a global leader in the elite league of data-driven economies. To properly fulfill its mandate, SDAIA announced in October 2020 the National Strategy for Data and AI (NSDAI) with an ambitious vision put in place "Where the best of Data and AI is made reality".

Urban Youth Scholars: Cultivating Critical Global Leadership Development through Youth-Led Justice-Oriented Research

Abstract: Educational researchers and practitioners have cited the need for new directions in youth leadership studies as it relates to globalization. Globalization is considered one of the most important economic, cultural, and social trends of the last century, yet there is much debate about the educational curricula that best support the development of global leadership in youth. Most existing global-focused programs (i.e. IB/AP) engender grave inequities in access and opportunities, particularly for urban youth, and do not often allow youth to critically interrogate the myriad injustices that plague the world. There is, however, a burgeoning body of scholarship centered on critical youth studies as a transformative process for youth development. This phenomenological case study shares the findings from the Urban Youth Scholars program, an after-school program focused on cultivating the global leadership development of five youth in the program. This study utilized a Social Justice Youth Development framework to explore the development of the youth’s self, social/community, and global awareness through critical consciousness building and critical social analysis. Findings depict youth perceptions of global leadership development and include implications for scholars and practitioners for centering youth-led justice-oriented research as a tool for global leadership development.

Prospects for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 Through A Proposed Halal Entrepreneurship Success Index (HESI)

Abstract: The Global Islamic Economy Indicator recognizes Malaysia as a global leader of the Islamic/Halal economy. Malaysia is also expanding its Islamic Economy and Business Ecosystem. Accordingly, the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development (MED) in Malaysia aims to produce a million small and medium enterprise (SME) entrepreneurs in 2019-2023. However, the Global Innovation Index in 2018 and 2019 ranked Malaysia in the 35th place globally, behind top Asian innovators like Singapore, South Korea, and Japan. This raises an important question: How can Malaysia foster its entrepreneurial economy using its advantageous position in the Halal industry? Malaysia must act now to prepare for a future led by innovation and technology. The country can use the Halal Entrepreneurship Success Scale to foster sustainable innovation and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Measuring the success of Halal entrepreneurs in Malaysia can help it to achieve the SDGs. The religious background of Halal entrepreneurs motivates them to contribute positively to their society and environment. Halal entrepreneurship can be a driver of transformation that can help attain and deliver the SDGs while promoting sustainable economic growth. The findings of this paper can be useful to policy makers, regulators, practitioners, and academics.

Consequences of us - china rivalry and covid -19: opportunity for india to rise in global order

Abstract: India and the international community at large to witness transformations in the global order post-Covid-19 era and this provides large scale opportunities to the nation of 1.3 billion to play a dominant role in international geo-political map. Pre Covid-19 days, world witnessed the dominance of United States of America and newly emerging superpower China in the first two decades of 21st century. The international community, always, was sceptical of China's economic growth story and military might, worried about its muscular and aggressive foreign policy in Asian continent and across the boundaries. The business will no longer be equivalent to the pre-Covid days and other nations are looking for self-reliance or other sources for meeting their indispensable needs, apart from China. Therefore, in the post-Covid era in meeting these global expectations, India can be the global leader, whether in a health, economic, technological or pharmaceutical sector. India, the largest democracy in the world, enjoys international support and cooperation and with US support can be the leading player in the international order, being better placed than any other nation in fighting this pandemic. India can be the new supply chain of the US and other western states. To become the global leader, India first need to act and survive this onslaught by Covid-19 and then thrive towards achieving the global leader status after taking advantages of opportunities such as new alliances in middle-east, rivalries between the United States of America and China.

"Now, I am Empowered. Now, I am a Woman With Spirit": Evaluating CARE's Public Health Work Through a Community-Organizing Framework in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Abstract: Community-based interventions are crucial to reducing health-care disparities throughout the world. CARE, an international development nongovernmental organization (NGO), is a global leader in using a community-based approach in public health. This qualitative study sought to understand the processes through which community organizing functions to effectively facilitate change and improve health among underserved populations in three programs in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Sixteen in-depth interviews and two focus groups were conducted with NGO staff, partner organization staff, and community change agents. Programs are assessed through Ganz's community-organizing model, which includes (a) leadership development, (b) storytelling strategies, and (c) team building. Our findings confirm existing literature showing that public health approaches can be augmented by using community organizing to develop local engagement. Results show that program success relates to developing community members' understanding of social inequality and its impact on society. Other important strategies include systems strengthening, political engagement, coalition building, and government outreach. Empowered communities were created through recruiting, activating, and investing in community members, their stories, and their collaborative potential, at least in the sites studied here. Collectively, these programs have begun to create empowered communities among some of the most marginalized people in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

The “American Century” Is Over: The US Global Leadership Narrative, Uncertainty and Public Diplomacy

Abstract: Narrative is central to a nation’s political life and, for those nations that choose to project themselves abroad, essential to its foreign affairs and public diplomacy. A fundamental transformation in the American narrative—the suite of historical assumptions, beliefs, and stories that give a nation purpose and meaning, and motivate its citizens to pursue a course of political and historical action in international affairs—has weakened the United States’ commitment to leadership of the international system. Historically an isolationst power until the early part of the 20th century, the US restyled itself as the defender of global liberty and freedom against the encroachments of communism and the Soviet Union. The collapse of that threat in the late 20th century deprived that narrative of its foundational logic and drove a ‘reset’ to the earlier narrative of remaining distant from the entanglements of foreign affairs. Internal conflicts and social ills, suppressed or papered over during the period of American international hegemony, have assumed a new priority for Americans and further turned attention inward. The uncertainty created by these shifts has destabilized the international system. It has also affected the US ability to clearly project public diplomacy messaging. This chapter examines the integral role that public diplomacy plays in the conveyance of a national narrative and the implementation of foreign policy, as well as discusses forces that are undermining and changing that narrative.

Human capital development: development of professional competencies through soft skills

Abstract: The goal of the article is to analyze the development of the professional competency of leadership through the development of soft skills in the students of Russian engineering universities on the example of the Moscow Polytechnic University. The most demanded and dynamic part of the labor market is currently represented by engineering specialists. However, successful professional and career growth, as well as the effective development of human capital as the main resource of the innovative development of modern society, requires a combination of engineering (hard skills) and humanitarian (soft skills) abilities in a specialist. The development of many socially significant processes in modern society demonstrates aggravated contradictions and the development of new realization trends many of which are associated with changes in the parameters of these processes which, in turn, is determined by the mass implementation of innovative digital technologies and globalization processes. Globalization as a process ensuring the accessibility and openness of information has a significant impact on the transformation of national values within a country in favor of the emergence of global social, moral, and legal values and social behavior norms in the field of political and state power, as well as the economy. Leadership as a social phenomenon bearing the main load of managing all socially significant processes is also changing. Leadership as a social phenomenon is subject to constant scientific study and analysis. For this purpose, the GLOBE (Global Leadership and Organization Behavior Effectiveness) International Research Program was created. The GLOBE program coordinates the study of leadership in more than 60 countries which also supports the relevance of researching the phenomenon of leadership. In the professional activity, leadership manifests through the “leadership qualities” competency.

National culture and public-sector budgeting: the mediating role of country-level institutions using a structural equation modeling approach

Abstract: Despite cultural dimensions being included in hundreds of business and management research studies, there have been relatively few studies in public-sector accounting that include the use of cultural dimensions. It is posited that national cultural variables impact the institutions, which, in turn, have an influence on public-sector budgeting. The study aims to contribute to the literature by examining these relations in 31 countries.,These relationships are empirically evaluated by structural equation modeling using measures of national culture from Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) study and Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGIs) measures named institutions from the World Bank. Furthermore, measures of public-sector budgeting are evaluated in which public-sector budgeting is classified according to the legislative power of the purse and budget transparency.,Generally, findings reveal that institutions mediate the relationship among national cultural variables and budgeting at the national level. By that means, budgeting in a given nation is linked to the nation's supporting institutions which, in turn, are influenced by the national culture of those who maintain them. Particularly, power distance and uncertainty avoidance impact budgeting through the full mediation of institutions.,The World Bank's database used for the institutions contained over 200 countries (Kaufmann et al., 2007); the GLOBE cultural database (House et al., 2004) contained data for 62 societies; the public-sector budgeting (Qi and Mensah, 2011) included power of the purse and budgeting transparency country scores for 49 countries and the datasets comprised 31 nations, mostly from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. While smaller than we would have preferred, the size is consistent with other international studies (for instance: Waldman et al., 2006; Kwok and Tadesse, 2006).,The findings of the paper suggest that any plan to improve a nation's budgeting should consider the links between budgeting, supporting institutions and the culture of those that run them. The formal adoption of new methods and standards by supporting institutions may not be enough without accompanying efforts to transform national culture.,The theoretical contribution of the paper is discussed further in the paper.

Does meaning matter? Nietzsche, Jung, and implications for global leadership

Abstract: The Global Risks 2035 Update by the Atlantic Council, despite its clinical focus on economic, environmental and security challenges, nevertheless suggests that shared global meaning might have a role to play in enabling humanity to set off on a more beneficial trend for its foreseeable global future. The realisation that the complex challenges facing humanity is existential as much as it is pragmatic necessitates trans-disciplinary engagement and collaborative research ventures. This article contributed a trans-disciplinary reflection by bringing philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and psychologist-philosopher Carl Jung in dialogue with critical leadership studies within the broader framework of the science–religion dialogue of this special volume. Pointing to the awareness in leadership studies of how meaning, narrative and shared vision enable greater effectiveness and collaboration, we explore nihilism as cultural problem to be addressed in order to create meaning that fosters global collaborative action. From the viewpoint of the Global Risk 2035 Update and its gloomy strategic foresight of a newly bipolarised world or further descent into chaos, the article brought Nietzsche’s idea of the Last Man into dialogue with Carl Jung’s emphasis on the need for a collective myth to reverse the decline of civilisation and enable humanity to chart a course towards unprecedented global collaboration. Contribution: The article contributes from a transdisciplinary perspective to the question of meaning in leadership. Drawing from the contributions of Nietzsche and Jung, it argues that shared myth and shared meaning is vital to address the complex global challenges that leadership is called to address. This philosophical reflection on the crisis of nihilism contributes to the growing awareness in critical leadership studies that meaning-making is critical to effective leadership.

Climate-change beliefs and resilience to climate change in Bangladesh: is leadership making any difference?

Abstract: Although the significance of global leadership in combatting climate change has been widely studied, the effectiveness of local government leadership has been neglected in the literature. This study explores the relationships among climate-change belief, resilience to climate change, and local government leadership (LGL). It also examines local government’s leadership in mediating and moderating the climate-change beliefs (specifically, that climate change is occurring and that it is the result of human activity) and resilience to climate change of victims of river erosion in Bangladesh and uses mediation and moderation analyses to determine the effectiveness of LGL in Bangladesh. Survey data were collected from 200 riverbank-erosion victims, and two focus-group discussions were conducted in the northern districts (Bogra and Sirajganj) of Bangladesh. Applying a mixed-methods approach, this study used adaptive capacity and vulnerability theory (ACVT) as an analytical tool along with structural equation modelling to examine the proposed model. The results suggest that climate-change belief, resilience to climate change, and LGL have significant positive relationships with each other. However, while LGL shows a partial mediation on the relationship between climate-change belief and resilience to climate change, no moderation impact was revealed that demonstrated effective LGL influence among the victims. The study extends the literature regarding the outcomes of LGL activities and initiatives on climate-change belief and resilience to climate change within a non-western context. It also provides empirical evidence from the perspective of ACVT. These results can help both policymakers and local government leaders responsible for climate-change disaster management to expedite the UN’s sustainable development goal (SDG 13), especially in developing countries like Bangladesh.

Competitiveness, Intelligence and Sustainability in Consolidated Destinations: What We Know and Pending Research Challenges

Abstract: Competitiveness, sustainability and innovation have been studied by the tourism literature at least since the 1990s. In spite of the advances made in the comprehension of these concepts, the dynamic nature of the industry continually generates new practical challenges for the public and private agents of the sector and scientific challenges for tourism researchers. Currently, globalization and digital progress, the emergence of new marketing platforms, the increased saturation of certain destinations and the COVID-19 pandemic are significantly affecting the competitiveness and sustainability of tourism activity. This calls for a scientific review of what we know about the competitiveness and sustainability of the sector and an analysis of its feasibility in this new competitive environment that is constantly and intensely transforming, even more so in the post-COVID19 era. The objective of this article is to conceptually analyze the state of this question, using Spain as a case study, as it has been the global leader in tourism competitiveness in recent years. The high level of consolidation of the Spanish tourism sector enables us to make a more in-depth analysis of the implications of these phenomena and to extract practical lessons for destinations that are in the more initial phases of their life cycles.

Introduction: Factors Affecting the Gulf’s Future

Abstract: How will global economic and political cycles and inequality, still existing restrictive gender norms (UNDP, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Human Development Report. Oxford University Press, Oxford and New York (2019). Available at http://www.hdr.undp.org/), and value change affect the future of the region, which had combined proven reserves of 497 billion barrels of crude oil, which represents approximately 34% of the world’s estimated proven crude reserves, and which is the EU’s sixth-largest export market (€78.1 bn of exports in 2019, +5% over 2018)? In this chapter, we present the starting points of our analysis: the global world political and economic environment which the Gulf will most probably face in the near future and the foreseeable emergent real vacuum in world affairs and global leadership; and the multivariate analysis of civil society in the countries of Gulf by international comparison. Here, in the introduction, we present an outline of the social scientific scenery in which this book is located, all characterized by the quest for evidence-driven debates about the realities of the Gulf region by international comparison. The chapter briefly introduces the decisive factors, discussed at length in this book with a wealth of new original, global time series analyses and opinion-survey-co-driven evidence. We highlight, among others, the necessity of the multivariate analyses of opinions on religion, gender, and the desire for democracy, based on World Values Survey data, underlining the general approach of this book in the framework of the recent United Nations Human Development Report, 2019 with its emphasis on inequality and still existing restrictive gender norms.

“The World is Bigger than Five”. Turkey’s Emergence as a Global Actor in World Politics: Prospects and Challenges for Russia

Abstract: The foreign policy realized by Turkey’s president clearly evidences the fact that Erdogan does not accept today’s world order as a model for the near future. This has led to the proposition of The World Is Bigger than Five formula since 2013. At least in several key regions, Ankara attempts to change the world order through more than emotional declarations; it uses both hard and soft power in the Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East, Black Sea region, Caucasus, and Central Asia. The main indicators of Turkish soft and hard power (military, economic, technological factors, and attractiveness of mass culture) are examined to identify possibilities of Turkey to change the balance of power in key regions and on a global scale. From 2007, the vision of Turkey as an influential actor globally has been propagated by the Turkish elite of the Justice and Development Party (AKP). Geopolitical, civilizational, and systematic approaches are used. The research process is carried out within the paradigm of classical and critical geopolitics. During the AKP’s time in power, moderate Islamists gave Turkey a new impetus - a return to its civilizational roots. One must note the state’s development of its economy, military-industrial complex, and the new national position globally as a patron of every Muslim. Modern Turkey can be considered a great regional power with sectoral global leadership in its military attainment, and due to the attractiveness of its model of development. Ankara invests heavily in soft power, its success is based on the Turkish development ideology, which represents a synthesis of neo-Ottoman, neo-Pan-Turkic and pan-Islamic ideas. The revival of Turkey as a regional power and its desire to become a world power will inevitably increase the space of contradictions in Russian-Turkish relations, reducing the sphere of cooperation between the two countries.