Towards virtuous and ethical organisational performance in the context of corruption: A case study in the public sector

With the increasing number of ethical violations reported across the public sector, the emphasis on ethics and values in governance is on the rise. Corruption is widely accepted as a form of unethical behaviour that can have detrimental effects on organisations as well as society at large. Research calls for empirical studies focusing on the contextual factors surrounding corruption. Based on the Contextually Based Human Resource Theory and using the case study method, this paper examines the role of context through a systematic analysis of corruption in a public sector organisation. We integrate corruption and human resource literature to understand employee behaviour, employee relations, HRM strategies, and organisational outcomes in the context of organisational corruption.     

The Scharff technique: training military intelligence officers to elicit information from small cells of sources

ABSTRACT

Studies have demonstrated the efficacy of the Scharff technique for gathering human intelligence, but little is known about how this efficacy might vary among different samples of practitioners. In this training study we examined a sample of military officers (n?=?37). Half was trained in the Scharff technique and compared against officers receiving no Scharff training. All officers received the same case file describing two sources holding information about a terrorist attack. University students (n?=?74) took the role of the semi-cooperative sources. Scharff-trained officers adhered to the training as they (1) aimed to establish the ‘knowing-it-all’ illusion, (2) posed claims as a means of eliciting information, and (3) asked fewer explicit questions. The ‘untrained’ officers asked many explicit questions, questioned the reliability of the provided information, pressured the source, and displayed disappointment with the source's contribution. Scharff-trained officers were perceived as less eager to gather information and left their sources with the impression of having provided comparatively less new information, but collected a similar amount of new information as their untrained colleagues. The present paper both replicates and advances previous work in the field, and marks the Scharff technique as a promising technique for gathering human intelligence.     

Weak states and uneven pluralism: lessons from Mali and Kyrgyzstan

We argue that certain important democratic practices and elements of pluralism are lasting features of political systems in many poor countries. Because of state weakness, such arrangements work to the benefit of both elites and citizens. The broader citizenry and civil society enjoy significant political freedoms and greater access to foreign aid. Elites tolerate these limited civil liberties and regular elections because they produce few costly consequences due to state incapacity. We evaluate this theory of ‘uneven pluralism’ in poor countries using evidence from a paired comparison of Mali and Kyrgyzstan. These two countries have experienced significant political turbulence, but on balance have shown a persistent and robust commitment to a free press, transparent elections, and respect for freedom of association. Our theory suggests that uneven pluralism is likely to continue in countries like Mali and Kyrgyzstan, even as significant limits on judicial independence, persistent corruption, and lack of government transparency make democratic consolidation unlikely.     

民族地区女性罪犯矫正的现实困境及路径研究——以广西N监狱为例

自上世纪90年代以来,我国女性罪犯数量呈明显的上升趋势,在押女犯结构也发生了较大的变化,监狱应根据罪犯矫正工作的实际情况,针对女犯特点开展教育矫正工作,积极探寻突破困境的有效对策,创新监管模式,不断提高矫正女犯的质量和水平,推动监狱管理工作顺利开展。     

Productivity,craftwork and flexibility: the Mobil agreements

ABSTRACT

Using original documents, this paper describes and analyses the case study of one of the productivity bargaining agreements from a leading exponent of productivity bargaining, Mobil’s Coryton Refinery. As well as being important in the UK oil industry these agreements spread throughout the economy. They resulted in major concessions by the unions to relax inter-craft and craft-production trade boundaries and to changes in work methods. These are illustrated in detail and placed in context. Such changes were heralded as ‘new look industrial relations’ and as such were based on a conception of joint regulation. However, other interpretations are possible, and these are then explored and discussed.     

转型时期刑事涉案财物扣押冻结问题研究

针对转型时期经济发展中出现的新型刑事案件和复杂的侦查工作局面,公安机关如何正确理解、适用法律,把握法律、政策界限,做到合法、合理地扣押冻结及妥善处理刑事涉案财物,是公安机关当前需要研究的课题。     

Unheard Voices: Why Former Child Welfare Workers Left Their Positions

This mixed methods study used a snowball sample (n = 54) to capture retrospective insight from former public child welfare workers about job satisfaction and reasons they left their positions. Responses to open-ended questions suggested a theme of lack of organizational support as the primary reason they left. Former workers also reported that they wanted a voice and someone to hear their concerns, greater recognition, and opportunity to practice self-care. Quantitatively, workers in their positions 8 years or longer were the most satisfied on a 19-item global scale examining job satisfaction. Respondents were unhappy with their workloads and emotional impact of their positions.     

Direct democracy and subjective regime legitimacy in Europe

While much research focuses on the causes and consequences of direct democracy and regime legitimacy, little attention has been paid to the potential relationship between them. In an attempt to fill this void, this paper focuses on the legal provisions for direct democracy and its use. The key argument is that possibilities for the public’s direct involvement reflect high importance given to citizens, openness of the regime towards different modes of decision-making, and ways to avoid unpopular institutions. Consequently, citizens are likely to accept and support the regime, improving or maintaining its legitimacy. The cross-national analysis includes 38 European countries ranging from transition countries to established democracies. It uses bivariate statistical analysis and country-level data collected from legislation, secondary sources, and aggregate surveys.     

穴位贴敷法防治儿童支气管哮喘的队列研究

目的 评价穴位贴敷法防治儿童支气管哮喘的效果,分析可能影响其防治效果的因素。方法 以确诊的支气管哮喘患儿为研究对象,根据研究对象是否采用穴位贴敷治疗,将其分为贴敷组和未贴敷组。收集研究对象的基线资料后进行为期18个月的随访,获取病情变化积分。采用二项分类Logistic回归分析方法考察病情变化积分的影响因素。结果 329例哮喘患儿完成随访,其中贴敷组196例,未贴敷组133例。随访时间延长,患儿病情变化积分呈现逐渐降低趋势,贴敷组病情变化总积分低于未贴敷组,差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）。Logistic回归分析结果显示,仅贴敷年数进入病情变化积分的回归方程,贴敷年数越长,病情变化总积分越低。结论 基于“冬病夏治”理论的穴位贴敷法防治缓解期儿童支气管哮喘有一定的效果,贴敷时间长者的效果更明显。     

1468例类风湿关节炎患者终点事件发生情况队列研究

目的 采用队列研究方法,随访安徽中医药大学第一附属医院类风湿关节炎（rheumatoid arthritis,RA）出院患者终点事件发生情况,探讨其终点事件发生的相关因素。方法 纳入安徽中医药大学第一附属医院2012年1月至2016年6月期间诊断为RA患者的病例,调取并记录RA患者的一般资料,采用电话随访方式,随访并记录出院患者中医药使用情况（根据RA患者服药时间分为非暴露组、低暴露组、中暴露组和高暴露组）、终点事件发生情况,调取随访成功RA患者首次入院的实验室指标,采用多元Logistic回归分析法分析各因素与RA患者终点事件发生的相关性。结果 共纳入1 812例RA患者,随访成功1 468例,随访终点事件有80例。全因死亡的影响因素是中医药暴露强度,年龄、抗环瓜氨酸多肽抗体能够增加病死率;再发入院的影响因素是中医药暴露强度,血沉、超氧化物歧化酶、血小板可以增加再发入院的发生率;关节外病变的影响因素是中医药暴露强度、改善病情的抗风湿药,年龄、抗环瓜氨酸多肽抗体会增加关节外病变的风险;手术治疗的影响因素是中医药暴露强度。结论 中医药干预是RA患者终点事件发生的相关因素,且干预强度越大,终点事件发生率越低。