Lessons Learned from Public and Private Contract Managers for Effective Local Government Contracting Out: The Case of New Jersey

To date, very few studies have explored practical strategies for exercising effective financial management of local government contracts through two main stakeholders’ perspectives of the contracting system at the same time. Employing a series of semi-structured interviews with public officials and private contractors in New Jersey, this study attempts to fill this gap in the scholarship. The finding of this study suggests that government agencies should pay greater attention to competitive bids without favoritism, contract specificity, a statewide performance database, sufficient staffing with well-trained personnel, strong leadership, team-based structures, two-way communication, and evaluation based on both qualitative and quantitative values.     

The Influence of Perception on Maternal Sensitivity in Foster Care

This study examined the association between perceptions of children's care needs and maternal sensitivity with 76 dyads in foster care. Foster mothers were more sensitive to typically developing children perceived as requiring easier care and were less sensitive to children with developmental delays. Adopting foster mothers were sensitive with children requiring complex care. Older children were perceived to need more care and to be delayed in development. Nearly half of the sample were perceived to be developmentally delayed. Foster mothers were less sensitive to children with multiple placements. Perceptions of caregiving needs can influence the quality of interactions.     

Social Media and the Paradox of Fear: An Exploratory Study of Political Relationship Marketing Within South Wales

This paper explores the key challenges of social media use by politicians in relation to political relationship marketing. Utilising a case study of the online footprint left by Welsh politicians and their attitude towards social media based on three business based rationales – engagement, level of control, and return on investment – the paper offers an expanded conception of the perceptions and fears influencing the use of social media by politicians in terms of political relationship marketing. The article concludes with some critical thoughts regarding the understanding of relationship marketing principles by politicians.     

“情性”还是“性情”：中国诗歌价值取向的分野

中国诗论中“吟咏情性”与“吟咏性情”有着巨大的不同,标志着两种诗学理路。“吟咏情性”的主要内涵是“情”,是由“感物”而来的“感”情,与“性”的关系不大;而“吟咏性情”的主要内涵则是“性”,由“性”而来的“情”。早期理论以“情性论”为主,宋明以来则主要是“性情论”。“情性论”的“情”个体感性维度明显,“性情论”的“情”则理性色彩突出,从“情性”到“性情”的重心转移显示了中国诗论理性化的价值取向。要用“情性”与“性情”的双重视野来看待中国古代诗论中的“情”才较为全面。在这种双重视野下来审视中国的“抒情传统”,则会有不同的答案。     

What’s in a Name … or a Face? Student Perceptions of Faculty Race

Utilizing Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a conceptual framework, this study examines student perception of faculty of color in academia from student professor preference. Using an experimental design to test the effect of race on selection of faculty with whom to take a course, we showed student participants two types of pairings of faculty: first, pairs of photos of faculty of different races, and same age and attractiveness, then names of faculty, paired by different race were shown. The study provided evidence of racial bias with a strong preference for courses taught by White faculty by various subgroups of students, providing a snapshot of what faculty of color potentially stand to face in classroom environments.     

Measuring peace using household-level data from post-conflict Solomon Islands

The definition of peace and its quantification has challenged many researchers. The extant literature defines and measures peace in contradistinction to violence, thereby making the measure an indirect one. There is scope for the alternative of a direct measure of peace in the form of a Peace Perception Index (PPI) as revealed here. We use household-level survey data from Guadalcanal Province in the Solomon Islands to compute the PPI. Our analysis shows that the once conflict-affected communities on Guadalcanal have attained a PPI of 88 per cent of the level of peace prior to the conflict. That is, the perception of the level of peace in the sampled community has improved to 88 per cent since the installation of a peacekeeping mission a decade back. We argue that recognising the people’s perceptions, rather than the use of the absolute minimalist or maximalist notion of peace provides nuances on the levels of peace reached in a post-conflict situation.     

The Limits of RMB Internationalization

正RMB internationalization is one of the most important issues for China’s economy.Owing to the real factors affecting it,however,its development will be slower than media speculation can envisage.There is an exaggerated perception of RMB internationalization when considered according to percentage growth statistics,because calculations of them start from extremely low levels.For example,the proportion of RMB payments in the U.S.in April 2014 rose 100percent compared to a year earlier.This sounds spectacular,until taking into account that the rise constituted     

全球化时代下国家转型的多样性：对新加坡经验的再反思

从全球化的推动性效应出发,先行研究强调,随着经济开放性的日益提高,“治理型相互依赖”是各国政企关系的发展趋势。正是这种特殊的关系,增强了国家面对全球化挑战的转型能力。新加坡常被认为是证实此假说的典型案例。然而,通过对新加坡政治经济的深入挖掘,本文认为,新加坡并不存在这种“治理型相互依赖”的政企关系。主要原因有三：（1）国家长期对外部威胁的感知;（2）政府与企业利益缺乏统一性;（3）私有企业长期性弱小。通过对新加坡案例的再反思,本文进一步指出,在全球化时代下,各国的转型能力与转型路径并非是“趋同”的。而这种差异性往往取决于国内工业结构与政府角色的特征。     

亚欧会议认知状况调查与分析

在亚欧会议进程10周年即将到来之际,课题组通过问卷调查、召开学术研讨会、高层访谈等方式,对中国公众、精英和决策层对亚欧会议的认知状况进行了调查,并在此基础上进行了分析。公众对亚欧会议了解程度不高,但普遍持积极评价的态度;精英群体认知较为复杂,包括正反两面,其中以批评意见居多;决策层对亚欧会议的认知体现出更多的发展眼光和长远意识。针对这些状况和问题,课题组建议亚欧会议在未来发展进程中,要加强机制化建设;拓宽合作领域,如能源、科技、教育等方面;推动亚欧两大洲人民之间的更多交流。     

关于学派批评的美学检视

近年来文学批评领域出现的一场学院派批评成败得失的争论,有其复杂多元的思想与时代背景,它是有意义的.但学院派批评尚非严格意义的学派批评,它存在的某些不足与缺陷,从理论美学上加以检视可知,要建设真正的学派批评必须解决好三个重要理论与认识问题.