The purpose of this paper is to develop an integrated theoretical framework for energy security concept and to shed light on the policies and strategies applied by the European…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop an integrated theoretical framework for energy security concept and to shed light on the policies and strategies applied by the European Union countries to confront the challenges that faces them.
Design/methodology/approach
The research paper uses Regional Security complexes theory, which mainly developed in Copenhagen school for security studies, that founded by Barry Buzan. This school tried to clarify the untraditional security aspects, through expanding its scope by adding new dimensions than military perspective.
Findings
Despite the consolidated efforts exerted by the European Union to assure safe levels of energy security, and their continuous pursuit to be liberated from Russian energy over dependence, but the results are still limited.
Originality/value
The value of this research paper stems from the fact that it encompass the theoretical aspect by shedding light on all the developments occurred to energy security concept, in addition to the Empirical side, by analyzing various European energy security challenges and their confrontation strategies.
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Bennet Simon von Skarczinski, Arne Dreißigacker and Frank Teuteberg
Literature repeatedly complains about the lack of empirical data on the costs of cyber incidents within organizations. Simultaneously, managers urgently require transparent and…
Abstract
Purpose
Literature repeatedly complains about the lack of empirical data on the costs of cyber incidents within organizations. Simultaneously, managers urgently require transparent and reliable data in order to make well-informed and cost-benefit optimized decisions. The purpose of this paper is to (1) provide managers with differentiated empirical data on costs, and (2) derive an activity plan for organizations, the government and academia to improve the information base on the costs of cyber incidents.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors analyze the benchmark potential of costs within existing literature and conduct a large-scale interview survey with 5,000 German organizations. These costs are directly assignable to the most severe incident within the last 12 months, further categorized into attack types, cost items, employee classes and industry types. Based on previous literature, expert interviews and the empirical results, the authors draft an activity plan containing further research questions and action items.
Findings
The findings indicate that the majority of organizations suffer little to no costs, whereas only a small proportion suffers high costs. However, organizations are not affected equally since prevalence rates and costs according to attack types, employee classes, and other variables tend to vary. Moreover, the findings indicate that board members and IS/IT-managers show partly different response behaviors.
Originality/value
The authors present differentiated insights into the direct costs of cyber incidents, based on the authors' knowledge, this is the largest empirical survey in continental Europe and one of the first surveys providing in-depth cost information on German organizations.
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Laura Sinay, Maria Cristina Fogliatti de Sinay, Rodney William (Bill) Carter and Aurea Martins
The purpose of this paper is to critically analyze the influence of the algorithm used on scholarly search engines (Garfield’s algorithm) and propose metrics to improve it so that…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to critically analyze the influence of the algorithm used on scholarly search engines (Garfield’s algorithm) and propose metrics to improve it so that science could be based on a more democratic way.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper used a snow-ball approach to collect data that allowed identifying the history and the logic behind the Garfield’s algorithm. It follows on excerpting the foundation of existing algorithm and databases of major scholarly search engine. It concluded proposing new metrics so as to surpass restraints and to democratize the scientific discourse.
Findings
This paper finds that the studied algorithm currently biases the scientific discourse toward a narrow perspective, while it should take into consideration several researchers’ characteristics. It proposes the substitution of the h-index by the number of times the scholar’s most cited work has been cited. Finally, it proposes that works in languages different than English should be included.
Research limitations/implications
The broad comprehension of any phenomena should be based on multiple perspectives; therefore, the inclusion of diverse metrics will extend the scientific discourse.
Practical implications
The improvement of the existing algorithm will increase the chances of contact among different cultures, which stimulate rapid progress on the development of knowledge.
Originality/value
The value of this paper resides in demonstrating that the algorithm used in scholarly search engines biases the development of science. If updated as proposed here, science will be unbiased and bias aware.
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David Adjatey Nyakotey, Alberta Seyram Ananga and Charles Apprey
The purpose of this paper is to assess physical activity and nutrient intake and their association with obesity in apparently healthy middle-aged adults in Akuse, a rural…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to assess physical activity and nutrient intake and their association with obesity in apparently healthy middle-aged adults in Akuse, a rural community in the Eastern region of Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach
This cross-sectional study assessed demography and anthropometry, nutrient intakes using a 3-day repeated 24 h dietary recall and physical activity using the global physical activity questionnaire (GPAQ). Data were entered into Microsoft excel and analyzed with SPSS version 25.
Findings
There were 118 respondents (55 males, 46.6% and 63 females, 53.4%) in the study with mean age of 45.62 ± 6.88 years. About 90% of respondents were physically active based on WHO physical activity recommendation. Prevalence of overweight/obesity was higher among inactive participants compared to active participants and sitting/reclining hours was significantly (p-value = 0.042) associated positively with BMI after a bivariate correlation analysis, suggesting that physical activity plays a role in obesity. About one in five respondents were obese. Mean energy intake exceeded RDA for females. Sodium intake far exceeded RDA for both males and females, putting the population at potential risk of hypertension.
Practical implications
This study demonstrates the need for intensifying health education and other obesity prevention interventions to curb the rising obesity prevalence in rural communities.
Originality/value
The study revealed that overweight/ obesity in this rural community is higher than previously reported for rural Ghana.