Michele Bisaccia Meitl, Ashley Wellman and Patrick Kinkade
Domestic law enforcement increasingly utilizes military tools and techniques in traditional policing activities. An increased militaristic approach is not without controversy…
Abstract
Purpose
Domestic law enforcement increasingly utilizes military tools and techniques in traditional policing activities. An increased militaristic approach is not without controversy, given the many high-profile incidents involving such tactics that have resulted in tragedy. We seek to assess specific views of policymakers who implement such strategies by measuring the attitudes of Texas sheriffs on these measures.
Design/methodology/approach
In late 2019 and early 2020, a census was completed with Texas sheriffs to better understand their attitudes about the use of military tactics. A robust return rate captured the views of 142 (56%) respondents from a diverse set of rural and urban counties. Opinions on the appropriateness, effectiveness and necessity of military techniques were measured.
Findings
Results indicate Texas sheriffs strongly support the use of military tools and techniques, believe they protect officer safety and should continue to be taught and utilized by law enforcement when appropriate.
Practical implications
Secondary consequences of police militarization may counteract its desired positive outcomes and lead to significant risks for officers and citizens alike. Strong police support makes the reduction in use of these tactics unlikely, but these results give opportunity for consideration of such policy to all law enforcement agencies.
Originality/value
It is the first study to examine county sheriffs' perceptions of militarization since the events of Ferguson, Missouri and provides a very recent assessment of views from a population of leaders both integrated into policy decisions and intimately accountable for policy implementation.
Details
Keywords
Olesya A. Stroeva, Innara R. Lyapina, Elena V. Sibirskaya, Elena V. Petrukhina and Liubov V. Plakhova
The purpose of the chapter is to distinguish the process of formation of algorithm of making of managerial decisions in the age of constant changes. The methodology of the chapter…
Abstract
The purpose of the chapter is to distinguish the process of formation of algorithm of making of managerial decisions in the age of constant changes. The methodology of the chapter includes the method of theoretical foundations, the method of theoretical differentiations of categorical tools, the method of algorithmization, and the method adaptive perception. The research results include the following theses: the problems of the research are current and important; categorical structure of definition “making of managerial decisions” is reflected within functions of management, the process of managerial activities, and decision making on the basis of the risk; actions on solving problems; the aspect of making of managerial decision is limited; authors' algorithm of making of managerial decision reflects rationality and irrationality of the formed situation. This article could be supplemented with practical recommendations in the sphere of making of managerial decisions.
Details
Keywords
Eduardo Antunes and Frederico Fonseca
Digital technologies have impacted our culture by expanding into every interstice of everyday life. Mobile gadgets for communications, work and leisure, social media, apps and…
Abstract
Digital technologies have impacted our culture by expanding into every interstice of everyday life. Mobile gadgets for communications, work and leisure, social media, apps and platforms – the diverse array of items that we usually refer to as digital media and that keep people permanently connected – are at the core of a wider change that goes beyond the use of technology. These technologies provide the material structure for the complex and constant fluxes of information that permeate people's lives, originating new dynamics that impact people's relations, beliefs, practices, representations and identities, bodies or creative and political expressions. Understanding technology as a producer of meanings, subjectivities and agency that are shaped by power relations is central to the MyGender project. Hence, technology is not seen as neutral but as a place of political power. This chapter places young adults at the centre of the changing environment as main cultural and media producers and traces their practices, discourses and representations. By integrating diverse theoretical and empirical contributions that focus on the most relevant aspects of this changing environment, analysing significances, practices and negotiations related to digital cultures and young adults, this chapter proposes a narrative critical literature review that aims to provide a solid framework for the remaining chapters, within the theoretical horizon of the MyGender project.
Details
Keywords
Ashley N. Newton and Vahap B. Uysal
The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of political connections surrounding an exogenous Supreme Court decision (Citizens United) that lifted long-standing…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of political connections surrounding an exogenous Supreme Court decision (Citizens United) that lifted long-standing restrictions on corporate political contributions.
Design/methodology/approach
This study examines key characteristics of politically connected firms compared to non-politically connected firms, including their market reaction to Citizens United, as well as cash holdings levels and governance characteristics before vs after the landmark decision.
Findings
The results indicate a significant negative market reaction to politically connected firms surrounding the announcement of Citizens United. Additionally, there is a significant increase in the cash holdings of politically connected firms relative to before the event and relative to non-politically connected firms. For politically connected firms, this result is exacerbated by poor corporate governance quality. Collectively, these findings are consistent with a positive association between agency costs and political connections.
Originality/value
This study provides novel evidence by exploiting an exogenous enhancement in the implications of political connections that accompanied the Citizens United decision. The use of this quasi-natural experiment offers an ideal research setting to extract fresh insights into the effects of corporate political connections.
Details
Keywords
Rachel E. Frieder, Marilyn V. Whitman, Ashley Mandeville and Matthew Leon
The shift to remote work brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically limited spontaneous workplace interpersonal interactions. For one interpersonal relationship in…
Abstract
Purpose
The shift to remote work brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically limited spontaneous workplace interpersonal interactions. For one interpersonal relationship in particular, the work spouse, the sudden physical distance may impact the energy work spouses draw from one another. Drawing on interactional ritual theory, this study aims to investigate the relationship between interaction frequency and organizational outcomes mediated by relational energy amid the pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
During the COVID-19 pandemic, working adults who indicated they had a work spouse were recruited via Qualtrics to participate in a two-part online study.
Findings
Complete data from 120 participants across both time periods revealed that more frequent interaction between work spouses is associated with increased job satisfaction and affective commitment mediated by relational energy.
Originality/value
This study represents the first empirical examination of individual and organizational outcomes of a unique interpersonal workplace relationship. Additionally, this study enhances our understanding of the impact of relational energy in socially distanced situations between employees in a close, intimate (non-sexual) pair bond.
Details
Keywords
This article draws from ethnomethodology and poststructural discourse analysis to examine commonsense knowledge about whiteness and white racial identities. In order to get at…
Abstract
This article draws from ethnomethodology and poststructural discourse analysis to examine commonsense knowledge about whiteness and white racial identities. In order to get at that which most broadly passes as matters of commonsense in the United States, the research design includes analysis of both interview and television data. I make two sets of concurrent arguments, one that regards the production of whiteness as a kind of normalcy against which race and racialization is made meaningful and another concerned with the analytical power derived by combining ethnomethodology and poststructural discourse analysis. I illustrate local practices for interrupting hegemonic reproductions of whiteness and conclude with methodological considerations.
Lusine Poghosyan, Robert J. Lucero, Ashley R. Knutson, Mark W. Friedberg and Hermine Poghosyan
The purpose of this paper is to synthesize existing evidence regarding health care team networks, including their formation and association with outcomes in various health care…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to synthesize existing evidence regarding health care team networks, including their formation and association with outcomes in various health care settings.
Design/methodology/approach
Network theory informed this review. A literature search was conducted in major databases for studies that used social network analysis methods to study health care teams in the USA between 2000 and 2014. Retrieved studies were reviewed against inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Findings
Overall, 25 studies were included in this review. Results demonstrated that health care team members form professional (e.g. consultation) and personal (e.g. friendship) networks. Network formation can be influenced by team member characteristics (i.e. demographics and professional affiliations) as well as by contextual factors (i.e. providers sharing patient populations and physical proximity to colleagues). These networks can affect team member practice such as adoption of a new medication. Network structures can also impact patient and organizational outcomes, including occurrence of adverse events and deficiencies in health care delivery.
Practical implications
Administrators and policy makers can use knowledge of health care networks to leverage relational structures in teams and tailor interventions that facilitate information exchange, promote collaboration, increase diffusion of evidence-based practices, and potentially improve individual and team performance as well as patient care and outcomes.
Originality/value
Most health services research studies have investigated health care team composition and functioning using traditional social science methodologies, which fail to capture relational structures within teams. Thus, this review is original in terms of focusing on dynamic relationships among team members.
Details
Keywords
Ashley D. Lloyd, Mario Antonioletti and Terence M. Sloan
China is the world’s largest user market for digital technologies and experiencing unprecedented rates of rural-urban migration set to create the world’s first “urban billion”…
Abstract
Purpose
China is the world’s largest user market for digital technologies and experiencing unprecedented rates of rural-urban migration set to create the world’s first “urban billion”. This is an important context for studying nuanced adoption behaviours that define a digital divide. Large-scale studies are required to determine what behaviours exist in such populations, but can offer limited ability to draw inferences about why. The purpose of this paper is to report a large-scale study inside China that probes a nuanced “digital divide” behaviour: consumer demographics indicating ability to pay by electronic means but behaviour suggesting lack of willingness to do so, and extends current demographics to help explain this.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors report trans-national access to commercial “Big Data” inside China capturing the demographics and consumption of millions of consumers across a wide range of physical and digital market channels. Focusing on one urban location we combine traditional demographics with a new measure that reflecting migration: “Distance from Home”, and use data-mining techniques to develop a model that predicts use behaviour.
Findings
Use behaviour is predictable. Most use is explained by value of the transaction. “Distance from Home” is more predictive of technology use than traditional demographics.
Research limitations/implications
Results suggest traditional demographics are insufficient to explain “why” use/non-use occurs and hence an insufficient basis to formulate and target government policy.
Originality/value
The authors understand this to be the first large-scale trans-national study of use/non-use of digital channels within China, and the first study of the impact of distance on ICT adoption.
Details
Keywords
Lefteris Kretsos, S. Asieh H. Tabaghdehi and Ashley Braganza
The transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and technological advancements has captured the attention of various stakeholders, from researchers to policymakers and…
Abstract
The transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and technological advancements has captured the attention of various stakeholders, from researchers to policymakers and the general public. Despite the promise of AI's benefits, concerns persist regarding its ethical, privacy, security, and societal implications. Public trust in AI remains low, with fears surrounding its future use and governance growing among scholars and the public. These anxieties are fueled by media narratives raising scenarios such as the “AI revolution” or “AI apocalypse.” Moreover, the prospect of technology-driven unemployment adds to this climate of anxiety. Meanwhile, AI's increasing geopolitical influence has shifted its focus from innovation to dominance, with national governments viewing it as a tool for competitive repositioning. However, AI also poses threats to democracy, as it facilitates the spread of misinformation and undermines electoral integrity. In this chapter, we explore further the challenges AI presents to modern society and democracy, focusing on political practices and electoral risks. Our analysis focuses on the political and social dimensions of AI, arguing that its impacts are shaped by specific political decisions rather than abstract technological dynamics. We emphasize the need to acknowledge and address the political implications of AI to foster a more informed discourse surrounding its deployment and regulation.