The Arab Spring poses challenges to governments of the countries involved; the author aims to present a way to respond to them. To this end, the notion of “basic equality” is…
Abstract
Purpose
The Arab Spring poses challenges to governments of the countries involved; the author aims to present a way to respond to them. To this end, the notion of “basic equality” is proffered as a decisive element to be realized in a democratic form of government, democracy itself being necessary if one seeks to evade a return to the former forms of government.
Design/methodology/approach
No single answer suffices to realize stable while generally acceptable forms of government; basic equality is shown to be a necessary starting point in each case, to be supplemented by specific policies. The practical implications of the article's analysis are evidenced in the limitations governments must recognize and warrant: through legislation, basic equality is to be realized.
Findings
People's (formal) equality must be acknowledged. It may be difficult to reconcile this demand with, for example, religious convictions, but it is not necessary to compromise what one believes. One need only act in accordance with the dictates of formal equality, which is the corollary of basic equality. For example, an employer only has to treat his employees equally, and may, accordingly, not distinguish between race, gender or religion, but he is not required to believe that people are, in some fundamental sense, equal.
Originality/value
Equal treatment has often been proposed as a “moral” directive. The author presents a realistic alternative to this approach while realizing a state of affairs in which people are treated equally. Since this alternative is based on their self‐interest, this will lead to both a convincing theory and a viable practice.
Details
Keywords
People are living in a very rich and diversified information world. However, they are facing an explosion of information on social networking site (SNS) bombarding them every day…
Abstract
Purpose
People are living in a very rich and diversified information world. However, they are facing an explosion of information on social networking site (SNS) bombarding them every day. People get confused when they expose to similar, overloaded, ambiguous and misleading information. Unfortunately, the effect of information confusion on users' psychological outcome and behavioral intention has been absent in prior literature. Thus, this study investigates the relationship between information confusion and users' intention to stop using SNS with a moderated mediation effect of psychological distress and perceived novelty.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses questionnaire survey to collect a sample data of 380 Facebook users in Vietnam. Structural equation modeling is used to test hypotheses in this study.
Findings
Empirical results show that information confusion has a positive influence on stop using intention. Furthermore, psychological distress is found to have a mediating effect in the link between information confusion and stop using intention. In addition, perceived novelty moderates the relationship between psychological distress and stop using intention. Perceived novelty also moderates the indirect effect of information confusion on stop using intention through psychological distress.
Originality/value
The influence of information confusion on users' psychological outcomes and behavioral intention has not been determined in prior literature. This study is one of the first studies that provide empirical evidence to clarify the relationship between information confusion and users' intention to stop using SNS. Furthermore, this study helps to clarify the mediating and moderating mechanism of psychological distress and perceived novelty in this relationship. By investigating the issue of information confusion and its impact on users in SNS environment, this study provides implications for researchers and practitioners regarding management and development of SNS.