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Abstract
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Keywords
Michelle Larkins, Wynne Wright and Shari Dann
This paper aims to examine the textual coverage of the topic of public engagement in leading English language sustainability textbooks.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the textual coverage of the topic of public engagement in leading English language sustainability textbooks.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, the authors’ findings are based on a content analysis of 12 textbooks published between 2005 and 2015. The authors generated the sample through three sources: a review of the offerings of five major academic publishers, title searches of academic databases and an examination of the syllabi compiled by AASHE. Texts that displayed a high degree of disciplinarity or those that were narrowly focused were rejected. A list of a priori codes was established in which the authors expected to find in the indices of the texts. This resulted in 21 expected a priori codes for which the authors assessed the sample texts to gauge the place of engagement in these materials.
Findings
The authors find that only two textbooks contained ten or more references to engagement. Overall, very little attention was paid to the ways in which individuals, groups or institutions can engage in action for a sustainable society. The authors argue that substantive changes in the writing of textbooks are necessary to provide students with comprehensive training on why engagement is critical. More diverse writing teams, attention to cultural obstacles and mindfulness of the politics of difference are recommended.
Practical implications
Practical implications include pedagogical methods aimed at better-informed students knowledgeable of the importance of public engagement in the sustainability transition.
Social implications
Social implications include a more dynamic socially sustainable educational experience for students, which is aligned with cutting-edge scholarship.
Originality/value
The authors know of no other research devoted to the analysis of engagement in contemporary sustainability textbooks. The authors hope to encourage writers of sustainability textbooks and their editors to incorporate more robust social science scholarship on pivotal topics such as how social change and action intersects with sustainability. Second, the authors seek to broaden a conversation about the role of public engagement in sustainability-focused textbooks and curricula.
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Saleem Janjua, Ian Thomas and Darryn McEvoy
The purpose of this paper is to identify and critically examine a framing of key characteristics for climate change adaptation learning and action in the context of urban…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify and critically examine a framing of key characteristics for climate change adaptation learning and action in the context of urban Pakistani local government.
Design/methodology/approach
The research employed a combination of approaches; predominantly literature review and interview methodologies. Recognising the need to understand climate change adaptation as an iterative learning process, the literature review concentrated on organisational and policy learning, with special consideration given to those characteristics most pertinent to urban governance in the Pakistani context. This analysis was then furthered through primary data collated through a series of interviews, with the City District Government of Lahore as the chosen case study for this piece of research. Initial scoping interviews were followed up by a series of in‐depth, semi‐structured, interviews with local government officials, an assessment process used to examine conceptual evidence and findings in the Pakistani urban context. A total of 21 Pakistani professionals, working in a variety of roles for local government, were subject to the interview process.
Findings
From a critical analysis of conceptual and real world evidence, the authors identified six discrete characteristics that could be used to frame the context of climate change adaptation learning and action in the Pakistani urban local government context. These have been categorised as: leadership for adaptation, vision for adaptation, culture for adaptation, good governance for adaptation, innovation and creativity for adaptation and resources for adaptation.
Originality/value
The value of this paper is several‐fold: it applies a learning perspective to the climate change adaptation debate, identifies a framing of key characteristics for climate change adaptation learning and action, and uses an actor‐based approach to examine some of the key conceptual ideas in the Pakistani urban context.
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Antonio Gualberto Pereira and Luís Eduardo Afonso
The purpose of this study is to identify arrangements of fully funded defined contribution (FF-DC) pension plans associated with the continuity of retirement savings.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to identify arrangements of fully funded defined contribution (FF-DC) pension plans associated with the continuity of retirement savings.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors adopted an experimental design composed of a control group and two treatment groups. In all groups, individuals made decisions throughout nine periods: five during the working period and four at the postretirement stage. The authors asked participants if they wanted to join a pension plan, and which plan. The authors offered three plans with different risk profiles: plan 1 (high risk), plan 2 (moderate) and plan 3 (low risk) and one risk-free plan, plan 4. In treatment groups 1 and 2, there was an automatic enrollment of the participants in the default plan (moderate risk), and in the following periods they had to decide whether to continue contributing, and in this case, to which plan, with a defined percentage.
Findings
In treatment scenarios, participants chose the riskiest plan in all periods of the experiment, and most of them chose the risk-free plan in period 5. These findings suggest that pension plans with automatic enrollment, employer matching and low risk foster the continuation of retirement savings.
Research limitations/implications
The research has as limitation the fact that the sample is not representative of the population and therefore does not allow generalizations. This is because the authors use social media ads to prospect respondents.
Practical implications
The research's findings can be relevant for the design of public policies for private pension plans, suggesting that compulsory automatic enrollment can be used as default in plans offered by the employers. The results encourage the inclusion of behavioral elements in the design of the pension system, paying attention to the nudges. In this sense, it is possible to increase participation in the pension plan and develop low cost programs to increase the amount accumulated by people before retirement.
Social implications
Decision-making architecture, such as automatic enrollment, can improve individuals' retirement decisions, affecting savings and welfare in the long run.
Originality/value
Although the effect of pension plan designs is widely studied in other countries, such as the United States and United Kingdom, the authors are unaware of a national empirical research that seeks to understand how different arrangements affect an individual choice through an experiment.
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Wanyi Chen, Kang He and Lanfang Wang
In addition to leading a new tide of global financial technology, blockchain delivers advantages in terms of risk control compared to traditional financial systems. By exploring…
Abstract
Purpose
In addition to leading a new tide of global financial technology, blockchain delivers advantages in terms of risk control compared to traditional financial systems. By exploring the relationship between blockchain technology and macroeconomic uncertainty, this study aims to identify the hedge risk attribute of blockchain technology.
Design/methodology/approach
From a data set comprising 6,323 Chinese firms with A-shares listed on the Shenzhen and Shanghai Stock Exchanges in 2015–2018, the authors obtain the use of blockchain technology by listed companies on the basis of annual reports, news reports, search engines and prospectuses. These documents are then subjected to text analyses based on computer technology. Cross-sectional and propensity score matching analyses are used to ensure robustness.
Findings
The empirical results show that with an increase in macroeconomic uncertainty, blockchain technology can potentially enable companies to reduce their systemic risks and enhance their investment efficiency.
Originality/value
This study expands the literature on the application of blockchain technology, offers references for enterprises to address future risks based on specific macroeconomically uncertain environments and provides guidelines for governments to maintain financial market stability.
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Ajantha Velayutham and Asheq Razaur Rahman
The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate whether an individual’s knowledge, skills and capabilities (human capital) are reflected in their compensation.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate whether an individual’s knowledge, skills and capabilities (human capital) are reflected in their compensation.
Design/methodology/approach
Data are drawn from university academics in the Province of Ontario, Canada, earning more than CAD$100,000 per annum. Data on academics human capital are drawn from Research Gate. The authors construct a regression analysis to examine the relationship between human capital and salary.
Findings
The analyses performed indicates a positive association between academic human capital and academic salaries.
Research limitations/implications
This study is limited in that it measures an academic’s human capital solely through their research outputs as opposed to also considering their teaching outputs. Continuing research needs to be conducted in different country contexts and using negative proxies of human capital.
Practical implications
This study will create awareness about the value of human capital and its contribution towards improving organisational structural capital.
Social implications
The study contributes to the literature on human capital in accounting and business by focussing on the economic relevance of individual level human capital.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the literature on human capital in accounting and business by focussing on the economic relevance of individual level human capital. It will help create awareness of the importance of valuing human capital at the individual level.