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The paper will concentrate on the Grounded Theory Methodology (GTM) from the point of view of the contemplative social sciences (CSS). It will analyze how the mind is engaged in the construction of concept and what the role is of the consciousness of the mind's work in creating a theory that is based on the analysis of empirical data. We will review the research and analytical methods that could be inspirations for Contemplative Grounded Theory (CGT): constructivist grounded theory, classic grounded theory, transformational grounded theory, sociological introspection, holistic ethnography, mindful inquiry and transformational phenomenology, and contemplative qualitative inquiry.

We can find in many classical books from grounded theory (GT) some seeds of contemplative thinking, and we can reconstruct them (Glaser and Strauss, 1967; Glaser, 1978; Strauss, 1987). We would like to develop the inspirations more and perhaps change the sense of GT after the contemplative turn. We would like to show the possibilities of using CGT in research and also its limitations. Some empirical examples from research and analysis will be given to show how contemplation could be used in GT.

The transition is described from the “mediated society” (Lachs) to the “network society” (Castells), caused by the increasingly rapid complexification of modern society. On the level of psychic systems, i.e. the individual’s consciousness, the modern network society promotes new (non‐Marxist and non‐psychiatric) forms of powerlessness and meaningless. On the level of social systems, i.e. the system of communications in the network society, the results of this are described. The network society is only partially developed: in some areas more than others, in the economic and political more than in the cultural sphere. As an example, the present‐day situation in Yugoslavia is discussed, as well as the chances for the emergence of world‐wide minimum norms, both ecological and anti‐genocide.

To provide a systems explanation of world wars as civilizational phenomena with a special focus on the cold war defined as an interaction war between two parties which cannot communicate with each other.

As a theoretical framework for this analysis an elaborated version of Luhmann's systems theory is used which discusses the relationship between systems and media. The method is defined as a third‐order cybernetics which entails first‐order observations, second‐order observation of observers, and finally their mutual observations as being observed.

Identifies the east‐west ideological conflict as a conflict within the world system of society by which the system is at war with itself. This “self” is considered as comprising two parts: self and other. The one is identified as an autopoietic system and the other as an allopoietic system, each struggling for the status of system and for the transformation of the other into its medium. The traditional understanding of the history of the European civilization as having one single ancestor is challenged.

It is not an exhaustive analysis but rather an outline of a theory whose purpose is to define the source of international and intranational confrontations.

The approach can be developed further and used for the analysis of the war on terrorism and the relationship between political system and social movements.

The paper offers an innovative systems perspective on world wars with a special focus on the cold war which promises to overcome the difficulties which their analysis with traditional sociological theories at present encounters.

This chapter scrutinizes the role of ethnic categorizations in everyday-lived experiences in a diverse neighbourhood. It was found that ethnic categorizations do play an important part in use and perception in widely divergent ways. Users of public space categorize relevant others in terms of ethnicity in various situations and in relation to several activities. Ethnic categories provide meaningful frameworks both in the case of negative evaluations of behaviour and in understanding spatial segregation. Indigenous Dutch are ethnically categorized in terms of them avoiding public space. Established newcomers are aware of an ethnic hierarchy and feel abandoned by indigenous neighbours. On their part, these established newcomers consider more recently arrived new migrants as a sign of decay of the neighbourhood. Next to (perceived) ethnicity, language is taken in account as a separate important classifying principle.

To show that, although it is not intuitively evident, it is clear that, for the researchers, studying alienation is one way of doing social science that contributes to making society better.

Reference is made to early sociologists who developed theories that describe and explain the revolutionary effects of modernity, as evidenced in industrialization and in the enlightenment. The references include Durkheim who developed the concept of anomie to suggest disorders of the consciousness; Weber who described the effects of bureaucratization as an iron cage; and Marx who discussed alienation as a comprehensive structural concept.

In light of what they saw as the key concept for the frustrations, each of the fathers of sociology had a view of how the malaise of modernity could be overcome. Today, some sociologists can point to concrete paths to improvement. Critical sociologists show that, although alienation is still prevalent, the very structures that cause its persistence also indicate how it can be undermined so as to lead to a reconstruction of society. Systems analysts are also able to delve into the systemic potential for releasing energies of liberation through the dynamic interplay of macro‐arrangements, micro‐procedures, and emotions.

Given that it is important to researchers who study alienation to find ways for reconstructing social relations, it is gratifying to know that, in his work as the President of the Research Committee for the study of alienation, Felix Geyer applied the systems approach to a construction of de‐alienating modes of collaboration, even as he continued to develop his own research productively.

To demonstrate that the past of the social sciences contains all the elements of sociocybernetics and that those elements combined with the logic of modern interdisciplinary simulation research will meet challenges modern society poses to those sciences.

A historical analysis, leading to an outline of advanced logic of social science research, shows the way to modern (computer) simulation research.

When the theoretical principles of sociocybernetics are put into practice by doing (empirically based) simulation research, it can handle in a scientifically valid way a number of research questions modern complex society poses, such as how processes of self‐organization in individuals, groups and institutes can be described and understood; self‐organization of autobiographic memory of individuals can be simulated in a computer; these individual memories are related to collective memories of generations; these different generations of social researchers can work together and balance in a creative synergy between the wisdom of the past and surprising hypotheses of the future.

Social sciences researchers have to work with advanced logic of research such as is propagated in simulation research and by sociocybernetics.

Different generations of sociocyberneticians here to work together in (empirically based) simulation research to demonstrate the usefulness of sociocybernetical theory and logic.

Sociocybernetics is not an exotic field but a normal legitimate constituent of the social sciences.

The purpose of this paper is to re-examine the determinants of bank profitability in Nigeria. Specifically, the study investigates the effect of managerial cost efficiency on bank profitability. Also, since there exist mixed results and controversies in the literature, in both developed and developing countries, regarding the effect of efficiency on bank profitability, this study employs the standard measure of efficiency. In addition, the work incorporates the role of persistence, which is often neglected in the literature in developing countries.

This study employs system generalized method of moments.

The findings, using the case of Nigeria, show that cost efficiency is a strong determinant of bank profitability in developing countries. In addition, the profitability of banks in Nigeria persists over time; hence, the industry is fairly competitive.

The recent policies of banking industry recapitalization meant to increase profitability and stability in Nigeria and other African countries’ banking industry will not be effective if the issue of managerial efficiency is not properly addressed.

Improving the banking managerial efficiency will positively reduce bad loans, hence leading to the stability in the banking system.

The authors introduce efficiency using standard measure of stochastic frontier analysis for its measurement. Also, this study introduces the role of persistence in the literature in developing countries.

The Indonesian banks play crucial roles in the economy, especially because of less developed bond and stock markets. It has undergone drastic changes in bank-ownership composition over time. This paper aims to analyze the impact of bank-specific characteristics on the performance of different bank-ownership types in Indonesia to determine whether their profitability drivers differ.

Fixed-effect panel data regression is applied to 1,649 bank-year observations (97 banks throughout 2003–2019). It encompasses the pre- and post-global financial crisis (GFC) period.

The findings show that age, liquidity, equity and credit risk are significant determinants of bank performance. The significance of these effects differs for each bank-ownership type and show changes between the pre-GFC and post-GFC periods.

Notwithstanding the merit of this paper, the results are not without limitations. This paper only focuses on one country. Furthermore, the prominence of banks relative to bond and stock markets with consideration of the GDP of countries may result in different findings

These findings provide the owners and managers of banks with information that can be applied to compare and assess own bank drivers and performance to enhance their own efficiency. The findings also inform bank authorities and regulators about differences in performance drivers that could be considered in changes to policies aimed at improving the performance of different bank-ownership types.

This paper is a pioneer study that focuses on the drivers of bank performance for different ownership types during the pre- and post-GFC periods in a country where the financial market is overall small and bank credits dominate capital supply.

The purpose of this study is to explore the interaction between information communication technology (ICT) and the school's organizational structure, and propose an analytical model based both on Luhmann's system theory and empirical findings.

The approach of building a theory from a case study research along with an instrumental multi‐case study method were applied to analyzing nine Israeli schools that successfully implemented ICT‐based pedagogical innovation.

The findings suggest that ICT generates three kinds of differentiation within the school's structure: segmentation, stratification and functional differentiation. The type of differentiation correlates with the school's communication and set of contingencies which includes ICT usage types, leadership style, time and space arrangement, source of expertise, and the champions – those who bear the burden. All the differentiation types were found to increase internal complexity and enhance school adaptability, and in a recursive process, affect school communication and its sensitivity toward further ICT integration.

The fact that the chosen schools demonstrated extreme cases of successful ICT integration might limit the generalizability of the findings, but nonetheless it offers a significant contribution to the development of a substantive ICT and school structure theory.

Supporting ICT integration called for intervention at the school's top management level; supporting an initial ICT‐based project enhances the school's control over the implementation process, and provides schools with additional resources.

This study bears a substantive theory regarding ICT and school structure, and fosters new insights and propositions for further research.