Edge lifting and total domination in graphs

Let u and v be vertices of a graph G, such that the distance between u and v is two and x is a common neighbor of u and v. We define the edge lift of uv off x as the process of removing edges ux and vx while adding the edge uv to G. In this paper, we investigate the effect that edge lifting has on the total domination number of a graph. Among other results, we show that there are no trees for which every possible edge lift decreases the total domination number and that there are no trees for which every possible edge lift leaves the total domination number unchanged. Trees for which every possible edge lift increases the total domination number are characterized.     

What explains the extent and content of social disclosures in Swedish municipalities’ annual reports

Public awareness and interest in environmental and social issues as well as increased attention in the mass media have resulted in a higher demand for social disclosures from organisations. The aim of this study is to explain the extent and variation of content in social disclosures among Swedish municipalities. The empirical data is based on annual reports and archive data from official statistics. In this study we take an eclectic approach, and use a multi-theoretical framework in order to explain the content and extent of social disclosures. The statistical analyses show that the extent of social disclosures is associated with size, tax base, tax rate, financial performance and political majority. The study shows that there are significant differences between municipalities regarding both extent and content of social disclosures.     

Foundations for collaborative performance measurement

In the past years, companies have been establishing collaboration relationships as a means to become more competitive. This type of relationship presents some special characteristics that need to be managed properly in order to be successful. Performance measurement systems (PMSs) may support the management of such relationships by aiding to define and collect the necessary information. However, further understanding is needed to identify the elements and interactions among collaborative elements and how they can be integrated within a PMS. The aim of this article is twofold. The first purpose is to analyse the contents of works that tackle interorganisational and collaborative relationships as well as PMSs for interorganisational and collaborative environments by defining a typology. The typology comprises two dimensions: degree of relationships among collaboration elements and integration of collaboration within PMS. The second purpose is to perform a comparative study of the works for identifying main strengths and gaps for future research.     

Measuring Job Satisfaction with CUB Models

In this paper we present two statistical approaches for discussing and modelling job satisfaction based on data collected in the Survey on Household Income and Wealth (SHIW) conducted by the Bank of Italy. In particular, we analyse these data by means of a mixture model introduced for ordinal data and compare results with the Ordinal Probit model. The aim is to establish common outcomes and differences in the estimated patterns of global job satisfaction, but also to stress the potential for curbing the effects of measurement errors on estimates by using CUB models [a Combination of discrete Uniform and (shifted) Binomial distributions], allowing control for the effect of uncertainty and shelter choices in the response process.     

Strategic approaches to sustainability in fashion supply chain management

Today, the sustainability challenge has become a relevant issue in the fashion industry. However, given that the request for sustainability is relatively new in this industry, empirical research that could guide companies towards supply chain sustainability is lacking. This study aims to deepen the understanding of the main strategic approaches to sustainability used in fashion supply chain management (SCM). Ten case studies were examined in terms of the practices that characterise these approaches. Moreover, contextual factors, drivers and barriers that support or hinder different approaches were identified. To accomplish this goal, both environmental sustainability and social sustainability were investigated, and all the areas of fashion SCM (i.e. new product development, source, make, deliver, retail, return, governance) were considered simultaneously to offer a wide overview of this industry’s sustainability issue.     

Crowding out,crowding in or just a matter of transformation? Informal financial support in Portugal and Sweden

This investigation examines the role of informal financial support among university students in two different welfare states, Portugal and Sweden. Using data from a questionnaire (N = 525), students’ experiences of receiving loans and gifts, and differences in norms and attitudes towards informal financial support, are explored. The data reveal that the Swedish students receive more financial support in terms of monetary loans and gifts from persons in their social network, while for Portuguese students support from their parents to a higher degree is embedded in patterns of living conditions. Furthermore, the interaction processes of exchange of support, for both groups is characterised by reflexivity and complexity, not only framed by resource conditions, but also by relational and situational factors. The results are discussed in the theoretical framework of crowding out/crowding in theories.     

Listening Is… Five Personal Worlds of Listening: An Auto-Ethnographic Approach

What is effective listening? This question intrigues both scholars and the general public. Theoretical explorations provide insight into the listening process as well as pragmatic guidelines for how to be a good listener. But even the most learned listening scholar will often fall back on the observation that they know effective listening best when they experience it.

Five renowned listening experts were asked to respond to the question, “What is listening from the perspective of your lived experience?” Each was asked to work from an auto-ethnographic methodology. The five lifeworlds described in this study represent their responses to this question and offer unique, individual ethnographic contexts describing the listening experience of each of the participants.     

Psychological Adjustment in Intercountry and Domestic Adopted Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Understanding if adoptees present a higher risk of developing psychological problems, compared to non-adopted peers, is a research topic that has aroused considerable interest. This paper reviews research results focusing on the psychological adjustment in intercountry and domestic adopted adolescents. Two hundred and fifty-eight publications were initially identified in different databases but, due to previously defined inclusion criteria, only twelve studies, published between January 2004 and June 2016, were analyzed. Results indicate that, when compared to non-adopted peers, these adoptees showed more psychological problems, namely in externalized behaviors, and a higher attendance at mental health services. A considerable relationship was found between the age at adoption and the likelihood of the development of behavioral and emotional problems. Nevertheless, the relevance of taking into account adoption related variables in order to understand the variability of adoptees’ psychological adjustment is also underlined. This systematic review draws attention to the need for further studies in this topic resorting to more complex research designs which will allow for the identification of different pathways that may lead to (mal) adaptive functioning, psychological (mal) adjustment and the wellbeing of adolescent adoptees.     

“It’s Time to Ease Your Fears—and Your Sphincter”: Gender and Power in Contemporary Media Discourses of Heterosexual Anal Sex

Gender Issues - Heterosexual anal sex has become fashionable within popular culture, with unprecedented visibility in the media landscape. In this article I map the meanings ascribed to it across a...