Measuring corporate social performance: The problem of values

Debates over the social performance of corporations have carried with them implicit evaluations of that performance. The apparent subjectivity and bias of these informal evaluations has led to the development of more formalized corporate social performance assessment methodologies — social audits. In this paper it is argued that these social audits are also influenced by subjectivity and bias considerations; and thru the case study of a social audit of a corporate safety program, the underlying value issues at the core of these influences are explored. The value implications of the various social audit methodologies in use are discussed; and several value sensitive stages/elements of social audit research and evaluation research in general are identified. Recommendations set forth for minimizing the negative consequences of value-influenced evaluations are a value-explicit evaluation approach, greater standardization of evaluation procedures, a dialectic evaluation approach, and better informed evaluation consumers.     

近三十年东晋南北朝时期侨州郡县研究述评

改革开放三十多年来,有关东晋南北朝时期侨州郡县的研究取得了较大进展,无论是侨州郡县本体研究,还是其相关问题研究均出现了一系列研究成果。尽管如此,从总体上看还存在一些不足,为此需要进一步拓展研究的广度深度,加强考古资料的挖掘利用,促进海内外学者相互交流。     

秦封宗邑瓦书铭文研究述补

战国秦封宗邑瓦书为目前所知陶器铭文中字数最多的一件,也是具有断代意义的战国泰系文字材料.试对其铭文研究情况进行综述,并结合新出材料对其中部分铭文的释读进行补充.     

论私有财产的国家保护

国家对于公民私有财产进行宪法上的保护,既涉及到对公民私人的财产权益用财产权利的方式加以确认和保护的法律问题,更涉及到在这一政治行为中国家自身的正义问题。当把这种关于国家正义的追问放置在当代自由主义语境中的公民私有财产保护的宪法问题上来思考时,其要旨实质是要为国家权力与公民权利寻找到一种合适的关系状态,实现国家权力的伦理正当性,以此作为一切法律讨论的前提。20世纪以来,面对功利主义在实际社会生活中造成的诸多社会问题以及主导的实证分析传统对社会伦理问题的无能为力,当代自由主义学者如罗尔斯、德沃金等试图以新的国家正义学说复兴西方自由主义传统、挽救濒于倒塌的社会伦理大厦。尽管二者关于财富分配制度的理论设想各不相同,但在强调国家财产权和基本分配制度之正义性这一点上却是殊途同归的。     

In Defence of Kazakshilik: Kazakhstan's War on Sacha Baron Cohen

This article explores the controversy surrounding Borat Sagdiyev—the fictitious Kazakhstani reporter whose foibles mock Kazakhstan in particular and post-Soviet culture in general. With his appearances on Da Ali G Show, Sacha Baron Cohen's Borat persona long ago became the bête noire of the Kazakhstani government. However, when Borat was selected to host the MTV Europe Music Awards, the dispute over Borat's authenticity as a Kazakhstani became an international incident. In response to his negative portrayal of Kazakshilik (Kazakhness) through the deterritorialized medium of MTV, the government of President Nazarbayev threatened Baron Cohen with legal action and brought down his web site borat.kz. Baron Cohen immediately responded in character via his new domain (.tv) and defended the actions of Kazakhstan, thus fuelling the controversy. The ongoing feud has prompted an interesting postmodern praxis—one in which a fictional persona and national government can carry on a mass-mediated dialogue. As I document the details of this ongoing conflict on the global and local levels, I seek to explain the changes in the international system which have enabled this intriguing paradox. In doing so, I attempt to draw some larger conclusions on the importance of protecting national identity in the postmodern era, especially from threats (both internal and external) which weaken a country's global brand.     

Diagnostic significance of free salivary testosterone measurement using a direct luminescence immunoassay in healthy men and in patients with disorders of androgenic status

The accurate measurement of testosterone remains a challenge. The determination of the blood testosterone concentrations in serum by conventional immunoassays is inaccurate in men and even more so in females and children. A new luminescence enzyme immunoassay (LIA) has been developed and validated. The high analytical (8.7 pmol/L) and functional (17.3 pmol/L) sensitivity allows the quantification of the very low concentration in saliva, as well as in serum, after 1/40 dilution. This study measured salivary testosterone levels and compared the results with the free levels calculated from total testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin in eugonadal and hypogonadal men. Salivary testosterone concentrations in healthy men in morning hours were 369 pmol/L (mean), range 263–544 pmol/L, which was statistically significantly higher than that in men with androgen deficiency, 215 pmol/L (mean), range 51–249 pmol/L.

Repetitive determination of free testosterone concentrations in saliva (once a week for 5 weeks) showed high stability of results over time, with coefficient of variation 9% (range 5–23%).

In this study we showed that free salivary testosterone levels in morning samples correlated well with calculated free testosterone in blood, both in healthy men (R = 0.754, P = 0.001), and in patients with androgen deficiency (R = 0.889, P = 0.0001), though in cases with very low testosterone, salivary concentrations were systematically higher than calculated free testosterone levels in blood.     

Reflections concerning biochemical parameters of androgenicity

Due to the highly variable concentration of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and the many factors affecting it, the evaluation of the androgen status may require the measurement of a parameter of bioactive plasma testosterone. As, however, no practical, clinical useful direct method for measurement of plasma androgen bioactivity is available, indirect biochemical parameters are used. All have their limitations and pitfalls. In this paper are discussed some of the factors influencing the values obtained with different methods (direct measurement of free testosterone by analog radioimmunoassay, dialysis, ammonium sulfate precipitation, free testosterone index, calculated free and bioavailable testosterone), all of which may explain the variability of data reported in the literature. It is concluded that, whereas determination of bioavailable testosterone by dialysis or ammonium sulfate precipitation of SHBG-bound testosterone is work-intensive and not really suitable for clinical routine, while direct measurement of free testosterone by analog immunoassay yields unreliable results, only the free testosterone index and calculated bioavailable testosterone are adapted for clinical routine. The limitations of the free testosterone index, a dimensionless parameter which does not reflect a defined bioavailable testosterone concentration, are discussed. As the same measurements of testosterone and SHBG required for determination of the free testosterone index permit the calculation of bioavailable testosterone, which yields a defined androgen concentration, it is advisable to prefer the latter over the free testosterone index, which should no longer be used.