Young Mothers’ Experiences of Receiving the Baby Bonus: A Qualitative Study

The year 2014 marked the abolition of the Baby Bonus and its replacement with a substantially reduced parenting payment. While often criticised as “middle-class welfare,” or publicly denounced due to its purported misuse by disadvantaged mothers, this paper argues that the Baby Bonus provided valuable financial assistance to families experiencing high financial stress. To investigate young women's experience of receiving the Baby Bonus, 19 semistructured interviews were conducted with young mothers in Melbourne who had recently had babies. Many were experiencing financial stress and this payment provided much needed financial support for the basic costs arising from having a baby. Several mothers perceived work as a luxury that was out of reach due to high childcare costs relative to their earning capacity and therefore saw Paid Parental Leave as a further privilege unavailable to them. Our results suggest that while the concerns of policymakers to achieve the best use of scarce resources are critical, it should also be acknowledged that the policy change may have serious implications for many young mothers and may exacerbate disadvantage, and young mothers’ sense of alienation, ultimately leading to greater inequalities.     

Laying the foundation for a global body of knowledge in public relations and communications management

An internationally recognised body of knowledge is both possible and necessary for the future success and professionalisation of public relations. Through extensive content analysis of 31 credential schemes, education frameworks, and scholarly articles produced across six continents, the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communications Management has developed a foundational list of knowledge, skills, abilities and behaviours (KSABs), which entry and mid/senior-level practitioners across the world should possess. This study and list of KSABs is laying the foundation for development of an internationally accepted framework which professional associations and academic institutions across the world will be able to use to benchmark professional credentials and curriculum outcomes.     

Examining signs of recovery: How senior crisis communicators define organizational crisis recovery

Interviews with senior crisis communicators explore how crisis recovery is defined and what role publics and organizational communication and characteristics play. Findings reveal recovery is measured operationally and short-term. Effective communication proactively addresses failures, is transparent and honest while positive, focuses on future directions, and rebuilds and repairs symbolic damage. Organizational best practices include tested values and crisis leadership. Publics can facilitate healing, highlight victims’ voices, and provide recovery evidence.     

Dialogic communication in the health care context: A case study of Kaiser Permanente's social media practices

This case study examines how one of the largest not-for-profit health care organizations in the US, Kaiser Permanente, uses social media to communicate with its stakeholders. Through content analysis and interviews, this study identifies the communication models reflected in a sample of social media posts and examines the organization's approach to using social media. The study finds evidence of both one-way and two-way communication models, as well as principles of dialogic communication. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

The history of public relations in Greece from 1950 to 1980: Professionalization of the “art”

The early development of public relations in Greece is explored through a focus on the period between 1950 and 1980. Specifically, the, article considers the origins and early developments, important actors, international influences, professional bodies and the field of practice. It is found that Greek business public relations were greatly influenced by American practices and through influential practitioners’ contact with the International Public Relations Association (IPRA).     

英国地方政府绩效管理制度运作的经验与启示

基于公共资源的有限性、政府支出与有效率公共政策间的低相关性及民主赤字的风险性三大前提,要求地方政府必须按照绩效标准或结果导向标准进行政府治理已成为人们的共识,而为了实现这种有效的政府运营机制,则还需依赖建立并推行一套行之有效的地方政府绩效评估制度。为此,首先探讨当前各国地方政府治理活动中出现的问题,了解问题产生的原因,阐释对地方政府建构绩效评价制度的必要性。然后,分析英国政府绩效管理制度中最佳价值体制的内涵及运作方式,总结其有益的经验。在此基础上,针对我国在进行地方政府绩效评价时应注意的问题提出相关的对策建议。     

中国化“资产者公共领域”:从民间商会到市民社会的路径选择

学界对于“市民社会”与“公共领域”之概念工具存在理解歧义与混用,“市民社会”与“公共领域”两者均超越了中国化国家与社会之间互动关系的特殊国情,“资产者公共领域”可能是更实际的学理研究路径。在国家与社会互动关系的领域中间,是一个广泛、深邃的市民社会转型地带,并呈递进式状态,朝着市民社会的终极方向演进。当代中国的国家与社会之间互动关系的学理研究角度应是民间商会基础上的“资产者公共领域”,而非公共领域甚至市民社会。     

回流经济精英掌权的辩证思考

由于价值目标和社会流动等因素,部分农村经济精英回归乡村,积极介入村庄政治,并且通过竞选掌控村庄公共权力,从而引发村庄权力结构的重组,实现了精英的异向流动。充分发挥回流经济精英在乡村治理中的积极性并克服其弊病,对于保持村庄政治良性运行,构建和谐社会具有重要意义。     

法院如何回应民意:一种法学方法论上的解决方案

围绕司法与民意的讨论,目前各界存在原因认知、概念认知、价值认知上的观点错位,影响民众对司法回应的肯定.作为法律适用机关的法院在回应民意上具有不同于政治机关的特点,必须以一种理性、中立的态度审慎地回应民意,做到有理有节、有所为有所不为.在回应过程中,应当根据民意的特点着重处理法意与民意、社会民意与权力意志之间的矛盾冲突关系,为此,必须在回应民意的时机选择与方法操作上遵循司法活动的基本规律.通过认定疑难案件的程序操作,使得外在的民意得以稳定化,以程序阻隔"舆论暴力";通过法律论证的操作,以普遍化、一致性与融贯性三原则检验与提升民意本身的合理性程度,以方法压缩个人恣意.法院的回应是对成熟且理性的民意的回应,建立在个案基础上的回应能逐步挽回民众对法院的信任.     

公共危机管理中的公民参与:价值、困境与路径选择——基于社会资本范式的研究

公民参与是公共危机管理的一个重要问题。社会资本理论是分析社会发展的一种重要理论,对公民参与具有较强的解释力。本文梳理了公民参与、公共危机管理和社会资本的相关概念和内涵,以社会资本为中介和基础分析了公共危机管理中公民参与的价值;在社会资本缺失和负外部性下讨论了公民参与公共危机管理的困境;并通过社会资本的投资和自我完善分析了公民参与公共危机管理的路径选择。