Megachurch involvement at the local level: Examining conditions for church action in economic development

The roles of small congregations and their social impacts are well known, but few theoretical studies investigate megachurch congregations. These mammoth organizations have the potential for advancing social good, but minimal research specifically focuses on the activities of these congregations in economic development (ED). This study addresses this dearth of information by answering the following research questions: (a) In what ways are megachurches involved in ED activities? (b) Who benefits from these programs and how are the programs offered? and (c) What factors influence megachurches to offer ED activities? We frame our investigation using both demand‐ and supply‐side arguments from Frumkin's (2002) model of nonprofit and voluntary action. Online survey data and follow‐up interviews with 42 megachurch leaders in the Dallas/Fort Worth and greater Houston areas show that megachurches are implementing ED activities in alignment with demand‐side explanations, especially when advancing opportunities for the unemployed and underemployed. However, supply‐side arguments provide more explanatory power, indicating that volunteer engagement with ED activities plays a significant role in the provision of ED services through megachurches. Our study offers a better understanding of why megachurches carry out ED activities with considerable attention devoted to how megachurches partner with other congregations, nonprofits, and government entities to encourage economic growth and improve the economic well‐being of community members.     

技术载动社会：中国互联网接入二十年

人类社会创造了科学技术,科学技术又反过来造福于人类社会,技术与社会总是在相互作用中彼此推进的.互联网不同于以往人类历史上的任何一项技术创新,它对人类社会和生活所产生影响的深度和广度,都是前所未有的.互联网接入中国二十年的历史启示在于,其开放与协作的技术逻辑不仅始终引领互联网自身的发展,更是越来越深刻地影响并改变着我们社会的现在及未来.     

Monitoring S3: Key dimensions and implications

Our work analyses the implications of a smart specialisation strategy (S3) monitoring model based on a system that considers three main axes linked to the logic of the strategies: output/results, smart specialisation process, and a learning component, on which we build our main approach. This strategic learning is based on the logic that S3 presents a new paradigm within the innovation policy scope that requires the inclusion of monitoring schemes that integrate the assessment of the dynamic process under which both public administration and other innovation stakeholders learn and improve their activities (within and without the strategy) thanks to the learning gathered throughout S3 (and its instruments and projects) implementation. The article also discusses this logic within the current and the next programming period for S3, and the role monitoring has or will have, while analysing the opportunities and challenges it presents.     

A systematic literature review of the etiology of borderline personality disorder from an ecological systems PERSPECTIVE

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is one of the most common, complex, costly, and severely impairing personality disorders, affecting an estimated 2% to 9% of the general population and 40% to 44% of the inpatient psychiatric population. A review of the literature was conducted using a systematic methodology. By incorporating an ecological systems perspective, a holistic and comprehensive critique of the literature surrounding the etiology of BPD is presented. The findings reveal that the etiology of BPD is a complex integration of psychological, biological, and social factors. More specifically, however, this review found that: (1) the etiology of BPD is complex and has many factors, (2) the dominant discourse about the etiology of BPD is based primarily in the psychological and biological literature, and (3) the examination of BPD etiology has focused solely on the individual and microsystems levels, neglecting to consider systemic factors such as the impact of discriminatory health and mental healthcare practices. Findings and future directions are explored through the ecological systems theory lens.     

Enabling children’s deliberation in deliberative systems: schools as a mediating space

In recent years, there has been a growing scholarly interest in conceptualising schools beyond their educational functions, as sites and agents of democracy. Yet this interest is often underpinned by a narrow conception of democracy, focusing solely on schools’ public and social aspects. To capture the democratic potential of schools more fully, this article suggests adopting a deliberative systems approach, which conceptualises democracy as differentiated yet linked sites of democratic communications and views schools as one such site. Using this approach as a broader framework and drawing on the fieldwork conducted in two Japanese schools, this article identifies the condition under which schools can become a meaningful part of deliberative systems. It reveals that schools contribute to deliberative systems when they serve as a bridge between children’s everyday practices and deliberative actions in the public space. In light of the findings, this article suggests conceptualising schools as a ‘mediating space’.     

Interactive profit-planning systems and market turbulence: A dynamic capabilities perspective

This article describes, theorizes and empirically investigates the concept of interactive profit-planning systems (PPS) through the lens of the dynamic capabilities logic. With this conceptualization: interactive PPS capabilities comprise budgeting, forecasting and results-reporting routines, in which top and middle managers interact to create knowledge for sensing, seizing, and business model reconfiguring (to manage strategic business change). Survey data from 331 Australian firms is analyzed employing partial least squares structural equation modeling. The data provides support for two hypotheses: (1) greater market turbulence strengthens the positive effect of interactive PPS capabilities on business unit performance; and (2) greater market turbulence strengthens the positive effect of flexibility values (of organizational culture) on interactive PPS capabilities. Our findings show that interactive PPS capabilities function according to the salient tenets of the dynamic capabilities logic, and clarify the beneficial roles of formal cybernetic control systems and the intertwined involvement of top and middle managers in using dynamic capabilities.     

建立以本土企业为主体的协同创新机制研究

改革开放以来,我国经济发展取得了巨大成就,但也面临一些重大挑战,特别是本土企业加入、依赖跨国公司主导的产业链,在短期内得以迅速发展的同时,也导致本土产业链出现了断裂和碎片化的问题,这对本土企业的创新和发展是不利的。文章研究在我国建立以本土企业为主体的协同创新机制的基本规律和特点,为提高本土企业的创新能力提供借鉴。研究的主要发现是,这是一个复杂和曲折的过程,在这一过程的启动阶段和转折阶段,非经济因素或者至少是长期经济因素而不是短期经济因素具有独特的、非常重要的作用。     

制造型中小区域中创新体系研究

大多数区域创新体系的研究关注具有良好条件的大都市圈,而对创新过程中缺乏战略参与者的中小区域研究较少。本文通过对区域创新体系研究成果的回顾和评论,探讨了制造型中小区域的创新体系构建及其区域创新政策。     

论魏晋南北朝的同题共作赋

同题共作属于集体性的创作活动,赋的同题共作以魏晋南北朝为盛,这与当时文学集团的兴盛有直接关系。同一命题、相同环境下的创作,及其所固有的切磋品评的创作目的,使同题共作赋呈现出相反相成的两种倾向:一是题材范围和艺术风格上的趋同,二是同中求异的竞胜争高。这种方式的创作对于赋体文学表现领域的拓展和艺术技巧的提高都产生了重要作用。魏晋南北朝同题共作赋的文学史意义,则主要表现在促进了短赋的发展,并加快了多诗少赋的文学进程。     

民族地区农村社会保障制度的实证分析

作者在分析民族地区农村社会保障制度建立的政策及经济发展背景和群众意愿的基础上,通过实证分析,提出农民的保障在一定时期内将是多元化的保障模式,民族地区农村社会保障制度建设主要应建立养老保险制度、最低生活保障制度、医疗保障制度和救济制度等四个方面的制度,同时,要发挥土地保障的主导作用,并继续挖掘各民族灿烂的历史文化资源,使其在新时期继续发挥作用。