The Ethics of Opinion in Academe: Questions for an Ethical and Administrative Dilemma

If we accept that all plagiarism is wrong, the issue is black and white. But are there more challenging questions that color the issue with shades of gray that may influence or help clarify the ethical underpinnings of the act? Does intent matter? Does the venue matter? Does the form of writing matter? What about a professor when working as a private citizen, rather than in his/her academic role? Might plagiarism be mitigated when there is no associated financial gain? Is a writer’s history that exhibits impeccable ethical integrity relevant? Should these factors, and/or other factors, even be considered in a university’s administrative response — or non-response? What might employing an ethical approach contribute to wrestling with the dilemma? The authors explore critical issues that might face a senior academic administrator when confronting the need to respond on behalf of a university to a charge of plagiarism leveled by an influential newspaper against a university professor for a social responsibility-focused opinion-editorial published in this newspaper.     

Clueless in Academe: How Schooling Obscures the Life of the Mind

Books reviewed: Graff, Gerald, Clueless in Academe: How Schooling Obscures the Life of the Mind
Reviewed by Greg Carey
Lancaster Theological Seminary     

Gender Differences in the Rewards to Publishing in Academe: Science in the 1970s

This paper makes use of a unique data set fordoctoral-level biochemists, earth scientists,physicists, and physiologists to examine the question ofwhether the rewards to publishing in science are gender blind. The longitudinal nature of the data, andthe inclusion of different research outcome variables,permit the estimation of a wage-change model thatcontrols for fixed effects and productivity differences. We find little evidence that the reward processin academe during the 1970s was affected by gender. Wedo, however, find evidence that catch-up was occurring,implying that all was not well in the past for the women scientists in the study. [The1975 Survey of Doctorate Recipients indicates thatracial minority groups (Blacks, American Indians, andAsians) comprised, respectively, 5.9%, 6.3%, 2.8%, and 6.3% of the doctoral populations in physics,chemistry, earth science, and thebiosciences.]     

Quality of Life and Compact Development Policies in Bandung, Indonesia

The study explores whether Quality of Life (QOL) corresponds to the spatial pattern of urban system as a result of compact development policy practice in Bandung city, Indonesia. It examines the connection between QOL and selected attributes of compact development. A self-reported life satisfaction is used as a proxy for QOL based on a cross-sectional survey data from 400 respondents. The analysis shows that the changes in QOL significantly correspond to the change of different attributes of compact development. The result suggests that compact development policies in Bandung have not shown a desirable result in improving QOL of the urban residents. The result also indicates that the implementation of the policy is less beneficial in the context of developing countries. The study strengthens the existing argument that compact development policies need to be tailored to suit the context of developing countries, rather than just be taken for granted from the practices in developed countries.     

The Dual Effects of Organizational Citizenship Behavior: Relationships to Research Productivity and Career Outcomes in Academe

Organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) has been shown to be important for organizational effectiveness, yet less is known about the relationship between OCB and objective outcomes for individuals. We investigate the relationship between OCB and both short-term and longer term outcomes within the context of an outcome-based reward system. We also investigate a type of OCB specific to professional occupations, namely, professional service OCB. Using resource allocation and social exchange theories, we hypothesize that OCB directed internally to the employing organization may have a negative impact on individuals’ productivity and career outcomes while engaging in professional service OCB would be positively related to these outcomes. Results from a survey of 622 faculty members in research universities provide support for these hypotheses. Future research directions are discussed.     

Treating Depression During a Recession: Psychotherapy with Indigent Clients

During the last few years, the global economy has struggled and many clients have experienced significant financial hardship. It can be difficult to confront emotional problems when there are multiple life stressors impinging on clients and disrupting their daily functioning. Several recommendations are provided for helping clients to oppose their depressive tendencies when financial problems are real, significant, and lasting. First, therapists can provide a stable and supportive relationship that helps to ease the client’s emotional distress and lays the foundation for other aspects of treatment. Second, therapy can help to protect an optimistic attitude and instill hope for a better future. Third, behavioral activities can be used to encourage productive activity each day. Fourth, problem-solving skills can help many clients deal with stressors in a direct, constructive, and proactive manner. Fifth, therapy can examine ways to expand and improve the client’s social relationships. Finally, psychotherapists should collaborate with other health care professionals in order to ensure the optimal, integrated care for the client. It is hoped that these recommendations will be helpful for therapists who work with financially impoverished clients.     

Authorship Policies at U.S. Doctoral Universities: A Review and Recommendations for Future Policies

Science and Engineering Ethics - Intellectual contribution in the form of authorship is a fundamental component of the academic career. While research has addressed questionable and harmful...     

Professional Development Policies and Practices in Schools Affiliated with the Association of Christian Schools International

This is a report of survey research conducted among administrators of schools belonging to the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) regarding their professional development policies and practices. Schools from five states in the northwest region of the United States were included in the study. Three categories of policies and practices were identified: supporting individual growth, supporting group growth and those supporting both. We offer recommendations both for professional practice and further research.     

Ethical Issues in Tissue Banking for Research: A Brief Review of Existing Organizational Policies

Based on a general review of international, representative tissue banking policies that were described in the medical, ethics, and legal literature, this paper reviews the range of standards, both conceptually and in existing regulations, relevant to four main factors:(1) commercialization, (2) confidentiality, (3) informed consent, and (4) quality of research. These four factors were selected as reflective of some of the major ethical considerations that arise in the conduct of tissue banking research. The authors emphasize that any policy or ethical guidelines designed to regulate tissue bank research should address all four factors. Whenever this sort of research is conducted between several institutions or several countries, the paper suggests that the relevant entities work collaboratively to harmonize their standards.     

Indigenous Rights in Chile: National Identity and Majority Group Support for Multicultural Policies

We examine support for policies affecting indigenous ethnic minorities in Chile. Specifically, we examine the role of national group definitions that include the largest indigenous group—the Mapuche—in different ways. Based on questionnaire data from nonindigenous Chilean students (N = 338), we empirically distinguish iconic inclusion, whereby the Mapuche are seen as an important part of Chile's history and identity on the one hand, from egalitarian inclusion, which represents the Mapuche as citizens of equal importance to the nonindigenous majority on the other. Both forms of inclusion positively predict support for indigenous rights, independent of participants' political affiliation, strength of national identification, and social distance. A second study (N = 277) replicates this finding whilst controlling for right‐wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, blind patriotism, and constructive patriotism. It also finds iconic inclusion to be predictive of a pro‐Mapuche position regarding the unrest over the issue of ancestral land in 2009. We conclude that understanding how national identity affects attitudes about minority rights necessitates appreciating the importance of particular meanings of nationality, and not only the strength of identification.     

Antiwomen But Proquota: Disaggregating Sexism and Support for Gender Quota Policies

Previous research on support for gender quotas focuses on attitudes toward gender equality and government intervention as explanations. We argue the role of attitudes toward women in understanding support for policies aiming to increase the presence of women in politics is ambivalent—both hostile and benevolent forms of sexism contribute in understanding support, albeit in different ways. Using original data from a survey conducted on a probability-based sample of Australian respondents, our findings demonstrate that hostile sexists are more likely to oppose increasing of women's presence in politics through the adoption of gender quotas. Benevolent sexists, on the other hand, are more likely to support these policies than respondents exhibiting low levels of benevolent sexism. We argue this is because benevolent sexism holds that women are pure and need protection; they do not have what it takes to succeed in politics without the assistance of quotas. Finally, we show that while women are more likely to support quotas, ambivalent sexism has the same relationship with support among both women and men. These findings suggest that aggregate levels of public support for gender quotas do not necessarily represent greater acceptance of gender equality generally.     

The Ethics of Organ Donor Registration Policies: Nudges and Respect for Autonomy

Governments must determine the legal procedures by which their residents are registered, or can register, as organ donors. Provided that governments recognize that people have a right to determine what happens to their organs after they die, there are four feasible options to choose from: opt-in, opt-out, mandated active choice, and voluntary active choice. We investigate the ethics of these policies' use of nudges to affect organ donor registration rates. We argue that the use of nudges in this context is morally problematic. It is disrespectful of people's autonomy to take advantage of their cognitive biases since doing so involves bypassing, not engaging, their rational capacities. We conclude that while mandated active choice policies are not problem free—they are coercive, after all—voluntary active choice, opt-in, and opt-out policies are potentially less respectful of people's autonomy since their use of nudges could significantly affect people's decision making.     

Work-life Balance Policies: The Use of Flexitime

This study investigated the use of flexitime as a Work-life balance (WLB) policy and understanding employee perceptions regarding the use of flexitime among South African employees. A qualitative design with an exploratory approach was used. A non-probability purposive sample (n = 15) was taken in the financial sector. Data collection was done by was means of semi-structured interviews. Content analysis was used to analyse the data. Four main themes were extracted. The first two themes related to the various ways in which participants use flexitime and the influencing factors. Participants use flexitime according to their own preference (e.g., Spillover of working hours, dividing one's working day into smaller work hours, working from different locations) and were influenced by factors such as client's needs and expectations, own workload/pressure and personal commitments/responsibilities. The third theme related to various perceptions regarding the level of position of management, visibility and also personal life and situation. The last theme indicated that the use of flexitime have consequences, which include amongst others delay in work/deadlines, reduced productivity or performance, increased workload and health consequences.     

对神木医改举措的评述与思考

在对神木医改新举措和特征分析的基础上,提出对人民健康幸福及医药卫生改革将带来一些有利的效应,促进基本卫生保健的可及性,推进城乡医疗保障发展一体化等.但不可忽略的是需要规范医患双方行为、有效地控制道德损害以及确保政府资金的合理和有效分配等一系列问题.提出需进一步完善制度设计的建议,规范医患双方行为,确保政府资金合理和有效分配等.     

中国传染病疫情应急管理政策的变迁研究

为理解我国在传染病疫情方面治理的规律和逻辑,探究传染病疫情应急管理政策变化的缘由,提升传染病疫情防控的可行性,选取间断均衡理论构建传染病疫情应急管理政策的分析框架,并选取中国从1949年～2022年传染病疫情的相关政策文件进行文本分析。研究表明,中国传染病疫情应急管理政策的变迁共有五个均衡期和三个间断点,具有长期均衡到短暂间断到再均衡的非线性变迁特征,外部焦点事件的发生和政策目标的转变皆会引发政策变迁,且驱动作用逐步增强,政策场域决策层由单一主体向多元主体转化。

     

Nanotechnology Policies in Latin America: Risksto Health and Environment

The presence of nanotechnologies grew and spread throughout Latin America during the first decade of the 21st century. Science and Technology policies have played an important role in the performance of these new technologies. Various international institutions, such as the World Bank, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the Organization of American States promoted similar Science and Technology policies, and included nanotechnology as a priority area. This article shows the role of these Science and Technology policies in the promotion of specific objectives and the gap that was left due to the failure to incorporate an examination of the potential risks to health and environment, not to mention other labor-related effects. The omission of matters relevant to workers and consumers by these institutions led to a distancing from organized civil society.     

Evaluating Medical Marijuana Dispensary Policies: Spatial Methods for the Study of Environmentally-Based Interventions

In 1996, California was the first state to pass a Compassionate Use Act allowing for the legal use of marijuana for medical purposes. Here we review several current policy and land use environmental interventions designed to limit problems related to the influx of medical marijuana dispensaries across California cities. Then we discuss the special challenges, solutions, and techniques used for studying the effects of these place-based policies. Finally, we present some of the advanced spatial analytic techniques that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of environmental interventions, such as those related to reducing problems associated with the proliferation of medical marijuana dispensaries. Further, using data from a premise survey of all the dispensaries in Sacramento, this study will examine what characteristics and practices of these dispensaries are related to crime within varying distances from the dispensaries (e.g., 100, 250, 500, and 1,000 feet). We find that some security measures, such as security cameras and having a door man outside, implemented by medical marijuana dispensary owners might be effective at reducing crime within the immediate vicinity of the dispensaries.     

以“四个坚持”提升广东宗教普法宣传教育实效

2020年是七五普法收官之年,广东省民宗委以宣传《民法典》和新修订《广东省宗教事务条例》为主线,以开展宗教政策法规学习月活动为载体,以参加省直机关谁执法谁普法履职报告评议活动为抓手,紧贴时代创新形式、浓墨重彩进行普法宣传,在2020年全省国家机关民法典学习宣传暨谁执法谁普法履职报告评议中被评为优秀等级。