Inference With Cross-Lagged Effects - Problems in Time and New Interpretations

The interpretation of cross-effects from vector autoregressive models to infer structure and causality amongst constructs is widespread and sometimes problematic. I first explain how hypothesis testing and regularization are invalidated when processes that are thought to fluctuate continuously in time are, as is typically done, modeled as changing only in discrete steps. I then describe an alternative interpretation of cross-effect parameters that incorporates correlated random changes for a potentially more realistic view of how process are temporally coupled. Using an example based on wellbeing data, I demonstrate how some classical concerns such as sign flipping and counter intuitive effect directions can disappear when using this combined deterministic / stochastic interpretation. Models that treat processes as continuously interacting offer both a resolution to the hypothesis testing problem, and the possibility of the combined stochastic / deterministic interpretation.

Methodology to evaluate school buildings. Educational applications

In this work, an innovative methodology to assess the security, habitability and functionality requirements of school buildings have been designed. The objectives are two: to design an evaluative methodology to assess technically the satisfaction of the basic requirements: safety, habitability and functionality that exist in public school buildings, and apply the methodology developed in university teaching so that students of the disciplines related to construction are able to justify, based on the regulations, their project decisions and intervention. The methodology is developed in the subject Applied Construction of the Master in Architecture of the Rey Juan Carlos University. The main result is that, from the detection of a real problem, such as the state of conservation of school buildings, we can developed an educational practice that helps Master students to ensure that their projects comply with current regulations. One of the most relevant conclusions is that the teaching applications of a real research, offer a provided value at academic level and a realistic view of the current constructions. Furthermore, stress the importance of both planning in accordance with the regulations and ensuring the conservation of the buildings

Bimal K. Matilal's Philosophy: Language, Realism, Dharma, and Ineffability

The article considers the theoretical and practical consequences of the so-called "soft" version of epistemological realism in Bimal K. Matilal's philosophical project. The author offers an analytical view on Matilal's philosophy, which helps to understand it in a broader prospective, comparing his arguments on perception and objectivity with contemporary arguments in Western analytical philosophy; in fact, it is possible to view Matilal not only as the proponent of revised Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika approach, but also as the follower of realistic view on language, following L. Wittgenstein, W. Quine, H. Putnam and M. Dummett. Despite the fact that such interpretation may sound diverse or multivocal, it nevertheless helps to better understand both lineages of argumentation: the critical review of the impossibility of private language can be compared in both Western and Indian philosophical discourses, which leads into the domain of social epistemology. The second part of the article discusses the ethical arguments on the vulnerability of moral virtues, and the place of Dharma as a term in moral philosophy. Poetical and metaphorical language appears to be a fruitful strategy to discover the ineffable - and also via negativa and catuṣkoṭi - which is shown by Matilal on the example of the unacceptability of lying. The ethical ineffability and its interconnection with Matilal's commentaries on practical wisdom play the crucial part in the interpretations of Dharmaśāstra texts.

Internal Business Factors for Business Sustainability: A Realistic View from Sustainability Managers

Sustainability has received a great deal of criticism, particularly the development of strategies, operationalization and implementation of those strategies. The study aimed to understand environmental practices in business operations and identify the internal business factors that influence the success of environmental practices. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather information from Malaysian Public-Listed Companies (PLCs) that significantly contributed to the advancement of sustainable development in the country. This study suggests a comprehensive set of data to investigate comparative analysis based on different industries for better insights. Keywords: Sustainability, environmental, social, internal business factors eISSN: 2398-4287© 2021. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians/Africans/Arabians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI:https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v6i18.3015

Magical Realism: Language World Picture in the novel «One Hundred Years of Solitude» of Gabriel Garcia Márquez

The article focuses on the study of language world picture of the magical realism discourse in the novel «One Hundred Years of Solitude» of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The magical realism discourse depicts a realistic view of the modern world through the prism of mythological way of thinking and supplements mysterious, farial and mystical elements. The main conceptual characteristics of magical realism discourse are considered to be: fantastical elements, unity of reality and magic, possible words, mythical chronotope, author’s reticence, hyperbolization of the secret and metadiscourse

Engineering practices as a framework for STEM education: a proposal based on epistemic nuances

The role of engineering education has gained prominence within the context of STEM education. New educational perspectives such as the National Research Council’s Framework for K-12 Science Education consider engineering practices one of the central pillars of a sound STEM education. While this idea of developing a set of practices analogous to those of professional engineering resonates with recent views of STEM education research, current approaches such as the NRC’s Framework seem too dependent on and interlinked with the list for scientific practices and adheres to this list too strictly. This paper draws on the NRC’s Framework proposing a new set of engineering practices that seek to incorporate the epistemic nuances that differentiate engineering from science. The nine engineering practices proposed contain epistemological nuances that are missing in other proposals, including essential aspects such as problem scoping, identifying multiple solutions, selecting, testing and improving solutions and materializing solutions. This epistemic approach may facilitate students’ content learning and thinking development, offering a more comprehensive and realistic view of the STEM fields.

Governing the firm: Innovation, performance and risk

The article analyses the most recent challenges for governing the firms in the present post-pandemic scenario. In that context, it is central to understand how management control operates, providing insights concerning the intersection between accounting, organisational and social aspects. A realistic view of the different issues is imperative for governing the firm. All the private, public and non-profit organizations need to gather together innovation, performance and risks with a specific balance to face the next two years of challenges to recover from the pandemic, hopefully, completely. In the present special issue all the research papers offer insights about at list one out of the different challenges, contributing to the advancement of knowledge related to drivers and barriers for governing the firm.

Simulation of drug information skills in the medical information department

Purpose: To utilise DIcipher, an escape-room challenge, to provide a simulation of using drug information (DI) skills to answer drug questions in the medical information (MI) department within the pharmaceutical industry. Methods: The 15-minute challenge required the groups to solve one clue and retrieve DI questions about iron deficiency anaemia. DI resources were used to search for answers to unlock a box with the antidote. A debriefing session followed and a Likert scale survey was administered to obtain student perception. Results: A total of 15 second to fourth year pharmacy students at university participated in the challenge and completed the survey. No groups retrieved the antidote by answering all of the questions correctly. All students agreed that the challenge provided a realistic view of how to apply DI skills in an industry-based setting. Conclusion: This challenge demonstrated the function of a pharmacist in the MI department to pharmacy students.

Something beyond paycheque to boosting employee retention: evidence from a South Indian hospital

Purpose This paper aims to emphasize the need for a strategic approach to employee retention beyond financial benefits. This is directly proportional to employee retention. Bringing out the retention measures preferred by employees, depicting the relationship of demographic profile with employee retention tendency and exploring implications giving importance to beyond paycheque factors are the objectives of the study. Design/methodology/approach This study uses applied qualitative approach with a realistic view to collect the details of retention measures and practices from purposively selected 36 health-care experts by the conduct of interview using a one-to-one discussion with written notes. With quantitative approach, opinion survey was administered to receive the perceived opinion of randomly selected 350 health-care employees on paycheque and on beyond paycheque factors boosting their intention to stay. Bhattacharya and Ramachandran’s health-care study framework on retention was applied for the identification of the factors. Findings Both paycheque and beyond paycheque benefits are important for retention. Most respondents prefer beyond paycheque factors practiced at sampled hospital. Age, marital status and residence of employees are significantly associated with retention. The strategic initiatives of the sampled hospital to retention concerning motivational needs of employees in the workplace are thank you board, camp head, ad act camp, success corner and so forth. Research limitations/implications Addressing health-care work and relationship-related issues in terms of employee retention giving importance to beyond paycheque benefits – remedy for compassion fatigue health-care employees face in routine works, meeting promises made by management regarding paycheque or beyond paycheque benefits, employees participative in decisions in medical, clinical and in functional areas, reducing workload and role stress by the conduct of role analysis. Originality/value Many research studies are emphasizing the contribution of financial benefits to employee retention. Only a few studies have been carried out exploring and emphasizing the importance of beyond financial benefits motivating employee retention. This is the study of evidence from a hospital that gives strategic importance to beyond paycheque elements as well as paycheque elements.

Background of Achieving a Realistic Legislative Criminal Policy in Iranian Penal Laws

For a criminal policy, in the broadest sense, to be successful and compatible with a realistic view of the criminal phenomenon in the field of pragmatism judgment and to achieve its objectives, it needs a background which, in its absence, not only laws based on realistic criminal policy fail, but their application in such a situation will cause a double damage to society: legal and moral. Apply methods of social prevention in the economic and cultural dimension, observing the principle of minimum criminal law, the mandatory anticipation of the presentation of a personality profile in all crimes committed and finally, the establishment of a care administration to comply with the implementation of realistic laws in the best possible way. It is concluded that this path that combines criminal policy and pragmatic legal realism is one of the desired areas in question in the field of criminal investigation in Iran. This research, which is conducted using the content analysis method, identifies the background for the implementation and enforcement of a realistic legislative criminal policy in Iran to remove obstacles to this advanced scientific knowledge.