The GCC proposed expanding its membership to other countries such as Jordan. The article discusses this proposal.

Although regional states don`t seek war, it cannot be ruled out that an unfavourable development in the international arena could lead to an unintended outbreak of a full-scale conflict, which would either directly or indirectly involve the Arab monarchies. In response to several threats within their proximity, these states have, for years, been pursuing several initiatives aimed at increasing their deterrence potential and interoperability in case of a crisis. The main goal of this article is to present and assess the (...) GCC’s threat perception, followed by an analysis of the multilateral and unilateral responses. The main research question concerns the degree to which the GCC states are able to establish a joint and effective military bloc within the Persian Gulf. (shrink)

This paper examines the relationship between corporate social responsibility and financial performance for Islamic banks in the Gulf Cooperation Council region over the period 2000–2014 by generating CSR-related data through disclosure analysis of the annual reports of the sampled banks. The findings of this study indicate that there is a significant positive relationship between CSR disclosure and the financial performance of Islamic banks in the GCC countries. The results also show a positive relationship between CSR disclosure and the future financial (...) performance of GCC Islamic banks, potentially indicating that current CSR activities carried out by Islamic banks in the GCC could have a long-term impact on their financial performance. Furthermore, despite demonstrating a significant positive relationship between the composite measure of the CSR disclosure index and financial performance, the findings show no statistically significant relationship between the individual dimensions of the CSR disclosure index and the current financial performance measure except for ‘mission and vision’ and ‘products and services’. Similarly, the empirical results detect a positive significant association only between ‘mission and vision’ dimension and future financial performance of the examined banks. (shrink)

Digitization is a pivotal advancement in contemporary society, permeating various facets of life, particularly in tandem with the progress of artificial intelligence applications. Notably, its influence extends into the domain of electoral processes. This research explores the relationship between digital election technology adoption and the effectiveness, transparency, and legitimacy of representative institutions in the GCC states. It analyzes the technology’s impact on institutional formation, performance, and perception, as well as political participation, identifying the technology’s challenges and opportunities.Employing a comparative analysis (...) methodology, the study capitalizes on successful experiences and applications. The findings underscore that the digitization of electoral infrastructure is a multifaceted process necessitating sustained, multi-level evaluation and scrutiny. Substantive challenges arise, notably in the domains of transparency and voter trust, encompassing issues such as data confidentiality, cybersecurity, and adherence to democratic principles. Remarkably, the objectives of digital transformation diverge between well-established democracies and those concurrently undergoing digital and democratic transitions. The study advocates for intensified collaboration and knowledge exchange to cultivate sophisticated digital electoral systems within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Furthermore, the imperative analysis of digital election data emerges as integral for comprehending voter behavior and levels of participation, thereby furnishing a lucid comprehension of prospective electoral trajectories. (shrink)

The scope of social policy today is extensive. With the changing global scenario, there is a rediscovery of “social” in it. Indubitably, there is a gender perspective on social policy globally. The world Economic Forum states that there are only six countries in the world (Belgium, Denmark, France, Latvia, Luxembourg and Sweden) where women have equal work rights to men. It is noted that the situation in different countries varies when it comes to the working benefits of different genders whether (...) for native or expatriate workers in those places. Though there are rooms to enjoy attractive income and favourable working conditions such as job security, generous retirement plan, and other welfare benefits, there are still various factors that might lead to gender-based differences or gender discrimination in the unique labour market context of the GCC countries. The scenario is distinct in many Scandinavian nations like Sweden. Those countries are often considered the role model for gender equal work allowances. When it comes to India there is still disparity and difference in many areas despite the social security system the country offers in its policies. This paper aims at a descriptive and qualitative study on the causes, consequences and conclusion of the gender disparity in employee allowances in these nations. The study would imply a simple random method of interrogation to examine gender differences empirically within the labour market of the mentioned nations. The economic benefits of a gender-equal nation in the framing of social policy will be emphasized and focused on. (shrink)

Cybersecurity is becoming more crucial as the number of cyber threats targeting critical infrastructure, businesses, and government organizations continues to grow. This systematic literature review examines the significance of cybersecurity performance in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and finds the factors influencing it based on official reports.The research points out a shortage of in-depth studies on cybersecurity performance, as much of the existing literature depends on annual reports that provide limited insights. By reviewing the available research, this paper seeks to (...) deliver valuable perspectives on effective cybersecurity strategies that can enhance organizational performance.By addressing existing research gaps and questions, this paper aims to deepen the understanding of cybersecurity performance and contribute to better regional practices in the GCC. The urgency of conducting comprehensive research on cybersecurity performance and its enhancement in GCC countries is particularly pressing, especially considering the adoption of various technologies. The findings will provide a comprehensive understanding of the need for more written studies, highlighting the critical factors influencing cybersecurity performance. Additionally, there is a need for further research that employs grounded theories and qualitative methods. Experts should use these approaches to explain why these studies should be given among specialists. Furthermore, conducting a thorough analysis of credible and relevant studies will be essential. By closely examining these works, it can find crucial strategies for enhancing our understanding of this important field of research.It is concerning that cybersecurity performance has not received the attention it deserves. Most of the available information is limited to annual reports on improvements, leaving a significant gap in more detailed research. Therefore, in-depth studies are needed to shed light on this critical area. (shrink)

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) insurance sector lags behind its global counterparts in using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance customer experiences and tailor services. This research provides a comprehensive framework for incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) inside the GCC insurance sector, considering the region’s unique regulatory landscape, cultural nuances, and infrastructural capacities. This study employs the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) Framework and Service-Dominant (S-D) Logic, using a qualitative methodology encompassing case studies, semi-structured interviews with industry stakeholders, and focus group talks with diverse customer (...) demographics. The research examines particular consumer demands, legislative limitations, infrastructural prerequisites, and congruence with overarching economic diversification objectives across GCC nations. The suggested framework tackles essential obstacles like data privacy rules, technical preparedness, and cultural preferences while offering pragmatic suggestions for AI applications. This study enhances theoretical understanding and practical application by using TOE and S-D Logic theories within the GCC insurance context, developing region-specific AI adoption strategies, and formulating implementation protocols that adhere to local regulations. The findings will assist insurance providers in transitioning from standardised products to personalised, AI-driven solutions while supporting the GCC’s digital transformation objectives. The research aligns with regional economic visions such as Bahrain Vision 2030, Saudi Vision 2030 and UAE Vision 2021 while supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG 9 on Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure and SDG 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth, promoting economic growth through technological innovation. The resulting framework will serve as a roadmap for insurance providers seeking to enhance customer experience through AI implementation while navigating the unique challenges of th GCC market. (shrink)

Despite the growing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in the banking industry, limited research has explored its impact on credit risk in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) banks. This study addresses this gap by examining the relationship between AI adoption and credit risk, using data from 36 GCC banks between 2015 and 2022. The non-performing loan (NPL) ratio measures credit risk, and a textual analysis of AI-related terms in financial reports proxies AI adoption. Contrary to expectations, the findings reveal a significant (...) positive relationship between AI usage and NPLs, suggesting transitional challenges or potential reporting effects associated with AI integration.These results underscore the need for targeted strategies to optimize AI’s role in credit risk management. Bank executives and policymakers should address challenges related to implementation costs, accountability, and transitional inefficiencies. Enhanced integration of AI into banking processes, alongside robust regulatory frameworks, can improve efficiency and decision-making in credit risk evaluation. (shrink)

The aim of this study is to identify the importance of social media adoption (SM) in business-to- business (B2B) in GCC, by analyzing how the SM adoption impact on business performance. Also, to clear the SM strategies through by understanding (TOE) model in the business context, and the benefits of SM adoption in (B2B) performance. The researchers used many previous literature reviews of SM platforms usage adoption and business performance. The researchers present indications that GCC with SM adoption and put (...) strategies in (B2B) see an increase in higher business performance, enhance the greater (B2B) and (B2C) relationships, and create competitive advantage.At the concluded also covers the main conclusions from the body of research on social media adoption in GCC as well as with recommendations for further study in the area. (shrink)

The study investigates the effect of board characteristics and firm performance on disclosure tones by considering DICTION five master variables namely activity, optimism, certainty, realism and commonality tones using a sample of 779 annual reports of GCC listed firms (2012 to 2018). Disclosure tones of the sampled GCC firms were measured through corporate narrative disclosures by DICTION 7.0 software. Then, the ordinary least square regression analysis was conducted. The main findings of the study show that firm performance has a significant (...) effect on disclosure tones in terms of activity, optimism, certainty, and realism tones except for commonality reported tone. Board characteristics have different effects on the five disclosure tones. The study offers a unique contribution to accounting literature as it is one of the first studies in the Gulf region that seeks to examine the relationship between disclosure tones and firm performance as well as board governance. (shrink)

This study explores the sustainability reporting (SR) and assurance market in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region from the Big 4 auditors' perspectives and investigates the drivers and barriers of SR and assurance in the GCC region. We have interviewed ten representatives of auditing firms (i.e., members of Big 4) in the GCC region. The results of study reveal the immaturity of the SR and assurance market in the region but are hopeful for the future contingent upon certain factors. In (...) addition, the voluntary nature of SR, the cost of reporting and assurance, and religious concerns among others are primary barriers in front of the eagerness of firms to adopt SR and its assurance. Reputation building and accessing international markets among others are the main motivations for the adoption of SR and assurance. The interviewees have firmly expressed that there is no direct relationship between SR assurance and financial report audit. (shrink)

The purpose of this research is to provide an overview of state governance for corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). A systemic literature review method is employed to collect 88 relevant publications, and a qualitative coding method is used to identify 98 governance instruments from those publications. These are grouped into 13 themes and then examined within three conceptual models. The findings reveal that most of the instruments are geared towards ethical expectations, internal (...) and external social responsibility, raising awareness, and socio‐economic development. The findings are then explored within four theories. The results suggest that CSR governance in the GCC is at a moderate to high level of bureaucratization; reflects Islamic identity, national development targets, and business accountability; is between the stages of habitualization and objectification; and relies mostly on normative pressures. Recommendations for policymakers and company managers are then presented based on these findings. (shrink)

Global Corporate Citizenship (GCC) continues to become increasingly popular in large corporations. However, this concept has rarely been considered in small and medium size enterprises (SMEs). A case study of a Norwegian clothing company illustrates how GCC can be also applied to small companies. This case study also shows that SMEs can be very innovative in exercising corporate citizenship, without necessarily following the patterns of large multinational companies. The company studied engages as partner in some voluntary labor initiatives promoted by (...) the government, employs people in marginal situations, and exerts influence for the adoption of good working conditions in its supply chain. Environmental issues and actions of solidarity are also considered within a global scope. Ethics of care and concern for specific aspects of the common good seem crucial as GCC drivers in this company, as do personal values, character, and leadership of the owner-manager of the firm. (shrink)

Global Corporate Citizenship (GCC) continues to become increasingly popular in large corporations. However, this concept has rarely been considered in small and medium size enterprises (SMEs). A case study of a Norwegian clothing company illustrates how GCC can be also applied to small companies. This case study also shows that SMEs can be very innovative in exercising corporate citizenship, without necessarily following the patterns of large multinational companies. The company studied engages as partner in some voluntary labor initiatives promoted by (...) the government, employs people in marginal situations, and exerts influence for the adoption of good working conditions in its supply chain. Environmental issues and actions of solidarity are also considered within a global scope. Ethics of care and concern for specific aspects of the common good seem crucial as GCC drivers in this company, as do personal values, character, and leadership of the owner-manager of the firm. (shrink)

Gene-Culture Coevolution (GCC) theory is an intriguing new entry in the quest to understand human culture. Nonetheless, it has received relatively little philosophical attention. One notable exception is Kim Sterelny’s (2006) critique which raises three primary objections against the GCC account. Most importantly, he argues that GCC theory, as it stands, is unable to resolve “the paradox of cultural accumulation” (151); that while social learning should generally be prohibitively expensive for the pupils, it nonetheless occurs as the principle means of (...) disseminating novel information through a culture. Sterelny holds that this is best explained by supplementing the GCC models with strong cultural group selection pressures. I argue that this is not needed. To show this I elaborate upon Joseph Henrich and Francisco Gil-White’s (2001) information goods theory, developing it in terms of the market pressures that one would expect to find in an information economy. I indicate how such pressures contribute to an individual-level explanation of cultural accumulation that answers Sterelny’s concerns. (shrink)

Grenada Chocolate Company (GCC) is the world’s smallest chocolate factory. After being hit with several hurricanes, the founders of GCC must decide the best way to continue their business. This case addresses the possibilities GCC has while exploring the benefits and pitfalls of a small business.

This open access book offers insights into the development of the ground-breaking Global Code of Conduct for Research in Resource-Poor Settings (GCC) and the San Code of Research Ethics. Using a new, intuitive moral framework predicated on fairness, respect, care and honesty, both codes target ethics dumping – the export of unethical research practices from a high-income setting to a lower- or middle-income setting. The book is a rich resource of information and argument for any research stakeholder who opposes double (...) standards in research. It will be indispensable for applicants to European Union framework programmes, as the GCC is now a mandatory reference document for EU funding. (shrink)

What kinds of issues does the global crisis of climate change present to aesthetics, and how will they challenge the field to respond? This paper argues that a new research agenda is needed for aesthetics with respect to global climate change (GCC) and outlines a set of foundational issues which are especially pressing: (1) attention to environments that have been neglected by philosophers, for example, the cryosphere and aerosphere; (2) negative aesthetics of environment, in order to grasp aesthetic experiences, meanings, (...) and dis/values in light of the catastrophic effects of GCC; (3) bringing intergenerational thinking into aesthetics through concepts of temporality and ‘future aesthetics’ (4) understanding the relationship between aesthetic and ethical values as they arise in regard to GCC. (shrink)

We establish a minimal, defect-free foundation for determinate existence and apply it to two problems: the structural impossibility of absolute non-existence, and the derivation of the fine-structure constant. Beginning from the single premise something exists determinately, we give a precise four-condition definition of "determinately": not vague, not self-contradictory, not flux, and—crucially—not vacuous. From this definition we prove that exactly three structural primitives are forced: a state space, a selective criterion, and an admissible transformation family. Two independent persistence conditions—Idempotent Closure (IC) (...) and Energetic Viability (EV)—are derived and shown to be necessary and sufficient for any form to persist determinately. The framework is machine-verified in Lean 4 (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19023530). -/- We apply the filter to its own limiting case: the Void. Absolute non-existence with total potentiality and total absence simultaneously contains a Globally Coupled Contradiction (GCC) and fails both IC and EV. Leibniz's question "Why is there something rather than nothing?" presupposes a coherent alternative that does not exist. Existence is structural residue; the first distinction is a logical fixed point guaranteed by Lawvere and Kleene independently. -/- Finally, we apply the filter to the electromagnetic vacuum in a consistent five-dimensional geometric framework. The EV condition forces a solvency equation whose unique solution is \alpha = \frac{9}{16\pi^4}\left(\frac{\pi^5}{120}\right)^{1/4} \approx 1/137.036, derived without assuming its value. The relative error against CODATA 2022 is 6 \times 10^{-7}. The filter does not merely permit or forbid—it is the difference between form and formlessness, where formlessness, as proved, was never an option. (shrink)

The Global Code of Conduct for Research in Resource-Poor Settings (GCC) aims to stop the export of unethical research practices from higher to lower income settings. Launched in 2018, the GCC was immediately adopted by European Commission funding streams for application in research that is situated in lower and lower-middle income countries. Other institutions soon followed suit. This article reports on the application of the GCC in two of the first UK-funded projects to implement this new code, one situated in (...) India and one in Pakistan. Through systematic ethics evaluation of both projects, the practical application of the GCC in real-world environments was tested. The findings of this ethics evaluation suggest that while there are challenges for implementation, application of the GCC can promote equity in international research collaborations. (shrink)

A semiotic theory of systems derived from language would have the purpose of classifying all the systems of linguistic expression: philosophy, ideology, myth, poetry, art, as much as the dream, lapsus, and free association in a pluridimensional matrix that will interact with many diversified fields. In each one of these discourses it is necessary to consider a plurality of questions, the essence of which will only be comprehensible by the totality; it will be necessary to ask, in the first place, (...) what will be the purpose of this language, what function does it fulfill and for which reason has it been constructed. The concept of World vision (WV) is introduced and its relation with Generalized Collective Conscience (GCC) and Particularized Collective Conscience. Culture implies a particular WV. Culture creates GCC. The semantic field is a structure that formalizes the units of a certain culture constituting a portion of the vision of the Reality that owns this culture. An ecological case is explained. (shrink)

For better or worse, places matter to us. Especially the familiar places we call home—the ones that embody our personal and cultural histories, give our lives a sense of stability, and support the routines of everyday life. Global Climate Change (GCC) poses an existential threat to these places, engendering nonmaterial losses that threaten subjective well-being and overall mental health. Unfortunately, these nonmaterial losses are often overlooked or underappreciated. My aim in this article is to counter this tendency and explore the (...) relationship between people and place in a way that sheds light on the nonmaterial threat of GCC. I approach this task from the lens of everyday aesthetics. While finding adequate compensation for these nonmaterial losses is unlikely, I suggest that sensitivity to the aesthetic texture of everyday life can provide a source of aesthetic consolation that can make the challenges of GCC easier to manage. (shrink)

Few studies examine plagiarism in a Middle Eastern context, specifically from the perspectives of preservice teachers. As future gatekeepers of academic integrity, preservice teachers need to understand plagiarism. This study surveyed 128 female preservice teachers in one university in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The survey explores preservice teachers regarding their understandings and reasons for academic plagiarism and their responses to particular scenarios. Findings indicate that preservice teachers have a thorough comprehension of plagiarism and suggest a lack of knowledge (...) of citing sources, weak writing skills, a lack of time, and not knowing the research process as reasons for plagiarism. Informants' responses to six scenarios are presented to illustrate their perspectives further. Discussion addresses language and cultural issues to contextualize the study. (shrink)

Concerns about the under-representation of female academic philosophers and about the stereotype that philosophy is best done by men have recently led to efforts to make academic philosophy a more inclusive discipline. An example is the Gendered Conference Campaign, encouraging event organisers and volume editors to include women amongst invited speakers and authors. Initiatives such as the GCC raise worries about tokenism. Potential invitees may be concerned about unfairness towards whose who would have been invited in their place in the (...) absence of affirmative action and about the way in which affirmative action can affect the quality of the conference or volume in question. And women philosophers often worry that, if formal rules or significant social pressures towards gender inclusiveness play a role in selection processes, their achievements will be discounted. I argue there is no good reason for these fears: there is no pure meritocracy in academia, nor is the ideal of pure meritocracy either feasible or desirable. There are several legitimate grounds — independent of professional competence — for including people in positions of visibility and prestige; gender is such a legitimate reason. (shrink)

Humans are causing global climate change (GCC), and such climate change causes harms. Robin Attfield explained how individuals should be understood to be culpable for these harms. In this paper, I use a critical analysis of Attfield’s explanatory framework to explore further difficulties in accounting for corporate responsibility for these harms. I begin by arguing that there are some problems with his framework as it is applied to individuals that emit greenhouse gases (GHGs). I then show that it will be (...) very difficult to extend this framework to corporations. This is not a criticism of Attfield’s work (as he does not discuss corporate responsibility for those harms associated with GCC), but it will serve to show the difficulty in philosophically explaining corporations’ moral culpability when it comes to these harms. In fact, one positive conclusion of this paper is that it highlights a new area of concern that has been ignored in discussions of corporate responsibilities—that of mediated responsibilities—which is how Attfield understands our responsibilities regarding GCC. The discussion of this concern will draw attention to another positive conclusion of this paper: the harms associated with CO2 are very unlike the harms associated with other airborne-emitted substances, which will indicate that we will need new ways of understanding how individuals and corporations are philosophically responsible for these harms. The final positive conclusion of this paper will be a discussion of what the constraints should be on new approaches to explaining our culpability. (shrink)

For many innovations, oversight fits nicely within existing governance mechanisms; nevertheless, others pose unique public health, environmental, and ethical challenges. Synthetic artemisinin, for example, has many precursors in laboratory‐developed drugs that emulate natural forms of the same drug. The policy challenges posed by synthetic artemisinin do not differ significantly in kind from other laboratory‐formulated drugs. Synthetic biofuels and gene drives, however, fit less clearly into existing governance structures. How many of the new categories of products require new forms of regulatory (...) oversight, or at least extensive forms of testing, remains unclear.Any effort to improve the governance of synthetic biology should start with a rich understanding of the different possible science‐policy interfaces that could help to inform governance. CBA falls into a subset of the overall range of possibilities, and which interface is appropriate may turn out to depend on context, on the demands of the decision at hand. In what follows, we lay out a typology of interfaces. After that, we turn to the question of how to draw upon the range of possible interfaces and effectively address the factual and moral complexities of emerging technologies. We propose a governance model built around structures that we call “governance coordinating committees.” GCCs are intended to be mechanisms for accommodating the complexities of innovations that have far‐ranging societal impacts. The production of biofuels, for example, could contaminate water supplies and have a destructive environmental impact if not managed correctly. The introduction of a gene drive could have economic and environmental impacts that are not restricted to one nation. Forging appropriate means for determining and evaluating those societal impacts, to the best of a corporation's, industry's, or government's ability, is central to responsible research and innovation. Public policy must be shaped in a manner that accommodates as many concerns as possible and minimizes risks. (shrink)

In her recent article _Overcoming Climate Breakdown Denial and Neglect through the Aesthetics of Nature _(2023), philosopher Marta Tafalla argues for the possibility that one can learn about global climate change (GCC) if one listens to animals and stories nature itself tells us. Contrary to Tafalla, I argue that her suggestion is overly optimistic. In my paper, I first demonstrate that Tafalla assumes the link between cause and consequence always corresponds to findings in environmental science, and that this assumption is (...) unfounded. Second, I examine the strategies and narratives employed by antienvironmentalists and demonstrate that they utilise the same narrative structures as Tafalla when telling animal stories. Accordingly, I claim that one can learn about GCC from animals’ stories if and only if one already acknowledges it. (shrink)

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a crucial topic for researchers and businesses alike, primarily due to its significance in business sustainability. Despite an expanding body of literature on CSR, there remains a need for clarity regarding effective CSR strategies and practices that impact business success, the well-being of society, and the tools that enhance their effectiveness. This study aims to introduce a novel measurement tool designed to improve CSR strategies and activities. This tool is encapsulated in a new framework known (...) as the "CSR Five Senses Approach," which encompasses sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. This approach seeks to bridge the gap between actual corporate actions and societal expectations. Following the conceptualization of this framework, a new measurement scale was systematically developed. This process involved qualitative data collection from customers and managers at various progressive stages. Field research data were gathered from 260 customers across Bahrain and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The findings resulted in a five-dimensional scale based on the CSR Five Senses Approach. The psychometric properties of the scale were rigorously assessed, confirming its reliability, validity, and generalizability. Ultimately, the study results indicate a positive correlation between the CSR Five Senses scale and two related endogenous variables: Corporate Image and Behavioral Intention. (shrink)

Research shows that trust in AI is influenced by socio-ethical considerations, technical features of AI systems, and user characteristics. Yet, the mediating role of emotional response between perceived risk and trust remains underexplored, particularly across different AI contexts. This cross-sectional vignette experiment design aims to explore the relationship between users’ perceived potential risk, emotional response, and trust in AI, and examine how these relationships vary across different levels of automation and criticality. An online survey included a total of 639 participants (...) including 316 from the UK and 323 from Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Participants rated their perceived risk, trust, and emotional response across four scenarios representing different combinations of automation (low/high) and criticality (low/high). Correlation results indicate a significant negative association between perceived risk and trust, as well as between emotional response and perceived risk. These associations were weakest in the low-automation, low-criticality scenario and strengthened with increasing criticality levels. Mediation analyses assessed the role of emotional response in the perceived risk–trust relationship. In the UK sample, emotional response fully mediated the risk–trust relationship in the low-automation, low-criticality scenario and partially mediated this relationship in the remaining scenarios. In the Arab sample, emotional response partially mediated the risk–trust relationship in all scenarios. Gender and age showed varying influences in both samples. These findings underscore the critical role of emotional response in shaping users’ trust across cultures and AI modalities, significantly influencing trust alongside cognition. Awareness of emotional sources enables users to build trust based on both rational and emotional aspects, highlighting the inadequacy of cognition alone in achieving effective trust calibration. Enhancing system performance, addressing perceived risks, and promoting positive affect can foster greater user trust. (shrink)

This paper seeks to determine the extent of anti-corruption information disclosure in the sustainability reports originating from Gulf countries. Focus primarily on the fight against corruption, this study utilizes a deeply-rooted content analysis technique of corporate sustainability reporting, covering 66 Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) firms during 2014. Strengthened by the application of institutional theory, insight into the results points to a state of limited maturity regarding the disclosure of anti-corruption procedures in the region. More specifically, the results highlight the compliance (...) in the reporting of conduct code, while reporting information on whistle-blowing was significantly less in comparison. Firms in Qatar and UAE ultimately release better informed reports; inclusive of detailed information on internal anti-corruption practices. (shrink)

The world’s largest collection of professional ethics codes already holds more than 2,500 codes. What can the Global Code of Conduct for Research in Resource-Poor Settings (GCC) add? This brief chapter gives co-authors and supporters of the GCC the opportunity to show why a code with the single-minded aim of eradicating ethics dumping is needed.

Coral reefs worldwide are currently threatened by anthropogenic Global Climate Change (GCC) and local environmental degradation and, unequivocally, need protection. Coral reefs constitute one of the oldest, most diverse, and important marine communities. They are mainly formed by tiny, primitive, calcifying, Cnidarian invertebrates, the scleractinian corals, and provide substantial ecological services to other marine communities, coastal protection, food, and economic and social benefits to humans. Cnidarians and other reef invertebrates are exploited by the marine aquarium trade, but their capture, transport, (...) and maintenance in captivity (for research or exhibition) are not regulated by any welfare provisions. Traditional principles of animal welfare are not easily applicable to wildlife, much less to simpler organisms such as cnidarians, but arguments could be made since scleractinian corals, as most invertebrates, are highly sensitive to changes in environmental conditions and display stressful physiological and/or behavioral responses. Higher than normal temperatures, for example, elicit the expulsion of their algal symbionts (i.e., bleaching), increase mucus production, and/or adjust metabolic pathways and physiological functions, to enhance survivorship. Global Climate Change is stressing marine animals and is threatening the health of the oceans. Welfare considerations to at least those cnidarians that function as foundation or keystone species could add up and help protect these communities from further decline. How we approach the solutions to the problems generated by the increasing human needs must include a change in attitude, from being mostly “reactive,” which is costly and difficult, to being more preventive/proactive. We believe that approaches combining both conservation and welfare principles could be developed and implemented to increase the survivorship and good health of ecologically and economically important marine invertebrates. Besides convincing scientists, and mostly animal welfare scientists, that corals should be included in our “circle of compassion,” the most essential component for this to work is education. An educated population who understand the importance of our interaction with the natural world will help to institutionalize welfare principles to increase protection and to reduce, or stop, the current declining trends of coral reefs and other marine communities. This would enhance the possibilities of a successful recovery of these important communities so we can continue using them in a sustainable way and, more importantly, preserve them for future generations. (shrink)

In recent years, more and more people are applying Convolutional Neural Networks to the study of sound signals. The main reason is the translational invariance of convolution in time and space. Thereby the diversity of the sound signal can be overcome. However, in terms of sound direction recognition, there are also problems such as a microphone matrix being too large, and feature selection. This paper proposes a sound direction recognition using a simulated human head with microphones at both ears. Theoretically, (...) the two microphones cannot distinguish the front and rear directions. However, we use the original data of the two channels as the input of the convolutional neural network, and the resolution effect can reach more than 0.9. For comparison, we also chose the delay feature (GCC) for sound direction recognition. Finally, we also conducted experiments that used probability distributions to identify more directions. (shrink)

India, like much of the ‘Global South’, has been incorporated into the circadian rhythms of transnational production and circulation, especially since the liberalisation of the Indian economy, the worldwide boom of service and gig sector and the imperatives to outsource tasks across borders. European cities have increasingly grappled with the regulation and organisation of nightlife, to securitise and facilitate nocturnal mobility and productional logistics, often considered as a sign of a society’s integration into global production circuits. In India, this phenomenon (...) is more prominent due to the correspondent demands of digital services in Western markets and the difference in time zones, leading to a proliferation of ‘call centers’ and other similar spaces working throughout the night to uphold Global Value Chains (GVC), Global Commodity Chains (GCC) and Global Production Networks (GPNs). This chapter engages in case studies on Berlin and Kolkata, to look at nachtarbeit, primarily through interviews of call center employees and delivery personnel and critically enquire into the challenges of the night-time economy and issues of mobility, safety and security. Additionally, since immigrants from countries like India comprise a large section of the informal, nocturnal pool of labour in European cities, this is also an argument to make these work and public spaces more inclusive and responsive to identity-based anxieties and conflicts. To conclude, it looks at legislation and policies that tend to these issues and suggests further grounds for intervention, in turn creating more resilient urban workspaces and developing grounds of cooperation between regional and global economies. (shrink)

In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:The Future of Environmental PhilosophyJ. Baird Callicott (bio)The old guy in The Graduate had just one word for Dustin Hoffman's character, Ben: "plastics." This old guy has three words for the future pursuit of environmental philosophers, young and old: global climate change (GCC).GCC is emerging as the central environmental concern of the 21st century. Back in the 20th century, E. O. Wilson's mantra was (I paraphrase) 'abrupt mass anthropogenic (...) species extinction is the crime for which posterity is least likely to forgive us.' In view of the multifaceted catastrophe graphically depicted in the recent acclaimed film, An Inconvenient Truth (AIT), Wilson's dictum seems quaint. Rather, a world whose very geography will be anthropogenically altered by risen sea levels, whose weather will be increasingly violent and erratic, whose seas will be stagnant and acidified by carbonic acid, etc., etc., is the crime for which posterity is least likely to forgive us—if there is any posterity to make a judgment.According to Al Gore in AIT anthropogenic GCC is a "moral" and "ethical" issue. But he doesn't elaborate. And at the end of the film he provides a lame list of things you and you and you and you—all of us individually AND voluntarily—can do to mitigate GCC, such as swap out halogen light bulbs for compact florescent ones and drive a hybrid car. Think "tragedy of the commons" for the efficacy of that approach to an adequate ethical response to the challenge of GCC.Gore's naivete apart, environmental ethics (EE) as we know it is singularly ill-prepared for dealing with GCC. The problem is one of scale, temporal as well as spatial. Spatially, EE concern was focused on the scale of biotic communities, ecosystems, and landscapes. And the relevant science was ecology. Temporally, the scale was also ecological: It might take Prince William Sound half a century, perhaps even a whole century, to fully recover from the Exxon Valdez spill. In temperate climates, after a clearcut a mature forest might spring up in a century and, through ecological succession, if left alone it will return to old growth in 300 years. Back in the 20th century that seemed like a long time, and we lamented that the ecological temporal scale and the economic temporal scale of [End Page 119] industries like the timber business and the oil business were out of phase, the former measured in decades the latter in quarters. But now, elderly environmental philosophers like me will personally witness little more than the initial environmental consequences of GCC—the occasional Katrina, the occasional hottest year on record, the disappearance of glaciers in Glacier National Park. We won't live to see (I hope) the cessation of the Gulf Stream or sea-levels rise more than a few centimeters. And the rectification of these consequences will be completed, if they ever are, only after thousands of years have elapsed.How then do we scale EE up to meet the moral challenge of GCC? Spatially we have a huge leap to make from the landscape scale to the biospheric scale. We have to become conversant with a new set of sciences; the relevant sciences are not ecology and conservation biology, but biogeochemistry and earth-systems science.Is a GCC EE even possible? Maybe ethics has temporal-scale limits? We used to marvel at the long view of the Iroquois who considered the consequences of present policies out seven generations. Wow! At 25 years per generation that is all of 250 years (adding on the 75-year life-span of the 7th generation). Can we have ethical concern for the 37th generation, a thousand years out? Or the 121st generation 3000 years out?J. Baird Callicott J. Baird Callicott is Regents Professor of Philosophy and Religion Studies in the Institute of Applied Sciences at the University of North Texas. From 1997–2000 he served the International Society for Environmental Ethics as president. He is author, editor, or co-editor of a score of books and more than a hundred journal articles and book chapters. Callicott's research proceeds on six major fronts: theoretical environmental ethics, land ethics, the philosophy of... (shrink)

How can an ethics code achieve impact? The answer is twofold. First, through adoption by influential research funders, who then make it mandatory for their award recipients. This is the case with the Global Code of Conduct for Research in Resource-Poor Settings, which was adopted by both the European Commission and the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership shortly after its launch in 2018. Second, an ethics code can achieve impact when researchers use it for guidance whether it is (...) compulsory or not. This is most likely to happen with codes that were developed transparently with all research stakeholders involved. This chapter will outline how the GCC was developed, and in particular how external stakeholders were systematically engaged, how existing codes were carefully analysed and built upon, and who the early adopters were. (shrink)

I assume that the task of natural language semantics is to provide an unambiguous logical language into which natural language can be translated in such a way that the translating expressions display a structure which is isomorphic to the meaning of the translated expressions. Since language is a means of thinking and communicating mental contents, the meanings of singular terms cannot be the individuals of the substratist tradition, because such individuals are not cognizable entities. Thus I propose that the logical (...) language be based on Castaneda's guise theory, according to which singular terms always denote guises, i.e., roughly, bundles of properties. This, I argue, would result in a semantics which is in accordance with projects such as Lakoff's natural logic or Fodor's methodological solipsism. ;I first propose a formal system, GCC, which tries to be as faithful as possible to Castaneda's informal presentation of guise theory. It is therefore characterized by different forms of predication and a distinction between a level of property composition and a level of proposition composition. Such a distinction is dropped in a second system, GF, which presents a more traditional Fregean representation of predication. Yet, GF endorses essential assumptions of guise theory such as the existence of different sameness relations that can provide various interpretations for the English "is". I claim that GF provides more theoretical simplicity than GCC. ;Finally, I show the fruitfulness of the present approach by applying GF to a vast collection of linguistico-philosophical puzzles which includes but is not restricted to those that guise theory was originally designed to address: various versions of Frege's paradox, the paradox of analysis, Quine's puzzle on the number of planets, issues of reidentification and intentional identity, the anaphoric "it" of sentences such as "the lizard's tail fell off but then it grew back," problems connected with the use of "knowing-who ," proper names, indexicals and demonstratives. (shrink)

O estudo aborda a necessidade de identificar e incorporar habilidades e competências em Tecnologias Generativas (TecGen) nos processos de aprimoramento curricular dos cursos de Ciências Contábeis em Instituições de Ensino Superior (IES), pela crescente demanda do mercado de trabalho e transformação digital. A análise inicial revela que a gestão do conhecimento nas IES brasileiras é restrita aos Stakeholders primários (docentes, discentes e governo), gerando exclusão epistemológica para a Gestão do Conhecimento Compartilhável (GCC) de Stakeholders periféricos (Ministério do Trabalho e Emprego, (...) Empresas de Recolocação e entidades da Sociedade Civil). Propõe-se um Framework para os ciclos de conversão de Socialização, Externalização, Combinação, Internalização (SECI), os modelos Stakeholder Salience e Capitalism, testado em três IES, pelo aumento da participação dos Stakeholders periféricos no processo contínuo de atualização curricular. A pesquisa qualitativa, exploratória e descritiva, utilizou Análise de Conteúdo em duas etapas: coleta de dados secundários (documentos regulatórios governamentais, de órgãos de classe, sociedade civil e empresas de recolocação), e primários (questionários semiestruturados a docentes, alunos, egressos e profissionais de recolocação). Os resultados indicam que as IES investigadas não aproveitam totalmente os dados de todos os Stakeholders periféricos, evidenciando limitações na aprendizagem docente e na atualização curricular. Como resposta, propõe-se o Modelo Ecossistema da Inovação Curricular, que busca institucionalizar a participação de múltiplos atores em diretrizes técnico-administrativas, éticas e filosóficas, alinhando o processo de formação profissional às nuances exigidas pelo mercado de trabalho. (shrink)

The primary responsibility for global climate change responsiveness is usually attributed to nation states. This is reflected in the United Nations’ processes aimed at enrolling governments in mitigation and adaptation programmes. Such an approach begs the question of how global climate change (GCC) responsiveness might proceed if a national government is hostile to the issue, as appears likely to be the case in the USA. This paper addresses this concern by documenting the percentage of the population of the USA who (...) are ‘covered’ by at least one of six examples of GCC responsiveness at sub-federal – state and municipality – levels. Of the population of the USA, 25.8% lives in states where all of the state-level initiatives surveyed are in effect, whereas only 4.4% are not covered by any of the six. This coverage has increased as compared to earlier surveys (Lutsey, N., and D. Sperling. 2008. “America’s Bottom-Up Climate Change Mitigation Policy.” Energy Policy 36: 673–685. doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2007.10.018). This finding suggests that there is more practical hope for GCC responsiveness than might be commonly appreciated and this also has ramifications for research in accounting. (shrink)

Three partners founded the Grenada Chocolate Company in 1999: Mott Green, Doug Browne and Edmond Brown. Several years ago Doug passed away of cancer and in June 2013 Mott suffered a fatal electrocution while repairing a piece of equipment. Edmond was now thrust into the leadership position and left to decide what direction GCC should take. The GCC product line was becoming increasingly popular both on the island and internationally and demand was high,but the original vision for the company was (...) to produce bean-to-bar chocolates while providing a fair wage to the local employees and farmers. Expansion could be an option for Edmond and GCC, but was it possible to expand and stay true to the ideas on which GCC was founded? (shrink)

Objective : Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) has been utilized by assisted reproductive technology (ART) to genetically screen embryos before placement in the uterus. However, many objections have been raised against the genetic screening of embryos, giving the practice an uncertain ethical, legal, and social status. Our aim was, therefore, to survey the possible presence and compliance to any legislation for PGD in the existing 60 in vitro fertilization (IVF) centres in the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) countries as well as the (...) availability of such a technological service. Methods : The study was performed in the department of biochemistry at King Faisal University between the periods Mar 2006 to Nov 2007. A questionnaire, in the form of a table, was sent to responsible persons of all 60 IVF centres and health authorities in the GCC countries. The collected data about the regulations and guidelines for the PGD program was analyzed using SPSS software package version 12.0 and the level of significance was set at P Results: 18 respondents, 16 IVF centres and 2 health authorities (26.87% of total) participated in the survey. The PGD techniques, mainly FISH analyses, were practiced in three centres in Saudi Arabia and one centre in the UAE. The major provider of PGD was King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh where more than 300 PGD tests had been performed. Whilst some regulations and guidelines have been introduced to IVF centres in all GCC countries, their implementations were left to the discretion of the treating centre. Conclusions : PGD services in the GCC countries were under-utilized due to the high cost of tests, the sophisticated technology involved and the poor returns of the investment. As a result of some deficiencies in the legislations which regulated PGD, the medical teams involved often faced difficulties on what rights to exercise in various PGD cases. (shrink)

Addressing the issue of global climate change (GCC) requires the cooperation of all nations of the world. Although the industrial nations of the north have the financial and technological resources to begin addressing the problem, they ultimately remain vulnerable to the actions of the developing nations of the south. The negotiation process—now a decade old—has, thus far, failed to produce a universal agreement on greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions. This failure is attributed to the lack of a unifying principle capable of (...) overcoming the short-term differences in interest among the two groups of countries. Science and politics, the two forces driving the GCC debate, have inherent weaknesses that prevent them from providing the leadership necessary to secure universal cooperation in combating this major threat to the global environment. Ethics, specifically the principles of equity and justice, is proposed as a possible unifying principle. An analysis of the four main issues that must be resolved before a universal agreement to combat GCC can be negotiated—the appropriate level for GHGs, the proper distribution of GHG emission rights, the best actions for attaining the appropriate GHG level, and the form of the institutional arrangements that will be necessary to carry out these actions—indicates that ethical considerations can and must inform and delineate appropriate bounds for science, economics, and politics. Guaranteeing the equitable and just distribution of rights and responsibilities in a global climate change regime offers the best prospect for such a regime to be made possible. (shrink)

The countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council are most typically understood from the perspective of their position as the world’s key oil- and gas-producing states. This essay explores the largely-overlooked processes of class-formation in the GCC, and argues that very profound tendencies of capital-internationalisation are occurring alongside Gulf regional integration. The circuits of capital are increasingly cast at the pan-Gulf scale, and a capitalist class – described as khaleeji-capital – is emerging around the accumulation-opportunities presented within the new regional space. (...) The formation of khaleeji-capital represents the development of a class increasingly aligned with the interests of imperialism and has important ramifications for understanding the region’s political economy. (shrink)

We are in an era of uncertainty over whose rules will govern global economic integration. With the growing market share of Chinese firms and the power of the Chinese state it is unclear if Western firms will continue to dominate transnational governance. Exploring these dynamics through a study of contract rules in the global cotton trade, this article conceptualizes commodity chain governance as a contested process of institution-building. To this end, the global commodity chain/global value chain framework must be revised (...) to better account for the broader institutional context of commodity chain governance, institutional variation across space, and strategic action in the construction of legitimate governance arrangements. I provide a more dynamic model of GCC governance that stresses how strategic action, existing institutions, and dominant discourses intersect as firms and states compete for institutional power within a commodity chain. This advances our understandings of how commodity chain governance emerges and changes over time. (shrink)

Higher education institutions in the Arabian Gulf region today, which have mushroomed and proliferated in the past ten to fifteen years, have been constructing themselves along models of Western universities at the levels of governance, programs, and structure. At the outset of the twenty-first century, universities have globally experienced a drastic shift in their governance from ‘republics of scholars’ to stakeholder organizations. In this paper, we discuss and deconstruct some of the consequences of that drastic shift, paramount among which is (...) the downsizing and neglect of some sciences/fields. We discuss some of the major problems that the Market Model of the University is facing in the West through a literature review. We also explore the academic view on some problems and challenges facing University governance today in the globe at large and specifically in the Arabian Gulf Region. We believe that universities in this region in their present state face the serious challenge of generating indigenous knowledge that fulfills the needs of citizens within this region, knowledge that draws upon the culture, history, and geography of the area and responds to the specific needs of citizens in this area. (shrink)

This article intends to shed light on the political and security developments in Yemen that ultimately resulted in the Saudi-led military operation in this country. It discusses the political background behind the Yemeni revolution of 2011, its positive outcome in the shape of the results of the National Dialogue Conference and the reasons for the collapse of the efforts to stabilize Yemen.