The assurance of corporate sustainability reporting has long been a controversial field. Corporate management and assurance providers are routinely accused of 'capturing' what should be an exercise in public accountability. This article responds to recent calls for an analysis of the process by which Capture' takes place. Integrating elements of neo-institutional theory and the arena concept, the article sets out a fresh conceptual framework for investigating the dynamics of the interactions between the various bodies active in the assurance (...) field in the UK. (shrink)

I present a conceptual framework for classifying generalist and particularist approaches to conspiracy theories (CTs). Specifically, I exploit a probabilistic version of the hexagon of opposition which allows for systematically visualising the logical relations among basic philosophical positions concerning CTs. The probabilistic interpretation can also account for positions, which make weaker claims about CTs: e.g. instead of claiming ‘every CT is suspicious’ some theorists might prefer to claim ‘most CTs are suspicious’ and then ask about logical consequences of (...) such claims. Finally, I illustrate the proposed conceptual framework by selected claims about CTs drawn from the CT research literature. (shrink)

The Smart Home designed to extend older adults independence is emerging as a clinical solution to the growing ageing population. Nurses will and should play a key role in the development and application of Smart Home technology. Accordingly, conceptual frameworks are needed for nurse scientists who are collaborating with multidisciplinary research teams in developing an intelligent Smart Home that assists with managing older adults’ health. We present a conceptual framework that is grounded in critical realism and pragmatism, (...) informing a unique mixed methodological approach to generating, analyzing, and contextualizing sensor data for clinician‐based machine learning. This framework can guide nurse scientists in knowledge construction as they participate in multidisciplinary health‐assistive Smart Home and artificial intelligence research. In this paper, we review philosophical underpinnings and explicate how this framework can guide nurse scientists collaborating with engineers to develop intelligent health‐assistive Smart Homes. It is critical that clinical nursing knowledge is integrated into Smart Home and artificial intelligence features. A conceptual framework and practical method will provide needed structure for knowledge construction by nurse scientists. (shrink)

This paper develops a conceptual framework for multiphysics modeling in aerospace structural design, aimed at integrating aerodynamic, thermal, mechanical, plasmadynamic, and materials-related processes within a unified computational environment. The necessity of moving beyond isolated modeling of individual physical phenomena toward consistent CFD–FEM approaches accounting for conjugate heat transfer, aeroelastic, and thermomechanical effects is substantiated. The proposed methodology combines finite element and finite volume numerical methods with adaptive discretization, as well as physics-informed neural networks and machine learning techniques for (...) surrogate model construction and reduction of computational complexity. It is shown that fully coupled multiphysics formulations improve the accuracy of predicting temperature fields, deformations, and stress–strain states of structures under complex loading conditions. The results of applying the conceptual model to classes of aerothermomechanical fluid–structure interaction problems, deformation of flexible shells, and plasmadynamic effects are analyzed, and the critical role of coupling schemes, the level of physical fidelity, and verification and validation procedures is identified. Directions for further development are formulated, including the unification of hierarchical problem decomposition, standardization of CFD–FEM–CHT coupling strategies, and the integration of physics-based and data-driven approaches within coherent computational platforms. (shrink)

This article presents a conceptual framework for exploring the motivational dynamics of ChatGPT dialogues. Building on Kurt Lewin’s field theory, we introduce the notion of quasi-needs as situationally emergent tensions that guide behavior without invoking anthropomorphic or mentalistic metaphors. We conceptualize ChatGPT's behavior as a system of probabilistically activated regulatory responses to discursive tensions in dialogue. Unlike approaches grounded in coherence heuristics or training-level reinforcement, our framework focuses on the interactional field created by a user’s utterance and (...) the regulatory moves of ChatGPT’s response. Rather than attributing intentionality or agency to the LLM, we define quasi-needs as context-sensitive behavioral tendencies that stabilize interaction, preserve coherence, and simulate normative or affective alignment. These tendencies emerge from the interplay between user input (I), contextual field pressures (C), and architectural constraints (A), formalized as R = f (I, C, A). The framework is illustrated through selected dialogue excerpts, which serve as heuristic examples within a conceptual account, not as empirical data or validated instruments. In this exploratory spirit, we propose a taxonomy of 26 types of semantic-discursive tensions and 18 corresponding quasi-needs—categorized into cognitive, communicative, affective-social, and agentive classes—as a heuristic structure rather than a definitive empirical finding. Our contribution is thus theoretical and exploratory: we propose a field-theoretic lens for describing how LLMs exhibit patterns that resemble motivational structures, without implying inner subjectivity. The framework enables a principled, non-anthropomorphic vocabulary for exploring LLM behavior, demonstrating how adaptive output patterns simulate goal-oriented behavior without requiring internal representation. We outline directions for future empirical validation, cross-model testing, and operationalization of quasi-needs as analytic categories. (shrink)

Life‐threatening illness is associated with financial burden among families. During this time, care‐related expenses often increase. The concept of financial burden has not fully been explored nor conceptually described in the literature. Our study coalesces the empirical literature on financial burden into a more comprehensive multidimensional theoretical framework to understand financial burden among patients and families dealing with serious illness. Using Jabareen's phased approach for building conceptual frameworks, we synthesized the existing scientific literature (including existing measures of financial (...) burden) to construct an empirically derived model. Definitions of financial burden are overlapping with similarities, but also inconsistencies. Many studies have focused more on objective and operational definitions, than subjective and conceptual aspects. Regarding measures for financial burden, many studies have only used a few items. The financial burden is dependent on the illness trajectories and duration. By considering multidimensionality, we illustrate potential financial burden factors (objective, coping, and subjective). Although anticipation and expectations about future financial issues are important, patients and caregivers generally experience objective aspects of burden, followed by subjective impressions of burden. Coping skills likely reduce subjective burden. Based on the results, we redefine the financial burden among patients with life‐threatening illness and caregivers. (shrink)

The ethical climate is the perception of health professionals about the work environment, meaning the reflection on care practices and ethical-related decisions. There are extensive studies in the international literature about the ethical climate, but there are still theoretical gaps about it in health services. In this reflection article, the objective was to explore conceptual components about the ethical climate, proposing new elements of analysis of the construct. The starting point was the accumulated knowledge itself, the possibilities for expansion, (...) and the conceptual progress emerging from contributions from studies on nursing ethics. It was understandable that the ethical climate is considered in its procedural model and cyclically, being articulated with organizational elements, as established in the literature, and, expanding the concept, with the worker’s health and the ethical expressiveness at work. Regarding this last contribution, the suggestion is to think about the potential for work to allow, limit, or favor professionals to express their ethical and esthetic values in the most daily decisions and relationships, in care, management, and education. The conceptual framework of this study progressed by addressing the ethical climate as a process articulating several concepts and elements regarding the organizational aspect, ethics, and the workers’ well-being. (shrink)

We conceptualise a framework that incorporates psychological and non-psychological factors influencing pro-environmental behaviour. We conducted qualitative investigations in five sectors in South Africa, where individuals and groups are dealing with significant environmental issues, including climate change, biodiversity loss and land-use change. We found three fundamental elements necessary for behavioural change to be realised: awareness (A) is defined as an understanding that society and earth systems are connected; motivation (M) involves the personal and operational drivers that encourage an individual or (...) organisation to respond to new levels of awareness; and pathways (P) recognise the practical solutions and opportunities that facilitate actual change. AMP was built up from thirty-eight variables that cut across between three and five of the case studies, which were further grouped into fourteen categories. The inter-connectedness of AMP suggests that for pro-environmental behaviour to occur, attention cannot be focused on satisfying one of the elements in isolation. This is the first attempt to integrate theory from social psychology, sociology, organisational theory and management in a conceptual framework for pro-environmental behaviour. The AMP framework is useful for supporting practitioners or change-agents designing environmental sustainability initiatives. (shrink)

One of the main challenges in consciousness research is widely known as the hard problem of consciousness. In order to tackle this problem, I utilize an approach from theoretical physics, called stochastic electrodynamics (SED), which goes one step beyond quantum theory and sheds new light on the reality behind matter. According to this approach, matter is a resonant oscillator that is orchestrated by an all-pervasive stochastic radiation field, called zero-point field (ZPF). The properties of matter are not intrinsic but acquired (...) by dynamic interaction with the ZPF, which in turn picks up information about the material system as soon as an ordered state, i.e., a stable attractor, is reached. I point out that these principles apply also to macroscopic biological systems. From this perspective, long-range correlations in the brain, such as neural gamma synchrony, can be interpreted in terms of order phenomena induced and stabilized by the ZPF, suggesting that every attractor in the brain goes along with an information state in the ZPF. In order to build the bridge to consciousness, I employ additional input from Eastern philosophy. From a comparison between SED and Eastern philosophy I draw the conclusion that the ZPF is an appropriate candidate for the substrate of consciousness, implying that information states in the ZPF are associated with conscious states. On this basis I develop a conceptual framework for consciousness that is fully consistent with physics, neurophysiology, and Eastern philosophy. I argue that this conceptual framework has many interesting features and opens a door to a theory of consciousness. Particularly, it solves the problem of how matter and consciousness communicate in a causally closed functional chain, it gives a physical grounding to existing approaches regarding the connection between consciousness and information, and it gives clear direction to future models and experiments. (shrink)

The experimental study of the emotions as pursued by LeDoux and Damasio is argued to be flawed as a consequence of the inadequate conceptual framework inherited from the work of William James. This paper clarifes the conceptual structures necessary for any discussion of the emotions. Emotions are distinguished from appetites and other non-emotional feelings, as well as from agitations and moods. Emotional perturbations are distinguished from emotional attitudes and motives. The causes of an emotion are differentiated from (...) the objects of an emotion, and the objects of an emotion are distinguished into formal and material ones. The links between emotions and reasons for the emotion, for associated beliefs and for action are explored, as well as the connection between emotion and care or concern, and between emotion and fantasy. The behavioural criteria for the ascription of an emotion are clarified. In the light of this conceptual network, Damasio’s theory of the emotions is subjected to critical scrutiny and found wanting. (shrink)

This theoretical paper develops a conceptual framework that explains how companies can influence consumer behavior in terms of both social and business benefits through their corporate social marketing initiatives. Drawing from the source credibility literature, the article asserts that the effectiveness of CSM depends largely on the corporate credibility of a company in supporting a social cause. Based on this assertion, the framework identifies ten different antecedents of CSM credibility, which are organized into attributes of the company, (...) attributes of the CSM initiative, and attributes of the cause. Furthermore, this framework shows that CSM credibility affects the two examined consequences, intended prosocial behavior and consumer loyalty. Several research and managerial implications are developed based on the propositions specified in the framework. (shrink)

This paper aims to contribute to the development of tools to support an analysis of Big Data as manifestations of social processes and human behaviour. Such a task demands both an understanding of the epistemological challenge posed by the Big Data phenomenon and a critical assessment of the offers and promises coming from the area of Big Data analytics. This paper draws upon the critical social and data scientists’ view on Big Data as an epistemological challenge that stems not only (...) from the sheer volume of digital data but, predominantly, from the proliferation of the narrow-technological and the positivist views on data. Adoption of the social-scientific epistemological stance presupposes that digital data was conceptualised as manifestations of the social. In order to answer the epistemological challenge, social scientists need to extend the repertoire of social scientific theories and conceptual frameworks that may inform the analysis of the social in the age of Big Data. However, an ‘epistemological revolution’ discourse on Big Data may hinder the integration of the social scientific knowledge into the Big Data analytics. (shrink)

This article develops a conceptual framework that explains how organizations can influence employees’ attitudes and behaviour through their corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. There are plenty of studies to suggest the financial benefits of CSR. However, studies are scarce to link CSR with non-financial measures of organizational effectiveness, such as, affective commitment, job engagement and organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB). Moreover, studies are rare to delineate the process through which CSR can bring positive attitudes. Thus, this article focuses on (...) organizational prosocial identity as a mediating variable. The role of communicating CSR activities is almost negligible and to address this gap, this article considers CSR communication as a moderating variable. Drawing from literature, this article argues that the success of an organization lies in enhancing positive attitudes among employees and probably, one of the ways to promote this is through CSR. Based on this assertion, the framework identifies CSR activities towards four stakeholders (employees, customers, community and environment) and its impacts on employees. Several research implications are proposed based on the propositions highlighted in this article. (shrink)

(1997). Conceptual frameworks for the study of transpersonal consciousness. World Futures: Vol. 48, The Concept of Collective Consiousness: Research Perspectives, pp. 105-113.

A comprehensive proposal for a conceptual framework for describing conscious experience in dreams, integrating philosophy of mind, sleep and dream research, and interdisciplinary consciousness studies. Dreams, conceived as conscious experience or phenomenal states during sleep, offer an important contrast condition for theories of consciousness and the self. Yet, although there is a wealth of empirical research on sleep and dreaming, its potential contribution to consciousness research and philosophy of mind is largely overlooked. This might be due, in part, (...) to a lack of conceptual clarity and an underlying disagreement about the nature of the phenomenon of dreaming itself. In Dreaming, Jennifer Windt lays the groundwork for solving this problem. She develops a conceptual framework describing not only what it means to say that dreams are conscious experiences but also how to locate dreams relative to such concepts as perception, hallucination, and imagination, as well as thinking, knowledge, belief, deception, and self-consciousness. Arguing that a conceptual framework must be not only conceptually sound but also phenomenologically plausible and carefully informed by neuroscientific research, Windt integrates her review of philosophical work on dreaming, both historical and contemporary, with a survey of the most important empirical findings. This allows her to work toward a systematic and comprehensive new theoretical understanding of dreaming informed by a critical reading of contemporary research findings. Windt's account demonstrates that a philosophical analysis of the concept of dreaming can provide an important enrichment and extension to the conceptual repertoire of discussions of consciousness and the self and raises new questions for future research. (shrink)

In this article, we propose a philosophical exploration on the main problems involved in two neurorights that concern autonomous action, namely free will and cognitive liberty, and sketch a possible solution to these problems by resourcing to a holistic interpretation of human actions. First, we expose the main conceptual and practical issues arising from the neuroright to “free will,” which are far from minor: the term itself is denied by some trends participating in the neurorights debate, the related concept (...) of ultimate control is also disputed, the understanding of free will depends on cultural context, and the exercise of being free to act in several domains may be covered by other regulations. Second, we analyze the historical origin of cognitive liberty, its current status, and its relation with free will. Third, we criticize the concept of decision in mainstream action theory and propose to conceive action as a unified process constituted by three explanatory, non-sequential dimensions: intention, decision, and action realization. Fourth, we discuss two possible cases involving neurotechnologies and suggest ways to interpret them according to a unified framework in which free will and cognitive liberty fall under a single neuroright to personal autonomy. Finally, we outline a recommendation to introduce freedom of thought and personal autonomy as complementary neurorights to protect both the internal and external dimensions of thought and action. (shrink)

Contemporary cognitive science offers limited conceptual tools for describing systematic variation in how individuals maintain coherence under conditions of high informational load. While existing models address attention, working memory, predictive processing, and cognitive style, they do not adequately capture deeper structural differences in how minds compress, integrate, and stabilize representations of reality. This paper proposes a conceptual framework of cognitive compression styles: distinct information-processing architectures that organize perception, meaning-making, and coherence through different compression strategies. The framework (...) identifies seven compression styles. Pattern-sensitive, associative, immersive, sequential, narrative, social-reflective, and integrative. Examining how each exhibits characteristic failure modes under conditions of environmental overload, optimization pressure, and constraint loss. The model is descriptive rather than diagnostic and is intended as a theoretical lens for understanding differential cognitive stability in contemporary high-noise digital environments. (shrink)

The conceptual landscape of Artificial Intelligence is dynamic and the large debate around AI implications on different sectors and levels raises questions about the ambiguity between different concepts such as AI, AGI, Emerging technologies, Advanced technologies, technology and technics etc. This ambiguity is more complicated when using these concepts in different scientific disciplines. This first chapter is dedicated to the conceptual framework for three reasons: The first one is the lacke of a common definition of AI and (...) all related concepts. The second reason is the ambiguity and links between all these concepts. The third reason is the need to put these concepts in international relations and international law context considering that they are used differently depend on the context and scientific fields. (shrink)

Publication date: 27 August 2018 Source: Author: Mohammad Safari, Mahdi Zamani Mazdeh What matters in strategic management for the organization and can move the organization forward, is translating the strategies developed in the strategic planning phase into the operational program in the implementation phase. In other words, cascading the strategic plan into a form of an operational program is a key to organizational success. Strategic success will be achieved if the right strategies are cascaded in the organization rightly. The purpose (...) of this research is to provide a framework for the strategic plan cascading into steps and an operational process to facilitate its implementation in the organization. For this purpose, the mission-focused organizations were considered. These organizations go beyond profitability and following the implementation of strategies and action plans are in searching to fulfill the mission for which it is designed and developed. Here, the ultimate goal is to achieve a designated and defined mission. This qualitative analytic research is seeking to provide a framework for cascading organizational strategies using a scientific and applied approach. After presenting the research's conceptual framework, in order to test and analysis the model, using experts' viewpoints through a questionnaire required data was gathered and analyzed. The results and findings of this research show that for the implementation of the developed strategies, a systematic and stepwise model is needed that consists of several stages: the formulation of strategies, the prioritization of strategies with strategic tools, comparative studies to find the transformation of the strategy into the program, and finally the design of the operational program and its quantitative objectives and measures. (shrink)

In this paper, we propose a conceptual framework for constructing a diffusion index of changes in overall perceptions with respect to corruption. The corruption diffusion index we construct lies between 0 (the greatest overall deterioration in corruption perceptions) and 100 (the greatest overall improvement in corruption perceptions) with 50 (no change in corruption perceptions) as the critical reference. The proposed methodology is applied to the 2010/2011 global corruption barometer survey data. Possible refinements of the proposed methodology to capture (...) the potentially multi-dimensional nature of corruption and the practical challenges associated with the empirical implementation are discussed. (shrink)

The well-replicated observation that many people maintain mental health despite exposure to severe psychological or physical adversity has ignited interest in the mechanisms that protect against stress-related mental illness. Focusing on resilience rather than pathophysiology in many ways represents a paradigm shift in clinical-psychological and psychiatric research that has great potential for the development of new prevention and treatment strategies. More recently, research into resilience also arrived in the neurobiological community, posing nontrivial questions about ecological validity and translatability. Drawing on (...) concepts and findings from transdiagnostic psychiatry, emotion research, and behavioral and cognitive neuroscience, we propose a unified theoretical framework for the neuroscientific study of general resilience mechanisms. The framework is applicable to both animal and human research and supports the design and interpretation of translational studies. The theory emphasizes the causal role of stimulus appraisal (evaluation) processes in the generation of emotional responses, including responses to potential stressors. On this basis, it posits that a positive (non-negative) appraisal style is the key mechanism that protects against the detrimental effects of stress and mediates the effects of other known resilience factors. Appraisal style is shaped by three classes of cognitive processes – positive situation classification, reappraisal, and interference inhibition – that can be investigated at the neural level. Prospects for the future development of resilience research are discussed. (shrink)

The article reveals the features of the contemporary periodicals conceptual sphere for women and men (based on examples from magazines of all-Ukrainian and regional purposes. The study made it possible to determine which interpretations of the concepts of "woman" and "man" can be found on the pages of modern gender-labeled periodicals, and thus analyze in detail the gender conceptual sphere through the prism of the specific characteristics of the concepts. The features of the use of gender concepts in (...) modern periodicals for women and men were determined. The most frequently used derivatives of these macroconcepts were identified and analyzed in detail. It has been found that publications for women and men are full of various gender concepts that are used in different contexts. In general, the analysis of the concept-maximums and concept-minimums of gender and their characteristics is carried out in the context of gender stereotypes that have been formed and function in the society, systematizing the actual presentations. (shrink)

Model organisms (MO) are widely used in neuroscience to study brain processes, behavior, and the biological foundation of human diseases. However, the use of MO has also been criticized for low reliability and insufficient success rate in the development of therapeutic approaches, because the success of MO use also led to overoptimistic and simplistic applications, which sometimes resulted in wrong conclusions. Here, we develop a conceptual framework of MO to support scientists in their practical work and to foster (...) discussions about their power and limitations. For this purpose, we take advantage of concepts developed in the philosophy of science and adjust them for practical application by neuroscientists. We suggest that MO can be best understood as tools that are used to gain information about a group of species or a phenomenon in a species of interest. These learning processes are made possible by some properties of MO, which facilitate the process of acquisition of understanding or provide practical advantages, and the possibility to transfer information between species. However, residual uncertainty in the reliability of information transfer remains, and incorrect generalizations can be side-effects of epistemic benefits, which we consider as representational and epistemic risks. This suggests that to use MO most effectively, scientists should analyze the similarity relation between the involved species, weigh advantages and risks of certain epistemic benefits, and invest in carefully designed validation experiments. Altogether, our analysis illustrates how scientists can benefit from philosophical concepts for their research practice. (shrink)

The introduction claims that there might exist an evolutionary bridge from possible genres in nature to human cultural genres. A sub-hypothesis is that basic life-conditions, partly common for animals and humans, in the long run can generate so-called life-genres. To investigate such hypotheses a framework of interrelated key communicational concepts is outlined in the second, main part. Four levels are suggested. Signs are seen as elements in utterances. Further, sufficiently similar utterances can be perceived as kinds of utterances or (...) genres. Genres are kinds of communication in a species' life-world. Utterance and genre are the framework’s key concepts. Both are seen as products and processes and as constituted by five reciprocal aspects: form, content, act, time, and space, the necessary elements to initiate and interpret communication. A model illustrates this integrative principle. Part three dwells with the idea of life-genres, and part four exemplifies and problematises how a chimpanzee’s ‘begging’ for meat, a fish’s nest-making, and kinds of birdsongs, could be seen as possible life-genres. The last, short part gives a brief summary, highlights challenges, and reflects over the framework’s relevance for biosemiotics. (shrink)

This article examines the construction of human rights standards in Latin America as a phenomenon characterized by transnational activism, judicial dialogue, and the convergence of multiple legal sources. It argues that classical frameworks of monism, dualism, and pluralism are insufficient to capture the normative interconnections underpinning this process. Instead, the article proposes interlegality as a more suitable conceptual tool, offering both descriptive and normative insights. By framing standard-setting as an interlegal and ius-generative practice, it highlights its potential for inclusivity, (...) resilience, and transformative impact within the Inter-American human rights system. (shrink)

An impressive variety of new forms of money has aroused in recent decades from various groups of people and various kinds of institutions. These currencies are at the heart of intense debates, which raise important, but often neglected, normative issues. The diversity of their goals, uses and charac-teristics is so large that it makes some preliminary distinctions necessary. This paper aims at provid-ing a proper background for the discussion of the possible merits and drawbacks of different kinds of currencies. It (...) proposes a classification that demarcates currencies according to how they relate to several crucial normative issues. Its aim is to show, for every type of currency, and as unambiguously as possible, to which side of these controversies it lies. (shrink)

In this paper we argue that the formalisms for decoherence originally devised to deal just with closed or open systems can be subsumed under a general conceptual framework, in such a way that they cooperate in the understanding of the same physical phenomenon. This new perspective dissolves certain conceptual difficulties of the einselection program but, at the same time, shows that the openness of the quantum system is not the essential ingredient for decoherence. †To contact the authors, (...) please write to: Mario Castagnino, CONICET-IAFE, Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires, Casilla de Correos 67, Sucursal 28, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina; Roberto Laura, IFIR-Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Av. Pellegrini 250, 2000 Rosario, Argentina; Olimpia Lombardi, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires, C. Larralde 3440, 6°D, 1430, Buenos Aires; e-mail: [email protected]. (shrink)

The aim of this paper is twofold: (1) to show the principal aspects of the way in which Newton conceived his mathematical concepts and methods and applied them to rational mechanics in his Principia; (2) to explain how the editors of the Geneva Edition interpreted, clarified, and made accessible to a broader public Newton’s perfect but often elliptic proofs. Following this line of inquiry, we will explain the successes of Newton’s mechanics, but also the problematic aspects of his perfect geometrical (...) methods, more elegant, but less malleable than analytical procedures, of which Newton himself was one of the inventors. Furthermore, we will also consider the way in which Newtonianism was spread before in England and afterwards on continental Europe. In this respect the Geneva Edition plays a fundamental role because of its complete apparatus of notes, and because it appeared only thirteen years after the publication of the third edition of the Principia (1726). Finally, we will also confront some problems connected to the metaphysics of calculus. Therefore, the case of Newton is one of those in which, starting from mathematics applied to physics, it is possible to connect an impressive series of fundamental arguments such as the role of mathematics in science; the comparison between Newton’s geometrical methods and analytical methods; the way in which Newtonianism was spread as well as the philosophical implications of Newton’s mathematical concepts. (shrink)

Contemporary developments in meta-theory have blurred the boundaries between major positions and, with them, the responsibilities of meta-theorists to sustain substantive demarcations between rival views. The recent debate over the problem of Creeping Minimalism (PCM) vividly illustrates this difficulty. As attempts to solve PCM have appeared to falter, theorists have increasingly disagreed not only about how it should be resolved, but also about whether it is really a serious problem, and if so, for whom. This paper proposes a new (...) class='Hi'>conceptual framework of meta-theories to address that broader theoretical and terminological muddle. The framework clarifies the nature of meta-discourses, specifies the purpose and responsibility of meta-theories, and reinterprets PCM accordingly. On the view defended here, principal meta-theories are answerable for sustaining a principled and substantive demarcation between the discourses they treat as realist and anti-realist. PCM is therefore best understood as a heavyweight demarcation problem for expressivism: expressivists must either identify a substantive distinction between expressive and non-expressive discourses that survives minimalist pressure or reject the move to minimalism. Reconsolidating expressivism with realism, or appealing to global expressivism, is not a satisfactory solution. (shrink)

. Atomic individualism is embedded in most definitions of stakeholder theory, and as a result, stakeholders are not integral to the basic identity of the corporation which is considered to be independent of, and separate from, its stakeholders. Feminist theory has been suggested as a way of developing a more relational view of the corporation and its stakeholders, but it lacks a systematically developed conceptual framework for undergirding its own insights. Pragmatic philosophy is offered as a way of (...) providing this theoretical undergirding for. a relational understanding of the firm and its stakeholders. (shrink)

This research provides a contextual description concerning an existential and structural analysis of ‘Relations’ between human beings and machines. Subsequently, it will focus on the conceptual and epistemological analysis of (i) my own semantics-based framework [for human meaning construction] and of (ii) a well-structured machine concept learning framework. Accordingly, I will, semantically and epistemologically, focus on linking those two frameworks for logical analysis of concept learning in the context of human-machine interrelationships. It will be demonstrated that the (...) proposed framework provides a supportive structure over the described contextualisation of ‘relations’ between human beings and machines within concept learning processes. (shrink)

This article aims to highlight the importance of organizational climate with both destructive and constructive deviance behaviour in different cultural setting with workplace as a common ground. First, we discuss the need for research in workplace deviance especially destructive and constructive deviance behaviour with the review of previous studies from deviance literature. Next, we present the importance of climate and culture with both destructive and constructive deviance by proposing relationship among them with the help of a framework. The presented (...) theoretical framework can be useful for conducting future empirical research. Finally, we present the conclusion and future research in conducting cross-national research with respect to deviance. (shrink)

In this paper, we provide an analysis of the concept of legal personality and discuss whether personality may be conferred on artificial intelligence systems (AIs). Legal personality will be presented as a doctrinal category that holds together bundles of rights and obligations; as a result, we first frame it as a node of inferential links between factual preconditions and legal effects. However, this inferentialist reading does not account for the ‘background reasons’ of legal personality, i.e., it does not explain why (...) we cluster different situations under this doctrinal category and how extra-legal information is integrated into it. We argue that one way to account for this background is to adopt a neoinstitutional perspective and to update the ontology of legal concepts with a further layer, the meta-institutional one. We finally argue that meta-institutional concepts can also support us in finding an equilibrium around the legal-policy choices that are involved in including (or not including) AIs among legal persons. (shrink)

In this article, the authors lay the foundation for the emerging area of research on online protest tactics mobilized against business. The authors offer a definition of online business protest tactics and distinguish them from related activities such as electronic civil disobedience and cybercrime. They also appeal to the interest-group literature as one theoretical foundation for this area of research. Based on the degree to which each tactic involves intrusion, disruption, or damage, the authors categorize the array of online business (...) protest tactics into a typology, providing definitions and illustrative examples from the business press for each. They advance a dualistic framework to evaluate the intermediate and ultimate effectiveness of the various online business protest tactics using a set of criteria relevant to both online and off-line environments, and conclude by suggesting avenues for future research. (shrink)

This paper deals with calibration in scientific practices which investigate relatively well-understood natural phenomena by means of already standardized instrumental devices. Calibration is a crucial topic, since it conditions the reliability of instrumental procedures in science. Yet although important, calibration is a relatively neglected topic. We think more attention should be devoted to calibration. The paper attempts to take a step in this direction. The aims are two-fold: (1) to characterize calibration in a relatively simple kind of scientific practices; (2) (...) to provide conceptual and taxonomic tools of broader scope that help to get a better understanding of calibration in more complex cases and other kinds of scientific practices. For this purpose, we first provide indications for why a conceptual framework is needed. Second, a bibliographic survey of works dealing with calibration is attempted. Third, we introduce different tools to enable a better understanding of calibration. Fourth, we turn to the elaboration of what we call a “simple exemplar” of calibration, illustrated through the case of the calibration of an equal-arm balance. Fifth, the tools previously introduced, and the framework of the simple exemplar, are applied to a more complex case of calibration: calibration procedures in X-ray experiments. This serves to show the work accomplished by the simple exemplar and to emphasize features of more complex cases of calibration. Eventually, we revisit and specify the nature, status, scope and value of the proposed framework. (shrink)

In this Commentary, I propose an ethical framework for ethical discussions around the allocation of scarce resources in COVID-19 response. The framework incorporates four principles: beneficence (benefiting people by saving lives or years of life), equality, remedying disadvantage, and recognizing past conduct. I then discuss how the framework interacts with ethical constraints against using people as a mere means and against causing death. The commentary closes by criticizing the equation of deontological ethics with random or first-come, first-served (...) allocation and of allocation that aims to save more lives or years of life with utilitarianism.. (shrink)

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and its action-oriented offspring Corporate Citizenship (CC) currently trigger an intensifying debate on ethics, role and behavior of companies within civil society. For companies, CSR raises the question of what may be the "good reason(s)" for acting responsible towards its members, customers or society. In order to answer this question, we face the debate on CSR and its strategic engagement drivers on the levels of corporate culture, social innovation, and civil society. In this article, we provide (...) a conceptual framework based on the analytic distinction of legitimation and sensemaking. The conceptual framework developed in this article can serve as a basis to develop a company's CSR strategy. It provides measures and instruments to make complex CSR processes more visible and manageable. (shrink)

In our first section, we make the prior engagement between artificial intelligence (AI) and medicine explicit and show how pervasively AI (broadly conceived) has already influenced and been integrated into medicine and clinical care. There has been ethical reflection on these developments since the early 1960s, and many of the concerns articulated today (about impact on the physician-patient relation, explainability, bias and so on) have already been considered in some form long ago. In our second section, we briefly consider ML (...) and what may be distinctive about diagnostic support systems utilizing ML. We also consider in very broad strokes some of the ethical challenges and technical tools offered within AI for addressing these challenges. Within this broader horizon, we consider in our third section the contributions made by the essays in the issue. We close with some summary thoughts on how reading these essays together sharpens our appreciation of ongoing ethical challenges for integrating diagnostic support systems into clinical practice. (shrink)

This entry discusses frameworks of inquiry. It focuses on Thomas Kuhn’s notion of a paradigm, or a “disciplinary matrix.”.

The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services have recently launched themselves as the UN-sanctioned instrument for conserving nature. They seek to establish themselves as the authority in this field alongside the well-known Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in climate science. Quickly following or even before recent publication of their conceptual framework in two biology journals, they were already underway building upon it. This headlong push, we believe, is ill advised. We show how the framework is unsound (...) as a foundation for further work—in a number of ways and perhaps even by its authors’ own lights. It is therefore urgent that the IPBES thoroughly and thoughtfully reconsider their framework before too much effort is wasted. (shrink)

Moral distress among nurses has been well examined within the literature since the concept’s introduction in 1984. Moral distress occurs when constraints result in an individual being unable to act or compelled to act against their professional moral obligations, resulting in a sense of complicity and wrongdoing. Extensive research has explored the experience and consequences of moral distress, particularly among bedside nurses. Despite an abundance of articles regarding moral distress in nursing, few examine the concept among nurse leaders. Leadership roles (...) within nursing can be at the patient care, unit, middle, and executive levels. Existing evidence suggests that nurse leaders experience moral distress similarly to other nursing populations; however, their leadership roles introduce unique challenges and experiences. The purpose of this paper is to present a framework for understanding moral distress among nurse leaders grounded in existing theory and evidence. The Moral Distress Theory, Crescendo Effect, and Ecological Systems Theory served as theoretical frameworks. The conceptual framework was developed from 2022 to 2024 following literature review, empirical (qualitative) validation, and content expert review and validation ( n = 5). The Conceptual Framework of Moral Distress Among Nurse Leaders consists of four primary elements: (1) nurse leaders as moral agents within a moral ecology, (2) antecedents of moral distress among nurse leaders, (3) physiological, psychological, and emotional effects of moral distress among nurse leaders, and (4) responsive action(s) versus inaction. This proposed conceptual framework may serve as a foundational understanding of moral distress experienced by nurse leaders and a guide for future moral distress research among nurse leaders. (shrink)

Older adults’ low adoption of healthcare robots indicates that their lived processes of acceptance remain insufficiently understood. This gap is not merely technical but also ethical, involving questions of dignity, relational integrity, and autonomy in later life. This study aimed to develop a theory-grounded framework of how older adults pragmatically evaluate healthcare robots in home-based aging contexts, with particular attention to the ethical and relational considerations shaping their acceptance decisions. We applied Computational Grounded Theory (CGT) to 16 in-depth interviews (...) with community-dwelling older adults in Shanghai, China. Data collection continued until thematic saturation was reached. Data analysis followed a three-stage CGT procedure: (1) LDA topic modeling for initial pattern detection; (2) constant comparative analysis for thematic refinement; (3) Word2Vec-based semantic analysis for category-level coherence assessment. Six themes emerged, converging into a model of pragmatic acceptance: acceptance is not a stable preference but a conditional stance triggered by anticipated self-care decline. Older adults consistently positioned robots as intergenerational supplements—not replacements—for family care, prioritizing preservation of filial bonds while offloading instrumental burdens. Acceptance was shaped by tensions between utility and interpersonal warmth, and further conditioned by perceived control, trust in human agents (e.g., children), and core ethical concerns regarding dignity and autonomy. This framework shifts focus from technology-centric models (e.g., TAM) to a care-centered, culturally-embedded process. By integrating self-care theory, culturally embedded care ethics, and technology acceptance, it provides an explanatory lens that goes beyond a narrow usefulness-trust paradigm. It reveals that ethical acceptability—not functional performance—is the ultimate gatekeeper of robot integration in intimate care settings. For designers, it supports avoiding anthropomorphism that implies substitution of children; for policymakers, it advocates family-technology collaborative care models. In the present study, the CGT approach incorporated computational tools within a researcher-led interpretive process to assist pattern detection and provide clearer documentation of analytic steps. (shrink)

Inspired by the operation of human social organisation, this paper presents a new architecture—a pyramid-committee—for developing society-oriented intelligence, whose structure imitates the organisation of human society in its decision making. The system takes a pyramid-like hierarchical structure with links in the pyramid forming a semi-lattice, which relate not only to nodes in the same layer, but also to others in different layers. The output of the system is a result of the negotiation and balancing of different interests. For such a (...) system to function, the main difficulties concern the complicated relationships between different factors or agents. Focussing on the airport environment audit, we discuss the development of a model framework and the role of neural networks. (shrink)

The privilege against self-incrimination entails that anyone accused of a criminal offence has the right to remain silent. However, waiving the privilege is possible, but such waiver must be voluntary and in accordance with the will of the accused. This article examines the impact of sentence reductions based on confessions on the voluntariness of confessions. I argue that the concept of voluntariness must be interpreted from the perspective of the values and objectives underlying the privilege against self-incrimination. Depending on the (...) perspective chosen (i.e. objectives and values), sentence reductions can be problematic from the standpoint of the privilege against self-incrimination and the voluntariness requirement it entails. However, it should be also noted that moderate incentives can simultaneously promote the realization of these values and objectives, such as material truth. Categorical negative attitude towards all sentence reductions can be detrimental to the values that the privilege and the voluntariness requirement seek to protect. (shrink)

The availability of a range of new psychotropic agents raises the possibility that these will be used for enhancement purposes (smart pills, happy pills, and pep pills). The enhancement debate soon raises questions in philosophy of medicine and psychiatry (eg, what is a disorder?), and this debate in turn raises fundament questions in philosophy of language, science, and ethics. In this paper, a naturalistic conceptual framework is proposed for addressing these issues. This framework begins by contrasting classical (...) and critical concepts of categories, and then puts forward an integrative position that is based on cognitive-affective research. This position can in turn be used to consider the debate between pharmacological Calvinism (which may adopt a moral metaphor of disorder) and psychotropic utopianism (which may emphasize a medical metaphor of disorder). I argue that psychiatric treatment of serious psychiatric disorders is justified, and that psychotropics are an acceptable kind of intervention. The use of psychotropics for sub-threshold phenomena requires a judicious weighing of the relevant facts (which are often sparse) and values. (shrink)

This paper introduces the objectives and basic approach of a collaborative comparative research project on the introduction of national electronic Identity Management Systems (eIDMS) in Member States of the European Union. Altogether eight country case studies have been produced in two waves by researchers in the respective countries, which will be presented in the following articles in this special issue. The studies adopt a common conceptual framework and use the same terminology, which will be presented in this introduction, (...) just as the reasoning for the selection of the particular countries under investigation. The conceptual framework combines elements of actor centred institutionalism with path analysis, looking for path continuation, change or creation in the transition from the previous IDMS to an electronic one and explaining this as choices of actors in certain contexts. Information on the reasons for these choices in the first four cases has been collected from in depth interviews with key actors and in the four other cases from official documents. As the subject of this research is the transition of national identity management systems only countries have been included in which a national ID and a civil registry already exist before the introduction of the electronic elements, thus excluding the UK. (shrink)