Policy making

"After nearly a decade of struggle to liberate economic activity from the state, many of the postcommunist countries now face the question of how to liberate the state captured by economic groups. This paper argues that the creation of a market order is about the parallel constitution of a specific structure of rights and of a state with a specific structure of representation allowing for the capacity to uphold these rights and prevent the
capturing of the state by particularistic interests. The constitutional sources of such state capacities have to do with
a specific representation of social diversity within the state based on the principles of distributed authority and distributed intelligence. Based on the analysis of two periods of state (re)making in the United States, described as key conjunctures in market making, the paper offers a framework to understand the constitutional sources of diversity in post-communist market making."

A global survey was conducted among a wide range of stakeholders to gain insight into the state of on-farm management (OFM) as a strategy for enhancing the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA). The results show that OFM is not considered a priority in national PGRFA programmes (NPGRPs), and that OFM practitioners and their organizations are not always aware of, or involved in, NPGRPs. The survey also highlighted the lack of awareness, understanding and collaboration between OFM practitioners and the managers and policy-makers associated with NPGRPs. The outcome of the analysis supports a hypothesis that OFM is, to a large extent, supported by stakeholders who are not directly engaged in the conservation and use of PGRFA, and therefore not associated with NPGRPs. This should be taken into consideration when seeking to improve the performance and impact of national programmes, and their commitment to safeguard PGRFA and contribute to food security, poverty alleviation and sustainable agriculture.(Received April 20 2013)(Accepted May 30 2013)

"Preface;

Part I: Theorizing Public Policy and News Media Representations

>Introduction: some notes on public policy and media;

Chapter 1: Political philosophy;

Chapter 2: Public policy;

Chapter 3: News media representations and discourse of public policy.

Part II: Group Processes and the Media as a Referee in Public Policy Making

>>Introduction: why group processes matter;

>>Chapter 4: When the common good is not so common: group identity motives in public policy making;

>>Chapter 5: Why and when media organizations referee public policy-making;

>>Chapter 6: Group processes among media workers, faulty decision-making processes and effects on public opinion about policy;

References;
Index."

The EU integration of Romania and Bulgaria is merely a political decision and as such may in fact jeopardize the future development of those countries and the process of catching-up with EU standards. Because of their significantly different patter of transition in respect to other former communist states, those two countries, as well as most of the others Balkan countries struggle to embrace a genuine “rule of law” with strong and reliable institutions. Relying on the assumption that institutions matter, it is argued here that the lack of internal political capability to enhance institutions is likely to result in a growing and deepening lag in respect to the rest of the Union. While the perspective of EU membership has been a major factor and a driving force of institutional alignment with the Union, once acquired it has no longer the needed discipline effect. Moreover, the recent economic crisis has contributed to further untie the leashes of fiscal and regulatory discipline which are assumed to be crucial for the institutional catching-up process. Endemic and widespread corruption and the persistence of heavy and under efficient administration are obvious characteristics of this situation. Therefore, one may argue that some if not most of the Balkan countries may face in the mid-term as well as in the long-run slow growth and insufficient development, increasingly lagging behind the rest of the Union.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the importance of marketing intelligence on strategic marketing planning using SWOT analysis for evaluation. Moreover, the paper aims to examine the critical issues of SWOT analysis and seeks a systematic way to head them on. This concept is well discussed in this research arena. Numerous such initiatives have already been taken, however this concept invites a lot more addition, related companies are still in pursuit to materialize the research concepts. This piece of writing is a solely based on extensive literature review. The impact of pre‐job evaluation in assessing SWOT analysis appears to be positive for effective strategic marketing planning. The current paper helps marketing managers to understanding the importance of marketing intelligence and pre‐job evaluation for effective strategic marketing planning.

The purpose of the paper is to examine the importance of competitive analysis on strategic planning and implementation. Moreover, the paper aims to scrutinize the impact of participative decision-making in effective strategic planning and implementation. Competitive analysis appears to be an effective strategic tool for strategic planning. Moreover, strategic planning and implementation is positively associated with participative decision-making. The current paper helps managers to understand the importance of competitive analysis and participative decision-making for successful strategic planning and implementation. The current paper is a conceptual paper. Future studies may be undertaken to empirically analyze the study. This paper highlights the role of participative decision-making, which facilitates strategic planning and implementation and thus improves company performance.

The purpose of this study is multifaceted; firstly, it aims to explore the extent to which marketing intelligence is utilized within corporate sector in Pakistan. Secondly, this paper measures the role of marketing intelligence by strategic function on organizational performance. The study uses exploratory approach, sample of the study consisted of 145 professionals from 30 companies related to different sectors operating in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Structural Equation Model (SEM) Technique was used to test the hypotheses. The study found a strong positive relationship between marketing intelligence by strategic function and organizational performance. The study also found that majority of corporate sector of Pakistan have incorporated and utilized marketing intelligence system. The study throws light on the importance of marketing intelligence to heading on this fast-paced competition.

The precautionary principle (PP) aims to anticipate and minimize potentially serious or irreversible risks under conditions of scientific uncertainty. Thus it preserves the potential for future developments. It has been incorporated into many international treaties and pieces of national legislation for environmental protection and sustainable development. In this article, we outline an interpretation of the PP as a framework of orientation for a sustainable information society. Since the risks induced by future information and communication technologies (ICT) are social risks for the most part, we propose to extend the PP from mainly environmental to social subjects of protection. From an ethical point of view, the PP and sustainability share the principle of intergenerational justice, which can be used as an argument to preserve free space for the decisions of future generations. Applied to technical innovation and to ICT issues in particular, the extended PP can serve as a framework of orientation to avoid socio-economically irreversible developments. We conclude that the PP is a useful approach for: (i) policy makers to reconcile information society and sustainability policies and (ii) ICT companies to formulate sustainability strategies.

Despite repeated statements from successive governments in Norway, disabled people employment rate remains unchanged since 2000. A range of studies to describe and analyse the situation qualitatively and quantitatively have been performed, however we have not been able to find any study containing a decision support tool focusing on this issue. This paper presents a simulation model, built using the System Dynamics methodology. The model focuses on enabling disabled people to move from welfare to work, incorporating attitudes of disabled people and employers. The model is designed to cover selected factors that are believed to enable and encourage disabled people to take up jobs. It is intended to be used by policy makers, disability organisations, and individual citizens, and support more targeted discussions among them. To build the underlying model we have conducted an extensive literature review, and two surveys on attitudes of disabled people and employers. The paper contains a description of the model structure, and its behaviour.