CEEOL - Advanced Search

Communication Community in the Prefigurative World

Author(s): Aleksander Kobylarek,Martyna Madej,Marie Roubalova / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2022

Keywords: communication; seniors; key competencies; community; intergenerational learning; languages; informal education;

In the contemporary world, communication goes far beyond the well-known traditional written or spoken forms. For today’s digital users, these have become insufficient, as using them, they cannot express their thoughts fully. The youth that has developed its own language, has become more hermetic, but not because it rejects other generations. The reason is the inability of older generations to understand the new ways of communication. Seniors find it challenging to learn how to use new technologies and stay up to date with trends. Although young people are able to understand them, the older generation cannot keep up with the news and stays excluded. The lack of mutual understanding results in weaker bonds. Once again, it is possible to observe ICT as a contemporary key competence essential for an adequate, mutually comprehensible exchange of messages. The best way to connect two generations in this aspect is informal education, especially one focusing on intergenerational activities, which will not only reduce the exclusion of a social group such as seniors but will also let them to develop their critical thinking skills, which in the age of the Internet are crucial.

More...

The „Book of the Judge”. On the Importance of Kierkegaard’s Journals and Papers

Author(s): María José Binetti,ROMAN KRÁLIK,Peter Kondrla / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2022

Keywords: Kierkegaard; existence; indirect communication; christianity; Kierkegaard’s discourse;

Aim. Our main purpose is to explain the connection between the work and the intimate existence of Søren Kierkegaard, and how freedom operates in both of them. Concept. The article makes visible new writing ways that open from within Kierkegaard‘s work. Analytical reading of Kierkegaard‘s Journals and the comparative interpretation of the rest of Kierkegaard‘s work in terms of communicative styles and explains the genesis and location and type of communication of the Journals within the framework of the Kierkegaardian Corpus. Results. Kierkegaard’s philosophy is present and indicates the extremely personal place in which the author possessed its work. Conclusions. We conclude the unavoidable importance of the Journals for the interpretation of Kierkegaard‘s work. The reason why the Journals are for Kierkegaard‘s „The Book of the Judge” lies in the direct, personal and intimate communication of its writing. Existence as free and self-conscious action constitutes the core of the article. On it rests the personal development of the individual and the incommensurable value of his life and work.

More...

Alternative punishment as a suitable alternative to imprisonment

Author(s): Lýdia Lešková,Lenka Haburajová Ilavská,Jose Garcia Martin / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2022

Keywords: alternative punishment; quantitative survey; monetary sentence; restorative justice; house arrest; compulsory labour (community service);

Aim. The philosophy of alternative punishment is based on keeping the convicted person free, while imposing a punishment that will act preventively against committing another felony. The paper focuses on perceiving the importance of alternative punishment as part of restorative justice, and on presenting the results of the questionnaire survey which aimed to identify the public´s preferences in the context of various forms of alternative punishments as an option, instead of imprisonment. Attention is paid to three alternative punishments, specifically: community service, house arrest, and monetary sentence (fine). Methods. The questionnaire survey aimed to find out what forms of alternative punishment are, according to the respondents, a suitable alternative to incarceration. The survey sample comprised of Slovak individuals (N=1078) aged from 16 years and older, thereof 31.3% men (N=337) and 68.7% women (N=741). Results. Based on the analysis of the data collected from the 1078 respondents´ answers to the individual questions in the questionnaire, community service was identified as the most favorable alternative to imprisonment, whereas the least preferences the respondents gave to the option of monetary fines. Conclusion. The concept of alternative punishment is understood as a form of punishment that fulfills the purpose of a sentence, without deprivation of freedom, but still guaranteeing the fulfilment of a court-ordered unconditional retribution. Compared to traditional forms of punishment, alternative methods of resolving judicial cases do not enforce repression and prefer the individual approach to punishing the accused (convicted) persons with emphasis on corrective aspects of alternative punishment. The results of the survey showed that the respondents strongly prefer one form of alternative punishment, namely the community service.

More...

Home-Field-Temple as Existentials of Ukrainian Culture

Author(s): Tetiana Vlasevych / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2022

Keywords: existential; identity; national mentality; archetype; Home; Field; Temple;

Aim. To analyse the spiritual and mental existentials of Ukrainian culture, which allows identifying the immanent features of Ukrainian culture itself through the symbolic-thematic series Home-Field-Temple and examine the symbolism of the concepts “Home,” “Field,” and “Temple.” Results. The thesis that spiritual and mental existentials, in particular the Home-Field-Temple, reveal the mentality of the Ukrainian people, its spiritual and cultural identity has been further developed. Conclusion. The essence of the mentality of the Ukrainian people is revealed with the help of spiritual and mental existentials Home-Field-Temple. They play an important part in the creation of a single mental field of the Ukrainian nation, being revealed in its ideological life by certain inclinations or archetypes. The Home-Field-Temple symbol is a reference point for searching for certain archetypes of the nation. The concepts of Home-Field-Temple symbolise the trinity of one spiritual state of man, which is objectified in three guises. These concepts are so intertwined in the minds of Ukrainians that they see them as an inseparable unity – something symbolising their homeland. Home, land, and church have always been reliable support for the Ukrainian people.

More...

At-Risk Youth in the Context of Current Normality – Psychological Aspects

Author(s): Ľubomír Hlad,Irena Konečná,Bojan Žalec,Peter Majda,Tiberiu Constantin Ionescu / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2022

Keywords: at-risk youth; normality; causes; origin; risk groups;

Aim. At-risk individuals have many forms, often it is the two opposing sides of a personality which can ultimately implement risky behaviour only to accept an individual into a peer group. Concept. The risky behaviour of young people and children currently associated with a consumer society aggravated by the pandemic situation Covid-19 is the subject of interest in professional as well as scientific research of various professionals who work in different areas of life. Methods. This study deals with the risks, social, but also individual consequences of at-risk youth, which occur at all levels of society. In the study, we proceeded in an analytical-synthetic way, interpreting and ascertaining the results of various other scientific and professional studies by foreign authors who deal with the given issue. Results. The study confirms that risky behaviour requires a constant approach to educating a young person through not only the family but also the school environment, which allows a new perspective on risky youth behaviour. However, it is very important to integrate young people into society to see the risks of their behaviour not only for themselves. but for a narrower or wider comm unity. Conclusion. The scientific articles and contributions offered in this study point out the risky behaviour of young people, the risks of behaviour not only for individuals but also for groups, it points out the possible causes, reasons, but also consequences of risky behaviour.

More...

The Role of Management and School in Organising Primary Students’ Free Time

Author(s): Marija Karačić / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2022

Keywords: community; leisure; principal; school; school system;

Aim. The aim of the research is to determine what role management and schools play in the organisation of students” free time, and what activities it undertakes to educate for leisure time. Methods. This study used methods of theoretical analysis, survey research methods, and questionnaires, in which 1410 subjects such as principals, teachers, parents and students from 150 primary schools in Bosnia and Herzegowina (B&H) participated. Results. The results show that principals and teachers have positive attitudes about the rational use of students’ free time in order to prepare them for continuing self-education with the use of various sources of knowledge. Conclusion. Conclusions show that for a better understanding of the role of school management it is necessary to do more research about this issue on the territory of B&H, because the proper organisation and implementation of students’ free time can be successful if all participants in education work together. Research restrictions. Since it is not possible to make comparison with results of the previous research on this topic on the territory of B&H, the study compares results with results from other countries. Practical application. The practical goal is to examine the education and to increase the understanding and awareness of the free time of young people. Originality. This study is original and creative, and it contributes to better understanding of the role of management in leisure activities on students’ emotional, social, cognitive and work competencies.

More...

Exploring Informal Vocational Training (IVT) and its Missing Accreditation Link with Formal Vocational, Technical and Professional Education and their Implications: A Sociological Study in a City of India

Author(s): Rabiya Yaseen Bazaz,Mohammad Akram / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2022

Keywords: Informal vocational training (IVT); Vocational education and training (VET); Technical and professional education; employment; structured inequalities;

Aim. This empirical study aims to conceptualise the prevalence of Informal Vocational Training (IVT) in India. It also explores the missing link at accreditation level between IVTs and other formal vocational, technical and professional courses and depicts their implications in the occupational, economic, social and cultural lives of people. Methods. This study was conducted in the Srinagar city of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in India. Both the survey method and the case method were used for collecting the primary data and applying triangulation methodologically. Results. This study reveals that elites generally dominate in the prestigious technical and professional courses because of better accessibility and affordability, and that the vulnerable sections miss many of these opportunities. The vulnerable sections very often get the benefits of IVTs learnt outside the formal system in finding some employment, but such employment attracts lower prestige and income than what they get through formal technical and professional courses. IVTs find no academic recognition in the existing accreditation system, and so people culturally and socially associated with these IVTs continue to remain deprived. Conclusion. There is a need to develop a credit-based link between IVTs and formal vocational, technical and professional courses so that the skills learnt through IVTs could get transferred to the formal system and attract better occupational and economic rewards. The findings are relevant for both developing and developed societies, but more particularly for societies having a considerable presence of informal economy because IVTs exist more within these economies.

More...

Effects of Performance Appraisal on Remuneration Practices and its Impact on Motivation of Employees in Public and Private Sector Companies in Kosovo

Author(s): Driton Sylqa,Emin Qerim Neziraj / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2022

Keywords: performance appraisal; reward policy; motivation; knowledge management; human resources;

Aim. The aim of this paper is to investigate the effects of reward policies that are based on performance evaluation of employees. The study links employee performance appraisal with remuneration and other used features for capacity building of employees. Methods. The research consists of primary and secondary data, according to the quantitative method with deductive approach by using the comparison of correlation in analysis. Apart from literature review, the research involves surveys with different entities that would bring an insight into the present situation pertaining to reward practices. Results. The study confirms the significance of the problem between performance evaluation and reward, since there is a weak connection between reward systems and employee’ needs. The majority of respondents approve that reward is bound to the systematic performance appraisal. Results indicate that work experience, acquired knowledge and skills are more often being used, based on high correlation coefficient .435-.784. The ANOVA model shows the accuracy of the regression model with the significance p < .001, whereas the value of independent variables, 66.766 may be used for further research. Conclusions. There is a slight difference between public and private companies concerning the research phenomenon, which makes it a good topic for further research in this field. Based on the study outcomes, we recommend that managers can use promotion as a tool to motivate employees to perform at a higher level and attain their work objectives, especially those that operate in private sector.

More...

Lifelong learning and development for social workers

Author(s): Zuzana Budayová,Michal Svoboda,Marek Kóša,Cătălina Tudose,Irma I. Molchanova / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2022

Keywords: education; lifelong learning; social worker; competencies; profession;

Aim. In the paper, the authors demonstrate the influence of the education and educational level of social workers on the quality of social work as a profession that helps people in unfavorable situation. They point to the importance of lifelong learning, which is essential for advancing the knowledge and competences of social workers in practice. Concept. Lifelong education for social workers is currently a necessity for their functioning not only on the basis of the rapid, dynamic changes in their problems and social clients, but also for rapid and dynamic changes in the use of methods and techniques of social work. Method. The study deals with the educational development of employees in the profession of social worker. It defines and identifies forms of continuous education of social workers, which can have different methods and which can result in different competencies of a social worker. Results. The study confirms that the lifelong learning of social workers requires constant access to support and information about education, but also to set opportunities and thus facilitate access to the education of social workers. It is necessary to realise that the competences of the social worker must be in accordance with the education that the social worker has. Conclusion. The scientific articles and contributions that we offer in this study point to lifelong learning, which has the effect of expanding the possibilities of a social worker’s work with several types of clients, increases his competences and thus acquires a lot of knowledge and skills that are subsequently applied in practice

More...

The mean reversion/persistence of financial cycles: Empirical evidence for 24 countries worldwide

Author(s): Shengnan Lv,Zeshui Xu,Xuecheng Fan,Yong Qin,Marinko Skare / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2023

Keywords: financial cycles; financial connectedness; financial crisis; systemic risk;

Research background: The globalization trend has inevitably enhanced the connectivity of global financial markets, making the cyclicality of financial activities and the spread of market imbalances have received widespread attention, especially after the global financial crisis. Purpose of the article: To reduce the negative effects of the contagiousness of the financial cycles, it is necessary to study the persistence of financial cycles and carve out the total connectedness, spillover paths, and sources of risks on a global scale. In addition, understanding the relationship between the financial cycle and economic development is an important way to prevent financial crises. Methods: This paper adopts the nonlinear smoothing transition autoregressive (STAR) model to extract cyclical and phase characteristics of financial cycles based on 24 countries during 1971Q1?2015Q4, covering developed and developing countries, the Americas, Europe, and Asia regions. In addition, the frequency connectedness approach is used to measure the connectedness of financial cycles and the relationship between the global financial cycle and the global economy. Findings & value added: The analysis reveals that aggregate financial cycles persist for 13.3 years for smoothed and 8.7 years for unsmoothed on average. The national financial cycles are asynchronous and exhibit more prolonged expansions and faster contractions. The connectedness of financial cycles is highly correlated with systemic crises and contributes to the persistence and harmfulness of shocks. It is mainly driven by short-term components and exhibits more pronounced interconnectedness within regions than across regions. During the financial crisis, the global financial cycle movements precede and are longer than the business fluctuations. Based on the study, some policy implications are presented. This paper emphasizes the impact of systemic crises on the persistence of financial cycles and their connectedness, which contributes to refining research related to the coping mechanisms of financial crises.

More...

Dynamic dependencies and return connectedness among stock, gold and Bitcoin markets: Evidence from South Asia and China

Author(s): Hongjun Zeng,Ran Lu,Abdullahi D. Ahmed / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2023

Keywords: South Asia and China; gold; Bitcoin; dependency and connectedness; COVID-19;

Research background: In order to examine market uncertainty, the paper depicts broad patterns of risk and systematic exposure to global equity market shocks for the major South Asian and Chinese equity markets, as well as for specific assets (gold and Bitcoin).Purpose of the article: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the dynamic correlation among the major South Asian equity markets (India and Pakistan), the Chinese equity markets, the MSCI developed markets, Bitcoin, and gold markets.Methods: While applying the GARCH-Vine-Copula model and the TVP-VAR Connectedness approach, major patterns of dependency and interconnectedness between these markets are investigated.Findings & value added: We find that risk shocks from developed equity markets are critical in these dynamic links. A net return spillover from Bitcoin to the Chinese and Pakistani stock markets throughout the sample period is reported. Interestingly, gold can be applied to hedge and diversify positions in China and major South Asian markets, particularly following the COVID-19 outbreak. Our paper presents three main original add valued: (1) This paper adds global factors to the targeted study of risk transmission among South Asian and Chinese stock markets for the first time. (2)The assets of Bitcoin and gold were added to the study of risk transmission among South Asian and Chinese stock markets for the first time, enabling the research in this paper to observe the non-linear link among the South Asian and Chinese stock markets with them. (3) Our research adds to these lines of inquiry by giving empirical evidence on how COVID-19 altered the dependent structure and return spillover dynamics of Bitcoin, gold and South Asian and Chinese stock markets for the first time. Our results have critical implications for investors and policymakers to effectively understand the nature of market forces and develop risk-averse strategies.

More...

State-level Taylor rule and monetary policy stress

Author(s): Hasan Engin Duran,Paweł Gajewski / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2023

Keywords: Taylor rule; states; monetary stress; spatial panel regression; FMOLS; DOLS;

Research background: Taylor rule is a widely adopted approach to follow monetary policy and investigate various mechanisms related to or triggered by monetary policy. To date, no in-depth examination of scale, determinants and spillovers of state-level monetary policy stress, stemming from the Federal Reserve Board?s (Fed?s) policy has been performed.Purpose of the article: This paper aims to investigate the nature of monetary policy stress on US States delivered by the single monetary policy by using a quarterly dataset spanning the years between 1989 and 2017.Methods: We apply a wide array of time series and panel regressions, such as unit root tests, co-integration tests, co-integrating FMOLS and DOLS regressions, and Spatial Panel SAR and SEM models.Findings & value added: When average stress imposed on states is calculated, it is observed that the level of stress is moderate, but the distribution across states is asymmetric. The cross-state determinants behind the average stress show that states with a higher percentage of working-age and highly educated population, as well as those with higher population density and more export-oriented are negatively stressed (i.e. they experience excessively low interest rates), whereas higher unemployment rate contributes to a positive stress (too high interest rates). To the best of our knowledge, the contribution of this paper lies in estimating monetary policy stress at the state level and unveiling some of the determinants of this stress. Moreover, the paper makes the first attempt to empirically test spatial spillovers of the stress, which are indeed found significant and negative.

More...

Barriers to immigrant entrepreneurship: A causal relationship analysis of the Asian immigrant entrepreneurs in Germany employing the DEMATEL approach

Author(s): Gul Shah Sabary,Aleksandr Ključnikov / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2023

Keywords: immigrant entrepreneurship; causal relationship; immigrant barriers; DEMATEL method;

Research background: Entrepreneurship and migration are top priorities on many national and international agendas. As a result, entrepreneurship is one of the most popular strategies immigrants use to avoid unemployment in a host country. However, studies lack to discuss causal relationships among key barriers to immigrant entrepreneurs.Purpose of the article: This study attempts to fill the knowledge gap and investigate the causal relationship between the primary obstacles faced by Asian immigrant entrepreneurs in Germany.Methods: A predesigned questionnaire was used in face-to-face interviews with Asian business owners in Germany for the study, and the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method of data analysis was used.Findings & value added: The findings reveal that lack of sufficient financial resources to establish a business, high market competition, and a lack of knowledge of the local language of the host country are the most significant barriers, among others, which may severely hamper Asian immigrant business performance and have a considerable impact on their entrepreneurial decision. At the same time, lack of professional knowledge & skills, problems with rules & regulations, and cultural differences are among the least essential obstacles for Asian immigrant entrepreneurs. The findings show that unfamiliarity with the local language, problems with rules and regulations, cultural differences, and lack of international business experience are associated with the causer category. However, lack of enough capital to establish a venture, lack of professional knowledge and skills, difficulty in access to financial resources, and high market competition relate to the receiver category. This research generates value for policymakers, particularly those participating in migration studies. One of the study's novelties is using the DEMATEL framework for decision-making on barriers to immigrant entrepreneurship in the European context.

More...

A cross-national study of internationalisation barriers with reference to SME value chain

Author(s): Wiesław Urban,Katarzyna Krot,Anna Tomaszuk / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2023

Keywords: internationalisation; SMEs; value chain; internationalisation barriers;

Research background: The study responses to the internationalisation issue, one of the essential factors of SMEs growth. Particularly to companies' efforts towards setting international cooperation and circumstances obstructing these struggles. The study takes into consideration that internationalisation in specific areas of company's operations differs noticeably. Similarly, different barriers may arise depending on the areas of the company's value chain that are the focus of the enterprises' internationalisation strategies.Purpose of the article: This study aims to identify barriers to internationalisation regarding various areas of a company's value chain. The study employs the Value Chain Model by Porter.Methods: The field data was collected using a questionnaire survey on a sample of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) located in countries in the Baltic Sea region (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland). A multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the impact of barriers on internationalisation.Finding & value added: The study indicates three areas that are most often the subject of internationalisation in SMEs: operations, outbound logistics and marketing and sales. Barriers differ between value chain areas; however, cultural differences and competition are perceived as the most important hindering factors by companies experienced in internationalisation. At the same time, barriers regarding knowledge and finance diminish when companies becoming more experienced in internationalisation in particular value chain areas. This study is one of few employing the value chain framework to examine internationalisation.

More...

A novel approach to estimating the debt capacity of European SMEs

Author(s): Michal Karas,Mária Režnáková / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2023

Keywords: debt capacity; financial distress; macroeconomic factors; financial constraints;

Research background: The concept of debt capacity assumes that a maximum value of debt ratio exists that when exceeded triggers unfavourable consequences, such as drop in market value, default or a change in the business' creditworthiness. With the current state of the art there is a priori no theoretical assurance that such a specific value exists, or rather it is represented by an interval of values. Beyond that, our understanding of debt capacity is often limited to a theoretical approximation by firm-specific factors, while the context of macroeconomic factors, especially those critical for SMEs, is neglected.Purpose of the article: The aim of this paper is to present a novel approach to estimating SMEs' debt capacity. Further, the aim is to answer the question of what firm-level and macroeconomy conditions lead to exhausting the SMEs' debt capacity and under what conditions a specific value of maximum debt capacity could be estimated.Methods: To estimate the debt capacity, we suggest a use of an information entropy minimising heuristic and the Minimal Description Length Principle. In this approach, the observed feature space is categorised into several regions. In this case, such a region represents a set of firm- and macroeconomy-specific conditions forming the debt capacity of the SMEs. To the best of our knowledge, such an approach has not yet been used in debt capacity applications.Findings & value added: We found out that the debt ratio itself provides little explanation of exhausted debt capacity, suggesting that high debt levels are compensated for by other factors. By using the suggested approach, a set of more than 100 different regions was analysed. It was found that in case of five regions (sets of conditions) the debt capacity is exhausted, as the high level of debt has significant distress consequences.

More...

WHO WROTE THIS ESSAY? DETECTING AI-GENERATED WRITING IN SECOND LANGUAGE EDUCATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Author(s): Katarzyna Alexander,Christine Savvidou,Chris Alexander / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2023

Keywords: Generative AI; higher education; academic writing; academic integrity; ESL; assessment;

Recent developments in AI technologies and the increasing accessibility of AI tools, such as ChatGPT, have raised concerns about academic integrity in higher education. Thus, this research aims to shed light on the challenges faced by English as a Second Language (ESL) lecturers in identifying AI-generated texts, and highlighting the skills and resources needed to enhance their detection capabilities. In this qualitative study, data were collected from six ESL lecturers working in a higher educational institution in Cyprus. Participants evaluated four academic essays at C1 level to determine which, if any, of the sample had been fully or partially AI-generated, and these results were then compared to results from four AI detectors. Findings reveal that participants tended to exploit a deficit model of assessment that focuses on error as an indicator of L2 writing output, with high levels of technical and grammatical accuracy and sophisticated language use as indicators of AI-generated text. Moreover, findings suggest that limited awareness of the characteristics and metrics used by ChatGPT, as well as lack of attention to the veracity of facts and references generated by ChatGPT, were features of participants’ evaluations. This study identifies the growing challenges encountered by ESL lecturers and underlines the need for digital literacy training, targeted professional development, the use of advanced detection tools and a review of assessment policies and practices in relation to AI. Additionally, this study highlights the importance of reviewing and reinforcing institutional policies and practices that safeguard academic integrity and ensure quality higher education.

More...

ONLINE COMMUNITY PROJECTS: LEARNER-CENTRED DIGITAL MEDIATION TOOLS FOR SECONDARY-SCHOOL ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE CURRICULA

Author(s): Lesley J Fearn / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2023

Keywords: Sociocultural theory; eTwinning; learner autonomy; Autoethnography; Technology-enhanced Language Learning;

Young people today face an uncertain future. English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in state education are investing their expertise in Online Community Projects (OCPs) as a digital mediation tool to help their students acquire intercultural awareness and experiment with new uses for technology. This qualitative study employs analytic autoethnography to investigate the experiences of a secondary-school English as a Foreign Language teacher using OCPs in southern Italy. Data were analysed and debated through relevant EFL and sociocultural theory literature. Results revealed the learner-centred qualities of OCP activities and their effects on secondary-school EFL curricula.This research contributes to the literature on teaching English with technology, learner autonomy and online community projects in secondary-school EFL curricula. It will interest policymakers and teachers who wish to include learner- centred approaches in their practices.

More...

INVESTIGATING EFL LEARNERS’ COMMUNICATION IN FACEBOOK MESSENGER GROUP CHATS: A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL PRESENCE INDICATORS IN ONLINE LEARNING

Author(s): Rizza Ann Cruz,Zainee Waemusa / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2023

Keywords: Social presence; computer-mediated communication; EFL; Facebook group chat;

Computer-mediated communication (CMC) via Facebook as social media could support a relaxed and non-threatening learning atmosphere, augmenting EFL learners’ engagement through increasing social interaction. To maximize the potential of CMC for English language learning outside of classroom activities, an understanding of communication flow through the lens of Social Presence indicators using Facebook group chats is needed to measure such indicators among EFL learners with a limited access to the real-life use of English. This can help enhance the quality of learning through rich interaction and increased engagement among them. The purpose of this paper was to identify Social Presence indicators used by these EFL learners in their Facebook group chats. The data were collected for eight weeks from 52 Thai undergraduate students taking an English for Conversation course in a Thai university. Using the Social Presence categories by Rourke et al. (1999) and Swan and Shih (2005), quantitative coding was used to analyze the exchanged Facebook group text messages. The results showed that the Interactive Category garnered the highest percentage compared to the Affective and Cohesive Category, suggesting that CMC with Facebook group chats engendered relationship building and sustainability among Thai EFL learners with CMC community members. Pedagogical implications are discussed on the significance of Social Presence for developing an effective CMC environment on Facebook among EFL learners.

More...

Effectiveness of Monte-Carlo simulation of the S&P 500 index before and after the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Author(s): Piotr Nawrocki / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2023

Keywords: Monte Carlo (MC) method; Black-Scholes(B-S) model; index simulation; COVID-19 pandemic;

Risk and uncertainty analysis is an integral part of the study on the behavior of global financial markets. Emergencies, crises or political events pose a major challenge to analysts, trying to predict the future movements of stock indexes, calling into question their assumptions. One such event was the announcement of the coronavirus pandemic, which undoubtedly affected the functioning of today's economy around the world. The purpose of this study is to examine the strength of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the behavior of the U.S. market and to assess the effectiveness of the Monte-Carlo method before and after COVID-19 outbreak. The analysis was conducted with 12 Monte-Carlo simulations of daily closing prices of the S&P 500 index using historical data in the time interval from March 11, 2015, to March 11, 2021 by projecting logarithmic rates of return one year ahead over the period 2019-2022. The results showed a significant and negative impact of the pandemic announcement on the effectiveness of forecasting using Monte-Carlo simulation, reducing the confidence of the estimates. In addition, differences in the sensitivity of the simulation were shown depending on the data period adopted. The results obtained can, on the one hand, provide a basis for considering modifications to Monte-Carlo simulations in order to more effectively reflect market reality during periods of economic instability, as well as, on the other hand, provide important information for market analysts to use shorter time series to guarantee efficiency in MC simulations used during periods of crisis.

More...

Strong ESG risk management as a way to improve organisational resilience in times of crisis: an analysis of WIG-ESG index constituents

Author(s): Ulyana Zaremba / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2023

Keywords: ESG risk ratings; organisationalresilience; sustainable investing; ESG equity indices; WIG-ESG;

During the last decade sustainable investment practices have evolved substantially. ESG reporting is moving seamlessly from voluntary to mandatory. By investing in companies that score high in ESG rankings, investors hope for the organisation's resilience to the crisis and higher returns. Due to the dynamic development of socially responsible investing both in Poland and worldwide, new indices using ESG screening criteria are being designed, which in turn are the underlying instrument for structured products. The aim of the study was to analyse the constituents of the newly created WIG-ESG index and to discuss its performance and organisational resilience in relation to ESG risk exposure and management. The research showed that the criteria for inclusion in the WIG-ESG index should be amended to recognise companies that care about strong ESG risk management and exclude those with negligible ESG efforts. The second important issue is eligibility for inclusion. If all companies are eligible to be included in the index (ESG testing as a condition for inclusion), this will reduce the rotation of the index's constituents and allow the relationship between a company's ESG score after each update and its long-term performance to be explored.

More...