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The implementation of Performance Management (PM) in an institution can come with barriers that affect its success rate. The aim of the study was to assess the perceptions and attitudes of staff towards the implementation of PM at a higher education institution. The research was undertaken at a higher education institution (HEI) in South Africa where employee performance suffered as a result of PM implementation challenges within the institution. The research study was exploratory and employed mixed methods, that is; quantitative and qualitative research methods. A survey questionnaire was administered to groups of university employees drawn through stratified random sampling. The strata groups were academics, administrators, and senior executive managers. Hundred questionnaires were distributed with eighty-three questionnaires returned. In qualitative research, a heterogeneous focus group interview was scheduled which involved twelve people. Results from the questionnaires indicated that respondents perceived PM process as lacking transparency, unaligned to employee rewards and development lacks objectivity from appraisers and poorly implemented due to lack of training for its users. Key themes that emerged from the focus group interviews revealed that the majority of participants perceived PM as a management punitive tool that is not developmental in orientation, a political tool that lacks objectivity and benefits only the employer. Furthermore, they articulated that it was not aligned with their rewards and development. It was therefore recommended that; proper design and implementation of the PM system is vital, fairness, training of all parties involved, moderation of results and providing effective feedback should be employed in PM, effective communication, transparency, consultation and shared benefits for all participants are key to ensuring a broadly supported PM within the institution.

The past decade has seen a growing body of literature on the (re)emergence of China and its implications for the new international order, and this scholarship is accompanied by the attempts from both within and outside of China to establish Chinese schools of international relations (IR). These admirable efforts, however, have been largely state-centric and concerned mainly with the balance of power, with little attention being directed to the diaspora's role in the evolution of China's international relationship and their potential contribution to bridging China studies and international relations theorization. Drawing upon theoretical insights from both IR and diaspora studies and employing a wide range of primary data including archives and personal interviews, this essay examines the diaspora's role (or the lack of it) in China's diplomacy since 1949 and attempts to conceptualize the Chinese experience in an historical and comparative perspective. I argue that historicity and state have played a significant part in shaping the interactions between the diaspora and diplomacy. The Chinese state's resilient capacity in domesticating (potential) diplomatic problems with respect to the diaspora and transforming them into new policy initiatives through facilitating diasporic participation in China's socio-economic and political processes has opened up new venues for the Chinese overseas to be involved in China's diplomacy. This article concludes by considering three different routes in engaging the diaspora with diplomacy at a time of China rising and by calling for strategic integration of diaspora into the emerging discourses on 'IR theories with Chinese characteristics'. (J Contemp China/GIGA)

The Bahamas has many of the challenges that come with being a small island state. The archipelagic nature of the country brings with it the necessity to duplicate service efforts to accommodate all citizens in the development process; this factor puts a strain on the government's resources, and the need for civil society to fill the gaps that exist and partner with government is more pronounced. This study is pursued to examine the relationship between civil society and government in small island states such as The Bahamas. To accomplish this, the study reviews six civil society organizations, from three different sectors health, education and environment. An organization from each sector was chosen, formed either during the colonial period or post-colonial, to examine the nature of the organization's relationship with government at two different points in time, in an effort to see whether the relationship differs based on the particular non-profit sector (health, education or environment) or time of origin (colonial or post-colonial). This relationship is reviewed through the lens of three variables: the nature of the financial relationship the policy relationship, and structure relationship. The relationship will be viewed through the lens of social origins theory as developed by Lester Salamon (2002) et. al. The research will be based on data collected using the same instrument applied by Salamon et al in the initial study, but the variables will be applied at the level of an organization, rather than a sector. Data is also drawn from interviews with persons associated with each organization. A review of the type of relationship government has with these civil society groups (and the implications of those relationships on performance) may provide insight in the way government should seek to foster and manage relationships with such organizations in the future for the growth and development of the country. ; Ph. D. ; The Bahamas has many of the challenges that come with being a small island state. The ...

The question whether and how warfare has influenced the development of advanced Western welfare states is contested. So far, scholarly work either focused on the trade-off between military and social spending or on case studies of individual countries. What is missing, however, is a systematic comparative approach that is informed by an explicit consideration of the underlying causal mechanisms. This paper outlines an agenda for a comparative analysis of the warfare-welfare state nexus. By distinguishing between three different phases (war preparation, warfare, and post-war period) it provides a comprehensive analysis of possible causal mechanisms linking war and the welfare state and provides preliminary empirical evidence for war waging, occupied and neutral countries in the age of mass warfare stretching from ca. the 1860s to the 1960s. ; Die Frage, ob und wie Kriege die Entwicklung von westlichen Wohlfahrtsstaaten beeinflusst haben, ist in der Literatur umstritten. Bislang fokussierte die Forschung entweder auf den Zielkonflikt zwischen Sozial- und Militärausgaben oder untersuchte einzelne Länder. Demgegenüber fehlt bislang ein systematischer Vergleich, der auch die relevanten Kausalmechanismen in den Blick nimmt. Dieses Arbeitspapier skizziert eine Forschungsagenda für eine vergleichende Analyse der Wechselbeziehung zwischen Krieg und Sozialstaat. Unter Berücksichtigung von drei Phasen (Kriegsvorbereitung, Konfliktphase und Nachkriegszeit) werden mögliche Kausalmechanismen vorgestellt, wie militärische Konflikte den Sozialstaat im Zeitalter des Massenkriegs (ca. 1860 - 1960) beeinflusst haben. Schließlich werden erste empirische Befunde für kriegsführende, neutrale und okkupierte Länder präsentiert.

Bill introduced by the Texas House of Representatives relating to the participation of public state colleges in the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) Grant Program.

An introduction to a special journal issue describes the difficult relationship between history, international history, & international relations & how empires, systems, & states are formed & transformed in international politics. The field of international relations is returning to the discipline of international history or what is called grand history. It is recognized that common international concerns require cooperation among various intellectual disciplines through a dialogue between history, sociology, anthropology, & international relations. A change in the global order relates to the unlikelihood that a war would occur between the great powers, which might impact the emerging international system. Contributions are summarized. J. Moses

This article comes from the research project Concepts on citizenship and citizen exercise in educated and non-educated young people in the capital District of Bogotá, which researches different concepts of citizenship and citizen exercise, the political, ethical and moral perspectives of citizens and educational guidelines proposed by 70 youngsters between 16 and 26 years old, and from both genders. This article is divided in three parts. The first one makes reference to main trends in citizen education, as well as their emphasis and possible educational application fields. The second one describes the main trends in citizen research, as it is reported by several studies. The third one presents the relationship between citizen education and regulatory ideas. ; El presente artículo se deriva del proyecto de investigación Concepciones de ciudadanía y de ejercicio ciudadano en jóvenes escolarizados y no escolarizados del Distrito Capital de Bogotá que indaga por las concepciones de ciudadanía y ejercicio ciudadano, que proponen 70 jóvenes colombianos y 40 jóvenes argentinos de ambos sexos, entre los 16 y los 26 años de edad. El documento está divido en tres partes. La primera referencia las principales tendencias de la educación ciudadana, así como sus énfasis y posibles campos de aplicación educativa. La segunda parte describe, en cuatro categorías, las principales tendencias de investigación ciudadana, según lo reportan los estudios revisados. La tercera parte muestra la relación existente entre educación ciudadana e ideas regulativas.

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to compare parental perceptions of oral health status and access to dental services by children in 34 special education and 16 mainstream public elementary school classes in San Mateo County, California. A self‐administered parental survey was utilized and included questions about demographics, oral health, and dental utilization. The overall response rate was 58.8%. After adjusting for age and gender of the child, compared to mainstream, parents of students in special education classes were significantly more likely to report their children to have worse oral health (OR = 2.4, 95% CI 1.54, 3.67), be lacking a past year dental visit (OR = 1.96, 95% CI 1.01, 3.84), and have missed school days due to dental reasons (OR = 2.5, 95% CI 1.55, 4.17). Both groups rated their children's oral health inferior to the overall health rating (p < .001). The authors concluded that disparities exist between the two groups in parental perceptions of their children's oral health status and dental service utilization.

This case study explores how the creative arts can be used in the professional development of student social workers. The study is of a voluntary organisation that works with adults experiencing emotional or psychological distress by helping participants to explore the arts as a means of recovery. The organisation incorporates art and design studios, a community gallery and graphic design service with several community projects including a domestic abuse project, prison project and a hospital in-patient service.Since 2004 the organisation has supported over 40 student social workers in practice learning placements. The project manager and off-site practice educator, supported by the HEI, have been instrumental in developing a practice curriculum.The student social workers develop core professional skills by working with individuals, groups, communities and organisations in a setting that challenges negative assumptions about mental health. The creative arts are used as a vehicle for developing skills in relationship based practice. The study will explore how the placements have evolved; what the student social workers actually do; the effectiveness of the practice experience in preparation for the final placement and the development of their professional identity.

"Since 1921, the Zionist movement, the Hashemites, and Palestinian nationalists have been vying for regional control. In this book, Asher Susser analyzes the evolution of the one- and two-state options and explores why a two-state solution has failed to materialize. He provides an in-depth analysis of Jordan's positions and presents an updated discussion of the two-state imperative through the initiatives of Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Susser argues that Israelis, Palestinians, and Jordanians have cohesive collective identities that violently collide with each other. Because of these entrenched differences, a single-state solution cannot be achieved."--Pub. desc