International Conference of Alternative Perspectives in the Humanities and the Social
International Conference of Alternative Perspectives in the Humanities and the Social Sciences:Development and Conflict
Kanchanaburi, Thailand (October 1-5, 2010)
October 5
5: 45 P.M. Mr. Daniel Clausen, Florida International University
Virtual Presentation:
“Interrogating Multiple Causes and Disciplinary Boundaries in the Study of Scarcity, Politics, and Conflict”
Video:
Abstract: Increasingly, it is becoming harder to discuss issues of development and conflict without addressing issues of environmental scarcity. However, the way environmental scarcities are treated in relation to development and conflict differs drastically depending on the specific research tradition that treats the subject--the so-called neo-Malthusian school, the neoclassical economic school, or political ecology. Building on Kahl’s (2006) model of demographic and environmental stress (DES) and its relationship with political institutions and violence, this essay will survey the research on scarcity, political institutions, and violence. I argue that while Kahl’s model is a good foundation for understanding these complex interactions, there is still a great deal of work that needs to be done. Researchers need to: (1) create stronger dialogue betweenneoclassical approaches that deal with generalized “independent variables” and political ecology approaches that take into account context and spatial heterogeneity (2) continue to build empirical data that relies less on the “state” as a unit of analysis, and direct data sets towards more salient local units (Raleigh and Urdal, 2007) (this will allow analysts to pick up on the influences of smaller degrees of environmental stress); (3) be aware of the feedback loops that allow political institutions, ideas, and activism to react back on environmental and demographic “independent variables”—both positively and negatively; and (4) be more aware of the way local issues of resource scarcity work within larger world patterns of consumption that may condition local politics. More “critical” modes of analysis—specifically, the tools of what is currently termed political ecology (a mixture of postdevelopment, Marxist economic analysis, and discourse analysis)— provide interesting avenues for exploring the interactions betweenmateriality and ideas about nature. Because of the important contributions of multiple research agendas, finding ways of linking insights from multiple paradigms without falling victim to“underspecification” (Kahl, 2006) will be an important task for future scholars of environmental scarcity and conflict.
Keywords: scarcity, conflict, environmental security, analytical eclecticism, politicalecology
Biographical Sketch: pending….
Contact:
6:00 P.M. Fatemeh Khozaei , School of Housing Building and planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
Dolapo Amole, Department of Architecture, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Ahmad Sanusi Hassan, School of Housing Building and planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia,Penang, Malaysia
Zahra khozaei, School of humanities, Universiti sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
Virtual Presentation:
“The hostel, the house, a qualitative study of female postgraduate students”
Abstract: University students’ housing has received a good deal of emphasis in previous research. Much of this early research focused on the relationship between the environment, facilities, residence hall layout and students’ satisfaction. The current study tried to view students’ satisfaction from a different perspective.It hypothesized that when students perceive the attributes of the home in the university hall of residence their satisfaction with residence is improved. The paper is based on the premise that the home is a multidimensional construct. It examined whether the residence hall is also multidimensional in the way it is described by the students. The study also aimed to understand the students’ perception of the attributes which make the hostel similar to the home. This study was a qualitative study which employed an inductive approach. Eighteen (18) individual unstructured interviews were conducted with female postgraduate students living in a residence hall of one of the universities in Malaysia. In addition, 20 open ended questionnaires were distributed among students who were reluctant to be interviewed. Participants were, selected according to their university year, age, cultural background and nationality. The thematic analysis carried out revealed that there were 4 major themes: Physical facilities and Comfort; Security; Privacy; and Warmth and Friendly Environment. The results of the study revealed the students’ perceptions of the attributes which make the hostel comparable to the home environment. The findings also showed that when students were asked to talk about a hostel in terms of a home, they usually compared the present hostel with their own home. The results revealed that their comparisons of home and the residence hall were highly dependent on their background and previous experiences and were indicative of satisfaction with their current accommodation. It is hoped that this study would effectively help the university administration to provide students housings which can be more satisfactory and meet the students’ needs and requirements.
Contact:
Fatemeh Khozaei
School of Housing Building and planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
Dolapo Amole
Department of Architecture, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Ahmad Sanusi Hassan
School of Housing Building and planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia,Penang, Malaysia
5:30 P.M. Mr. Tanakorn Limsarun, Shinawatra University
“The Customer Relationship Management Practice of Information and Communication Technology Public Listed Companies in Thailand”
Video:
Regular Presentation:
Abstract: Nowadays, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a major focus for business while the worldwide Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector is also changing radically, while many research evidence shows that ICT companies fail to make their CRM effort to pay off. Therefore, this qualitative study aimed to indentify the influential success factors of CRM practice of ICT public listed companies in Thailand. The finding of this study may be developed as a guideline to maximizing CRM practice for the company who have been installed or exercised CRM in their organization. The study found that CRM practice can increase the company’s sustainability and competitive advantages in ICT business sector. With the empirical evidences gained from in-depth interviews of ICT public listed company’s managers in Thailand, the finding has shown that Computer Self-Efficacy, CRM Mindset, Information Technology and Business Culture Gap and CRM Software Utilization play as the significance factor to the success of CRM practice of ICT public listed companies in Thailand.
Keywords: Customer Relationship Management practice, Information and Communication Technology, Computer Self-Efficacy, CRM Mindset, Information Technology and Business Culture Gap and CRM Software Utilization
Biographical Sketch: Tanakorn Limsarun is PhD Candidate in school of Management, Shinawatra University. He has Master of Management from College of Management Mahidol University. He has over eight years experience working in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) public listed company in Thailand and has taught the Management Information System at university. His major research interests include: Customer Relationship Management, Organizational Information Technology Utilization and Organizational Culture Gap.
Asst. Prof. Dr.Pacapol Anurit earned a PhD focusing on cultural influences on consumer behavior in the UK. He has worked for British, America and Thai market research and management consulting firms and is now a faculty member of Shinawatra University.
Contact:
5:45 P.M. Otto F. von Feigenblatt, Millenia Atlantic University (Doral, Florida)
Virtual Presentation:
Bridging the Theoretical Gap Separating International Development Studies and the field of Conflict Analysis & Resolution: “All is one, and one is all”
Abstract:Two growing fields in the social sciences are Conflict Analysis & Resolution and International Development Studies. New programs concentrating on development or conflict are launched every year in universities all over the world. Hundreds of academic journals and trade magazines are devoted to research conducted in the previously mentioned subfields. The recent growth in the two fields has brought many benefits to the study of conflict and development such as the development of more nuanced theories explaining important factors influencing international development and conflict in addition to a growing number of highly trained scholars and practitioners with in depth training in one of the two subfields.
Nevertheless, there are also costs involved with the increasing differentiation between the two budding subfields. One of the most obvious ones is the sacrifice of breadth for depth. Concentrating on a single subfield allows both scholars and practitioners to narrow in on important previously unexplored phenomena from the point of view of a single subfield. The disadvantage of this approach is that the resulting theory/understanding explains only one aspect of the entire socio-political field. Gone are the days when a scholar could submit a paper dealing with middle theories to one of the dominant journals in the fields of political science and international relations and have any hope of having it accepted for publication. Young scholars are encouraged to “specialize”, to concentrate on “manageable issues”, and to support obvious conclusions through the tedious measurement and identification of meaningless correlations. Greater understanding of each subfield is important but understanding the connection between the two and their relationship to the world “out there” is even more important.
Biographical Sketch: Otto F. von Feigenblatt is an elected Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland as well as an Academician of the Constantinian Academy of Arts, Letters, and Sciences (Palermo, Italy). Professor von Feigenblatt is currently an Adjunct Professor of Political Science at Millenia Atlantic University (Doral, Florida). Otto F. von Feigenblatt is the author of “Human Security in the Asia Pacific Region: Security Challenges, Regional Integration, and Representative Case Studies”, YKING BOOKS, Jaipur, India, 2010. His research has appeared in more than ten peer reviewed academic journals and he is a member of the editorial boards of the Journal of Contemporary Literatureand Entelequia. Otto F. von Feigenblatt is serving as the editor in chief of the Journal of Alternative Perspectives in the Social Sciences and as one of the chief editors of the Journal of Postcolonial Cultures and Societies.
Contact:
6:15 P.M. Prof. Dr. Seema Munaf, Institute of Clinical Psychology,University of Karachi: Pakistan
Virtual Presentation:
“Teacher’s Quality Performance as a Function of Management Style in Higher Educational Institutions”
Abstract: In educational management the relationship between head of the department and teaching faculty is one of the important factors for quality performance. The aim of the present research is to determine the effectiveness of transformational, transactional and passive/avoidant management styles in Selected Higher Educational Institutions of Pakistan through examining its relationship with performance of teaching faculties. Results would help us to recommend implementation of particular style of management for educational institutions of higher learning. Hypotheses: 1) There would be significant positive correlation of transformational and transactional management style in higher educational institutions with teacher’s performance, and 2) there would be significant negative correlation of passive/avoidant behavior management style in higher educational Institutions with teacher’s performance. Methodology: Participants: The sample comprises 60 Chairpersons/Heads of the departments and Directors of private and public sector higher educational institutions of Pakistan. Material:1) Introduction to Participants Form 2) Informed Consent Form, 3) Personal Information Form, 4) Multi factor Leadership Questionnaire Short Form, 6 S (MLQ-6S, Bass & Avolio, 1992) and 5) University Teacher’s Evaluation Rating Questionnaire (UTERQ). Procedure: With the consent of the Vice Chancellors/Registrar/Dean of the faculty, the Chairpersons/ Heads of the departments and Directors were approached at their office. After explaining the purpose of the research they were requested to complete, Introduction to participants form, Informed consent form and Personal information form, followed by administered of MLQ-6S which is related to their styles of managing their departments. Then they were requested to rate the previous two years performance of their teaching faculties on UTERQ. Scoring was made according to the standard procedures .Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was applied for the statistical analysis of the data. Results: The correlation of transformational (r = .335, p<.01) and transactional (r = .306, p< .01) style of management in educational institutions of Pakistan is positively and significantly related to the performance of their teaching faculties but the correlation of passive avoidant style of management is not significantly negatively related with the performance of its teaching faculties (r = .129, p >.05). Discussion: It is clear from the results that there is a positive correlation of transformational and transactional management styles in higher educational Institutions with teacher’s performance. Hence our first hypothesis is proved, however our second hypothesis is not proved as there is not a significant negative correlation of passive/avoidant management style with teacher’s performance. Thus it can be interpreted that both transformational and transactional management styles are significantly related to quality performance of teachers. Results go well along with the work of Bass (1985), who viewed both transformational and transactional styles as not completely opposite of each other. Important thing to note is that passive avoidant style is also playing important role and does not seem to have negative influence on performance of Pakistani teachers. Conclusion: Results recommends implementation of both transformational and transactional management styles in higher educational Institutions of Pakistan for quality performance of teachers. Limitations of study have been noted and avenues for future research have also been recommended. Key word: Educational Management, higher educational institutions, transformational transactional and passive avoidant management styles, Pakistani selected teacher’s performance, implementation.
Biographical Sketch: Dr. Seema Munaf is a Professor at Institute of Clinical Psychology, University of Karachi, where she is affiliated since 1985. She completed her graduation from St. Joseph’s college for women and Masters of Arts in Psychology from University of Karachi. She received her Post Magistral Diploma and PhD in Clinical Psychology from the Institute of Clinical Psychology, University of Karachi which was completed under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Farrukh Z. Ahmad, the Founder Director of the same Institute. She received Commonwealth AMDISA Postdoctoral fellowship for conducting research related to higher education management. In 1999 she became Assistant to the Director and from 2001 up to 2005 she was given additional charge of the Director of the Institute of Clinical Psychology. She developed research culture in the Institute by developing motivation for research in young psychologists. Newsletter motivation was started in her tenure. She delivered lectures on Psychodiagnosis, Psychotherapy, Personnel Selection, Neuropsychology, Research Design and Methodology, Consumer Behavior and Market Research at the Institute .She is actively involved in didactic analysis, training of internees of the Institute and supervising internship and research projects of the diploma, MS and PhD students. She has also given the assignment of paper setter and external examiner of postgraduate students and viva voce examiner of MS/MPhil/PhD psychology and management students of different national universities. During her affiliation with the Institute apart from teaching and administrative work she conducted innumerable researches, which were published in the journals of International repute. Since 1991 she was on editorial board of Pakistan journal of psychology and editor from 2001 up to 2005. At present she is on editorial board of Pakistan Journal of Clinical Psychology, Bahria Journal of Professional Psychology, Pakistan Journal of Professional Psychology: Research and Practice and reviewed papers related to Psychology for different Journals. Her main area of interest in research is the field of social/ organizational Psychology. She was also Project Director of the Project Strengthening of Institute of Clinical Psychology, University of Karachi till May 2005.In November 2005 she was appointed as member of the Prime Minister’s National task force for psychosocial relief to earth quack. She is also member of Senate of University of Karachi. She has rendered her services as subject expect in selection boards, affiliation committees and syllabus revision committees. By virtue of the member Academic Council, University of Karachi she is also member of Board of Governors of different Institutes affiliated to the University. She is approved Supervisor of Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan and had supervised innumerable students of Clinical Psychology. Due to her expertise she was also given responsibility as external examiner of a PhD student of Fielding Graduate University California. She has participated and presented number of research papers and chaired scientific sessions in national, international conferences and seminars. In 2006, she was honored with award at third International Mental Health (IMH) Conference organized at Institute of Psychiatry; King’s College London and also the outstanding abstract award at the 5th International Conference on Social Work in Health and Mental Health held at Hong Kong, China. Presently she is working as a team member of the International Father Acceptance-Rejection Project (IFAR).She translated the Adult: Personality Assessment Questionnaire, Adult Parental Acceptance Rejection Questionnaire /Control: Father (Short Form) and Adult Parental Acceptance Rejection Questionnaire /Control: Mother (Short Form) in Urdu (2009) for Ronald and Nancy Rohner Center, University of Connecticut, USA. She offered international psychological services for Employees Assistance Program (EAP) also. As a clinician she is expert in the field of psycho diagnosis, psychotherapy, marital/family counseling, vocational/child assessment and guidance. Due to her services in the field of mental health she is well recognized in Asia. Apart from her attachment with various social societies, her professional affiliation as a member is with number of literary bodies such as ,American Psychological Association, Pakistan Council of Clinical Psychologist, Pakistan Psychological Association, Pakistan Federation of University Women, Society for the Rehabilitation of the Emotionally Handicapped, International Society for Interpersonal Acceptance Rejection and International Association of Computer Science and Information Technology (IACSIT).
Contact:
6:30 P.M. Dr. Alphonse Kasongo, Keller Graduate School of Management, Devry University (Virginia, USA)