We analyze the relationship between corporate social responsibility and the stock market performance in the post-global financial crisis period. A new measure of social responsibility by Thomson Reuters, called the ESG Combined Score, is used. As a novel feature of our analysis, socially responsible engagement is divided into the strategic activities closely related to the examined companies’ core business and the remaining secondary activities. The results of the fixed effects regression show a positive and statistically, as well as economically, significant (...) impact of the strategic activities on the corporate stock market performance of companies. This impact is up to 103% higher compared to the secondary activities. The empirical results suggest that if companies aim to increase their share prices via the corporate social responsibility channel, they should strategically select their socially responsible initiatives. (shrink)

J. L. Austin’s article ‘Truth’ is a remarkable example of his method of ordinary language analysis by which he investigates the notoriously recalcitrant philosophical concept of truth. This paper attempts to specify the character of Austin’s truth conception, defending the view that despite his opinion of it being a semantic one, it is actually of a mixed nature. Correspondence is what determines the truth or falsity of a statement, but semantics delineates the segment of the world to which our statements (...) correspond. An explication of the notions of demonstrative and descriptive conventions is given in order to add flash to the outlinegiven by Austin. (shrink)

Although rituals are believed to lower anxiety, the underlying mechanism of anxiety reduction has not been explained well enough. According to Boyer and Liénard (2006), ritualized behavior decreases the anxiety levels because it swamps working memory. This blocks anxious thoughts’ access to consciousness. As a result, ritualized behavior lowers anxiety temporarily but maintains it in the long run. In the article, I analyze what processes should be engaged in ritualized behavior to bring the aforementioned outcomes. I propose that ritualized behavior (...) has anxiolytic properties if it preoccupies consciousness without placing too many demands on cognitive control. While conscious preoccupation with ritualized behavior should reduce anxiety, cognitive control load related to efforts to concentrate on ritualized behavior may bring immediate paradoxical effects of self-regulation, i.e., anxiety increases. Moreover, since anxiety disrupts attentional control capabilities, ritualized behavior should not be too cognitively demanding if an anxious person is to perform it. (shrink)

The article investigates the autobiographical aspects of Ryszard Kapuściński’s reportage pieces. The journalist’s complete works provide the material for this study. Autobiographism is understood here broadly, not only as the presence of a selfnarrative in the documentary accounts, but also as the implicit influence of the foreign correspondent’s life experiences on his interpretation of the events he reports. Kapuściński’s work early was primarily influenced by the experiences of poverty during the Second World War and the post-war period, the post-war loss (...) of his little homeland as Poland entered the orbit of the Soviet Union’s influence, as well as his involvement in a socialist youth organization. These personal experiences constitute an important context for the interpretation of his works, which is shown using examples from his reports. (shrink)

The importance of pedagogy as a science is in exploration and improvement of education as an integral part of the social reality. Theory of education, General pedagogy and Methodics of educational work are the scientific disciplines that are most directly related to examining the educational work, and represent its theoretical and methodological basis in the process of its realization. Educational work provides the essence of the overall education process, since it refers and unites the knowledge, skills, attitudes, beliefs and values (...) of the individual, and its results are seen in developing student’s unique personality. In this paper the focus is on the Methodics of educational work, as a pedagogical discipline which is most closely related to the process of realization of educational work. The aim is through analysis of the basic theoretical and terminological aspects to emphasize its role in the overall education process. Taking into consideration the complexity of educational work and difficulties related to the process of assessment of the outcomes, application of the taxonomy of the affective domain is suggested as a possible approach. Also, the importance of some topics that are particularly relevant in pedagogy is emphasized, but which, due to terminological inconsistencies, are not sufficiently recognized as part of the Methodics of educational work. (shrink)

Nowadays, creativity has become one of the most important determinants of the development of modern economy. In it lies the potential for economic success not only of entire regions, but above all of business entities. Although creativity is difficult to define, it more frequently becomes the subject of scholarly considerations. In this study, an attempt was made to explore the climate for creativity because it determines the development of creativity and creative attitudes in creative sectors. The main research goal was (...) to show the importance and pattern of the determinants creating a climate conducive to creativity and its impact on the development of creative industries. The method of the study was a critical analysis of the source literature and the author’s own research. The aim of the work became the basis for formulating the following research hypothesis: recognising the components constituting a pattern of the climate conducive to creativity in the city will enable better development of entities included in the creative sector. In order to achieve the set goal and verify the research hypothesis, quantitative and qualitative research was carried out among representatives of creative professions employed in the creative sectors. (shrink)

Łódź that has never had significant literary tradition, reached a few interesting debuts of young artists during the dramatic years of the war. Tuwim siblings should be named among them, along with Aleksander Kraśniański and Mieczysław Braun. Multi-ethnicity of Lodz resulted in a diverse view on the ongoing conflict, which found its echo in the work of local writers. In their works we find descriptions of both the drama of everyday life as well as questions about the meaning of the (...) war and the future of the reborn state. Since there was problem with publishing books, the local newspaper publishes gave enormous contribution to the development of local literature by publishing the work of young artists on its pages. (shrink)

Die Reise von Róewicz an die Ouellen der Kultur des Mittelmeerraumes ist ein der vielen Versuche, die den Ziel hatten, die Weltmitte neu aufzubauen. Die vergeblichen, metamorphischen Reisen des verlorenen Sohnes an die mit seiner Geburt genetisch verbundenen Orte, die missgelungenen Versuche der Wiederholung dieser Struktur, liessen den Dichter seine Hoffnung woanders suchen: die Wiege der Mittelmeerraumkultur, loci communes aller Topeen, Archetypen und Mythen unseres Kulturkreises. El in Arcadie ego beweist, dass die Italiamythe nichts mehr Neues zeigt, ihre Schönheit wurde (...) sprachlos. Die Gegenwart – der perfekte Mörder der Vergangenheit – zeigte die Unfruchtbarkeit der für die vergangenen Generationen mehrdeutigen Mythe des italienischen Kulturparadises. Meine Erorerung ist ein Versuch, den Poem im Zusammenhang mit dem Bankrott der bisherigen Esthetiksprachen abzulesen. (shrink)

In the history of Miron Białoszewski as a poet the main issues are on the exploitation of commonplace and the continuation of literary tradition of low and high culture. Apart from the mentioned traditional literary genres, allusions to certain literary texts and the visible traces of Hindu ideas, one can correspondingly find here references to the Biblical symbolism, the combination of elements from various artistic spheres and polemics with traditional literary patterns. In my study I described some particular references to (...) high literary culture and presented the examples of metatextual and intertextual references to such culture. At the same time I strove to explain the poet’s motives for using them. (shrink)

Der Band Matka odchodzi von Różewicz ist ein Buch über die Familie des Dichters. Zwischen der personlich Erklärung: „Ich bin ein Dichter”, und der ergreifenden Erinnerung: „Das Schönste und Wertwolle bei uns zu Hause ist die Muter”, ist ein Teil der Geschichte der Różewicz-Familie enthalten. Das ist auch ein Buch über eine alte Frau – die Muter, die einzige Ikone des für Różewicz charakteristischen Stils, die keine Banalität erlitten hat und den Weltzerfall nicht bewiest. Die Unabhängigkeit des Buches hat keinen (...) autonomischen Charakter, sondern ist eine schriftliche Bezeugungsweise der Ich – Identität. In den Band, in dem mehrere Lippenbekenntnisse von dem Beruf des Verfassers zu finden sind, gibt es kein einziges Gedicht. Man kann also keinesfalls einer Frage nach der originalität des Buches entweichen. Ich habe vor allem die Antwort darauf in Erwägung gezogen. (shrink)

Studie se zabývá analýzou politické teorie modu vivendi britského politického filosofa Johna Graye, přičemž za její hlavní cíl lze považovat především určení autorovy ideologické pozice v kontextu liberálního myšlení, jakož i posouzení koherence Grayovy teorie s koncepcí liberalismu strachu. Na základě kritické reflexe převažujícího univerzalistického pojetí liberalismu článek identifikuje a analyzuje stěžejní atributy Grayova specifického uchopení liberální teorie v podobě ideálu modu vivendi, etické teorie hodnotového pluralismu, univerzálního minima a hodnoty tolerance. V návaznosti na tuto identifikaci je následně zkoumán i (...) etický rozměr Grayovy politické teorie, jehož charakteristika umožňuje zhodnotit, do jaké míry lze autorovu teorii interpretovat v kontextu liberálního myšlení. V této souvislosti se studie rovněž snaží ukotvit Grayovu tvorbu v širším rámci alternativních projektů liberální teorie, když usiluje o prokázání principiálních paralel mezi Grayovým politickým modelem a politickým myšlením Bernarda Williamse jakožto stěžejním představitelem tzv. liberalismu strachu. Výzkum těchto paralel pak přispívá především k nastolení otázek souvisejících s možností důsledného odlišování politické a morální teorie a chápání konfliktu jakožto neodmyslitelné součásti politické reality v rámci současného liberalismu. The paper aims to analyse the political theory of modus vivendi by political philosopher John Gray and to determine the ideological standpoints of Gray's theory within the context of liberal thought as well as to assess its coherence with the concept of liberalism of fear. On the basis of a critical reflection of the prevailing universalistic conception of liberalism, the study identifies and analyses essential attributes of Gray's specific but controversial political theory: the ideal of modus vivendi; ethical theory of value pluralism; universal minimum and the value of toleration. Having interpreted all those main parts of the concept, the study is supposed to clarify also the ethical dimension of Gray's theory which makes it possible to decide to what extent the author might be identified as a liberal thinker. In this regard, the study endeavours to embed Gray's thought in a broader framework of alternative projects of liberal theory by demonstrating fundamental parallels between Gray's model and political thought of Bernard Williams as the main theoretician of liberalism of fear. Investigations of those parallels thus contributes towards articulating questions concerning the possibility of consistently distinguishing between the political and the moral theory as well as perception of a conflict as an ineradicable part of political reality in the framework of contemporary liberalism. (shrink)

This article argues that we could improve the design of research protocols by developing an awareness of and a responsiveness to the social contexts of all the actors in the research enterprise, including subjects, investigators, sponsors, and members of the community in which the research will be conducted. ?Social context? refers to the settings in which the actors are situated, including, but not limited to, their social, economic, political, cultural, and technological features. The utility of thinking about social contexts is (...) introduced and exemplified by the presentation of a hypothetical case in which one central issue is limitation of the probability of injury to subjects by selection of individuals who are not expected to live long enough for the known risks of the study to become manifest as harms. Benefits of such considerations may include enhanced subject satisfaction and cooperation, community acceptance, and improved data quality, among other desirable consequences. (shrink)

Judges wield enormous power in modern society and it is not surprising that scholars have long been interested in how judges think. The purpose of this article is to examine how US judges reason on language issues. To understand how courts decide on comprehension of constitutional rights by speakers with Limited English Proficiency (LEP), I analyzed 460 judicial opinions on appeals from LEP speakers, issued between 2000 and 2020. Two findings merit particular attention. Firstly, the analysis revealed that in 36% (...) of the interrogations, LEP speakers were advised of their rights only in English. This means that two decades after the Executive Order 13166 (2000) _Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency_, law enforcement still doesn’t have adequate resources to advise LEP speakers of their constitutional rights in their primary languages. Secondly, the analysis revealed that some courts treat second language proficiency as an all-or-none phenomenon. This approach results in linguistic discrimination against LEP speakers who cannot comprehend legal language but are denied the services of an interpreter because they can answer basic questions in English. I end the discusson with recommendations for best practices in delivery of constitutional rights. (shrink)

„Chciałbym poddać krytyce i przezwyciężyć obie tradycje intelektualne, które odgrywają dominującą rolę w badaniach nad umysłem: materialistyczną i dualistyczną. Ponieważ sądzę, że świadomość jest podstawowym zjawiskiem mentalnym, chciałbym zainicjować gruntowne badania nad świadomością, które czyniłyby zadość rygorom, jakie dyktują jej specyficzne własności. Chciałbym również wbić ostatni gwóźdź do trumny teorii głoszącej, że umysł jest programem komputerowym. Wreszcie, zamierzam wysunąć kilka propozycji dotyczących zreformowania naszych badań nad zjawiskami mentalnymi, abyśmy mogli żywic uzasadnione nadzieje na powtórne odkrycie umysłu". Akapit ten pochodzi z (...) wprowadzenia do książki Johna Searle'a Umysł na nowo odkryty. Czy cele stawiane przez autora zostały w pracy osiągnięte? (shrink)

„Chciałbym poddać krytyce i przezwyciężyć obie tradycje intelektualne, które odgrywają dominującą rolę w badaniach nad umysłem: materialistyczną i dualistyczną. Ponieważ sądzę, że świadomość jest podstawowym zjawiskiem mentalnym, chciałbym zainicjować gruntowne badania nad świadomością, które czyniłyby zadość rygorom, jakie dyktują jej specyficzne własności. Chciałbym również wbić ostatni gwóźdź do trumny teorii głoszącej, że umysł jest programem komputerowym. Wreszcie, zamierzam wysunąć kilka propozycji dotyczących zreformowania naszych badań nad zjawiskami mentalnymi, abyśmy mogli żywic uzasadnione nadzieje na powtórne odkrycie umysłu". Akapit ten pochodzi z (...) wprowadzenia do książki Johna Searle'a Umysł na nowo odkryty. Czy cele stawiane przez autora zostały w pracy osiągnięte? (shrink)

The goal of the present paper is to examine Wierzbicka¿s (1992, 1998a, 1999) claims that the connection between emotions and the body is encoded and emphasized in Russian to a higher degree than it is in English, and that English favors the adjectival pattern in emotion discourse, while Russian prefers the verbal one. The study analyzes oral narratives elicited through the same visual stimuli from 40 monolingual Russians and 40 monolingual Americans. The results of the quantitative and qualitative analyses of (...) the narrative corpus support Wierzbicka¿s claims, suggesting that ¿the reading of the body¿ is not a culture- and language-free experience, but is shaped by cultural, social, and linguistic forces, as well as by individual differences. At the same time, neither quantitative nor qualitative differences have been identified with regard to gendered use of emotion discourse. (shrink)

This book examines the development and adoption of corporate social responsibility in Polish businesses and social and environmental organizations, and analyzes the corresponding impact at the strategic and operational level in these fields. It presents the status quo of CSR in Poland from three main perspectives: The first presents theoretical works based on current research and recent advances, while the next takes a closer look at empirical findings in the different fields of CSR and presents best practices from major international (...) companies operating on the Polish market. Lastly, it presents a range of case studies from small and medium companies and NGOs in Poland and gives an outlook on the future development. Readers will benefit from an in-depth discussion of the opportunities and challenges that businesses and organizations in Poland are currently facing with regard to traditional national values and the influx of new cultural and social dimensions and patterns produced by international businesses entering the Polish market. Taken together, the lessons learned, case studies and snapshots of the latest developments provide a comprehensive overview of the state of the art of CSR in Poland, as well as a blueprint that can be applied to other Eastern European countries. (shrink)

The performative representation of the Spanish Roma woman reveals a historical journey that brings her closer to many symbolic elaborations of the feminine, giving her a special affinity with the imaginary concerning the colonized woman, particularly with the Orientalist vision. Developed initially by the travelling intellectuals in Spain who sought a fusion of the topics of sexualized exoticism, the myth was reworked by local artists and thinkers without undermining their power to silence and make invisible the reality of the most (...) vulnerable and most represented members of the ethnic group, their women. Today, a growing awareness of the importance of collective action directs Roma women to initiatives such as the revision of their historical memory, at the intersection between the external gaze and self-perception. These searches lead to the pioneering creation of community museum institutions, which have arisen around feminine Roma associations and are a symptom of an emerging desire to be heard. Based on the terminological tools shared by women and memory studies, this article seeks the personal dimension of this invitation to listen. The authors analyse a series of interviews with Roma women that investigate the social agents of representation, self-representation and their conceptual and experiential foundations. (shrink)

This study was designed to determine the quality of service through the evaluation of hospitalized patients. An analysis of hospitalized patients’ subjective feelings towards service quality was carried out, in the context of the application of the SERVQUAL method. The pilot study was conducted in a Silesian hospital in a group of 29 young patients diagnosed with kidney disease. The study used a standard sheet of 22 SERVQUAL statements and an analysis of the significance of the 5 areas of quality (...) material important for the patient. According to the respondents, the most important of the 5 features that influence the quality of life is the ability of the ward staff to provide adequate medical services The least important were the aesthetics and ergonomics of rooms. Service quality gaps were seen in all the five dimensions as well as in the overall service quality. Hence, the following conclusions could be made: 1. The SERVQUAL method helps to identify discrepancies between perceptions of patients’ expectations in all the dimensions of quality of medical services. 2. For patients, the least important is the material dimension, whereas the one most affecting them is the dimension associated with the reliability of medical services. 3. An improvement of the level of satisfaction with the quality of medical services requires proper planning and effectiveness of implementation of health care services. 4. Research should be conducted on a larger population of patients. (shrink)

The article presents findings from three studies designed to validate and culturally adapt the Polish version of the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire, a measure of the cognitive and emotional components of illness representations among oncology patients. The tool is conceptually based on Leventhal’s Self-Regulatory Model. The results of the study 1 show that it can be successfully used in a Polish cultural context as a reliable equivalent to its original English version. Analyses conducted in Study 2 provided good evidence for (...) construct and criterion validity as well as the internal reliability of the IPQ-R subscales. Study 3 revealed that the IPQ-R subscales present good test–retest reliability. Overall, the results show that the Polish version of the IPQ-R provides a comprehensive and psychometrically acceptable assessment of the representation of cancer and can be reliably used in studies involving Polish oncology patients. (shrink)

We demonstrate that social capital is associated with positive food security outcomes, using survey data from 378 households in rural Uganda. We measured food security with the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale. For social capital, we measured cognitive and structural indicators, with principal components analysis used to identify key factors of the concept for logistic regression analysis. Households with bridging and linking social capital, characterized by membership in groups, access to information from external institutions, and observance of norms in groups, (...) tended to be more food secure. Households with cognitive social capital, characterized by observance of generalized norms and mutual trust, were also more food secure than others. However, we established that social capital is, by itself, insufficient. It needs to be complemented with human capital enhancement. We recommend that development interventions which focus on strengthening community associations and networks to enhance food security should support activities which enhance cognitive social capital and human capital skills. Such activities include mutual goal setting, trust building and clear communication among actors. Education efforts for community members, both formal and non-formal, should also be supported such that they potentially strengthen social capital to improve food security in rural Uganda. (shrink)

The aim of the article is to outline the concept of transcendentalising reduction and to demonstrate what role it plays in Thomistic metaphysics. An adaptive interpretation has been used in the analyses by applying phenomenological thinking based on epoche reduction to Thomistic metaphysics. It was used to present the structure of transcendentalising reduction, which consists of several different epoché. Consistently applied, this reduction should lead to a neutralised concept of being as a subject of metaphysics expressed in the formula “being (...) as being”. In conclusion, we note that the proposed interpretation opens the door to further research in which phenomenology could be used in metaphysical studies to a greater extent than has been the case to date. (shrink)

The aim of our study was to test the effectiveness of the “three good things for others” intervention. We used the randomized controlled trial method, with four measurements (pretest, posttest, follow-up after 2 weeks, follow-up after 4 weeks) and with random assignment of participants to experimental and placebo control groups. We investigated the effects of the intervention on prosocial behavior, and in addition on positive and negative affect, and positive orientation (a general tendency to approach reality in a positive way). (...) The results showed an increase in positive affect and a decrease in negative affect in the experimental group a day after the intervention. These effects, however, did not endure over the next 2 or 4 weeks. We also observed a statistically significant increase in prosocial behavior in the placebo control group, in which participants were engaged in a task of recalling childhood memories. The results are discussed and recommendations for future studies are proposed. (shrink)

Hans Morgenthau was a founder of the modern discipline of International Relations, and his Politics among Nations was for decades the dominant textbook in the field. The character of his Realism has frequently been discussed in debates on methodology and the nature of theory in International Relations. Almost all of this discussion has mischaracterized his views. The clues given in his writings, as well as his biography, point directly to Max Weber’s methodological writings. Morgenthau, it is argued, was a sophisticated (...) user of Weber’s views who self-consciously applied them in the sphere of International Relations in such a way that Realism provided an ideal-typical model of the rational and responsible statesman. This interpretation both explains Morgenthau’s views and shows them to be a serious, complex, and compelling response to the issues which have animated the controversies over International Relations theory after Waltz’s presentation of the methodological basis for his neo-Realism. (shrink)

In men, high levels of endogenous testosterone (T) seem to encourage behavior intended to dominate other people. Sometimes dominant behavior is aggressive, its apparent intent being to inflict harm on another person, but often dominance is expressed nonaggressively. Sometimes dominant behavior takes the form of antisocial behavior, including rebellion against authority and law breaking. Measurement of T at a single point in time, presumably indicative of a man's basal T level, predicts many of these dominant or antisocial behaviors. T not (...) only affects behavior but also responds to it. The act of competing for dominant status affects male T levels in two ways. First, T rises in the face of a challenge, as if it were an anticipatory response to impending competition. Second, after the competition, T rises in winners and declines in losers. Thus, there is a reciprocity between T and dominance behavior, each affecting the other. We contrast a reciprocal model, in which T level is variable, acting as both a cause and effect of behavior, with a basal model, in which T level is assumed to be a persistent trait that influences behavior. An unusual data set on Air Force veterans, in which data were collected four times over a decade, enables us to compare the basal and reciprocal models as explanations for the relationship between T and divorce. We discuss sociological implications of these models. (shrink)

The most important issue remains: Whether attorneys should serve on HECs? Will they tend to inhibit the development of other discussions, ethical discussions, regarding the issues brought before the HEC? D. Niemira (17, p. 982) suggests that what a hospital needs is not necessarily an attorney to help in their ethical deliberations, but an ethicist. This suggestion should receive further analysis. What types of ethical deliberations to which attorneys have not been exposed in their legal training are important given the (...) broader attorney-role (beyond giving legal opinion) in HEC discussions?The pro-active attorney faces many challenges, both in the current setting (as cases are brought to the HEC) and as future questions are raised (due to innovations in medical technology). These questions remain unclarified by the courts. The nature of the attorney's role is ever challenging; he or she remains in a key position that is currently needed (regarding the uncharted areas of HEC decisionmaking) and important for the future (as new cases emerge and require extensive deliberations). (shrink)

“The Craft of Formal Logic” is Arthur Prior’s unpublished textbook, written in 1950–51, in which he developed a theory of modality as quantification over possible worlds-like objects. This theory predates most of the prominent pioneering texts in possible worlds semantics and anticipates the significance of its basic concept in modal logic. Prior explicitly defines modal operators as quantifiers of ‘entities’ with modal character. Although he talks about these ‘entities’ only informally, and hesitates how to name them, using alternately the phrases (...) ‘possible states of affairs’, ‘chances’, ‘cases’ or ‘peculiar objects’, he is nevertheless very clear that they should be the fundamental concept of any theory of modality as a form of quantity. Without the assumption that modal operators quantify over such modal objects, the modal system will be incapable of distinguishing an actually true proposition from a necessarily true one. Due to the fact that Prior never made any direct reference to this theory in his subsequently published papers, it remained largely unknown. The comparison of “The Craft” with some of his papers on tense logic suggests that this early theory of modality underlies his later work on temporality. (shrink)

The face is a component of an individual’s image, and as such it belongs to the attributes of a person’s identity. The spread of photography and other means of recording the image of a person’s face have been accompanied by an increase in the scale of threats of unauthorized intrusion into the sphere of individual privacy. The nature and frequency of the manifestations of interference with privacy are significantly influenced by the Internet and easy access to mass media, including electronic (...) media, in the information society. These phenomena are also becoming apparent in the field of employment. With the development of modern technologies used in workplaces to process personal data and control employees, the threat of unwarranted intrusion into the sphere of privacy of a person performing subordinate work is constantly increasing—not only by the employer, but also by third parties. Nowadays, one-, two- and three-dimensional images of the employee’s face are processed, including the use of biometric techniques. This paper attempts to show the limits of permissible interference in the sphere of employee privacy in connection with the recording, processing and sharing of images of the employee’s face using modern technologies. The subject of the analysis will be the solutions in EU and national law; in particular, those regulations concerning the protection of an employee’s personal data. The formal-dogmatic method is the basic research tool used to achieve the research objective. (shrink)