Search

Energy utilities play an important role in transitioning to a sustainable energy industry. Data on 8967 transactions by 19 European energy utilities from 1990 to 2019 illustrate when and how utilities invest in sustainable resources and divest traditional resources such as fossil-fuel plants. Utilities transitioning to sustainable energy have greater financial resources and experience with sustainability, are publicly owned, and access sustainable resources of international and inter-industry partners. Utilities adopt a diversified strategy of balancing sustainable and traditional resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pollution haven hypothesis is widely used to explain the predatory relocation of foreign investors to emerging markets. However, the long-term effect of the pollution haven hypothesis remains a mystery, given the natural evolution of environmental regulations. This study proposes that the likelihood of foreign divestment in the emerging market increases when the regional environmental regulatory pressure becomes more stringent. Empirical support is obtained through a Cox proportional hazard model of 402 international joint ventures established in China in 2000, whose foreign divestment status is traced until 2017. The findings support the karmic debt of the pollution haven hypothesis; that is, foreign investors' focus on avoiding environmental regulatory costs by relocating to emerging markets in the short run will backfire in the long run unless they bring something of value to the host market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT We present empirical evidence on the relationship between military spending and the expansion of other government budget items and tax revenues from the unification of Italy (1861) up to the end of World War II. Until 1922, investments in education and social transfers to families mainly moved in step with defence spending. This means that increases in defence spending imply an increase in both education spending and transfers. Moreover, transfers also play a compensatory role during recessions. Increases in defence spending do not crowd out investment in capital expenditure, while disinvestment in defence is associated with an increase in investment in capital. The pro‐cyclical behaviour of tax revenues is compatible with the debt‐financing dynamic of much government expenditure. Although our analytical narrative is not universally valid, it does support the persistent centrality of external wars in the discontinuous growth and expansion of central government in the Italian state, with some exceptions explained by historical events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1991, Philadelphia prosecutors formed the Public Nuisance Task Force (PNTF) to close bars they accused of harboring narcotics activity. Between the early 1990s and the late 2010s, the PNTF would go on to seize 1,697 homes, most located in Black and Latinx neighborhoods devastated by decades of disinvestment. I contend that the PNTF mobilized municipal carceral power to target these drug nuisance properties as they attempted to manage enduring disinvestment in Philadelphia's most racially segregated neighborhoods. Prosecutors defended these practices by claiming they remedied the harms associated with the criminalized distribution of narcotics. However, my research reveals how the PNTF's home seizure program ultimately exacerbated the compounded harms caused by drug prohibition and disinvestment. I argue that within this drug nuisance policing framework utilized by PNTF prosecutors, it was precisely the vulnerability of Black and Latinx homeowners to harm that racially marked them as unfit for property ownership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of early gentrification have largely focused on cases of White gentrifiers in predominately White and Latinx low-income neighborhoods, which has overlooked the role of the Black middle-class and the presence of Black gentrifiers in early gentrification. In this article, we document the role of the Black middle-class in early gentrification in 1970s Fort Greene, Brooklyn, demonstrating their role in a "defensive development" strategy to protect the neighborhood from state-led demolition-style urban renewal. The Fort Greene Landmarks Preservation Committee, a Black, middle-class led coalition of multi-racial, middle-class residents pursued historic designation to preserve the multi-racial and predominately Black, mixed-income neighborhood from further demolition from urban renewal and disinvestment from redlining. Our findings confirm that early Black gentrification, like tract contemporary Black gentrification can both provide temporary protections for the Black community and lead to further gentrification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses data at the intersection of digital geographies, critical data studies, and Black studies to bring clarity to relations, differences, and frictions between Black knowledge‐making and common data practices. I highlight artist Tonika Lewis Johnson's project, Inequity for Sale, and detail a genealogy of the data she uses in this project to illustrate how she situates these data within the afterlives of slavery. Drawing from Avery Gordon's theorisation of haunting and ideas towards absences and erasures in Black archival practice, I argue that absences in data can lead to narratives that focus on violence as a singular historical event that is isolated from a larger history of violence. I suggest that bringing a curiosity to these absences, rather than dismissing them or framing them as oversights, can help re‐situate data within a broader temporal‐relational context that brings a sense of Black humanity to the fore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Neighborhood effects" research, which maintains that poverty concentration generates a variety of social problems, has been questioned for concealing the role of powerful institutions. As an alternative, we focus on external institutions' practices in marginal neighborhoods and their impact on the emergence of social problems. Through a qualitative case-study of three neighborhoods in Santiago, we observed institutional practices and identified three distinct mechanisms. Through disinvestments, these neighborhoods have been turned into "Red Zones," because of public, private, and civil institutions' refusal to establish themselves and to deliver their services there. Through inaction and inefficacy, public intervention has been deeply intermittent, negligent, and uncoordinated. Finally, through territorial stigmatization, these neighborhoods have almost become no-go areas. Several material and symbolic consequences have resulted from these practices, including direct and indirect connections with social problems. These have implications for the debate on "neighborhood effects" and for social mix policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars propose that future research on real options theory should shift attention away from option buying during the first investment stage and toward option execution after investment. Researchers maintain that it would be interesting to explore the circumstances under which investors decide to withdraw their investments, thereby exercising the option to abandon their investments. The present research seeks to fill the gap in the literature and investigate the applicability of real options theory when an organization enhances sustainability policies while focusing on disciplined capital allocation through exit strategies. With case study data on Natura &Co's divestment strategy for the Body Shop in November 2023, a real options analysis revealed the method's practical advantages and disadvantages. This paper investigates real options theory in the context of the divestments of foreign affiliates, providing unique viewpoints and enhancing the theory beyond previous knowledge while also increasing our understanding of the divestiture phenomenon. This study concludes with a review of this paper's theoretical contributions to real options theory, the managerial and practical/social implications of real options applications in general, and the valuation methods of abandonment options in particular, shedding light on the potential of future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of International Business Studies is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Previous research has stressed the importance of the relationship between foreign divestment and subsequent firm performance. Yet, controversy remains, as some authors suggest that foreign divestment has a positive effect on firm performance, and others propose that foreign divestment has negative performance effects. To help reconcile this controversy, we first explicate existing arguments and argue that in the context of retail (de‐)internationalisation, foreign divestment will have a predominantly negative effect on retailers' financial performance. We then draw on organisational learning theory to argue that this negative performance effect of foreign divestment is contingent on (a) the spatial dispersion of previously divested foreign operations (i.e. the extent of geographical diversity of the foreign divestments the multinational enterprise [MNE] has conducted over a specified period of time), and (b) the temporal dispersion of previously divested foreign operations (i.e. the time between prior divestment episodes). Drawing on a panel of some of the largest retail MNEs over the 20‐year period 1997–2016, we find that foreign divestment has a negative effect on retailers' subsequent performance. Our results also indicate that the negative performance effect of foreign divestment is effectively mitigated by retailers' prior divestment experience in spatially diverse and temporally dispersed settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Background Method Results Implications To examine how having more than one trans person in a family facilitates investments in or divestments from cisnormativity.While there is now a robust body of literature on trans people's experiences with cisgender family members and vice versa, largely missing has been a focus on families where more than one person in the family is trans.This paper focuses on a subsample of 10 families from a large international qualitative longitudinal study conducted across six countries, focused on trans young people and their families. The paper draws on interviews conducted in 2022 and 2023 with families in which more than one family member was trans. Transcribed interviews were analyzed thematically.The themes developed indicate that while for some families having multiple trans family members may mean that some cisgender family members invest further in cisnormativity, for other family members the existence of multiple trans family members may encourage divestments from cisnormativity, to the benefit of trans young people. Specifically, themes focus on multiple trans family members highlighting cisnormativity, and conversely, multiple trans family members indicating likelihood of support and offering a safe haven.The paper concludes by emphasizing that while encouraging divestments from cisnormativity should not be the work of trans people, it is nonetheless important that research continues to investigate the experiences of families in which more than one person is trans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses unique South Korean data to demonstrate whether the public disclosure of audit hour (effort) information influences investor sentiment, proxied by stock price volatility. Over the 2005–2018 sample period, empirical results show that clients that secure increasing levels of audit hours enjoy lower stock price volatility. Furthermore, incrementally higher levels of audit hours reduce stock price volatility to a greater extent for Big4 clients, compared to Non-Big4 clients. Results are consistent after performing various additional tests including endogeneity, fixed/year effects, and after controlling for the audit fee premium effect. The aforementioned findings are interpreted from an audit demand theory perspective. More specifically, following South Korea's unique audit hour disclosure policy, market participants can make audit quality assertions using audit hour information, which influences investment/disinvestment speculation. Given that audit hour information reporting is rare internationally, the results have important audit policy and business planning implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the phenomenon of resource nationalism in Indonesia, where high commodity prices often lead to increased state intervention and control over the economy. Historically, Indonesia has followed this trend, scaling back nationalist ambitions during periods of low commodity prices to attract foreign investment. However, in recent years, Indonesia has continued to pursue economic nationalism in its natural resources sector, even as commodity prices have fallen. The article highlights a new book that explores this topic, examining the different forms and outcomes of economic nationalism in sectors such as coal, palm oil, and petroleum. The book argues that business power plays a significant role in driving or containing nationalist proposals, but the state also has an active role in pursuing the national interest. The article concludes by discussing the reasons for the persistence of resource nationalism in Indonesia, including the diversification of the economy and the growth of domestic businesses. Overall, the book provides valuable insights into the complex political economy of Indonesia and sets the stage for future research. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Journal of Planning Education & Research is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article argues that universities should not merely reject but publicly denounce demands to divest from Israel, whether those demands are general or more targeted. It does so first by exposing the fundamentally racist nature of the divestment demands, then subsequently examines several recent university precedents to extract some dozen content-neutral arguments against divestment. If anything, for moral, humanitarian, financial, and most of all academic reasons universities should be investing in, not divesting from, Israel. In this light, anti-Israel activism can be seen as attempting to hijack the university to promote its own, ultimately genocidal agenda, and hence must be vigorously denounced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document provides a comprehensive list of references and citations for articles and studies related to the use of trastuzumab emtansine and trastuzumab deruxtecan in the treatment of HER2-positive/mutated malignancies. The articles cover various topics, including the mechanism of action of trastuzumab, the safety profile of trastuzumab-based antibody-drug conjugates, and the evolving therapeutic landscape of trastuzumab-drug conjugates. [Extracted from the article]

This study aims to depict the dramatic exit of Western multinational corporations (MNCs) from Russia after the escalation of the Russia – Ukraine conflict and the beginning of military action between the two countries. The beginning of intensive military actions between Russia and Ukraine served as a pretext for strengthening Western sanctions that now not only include sanctions against Russian physical and legal persons but also the ban on trade with Russia, the ban on financial transactions, and strict control of value appropriation by foreign corporate centres of Western MNCs in Russia. We demonstrate how Western corporations selected candidates for divestment under pressure from their home countries and the strengthening demands of the Russian government towards both sides of the deal with foreign industrial assets. Moreover, the present study refutes several popular postulates on foreign divestment and indicates several promising directions for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces DivFolio , a multiperiod portfolio selection and analytic software application that incorporates automated and user-determined divestment practices accommodating Environmental Social Governance (ESG) and portfolio carbon footprint considerations. This freely available portfolio analytics software tool is written in R with a GUI interface developed as an R Shiny application for ease of user experience. Users can utilize this software to dynamically assess the performance of asset selections from global equity, exchange-traded funds, exchange-traded notes, and depositary receipts markets over multiple time periods. This assessment is based on the impact of ESG investment and fossil-fuel divestment practices on portfolio behavior in terms of risk, return, stability, diversification, and climate mitigation credentials of associated investment decisions. We highlight two applications of DivFolio. The first revolves around using sector scanning to divest from a specialized portfolio featuring constituents of the FTSE 100. The second, rooted in actuarial considerations, focuses on divestment strategies informed by environmental risk assessments for mixed pension portfolios in the US and UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to evaluate the financial risk, debt, and efficiency of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in Indonesia's construction industry and compare these aspects with those of private companies through financial ratio analysis and efficiency analysis approaches. Four SOEs from the construction sector were evaluated and compared to five private companies with financial data ranging from 2015 to 2022. Financial ratio analysis was applied to assess debt and financial risk, while efficiency analysis utilized data envelopment analysis (DEA) and paired t-tests to validate differences between the two groups of companies. This study reveals that the financial ratio performance of state-owned companies is relatively poor, with low profitability, critical liquidity, and a high debt ratio. Debt, as a source of capital in financing construction projects, causes companies to face a greater debt risk. This study also validates that SOEs have lower efficiency compared to private companies. In response to current challenges, SOEs should prioritize enhancing liquidity through faster receivable collections, debt restructuring, capital infusions, and divestment, reducing non-essential investments, focusing on asset recycling, and improving project efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Note analyzes the benefit of using environmental, social, and governance matters ("ESG") by public pension plan fiduciaries when considering investment decisions, financial impacts, and calculation of risk. States have recently proposed or adopted anti-ESG legislation like boycott bills that limit the ability of state entities to do business with companies that boycott certain industries based on ESG concerns and anti-ESG regulations that restrict access of public pension fiduciaries to companies that utilize ESG criteria in their investment process. Anti-ESG state action raises important questions of whether public pension plan fiduciaries act within their duties to beneficiaries when making investment decisions based on ESG factors and whether state governments force public pension plan fiduciaries to violate their duties to plan beneficiaries by imposing anti-ESG investment restrictions on them. This Note argues that states should repeal anti-ESG laws because public pensioners will be harmed by decreased effectiveness on the part of fiduciaries and increased costs from litigation, investment losses, and industry divestment. As a solution, this Note proposes that states adopt permissive ESG policies like those stated in the 2022 Department of Labor Rule regarding private employer pensions governed under the Employee Retirement Security Income Act of 1974 ("ERISA"). Where states adopt ESG laws that parallel those of the private sector, public pension fiduciaries will be more able to comply with both state law and fiduciary duties in good faith while increasing investment returns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Adjuvant radiotherapy represents a key component in curative-intent treatment for early-stage breast cancer patients. In recent years, two accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) techniques are preferred for this population in our organization: electron-based Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) and Linac-based External Beam Radiotherapy, particularly Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Recently published long-term follow-up data evaluating these technologies have motivated a health technology reassessment of IORT compared to IMRT. Methods We developed a Markov model to simulate health-state transitions from a cohort of women with early-stage breast cancer, after lumpectomy and adjuvant APBI using either IORT or IMRT techniques. The cost-effectiveness from a private health provider perspective was assessed from a disinvestment point of view, using life-years (LYs) and recurrence-free life-years (RFLYs) as measure of benefits, along with their respective quality adjustments. Expected costs and benefits, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) were reported. Finally, a sensitivity and scenario analyses were performed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness using lower IORT local recurrence and metastasis rates in IORT patients, and if equipment maintenance costs are removed. Results IORT technology was dominated by IMRT in all cases (i.e., fewer benefits with greater costs). Despite small differences were found regarding benefits, especially for LYs, costs were considerably higher for IORT. For sensitivity analyses with lower recurrence and metastasis rates for IORT, and scenario analyses without equipment maintenance costs, IORT was still dominated by IMRT. Conclusions For this cohort of patients, IMRT was, at least, non-inferior to IORT in terms of expected benefits, with considerably lower costs. As a result, IORT disinvestment should be considered, favoring the use of IMRT in these patients.

Reversing physical disinvestment, e.g., by remediating abandoned buildings and vacant lots, is an evidence-based strategy to reduce urban firearm violence. However, adoption of this strategy has been inconsistent across US cities. Our community-academic partnership sought to support adoption in Toledo, OH, USA, by generating locally relevant analyses on physical disinvestment and firearm violence. We used a spatial case–control design with matching. Physical disinvestment measures were derived from a citywide parcel foot audit conducted by the Lucas County Land Bank in summer 2021. Firearm violence outcomes were incident-level shootings data from the Toledo Police Department from October 2021 through February 2023. Shooting locations were matched to controls 1:4 on poverty rate, roadway characteristics, and zoning type. Exposures were calculated by aggregating parcels within 5-min walking buffers of each case and control point. We tested multiple disinvestment measures, including a composite index. Models were logistic regressions that adjusted for the matching variables and for potential spatial autocorrelation. Our sample included N = 281 shooting locations and N = 1124 matched controls. A 1-unit increase in the disinvestment score, equal to approximately 1 additional disrepair condition for the average parcel within the walking buffer, was associated with 1.68 times (95% CI: 1.36, 2.07) higher odds of shooting incidence. Across all other measures, greater disinvestment was associated with higher odds of shooting incidence. Our finding of a strong association between physical disinvestment and firearm violence in Toledo can inform local action. Community-academic partnership could help increase adoption of violence prevention strategies focused on reversing physical disinvestment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a collaboration between Anetha Perry, who conducted dissertation research in Camden, NJ, and Stephen Danley, her faculty advisor, who is also deeply engaged in that city, which has suffered from severe disinvestment. Perry’s contribution is drawn from her year-long eff ort to return to her childhood home, Perry House, which had served as a Black settlement house during her parents’ lifetimes. Danley adds perspectives as a community-engaged scholar, overseeing and supporting this home-going eff ort. Their observations underscore the obstacles that confront those trying to invest in a deeply disinvested neighbourhood. They also point out the benefits of settlement houses, like the Perry House, which have a true ‘insider’s view’ of the struggles to achieve rootedness in the face of many displacing processes. They underscore the potential of such eff orts to aid in the creation of policies that stop disinvestment and pivot towards urban restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to consider the ethical and environmental implications of allowing space resource extraction to disrupt existing fuel economies, including how companies can be held accountable for ensuring the responsible use of their space assets. It will also briefly consider how such assets should be taxed, and the cost/benefit analyses required to justify the considerable expense of supporting this emerging space industry. Design/methodology/approach: This paper adopts theoretical bioethics methodologies to explore issues of normative ethics and the formulation of moral rules to govern individual, collective and institutional behaviour. Specifically, it considers social justice and social contract theory, consequentialist and deontological accounts of ethical evaluation. It also draws on sociological and organisational literature to discuss Dowling and Pfeffer's (1975) and Suchman's (1995) theories of pragmatic, cognitive and moral legitimacy as they may be applied to off-world mining regulations and the handling of space assets. Findings: The findings of this conceptual paper indicate there is both a growing appetite for tighter resource extraction regulations to address climate change and wealth concentration globally, and an opportunity to establish and legitimise new ethical norms for commercial activity in space that can avoid some of the challenges currently facing fossil fuel divestment movements on Earth. Originality/value: By adopting methodologies from theoretical bioethics, sociology and business studies, including applying a legitimacy lens to the issue of off-world mining, this paper synthesises existing knowledges from these fields and brings them to the new context of the future space resource economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate whether older people correctly perceive their cognitive decline and the potential financial consequences of misperception. First, we show that older people tend to underestimate their cognitive decline. We then show that those experiencing a severe decline but unaware of it are more likely to suffer wealth losses. These losses largely reflect decreases in financial wealth and are mainly experienced by wealthier people who were previously active on the stock market. Our findings support the view that financial losses among older people unaware of their cognitive decline are the result of bad financial decisions, not of rational disinvestment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This conversation between Terri Friedline and Matt Remle took place in November 2022. The conversation occurred as private banks were increasing their investments in fossil fuels and organizers were calling to establish new, publicly accountable financial institutions that would not underwrite climate devastation. As a Hunkpapa Lakota man and member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, Matt has actively participated in and led fossil fuel divestment and public banking campaigns. He has also protested militarism, wars, economic sanctions, and toxic waste sites. In addition to recognizing many people's long-held appreciation for Matt's perspectives, my intentions in having this conversation were to move the study of financial well-being markedly beyond its common individualized focus and to consider the ways that systems of oppression and domination shape families' financial lives. Along these lines, we talked about settler colonialism, fossil fuel divestment, and public banking advocacy. Our conversation concludes with a call to build authentic relationships, with humility and genuineness, as a path toward truly dismantling settler colonialism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing group of institutional investors use divestment strategically to deter misconducts that are harmful for the climate and society. Based on Kantian ethics, we propose that divestment represents investors' universal and absolute moral commitment to socially responsible investing (SRI). Following categorical and hypothetical imperatives and reciprocity as a norm, we hypothesize how institutional investors' commit to SRI through a divestment strategy against ethically reprehensible behaviour of banks, especially when these investors represent banks themselves. Using a hand-collected database of the revelation dates of enforcement actions on banks, we find evidence that banks are less likely to divest equity holding on banks with misconduct (fined banks) than their non-bank institutional investors peers. Banks that commit to invest responsibly by signing for the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) are not significantly more likely to divest on fined banks stocks than non-signatory banks. Moreover, divestment of fined banks whose own legitimacy to operate is in question is not significantly different from non-fined banks divestment. We find that European banks are more inclined to sell their holdings permanently on fined banks than their United States peers. Therefore, bank's moral commitment to SRI via divestments is influenced more by cultural and reciprocity norms than their moral commitment to participate in the PRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Urologists practicing in single‐specialty groups with ownership in radiation vaults are more likely to treat men with prostate cancer. The effect of divestment of vault ownership on treatment patterns is unclear. Methods: A 20% sample of national Medicare claims was used to perform a retrospective cohort study of men with prostate cancer diagnosed between 2010 and 2019. Urology practices were categorized by radiation vault ownership as nonowners, continuous owners, and divested owners. The primary outcome was use of local treatment, and the secondary outcome was use of intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). A difference‐in‐differences framework was used to measure the effect of divestment on outcomes compared to continuous owners. Subgroup analyses assessed outcomes by noncancer mortality risk (high [>50%] vs. low [≤50%]). Results: Among 72 urology practices that owned radiation vaults, six divested during the study. Divestment led to a decrease in treatment compared with those managed at continuously owning practices (difference‐in‐differences estimate, −13%; p =.03). The use of IMRT decreased, but this was not statistically significant (difference‐in‐differences estimate, −10%; p =.13). In men with a high noncancer mortality risk, treatment (difference‐in‐differences estimate, −28%; p <.001) and use of IMRT (difference‐in‐differences estimate, −27%; p <.001) decreased after divestment. Conclusions: Urology group divestment from radiation vault ownership led to a decrease in prostate cancer treatment. This decrease was most pronounced in men who had a high noncancer mortality risk. This has important implications for health care reform by suggesting that payment programs that encourage constraints on utilization, when appropriate, may be effective in reducing overtreatment. Urology group divestment from radiation vault ownership led to a decrease in prostate cancer treatment. This effect was most pronounced in men with high noncancer mortality risk in the 10 years after diagnosis—those least likely to benefit from treatment. These findings lend support to the causal relationship between financial incentives and physician behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the past five years the cultural world in Germany has been shaken and divided by a series of controversies involving contemporary works of art charged with being anti-Semitic. Obviously, with the Holocaust continuing to occupy a major position in modern German consciousness and history, sensitivity to anti-Semitic expressions is particularly keen here. This sensitivity has been increased by a number of recent developments, including the growing visibility of far-right political groups, the rise of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement (BDS) protesting Israeli treatment of the Palestinians, and the official politicization of these tensions by a parliamentary ruling in 2015 restricting the activities of the BDS. The conflict between legitimate criticism of policies of the Israeli state and legitimate censorship of ethnically offensive material has recently become increasingly bitter in Germany. This article discusses the dynamics of three of the most significant recent examples: the conflict involving Germany's most prestigious arts festival, the Kassell documenta in 2020; the withdrawal in 2022 of the European Drama Award, the continent's largest award, from British dramatist Caryl Churchill; and the withdrawal from the Munich stage of the most recent play by Wajdi Mouawad, who has been widely heralded in Germany as the most significant contemporary dramatist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines anti-litter labour in Philadelphia as a site of political possibility. Drawing on four years of ethnographic fieldwork conducted with a grassroots anti-litter group, I argue that embodied spatial practices at the organisation's clean-ups produce lived and imagined images of a more just urban landscape. These imperfect and impermanent images illuminate the possibilities and challenges of transforming landscapes of uneven disinvestment through acts of radical care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Economics is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Gaza War is a watershed moment not only in the Middle East. It has also increased political divisions in Germany, where Israel's security and the fight against anti-Semitism are part of its historical legacy and political and moral identity. Incidents of anti-Semitism have increased dramatically, as have overdrawn accusations of it. An analysis of controversies about the definition of anti-Semitism, about the use of the term apartheid for the situation in the West Bank, of the BDS movement (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions), and particularly the characterization of Israel as a settler-colonial state shows how difficult it has become to maintain a fair, honest, and frank discussion considering different points of view. The current crisis should be used as an opportunity for Germany to, on the one hand, face the unavoidable contradictions in its responsibilities stemming from the crimes of its Nazi past and, on the other hand, come to grips not only with Arab and Iranian terrorism and eliminationist rhetoric but also with the deficiencies in Israel's policies toward the Palestinians. Germany's new leitmotiv ought to be: 'Between the River and the Sea, Jews and Arabs should be free.' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adjuvant radiotherapy represents a key component in curative-intent treatment for early-stage breast cancer patients. In recent years, two accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) techniques are preferred for this population in our organization: electron-based Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) and Linac-based External Beam Radiotherapy, particularly Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Recently published long-term follow-up data evaluating these technologies have motivated a health technology reassessment of IORT compared to IMRT. Methods: We developed a Markov model to simulate health-state transitions from a cohort of women with early-stage breast cancer, after lumpectomy and adjuvant APBI using either IORT or IMRT techniques. The cost-effectiveness from a private health provider perspective was assessed from a disinvestment point of view, using life-years (LYs) and recurrence-free life-years (RFLYs) as measure of benefits, along with their respective quality adjustments. Expected costs and benefits, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) were reported. Finally, a sensitivity and scenario analyses were performed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness using lower IORT local recurrence and metastasis rates in IORT patients, and if equipment maintenance costs are removed. Results: IORT technology was dominated by IMRT in all cases (i.e., fewer benefits with greater costs). Despite small differences were found regarding benefits, especially for LYs, costs were considerably higher for IORT. For sensitivity analyses with lower recurrence and metastasis rates for IORT, and scenario analyses without equipment maintenance costs, IORT was still dominated by IMRT. Conclusions: For this cohort of patients, IMRT was, at least, non-inferior to IORT in terms of expected benefits, with considerably lower costs. As a result, IORT disinvestment should be considered, favoring the use of IMRT in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a limited amount of literature and data available on the topic of foreign divestment in African countries. The majority of research examining international divestment have primarily concentrated on a single-country context and have utilised factors at the level of individual firms. Unlike other papers, this study took a comprehensive approach by examining foreign divestiture across multiple countries on a continental scale. We analyse the correlation between foreign divestment, financial development, and economic growth over both short and long periods using annual data from 2000 to 2020 in 35 African nations. The principal estimating technique employed was the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) co-integration approach. The study's primary findings revealed a favourable enduring correlation between foreign divestiture and financial development, while indicating an unfavourable enduring correlation between foreign divestment and economic growth. Furthermore, the study found that there is a negative correlation between international divestiture and financial development in the short term. On the other hand, there is a positive and significant correlation between foreign divestment and economic growth. Thus, it is imperative for policymakers to implement rules with efficiency and promote foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows in order to enhance economic growth and development in African countries. Additionally, it is imperative for authorities to establish a surveillance system to monitor these connections and adapt policy accordingly in light of evolving economic conditions. The results of this study will not only enhance scholarly discussions, but also offer valuable insights to policymakers, practitioners, businesses, and foreign investors on how to effectively execute policies that promote economic growth and foreign investment in Africa. Moreover, this study provides suggestions for future investigations in the field of foreign divestment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International business scholars have long recognized the potential influence of cultural differences on foreign divestment; however, the empirical results are mixed. Our study helps resolve this contradiction and contribute to the existing literature in three ways. First, we advocate the use of cultural friction metric, instead of the more traditional cultural distance approach. This overcomes a key limitation in the modelling the impact of cultural differences. The friction construct metric includes an index of firm-specific factors, referred to as the degree of 'cultural interaction'. This index moderates the impact of cultural distance, reflecting firm—level differences. We also build on calls for more Positive Organizational Scholarship by challenging the negative bias in the international business literature and propose a curvilinear effect of cultural differences on divestment probability. Lastly, we investigate a potential boundary condition—the moderating effect of entry mode on the main hypothesis. Our empirical sample include 2120 Finnish foreign subsidiaries operating in 40 countries during 1970–2010. Our analyses confirm that the cultural differences, when measured by the friction metric, appear to be a significant and superior predictor of subsidiary divestment probability, and that the relationship appears to be U-shaped. Our robustness analyses also highlight the importance of which cultural framework is applied and controlling for selection bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unsatisfactory performance of public sector made the Government introduce Memorandum of understanding and disinvestment. This study has been undertaken to analyze the performance of memorandum of understanding signed firms over the years. In addition, the performance of MoU-signed disinvested and MoU-signed non-disinvested firms have also been examined. Performance has been analysed using different ratios; return on equity, return on assets, net income productivity per employee and sales productivity per employee. In-line to analyze the effectiveness of data, random effect panel regression has been used to study the performance of sixty MoU signed PSEs for 15 years (2004-2018). The results indicate that the profitability of MoU signed non-disinvested firms is better than MoU signed disinvested firms. This could be possibly due to the more substantial managerial autonomy impact on the performance. Assets turnover ratio, leverage, and age have a significant effect on the performance of firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a targeted terminal wealth generated by bond and risky assets, where the proportion of a risky asset is gradually being phased down, we propose a divestment model in a risky asset compensated by growth in a bond (insurance). The model includes the phase-down rate of the risky asset, c (t) , the variable proportion, π (t) , in a risky asset and the interest rate, r , of the bond. To guide the growth of the total wealth in this study, we compared it to the Øksendal and Sulem (Backward Stochastic Differential Equations and Risk Measures (2019)) total wealth for which c (t) = 0 , and π (t) is a constant. We employed the Fokker–Planck equation to find the variable moment, π (t) , and the associated variance. We proved the existence and uniqueness of the first moment by Feller's criteria. We have found a pair (c * (t) , r *) for each π (t) , which guarantees a growing total wealth. We have addressed the question whether this pair can reasonably be achieved to ensure an acceptable phase-down rate at a financially achievable interest rate, r * . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing from the basic tenets of the Marxist structuralist theory of the state, this article argues that the government's pursuit of neoliberal economic reforms since the 1980s undermined investment in agriculture, particularly cereal crop production. The findings of this research are crucial as they reveal that the drop in food production following the reduced investment in agriculture led to increasing reliance on importation to meet rising domestic food demands. Documentary methods and content analysis were used for data collection and analysis. Findings show that inadequate government funding and the withdrawal of agro-based incentives affect farmers’ access to enhancers of agricultural productivity such as fertilizers, credit facilities, irrigation, and extension services. Furthermore, farmers’ limited access to these facilities and services affected crop yields and food production in Nigeria. Hence, the article recommends the adoption of a national economic policy that will encourage massive investment in agriculture and support infrastructures as well as protect local agro-based industries as bases for attaining food security for both consumption and export purposes in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article highlights into the challenges faced by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and proposes solutions to address its deteriorating conditions. It emphasizes the need for preserving affordable housing, discussing NYCHA's historical significance, the impact of disinvestment, and the creation of the New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust.

A separate Alberta Pension Plan (APP) has recently gained renewed attention. In this paper, I assess the long-run viability of such a plan by using both a detailed quantitative model and simple, intuitive approaches. I find only modest scope for changes in benefit levels and contribution rates relative to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). Specifically, I estimate an APP minimum contribution rate of 8.2 percent, compared to the base CPP's 9.5 percent. With the same 0.4 percentage point cushion as in the CPP, the APP legislated contribution rate would then be 8.6 percent. This figure is in sharp contrast to a recent government-commissioned report (LifeWorks 2023), which found a contribution rate of 5.9 percent. I explain this disparity and show that much depends on how one interprets imprecise language in the Canada Pension Plan Act. I also explore several relevant risks. Alberta's positive net migration flows, for example, account for nearly two-thirds of its pension advantage. And, depending on the time horizon, investment risks may eliminate its entire advantage. Overall, this paper provides an updated foundation not only to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of an APP but also to understand pension sustainability more broadly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I study a two-player continuous-time dynamic coordination game with observational learning. Each player has one opportunity to make a reversible investment with an uncertain return that is realized only when both players invest. Each player learns about the potential return by observing a private signal and the actions of the other player. In equilibrium, players' roles as leader and follower are endogenously determined. Information aggregates in a single burst initially, then gradually through delayed investment and disinvestment over time. More precise signals lead to faster coordination conditional on initial disagreement, but might also increase the probability of initial disagreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrorist attacks have important social, political, and economic effects. One of the effects of terrorism involves the impact on foreign direct investment (FDI). While existing research suggests that terrorism negatively impacts FDI by increasing political risks, it is unclear how the effects of terrorism are conditioned by host country institutions. Political institutions may affect investors' perceptions of political risk following a terrorist attack by shaping expectations of future political risk. We argue that the conditional effect of institutions and terrorism is non-linear: Terrorism has a negative effect on FDI inflows to countries with a medium level of institutional effectiveness only. Using quantitative analyses of FDI flows and political risk ratings, we show that terrorism has no effect on FDI in host countries with very high or very low levels of political institutional effectiveness. In a qualitative analysis of FDI and terrorism during the civil wars in Algeria and El Salvador, we demonstrate that concerns about institutional effectiveness played an important role in producing disinvestment by foreign investors. This research contributes to the literature on the determinants of FDI, effects of terrorism and political risk, and suggests that institutions play an important role in affecting how investors perceive political risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article suggests that the ongoing denial by the USA federal government of historical human rights infractions against African Americans and people of African descent led to a proliferation of local transitional justice efforts. Drawing from a university-driven transitional justice project, this article offers an analysis of local initiatives and highlights one of its six transitional justice collaborations. The university project sought to decolonize its structure and approach, drawing on methods of cultural humility, desire-based research and deep listening. This article responds to the success and challenges of decolonizing a transitional justice project within academia. Findings suggested that local initiatives face obstacles due to enduring legacies of harms and silenced histories, necessitating communities to substantiate their claims. Capacity issues and funding are challenged due to centuries of disinvestment. The article offers lessons learned for potential ally organizations who seek to advance transitional justice where government-sponsored redress continues to be denied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research identifies strong concentrations of economic activity in dynamic, major city regions, whereas shifts in economic linkages between these and smaller, less-advantaged city regions have been less investigated. Using data on firms' investment/disinvestment decisions between 1993 and 2017, we show that the majority of 'relational hinterlands' (smaller, non-contiguous city regions with at least 1 investment tie to a global centre in 1993) in the USA have become disconnected from major US 'global centres' (globally integrated city regions). Relational hinterlands which lost connectivity to the global centres are also disadvantaged in many other ways. While global centres have become increasingly connected to other global centres in the USA and abroad, relational hinterlands have become increasingly disconnected from centres of economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The provided text details North Carolina's anti-ESG (environmental, social, and governance) law and the fiduciary responsibilities of the State Treasurer.