Search

The WHO Eastern Mediterranean region (EMR) is characterised by highly economically diverse countries, with healthcare systems in various phases of development. Childhood cancer care provision also ranges from that provided in centres able to deliver sophisticated therapy resulting in outcomes comparable to those seen in highly developed nations, to countries with no provision for care of children with cancer. At 10·1 per 100,000 children at risk, the age standardised incidence-rate for cancer in children below 14 years of age is relatively low but may be consequent to poor registration. Shortages in trained care providers were identified in many regional countries, particularly in low and lower-middle income countries, however, implementation of training programs are beginning to counter this deficit. Significant diversity in patient care capacity exists in the region, leading to inequitable access to quality paediatric oncology care. There is strong potential for regional collaboration towards infrastructure and capacity improvement, with facilities available within the EMR for twinning and educational support to those centres and countries that need them. While cancer care coverage is available to citizens of high-income countries, in the lower-income countries out-of-pocket health expenditure can reach 75%. Some relief is achieved through the contribution of multiple charitable foundations working to support childhood cancer care in the region, as well as the provision of care in, often overburdened, public sector hospitals. War and other geo-political turmoil, as well as natural disasters, have negatively impacted healthcare capacity, including childhood cancer care, in several regional countries. Despite all this, the trajectory for change is upward and initiatives such as the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer are igniting positive change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale/Purpose: Charitable foundations constitute the prime mechanism for the implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in sport. The relationship between the charitable foundation and the founding professional team sport organization (PTSO) is unique. Although extant research has shown that trust can be an instrumental predictor of organizational performance, we know little of the role of its main component, namely trustworthiness, in the context of CSR implementation through charitable foundations. Design/Methodology/Approach: Drawing on the UK's football setting, an online survey (n = 124) was used to measure (through CFA and SEM and SPSS AMOS 21) the perceived trustworthiness of charitable foundation employees by their counterparts in PTSOs, and their perceived contribution to the PTSO's performance. Findings: Findings reveal PTSO's employees perceive their counterparts in the foundations as being trustworthy and that their CSR activities contribute to the PTSO's performance. Trustworthiness is a key predictor of the perception that the implementation of CSR-related initiatives through foundations contribute to the perceived performance of the PTSO. Practical implications: Managers should facilitate trustworthy behavior between PTSOs' employees and their counterparts in the foundations. The competence and predictability of employees of the foundation should be enhanced. Research contribution: This study demonstrates the importance of trustworthiness between employees from organizational entities driven by different goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze the impact of women on corporate boards of directors on product quality. We innovate firstly by integrating the broad but fragmented research on the topic, offering a first simultaneously testing of a larger set of variables identified to be significant in earlier studies. Second, we add alternative indicators of female representation in board of directors as a potential determinant of product quality. Third, we use evaluation scores of goods by the nonprofit foundation "Stiftung Warentest" as a quality indicator, thus adding to a regionally diversified evidence. We find a significant positive effect of female board directors on product quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study uses Bourdieu's sociology of practice to help understand how different actors in football consider 'unhealthy' sponsorships (defined as promoting gambling, food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS), and alcohol) in the English Premier League. Eighteen informants were interviewed including those employed by football clubs and their charitable foundations, others with a commercial interest in the football industry, and members of fan organisations. Their responses were examined using a thematic approach and reflected the distribution of economic and cultural power between the agents in the field of football. Tensions within these fields of power are illustrated diagrammatically between those in possession of economic capital (the clubs), and those who protect the cultural capital of 'their' clubs (the fans). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article submitted for publication, the authors analyze and study the issues related to the provision of quality and timely free legal aid under martial law. The methodological basis of the study is a system of general scientific methods that provide an objective analysis and evaluation of the subject under study. The authors believe that it is now necessary to popularize free legal aid more, not only in the media, but also to attract the attention of public organizations and charitable foundations, in particular those engaged in providing assistance to internally displaced persons, since they understand better than anyone how difficult it is to live and work under martial law. In our opinion, it is advisable to revise the Law of Ukraine «On Free Legal Aid» and pay attention to the communities and regions located near the front line, because people living in such areas need much more support and attention from the state. The authors also emphasize that young people should be involved in the work of free primary and secondary care centers, and internship programs should be organized so that people really trust free aid and understand that free aid does not mean low-quality. We also consider it appropriate to note that the crucial issue of providing quality and timely assistance, in terms of free aid, has become even more urgent and painful for a significant number of our citizens under martial law. The problems of physical impossibility not only to receive legal aid, but also to access justice have been added to the existing problems. This problem has been exacerbated by the temporary occupation of the territories, the destruction of court buildings and the relocation of courts and law enforcement agencies to other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School dropout is associated with numerous detrimental consequences including prolonged unemployment, poverty, a wide range of psychological and physical health problems, and premature mortality. As such, designing and implementing interventions to prevent school dropout and ensure successful school completion is crucial. The purpose of the current study was to conduct a longitudinal realist evaluation to understand how, and under which circumstances, a multi-component intervention delivered through the charitable foundation of a professional sports team may impact the developmental outcomes of disengaged students. The intervention comprised one-to-one mentoring, classroom-based learning, sport and physical activity. Participant observations and fifty-two interviews were conducted with teachers and students over a ten-month period to form context-mechanism-outcome configurations (CMOCs) and to refine initial programme theories. The CMOCs developed highlighted the importance of students developing healthy conflict resolution skills and emotional regulation strategies, the potential of sporting content to re-ignite interest in academic learning, the powerful effects of deviant peer contagion, the synergistic impact of a multi-component intervention, and the role of pre-existing and ongoing contextual factors in determining whether interventions can create sustainable and lasting desirable outcomes among students. The findings provide practical recommendations for future sport-framed intervention design, implementation, and evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: In today’s urbanized world, the preservation of the environment and urban green spaces has become a major concern for citizens and governments worldwide. This study aims to emphasize the importance of non- governmental organizations (NGOs) and charitable foundations in the reforestation and afforestation of vegetation cover. Using a comparative approach, the study examines global and Iranian experiences and evidence, and reviews executive and functional records in the field of natural environments, vegetation, and green spaces through library surveys, internet research, and inquiries made to domestic and foreign institutions and organizations. Methodology: This study introduces some of the most significant charitable foundations and NGOs in the field of nature and environmental protection worldwide. These organizations, mainly based in the United States and England, have completed their education and entered the stage of implementing initiatives for the restoration of local forests, world forests, forestry, environmental protection, increasing biodiversity, climate change, and other related topics. Additionally, the study examines the forest reforestation and afforestation goals and implementation methods of the most important charitable foundations in countries similar to Iran, including Armenia, Turkey, and Lebanon, as well as different countries such as China, South Korea, Norway, Germany, Brazil, and Canada. The study also describes the activities of internal organizations such as Nature, Pama, Roostagol Varjin, and Algan, and analyzes their significant actions and measures taken. Finally, the role of certain charities that have taken action in restoring and developing vegetation in the country is discussed. Results: The results of this study showed that among the countries similar to Iran, the “Tema” Institute in Turkey, with a 30- year history at the national and international levels, has carried out significant activities in the fields of forest restoration, education, climate studies, and biodiversity. Among different countries, the “Terra” Institute of Brazil has also undertaken important measures in the fields of reforestation, wildlife return, and vegetation restoration, aiming to restore the region’s forests, environment, and promote sustainable rural development over a period of 20 years. Among domestic institutions, Roostagol Varjin has made a significant contribution to the reforestation and afforestation of vegetation and urban green spaces. All these institutions and foundations share common goals in their field of activity, and through the support and participation of these groups together, the great goal of vegetation reforestation and afforestation can be realized. Therefore, it is not possible to determine which activity is superior; all of them are necessary in society. In fact, for the development of this task globally and even within a country, we need a powerful society, and a powerful society requires the participation of more people, and the grounds for this participation must be provided. Conclusion: To improve the status and activities of NGOs, several measures can be taken, including providing information and training, strengthening environmental advertisements on radio and television, expressing environmental problems, and providing banking and legal facilities for these organizations. Additionally, introducing native species for planting in each region, empowering local communities, establishing research units and experts in the field of reforestation and afforestation, and promoting communication between NGOs, donors, and the government are the most important management measures for restoring and developing vegetation at the national level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Die Unternehmensbesteuerung (Ubg) is the property of De Gruyter 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 uses two case studies, a charitable foundation that provided dowries to orphans as well as efforts to fundraise for a convent for Indigenous women, to explore how philanthropy functioned in late colonial Oaxaca, Mexico. I argue that in both cases, gendered rhetoric proved essential for constructing compelling reasons for wealthy individuals to donate money. Additionally, both projects were intrinsically connected with material culture--ranging from the physical accoutrements of the lottery drawing to choose a dowry winner, to the geographic location and building structure of the convent. These material properties are still visible in Oaxaca today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The organizational effectiveness of nonprofit organizations (NPOs) has received considerable attention from the scientific research community and society. Nonprofit scholars call for more empirical research that tests existing theories and develops multidimensional frameworks at the organizational level, with a focus on actual management practices. Previous studies have suggested that a broad set of management practices at the program and organizational levels have positive implications for the perceived effectiveness of NPOs. This study evaluates and refines a conceptual model of the antecedents of organizational effectiveness and validates its applicability in the context of charitable foundations established by corporations. Based on survey data from their executive leaders, this study's empirical findings suggest that perceived organizational effectiveness is less affected by a broad set of management practices and is driven by a few selected best practices that focus on specific stakeholder groups (i.e., experts). Moreover, the results show that certain organizational characteristics, such as organizational experience, can strengthen the perceived effectiveness of charitable foundations. Overall, the results of this study may help nonprofit executive leaders to better understand that a careful selection and implementation of specific practices might be more beneficial for an organization's effectiveness than an extensive list of practices. Moreover, this study contributes on a broader theoretical level to the study of multidimensional frameworks as a suitable measure for identifying key antecedents of leader-perceived organizational effectiveness across different types of NPOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: There has been limited research on why football clubs contribute to charity. This paper examines how football clubs and their charitable conduits report information when discussing their connectedness. In addition, it explores reasons why, and the extent to which, football clubs support altruism via such charitable vehicles. Design/methodology/approach: Case studies of four major football teams (Manchester City/Manchester United in England and AC Milan/Inter Milan in Italy) are discussed, with formal reports of the clubs and their associated charitable conduits being analysed. Findings: Boundaries between the clubs and their charitable conduits are frequently blurred. Evidence suggests that acknowledging the co-existence of different factors may help to understand what is reported by these organisations and address some of the caveats in terms of autonomy and probity of their activities and reporting practices. Research limitations/implications: The research uses case studies of four major 'powerhouses' of the game and their associated charitable spinoffs. While this is innovative and novel, expanding the research to investigate more clubs and their charitable endeavours would allow greater generalisations. Practical implications: The study provides material that can be used to reflect on the very topical subject of 'sportswashing'. This has the potential to input to deliberations relating to the future governance of the game. Originality/value: The paper explores relationships between businesses and charities/nonprofits in a sector so far little investigated from a charitable accountability perspective. It suggests that motives for engaging in charitable activity and highlighting such engagement may extend beyond normal altruism or warm-glow emotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND. Accurate detection of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a major challenge in the management of patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT). Here, we demonstrated the use of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) for detection of tissue turnover and chronic GVHD (cGVHD) in specific organs. METHODS. We established a cocktail of tissue-specific DNA methylation markers and used it to determine the concentration of cfDNA molecules derived from the liver, skin, lungs, colon, and specific immune cells in 101 patients undergoing HCT. RESULTS. Patients with active cGVHD showed elevated concentrations of cfDNA, as well as tissue-specific methylation markers that agreed with clinical scores. Strikingly, transplanted patients with no clinical symptoms had abnormally high levels of tissue-specific markers, suggesting hidden tissue turnover even in the absence of evident clinical pathology. An integrative model taking into account total cfDNA concentration, monocyte/macrophage cfDNA levels and alanine transaminase was able to correctly identify GVHD with a specificity of 86% and precision of 89% (AUC of 0.8). CONCLUSION. cfDNA markers can be used for the detection of cGVHD, opening a window into underlying tissue dynamics in patients that receive allogeneic stem cell transplants. FUNDING. This work was supported by grants from the Ernest and Bonnie Beutler Research Program of Excellence in Genomic Medicine, The Israel Science Foundation, the Waldholtz/Pakula family, the Robert M. and Marilyn Sternberg Family Charitable Foundation and the Helmsley Charitable Trust (to YD). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research adopts a resource dependency approach to support the process of social innovation application within the context of nonprofit resource procurement using a comparative sample of resource-providing organizations (n = 8) and nonprofit resource recipients (n = 10). An organizational discourse analysis was adopted to explore concepts of power and legitimacy across groups revealing several ways that social innovation is employed and challenged by both resource recipients and providers. Further, a text coverage analysis revealed several discrepancies with the use of terminology between sub-samples. Together, these novel analytical approaches provide a narrative regarding the ways in which social innovation is co-conceptualized within nonprofit resource provision, including examining the role of language and power between stakeholder groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the concept of left-brain bias and its impact on our understanding of science, philosophy, religion, and climate action. The author explains that the left brain tends to focus on narrow, static parts and jumps to conclusions with unwarranted certainty, while the right brain has a better grasp of reality as a whole and is more comfortable with uncertainty and complexity. The author argues that this left-brain bias is hindering our ability to protect and restore the planet, as it leads to an overemphasis on metrics and a reductionist view of nature. The author suggests that bridging the gap between the Western corporate view and the holistic view of indigenous communities is crucial for achieving sustainable and ethical practices. [Extracted from the article]

The article underscores the conceptual nexus of diaspora and soft power. It analyses US soft power, its main operating mechanisms and tools, and the role of diaspora groups in the transfer of American values, using Armenia and the Armenian-American diaspora community as a case study. The paper argues that ethnic diaspora groups are increasingly important actors of soft power. Along with protecting and promoting the national interests of their country of origin, ethnic diaspora groups play a unique role in promoting the host country's soft power by establishing links and enhancing mutual understanding between both societies and states and providing the transfer and network for the host country's values and ideals abroad. The article highlights the role of the Armenian diaspora political parties, the Armenian-American sociopolitical and lobbying organisations, and the activities of prominent Armenian Americans and their charitable foundations in the spread of American values and ideals, and the advancement of American soft power in Armenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Global South has increasingly become a recurring research agenda, often originating in the Global North. There is a need to understand what these research agendas consist of and what role Latin America and the Caribbean play in defining and/or reproducing them. The purpose of this study is to understand the agendas of the Global South supported by northern agencies, based on a methodological proposal that combines lexicometric analysis of abstracts, grant data-based content analysis on scientific production, and funding data. The study identified four central agendas in the literature: (1) State role and the strength of non-western countries cooperation; (2) Decolonial research, citizen, and feminist perspectives; (3) Academic Collaboration and Education in circuits of science production and (4) Developmentalism in underdeveloped Global South countries. We identified different types of northern organizations, such as non-departmental public bodies, philanthropic and charitable foundations, guiding an agenda based on precariousness, poverty, and underdevelopment, while Latin America and the Caribbean reinforce an agenda taking the South as an example that can be applied in the North. We highlight an emergence of a multipolar world and the need to strengthen research in Latin America and the Caribbean in this context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper identifies a new discourse about tourism, that of final wish making. The website communications of charitable foundations whose dedicated purpose is to grant final wishes for adults with a terminal illness and their families were examined using critical discourse analysis. Specifically, the aim of this study was to understand how these charitable organisations construct, communicate and mediate meanings around terminal illness and travel for these individuals. Our study found that, promoted as a final wish in one's life, tourism is framed as a transformational concept that is beneficial in the imminent time before death, as a legacy for life, and after death. Our analysis indicated implications around the memory-making potential of tourism and the differential power relations between final wish organisers and vulnerable individuals with a terminal illness. The paper calls for further research exploring the marginalisation of the terminally ill through tourism, but equally the potential of tourism to include the most vulnerable tourists in their final days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]