Hannah Hartley, Alice Dunning, Jenni Murray
et al.
Background Mass redeployment of nurses was critical to the National Health Service response to COVID-19. There remains little understanding of how redeployment was enacted during the pandemic and its impact on nurse managers’ and nurses’ mental health and well-being, job performance and retention. This study aimed to understand how nurse redeployment was managed prior to and during COVID-19; explore how nurses made sense of redeployment; and the impact on their mental health and well-being, job performance and retention intentions. Design A mixed methods approach utilising semistructured interviews, focus groups and surveys with nurse managers and nurses. Setting Three National Health Service acute hospital trusts. Participants Thirty-eight nurse managers and human resources advisors participated in interviews and focus groups. Sixty-three nurses who were redeployed or worked with redeployed nurses participated in interviews and surveys over three time points between March 2021 and February 2022. Data collection and analysis Interviews asked nurse managers about redeployment decisions and nurses about their redeployment experiences. Interview data were analysed using thematic and pen portrait analyses. The survey measured well-being, performance and intentions to leave. Multilevel modelling was conducted to explore relationships between variables over time. Results Seven themes were identified that illustrate the redeployment process, decisions made, and the impact on nurse managers and nurses. Nurse managers redeployed nurses in response to directives focused on numbers of staff and allowable staff:patient ratios, whereas their decisions were more often person focused. This raised logistical and emotional challenges for nurse managers and a disconnect in the levels of the chain of command regarding the needs of nurses. Most reported feeling like they were treated as a commodity, with redeployment having profound impacts on their mental health, well-being, job performance and retention. The longitudinal pen portrait analysis revealed three ‘journeys’ that represented how nurses made sense of their redeployment, underpinned by two themes: nurse identity and organisational identification. Journeys ranged from those who retained their professional identity and organisational identification (journey one) through to those who experienced a demolition of dual identities (journey three). While most staff in all journeys reported burnout, psychological distress, anxiety, depression and intention to leave their jobs, this was more frequent and severe for those experiencing journey three. These findings, together with stakeholder input, informed the development of 11 recommendations for policy and practice. Limitations Nurses from minority ethnic backgrounds are under-represented in the sample despite efforts to encourage participation. The quantitative data were planned to be collected at discrete time points during the COVID pandemic for each trust but gaps between data collection time points were compromised by the challenge of ongoing COVID waves and the different set-up times for each trust. Conclusions and future work Mass redeployment of nurses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic prioritised nurse staffing numbers over staff well-being. Redeployment had a profound impact on nurse managers and nurses with significant and concerning implications reported for nurse well-being, performance and retention. The recommendations for policy and practice will require active endorsement and widespread dissemination and would benefit from evaluation to assess impact. Funding This synopsis presents independent research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health and Social Care Delivery Research programme as award number NIHR132041.
Plain language summary Our question In response to COVID-19, nurses were moved around different wards in hospitals to areas where the need was greatest. This is called ‘redeployment’. Redeployment was done with very little knowledge of how best to do it or what the challenges might be. In this study we asked: How did nurse managers make decisions about how to redeploy nurses before and during the COVID-19 crisis? How did nurses make sense of this redeployment and what effect did it have on their well-being, performance, and whether or not they wanted to carry on in their job? What we did We spoke to 100 nurse managers and nurses in three National Health Service trusts in England. We used interviews (nurses and nurse managers) and surveys (nurses only) to collect information. We tried to understand the experiences of nurses over a period of 6–9 months, from February 2021 to February 2022. Staff and patients volunteered to help us to design and deliver this research. We shared our findings with organisations such as the Royal College of Nursing and NHS England. They helped us to develop recommendations that would change how redeployment happens in England. These ideas could be used in other countries too. What we found We found that nurse managers were uncertain about how to manage redeployment and this caused them stress. They had to make decisions quickly about who to move where, and there was very little information to help guide how they did this. They were unsure how to support nurses during redeployment and how to rebuild their teams after redeployment. A few nurses enjoyed their redeployment experience. Most nurses experienced a lot of distress with just over half thinking about leaving their jobs. We have used what we found to develop 11 recommendations for how to manage redeployment and help nurses to recover. What this means Our recommendations will help people who manage nurses to think about what they need to do to make redeployment a positive experience. It will also help them think about how best to support staff after they have been redeployed. By working with our national stakeholder group and by sharing our findings widely, we hope to make an important difference to how redeployment is managed in a crisis and in the everyday work of the National Health Service.
Global biodiversity governance and China's development of a national park-centered protected area system are advancing rapidly. The synergy between wildlife conservation and community development has emerged as a central issue for achieving green development and harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. However, a considerable tension exists between strict conservation policies and community aspirations for development. The recovery of wildlife populations intensifies human-wildlife conflict, while community pursuits of common prosperity can disturb habitats, making the contradiction between protection and utilization increasingly acute. To address this challenge, this forum brings together scholars from geography, management, landscape architecture, and anthropology. They employ diverse theoretical perspectives, including nature-based solutions, more-than-human approaches, spatial justice, and multispecies ethics, to analyze the causes, interactive mechanisms, and governance pathways for human-wildlife conflicts within protected areas systematically. Drawing on case studies such as the North Chinese leopard in Shanxi, desert cat in the Qilian Mountains, Bryde's whales in Beihai, Asian Elephant National Park, and crested ibis conservation, the discussion reveals a progressive spatial interaction spectrum ranging from traditional livelihood conflicts to challenges in adapting new business formats. It also identifies structural governance dilemmas including power imbalances, mismatched compensation mechanisms, and insufficient participation. This forum advocates for a shift in protected area governance from a single-species conservation model toward a social-ecological system governance approach. It proposes building differentiated coordination mechanisms, innovating ecological compensation and community co-management models, and integrating technological empowerment with local knowledge. By exploring collaborative pathways within a framework of spatial justice and multispecies coexistence, this discussion aims to provide theoretical support and practical insights for the high-quality construction of China's protected area system and the green transformation of its rural areas.
This article highlights the philosophical contribution of an existential reading of Adam Smith’s narrative of ‘The poor man’s son’ that opens transdisciplinary research themes. The narrative in Adam Smith’s The Theory of Moral Sentiments [1759] deals with the issue of labour and happiness in commercial society, an important contemporary topic in meaningful labour research. This field is dominated by research on labour’s personal or moral value, which may lead to personal and workplace conflicts in case of ethical dilemmas. Recent research advocates existentialism, underscoring authenticity in workplace meaningful labour. The problem is that some of these studies limit meaning of employees’ reception of workplace policies and other events, resulting in a dualism between surface and deep existentialism. I will argue that an existential reading of the narrative ‘The poor man’s son’ contributes to transdisciplinary research by advancing research in commerce, specifically existential meaningful labour, by advocating an integrative theory of labour and happiness. The insights from Jean-Paul Sartre concerning anguish, authenticity, freedom, and facticity challenge the assumption that the son’s labour was meaningless because of the misery he experienced during old age, supporting a view that his choices were an expression of his freedom of choice and authenticity, and not determined by circumstances that provide important insights for an integrative theory of meaningful labour that prioritises the anguish of ontological freedom, consciousness as the source of freedom and facticity as hurdles to be surmounted on the path to fulfilment.
Transdisciplinary contribution: The article is an intersection between philosophy and commerce by promoting insights from existentialism to read ‘The poor man’s son’ in Adam Smith’s The Theory of Moral Sentiments, providing insights for an integrative theory of meaningful labour and happiness.
Ana Pedrina Freitas Mascarenhas, Ana Carolina Lopes Cavalcanti de Oliveira, Clara Janyelle Gomes de Carvalho
et al.
Diante do cenário da pandemia COVID-19, aumentou a necessidade de atenção às pessoas que vivem em situação de vulnerabilidade, contudo os princípios da bioética, a justiça e a equidade devem fortalecer a proteção à vida, a ética do cuidado por sua vez, seria a base para a implementação de políticas públicas. Este ensaio teórico objetivou analisar os efeitos da pandemia da COVID-19 sobre a população idosa, considerando suas vulnerabilidades sob a perspectiva da bioética. Trata-se de um ensaio teórico, realizado a partir da revisão integrativa da literatura, sobre bioética e vulnerabilidade nas pessoas idosas diante da pandemia COVID-19. Os resultados foram discutidos o panorama da bioética. Espera-se que este ensaio possa contribuir para reflexões sobre essa dura realidade que fere e gera sofrimento a pessoa idosa, pois só através uma nova articulação entre os processos políticos, sociais e civilizatórios, talvez seja possível pensar numa sociedade mais digna e humana.
Medical philosophy. Medical ethics, Business ethics
Ahmad Ghulami Adyan Danar Saputra, Purwanto, Nur Kholidah
et al.
In the era of globalization and modernization, the barbershop business not only focuses on aesthetic aspects but also develops as a place that offers a holistic experience to customers. In this context, it is crucial to assess the extent to which the principles of Islamic business ethics are applied in Barbershop operations, especially in Magelang Regency, which is known to have a diverse society and strong cultural values. This research aims to determine the application of Islamic business ethics to the barbershop business. This research was written using a descriptive qualitative approach to find out the Islamic view of applying business ethics and how to apply Islamic business ethics to increase customer satisfaction. The objects taken in this research were three Barbershop businesses in Magelang Regency. The data used in this research is primary data obtained from interviews with Barbershop leaders and customer representatives. The research data was tested for data validity using source triangulation. Research data was collected using interviews and observation. Research data was analyzed by applying the interactive model developed by Miles and Huberman. The results of this research indicate that the Barbershop business has implemented the principles of Islamic business ethics in the form of unity (tauhid), the principle of balance, the principle of free will, the principle of responsibility, and the principle of virtue (ihsan). This research also provides information that applies Islamic business ethics values in barbershops, creates professional service, and develops close emotional relationships with customers. The implications of these findings include the potential for increased customer satisfaction, which is a critical aspect of a business's long-term growth and success.
Rosa Ruiz Aragoneses, María de las Mercedes López Mateo
El presente estudio tiene por objeto comprobar si la narratividad y el método hermenéutico-fenomenológico son una vía de acceso al conocimiento de la experiencia ajena del sufrimiento. Para ello, se empleará como caso concreto de estudio el Centro de Humanización de la Salud San Camilo en Madrid (de aquí en adelante CEHS) a través de cinco entrevistas semidirigidas a un grupo de residentes y su posterior análisis descriptivo. En consecuencia, la pregunta de hipótesis a la que queremos responder es la siguiente: ¿podemos acceder a la esfera privada del sufrimiento del otro a través de su narratividad? Los resultados muestran que la escucha y el despliegue de la narratividad no solo sirven para aproximarnos más al sufrimiento ajeno, sino que existe ya en esta puesta en común una experiencia de sanación para nuestros mayores.
Medical philosophy. Medical ethics, Business ethics
In modern society, under the influence of the widespread active introduction of innovative technologies (robotization, digitalization, etc.), ordinary employees of organizations are changing. In addition, life imposes new requirements on the heads of organizations. Managers not only solve the usual tasks, but also face the problem of the need to change the usual leadership style: psychological methods are replacing directive management methods. The emotional intelligence of the manager is especially appreciated, which means the ability to observe and be aware of their own experiences and emotions of other people, manage their own feelings and emotions of another, and build interaction on this basis. Another important quality of a manager that is in demand today is conflictological competence. Robotization and digitalization prevent some traditionally arising conflicts, but new conflicts related to the virtual nature of work also arise in organizations: the rigidity and unambiguity of verbal means of communication, provoking conflict; the conflict caused by the reduction of jobs in the organization; the digital divide, which consists in differences in digital literacy and digital competence of the younger and older generations of employees.
This paper summarizes how social media and other technologies continue to proliferate; the shifting economic landscape will precipitate more adaptive approaches for managers attempting to understand the multi-dimensional virtual aspects of communication with the artificial intelligence aspect. Also, we discover the different existing support of big data analytics to make the rational business decision. The methodology is the systematization literature sources within this context and approaches for underlining approach to open big data analytics and support innovative leadership decisions in Canada. The paper is carried out in the following logical sequence to gain an understanding on how customer relations managers could utilize social media within a data analytics frame from scholar and practitioner perspectives. This literature research review original paper outlines the main themes including the role of social media, the experiences of using data analytics for customer relations management, and the notion that customer-centric technologies could change the dynamic of understanding customer intentions, leadership decisions and introduce the innovative management with using the big data analytics in place. The results of the critical thinking with analysis both authors can be useful for any business around the World that would like to start using Artificial Intelligence to support innovative management decisions. The emergent themes that were highlighted based on the realities of customer relations management may be significant to how the integration of social media feedback resulting from crowdsourcing in addition to existing data analytics could better position organizations in this evolving world. The implications of linking innovative management processes such as demographic analysis, platform understanding, and communication methods together is crucial for any public business with the global impact. Finally, the understanding of innovative management in a social media era and understanding how customers utilized open big data analytics sources could help leadership practices across industries around the World.
Salman ٍEivazinezhad, Seyed Mahmoud Hosseini, Bahman Hajipour
et al.
Extended Abstract Abstract The purpose of the present study is to provide a theoretical framework for the formation influencing factors in heterogeneous multibusiness corporations and the role of each of these factors in different stages of corporate development. The methodology of the present study is a systematic review, which, according to Cooper, consists of seven stages, namely problem formulation, data gathering of studies, qualitative evaluation of studies, analysis and integration, interpretation of documentation, and presentation of results. Accordingly, 39 articles on unrelated diversification strategies and conglomerates were published between 1965 and 2018 on a scientific basis, extracted and analyzed after the filtering process using manual coding. based on the results of selective articles, 28 indices were divided into three contextual, structural and contentual factors. Four indices were identified for content factors, 15 for structural factors and 9 for contextual factors. Among the contextual indicators, the economies of states, government and institutional factors, among the structural factors indices of risk reduction, finaincial synergy, and central business position, and among the managerial and shareholder behavioral factors were the most frequent ones. In the second stage, the role of each of the factors in the development stages of conglomerate corporate was investigated, which in the early stage of contextual factors, and growth stage, structural factors and in the maturity stage, contentual factors had the most influence. Introduction Diversification strategy is one of the ways to enter into heterogeneous businesses. There has been much study and views about the formation of corporate with related businesses, but any comprehensive model for the formation of unrelated multi-business not been put up yet. THIS study attempts to bridge this gap. Given the complex and unstable environment in most developing countries,especially Iran, many companies are approaching toward this type of developement and most of them often fail. On the other hand, the role of these factors in different stages of the development of corporate is not same, so this study seeks to answer this question. case study The statistical population of the study: All articles on unrelated diversity strategies and conglomerates were published in the scientific database between 1965 and 2018. Theoretical framework Since most research on related and unrelated diversification is related to their performance, value, risk, etc., research has not comprehensively examined the cause of the formation of multifaceted and unrelated corporate. According to the theoretical literature, the reasons for the formation of multi-business corporations can be explained in two dimensions: The first is the economics of countries and base developing countries and the second is based on their purpose of diversification, which purpose is Growth. Methodology The methodology of the present study is a systematic review, which, according to Cooper, consists of seven stages, namely problem formulation, data gathering of studies, qualitative evaluation of studies, analysis and integration, interpretation of documentation, and presentation of results. Accordingly, 39 articles on unrelated diversification strategies and conglomerates were published between 1965 and 2018 on a scientific basis, extracted and analyzed after the filtering process using manual coding. Discussion and Results Based on the results of selected articles, 30 indices were divided into three contextual, structural and contentual factors. These indicators include. Intense competition in domestic markets, weak institutional environment, geographic location, legal constraints, support industries, government support, tax incentives, information asymmetry, external alliances, all of which were underlying factors. Owners' philosophy, managerial motivations, strong employee ethics and organizational culture related to behavioral factors and ultimately strong R&D, surplus funds, financial synergy, risk reduction, current business performance, managerial synergy, economies of scale, strategy Current businesses, timing of entry into unrelated businesses, industry-leading advantages, maturity of pivotal businesses, need for high-tech, territory economics, managerial stability, and high transaction costs. In the second stage, the role of each of the factors in the development stages of conglomerate corporate was investigated, which in the early stage of contextual factors, and growth stage, structural factors and in the maturity stage, behavioral factors had the most influence. Conclusion Based on the results of the research, one can find the main cause of the formation of multifaceted and unrelated companies in three behavioral, contextual and structural factors. Among these factors, the role of the underlying factors for the formation of multi-business and unrelated corporations is more important than the others, depending on the conditions of the institutional environment of the countries and the stage of development of their economies. On the other hand, when companies are formed, they later show the role of more structural factors, covered by indicators such as financial and managerial synergies, scale and territory efficiency, and finally, the maturity stage for managers and shareholders to enter the internal market. And related and unrelated externalities that are more important in the form of behavioral factors than others.
Political institutions and public administration (General)
Objectives: This study seeks to establish potential determinants in the opinion of Portuguese physicians on euthanasia, and to verify if a confrontation with concrete scenarios has an effect on this opinion.
Methods: a questionnaire was distributed to physicians of various specializations with greater links to the potential practice of euthanasia. We researched the degree of agreement regarding the applicability of euthanasia to concrete situations.
Results: Of a total of 251 surveyed physicians, 58.2% favored the legalization of euthanasia in Portugal. In most scenarios that included the concept of voluntary euthanasia, agreement with the applicability of euthanasia was around 55%. In scenarios where the concept of non-voluntary euthanasia was explicit, more than 60% of physicians disagreed with its application.
Conclusion: It seems clear that the most relevant factor influencing the physicians’ agreement with the applicability of euthanasia is respect for the patient’s autonomy, and the existence of suffering.
Medical philosophy. Medical ethics, Business ethics
I aim in this paper to demonstrate the moral problem of expatriate employment in developing countries. To determine how best to construe the moral problem in this context, I first examine four arguments, namely, that in developing countries, expatriate employment is morally wrong because it 1) entrenches the injustice of wage discrimination; 2) produces undesirable outcomes; 3) disregards contextual aspirations and historical memory and 4) is a tool of external domination and control. I analyse these arguments to show that they are insufficient frameworks for understanding the moral impropriety of expatriate employment in developing countries. To this end, I provide an outline of a plausible framework and argue that the moral problem of expatriate employment in this context is unequal or arbitrary distribution of power among employees. The moral wrong in this, I argue, consists in the failure to respect the universal moral equality of people.
From the year 2000, on a class of biological drugs, the anti-VEGF proved to be quite effective in the treatment of retinal diseases, which have in its pathophysiological mechanism an important vascular proliferation component that can lead to blindness. Two of these drugs, bevacizumab and ranibizumab, are quite similar and have the same efficacy and safety. They were developed by the same laboratory and are commercialized by two major pharmaceutical companies through an agreement made between them. However, there is a big difference in the price of the drugs. The aim of this article is to present the Bioethics of intervention as grounds for choosing the cheaper drug, even if forced to do so by regulatory entities.
Medical philosophy. Medical ethics, Business ethics
The New Year is a symbol of both continuity and rebirth. A new year serves as an important mile-marker, reminding us of our progress over the previous year and empowering us to carry on into the next one. A new year also offers a clean slate to start anew, providing an opportunity to reflect on how we can better ourselves and strive to achieve new feats. As we begin 2016, it is our hope that this New Year can be a symbol for not only our individual growth, but also for growth in our national dialogue on gun violence.
Gun violence, which includes both homicide and suicide, is an epidemic in the United States. Gun violence claims the lives of more than 30,000 Americans each year. [3] Since 1968, more Americans have been killed by guns than in all US wars combined from the American Revolution through the current Global War on Terrorism.[4] Deaths from gun violence far outnumber deaths by terrorism in the US and overseas.[5] American children are fourteen times more likely to die from firearm-related injuries on average than children in other developed nations.[6] In addition, with the frequency of deadly mass shootings in recent years,[7] the BBC commented on the horrific attack in San Bernardino, California, as “just another day in the United States of America. Another day of gunfire, panic and fear.”[8]
The toll of gun violence is unconscionable because it can be prevented, but there is very little that we can actually do about it because of a decades-long moratorium on federal funding for gun violence research. In December 2015, gun violence research became a heated topic of debate in congressional negotiations for this year’s federal budget and even raised the possibility of another “government shutdown.”[9] However, the rhetoric that this research threatens our Second Amendment right continues to persist after the federal spending bill once again passed without any appropriations for gun violence research.[10]
In this article, it is not our intention to dwell on traditional arguments and gridlock surrounding the moral standing of the right to bear arms. Instead, we seek to move the dialogue forward by arguing that if a society has the liberty to bear arms, then that society has a moral obligation to do all that it can to mitigate the harms that result from that freedom. In doing so, we aim to elucidate why federal funding for gun violence research is in the best interest of both gun owners and non-owners and why it is fundamental to making progress on one of the greatest ills in our society.
History of Federal Moratorium on Gun Violence Research
Historical support for undermining gun violence research is rooted in a misperception that such research is no different from gun control advocacy.[11] The moratorium on gun violence research was ratified by Congress in 1996, just years after a study funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concluded that the ownership of guns in the home increased the risk for homicide by a family member or intimate acquaintance.[12] Championed by Representative Jay Dickey (R-AK), Congress re-appropriated the $2.6 million spent the previous year on gun violence research for research unrelated to guns. In addition, Congress included legislative language that stated, “None of the funds made available for injury prevention and control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may be used to advocate or promote gun control.”[13] While not an explicit ban on research, Arthur Kellerman, author of the controversial 1993 study, has stated that, “Precisely what was or was not permitted under the clause was unclear. But no federal employee was willing to risk his or her career or the agency's funding to find out. Extramural support for firearm injury prevention research quickly dried up.”[14] More recently, in 2011, Congress applied similar language to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) after a study sponsored by the NIH concluded that individuals in possession of a firearm were more likely to be shot in an assault than those who were not.[15]
Congressional efforts to stifle gun violence research have succeeded. Research to prevent firearm-related injury and death amounts to less than $5 million annually, primarily coming from non-federal sources.[16] Since 1996, CDC spending on gun violence research has fallen 96 percent to just $100,000 of its nearly $6 billion budget.[17] In addition, this past year the NIH funded only two studies specifically focused on gun safety, totaling less than $1 million of its more than $30 billion budget.[18] Meanwhile, gun violence is estimated to cost our nation at least $229 billion in healthcare costs and lost productivity every year.[19] The imperative to develop a new perspective on this long-standing issue could not be greater.
Reframing the National Dialogue on Gun Violence
Traditional ethical arguments on gun violence have centered on whether or not private ownership of firearms is a fundamental right. Fundamental rights are liberties that protect “fundamental interests” necessary for human flourishing and living a good life.[20] Support for the fundamental nature of the right to bear arms follows the rationale that we have a fundamental interest in self-defense and that guns are the best means to protect this interest.[21] Conversely, others argue that unrestricted access to guns is not necessary for self-defense. [22] The non-fundamental interpretation of the right to bear arms ranges in support for moderate regulation on gun ownership to the abolishment of firearms entirely.[20] However, framing the dialogue based on the moral standing of gun ownership is intensely polarizing and damaging to efforts to mitigate firearm-related injuries and deaths. Consequently, non-violent gun owners and non-owners remain staunchly divided on the issue of gun ownership at the expense of discussing the greater issue of gun violence.
Surveys show that an overwhelming majority of Americans, including gun owners, support stronger gun safety measures.[23],[24] Colleen Barry, author of survey studies after the deadly shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, has commented:
All too often, pollsters ask Americans whether they support more or less gun control, or frame gun policies as controls on gun ownership generally rather than as measures to keep guns from criminals or other high-risk group. When you drill down to specific policies, you see that Americans are very much in support of common-sense regulations to keep their families and communities safe from gun violence.[25]
The sentiment for common-sense regulation of firearms was echoed recently by Justice Antonin Scalia, an unwavering proponent of constitutional liberties, when the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal by gun owners of an Illinois ban on semi-automatic assault rifles and high capacity ammunition magazines.[26]
Both the ethical debate and broader national dialogue should no longer dwell on the morality of gun ownership, but rather focus on the duties and obligations that come with such liberty. Reframing the conversation in this context can dismiss the polarizing language of “gun control” and motivate common-ground policies on reducing gun violence. Furthermore, reframing the dialogue in this light can change the perception of gun violence research. Instead of conflating research with advocacy, gun violence research may be viewed as one of the most effective tools for learning how to find the right balance between liberty and safety.
The Importance of Research for Protecting the Second Amendment and Public Safety
A compelling example for how gun violence research may protect the Second Amendment while mitigating harm lies in the progress of automobile safety. Guns and motor vehicles are the second and third largest contributors to years of potential life lost, respectively.[27] In 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a federal agency devoted to motor vehicle safety, was appropriated $830 million, which starkly contrasts with the $5 million to prevent firearm-related injury and death.[28] The similarity in gun and automobile deaths but disparity in research funding highlights the myopia of the federal ban on gun violence research.
Research to promote automobile safety has shown to be effective at reducing harm without diminishing access to the technology. In the early 1970s, about 25 Americans per 100,000 died in motor vehicle accidents annually. Today the rate is 10, a 60 percent reduction.[29] Yet over the same time period, US vehicles per capita have increased by over 50 percent.[30] A wide variety of factors have led to improvements in safety, from safer roadways and automobiles to campaigns to stamp out drunk driving, but these interventions would not have been possible without research to understand the nature and causes of motor vehicle deaths. For instance, early investigations into the benefits of seatbelts encouraged car manufacturers to begin including them in standard models, and eventually compelled governments to mandate seatbelt usage.[31] The many decades of research, safer technology and laws, and fewer motor vehicle fatalities without a concomitant fall in car ownership offers a lesson. A similar scenario could be envisioned for firearms, where improving safety does not threaten access or ownership.
Jay Dickey, author of the 1996 amendment effectively halting federal gun violence research, has since regretted that such research has not continued and publicly stated that, “If we had somehow gotten the research going, we could have somehow found a solution to the gun violence without there being any restrictions on the Second Amendment … We could have used that all these years to develop the equivalent of that little small fence”—referring to the highway safety barriers that are credited with saving many lives.[16] It is not known whether an equivalent technological improvement exists that might reduce gun violence, but the tragedy is that there is no political will to try to find one.
Other firearms research has been shown to increase safety without any attempt to restrict access to guns. In particular, social campaigns that treat gun violence like a disease have proven effective. Dr. Gary Slutkin, a World Health Organization epidemiologist, has noted that the same characteristics observed in a cholera outbreak are seen with gun violence. The single best determinant for whether or not someone will commit a violent act is whether or not they have been exposed to violence before.[32] Slutkin’s organization, Cure Violence, aims to control gun violence in the same way he would control cholera: blocking person-to-person transmission. His team of “interrupters” uses conflict mediation after a shooting to prevent further violence.[33] When Cure Violence and other organizations employed these strategies from Baltimore to Chicago and Baghdad to Cape Town, they noticed a significant reduction in violence.[34], [35] Put simply, the intervention works and the spread of gun violence can be addressed like an epidemic. Compellingly for gun owners, the organization never attempts to restrict access to guns or remove guns from the population.
As news of mass shootings continues to occupy the airwaves and Americans continue to perceive a rise in gun crime, the pressure for lawmakers to limit access to firearms will only increase. While this may be an effective solution for reducing violence, any such attempt would meet fierce resistance from gun advocates. It seems this political impasse can be solved, or at least bypassed, by agreeing to fund federal research on firearm-related injuries and deaths. If gun owners and advocates continue to protest any infringement on the Second Amendment, surely better gun safety research is in their best interest. Otherwise, the political winds may change. Without any knowledge of how to make guns safer, the public and the government may fall back to the conclusion that guns must be banned, and every gun owner’s worst fear will be realized. Research on gun violence would be no guarantee for improved safety, but it would be irresponsible not to try.
Taking Action
The lack of funding for gun violence research is beginning to enter the national spotlight. The New York Times and Washington Post have stepped up coverage of the issue.[36], [37] The Institute of Medicine continues to call for research on gun violence, gun safety technology, and the effects of violence in media.[38] The message is clear. There are many strategies that reduce the toll that guns have on our society without restricting access. Many more might be discovered if federal research funding is directed toward reducing gun violence. Because gun violence threatens the public’s health and welfare, the NIH and CDC are particularly well positioned to research effective interventions. It is time for the federal ban on these two agencies’ gun violence research to be lifted.
We urge you to take action and join in this effort by signing a petition to end the moratorium on gun violence research. As of Thursday, January 28th, just weeks into the New Year, more than 3,600 shootings, 900 deaths, and 1800 injuries from firearms have been reported in the United States.[39] Let us change this before one of us or our loved ones becomes another victim of this tragic epidemic.
Endnotes:
[1] Voices in Bioethics Staff Writer
[2] Medical student at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
References:
[3] Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS™). U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/
[4] Jacobson, L. (18 Jan. 2013). “PBS Commentator Mark Shields says more killed by guns since ’68 than in all U.S. wars.” PolitiFact.
[5] Jones, J. & Bower, E. (30 Dec. 2015). “American deaths in terrorism vs. gun violence in one graph.” CNN.
[6] Kristof, N. (26 Aug. 2015). “Kristof: Lessons From the Virginia Shooting.” The New York Times.
[7] CNN Library (03 Dec. 2015). “30 Deadliest Mass Shootings in U.S. History Fast Facts.” CNN.
[8] Cook, J. (03 Dec. 2015). “California shooting: ‘Another day of gunfire, panic and fear’.” BBC.
[9] Johnson, S. (10 Dec. 2015). “Pelosi stops short of threatening shutdown over ban on federally funded gun research.” Modern Healthcare.
[10] Ferris, S. (16 Dec. 2015). “House Dems lose fight to nix gun research ban in budget.” The Hill.
[11] Cox, C. (09 Dec. 2015). “Why we can’t trust the CDC with gun research.” Politico.
[12] Kellerman, A. et al. (1993). Gun ownership as a risk factor for homicide in the home. New England Journal of Medicine, 329(15). 1084-91. PMID: 8371731
[13] Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act, 1997. Retrieved from: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-104publ208/pdf/PLAW-104publ208.pdf
[14] Kellerman, A. & Rivara, F. (2013). Silencing the science on gun research. Journal of the American Medical Association, 309(6). 549-50. PMID: 23262635
[15] Branas, C. et al. (2009). Investigating the Link Between Gun Possession and Gun Assault. American Journal of Public Health, 99(11). 2034-2040. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2008.143099
[16] Stobbe, M. (11 Oct. 2015). “Basic Gun Violence Research Is Seriously Underfunded.” The Huffington Post.
[17] Mayors Against Illegal Guns. (2013). Access Denied: How The Gun Lobby Is Depriving Police, Policy Makers, And The Public Of The Data We Need To Prevent Gun Violence. Retrieved from: http://everytownresearch.org/documents/2015/04/access-denied.pdf
[18] Stein, S. (06 Oct. 2015). “The Congressman Who Restricted Gun Violence Research Has Regrets.” The Huffington Post.
[19] Follman, M, Lurie, J., Lee, J. & West, J. (May 2015). “What Does Gun Violence Really Cost?” Mother Jones.
[20] Rights. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/rights/
[21] Wheeler III, S. (1997). Self-Defense: Rights and Coerced Risk-Acceptance. Public Affairs Quarterly, 11(4), 431-443.
[22] LaFollette, H. (2000). Gun Control. Ethics, 110(2). doi: 10.1086/233269
[23] Barry, C., McGinty, E. & Webster, D. (2013). After Newtown—public opinion on gun policy and mental illness. New England Journal of Medicine, 368(12). 1077-81. doi: 10.1056/NEJMp1300512
[24] Barry, C., McGinty, Vernick, J. & Webster, D. (2015). Two years after Newtown—public opinion on gun policy revisited. Preventive Medicine, 79. 55-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.05.007
[25] Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research. (03 Jun. 2015). “Large Majority of Americans – Including Gun Owners – Support Stronger Gun Safety Policies.” Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
[26] Ropeik, D. (09 Dec. 2015). “The Secret Weapon Gun Control Advocates Should Use: Antonin Scalia.” The Huffington Post.
[27] Parsons, C. & Johnson, A. (2014). Young Guns: How Gun Violence Is Devastating The Millennial Generation. Center of American Progress.
[28] NHTSA Budget Information. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Retrieved from: http://www.nhtsa.gov/Laws+&+Regulations/NHTSA+Budget+Information
[29] Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) Encyclopedia. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Retrieved from: http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/Main/index.aspx
[30] Fact #617: April 5, 2010 Changes In Vehicles Per Capita Around The World. Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy. Retrieved from: http://energy.gov/eere/vehicles/fact-617-april-5-2010-changes-vehicles-capita-around-world
[31] Cohen, A. & Einav, L. (2001). The Effects Of Mandatory Seat Belt Laws On Driving Behavior And Traffic Fatalities. The Center for Law, Economics, and Business, Harvard Law School. Retrieved from: http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/olin_center/papers/pdf/341.pdf
[32] Slutkin, G. (Apr. 2013). “Let’s treat violence like a contagious disease.” TEDMED 2013. Retrieved from: https://www.ted.com/talks/gary_slutkin_let_s_treat_violence_like_a_contagious_disease?language=en
[33] The Cure Violence Health Model. Cure Violence. Retrieved from: http://cureviolence.org/the-model/essential-elements/
[34] Webster, D., Whitehill, J., Vernick, J. & Parker, E. (2012). Evaluation of Baltimore’s Safe Streets Program: Effects on Attitudes, Participants’ Experiences, and Gun Violence. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
[35] Cure Violence Results from Around the World. Cure Violence. Retrieved from: http://cureviolence.org/results/recent-successes/
[36] Dennis, B. (02 Oct. 2015). “Why we should think of gun violence as a disease, and study it accordingly.” The Washington Post.
[37] Bidgood, J. (24 Dec. 2015). “When Gun Violence Felt Like a Disease, a City in Delaware Turned to the C.D.C.” The New York Times.
[38] Institute of Medicine (2013). Priorities for Research to Reduce the Threat of Firearm-Related Violence. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
[39] Gun Violence Archive 2016. Gun Violence Archive. Retrieved from: http://www.gunviolencearchive.org/
The introduction of market forces into higher education (i.e. marketization) in recent decades goes along with a sharp decline in tenured positions offered, accompanied by polemic voices against tenure. The main claim, that tenure reduces the productivity of senior faculty, has not been thoroughly tested, with existing scarce evidence being controversial. We tested this hypothesis by analyzing the number of publications of 2136 currently full professors of natural sciences, drawn from 123 universities distributed in 15 countries, during the period 1996 to 2014. Our results showed that long-term productivity of full professors increased, irrespectively of subject field, geographic area, and university rank. This suggests that tenure does not lead to motivation loss and academic deadwood. Our results have policy, academic, and ethical implications related to human resource management, academic freedom, and educational quality, and tenure polemicists should find an argument other than lowered post-tenure productivity to support their stand.
European researchers across heterogeneous disciplines voice concerns and argue for new paths towards a brighter future regarding scientific and knowledge creation and communication. Recently, in biological and natural sciences concerns have been expressed that major threats are intentionally ignored. These threats are challenging Europe’s future sustainability towards creating knowledge that effectively deals with emerging social, environmental, health, and economic problems of a planetary scope. Within social science circles, however, the root cause regarding the above challenges has been linked with macro-level forces of neo-liberal ways of valuing and relevant rules in academia and beyond which we take for granted. These concerns raised by heterogeneous scholars in natural and the applied social sciences concern the ethics of today’s research and academic integrity. Applying Bourdieu’s sociology, there is little hope that intentional human agency may change the current habitus. Rather than attributing the replication of neo-liberal habitus in intentional agent and institutional choices, Bourdieu’s work raises the importance of thoughtlessly internalised habits in human and social action. Accordingly, most action within a given paradigm (in this case, neo-liberalism) is understood as habituated, i.e. unconsciously reproducing external social fields, even ill-defined ways of valuing. This essay analyses these and how they may help critically analyse the current habitus surrounding research and knowledge production, evaluation, and communication and related aspects of academic freedom. Although it is acknowledged that transformation is not easy, this essay presents arguments and recent theory paths to suggest that change nevertheless may be a realistic hope once certain action logics are encouraged.