“Superdisabilities” vs “disabilities”? Theorizing the role of ableism in (mis)representational mythology of disability in the marketplace

ABSTRACT

People with disabilities (PWD) constitute one of the largest minority groups. While recognition and inclusion of this group in the marketplace has seen improvement, the effects of (mis)representation of PWD in shaping the discourse on fostering marketplace inclusion of socially marginalized consumers remain little understood. By extending the theory of ableism into the context of PWD representation and applying it to the analysis of the We’re the Super humans advertisement developed for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, this paper examines the relationship between the (mis)representation and the inclusion/exclusion discourse. By uncovering that PWD misrepresentations can partially mask and/or redress the root causes of exclusion experienced by PWD in their lived realities, it contributes to the research agenda on the transformative role of consumption cultures perpetuating harmful, exclusionary social perceptions of marginalized groups versus contributing to advancement of their inclusion.     

The Economies of the Baltic Sea Region: Growth Patterns and Foreign Trade Now and in the Future

The article studies the economic growth patterns of the Baltic Sea Region countries, describes their gross domestic product trends, and predicts the future developments. As foreign trade is one characteristic of interrelationships between the countries, the geographical pattern of foreign trade is analyzed, especially emphasizing the linkages between the countries in the Baltic Sea Region. The article pays attention also to the perspectives in the 2025 time framework and ends with some comments regarding the conditions for future development.     

The Investment Development Path and FDI From Developing Countries: The Role of Pro-Market Reforms and Institutional Voids

We study the applicability of the investment development path to multinationals from developing countries and illustrate these arguments by analyzing the evolution of Brazilian outward foreign direct investment. This model argues that as countries develop, their firms will develop sophisticated capabilities and eventually become multinational firms. In the case of emerging countries, two additional factors accelerate this process. One is the push of pro-market reforms, whereby firms upgrade their capabilities to compete in the home country, thus becoming multinationals earlier than expected. The second is the push of institutional voids, whereby firms avoid excessive and misguided regulations of the local institutional environment.     

Reeling in Newcomers: Urban Competition around Migrant Reception in Brussels

The management of ethnic diversity and its various forms of institutional articulation and implementation are increasingly taking place at the urban level. At the same time, urban scholars consider cities to be battlegrounds where competing groups contest the meaning and articulation of citizenship. In this article, I build on these insights to argue that competition over newcomer reception between different, linguistically divided political coalitions in the city of Brussels are mainly battles over establishing their own definition of citizenship and asserting their political influence. Building on an eighteen-month ethnographic study in three reception offices (two Dutch-speaking and one francophone) in Brussels, I analyse the different strategies these offices mobilize to recruit and retain newcomers. I argue that recruitment is a deliberate tool used to influence the political-cultural demographics of the city and destabilize the linguistic power balance in Brussels. In this way, recruitment becomes a means to attract newcomers to the reception offices in the hope that they will develop a deep connection and loyalty to, and eventually identify politically with, the agency's respective political community. Theoretically, this article develops a perspective that regards the city as a field that becomes constituted in and through the contest between different urban institutions to ‘reel in’ newcomers. In this space, these institutions take up positions for and against each other and assemble strategies to influence the urban populations.     

Subsidios a la contratación de personas con discapacidades. Resultados de un pequeño experimento de campo

La eficacia de los subsidios a la contratación de personas con discapacidades es dudosa debido a posibles efectos de peso muerto, sustitución y señalización. Para evaluarla, los autores proponen un experimento natural basado en candidaturas de empleo que revelan o no (aleatoriamente) el derecho al subsidio del candidato. Según la tasa de convocatorias a entrevista logradas, concluyen que el subsidio es ineficaz o contraproducente para un grupo de adolescentes con su formación profesional recién terminada, pero el efecto negativo de señalización resulta mucho más débil para los clientes de un servicio de orientación laboral que contrajeron su discapacidad durante su vida activa.     

The how and why of integrated reporting in a public health care organization: The stakeholders' perspective

Despite the widespread calls for in‐depth case studies on adoption of the International Integrated Reporting Council Framework, in practice, it appears to be underexplored, above all in the public sector. Our aim is to explore how and why a public health care organization (PHO) has chosen to adopt the practice of integrated reporting, and we then delve into whether the PHO's perception of the document's value coincides with that of the stakeholders, who are its recipients. Often, society's perception of value can differ considerably from an organization's. Thus, for our research purposes, a case study was examined, adopting a qualitative approach and action research methodology. Our findings demonstrate the centrality of the value created for patients and of the “normative” scenario that takes place during the implementation of an integrated report in a PHO. Moreover, the concept of legitimacy was found to be virtually synonymous with institutionalization.     

The Signal of Applying for a Job Under a Vacancy Referral Scheme

We investigate the signalling effect related to participation in active labor‐market programs. To this end, we conduct an experiment in which human resources professionals make hiring decisions concerning fictitious job candidates who apply either under a job‐vacancy referral system or directly. We provide first causal evidence for a substantial adverse effect of referral on the probability of being hired. In addition, we find that employers perceive referred candidates as being less motivated than other candidates.     

Financial Flexibility and Manager–Shareholder Conflict: Evidence from REITs

Using equity Real Estate Investment Trust data, we show empirically that the use of unsecured debt, which contains standardized covenants that place limits on total leverage and the use of secured debt, is associated with lower leverage outcomes. We then show that firm value is sensitive to leverage levels, where lower leverage is associated with higher firm value. In the presence of weak managerial governance, our results suggest that unsecured debt covenants function as a managerial commitment device that preserves the firm's debt capacity to enhance financial flexibility.