South–South Cooperation 3.0? Managing the consequences of success in the decade ahead

This paper examines the consequences of the hugely successful expansion of South-South Cooperation since the new millennium. For all the achievements, variations and change over the 1950s-late 1990s, ‘SSC 1.0’ was characterised by relative neglect within the 'international' development community, and by many orthodox and critical scholars. In the chronological schema of the paper, ‘SSC 2.0’ refers to the period of remarkable expansion from the early 2000s to the present. The emergence of ‘SSC 3.0’, I suggest, is currently revealed by a discernible set of shifts driven in large part by the expansionary successes of SSC 2.0, as well as other turns in the global political economy. Three contemporary trends are identified: cooperation narratives that are increasingly ‘muscular’, nationalistic and pragmatic; difficulties sustaining claims to ‘non-interference’ in partner countries; and the further erosion of ideational and operational distinctiveness.     

Buddhist Feminist Transnational Networks,Female Ordination and Women's Empowerment

Consideration of the role that religion plays in women's lives in developing contexts can be important in understanding ways of approaching their “strategic gender needs”. Rather than rejecting religion for its inherent patriarchy, styles of “religious feminism” have emerged across the globe. These argue for reinterpretations of religious systems that are consistent with the “core” values of the tradition as well as various types of feminist thinking. The aim of this paper is to discuss the emergence of a transnational movement across Buddhist traditions and countries that is concerned to make full ordination an available option to women in contexts where it is currently prohibited. While becoming fully ordained is considered to be the most suitable way of becoming enlightened and escaping future rebirths, a strong theme within the movement is the argument that gender hierarchies within Buddhism have a broader cultural impact upon social attitudes that disempower women and limit their development. Dialogue between members of Buddhist communities across the world has encouraged reflection upon and a challenge to unequal and oppressive gender hierarchies within the Buddhist tradition and within Buddhist societies. This paper explores four “international” events/examples that enable information exchange as well as the flow of material support between women from different traditions.     

Medical resource utilization and costs among Australian patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C: results of a retrospective observational study

Objective: To evaluate medical resource utilization (MRU) and associated costs among Australian patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C (GT1 CHC), including both untreated patients and those receiving treatment with first-generation protease inhibitor-based regimens (telaprevir, boceprevir with pegylated interferon and ribavirin).

Methods: Medical records were reviewed for a stratified random sample of GT1 CHC patients first attending two liver clinics between 2011–2013 (principal population; PP), supplemented by all GT1 CHC patients attending one transplant clinic in the same period (transplant population; TP). CHC-related MRU and associated costs are reported for the PP by treatment status (treated/not treated) stratified by baseline fibrosis grade; and for the TP for the pre-transplant, year of transplant and post-transplant periods.

Results: A total 1636 patients were screened and 590 patients (36.1%) were included. Comprehensive MRU data were collected for 276 PP patients (F0–1 n?=?59, F2 n?=?58, F3 n?=?53, F4 n?=?106; mean follow-up?=?17.3 months). Thirty-eight (13.8%) were treatment-experienced prior to enrolment; 55 (19.9%) received triple therapy during the study. Data were collected for 112 TP patients (mean follow-up?=?29.9 months), 33 (29.5%) received a transplant during the study, and 51 (45.5%) beforehand. The annual direct medical costs, excluding drug costs, were higher among treated PP vs untreated PP (AU$: $1,954 vs $1,202); and year of transplant TP vs pre-/post-transplant TP (AU$: pre-transplant $32,407, transplant $155,138, post-transplant $7,358).

Limitations: To aid interpretation of results, note that only patients with GT1 CHC who are actively managed are included, and MRU data were collected specifically from liver outpatient clinics. That said, movement of patients between hospitals is rare, and any uncaptured MRU is expected to be minimal.

Conclusions: CHC-related MRU increases substantially with disease severity. These real-world MRU data for GT1 CHC will be valuable in assessing the impact of new hepatitis C treatments.     

Changes in the Relative Economic Performance of Immigrants to Great Britain and the United States, 1980–2000

We compare the relative labour market performance of immigrants in the USA and in Britain over the period 1980–2000, when the stocks of immigrants were rising in both countries alongside differential shifts in demand and changes to labour market institutions. We find that the average relative employment prospects of immigrants are generally better in the USA than in Britain, particularly for non‐white immigrants, while the average relative wage prospects for immigrants are generally better in Britain, particularly for men. Over time, relative wage and employment prospects for immigrants to the USA appear to have deteriorated, particularly among women, in a way that is not as apparent in Britain.     

Do social media enhance constructive employee voice all of the time or just some of the time?

Social media are becoming widely adopted by organisations to encourage collaboration and communication. We seek to understand how social media can enhance employee voice and employees' willingness to engage in constructive dialogue with both colleagues and managers. By drawing on literature on employee voice, signalling theory and personal control to analyse qualitative data from research into three strategic business units in a major global telecommunications corporation, we find that (a) employee perceptions of personal control and autonomy influence whether and how employees' exercise voice through social media, and (b) these perceptions vary according to different organisational/field‐level contexts evident in the corporation.     

Bank credit constraints for women‐led SMEs: Self‐restraint or lender bias?

We test the existence of possible gender biases affecting firm behavior in demanding and obtaining bank credit using a cross‐country sample of European small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). We show consistent evidence that female‐led firms are more likely than their male counterparts to refrain from applying for loans. When they apply, female‐led enterprises do not seem to face gender discrimination from the lender. Interestingly, however, signs of gender bias appear to arise during the upside phase of the economy. Overall, our study provides support for policy actions aimed at reducing the frictions faced by women‐led SMEs when accessing credit markets.