Principals’and Teachers’Awareness,Knowledge,and Differentiation of Privatization-A Secondary Publication

Based on the keynote report by Professor Martin Thrupp,this paper discusses the hollowing out of education provision by the state and the permeation of managerialism.It was pointed out that principals and boards of trustees in socioeconomically advantaged areas may not be willing to share their benefits with schools in less advantaged areas.The new liberal policies have hollowed out state provision of education,so the education system has come to rely heavily on private actors.This paper also presents the current stage of privatization in Japan and the principals’and teachers’perceptions of privatization.

Refining Privatization

In search of a blueprint for the privatization of Nigeria＇s oil refineries

Why Has Privatization Failed to Improve Corporate Performance?——A Case Study of Guoguang Ceramics' Privatization

This paper is a case study based on the privatization of Guoguang Ceramics.It is found that,contrary to the thoughts of some scholars, corporation performance actually deteriorated,rather than improved under privatization.We analyze ownership arrangements before and after privatization and find that private ownership arrangements still have deficiencies and are not necessarily better than state ownership arrangements.The existence of private benefits of control is the essential reason why performance had been deteriorating.Private benefits of control under state ownership come from the government’s multiple objectives of corporation control,whereas the benefits with private ownership lie on resources transferred from the corporation.Ta succeed in privatizing SOEs,it is essential that legal systems be strengthened to effectively oversee private benefits of control.

A Study on the Privatization Decisions of China Concepts Stock Based on the Tax Shield Effect

In this paper, we construct a company value model based on the tax shield effect for overseas listing and privatization scenarios. The trade-off process of privatization decisions is simulated in the context of China concept stock companies’ reality. The results indicate that the value of tax shields, the degree of undervaluation, the ability to obtain cash flows, the risk of short selling, the cost of listing transactions, and fraud penalties are critical factors influencing the choice of privatization. The company value analysis shows that tax shield effect positively affects the probability of privatization. Furthermore, the weaker the ability of a company to obtain cash flow when listed overseas, the lower the WACC, the higher the risk of being shorted, and the higher the cost of listing transactions, the higher the probability that a company will choose to go private. Finally, numerical simulations are adopted to validate the validity of the theoretical model and the findings using SINA’s privatization as a case study. The findings can provide academic guidance and a decision-making basis on trading arrangements for CCS companies.

Impact of carbon disclosure on debt financing costs

Creditors,such as banks,often use disclosed environmental information to assess a company’s environmental risk and ensure the safety of debt funds.Consequently,carbon disclosures have become an important consideration for creditors when making investments.This study explores the relationship between carbon disclosure and debt financing costs using data on listed companies from 2008 to 2019.The results show that carbon disclosure can reduce the debt financing costs of enterprises,and that this influence is more significant for private companies than for state-owned enterprises.Instrumental variables and Propensity Score Matching(PSM)were used to evaluate the robustness of negative relationships.Furthermore,carbon disclosure has a more significant impact on debt costs with less environmental supervision pressure,weak residents’environmental awareness,and weak product market competition.These findings provide guidance for companies’carbon information disclosure and support the establishment of official carbon disclosure standards.

Enhancing Private Healthcare Effectiveness in Lagos State, Nigeria: An Overview of the Effect of Quality Improvement Initiatives and Implications for Sustainable Healthcare Delivery

Background: Nigeria, a nation grappling with rapid population growth, economic intricacies, and complex healthcare challenges, particularly in Lagos State, the economic hub and most populous state, faces the challenge of ensuring quality healthcare access. The overview of the effect of quality improvement initiatives in this paper focuses on private healthcare providers in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study assesses the impact of donor-funded quality improvement projects on these private healthcare facilities. It explores the level of participation, perceived support, and tangible effects of the initiatives on healthcare delivery within private healthcare facilities. It also examines how these initiatives influence patient inflow and facility ratings, and bring about additional benefits and improvements, provides insights into the challenges faced by private healthcare providers in implementing quality improvement projects and elicits recommendations for improving the effectiveness of such initiatives. Methods: Qualitative research design was employed for in-depth exploration, utilizing semi-structured interviews. Private healthcare providers in Lagos involved in the SP4FP Quality Improvement Project were purposively sampled for diversity. Face-to-face interviews elicited insights into participation, perceived support, and project effects. Questions covered participation levels, support perception, changes observed, challenges faced, and recommendations. Thematic analysis identified recurring themes from interview transcripts. Adherence to ethical guidelines ensured participant confidentiality and informed consent. Results: Respondents affirmed active involvement in the SP4FP Quality Improvement Project, echoing literature emphasizing private-sector collaboration with the public sector. While acknowledging positive influences on facility ratings, respondents highlighted challenges within the broader Nigerian healthcare landscape affecting patient numbers. Respondents cited tangible improvements, particularly in staff management and patient care processes, validating the positive influence of quality improvement projects. Financial constraints emerged as a significant challenge, aligning with existing literature emphasizing the pragmatic difficulties faced by private healthcare providers. Conclusions: This study illuminates the complex landscape of private healthcare provision in Lagos State, emphasizing the positive impact of donor-funded quality improvement projects. The findings provide nuanced insights, guiding policymakers, healthcare managers, and practitioners toward collaborative, sustainable improvements. As Nigeria progresses, these lessons will be crucial in shaping healthcare policies prioritizing population well-being.

Pro-Environmental Civic Participation in the USA: The Effects of Social Media, Pro-Environmental Lifestyle and Climate Experiences

This study addresses the link between social media use and pro-environmental civic participation considering the moderating effect of social media affordances (public realm) on one hand, and lifestyle behaviors and climate change experiences (personal realm) on the other. We combine communication theory and behavioral models and using a sample of USA individuals (N = 7225) based on the American Trends Panel to predict variations in pro-environmental behavior. We show that social networks rather than information are more effective in predicting pro-environmental behavior. Moreover, a pro-environmental lifestyle as well as climate change experiences at the community level increase the likelihood for pro-environmental participation. However, affordances related to socioeconomic variations generate variations to pro-environmental civic participation. We conclude that in order to capture the depth of pro-environmental civic participation, it is necessary to theoretically and empirically bridge between private and public expressions of pro-environmental awareness.

Metropolitan Housing Development in Urban Fringe Areas-A Case Study of Three Metropolitan Cities of South Africa: Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane

Purpose:The metropolitan cities of Johannesburg,Ekurhuleni and Tshwane play an important role in the economy of the Gauteng province in South Africa.The region constitutes to 22.4 percent of the total population of South Africa and has a strong presence and contributes in areas of manufacturing sector,financial and business services,retail and wholesale trade,etc.The rapid urban population,increase in the informal settlements and socio-economic opportunities has resulted in considerable urban sprawl in and around the urban fringe areas of these metropolitan cities.The urban fringe areas of these metros often come under the influence of rapid urbanization process and pressures.Coupled with the economical and potential land dynamics and lack of priority of spatial development guidelines,these areas attract rapid and haphazard development from communities and developers.Research Design/Methodology:This research is based on a qualitative approach through a comprehensive literature review that included content analysis of key documents on housing sector such as IDPs(Integrated Development Plans),Municipal Annual Reports,Growth Development Strategies,and among other sectoral documents on housing sector.Some of the key priority issues considered in the housing sector included:eradication of housing backlogs,spatial restructuring of housing,provision of choice in terms of location,tenure and housing typology.Findings:The current paper discusses the approaches of metropolitan housing development processes in three metropolitan cities of South Africa from Gauteng region,namely:Johannesburg,Ekurhuleni and Tshwane.The paper discusses the existing housing sectoral scenario along with the fringe areas in three cities with focus on:formal and informal settlements,housing segregation and the backlogs,current institutional arrangements,role of public private participation,and scope for alternate mechanisms.The paper concludes in discussion on sustainable development options for housing development in urban fringe areas.

Women on Boards of Directors

This research aims to measure the current gender representation in membership of boards of directors,and to study the factors affecting the presence of women on boards.The results of the study will support the decision makers and policy makers at all levels by providing knowledge that contributes to bridging the current gap in participation of women boards.The methodology used in this research is the descriptive analytical approach,which relies on quantitative methods in the process of collecting and analyzing data.This study represents the boards of directors in the three sectors(public,private,and non-profit)in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,The study sample contained 350 targets,where a random sample of 150 people in the public sector,100 people in the private sector,and 100 people in the non-profit sector were selected.The research result found that the majority of the responses believe that the lack of experience and training,and social factors,are the most impact areas of explaining the reasons for the existence of a gap in women’s membership in boards of directors in the three sectors.And the most important reasons for the existence of a gender gap in board membership are:there is no statutory minimum percentage for women’s representation on boards of directors,and scarcity of female competencies in general,and the lack of women occupying leadership positions.

Research on the Innovative Decisions of Supermarket Private Brands and Designated Manufacturers

One of the core competencies of a supermarket lies in its branding.With the continuous development of the market economy and the ongoing evolution of consumer demand,private brands have progressively emerged as significant contributors to supermarket growth.However,a pivotal developmental challenge for supermarkets is navigating the innovative decision-making process between private brands and designated manufacturers.This paper aims to investigate the innovative decisions between private brands and designated manufacturers,along with the relevant promotional strategies employed during entry into the United States market.

Research on the Development Path and Mechanism of“Double-Qualified”Teachers in Private Universities Under the Background of Digital Transformation

This article explores the development path and mechanism of“double-qualified”teachers in private universities under digital transformation.Through literature review,theoretical analysis,and other research methods,this study conducts an in-depth analysis of the impact of digital technology on the development of“double-qualified”teachers in private colleges and universities and puts forward corresponding strategies and suggestions.Research shows that digital transformation provides new opportunities and challenges for developing“double-qualified”teachers in private colleges and universities.To adapt to this trend,teachers must continuously improve their digital skills,and schools should establish a complete incentive mechanism and evaluation system,strengthen school-enterprise cooperation and the integration of industry and education to promote the comprehensive development of“double-qualified”teachers,and provide a useful guideline for private universities to promote the development of“double-qualified”teachers in digital transformation.

Improving innovation and entrepreneurship education in higher institutions: the impact of “Mass Entrepreneurship and Innovation” education on undergraduates’ entrepreneurial intentions

The exploration of the way"mass entrepreneurship and innovation"(MEI)education influences students'aspirations to become entrepreneurs has grown into an important area of analysis in studies related to higher education.This research intends to examine the consequences of MEI education on students'tendency towards entrepreneurship,and to put forward methods for augmenting the teaching of innovation and entrepreneurship in private higher educational establishments.To achieve this objective,questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were employed in the study,which involved a total of 197 students and five education experts.The statistical analysis of the questionnaire data revealed that MEI education was positively related to students'entrepreneurial intentions,and that both entrepreneurial experience and family entrepreneurial background played moderating roles in this relationship.The interview findings indicated that private universities could enhance educational reforms by designing talent training programs,developing diversified curricula,and developing more professional entrepreneurial platforms to encourage students'entrepreneurial intentions.This study offers fresh insights for improving and perfecting the mechanism of innovation and entrepreneurship education in private universities.

What Business Models Best Suit the Private Sector in Achieving the SDGs

Since the United Nations Sustainable development goals and the 2030 agenda were initiated in 2015,it has provided governments with a comprehensive blueprint to take action and meet the challenges of the world’s most pressing issues today.But the private sector also plays a large role in contributing to the problems highlighted in the SDGs and companies ranging from many different industries have increasingly become more involved in developing new and innovative solutions to solve the issues highlighted in the SDGs.Social and environmental accountability has been one of the areas that the private sector has been focusing its attention on.Companies in the corporate sector across all industries have adopted Environmental,Social,and Governance(ESG)regulations and targets,that aim to ensure ethical responsibility within private companies and promote transparency about their role in promoting social and environmental well-being across the world.This has allowed many companies to align their values and business models to emphasize the importance of the SDGs.Furthermore,innovative technologies are being utilized to ensure that public reports about the company’s practices are fully accountable and transparent to the public community and the overall private sector.For example,some private companies are using Natural Language Processing and Artificial Intelligence to analyze sustainable practices highlighted in the company’s ESG reports and see if they are genuine and free of greenwashing.This shows that technologies are playing a key role in promoting corporate accountability in terms of sustainability and encouraging private companies to adhere to the guidelines highlighted within the SDGs.Furthermore,private companies have adapted their business models to better promote innovations and collaboration with governments,other private companies as well as NGOs.Since the SDGs were designed to be interconnected and not siloed into their own different challenges,many companies who adopt the SDGs as a major sustainability framework will often develop partnerships and connections with other private sector groups so that they could develop new innovative solutions to meet the challenges posed by current global issues.This is especially prevalent in the clean energy sector,which aims to solve SDG 7 and SDG 13 both important in eradicating the issue of climate change.For example,the solar energy private sector has been currently collaborating with a wide range of universities and research institutions in order to develop solar panels that are more energy efficient and affordable for everyday consumers,while still allowing the private companies to generate significant returns in revenue.When private sector Industries adopt the measures highlighted in the SDGs,not only does it allow them to work with other industries to contribute to combating the world’s most pressing issues,but also maintains and improves their sources of revenue and profit.Overall,in order to meet the world’s most pressing challenges and issues,the private sector has increasingly adopted the SDGs in their business models,so that they would be able to better collaborate with others to develop innovative solutions and to bridge commitment to sustainable development throughout different industries.

Chinese Privatization: Causes and Outcomes

Chinese privatization has been largely spontaneous. This paper studies its causes and outcomes in efficiency improvement and its implications for employment using firm-level paneldata collected in 11 citiesduringtheperiod 1995-2001. Wefind thathardened budget constraint and marketliberalization aretwo significantfactorscontributing to privatization, whileworkerredundancyand excessive debtshinderit. Privatization improvesfirm efficiency when the amountof private sharespasses a certain threshold. In addition, privatized SOEs maintain a lower rate of employment reduction and a highergrowth rate in average wage paymentcompared to pureSOEs. However, theyalso fire more workers than pureSOEsin the year of privatization.<Keywords>privatization transition economics firmefficiency

Attacks Against Cross-Chain Systems and Defense Approaches:A Contemporary Survey

The blockchain cross-chain is a significant technology for inter-chain interconnection and value transfer among different blockchain networks.Cross-chain overcomes the“information island”problem of the closed blockchain network and is increasingly applied to multiple critical areas such as finance and the internet of things(IoT).Blockchain can be divided into three main categories of blockchain networks:public blockchains,private blockchains,and consortium blockchains.However,there are differences in block structures,consensus mechanisms,and complex working mechanisms among heterogeneous blockchains.The fragility of the cross-chain system itself makes the cross-chain system face some potential security and privacy threats.This paper discusses security defects on the cross-chain implementation mechanism,and discusses the impact of the structural features of blockchain networks on cross-chain security.In terms of cross-chain intercommunication,a cross-chain attack can be divided into a multi-chain combination attack,native chain attack,and inter-chain attack diffusion.Then various security threats and attack paths faced by the cross-chain system are analyzed.At last,the corresponding security defense methods of cross-chain security threats and future research directions for cross-chain applications are put forward.

Private banking development in China under two organizational structures:Economic analysis from an organizational innovation perspective

This paper investigates optimal decisions for private banking development in China under two innovative organizational structures—the big retail mode(BRM)and the independent development mode(IDM).Under the BRM,the retail and private banking divisions form a cooperative relationship wherein the former transfers highnet-worth customers to the latter.In addition,retail banking receives a share of private banking revenues.We investigate the optimal revenue-sharing ratio between the two divisions and the optimal effort by private banking to serve transferred customers within the cooperative relationship.The analytical results show that as the private banking division becomes more developed,the optimal revenue-sharing ratio decreases,and the private banking division’s optimal effort to serve transferred customers decreases because it puts more effort into acquiring new customers.Under the IDM,the two divisions form a competitive relationship since they compete to acquire customers independently.We investigate customer acquisition efforts in this interdivisional competition.Optimal customer acquisition efforts by both divisions increase in potential assets and rates of return.This paper contributes to the literature by(1)analyzing financial innovation by private banks from an organizational perspective;(2)providing an economic analysis for private banking development in China.

Asymmetric Consortium Blockchain and Homomorphically Polynomial-Based PIR for Secured Smart Parking Systems

In crowded cities,searching for the availability of parking lots is a herculean task as it results in the wastage of drivers’time,increases air pollution,and traffic congestion.Smart parking systems facilitate the drivers to determine the information about the parking lot in real time and book them depending on the requirement.But the existing smart parking systems necessitate the drivers to reveal their sensitive information that includes their mobile number,personal identity,and desired destination.This disclosure of sensitive information makes the existing centralized smart parking systems more vulnerable to service providers’security breaches,single points of failure,and bottlenecks.In this paper,an Improved Asymmetric Consortium Blockchain and Homomorphically Computing Univariate Polynomial-based private information retrieval(IACB-HCUPPIR)scheme is proposed to ensure parking lots’availability with transparency security in a privacy-preserving smart parking system.In specific,an improved Asymmetric Consortium Blockchain is used for achieving secure transactions between different parties interacting in the smart parking environment.It further adopted the method of Homomorphically Computing Univariate Polynomial-based private information retrieval(HCUPPIR)scheme for preserving the location privacy of drivers.The results of IACB-HCUPPIR confirmed better results in terms of minimized computation and communication overload with throughput,latency,and response time with maximized drivers’privacy preservation.Moreover,the proposed fully homomorphic algorithm(FHE)was compared against partial-homomorphic encryption(PHE)and technique without encryption and found that the proposed model has quick communication in allocating the parking slots starting with 24.3 s,whereas PHE starts allocating from 24.7 s and the technique without encryption starts at 27.4 s.Thus,we ensure the proposed model performs well in allocating parking slots with less time and high security with privacy preservation.

The influencing mechanism of pro-environmental behaviors in the private domain on those in the public domain

From the perspective of regulatory focus theory,the influencing mechanism of pro-environmental behaviors(PEBs)in the private domain on behaviors in the public domain were analyzed by revealing the mediating ef‐fect of the status quo maintenance and the moderating effect of the prevention focus orientation.The study re‐sults show that PEBs in the private domain significantly promote individuals’PEBs in the public domain.The status quo maintenance partially mediates the relationship between PEBs in the private and public domains.Specifically,individuals with a high-level prevention focus orientation strengthen the relationship between the PEBs in the private domain and the status quo maintenance,and that of the PEBs in the public domain.There‐fore,individuals with a high-level prevention focus will more likely engage in subsequent PEBs in the public domain after their initial PEBs in the private domain due to their increased status quo maintenance degree.Policymakers and practitioners should pay attention to the prevention-repetition effect and use the PEBs in the private domain to promote those in the public domain.

Estimating the Monetary Value of Hours Lost to the Nigerian Public Healthcare System When Full-Time Government Employee Doctors Engage in Dual Practice

Background: Dual Practice (DP) allows full-time public sector doctors to concurrently offer the same clinical services in the private sector. The debate against this practice seems to be largely influenced by its potential to reduce the contracted hours in the public sector and shift attention to private work. Purpose: The purpose of this secondary research is to estimate the monetary value of hours lost to the Nigerian public healthcare system when full-time government employee doctors are engaged in private practice. It attempts to quantify the amount of resource outflow from the public system due to absences and lateness arising from competition for time between the public system’s contracted hours and private practice. Methods: Sensitivity analysis in Excel 2010 was used to calculate doctors’ hourly pay in the public sector using the 2015 Consolidated Medical Salary Structure for medical and dental officers in Nigeria’s federal public service. The parameters used for the calculation were the official 40-hour working week and the average monthly gross pay of doctors on different grade levels. Hypothetical scenarios of hours lost due to absences associated with DP were created. The value of different hypothetical hour losses by the percentage of doctors assumed to engage in dual practice across all doctor grade levels was then computed. Results: The estimated annual value of hours lost from dual practice to a single public tertiary care hospital was N4,851,754 or 15,855 USD (best case scenario) and N19,407,017 or 63,422 USD (worst case scenario) for the normal routine work and N1,800,133 or 5883 USD (best case scenario) and N3,600,266 or 11,766 USD (worst case scenario) for the on-call duty. Conclusion: The government may have been paying salaries for large volumes of work not rendered in the public sector. The overall financial impact of dual practice in the Nigerian public system might be negative.