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Can crowdfunding contribute to the rebalancing of the financial system via democratising investment? This paper begins to respond to this question by establishing how and why investors place trust in these markets. We offer two contributions. First, to theoretical debates on democratic finance; and second, to a more empirical body of cross-disciplinary research into popular investment via a qualitative analysis of 52 original interviews with investors in six UK crowdfunding markets. Our data is taken from a project with the UK's Financial Conduct Authority to enhance investor protection in these markets. Deploying concepts from across economic sociology, we find that investors: mobilise embedded networks to establish trust in crowdfunding; are motivated by expectations of 'blended returns'; prefer automated investment tools if they lack experience; and typically invest with funds they have earmarked as being prepared to lose. We conclude that enhanced investor protection is required for crowdfunding to help democratise finance. ; ¿Puede el crowdfunding contribuir al reequilibrio del sistema financiero mediante la democratización de la inversión? Este documento comienza a responder a esta pregunta estableciendo cómo y por qué los inversores confían en estos mercados. Ofrecemos dos contribuciones. Primero, a los debates teóricos sobre finanzas democráticas; y segundo, a un cuerpo más empírico de investigación interdisciplinar sobre inversión popular a través de un análisis cualitativo de 52 entrevistas originales con inversores en seis mercados de crowdfunding del Reino Unido. Nuestros datos se toman de un proyecto con la Autoridad de Conducta Financiera del Reino Unido para mejorar la protección de los inversores en estos mercados. Utilizando un enfoque de sociología económica, encontramos que los inversores: movilizan redes integradas para establecer confianza en el crowdfunding; están motivados por las expectativas de «rendimientos combinados»; prefieren herramientas de inversión automatizadas si carecen de experiencia; y típicamente invierten con fondos que han destinado a perder. Concluimos que se requiere una mayor protección de los inversores para la financiación colectiva para ayudar a democratizar las finanzas

This article extends the Institutional Analysis and Development Framework's seminal research on common pool resource (CPR) management in new directions by exploring how the design principles of robust and enduring CPR management, initially proposed by Elinor Ostrom in 1990, can be used to measure and assess cross‐scale institutional linkages. This study examines data from 14 interstate river basin compacts in the western United States to identify the types of linkages established in these interstate settings, the factors that contribute to the emergence of diverse types of linkages around these shared resources, and how different types of linkages perform. Using Ostrom's CPR design principles to operationalize and measure linkages, the study shows that diverse types of cross‐scale linkages were created under the 14 interstate compacts, with linkages related to monitoring found to be particularly prevalent. The types and diversity of linkages can largely be explained by the conditions under which compacts emerged and the water management issues states jointly face. In applying the evaluative criteria operationalized by the CPR design principles, this research further shows that the monitoring and collective choice linkages created by compacts tend to be of higher quality, while enforcement and conflict resolution linkages appeared to be of the lowest quality. In addition to developing the IAD literature on CPR management, these findings offer critical insights for assessing the capacity of interstate river basin compacts in the western United States to manage shared resources successfully, as well as insights for what types of institutional investments may be needed for enhanced resource governance.

Duration estimation is shown to be affected by the scale, or size, of visual displays. In particular, verbal estimates of the duration of a fixed interval of time tend to increase as the size of a given visual display decreases. The results are considered from two general theoretical frameworks (psychobiological chronometer and information storage-size theories).

Ten video games currently used in commercial markets were subjected to pairwise similarity ratings. A multidimensional scaling of the responses revealed three underlying dimensions that accounted for 30% of the variance: destructiveness, dimensionality, and graphic quality. These three dimensions are readily interpretable, can be embedded within personality and motivation literatures, and have application to the design of computer-based training devices.

PurposeThis paper aims to compare style and behavior-focused individual difference measures in their ability to uniquely predict naturally occurring conflict acts.Design/methodology/approachPrimary participants (and a friend of their choosing) completed a style measure and a behavior-focused measure about the primary participants and reported on the occurrence of a variety of conflict actions over a 60-day period.FindingsFor self-ratings and friend ratings, both the style measure and the behavior-focused measure were significantly related to the occurrence of conflict acts. However, the unique effect of the behavior-focused measure was stronger than that of the style measure.Research limitations/implicationsThe data were collected from college students, thus limiting the generalizability of the findings. The measure of conflict acts was based on recall, which may also be subject to error and bias. In terms of implications, the findings strongly suggest that behavior-focused instruments are superior to style measures in predicting everyday conflict acts.Practical implicationsBecause the behavior-focused individual difference measure was a better predictor of actual behavior than the style measure, investigators interested in such prediction may want to seriously consider using such measures.Originality/valueLittle research exists regarding the relative predictive abilities of style measures and behavior-focused measures; this paper provides some of the first such evidence.

This study was conducted to analyze the factors that affect the career orientation of federal civilian engineers at the Naval Avionics Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. One hundred and sixty-seven scientists and engineers from several engineering divisions were surveyed regarding turnover intentions. Based on literature reviews in the area of turnover with this particular population, a model was developed containing several factors related to intent to remain in the organization. Results indicated that this model predicts the turnover intention with 87.5 percent accuracy. Findings are interpreted in light of ongoing efforts on an organization-wide basis to introduce change in the Center's culture through a quality management program. Keywords: Career orientation, Job satisfaction turnover. (sdw) ; Naval Avionics Center, Civilian Personnel Department ; http://archive.org/details/analysisoffactor00robe ; N0016389WR90118 ; NA ; Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

This article examines discourse on immunity in general public engagements with pandemic influenza in light of critical theory on immuno-politics and bodily integrity. Interview and focus group discussions on influenza with members of the general public reveal that, despite endorsement of government advice on how to avoid infection, influenza is seen as, ultimately, unavoidable. In place of prevention, members of the general public speak of immunity as the means of coping with influenza infection. Such talk on corporeal life under microbial threat is informed by self/not-self, network and 'choice' immunity, and therefore makes considerable allowance for cosmopolitan traffic with others, microbes, 'dirt' and immune-boosting consumer products. The immuno-political orientation of members of the general public, therefore, appears to trend towards a productive cosmopolitanism that contrasts with more orthodox bioscientific and governmental approaches to pandemic influenza. We reflect on the implications of the immuno-cosmopolitanism of everyday life for the advent of global public health emergency and for biopolitical rule in general.

Hook-up websites and apps are said to be transforming the sexual lives of gay men and have been linked with the apparent erosion of gay publics as the basis for identity politics and social action. This article examines these dynamics in the interview and focus-group talk of gay men living on the economic and geographical margins of metropolitan gay culture. It offers perspectives on the importance of location – class, generation and space – for the experience of digital media, the negotiation of safety, and the new codifications and elaborations on sex with the (non) stranger; a figure who is not alien, yet not familiar, in sexual sociality. Reflecting on these situated perspectives in connection with debates on the erosion of gay publics, this article argues against monolithic framings of gay men's sexual lives after digital media.