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Certain issues of reliability and validity in the case of generalized trust survey measurement in light of the Hungarian data
5-22Views:58Trust is a field of research in social sciences that has complex, well-developed theoretical
approaches, but its empirical tools are less precisely grounded. The most common survey tool
for measuring generalized trust is a formula often referred to in the literature as “standard”
trust question, which reads as follows: “Generally speaking, would you say that most people can
be trusted or that you need to be very careful in dealing with people?” The aim of the paper is to
examine this standard survey item along the dimensions of reliability and validity. In our analysis,
we use Hungarian data obtained from various international surveys. Our results indicate serious
validity problems, as the standard question shows only weak linkage with additional variables,
which, based on the conceptual background, should be in a close relationship with trust.
KEYWORDS: trust, generalized trust, survey methods, reliability, validity -
Trust, distrust, self-trust
3-18Views:46The current paper attempts to embrace trust and distrust as emotions, as well as showing trust or distrust as cognitively justified decisions in one coherent theoretical framework. It links these emotional and action-like domains together by the notion of self-trust which is interpreted as a form of rationale. The argument claims that self-trust of those people who are able to trust others functions in a completely different way in compare to the one of distrusting subjects.
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The slave trade and trust
172-177.Views:15Does culture have an impact on society, and if so, how? The study by Nathan Nunn and Leonard Wantchekon set out to examine the impact of the slave trade, which has left its mark on the African continent and its economy, but which ended some 100 years ago, on the cultural, norm-following, beliefs and values of individuals. Their aim is to explore the reasons that led to the historical disconnect within Africa between local governments or municipalities (politics), between the outlying communities (neighbours) and even within family relations, which may still influence economic development today. Nunn and Wantchekon's hypothesis is based on an earlier study by Nunn, which showed a causal link between the 400-year slave trade and the income conditions of the African population today, looking at the long-term economic effects of the slave trade.
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Informality: the Culture of Treating Others Instrumentally: An Essay about the Dynamics of the Relationship between Social Relations and Trust
49-64Views:10The current paper, without scientific systematization and artistic meditation, tries to address
life itself (the normatively understood ‘good life’) in an essayist way. It strives to draw up some
core pillars of a research program about a commonly known everyday phenomenon, informality,
more precisely its distorted form which is inducing social inequalities and injustices, and which,
because of this, should be seen reflexively and critically. The proposed argument is a theoretical
reflection on József Böröcz’s still actual and progressive scientific endeavor to create a framework
for the sociology of informality. -
Leadership challenges in virtual environment: The importance of the synergism in ICT toolset and leadership development
27-48.Views:10The companies connected to the global value chain inevitably and necessarily apply virtualized
solutions in their work organization. As such, the appropriate implementation of the shoring
strategies, the increasing competition and the supply-demand imbalance on the local market of
the high-skilled workers, all puts the existing organizational and leadership practices to the test.
The article aims to highlight the main challenges the virtual team leaders (VTL) are facing and
some best practices that might widen the toolset of the modern VTL. The results are based on a
case study of a multinational info-communication technology (ICT) service company in which
experienced managers and leaders shared their strategies. The main takeaways of the empirical
research are (i) the emphasis on the “early-adopter” behavior and the proper usage of the latest
technology in the communication, (ii) the importance of the ability of building trust and setting
common goals; (iii) despite that everyone is perfectly connected via the internet, the regular
personal presence is still the most powerful leadership tool. -
A Hidden Stream in Medical Education
56-78Views:24The general aim of medical education is the same as in the case of any other ones: creating a professional person from a lay one. A special characteristic of this education is a deep rift between the lay and the professional perspective. One of the main trends of this trait is the discrepancy between the open and the hidden curricula. The contents of the hidden curricula, in many cases, cannot support the main messages of the formal one, on the contrary, they provide a different or even contradictory set of norms, values,
attitudes. One of the main consequences of these discrepancies is that some medical students have been becoming more cynical since their entrance into medical education. The open curricula emphasize empathy, alleviating pain and suffering, the importance of trust and fidelity, and that the well-being of patients is one of the most important priorities. The hidden curricula at the same time emphasize objectivity, detachment, caution, and being suspicious against emotions. One of the outcomes of these eventually contradictory tendencies is that the ’wounded healer’ is not a precondition for becoming a healer, like in archaic times, but a by-product of medical education. -
Touristic entrepreneuring: „Szeklerland, the East of West and West of East”
206-226Views:11The present article analyses the touristic market in Covasna/Kovászna county, Transylvania, Romania. The basis of the paper are 30 semistructured deep interviews and one
focus group interview which had 6 participants who are all representatives of organisations active in the field of tourism. As the result of our research we can clearly state
that there are four different regulation levels: the level of governmental regulations,
professional organisations, cooperation and level of informal economy. Through the
presentation of these four levels we will also touch upon the issues related to professionalization, trust and quality.
