This research revealed the role of leaders in relation to incident prevention in organisations. The acquired data showed that Dominance-oriented leaders have a negative influence on safety.... Show moreThis research revealed the role of leaders in relation to incident prevention in organisations. The acquired data showed that Dominance-oriented leaders have a negative influence on safety. Relation-oriented leaders appeared to be friendly people with no real influence on safety. Production-oriented leaders are real achievers, committed to meeting production targets. A new character emerged during our research: the Process-oriented leader. This leader proved a dedicated safety minded leader, who fulfils his production duties in a responsible way, taking care of the reliability of production without compromising the safety of his team members. Also, we developed a Risk Reduction Cycle, showing the risk reduction process. This model revealed that the recognition of risks and implementation of remedial actions are the weakest links. In conclusion, we argue that this research revealed that the effectiveness of incident prevention depends predominantly on the individual behaviour of their leaders. Consequently, in order to foster Process-oriented Safety Leadership, we recommend not to focus on operational safety practices to be carried out by the workforce. Instead, we deliberately emphasise the influential power of their leaders, and propose a set of Process-oriented Safety Leadership Principles, directed at the board room level of organisations and three external parties. Show less
“A Brief Sketch of the Christian Faith,” published in 1632, was written by Conradus Vorstius in 1620, at the request of Johannes Uytenbogaert. Uytenbogaert needed a Confessionfor the Remonstrant... Show more“A Brief Sketch of the Christian Faith,” published in 1632, was written by Conradus Vorstius in 1620, at the request of Johannes Uytenbogaert. Uytenbogaert needed a Confessionfor the Remonstrant Society he had justfounded, and asked Vorstius to assist the committee that was established for its production. Vorstius, who at the time lived in difficult conditions, was unable to deliver a full text, but managed to provide this Sketch, which was subsequently used by Simon Episcopius to compose his famous Remonstrant Confession. Vorstius’s sketch was never intended for publication. Show less
Liberal democracy in the world is under pressure. This article will specifically look at security and stability related challenges for liberal democracy in a specific region, namely North-western... Show moreLiberal democracy in the world is under pressure. This article will specifically look at security and stability related challenges for liberal democracy in a specific region, namely North-western Europe. As will be shown, three distinct security and stability related challenges put pressure on liberal democracy in this region. Firstly, the struggle by states to provide security for their citizens in an era where the blurring of internal and external security leads to “new” security threats. Secondly, the decline of social cohesion in society, causing unrest and instability. Thirdly, the undermining of liberal democracy by the state. As will be shown, these challenges have an impact on the organizations working in the security domain as well, in particular the armed forces and the police. Paradoxically, efforts by governments to counter the security and stability related challenges could eventually lead to a declining stability of liberal democracy. Show less
Art therapy is an often provided but little studied treatment option in mental health care.The effectiveness of art therapy in the treatment of anxiety was studied and its working mechanisms were... Show moreArt therapy is an often provided but little studied treatment option in mental health care.The effectiveness of art therapy in the treatment of anxiety was studied and its working mechanisms were explored. Outcomes of a randomised controlled trial (n=59) showed preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of art therapy. The treatment, consisting of three months of anthroposophic art therapy, showed major reduction of anxiety symptom severity in women, compared to a wait list condition. The therapy also improved quality of life and various aspects of self-regulation: higher HRV at rest (which may indicate an overall lower stress level), improvements in emotion regulation and improvements in daily executive functioning.The second part of this PhD research focused on case report methodology and the development of tools for research within this field, with and for therapists in clinical practice, and for education. A publication guideline for case reports was developed and positively evaluated in practice. An exemplary case report of a female client with anxiety was provided.The outcomes of this research support the indication of art therapy in the treatment of anxiety and justify further studying of the effectiveness and mechanisms of art therapy. Show less
Abbing, A.C.; Baars, E.W.; Van Haastrecht, O.; Ponstein, A.S. 2019
Anxiety is a major problem for many individuals, causing impairment in daily life. Art therapy is often deployed and although positive results are communicated in clinical practice, its... Show moreAnxiety is a major problem for many individuals, causing impairment in daily life. Art therapy is often deployed and although positive results are communicated in clinical practice, its effectiveness and working mechanisms have hardly been studied. Therefore, it is important to systematically describe the intervention process and to detect the working mechanisms to be able to evaluate them. Narrative case studies help to understand the intervention in more depth. A typical case file was selected for case reporting according to scientific (CARE & CARE-AAT) guidelines, with the aim to explore the therapeutic elements that contributed to the reduction of anxiety. The report describes the intervention process of a 54-year-old female, suffering from anxiety since childhood and diagnosed with panic disorder, agoraphobia, claustrophobia and hypochondria. After 14 sessions of anthroposophic art therapy, reduction of anxiety was shown, as well as improvements of emotion regulation and executive functioning. The client indicated that she became more tolerant and accepting towards her anxiety. She noted a softened attitude towards herself and her complaints, even one year after art therapy. The course of treatment suggests that aspects of emotion regulation and executive functioning were addressed through implicit learning processes in different art therapy assignments. Show less
Abbing, A.C.; De Sonneville, L.; Baars, E.; Bourne, D.; Swaab, H. 2019
ObjectivesTo explore possible working mechanisms of anxiety reduction in women with anxiety disorders, treated with art therapy (AT).MethodsA RCT comparing AT versus waiting list (WL) condition on... Show moreObjectivesTo explore possible working mechanisms of anxiety reduction in women with anxiety disorders, treated with art therapy (AT).MethodsA RCT comparing AT versus waiting list (WL) condition on aspects of self-regulation. Stress regulation (heart rate and heart rate variability) and executive functioning (daily behavioural and cognitive performance aspects of executive functioning (EF)) were evaluated in a pre-post design. Participants were women, aged 18–65 years with moderate to severe anxiety symptoms.ResultsEffectiveness of AT compared to WL was demonstrated in a higher resting HRV post treatment, improvements in aspects of self-reported daily EF (emotion control, working memory, plan/organize and task monitor), but not in cognitive performance of EF, stress responsiveness and down regulation of stress. The decrease in anxiety level was associated with improvements in self-reported daily EF.ConclusionsAT improves resting HRV and aspects of EF, the latter was associated with art therapy-related anxiety reduction Show less
Palani, K.; Khidir, J.; Dechesne, M.; Bakker, E. 2019
This research aims to analyse the drivers which informed the decision and timing of Kurdistan’s independence referendum on 25 September 2017. Here we argue that any proper examination of these... Show moreThis research aims to analyse the drivers which informed the decision and timing of Kurdistan’s independence referendum on 25 September 2017. Here we argue that any proper examination of these drivers must begin by investigating the relationship between the fight to counter the Islamic State begun in 2014, the disputes arising as a result of Kurdistan’s presidential election issue in 2015 and the internal political rivalry exacerbated by the question of whether to hold a referendum. The findings of this article highlight the centrality of de facto entities’ internal governance in their struggle towards statehood. The fight against IS served as a primary driver in influencing the timing and the approach of the September 2017 referendum. While the 2015 political deadlock resulting in the illegal extension of Barzani’s presidency was not a determining factor leading to the referendum, nonetheless it quickened the process and influenced the timing. Show less
Palani, K.; Khidir, J.; Dechesne, M.; Bakker, E. 2019
Despite the growing interest in the study of de facto states, our understanding of the conditions under which these entities construct and change strategies to gain international recognition... Show moreDespite the growing interest in the study of de facto states, our understanding of the conditions under which these entities construct and change strategies to gain international recognition remains partial. The aim of this article is to answer the following questions: firstly, what strategies did the Kurdistan Region of Iraq adopt in its pursuit of international recognition? And secondly, what internal and external dynamics are responsible for changing these recognition strategies? To do so, we analyse 68 speeches, interviews and statements from former KRI President Masoud Barzani, from the public announcement of an independence referendum on 7 June 2017 to the holding of the referendum on 25 September 2017, looking into his arguments for independence and how internal and external dynamics have shaped the KRI's recognition strategies. Drawing on the case of the KRI, the article tries to provide insights into how de facto states construct their arguments for statehood. Show less
Today, sponsorship relations are evolving to a partnership model where sponsor and sponsee are interacting during the preparation and execution in the shared interest of both parties, and where... Show moreToday, sponsorship relations are evolving to a partnership model where sponsor and sponsee are interacting during the preparation and execution in the shared interest of both parties, and where sponsors are also cooperating with each other. These partnership models often result in additional value for the partners, and include benefits for visitors of the sponsored event or for a wider set of stakeholders. Frameworks include models to assess the outcome of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, as well as Porter and Kramer's (2011, 2014, 2019) work on creating shared value (CSV). Applying the concepts not only extends our understanding of sponsorship outcomes but also offers new insights into the applicability of the CSV approach and contributes to current academic debates on both CSV and CSR (most prominently in a California Management Review discussion between Crane, Palazzo, Spence and Matten [2012, 2014] on the one hand, and Porter and Kramer [2014] on the other). CSV includes a shareholder perspective that resonates with sponsorship stakeholders, pays attention to outcomes on both sides of the partnership and also offers a way to assess and value outcomes that are external to the partnership, including aspects traditionally viewed through the lens of philanthropy and CSR. Show less
Dijke, M.H. van; Houwelingen, G.G. van; Cremer, D. de; Schutter, L. de 2017
People morally evaluate norm violations that occur at various distances from the self (e.g., a corrupt politician vs. a cheating spouse). Yet, distance is rarely studied as a moderator of moral... Show morePeople morally evaluate norm violations that occur at various distances from the self (e.g., a corrupt politician vs. a cheating spouse). Yet, distance is rarely studied as a moderator of moral judgment processes. We focus on the influence of disgust on moral judgments, as evidence here has remained inconclusive. Based on feelings as information theory and the notion that disgust evolved as a pathogen avoidance mechanism, we argue that disgust influences moral judgment of psychologically distant (vs. near) norm violations. Studies 1 and 3 show that trait disgust sensitivity (but not trait anger and fear) more strongly predicts moral judgment of distant than near violations. Studies 2 and 4 show that incidental disgust affects moral judgment of distant (vs. near) violations and that the moderating role of distance is mediated by involvement of others (vs. the self) in the evaluator’s conceptualization of the violation. Show less
Houwelingen, G.G. van; Dijke, M.H. van; Cremer, D. de 2017
When do recipients of an apology (“trustors”) base their decision to trust a perpetrator (a “trustee”) on the attributional information embedded in an apology? Attributions provide a detailed... Show moreWhen do recipients of an apology (“trustors”) base their decision to trust a perpetrator (a “trustee”) on the attributional information embedded in an apology? Attributions provide a detailed account of the trustee's causal involvement in committing a transgression. We therefore argue that trustors in a low construal level mindset use this information in their trusting decision. However, trustors in a high construal level mindset likely consider all apologies as simple statements of regret, regardless of the attributional information they contain. We find support for this argument in four laboratory experiments. This research nuances the idea that to restore trust by means of an apology, the trustee must only use an effective attribution for a negative outcome. We also present a more realistic understanding of the process leading from apologies to trust than has been offered in previous work by simultaneously considering the role of the trustor and that of the trustee in the trust restoration process. Show less
