Bonding, Academic Culture and Aggressive Behavior among University Students in Pakistan

Aggression at universities has become a serious problem not only for developed but also for underdeveloped states across the globe. Growing violence at the campus is becoming a routine. Frequent incidences of violent conflicts and even killing in some cases at the campus has drawn the attention of scholars and made it an important area of research and investigation. This study was set out to understand students violent behavior and factors contributing to their violent behavior at the campus. A sample of 375 students was selected from different faculties of two universities from Islamabad city. The data came through a well-structured questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis was performed to see the effect of bonding and academic culture on aggressive behavior students at the university. Findings show that bonding and academic culture significantly predicts i.e. 16% of aggressive behavior of university students. It is, therefore concluded that low level of bonding and poor academic culture at the university exacerbate violent, aggressive or non-confirmatory behavior among students.

INFORMATION SEARCH BEHAVIOR AND TAX CONSULTANTS’ RECOMMENDATION: EXPERIMENTAL EXAMINATION ON THE ROLE OF SOCIAL NORMS

This study examines the influence of client preference with respect to information search behavior and subsequent tax recommendation. Prior studies have identified that tax consultants exhibit confirmation bias in their information search processes, which is explained by the theory of motivated reasoning (Kunda, 1990). However, that theory does not take into consideration responses of tax consultant that are attributable to the way clients present their preferences. This study fills the gap by proposing a social norm activation model which can help to foster a better understanding of the nature of the confirmatory behavior. To accomplish this purpose, study participants role-played as advisors on a tax compliance task. The experiment used aweb-based instrument that involved 82 tax professionals. Results showed that tax consultants engaged inlower confirmation bias when they received an explicitly preference statement from their client than those who received an implicit statement. Furthermore, the former tax consultants recommended a more conservative tax position than the latter. These findings underscore the importance of social norm in a professional tax work environment. As a practical contribution, these findings suggest that the beliefs and norms of tax professionals influence the way they do their work.

Equitability in Healthcare Resource Allocation Concerning Substance Users: An Argument Against Lower Priority Setting

Organ transplantation centers set criteria for candidate qualification, which has led to disparate healthcare resource allocation practices affecting those with a substance use history. These individuals are denied organ transplants by committees and healthcare providers who assign them lower priority status. The lower priority argument claims that healthcare resources should not be provided equally to individuals failing to share responsibility for not doing enough in addressing the diseases associated with substance use. The purpose of this work is to explore the interrelatedness between the ethics of a merit-based system of moral responsibility and lower priority setting involved in healthcare resource allocation pertaining to those with substance use histories.  An integral approach to the argument against the lower prioritists with a focus on the relationship between different organ allocation practices affecting substance users and the justification for resource allocation practices in healthcare and transplant committees. Lower priority setting is challenged, and an argument offered in which substance users are assigned higher priority when relying on “doing enough” in a merit-based system of moral responsibility. It is determined that one cannot substantiate assigning a lower priority status since a lack of success in rehab does not imply a lack of effort.  Additionally, neither to confirmatory behavior, nor to non-conforming behavior may freedom be justifiably ascribed in a merit-based system of responsibility because freedom to choose can neither be established a priori, nor a posteriori with respect to meritorious behavior.