Editorial introduction: counter-urbanisation in contemporary Australia: a review of current issues and events

'Counter-urbanisation' has attracted international attention for decades, as an elusive concept that runs against the overwhelming trend of an urbanising world. In Australia, interest in counter-urbanisation waned after the peak interest from the 1970s until the early 2000s, however a recent resurgence of interest has grown due to anecdotal evidence of rising migration out of major cities. Advances in the ability to telecommute, the impacts of COVID-19 and lockdowns in major cities, and the impact of climate change on migration movements are some contemporary changes prompting the need for a renewed critical and theoretical analysis of counter-urbanisation. This editorial introduces the special issue that offers renewed insights to counter-urbanisation in Australia. We present three arguments to ground the elusive concept of 'counter-urbanisation' that underpins this special issue. We argue (1) that the contemporary examples of counter-urbanisation we are witnessing presently in Australia involve migration from major cities to regional spaces;(2) counter-urbanisation is determined by geographical context, in this case Australia and places within, and (3) Australian counter-urban movements are strongly linked to amenity and lifestyle migration. This editorial then introduces the special issue papers which together define and challenge the concept of counter-urbanisation within the Australian context.

Corporate Governance and Corporate Philanthropy during COVID-19: Mediating role of Knowledge Management

This study examines the role of corporate governance and corporate philanthropy during COVID-19, with the mediating role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) knowledge management among Chinese listed firms. The study employed secondary data obtained from the Chinese Stock Market & Accounting Research (CSMAR) database on board size (BS) and board composition (BC) as corporate governance proxies. The findings show that BS and BC have a positive but insignificant relationship with corporate philanthropy, while CSR knowledge fully mediates the relationship between corporate governance and corporate philanthropy. Additionally, we find that board size and board composition have a positive relationship with CSR knowledge. This study has practical implications for firms engaged in the process view of CSR knowledge, which actively contributes to COVID-19 philanthropy. The process view of CSR receives more information from outside stakeholders and implements their resources on the most recent CSR issue. This response creates value for the firm as it targets the most recent issue in society. © 2021 IEEE.

Measurement perspective, process, and the pandemic.

This discussion centers on two desiderata: the role of measurement in information-gathering and physical interaction in scientific practice. By taking inspiration from van Fraassen's (2008) view, we present a methodological account of perspectival measurement that addresses empirical practice where there is complex intervention, disagreeing results, and limited theory. The specific aim of our account is to provide a methodological prescription for developing measurement processes in the context of limited theory. The account should be useful to philosophers of science, who are interested in the intersection between representation and intervention; scientists, who are interested in methodological suggestions for theory-development and reliability; and interdisciplinary researchers, who are interested in the intersections between the pandemic, built environments, and social processes. We apply the process-view of measurement to COVID-19, specifically, measuring replication in the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The aim is to show that our account tracks key elements-manipulation/intervention, independence, invariance, and theory-development-by organizing unfolding measurement processes. Additionally, we use our account to make prescriptive suggestions for measurement practice in the COVID-19 context by discussing the need to broaden measurement perspective on interaction, manipulation, and production.