bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MutSignatures: An R Package for Extraction and Analysis of Cancer Mutational Signatures
Authors: Fantini Damiano , Vidimar Vania , Yu Yanni , Condello Salvatore , Meeks Joshua J.
Published: March 2020

Cancer cells accumulate somatic mutations as result of DNA damage and inaccurate repair mechanisms. Different genetic instability processes result in distinct non-random patterns of DNA mutations, also known as mutational signatures. We developedmutSignatures, an integrated R-based computational framework aimed at deciphering DNA mutational signatures. Our software provides advanced functions for importing DNA variants, computing mutation types, and extracting mutational signatures via non-negative matrix factorization. We appliedmutSignaturesto analyze somatic mutations found in smoking-related cancer datasets. We characterized mutational signatures that were consistent with those reported before in independent investigations. Our work demonstrates that selected mutational signatures correlated with specific clinical and molecular features across different cancer types, and revealed complementarity of specific mutational patterns that has not previously been identified. In conclusion, we proposemutSignaturesas a powerful open-source tool for detecting the molecular determinants of cancer and gathering insights into cancer biology and treatment.
Merqury: reference-free quality, completeness, and phasing assessment for genome assemblies
Authors: Rhie Arang , Walenz Brian P. , Koren Sergey , Phillippy Adam M.
Published: March 2020

Recent long-read assemblies often exceed the quality and completeness of available reference genomes, making validation challenging. Here we present Merqury, a novel tool for reference-free assembly evaluation based on efficient k-mer set operations. By comparing k-mers in a de novo assembly to those found in unassembled high-accuracy reads, Merqury estimates base-level accuracy and completeness. For trios, Merqury can also evaluate haplotype-specific accuracy, completeness, phase block continuity, and switch errors. Multiple visualizations, such as k-mer spectrum plots, can be generated for evaluation. We demonstrate on both human and plant genomes that Merqury is a fast and robust method for assembly validation.

Availability of data and material

Project name: Merqury

Project home page: https://github.com/marbl/merqury, https://github.com/marbl/meryl

Archived version: https://github.com/marbl/merqury/releases/tag/v1.0

Operating system(s): Platform independent

Programming language: C++, Java, Perl

Other requirements: gcc 4.8 or higher, java 1.6 or higher

License: Public domain (see https://github.com/marbl/merqury/blob/master/README.license) Any restrictions to use by non-academics: No restrictions applied
Temporal coordination of collective migration and lumen formation by antagonism between two nuclear receptors
Authors: Wang Xianping , Wang Heng , Liu Lin , Li Sheng , Emery Gregory , Chen Jiong
Published: March 2020

During development, cells often undergo multiple, distinct morphogenetic processes to form a tissue or organ, but how their temporal order and time interval are determined remain poorly understood. Here we show that the nuclear receptors E75 and DHR3 regulate the temporal order and time interval between the collective migration and lumen formation of a coherent group of about 8 cells called border cells duringDrosophilaoogenesis. In wild type egg chambers, border cells need to first collectively migrate to the anterior border of oocyte before undergoing lumen formation to form micropyle, the structure that is essential for sperm entry into the oocyte. We show that E75 is required for border cell migration and it antagonizes the activity of DHR3, which is necessary and sufficient for the subsequent lumen formation during micropyle formation. Furthermore,E75’s loss of function orDHR3overexpression each leads to precocious lumen formation before collective migration, an incorrect temporal order for the two morphogenetic processes. Interestingly, both E75 and DHR3’s levels are simultaneously elevated in response to signaling from the EcR, a steroid hormone receptor that initiates border cell migration. Subsequently, the decrease of E75 levels in response to decreased EcR signaling leads to the de-repression of DHR3’s activity and hence switch-on of lumen formation, contributing to the regulation of time interval between collective migration and micropyle formation.
A dendritic-like microtubule network is organized from swellings of the basal fiber in neural progenitors
Authors: Coquand L. , Victoria G.S. , Tata A. , Brault J.B. , Guimiot F. , Fraisier V. , Baffet A. D.
Published: March 2020

Neurons of the neocortex are generated by neural progenitors called radial glial cells. These polarized cells extend a short apical process towards the ventricular surface and a long basal fiber that acts as a scaffold for neuronal migration. How the microtubule cytoskeleton is organized in these cells to support long-range transport in unknown. Using subcellular live imaging within brain tissue, we show that microtubules in the apical process uniformly emanate for the pericentrosomal region, while microtubules in the basal fiber display a mixed polarity, reminiscent of the mammalian dendrite. We identify acentrosomal microtubule organizing centers localized in swellings of the basal fiber. We characterize their distribution and demonstrate that they accumulate the minus end stabilizing factor CAMSAP3 and TGN-related membranes, from which the majority of microtubules grow. Finally, using live imaging of human fetal cortex, we show that this organization is conserved in basal radial glial (bRG) cells, a highly abundant progenitor cell population associated with human brain size expansion.
Influence of GST- and P450-based metabolic resistance to pyrethroids on blood feeding in the major African malaria vectorAnopheles funestus
Authors: Nouage Lynda , Elanga-Ndille Emmanuel , Binyang Achille , Tchouakui Magellan , Atsatse Tatiane , Ndo Cyrille , Kekeunou Sévilor , Wondji Charles S.
Published: March 2020

Insecticide resistance genes are often associated with pleiotropic effects on various mosquito life-history traits. However, very little information is available on the impact of insecticide resistance, especially metabolic resistance, on blood feeding process in mosquitoes. Here, using two recently detected DNA-based metabolic markers in the major malaria vector,An. funestus, we investigated how metabolic resistance genes could affect blood meal intake.

After allowing both field F1 and lab F8Anopheles funestusstrains to feed on human arm for 30 minutes, we assessed the association between key parameters of blood meal process including, probing time, feeding duration, blood feeding success and blood meal size, and markers of glutathione S-transferase (L119F-GSTe2) and cytochrome P450 (CYP6P9a_R) - mediated metabolic resistance. None of the parameters of blood meal process was associated withL119F-GSTe2genotypes. In contrast, forCYP6P9a_R, homozygote resistant mosquitoes were significantly more able to blood-feed than homozygote susceptible (OR = 3.3; CI 95%: 1.4-7.7; P =0.01) mosquitoes. Moreover, the volume of blood meal ingested by CYP6P9a-SS mosquitoes was lower than that of CYP6P9a-RS (P<0.004) and of CYP6P9a-RR (P<0.006). This suggests thatCYP6P9agene affects the feeding success and blood meal size ofAn. funestus. However, no correlation was found in the expression ofCYP6P9aand that of genes encoding for salivary proteins involved in blood meal process.

This study suggests that P450-based metabolic resistance may increase the blood feeding ability of malaria vectors and potential impacting their vectorial capacity.
Prevalence of scabies and its associated factors among school age children in Arba Minch zuria district, Southern Ethiopia, 2018
Authors: Tunje Abayneh , Churko Chuchu , Haftu Desta , Alagaw Amsalu , Girma Eyayou
Published: March 2020

Background

Scabies, a common human skin disease with a prevalence range of 0.2% to 71.4% in the world. It can have considerable impact on general health leading to illness and death not only through direct effect of its infestation and as a result of secondary bacterial infection. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of scabies and its associated factors among school age children in Arba Minch zuria district, Gamo zone, Southern Ethiopia.

Methods

A community based cross sectional study was carried out in 845 school age children from February 20 to March 30, 2018. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select study populations. Logistic regression an analysis was used to identify factors associated with scabies. Findings were presented using 95% CI of Crude Odds Ratios (COR) and Adjusted Odds Ratios (AOR. To declare statistical significance, p-value less than 0.05 was used.

Result

A total of 825 children participated in the study with response rate of 97.6%. The overall prevalence of scabies was 16.4% [95% CI: 13.9%, 18.9%]. overcrowding index, family history of itching in the past two weeks, wealth index, knowledge of scabies, climatic zone, frequency of washing body, frequency of washing clothes, finger nails cutting practice, history of skin contact with scabies patient, washing hair more than once weekly, and sharing of clothes were significantly associated scabies disease.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the prevalence of scabies in Arba Minch lies at 16.4% in the global scabies range 0.2% to 71.4%. The prevalence was highest in highlands followed by midland and then lowland. This represents a significant scabies burden which we recommend warrants health service intervention.

Authors summary

Scabies, a common human skin disease with a prevalence range of 0.2% to 71.4% in the world. It can have considerable impact on general health leading to illness and death not only through direct effect of its infestation and as a result of secondary bacterial infection. Conducting a research on this neglected tropical disease would contribute in designing a policies and strategies on prevention and control measures in the study area. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of scabies and its associated factors among school age children in Arba Minch zuria district, Gamo zone, Southern Ethiopia.
Characterization of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike in an Early Prefusion Conformation
Authors: Li Tingting , Zheng Qingbing , Yu Hai , Wu Dinghui , Xue Wenhui , Zhang Yuyun , Huang Xiaofen , Zhou Lizhi , Zhang Zhigang , Zha Zhenghui , Chen Tingting , Wang Zhiping , Chen Jie , Sun Hui , Deng Tingting , Wang Yingbin , Chen Yixin , Zhao Qinjian , Zhang Jun , Gu Ying , Li Shaowei , Xia Ningshao
Published: March 2020

Pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the emerging severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), for which there are no efficacious vaccines or therapeutics that are urgently needed. We expressed three versions of spike (S) proteins—receptor binding domain (RBD), S1 subunit and S ectodomain—in insect cells. RBD appears monomer in solutions, whereas S1 and S associate into homotrimer with substantial glycosylation. The three proteins confer excellent antigenicity with six convalescent COVID-19 patient sera. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) analyses indicate that the SARS-CoV-2 S trimer dominate in a unique conformation distinguished from the classic prefusion conformation of coronaviruses by the upper S1 region at lower position ~15 Å proximal to viral membrane. Such conformation is proposed as an early prefusion state for the SARS-CoV-2 spike that may broaden the knowledge of coronavirus and facilitate vaccine development.
What makes accounting interesting for learners? Viewpoint of a teacher from India
Authors: Narayanasamy Sivasankaran
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The article aims to share the viewpoint of the author on the impact of the innovative teaching pedagogy adopted by him in teaching the accounting courses on the satisfaction of the participants in a premier Indian Business School.

Design/methodology/approach

The experiment was carried over by introducing an innovative teaching approach by the author among the first-year participants of the Management Program. At the end of the experiment, the participants were asked to rate the teaching approach on a five-point scale besides offering the qualitative feedback on the impact of the experiment on their learning outcomes.

Findings

The paper concludes that the participants were highly satisfied with the teaching approach adopted by the author.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the theory and practitioners on accounting education in many ways. First, it is offering evidence on the impact of teaching pedagogy on the satisfaction of the participants of the accounting courses of an emerging market business school. Second, the accounting educators of the emerging countries may replicate the experiment in their institutes. Third, the educators of other courses in the business schools may make an effort to measure the impact of the teaching approach on the feedback of their learners.
Geographical cues: evidences from New and Old World countries' wine consumers
Authors: Giacomarra Marcella , Galati Antonino , Crescimanno Maria , Vrontis Demetris
Published: March 2020

Purpose

This systematic review aims to investigate how geographical cues affect wine consumers' behaviors, with reference to the New and Old Worlds, and accordingly, how are recent consumption patterns and new consumer profiles modifying roles of geographical cues?

Design/methodology/approach

This work employed a systematic literature review methodology on the extant literature published from 2009 to 2019.

Findings

Results, summarized in a conceptual framework, emphasize five thematic areas on how geographical cues should be considered for future research and for new marketing strategies to capture consumers of New and Old World wines. Consumers' wine knowledge, socio-ethno-demographic factors, consumption settings, labeling strategies and the use of medals and awards on labels emerged as relevant factors to deal with consumer's risk-reduction strategies.

Research limitations/implications

The main limit is the adoption of a systematic review method.

Practical implications

Results suggest that wine managers should invest in acquiring more knowledge about consumers' profiles in both Worlds for their marketing campaigns, labeling and advertisement strategies. Although geographical cues are considered relevant in consumers' buying decisions, extrinsic cues are also increasingly acceptable, and there should be more investment in publicizing geographical attributes around the world.

Originality/value

This is the first review focusing exclusively on the role of geographical cues on consumer's behavior toward New and Old World wine producers.
Sustainable crowdfunding: insights from the project perspective
Authors: Maehle Natalia
Published: March 2020

Purpose

This paper explores the peculiarities of sustainable crowdfunding from the project perspective. The research question is: what are the distinctive features of sustainable crowdfunding, in terms of crowdfunding motivation, platform choice, crowdfunding costs and relationships with backers?

Design/methodology/approach

The current study follows a qualitative approach, through conducting in-depth interviews with representatives of sustainable projects, which have had successful crowdfunding campaigns. The selected projects represent various industries and crowdfunding models.

Findings

Sustainable entrepreneurs have both financial and non-financial motivations for crowdfunding. A distinctive feature is the importance of community engagement, since the community spirit of crowdfunding is well suited to sustainable projects. The choice of the crowdfunding platform is more complex for sustainable entrepreneurs, as they need to consider the platform's sustainability. Sustainable entrepreneurs also have to put more effort into their communication activities with potential backers, to compensate for the intangibility of sustainability claims. Moreover, they need to have a greater focus on building relationships with backers due to both the community spirit of their projects and legitimacy issues.

Originality/value

The current paper contributes to the limited literature on sustainable crowdfunding and the literature on funding of sustainable businesses and can act as a foundation for further research in this field. Current findings also have high practical value. Crowdfunding platforms may use the insights provided here to better meet the needs of sustainable entrepreneurs, while sustainable entrepreneurs can better understand what they need to pay attention to in their crowdfunding campaigns.
Archies limited: where have all the feelings gone?
Authors: Nandi Subrata Kumar , Saxena Manisha , Vadehra Pallvi
Published: March 2020

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes are to get an understanding of the greeting cards (GCs) industry – appreciate the evolution of the industry and the changes that have been impacting the industry; analyze the external environment situation and assess the current strategy of Archies; analyze the existing strategy of Archies and apply the knowledge of strategic frameworks to the current business context of Archies; and create a new strategy for the company to overcome its current challenges.

Case overview/synopsis

The case highlights the situation faced by Archies Limited, a company, which pioneered the growth of the social expression industry in India and developed the market for GCs, a quintessentially Western concept in the Indian market. While it experienced phenomenal growth for two and a half decades, in the past 10 years, things have become more difficult for the company. Based on secondary data, this case presents various facts related to the case and seeks answers related to possible strategies that the firm may explore in the future.

Complexity academic level

Undergraduate and postgraduate management course in the area of strategic management. The level of difficulty can be from medium to high depending on the learning level.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS 11: Strategy.
Too much of a good thing
Authors: Cavazotte Fláviade Souza Costa Neves , Paula Fábio de Oliveira
Published: March 2020

Purpose

This study investigates the influence of shared leadership on creativity and absorptive capacity in R&D teams. Based on theories of intragroup processes, it proposes that shared leadership positively affects such team outcomes up to a certain point, but at very high levels could cause loss of synergy and effectiveness, and therefore the relationship will follow an inverted U-shaped curve.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted with 76 independent teams from the R&D unit of one of the largest energy companies in Brazil. Data were collected with two questionnaires answered by external team managers and team members. The study applied structural equation modeling to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Results indicate that there is a curvilinear relationship between shared leadership and external assessments of creativity and absorptive capacity in R&D teams. Although leadership shared among team members tends to favor creativity and realized absorptive capacity, at very high levels it yielded less than optimal outcomes. Team creativity had a direct positive effect on the teams' ability to explore and transform knowledge.

Originality/value

The study is the first empirical test of the influence of shared leadership on team creativity and absorptive capacity that proposes and confirms a quadratic effect. These results shed new light on the authors’ understanding of how intrateam leadership affects creative processes and absorptive capacity in the R&D context. These findings offer novel insights to inform practice as firms manage innovation performance.
The effect of organizational culture and HR practices on female managers’ commitment and job satisfaction
Authors: Park Sunyoung , Doo Min Young
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the structural relationships among organizational culture, human resources (HR) practices and female managers’ organizational commitment and job satisfaction in South Korea.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data obtained from the Korean Women Manager Panel, 230 responses were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The findings indicated that organizational culture directly affected HR practices and indirectly affected job satisfaction and organizational commitment. In addition, HR practices directly influenced job satisfaction and organizational commitment and indirectly affected organizational commitment through job satisfaction. Finally, job satisfaction had a direct and significant effect on organizational commitment.

Originality/value

The authors provide an empirical analysis of how organizational culture and functional factors influence organizational commitment and job satisfaction for female managers in the Korean context. The findings of this paper are expected to encourage scholars to pay more attention to the connection between organizational support and HR interventions to improve female managers’ commitment and satisfaction within organizations by emphasizing the alignment between organizational culture and HR practices.
A prediction method to evaluate thermal performance of protective clothing based on the correlation analysis of the bench scale and flame manikin tests
Authors: Xu Chang , Shen Shifei , Fu Ming , Li Yayun
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Bench scale and flame manikin tests are two typical methods to evaluate thermal protective performance (TPP) of fire protective clothing. However, flame manikin test is limited to be widely used for its complication and high cost. The purpose of this paper is to develop a method to evaluate the thermal performance of protective clothing from the bench scale test results and garment parameters, which predicts the body burn injuries without conducting flame manikin tests.

Design/methodology/approach

Bench scale and flame manikin tests’ data were collected from the previous research literature and then statistical analysis was performed to quantitatively investigate the correlations between the two test methods. Equations were established to predict the TPP values accounting for the effects of entrapped air gap and thermal shrinkage. Fitting analysis was conducted to analyze the relationship between the predicted TPP values and total burn injury. Finally, a method to predict total burn injury from the TPP values was proposed and validated.

Findings

The results showed that when the TPP value was predicted with the effects of air gap and thermal shrinkage considered, there was an approximate linear relationship between the predicted TPP values and total burn injury from the manikin test. Therefore, the prediction model of burn injury was developed based on the correlation analysis and verified with a generally good accuracy.

Originality/value

This paper presented a new prediction method to evaluate the thermal performance of protective clothing, which saved significant time and cost compared to the conventional methods. It can provide useful information for burn injury prediction of protective clothing.
Board role performance and compliance with IFRS disclosure requirements among microfinance institutions in Uganda
Authors: Nalukenge Irene
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper was twofold. First, to explore the currently performed board roles. Second, to investigate the relationship between board role performance and compliance with international financial reporting standard (IFRS) disclosure requirements among microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Uganda.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a mixed methods research design. The relationship between board role performance and compliance with IFRSs requirements was tested using Partial Least Squares. Confirmatory Factory Analysis and interviews were conducted to establish the performed board roles.

Findings

The findings suggest that among the known board roles of strategic, service and control, the control role is mostly performed. Results further suggest that board role performance is a significant predictor of compliance with IFRS disclosure requirements. In terms of control variables, MFI size and membership to the Association of Microfinance Institutions of Uganda were significant. Other control variables (liquidity, leverage and profitability) are not significantly associated with compliance with IFRS disclosure requirements.

Research limitations/implications

Compliance with IFRS disclosure requirements was based on one financial year owing to a lack of data for many years.

Practical implications

The results are important for governing boards regarding improving compliance with IFRS disclosure requirements. The results specifically suggest that MFIs’ boards must focus on performing the control role if compliance with IFRS disclosures requirements is to improve.

Originality/value

This paper is original because it uses perceptions to measure board role performance, unlike previous studies that used proxies such as board size and proportion of non-executive directors to infer board role performance. The study also reveals that it is only the control role that is important in enhancing compliance with IFRS disclosure requirements. Such evidence does not currently exist.
Corporate social responsibility and innovation: a comparative study
Authors: Zhou Haidi , Wang Qiang , Zhao Xiande
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine how firms' corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies affect their innovation performance via two mediating variables, employee involvement and supplier collaboration, and compare how this mechanism works in the service and manufacturing industries.

Design/methodology/approach

The conceptual model was built on stakeholder theory, the resource-based view (RBV) and service-dominant logic (SDL). Based on survey data from 686 service firms and 1,646 manufacturing firms, the hypothesized relationships were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM).

Findings

The empirical results showed that CSR positively affected service innovation and product innovation in service firms and manufacturing firms, respectively, and that these effects were positively mediated by employee involvement and supplier collaboration. However, compared with manufacturing firms, the effect of CSR on innovation performance was greater for service firms. Supplier collaboration and employee involvement also played a stronger role in service firms when mediating the relationship between CSR and innovation performance.

Originality/value

By analyzing and validating the direct and indirect effects of CSR on innovation performance in both the service and manufacturing industries, this study addressed the strategic benefit of CSR and extended research focused on the financial benefits of CSR. Therefore, its findings contribute to our understanding of sustainability and innovation issues. From a theoretical perspective, this study extended the RBV, SDL and stakeholder theory to the context of the CSR-innovation relationship, and showed that firms could align CSR and innovation initiatives to achieve strategic synergy. It also revealed the similarities and differences between service and manufacturing firms regarding the mechanism through which CSR affects innovation.
Hazard ranking of the UNESCO world heritage sites (WHSs) in Europe by multicriteria analysis
Authors: Valagussa Andrea , Frattini Paolo , Crosta Giovanni Battista , Spizzichino Daniele , Leoni Gabriele , Margottini Claudio
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Aim of this paper is to evaluate the reliability of UNESCO Periodic Reports for the assessment of hazards affecting the UNESCO world heritage sites (WHSs) and to rank the most critical WHSs in Europe through multicriteria analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

The Periodic Reports represent the available continental-scale knowledge on hazards that threaten the WHSs in Europe and include 13 different natural threats. The information included in these reports has been first validated with high-quality data available in Italy for volcanoes, landslides, and earthquakes. Starting from the Periodic Reports, a multicriteria hazard analysis has been developed by using the analytical hierarchy procedure (AHP) approach. This analysis allows to identify and to rank the most critical WHSs at the European scale.

Findings

The data provided by Periodic Reports are demonstrated to be a good starting point for a continental-scale analysis of the actual distribution of natural threats affecting WHSs in Europe. The Periodic Reports appear to be reliable enough for a first-order assessment of hazards. The general overview of the hazard at the European scale shows high value of hazard index in the Eastern Mediterranean area and Balkans, due to a combination of earthquakes and landslides. The most at danger cultural site is in Bosnia and Herzegovina, while the most at danger natural site is Norway.

Originality/value

The paper gives a contribution to improve the continental-scale knowledge on hazards affecting the UNESCO heritage sites. The assessment of hazard inside the WHSs is an important task for the preservation of cultural and natural heritage, and it is important for UNESCO to achieve some of its goals. Through this research, European WHSs have been ranked according to their degree of hazard.
Trigger events and crucibles in authentic leaders' development
Authors: Shannon Mark R. , Buford Maurice , Winston Bruce E. , Wood James Andy
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of trigger events and leadership crucibles in the lives of authentic leaders. The study was based on two theories: authentic leadership theory and born versus made theory.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants were included in the study if they scored between 64 and 80 on the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ). The qualified leaders were then asked to participate in a qualitative interview utilizing an interview guide born out of the relevant literature. The interview followed the guidelines of the Critical Incident Technique (CIT).

Findings

The data indicated that trigger events and leadership crucibles play a significant role in authentic leadership development.

Practical implications

Practitioners should emphasize the prominent themes of self-awareness, relational transparency, balanced processing and moral perspective and the connection with other themes that emerged from the current study when developing or training leaders. Furthermore, practitioners concerned with creating an authentic leadership culture may consider the findings of the current study to develop and employ hiring and promotion strategies that increase the probabilities of hiring and promoting leaders that exhibit authentic leadership behaviors.

Originality/value

The findings of the research indicate that trigger events and crucibles both affect authentic leadership development. The research findings confirm characteristics associated with authentic leadership theory were predominant in the participants. However, one theme that prevailed was that of spirituality, which may or may not be considered to be part of an authentic leader's moral perspective
Promoting pre-service teachers' engagement in an online professional learning community
Authors: Alwafi Enas Mohammad , Downey Chris , Kinchin Gary
Published: March 2020

Purpose

This study investigated the role of experienced practitioners in promoting pre-service teachers' knowledge construction and social interaction in an online professional learning community.

Design/methodology/approach

A repeated measures design with control and experimental groups was adopted. Two practitioners supported pre-service teachers in the experimental group to discuss issues around teaching practice. Social network analysis (SNA) and content analysis (CA) were used in the analytical approach.

Findings

CA revealed that the practitioners increased pre-service teachers' levels of knowledge construction and high-cognitive discourse. SNA showed that the practitioners enhanced pre-service teachers' professional ties. Though collaboration in high-level knowledge building occurred predominantly in peers in the same discipline, the presence of the practitioners facilitated the development of more cross-disciplinary ties in the experimental group.

Practical implications

The practitioners can be considered as a pedagogical tool to enhance pre-service teachers' engagement in the process of professional learning. This study suggests that in order to enhance the collaboration among pre-service teachers from different departments, the online activity should be designed to enhance interdisciplinary collaboration.

Originality/value

The study contributes new knowledge about the ways in which practitioners can enhance the collaboration among pre-service teachers in an online PLC. It also provides insight on how to combine CA and SNA, to examine professional learning.
Risk and complexity – on complex risk management
Authors: Emblemsvåg Jan
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Industries lament the current situation of approaches that have resulted in huge losses in the face of complex risks. The purpose of this study is therefore to review complexity theory in the context of risk management so that it is possible to research better approaches for managing complex risks.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach is to review complexity theory and highlight those aspects of complexity theory that have relevance for risk management. Then, the paper ends with a discussion on what direction of research that will be most promising for the aforementioned purpose.

Findings

The paper finds that the most challenging aspect is to identify the weak signals, and this implies that the current approaches of estimating probabilities are not going to produce the desired results. Big data may hold a solution in the future, but with legislation such as the General Data Protection Regulation, this seems impossible to implement on ethical grounds. Hence, the most prudent approach is to use a margin of safety as advocated by Graham roughly 70 years ago. Indeed, the approach may be to assume that a disaster will take place and use risk management tools to estimate the impact for a given object.

Research limitations/implications

The literature review is a summary of a much larger work, and in so doing, the resulting simplification may run the risk of missing out on important details. However, with this risk in mind, the review holds rich enough discussion on complexity to be relevant for research about complex risk management.

Practical implications

The current implication for practice is that the paper strongly supports the notion of using a margin of safety as advocated by Graham and his most famous disciple Warren Buffet. This comes from the fact that because context is king, risk management approaches must be applied in their right domain. There is no one right way. In the future, the goal is to develop a quantitative approach that can help the industry in pricing complex risks.

Originality/value

The main contribution of the paper is to bring complexity theory more into the domain of risk management with sufficient details that should allow researchers to get conceptual ideas about what might work or not concerning complex risk management. If nothing else, it would be a significant contribution of the paper if it could help increasing the interest in complexity theory.
A model to investigate the effect of information technology and information systems on the ease of managers’ decision-making
Authors: Ming Tian , Teng Wang , Jodaki Susan
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Decision-making and problem-solving are ongoing progressions of evaluating situations or problems, considering substitutes, making choices and following them up with the necessary actions. The relationship between managers’ decision-making and information technology (IT) has long been of interest to researchers. This study aims to examine the changes in novel technologies in facilitating managers’ decisions that influence the quality and timeliness of information and decision-making.

Design/methodology/approach

The present paper is a descriptive-correlative study in terms of the data collection method and is applicable in terms of purpose. In addition, the library-field method was used to collect information. Because of the target and subject of the research of the statistical population, this research contains all managers of a management organization that are 100 people. The present study is used in the structural equation modeling method to examine causal models and evaluate the reliability and validity of the measurement model. The presented model and the gathered information from the questionnaires were analyzed through SmartPLS software.

Findings

The results indicate that the IT infrastructure, expert systems, marketing information systems (ISs) and organizational variables significantly influence the ease of managers’ decision-making and considering these dimensions is a step in the success of managers’ decisions.

Research limitations/implications

This study used a questionnaire to collect information, which may result in some people refusing to provide a real answer and giving an unrealistic answer. This study is also cross-sectional, and therefore, makes it difficult to conclude about causality. In addition, access to statistics and information is one of the significant pillars of research.

Practical implications

The paper presents useful advice for improving decision-making. In addition, the topic is relevant to the ease of managers’ decisions. A better understanding of the impact of IT infrastructure, expert systems, marketing ISs and organizational variables could significantly enhance managers’ success.

Originality/value

The ideas and topics discussed are equally applicable to libraries and can provide new insights into the impact of IT infrastructures, expert systems, marketing ISs and organizational variables on the ease of decision makers as a source of competition.
Temporary workers and firm performance
Authors: Moric Ilija , Pekovic Sanja , Perović Đurđica , Roblek Vasja , Pejic Bach Mirjana
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Although temporary work arrangements play a strategically important role in contemporary economic development, its influence on firm performance has remained elusive. In our work we measure firm performance from the systematic perspective, including both innovation and financial performance. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to test a model that specifies the influence of temporary work arrangements on the two indicators of firm performance, namely, innovation and sales.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is based on the Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey (BEEPS, 2009) created by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank. As the relationship between temporary workers and firm performance could be contingent on institutional setting, we divide our sample in three country groups: European Union (EU), European countries outside the European Union (non-EU) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries. Furthermore, we analyze the actual question on all three groups of countries separately.

Findings

Findings provide support for the positive relationship between the percentage of temporary workers and innovation performance. On the other hand, the evidence reveals a negative link between the percentage of temporary workers and financial performance measured by sales. Taking into account country-specific effects, the results remain negative when examining the influence of the percentage of temporary workers on the financial performance measured by sales for all three country groups (EU, non-EU and CIS countries). However, the positive and significant effect of the share of temporary workers on innovation performance holds only for non-EU and CIS countries but is not observed for EU countries.

Practical implications

Given the importance of temporary work arrangements in terms of a systematic approach in contemporary business, policymakers should continue to work on improving their status to overcome potential negative outcomes related to the temporary workers’ engagement. In addition, managers of the firms should be aware that temporary workers could be a valuable source of innovation; however, they could hamper other aspects of firm performance. Therefore, they should be cautious when hiring temporary workers and find the “best balance” between permanent and temporary workers.

Originality/value

The obtained findings highlight the importance of performance context systematic approach in studying the impact of temporary workers and firm performance. Based on the obtained findings, we may suggest that knowledge and creativity accumulation through temporary workers’ engagement is beneficial for innovation performance improvement. Conversely, long-lasting labour engagement is necessary for financial performance improvement.
How accessibility guidelines are used in Spanish World Heritage websites: an exploratory study
Authors: García-Santiago Lola , Olvera-Lobo María-Dolores
Published: March 2020

Purpose

This paper presents an exploratory study on the accessibility of Spanish World Heritage website home pages in the Spanish language.

Design/methodology/approach

The study sample comprised 78 home pages from the institutional websites of the 47 cultural, natural and mixed assets considered as World Cultural Heritage by The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco). These home pages have been analysed using online accessibility validator tools, following the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 recommendation for the different levels of priority. The compiled data were employed in a quantitative study on adherence to WCAG guidelines. Furthermore, the types of errors made using the perspective of accessibility and usability were identified, and the application rate was calculated for these accessibility guidelines according to the type of entity managed by the websites and pages.

Findings

The results show that more than 25 percent of the cases analysed had ten accessibility errors or fewer. Moreover, it was only necessary to correct one or two types of errors in close to 40 percent of them. The paper draws the conclusion that, despite technological and legislative advances that make public entity websites accessible, there is still much to do before complete web accessibility and usability at AA and AAA level can be achieved.

Practical implications

Identifying accessibility problems on institutional websites constitutes the first step towards creating web content that is easy to access and manage for users with disabilities. In this regard, this study contributes to improving web content according to objective guidelines such as those encouraged by the WCAG 2.0.

Originality/value

This article provides information on how accessibility and usability guidelines are implemented by institutional websites for Cultural Heritage deemed especially important. This is an issue with significant implications for users and for which, however, there is a lack of prior studies. As a result, the value and originality of this paper can be considered evident.
Using the Quadruple Helix Model for evaluation of health science researches
Authors: Moradi Shima , Dokhani Firoozeh
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Altmetrics is a complementary method in scientometrics for evaluating the performance of individuals, organizations, institutions and countries in social media. Due to the large volume of data related to the interactions in science, technology and innovation, there is no choice but to develop and implement accurate models for analysis and decision making. The Quadruple Helix Model examines the scientific outcomes in four spaces of innovation, knowledge, consensus and government with a distinctive attention to the “innovation space”. In other words, it aims to find the connection between the academic space and other sectors of a society (public, media and government) to see if scientific outputs respond appropriately to their needs.

Design/methodology/approach

The present paper studied the impact of health-related researches in D8 countries) including Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt and Nigeria) using the Altmetrics scores of their indexed journal in the Web of Science (WOS). The results demonstrated distribution of interactions of the mentioned four spaces in health science researches in terms of social media, geographical distribution and theme for D8 countries. This was conducted using content analysis, scientometric and altmetric indicators in the WOS and Altmetrics.com databases.

Findings

In D8 countries, more interaction has taken place in the knowledge and innovation spaces; however, there exist Quadruple imbalances in these countries. Moreover, some interactions have been observed in all social networks, displaying that users consider health topics in D8 countries, and clinical sciences has gotten more interaction in all the four spaces.

Originality/value

The application of this model using altmetrics data with current approach has been conducted for the first time.
Fostering digital transformation of SMEs: a four levels approach
Authors: Garzoni Antonello , De Turi Ivano , Secundo Giustina , Del Vecchio Pasquale
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse how digital technologies trigger changes in the business process of manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Apulia Region (South Italy). As SMEs play an essential role in the process value creation of industries and countries, the article examines the enablers of Industry 4.0 in a regional contexts characterized by delay in research and development and innovation performances where the companies' competitiveness is based on limited knowledge and technological assets.

Design/methodology/approach

The case study of Smart District 4.0, an ongoing project aimed to promote the digitalization of SMEs operating in the Agri–Food, Clothing–Footwear and Mechanics–Mechatronics in the Apulia Region (South Italy) is analysed. The project has been financed by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development with the final aim to sustain the digital transformation of SMEs in South Italy.

Findings

The results introduce a four levels approach of engagement of SMEs in the adoption of digital technologies, namely,digital awareness, digital enquirement, digital collaboration and digital transformation.Furthermore, for each level of engagement the study describes and discusses some relevant variables that could be used by managers and entrepreneurs to assess the level of readiness for utilization of digital technologies and how to digitalize some processes.

Practical implications

Practical implications regard the definition of a roadmap useful to assess and manage the level of digital transformation of SMEs. Limitations of the study regarding the temporal dimension of the evidences associated to the Smart District 4.0 as well as to the regional context was analysed.

Originality/value

Originality resides in the definition of a roadmap for the digital transformation of SMEs in a region where the profile of companies' digital maturity is still low.