bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Principles-based accounting standards and the timeliness of annual reports: evidence from China
Authors: Song Fei , Zhou Jianan
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This paper addresses the role of principles-based accounting standards as a potential mechanism for reducing firms' time delay of annual reporting disclosure while improving the timeliness of accounting information. The paper also contributes to the existing literature by addressing the mediating effects of the financial reporting complexity and the audit workload on the link between principles-based accounting standards and the time delay of annual reporting disclosure.

Design/methodology/approach

The focus is placed on an unbalanced panel of 20,943 samples over the period of 2007–2017.

Findings

The results show that the more principles-based the accounting standards are, the lower the time delay of annual reporting disclosure is, and the timelier the disclosure of accounting information is. The relationship between the two is more significant especially in the first two months after the end of the fiscal year. The findings are all robust after controlling for a series of sensitivity checks and endogenous concerns. From the mediating effect results, the authors find that principles-based accounting standards decrease the financial reporting complexity and the audit workload which in turn can help lower time delay of annual reporting disclosure. In addition, the negative effect of principles-based accounting standards on the time delay of annual reporting disclosure is more significant in the case that the company has “good news” including with no losses and receiving the standard auditing opinions. The results confirm the law of “good news announces early, bad news announces late.” Furthermore, the moderating effect results show that the higher the economic policy uncertainty index and the legal environment index, the lower the benefit of principles-based accounting standards to the timeliness of annual reports. The results of the economic consequences of timeliness suggest that the timely disclosure of accounting reporting will bring greater market reaction and contain more information, and the information of companies that disclose annual reports timely are more transparent.

Originality/value

This paper studies the impact of accounting standards on the timeliness of annual report disclosure, which enriches the literature in the field of macro policies and micro-enterprise behaviors.
Exploring the antecedents and consequences of the coffee quality of Starbucks: a case study
Authors: Lee Won Seok , Jung Jiwoo , Moon Joonho
Published: August 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to analyze the influence of coffee quality on brand preference and loyalty using Starbucks as a study subject. The determinants of coffee food healthiness are also investigated.

Design/methodology/approach

Food quality measures are composed of healthiness, taste, customization, price fairness and convenience. Hygiene and nutrition disclosure were examined as determinants of food healthiness. The highlighted food quality attributes were brand love and brand loyalty. Data were collected using Amazon Mechanical Turk. A total of 431 observations were used for data analysis. A structural equation model was conducted for hypotheses testing.

Findings

The results revealed that healthiness is positively associated with hygiene and nutrition disclosure. Brand love is also significantly influenced by healthiness, taste, customization and price fairness. Moreover, taste and price fairness appeared to be essential determinants of Starbucks brand loyalty.

Originality/value

This study scrutinized food quality in the domain of coffee business, and presented implications for the business. Data collected in this study contributed to the literature by revealing quality attributes of coffee and its determinants and also showing the significant relationship between coffee food quality, brand love and brand loyalty.
An ultra-low noise pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor (pHEMT)-based low noise amplifier using low temperature co-fire ceramic (LTCC) technique
Authors: Bhuvaneshwari Subburaman , Kanthamani Sundharajan
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This study aims to present two stage pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor-based low noise amplifier (LNA) designed using low temperature co-fire ceramic (LTCC) technique for ultra-high frequency (UHF) band. The LNA operates in the frequency range of (400∼500) MHz which is suitable for wireless communication applications.

Design/methodology/approach

This LNA uses resistive capacitive (RC) feedback in the first stage to have wide bandwidth and interstage network for gain enhancement. By using external RC feedback, stability is improved and noise matching in the input stage is isolated by decoupling inductor. The excellent performance parameters including gain, noise figure (NF), wideband and linearity are attained without affecting the power consumption, compactness and cost of the proposed design.

Findings

Simulation is carried out using advanced design software and the result shows that gain of 33.7 dB, NF 0.416 dB and 1 dB compression point (P1dB) of 18.59 dBm are achieved with a supply voltage of 2.5 V. The return loss of input and output are −19.3 dB and −10.5 dB, respectively. From the above aforementioned parameters, it is confirmed that the proposed LNA is a promising candidate for receivers where high gain and very low NF are always demandable with good linearity for applications operating in the UHF band.

Originality/value

The innovation of the proposed LNA is that the concurrent attainment of high gain, low NF, wideband, optimum input matching, good stability by RC feedback and interstage network using LTCC technique to achieve robustness, low cost and compactness to prove the applicability of design for wireless applications.
Value co-creation and co-destruction in the first cashless society in Colombia – a middle range theory approach
Authors: van Klyton Aaron , Tavera-Mesias Juan-Fernando , Castaño-Muñoz Wilson
Published: August 2021

Purpose

The research examines the simultaneous processes of value co-creation and value co-destruction in the implementation of a mobile banking application in rural Colombia. Rural communities experience digital and financial deficits and often become the object of technology-based initiatives. In the town, vulnerable female heads of household received a government subsidy through a mobile app, becoming an experimental group for this government–private bank collaboration. In an effort to create the first cashless society in Colombia, the bank engaged the entire town and local government to create a service ecosystem, constituted by operant resources.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a qualitative, ethnographic approach to investigate the experiences of stakeholders in engaging with a mobile banking app. The empirical data is drawn from 34 interviews, representing different layers of this service ecosystem. The study identified and analysed actor engagement behaviours that occurred in the micro-, meso-, macro- and meta-layers of this ecosystem that shaped the perception and usage of mobile payments and digital money for rural consumers.

Findings

The study found that simultaneous manifestations of the co-creation and co-destruction of value present in different layers ultimately diminished the value proposition for this digital money system. We shed light on how actor engagement transitions across different layers of the ecosystem and that negative interactions in the meta-layer of the ecosystem can affect perceptions of value in the micro-layer.

Originality/value

This study has contributed to the service literature by integrating epistemological cultural theory into value co-creation and co-destruction construct. In doing so, we provide a broader context for understanding how actor engagement can negatively impact on the value creation process and offer a meaningful contribution to the development of midrange theory of the value creation process.
Accumulating capital through social media: the transformative power of underrepresented fashion consumers
Authors: Cavusoglu Lena , Atik Deniz
Published: August 2021

Purpose

Previous research in sociology, psychology and fashion studies has investigated the concept of diversity in the fashion context, but the topic remains largely understudied within the realm of consumer research. This study aims to examine the reactions of underrepresented women to the fashion industry’s lack of diversity.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 38 semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted among a sample of female consumers who were diverse with respect to racial and ethnic background, socioeconomic class, religion, sexual orientation, age, body type and physical appearance.

Findings

Using Bourdieu’s forms of capital – social, cultural, economic and symbolic – the findings shed light on the process of virtual community formation on social media in response to the lack of diversity in fashion; reveal fashion consumers’ power to enact institution-level change, compelling the industry to become more diverse and inclusive; demonstrate the outcomes of capital accumulation and illustrate how all forms of capital are produced by and reproduce each other.

Originality/value

This study proposes a new outcome of capital accumulation on virtual communities, termed “transformative value,” in addition to the social and information values identified in earlier scholarship.
Impact of COVID-19 on financial institutions: navigating the global emerging patterns of financial crime
Authors: Wronka Christoph
Published: August 2021

Purpose

The current COVID-19 pandemic has already proven to be one of the world’s deadliest crises in modern history with far-reaching impacts on different sectors of the global economy. The financial sector is among the most widely affected by the economic crisis occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the most notable effects is related to financial crime. It is against this backdrop that the present study aimed to examine the impact of COVID-19 on financial institutions with the main focus being on financial crime

Design/methodology/approach

Its twofold objectives were to critically examine the global emerging patterns of financial crime and their association with the COVID-19 pandemic; and to investigate how financial institutions across the world have been responding to, managing, and dealing with the emerging patterns of financial crime brought about by (or linked to) the COVID-19 pandemic.

Findings

It was found out that as the pandemic ravages the world and pushes people and businesses to the very limits of their endurance, many financial sector stakeholders and players are responding in ways that put the entire financial sector and all its stakeholders at great risk. Specifically, COVID-19 pandemic has led to the emergence of new patterns of financial crime that were either unheard of or were not as rampant in the past.

Originality/value

Both the descriptive and correlation analyses produced by this study provide new insights into the impact of COVID-19 on financial institutions with a main focus on financial crime.
The association between accountant’s competences, organisational culture and integrated reporting practices
Authors: Orobia Laura , Nturaninshaba Racheal , Bananuka Juma , Reuel Dakung Kasmwakat
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the association between accountant’s competences, organisational culture and integrated reporting practices.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire survey of 43 manufacturing firms in Mbarara district (South Western Uganda) was undertaken. The unit of inquiry was senior staff in the accounts office while the unit of analysis was the manufacturing firm. The study hypotheses were tested using regression analysis with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences software version 21.

Findings

The findings revealed that while there is a positive and significant association between accountant’s competences and integrated reporting practices, the association between organisational culture and integrated reporting practices is insignificant. In the additional analysis, this study finds that accountant’s competences are significantly associated with all the content elements of an integrated report as enshrined in the International Integrated Reporting Framework of 2013. Surprisingly, organisational culture is not significantly associated with any of the content elements of an integrated report as enshrined in the International Integrated Reporting Framework of 2013.

Practical implications

To the academia, this study expands on the understanding of what matters for improvement in integrated reporting practices in an emerging economy such as Uganda whose history is characterised by civil wars and political unrest. Those in practice may use this study results to promote better reporting practices through the attraction of professional accountants with the necessary proficiencies in corporate reporting practices. The policymakers may also opt to mandate integrated reporting among manufacturing firms.

Originality/value

This study provides a first-time and in-depth understanding of the association between the accountant’s competences, organisational culture and integrated reporting practices using evidence from a developing African Country – Uganda.
Integrating manufacturing and R&D functions for better quality and product development performance
Authors: Kang Mingu , Um Ki-Hyun , Wang Shu , Park Kihyun , Colclough Simon Norheim , Park Youngwon
Published: August 2021

Purpose

The present study aims to explore the relationship between manufacturing–research and development (R&D) integration and organizational culture in enhancing quality and product development performance (PDP).

Design/methodology/approach

Based on data collected from 931 manufacturing firms around world, the authors examine the proposed hypothesis by using regression analyses. In addition, PROCESS (SPSS macro) is used to test both the mediation and moderated mediation models in this study.

Findings

The findings reveal that quality management practices (QMPs) partially mediate the relationship between R&D-manufacturing integration and PDP. Further, it is found that the direct and indirect effects of R&D-manufacturing integration on PDP are stronger when the organization is characterized as participative rather than hierarchical.

Originality/value

This study, by investigating the combined effect of R&D-manufacturing integration and organizational culture on QMPs and PDP, provides practical insights into the ways that manufacturing firms effectively utilize the integration between R&D and manufacturing functions to improve QMPs and enhance PDP.
Sustaining work outcomes through human capital sustainability leadership: knowledge sharing behaviour as an underlining mechanism
Authors: Khalil Syed Haider , Shah Syed Mohsin Ali , Khalil Syed Majid
Published: August 2021

Purpose

The current study aimed to investigate how perceived human capital sustainability leadership (HCSL) affects work outcomes (i.e. work engagement and job satisfaction), specifically through the mediating role of knowledge sharing behaviour in the hospitality industry. Building on social exchange theory and conservation of resources theory, the authors propose that knowledge sharing behaviour is an attempt to share and expand an individual's resources, which in return motivates employees during work. Furthermore, through the mediating effect of knowledge sharing behaviour, the authors attempt to provide empirical evidence for organisational actions and employees’ reciprocating actions, therefore, triggering positive contribution.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors methodologically employed structure equation modelling for the analysis which includes reflective–formative higher-order construct (HOC) (i.e. HCSL). The authors tested the hypotheses with partial least square structure equation modelling (PLS-SEM) from a sample of 382 hotel employees who were selected through purposive sampling.

Findings

This study’s findings suggest that the employee engagement and job satisfaction regresses on HCSL and knowledge sharing behaviour. The study’s analysis also suggests that the relationships between the HCSL and work outcomes are mediated by knowledge sharing behaviour.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the sustainability leadership literature by looking into the integrated model of sustainable leadership from its four dimensions (i.e. sustainability leadership, ethical leadership, mindful leadership and servant leadership) and its consequences for work outcomes. Furthermore, the authors examined how knowledge sharing behaviour, being an underlining mechanism, affects these relationships, thus having implications for academia and practitioners.
“Procedure versus practice”: navigating ethical tensions in social entrepreneurship research involving vulnerable people in the developing world
Authors: Lorenzo-Afable Diana , Singh Smita , Lips-Wiersma Marjolein
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This paper examines the ethical tensions in social entrepreneurship (SE) research by focusing on the ethical consequences of obtaining ethics approval in a university in the developed world while executing fieldwork for data collection in a developing country. It aims to offer insight into ethical research practice to protect vulnerable research participants from being further silenced and marginalised by the dominant social order that developed world universities embody.

Design/methodology/approach

The ethical tensions are described through narratives drawn from a Filipino Ph.D. candidate's experience. The candidate obtained ethics approval from the university in New Zealand and collected interview data from social enterprise beneficiaries in the Philippines. A critical reflexive lens carves a space for a deepened understanding of these ethical tensions.

Findings

This paper offers critical insights into ethical SE research involving participants from vulnerable communities. These insights suggest that closer consideration needs to be given to contextual sensitivity, particularly on the part of researchers and research ethics committees, in crafting ethical data collection protocols. Findings also show how it is important for the indigenous researcher to filter ethical protocols through their local knowledge.

Originality/value

The paper uses critical reflexivity to examine ethical tensions in SE research involving vulnerable beneficiaries. It offers insights into ethical research procedures and practices that engender mindfulness of the contextual and relational aspects of doing SE research in the developing world.
Can blockchain-technology fight corruption in MNEs’ operations in emerging markets?
Authors: Davis Matthew , Lennerfors Thomas Taro , Tolstoy Daniel
Published: August 2021

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to explore, with anchorage in theories about the normalization of corruption, under what conditions blockchain technology can mitigate corruptive practices of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in emerging markets (EMs).

Design/methodology/approach

By synthesizing a technological perspective and theory on corruption, the authors examine the feasibility of blockchain for fighting corruption in MNEs’ business operations in EMs.

Findings

Blockchain technology is theorized to have varying mitigating effects on the rationalization, socialization and institutionalization of corruption. The authors provide propositions describing the effects and the limitations of blockchain for mitigating corruption in EMs.

Social implications

This paper offers a perspective for how to tackle acute business problems and social problems pronounced in international business but also prevailing elsewhere.

Originality/value

The study contributes to literature in international management by systematically exploring how and under what conditions blockchain can mitigate the normalization of corruption.
Impact of foreign directors on carbon emissions performance and disclosure: empirical evidence from France
Authors: Mardini Ghassan H. , Elleuch Lahyani Fathia
Published: August 2021

Purpose

Drawing on multiple theoretical approaches, this study aims to investigate whether the presence of foreign directors on the board is associated with a company’s carbon emissions performance (CP) and carbon disclosure (CD).

Design/methodology/approach

The sample comprises 67 non-financial listed firms from the Société des Bourses Françaises 120 index for the period 2010–2018 and the analysis relies on carbon reports from the carbon disclosure project, using a panel data analysis based on random-effects regression.

Findings

The paper finds that having foreign directors has a positive significant impact on both aspects of carbon emissions (CE), namely, CP and CD. Foreign directors’ incentives to reveal extensive sustainability information depend on the volume of CE. The findings also indicate that foreign directors are more engaged in enhancing environmental transparency and lowering information asymmetry to maintain/ improve corporate legitimacy.

Practical implications

The findings show that foreign directors play a vital role as one of the main pillars of a carbon model for sustainable carbon activities and disclosure. The evidence has important insights for the managers of French listed firms, shareholders and regulators.

Social implications

The evidence underlines the value of foreign directors as a critical resource that enhances CE strategic decisions. Thus, the findings are valuable to managers, as they may consider balancing between foreign and local directors to benefit from a rich heterogeneous resource encompassing the diverse merits of both types of directors, with particular emphasis on foreign directors’ international exposure and experience.

Originality/value

This study offers significant insights, as it examines the relationship between foreign directors and both the CP and CD in the French context, which is characterized by a non-English civil law system and the issuing of many environmental, climate and emission control laws.
Bi-level optimization of long-term highway work zone scheduling considering elastic demand
Authors: Li Yang , Fan Wei
Published: August 2021

Purpose

More and more work zone projects come with the needs of new construction and regular maintenance-related investments in transportation. Work zone projects can have many significant impacts socially, economically and environmentally. Minimizing the total impacts of work zone projects by optimizing relevant schedules is extremely important. This study aims to analyze the impacts of scheduling long-term work zone activities.

Design/methodology/approach

Optimal scheduling of the starting dates of each work zone project is determined by developing and solving using a bi-level genetic algorithm (GA)–based optimization model. The upper level sub-model is to minimize the total travel delay caused by work zone projects over the entire planning horizon, whereas the lower level sub-model is a traffic assignment problem under user equilibrium condition with elastic demand.

Findings

Sioux Falls network is used to develop and test the proposed GA-based model. The average and minimum total travel delays (TTDs) over generations of the proposed GA algorithm decrease very rapidly during the first 20 generations of the GA algorithm; after the 20th generations, the solutions gradually level off with a certain level of variations in the average TTD, showing the capability of the proposed method of solving the multiple work zone starting date optimization problem.

Originality/value

The proposed model can effectively identify the near-optimal solution to the long-term work zone scheduling problem with elastic demand. Sensitivity analysis of the impact of the elastic demand parameter is also conducted to show the importance of considering the impact of elastic demand parameter.
Comparison of macroinvertebrate assemblages in a stream before and after fine sedimentation by deer‐induced forest floor degradation
Authors: Nakagawa Hikaru
Published: August 2021

Japan's Sika deer (Cervus nippon) population has steadily increased since the 1990s. Consequent overgrazing of forest floor vegetation has created denuded slopes and increased the fine‐sediment input to nearby headstreams. Given the continuous structure of rivers, it is likely that upstream forest and headstream ecosystems ultimately impact the ecology of downstream ecosystems. To test this prediction, I investigated the taxonomic composition and habitat characteristics of stream macroinvertebrates before and after fine sedimentation infiltration. Fine sedimentation resulted in coverage of highly productive coarse substrates with fine sand and reduced the macroinvertebrate abundance and taxonomic diversity. These changes were influenced by habitat preference; taxa with coarse substrate preference decreased in abundance, while the abundance of taxa that prefer fine substrates increased. However, large armored caddisflies (Goera spp.) dominated after the fine sedimentation, despite their preference for coarse substrates. This rise likely results from the concurrent reduction in the number of the predatory cyprinid fish species, Tribolodon hakonensis, as large armored caddisflies have often been reported to be invulnerable to predation by fishes such as salmonids and sculpins. However, large cyprinids, which are abundant in Japanese rivers, can effectively forage “hard‐armored” organisms using their well‐developed pharyngeal teeth. Collectively the results provide insight regarding the catchment‐scale impacts of deer‐induced forest floor degradation and will help to inform conservation and management efforts.
Evidence‐supported interventions for children in care: Does Treatment Foster Care Oregon (TFCO) fit within the UK context?
Authors: Waterman Colin
Published: July 2021

Treatment Foster Care Oregon (TFCO) is one of a number of systemic, therapeutic ‘family focused’ models brought from the USA to Europe in recent decades. This paper looks at a large‐scale implementation of TFCO and how its systemic principles sought to positively impact the ‘looked after children's’ sector within the UK. However, following a 15‐year government‐driven nationwide implementation initiative, only one UK TFCO site remains, despite the efforts of many skilled and dedicated workers striving to sustain it across the country. This paper explores some of the factors that contributed to the rise and fall of TFCO in Britain, outlining implementation challenges and the learning gained through the UK implementation of TFCO.

Practitioner points

Treatment Foster Care Oregon (TFCO) is a coherent programme for children and young people who display pronounced, anti‐social behaviour

When an alternative family‐based placement is required—and where a return home is feasible—TFCO might be an intervention to consider

The USA and UK are very different contexts, which makes the transportability of evidence‐based programmes challenging

The USA and UK are very different contexts, which makes the transportability of evidence‐based programmes challenging
The role of temperature for seasonal market integration: a case study of poultry in Iran*
Authors: Zamani Omid , Bittmann Thomas , Loy Jens‐Peter
Published: August 2021

Understanding market integration has greatly benefited from analysing and comparing variations in price transmissions. An important source of variation in agricultural markets is seasonal changes in production, consumption and transaction costs. A key factor driving seasonality in agricultural price is temperature, as supply and demand changes are triggered by seasonal temperature differences. In this paper, we study the seasonal variations in vertical price transmission focusing on the asymmetric price adjustment to analyse changes in the market interactions between the stages of the value chain. Our data reveal significant transitory effects of temperature on the price transmission process. Results of a panel threshold model suggest that the farm–wholesale price adjustments to deviations from the market equilibrium are more symmetric at higher temperatures. However, we do not find an effect of temperature on the wholesale–retail price relationship. Our findings can be rationalised with wholesalers making use of their market power to extend their margins in the upstream chain. Wholesaler market power is lower during warm periods, and price adjustment is more symmetric. Concerning the Iranian poultry value chain, our findings imply that temperature‐related differences in market interactions should be considered in formulating policy interventions.
The Case of Mister X (Formerly Miss X): Intersexuality in Modern Kenya and the Ethics of History Writing (c. 1940‐present)
Authors: Moskowitz Kara
Published: August 2021

Relying on fragmented archival records, this article examines the life of Mr X – an intersex Kenyan – who was raised as a girl but, after a surgical operation in London in 1968, became a man. With assistance from officials, the wealthy and well‐educated Mr X received new identity documents, which recognised him as male and, in turn, preferential land access. Mr X's story makes clear the importance of class in decolonising Kenya and reveals how state power could deeply shape Kenyan lives. Indeed, the state produced most of the archival traces on Mr X's life. This history not only offers rare insight into the life of an intersex Kenyan in the mid‐twentieth century, but it also raises questions about biography and historical evidence, how we piece together human stories in spite of the epistemology and erasure of the archives, and how we do so ethically. Given ethical concerns about maintaining Mr X's anonymity to protect his family from stigmatisation and discrimination, I withhold some available information. Where possible, though, I enrich the evidentiary fragments by rendering the context in detail and drawing on comparative contemporaneous accounts of intersex Kenyans. The conclusion explores contemporary Kenya's legal recognition of intersex identity and gestures to the building of a new intersex archive.
Quantifying risk of injury from usual alcohol consumption: An instrumental variable analysis
Authors: Ye Yu , Cherpitel Cheryl J. , Terza Joseph V. , Kerr William C.
Published: August 2021

Background

Numerous studies of roadside accidents among emergency room patients show elevated risk of injury from acute alcohol consumption, i.e., recent drinking precedes the injury event. The observed effects are large and show a dose–response relationship. In contrast, studies quantifying the association between injury risk and chronic consumption, such as past‐year average volume, show lower relative risk estimates than those from acute consumption.

Methods

Combining data from 4 waves of US National Alcohol Surveys (NAS) for years 2000–2015 (N = 29,571, 53% overall cooperation rate), we estimated the risk of any past‐year injury from past‐year volume using logistic regression. This was contrasted with an instrumental variable (IV) analysis utilizing a 2‐stage residual inclusion (2SRI) approach to estimate injury risk from volume, which adjusted for unobserved confounders using state beer and spirits tax rates, zip code‐level outlet and bar density, and control state status as instruments.

Results

Based on the combined US population surveys and controlling for sociodemographics, using conventional logistic regression, the odds ratios of injury from an average volume of 1, 2, and 5 drinks per day were 1.12 [95% confidence interval: 1.02, 1.24], 1.10 [1.00, 1.22], and 1.04 [0.88, 1.22], respectively. These compared with 1.67 [1.00, 2.78], 2.38 [0.87, 6.54], and 6.98 [0.57, 85.89] using the IV method. The proportion of injury attributed to alcohol also increased in magnitude, from 6.2% [0.3%, 11.9%] using the conventional approach to 17.9% [8.2%, 27.7%] using the IV method.

Conclusions

The association between injury and chronic alcohol consumption may be confounded by unobserved factors, resulting in a possible downward bias of the risk estimate.
Effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on cognitive and behavioral development: Findings from a hierarchical meta‐analysis of data from six prospective longitudinal U.S. cohorts
Authors: Jacobson Joseph L. , Akkaya‐Hocagil Tugba , Ryan Louise M. , Dodge Neil C. , Richardson Gale A. , Olson Heather Carmichael , Coles Claire D. , Day Nancy L. , Cook Richard J. , Jacobson Sandra W.
Published: August 2021

Background

Cognitive and behavioral sequelae of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) continue to be prevalent in the United States and worldwide. Because these sequelae are also common in other neurodevelopmental disorders, researchers have attempted to identify a distinct neurobehavioral profile to facilitate the differential diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). We used an innovative, individual participant meta‐analytic technique to combine data from six large U.S. longitudinal cohorts to provide a more comprehensive and reliable characterization of the neurobehavioral deficits seen in FASD than can be obtained from smaller samples.

Methods

Meta‐analyses were performed on data from 2236 participants to examine effects of PAE (measured as oz absolute alcohol/day (AA/day)) on IQ, four domains of cognition function (learning and memory, executive function, reading achievement, and math achievement), sustained attention, and behavior problems, after adjusting for potential confounders using propensity scores.

Results

The effect sizes for IQ and the four domains of cognitive function were strikingly similar to one another and did not differ at school age, adolescence, or young adulthood. Effect sizes were smaller in the more middle‐class Seattle cohort and larger in the three cohorts that obtained more detailed and comprehensive assessments of AA/day. PAE effect sizes were somewhat weaker for parent‐ and teacher‐reported behavior problems and not significant for sustained attention. In a meta‐analysis of five aspects of executive function, the strongest effect was on set‐shifting.

Conclusions

The similarity in the effect sizes for the four domains of cognitive function suggests that PAE affects an underlying component or components of cognition involving learning and memory and executive function that are reflected in IQ and academic achievement scores. The weaker effects in the more middle‐class cohort may reflect a more cognitively stimulating environment, a different maternal drinking pattern (lower alcohol dose/occasion), and/or better maternal prenatal nutrition. These findings identify two domains of cognition—learning/memory and set‐shifting—that are particularly affected by PAE, and one, sustained attention, which is apparently spared.
Landowner perceptions of livestock predation: implications for persecution of an Amazonian apex predator
Authors: Miranda E. B. P. , Peres C. A. , Downs C. T.
Published: August 2021

Apex predators are widely threatened globally and generally considered a priority on the conservation biology agenda. The harpy eagle, Harpia harpyja, is an apex predator threatened by habitat loss and persecution and a flagship species for Neotropical conservation. We investigated the roles of social, economic and environmental factors related to livestock depredation by harpy eagles, causes of reported harpy eagle persecution by local landholders and the intent of future harpy eagle killings. We explored these issues using structured interviews with 184 local livestock owners, who had admitted killing a combined total of 181 harpy eagles. We found that livestock abundance and livestock husbandry were the best positive predictors of levels of self‐reported livestock predation by harpy eagles. Domestic livestock reported to be killed by harpy eagles (192) were mainly chickens (47.9%), followed by goats (22.4%), pigs (18.2%) and sheep (8.3%), with pets representing only ~3% of kills. Few harpy eagle killings were related to livestock predation, which accounted for less than 20% of all eagles killed. Instead, the main reason for killing harpy eagles was simple curiosity, and many interviewees reported later regretting their acts. Regarding intent to kill harpy eagles in the future, interviewees’ perceptions of the threat posed to livestock and humans by eagles, and the subjective norm, were unrelated to intent to kill harpy eagles further. The single most important factor in predicting intent to kill harpy eagles was whether the interviewee had suffered livestock predation by eagles in the past. Additionally, the intention to kill eagles was negatively associated with landholding size. Most of our interviewees were relatively large landowners, but they are typically outnumbered by smallholders who are more likely to persecute harpy eagles. Consequently, education, compensation and tourism activities should be directed to smallholders to mitigate unnecessary persecution and mortality of harpy eagles.
Raptor reintroductions: Cost‐effective alternatives to captive breeding
Authors: Badia‐Boher Jaume Adrià , Hernández‐Matías Antonio , Viada Carlota , Real Joan
Published: July 2021

Reintroductions are becoming a popular tool to prevent extinctions, although their overall success rate is low. Assessing the efficiency and cost‐effectiveness of different reintroduction strategies may help identify and promote efficient practices. Captive‐breeding is widely used in animal reintroductions, although concerns have been raised about relatively high failure rates and economic costs. Here, we compared the effectiveness of two simultaneously used strategies in the reintroduction of the Bonelli’s eagle on the island of Mallorca: The release of captive‐bred chicks and wild‐reared, translocated non‐juveniles. To do so, we estimated the main vital rates for individuals released by both strategies and used these to perform population simulations to assess their overall performances. The use of wild‐reared non‐juveniles showed a trend with higher numbers of breeding pairs 10 years after the end of releases (14.75 pairs, 95% CI 4–25 vs. 11.21 pairs, 95% CI 2–24) and was the only strategy that prevented extinction in the long term. Following that, based on cost estimations of every strategy and different reintroduction budgets, we assessed the cost‐effectiveness of releasing wild‐reared non‐juveniles compared with two captive‐breeding alternatives: Releasing chicks either originally from breeding programmes or extracted from nests in natural populations. Again, releasing wild‐reared non‐juveniles was the only strategy that prevented long‐term extinction in all economic scenarios (i.e. low‐budget scenario 21.49 pairs, 95% CI 2–25). The use of chicks sourced from captive‐breeding programmes did not guarantee long‐term persistence even in high‐budget scenarios (14.50 pairs, 95% CI 0–25). Releasing wild‐reared non‐juveniles boosts early recruitment to the breeding population and early reproduction, which can be key for reintroduction success. However, in some scenarios, post‐release effects can be stronger in wild‐reared individuals, especially because of high translocation stress and post‐release dispersal. Hence, we recommend undertaking careful evaluation of the pros and cons of every strategy and embracing adaptive management to choose best strategies.
Post‐injury benzodiazepine and opioid use among older adults involved in road traffic crashes: A Swedish register‐based longitudinal study
Authors: Duchesne Jeanne , Laflamme Lucie , Lu Li , Lagarde Emmanuel , Möller Jette
Published: July 2021

Aim

Psychotropic drugs like opioids and benzodiazepines are prescribed for traumas resulting from road traffic crashes and the risk of developing an addiction deserves consideration. This study aims to shed light on how the consumption of those drugs evolves over time among older road traffic injury (RTI) victims.

Methods

We conducted a nationwide Swedish register‐based longitudinal study to identify trajectories of post‐RTI psychotropic drug use. All individuals aged 50 years and older who had a hospital visit for an RTI from 2007 to 2015 were followed up during a 2‐year period; those who used the drugs prior to the RTI were excluded. Trajectories were identified by performing latent class trajectory analysis on drug dispensation data for opioids and benzodiazepines separately (66 034 and 66 859 adults, respectively, in total).

Results

Three trajectories were identified for opioids and four for benzodiazepines. The largest group in both instances included people with no‐use/minimal use throughout the follow‐up (81.3% and 92.8%). “Sporadic users” were more frequent among users of opioids (16.7%) than benzodiazepines (4.3%), whereas “chronic users” were found in similar proportions (2.0% and 1.8%). “Delayed chronic use” characterized the fourth group of benzodiazepine users (1.0%).

Conclusion

Several trajectories of psychotropic drug use were identified after RTI, from limited to chronic. Although chronic use was uncommon, a better understanding of the factors likely to increase that risk is warranted given the seriousness of the problem.
Advancing transcendent development: An in‐depth review of developmental corporate social responsibility’s value proposition, inhibitions, and inclusive sustainable development prospects
Authors: Thakhathi Andani
Published: August 2021

This article offers a methodologically innovative Representative Literature Review of 260 Development‐Oriented Corporate Social Responsibility publications explicating why the nascent domain’s early momentum has seemingly stagnated. Using mixed‐methodological citation network analysis informed by Applied Thematic Analysis research design principles, this in‐depth literature review unearths a causal set of Impediments, leading to Inhibitors restraining Developmental Corporate Social Responsibility’s inclusive sustainable developmental potential. The Seven Impediments and their Seven Inhibitors are ultimately meta‐thematically synthesized into the following Three Inhibitions presently stifling the field: “(I) Ignorance,” “(II) Isomorphism,” and “(III) Inharmony.” Resultantly, this article offers three contributions for addressing these Inhibitions. First, academic scholarship is offered knowledge of how “(I) Ignorance” may be curbed by producing research that retains and builds upon knowledge cumulatively, instead of losing it to fragmentary dissipation born of scholarly incoherence. Second, institutional policymakers are offered pathways for transcending superficial “(II) Isomorphism” by enforcing regulation that engenders ethical business conduct by filling critical institutional voids in developing context jurisdictions. Finally, this review outlines how the Inhibition of “(III) Inharmony” may be pragmatically transcended by harmonizing unconscious ontological dissonance through self‐awareness and reflexive virtue development by synergistically enacting individual Moral Courage, Moral Tact, and Moral Imagination tempered by African Vhuthu/Ubuntu.
Innovative work behavior in Singapore evoked by transformational leaders through innovation support and readiness
Authors: Tan Amy B. C. , Van Dun Desirée H. , Wilderom Celeste P. M.
Published: August 2021

The current global economic landscape is forcing all organizational sectors to remain relevant by innovating services, products and work processes. Therefore, more than before, organizational leaders must enable innovative behaviour of their employees. Although the literature shows that transformational leadership induces innovative employee behaviour, the mediating mechanisms between Asian organizational leaders and their followers have rarely been empirically examined. We conducted a survey study among 406 employees from six public and private sector service organizations in Singapore to test two mediating effects between transformational leadership and employee innovative work behaviour. The results supported the hypothesized three‐path mediation model, with perceived support for innovation and innovation readiness as mediators in a series. These findings can be used to design and implement effective human resource and organizational development interventions within Asian service organizations. Our study also extends the literature on the effects of transformational leadership in collectivistic cultures.
The Costs and Benefits of Co‐Rumination
Authors: Rose Amanda J.
Published: August 2021

A common belief is that talking about problems makes us feel better. In fact, seeking social support is related to well‐being. However, if taken to a perseverative extreme, talking about problems can become problematic. The construct of co‐rumination was developed to address this idea. Co‐rumination refers to talking excessively about problems and is characterized by rehashing problems, speculating about problems, and dwelling on negative feelings. Co‐rumination is typically studied in children’s and adolescents’ friendships and has adjustment trade‐offs. Like rumination, co‐rumination is associated with internalizing symptoms. However, co‐rumination also is associated with having high‐quality relationships, presumably due to social sharing. In this article, I review what it means to co‐ruminate; how co‐rumination is assessed; the roles of age, gender, and relationship context; associations with adjustment; and the role of interpersonal stress and problems. I close by considering directions for research and applied implications.
‘A learning experience’: Disciplinary and parenting practices among Native American families
Authors: McKinley Catherine , Knipp Hannah , Lilly Jenn
Published: August 2021

Research indicates that effective disciplinary practices, such as offering praise and teaching acceptable versus non‐acceptable behaviour, can act as protective factors against the social and behavioural health disparities experienced by Native Americans (NA). The purpose of this critical ethnographic study (n = 436 qualitative elder, adult, youth and professional participants) was to use the Framework of Historical Oppression, Resilience, and Transcendence (FHORT) to qualitatively examine participants' reported experiences of disciplinary practices. Thematic analysis of qualitative results indicated several approaches to disciplining children, which included the following themes: (a) Establishing Structure and Boundaries; (b) Taking Away Privileges and Rewarding Good Behavior; and (c) Teaching Right from Wrong. Results indicate that despite experiencing historical oppression, NAs still report many disciplinary and other parenting practices contributing to family resilience that were present prior to colonization. Communal and relational supports contribute to positive parenting practices, indicating an importance to promote holistic and inclusive clinical treatment approaches.