bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
REPRESENTATION THEORY OF LIFTINGS OF QUANTUM PLANES
Authors: CHIN WILLIAM , KROP LEONID
Published: April 2009

We determine the regular representations, Gabriel quivers and representation type of all liftings of two-dimensional quantum linear spaces.
Phosphorylation of myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate is involved in the cAMP-dependent amylase release in parotid acinar cells
Authors: Satoh Keitaro , Matsuki-Fukushima Miwako , Qi Bing , Guo Ming-Yu , Narita Takanori , Fujita-Yoshigaki Junko , Sugiya Hiroshi
Published: April 2009

Myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) is known as a major cellular substrate for protein kinase C (PKC). MARCKS has been implicated in the regulation of brain development and postnatal survival, cellular migration and adhesion, as well as phagocytosis, endocytosis, and exocytosis. The involvement of MARCKS phosphorylation in secretory function has been reported in Ca2+-mediated exocytosis. In rat parotid acinar cells, the activation of β-adrenergic receptors provokes exocytotic amylase release via accumulation of intracellular cAMP levels. Here, we studied the involvement of MARCKS phosphorylation in the cAMP-dependent amylase release in rat parotid acinar cells. MARCKS protein was detected in rat parotid acinar cells by Western blotting. The β-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol (IPR) induced MARCKS phosphorylation in a time-dependent manner. Translocation of a part of phosphorylated MARCKS from the membrane to the cytosol and enhancement of MARCKS phosphorylation at the apical membrane site induced by IPR were observed by immunohistochemistry. H89, a cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) inhibitor, inhibited the IPR-induced MARCKS phosphorylation. The PKCδ inhibitor rottlerin inhibited the IPR-induced MARCKS phosphorylation and amylase release. IPR activated PKCδ, and the effects of IPR were inhibited by the PKA inhibitors. A MARCKS-related peptide partially inhibited the IPR-induced amylase release. These findings suggest that MARCKS phosphorylation via the activation of PKCδ, which is downstream of PKA activation, is involved in the cAMP-dependent amylase release in parotid acinar cells.
Redox-sensitive Akt and Src regulate coronary collateral growth in metabolic syndrome
Authors: Reed Ryan , Potter Barry , Smith Erika , Jadhav Rashmi , Villalta Patricia , Jo Hanjoong , Rocic Petra
Published: April 2009

We have recently shown that the inability of repetitive ischemia (RI) to activate p38 MAPK (p38) and Akt in metabolic syndrome [JCR:LA-cp (JCR)] rats was associated with impaired coronary collateral growth (CCG). Furthermore, Akt and p38 activation correlated with optimal O2−· levels and were altered in JCR rats, and redox-sensitive p38 activation was required for CCG. Here, we determined whether the activation of Src, a possible upstream regulator, was altered in JCR rats and whether redox-dependent Src and Akt activation were required for CCG. CCG was assessed by myocardial blood flow (microspheres) and kinase activation was assessed by Western blot analysis in the normal zone and collateral-dependent zone (CZ). RI induced Src activation (∼3-fold) in healthy [Wistar-Kyoto (WKY)] animals but not in JCR animals. Akt inhibition decreased (∼50%), and Src inhibition blocked RI-induced CCG in WKY rats. Src inhibition decreased p38 and Akt activation. Myocardial oxidative stress (O2−· and oxidized/reduced thiols) was measured quantitatively (X-band electron paramagnetic resonance). An antioxidant, apocynin, reduced RI-induced oxidative stress in JCR rats to levels induced by RI in WKY rats versus the reduction in WKY rats to very low levels. This resulted in a significant restoration of p38 (∼80%), Akt (∼65%), and Src (∼90%) activation in JCR rats but decreased the activation in WKY rats (p38: ∼45%, Akt: ∼65%, and Src: ∼100%), correlating with reduced CZ flow in WKY rats (∼70%), but significantly restored CZ flow in JCR rats (∼75%). We conclude that 1) Akt and Src are required for CCG, 2) Src is a redox-sensitive upstream regulator of RI-induced p38 and Akt activation, and 3) optimal oxidative stress levels are required for RI-induced p38, Akt, and Src activation and CCG.
Heterogeneous In Vivo Behavior of Monocyte Subsets in Atherosclerosis
Authors: Swirski Filip K. , Weissleder Ralph , Pittet Mikael J.
Published: April 2009

Monocytes and macrophages play active roles in atherosclerosis, a chronic inflammatory disease that is a leading cause of death in the developed world. The prevailing paradigm states that, during human atherogenesis, monocytes accumulate in the arterial intima and differentiate into macrophages, which then ingest oxidized lipoproteins, secrete a diverse array of proinflammatory mediators, and eventually become foam cells, the key constituents of a vulnerable plaque. Yet monocytes are heterogeneous. In the mouse, one subset (Ly-6C
hi
) promotes inflammation, expands in hypercholesterolemic conditions, and selectively gives rise to macrophages in atheromata. A different subset (Ly-6C
lo
) attenuates inflammation and promotes angiogenesis and granulation tissue formation in models of tissue injury, but its role in atherosclerosis is largely unknown. In the human, monocyte heterogeneity is preserved but it is still unresolved how subsets correspond functionally. The contradistinctive properties of these cells suggest commitment for specific function before infiltrating tissue. Such commitment argues for discriminate targeting of deleterious subsets while sparing host defense and repair mechanisms. In addition to advancing our understanding of atherosclerosis, the ability to target and image monocyte subsets would allow us to evaluate drugs designed to selectively inhibit monocyte subset recruitment or function, and to stratify patients at risk for developing complications such as myocardial infarction or stroke. In this review we summarize recent advances of our understanding of the behavioral heterogeneity of monocytes during disease progression and outline emerging molecular imaging approaches to address key questions in the field.
Rab GTPase Regulation of VEGFR2 Trafficking and Signaling in Endothelial Cells
Authors: Jopling Helen M. , Odell Adam F. , Hooper Nigel M. , Zachary Ian C. , Walker John H. , Ponnambalam Sreenivasan
Published: April 2009

Objective—

Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) is a receptor tyrosine kinase that regulates vascular physiology. However, mechanism(s) by which VEGFR2 signaling and trafficking is coordinated are not clear. Here, we have tested endocytic Rab GTPases for regulation of VEGFR2 trafficking and signaling linked to endothelial cell migration.

Methods and Results—

Quiescent VEGFR2 displays endosomal localization and colocalization with the Rab5a GTPase, an early endosome fusion regulator. Expression of GTP or GDP-bound Rab5a mutants block activated VEGFR2 trafficking and degradation. Manipulation of Rab7a GTPase activity associated with late endosomes using overexpression of wild-type or mutant proteins blocks activated VEGFR2 trafficking and degradation. Depletion of Rab7a decreased VEGFR2 Y1175 phosphorylation but increased p42/44 (pERK1/2) MAPK phosphorylation. Endothelial cell migration was increased by Rab5a depletion but decreased by Rab7a depletion.

Conclusions—

Rab5a and Rab7a regulate VEGFR2 trafficking toward early and late endosomes. Our data suggest that VEGFR2-mediated regulation of endothelial function is dependent on different but specific Rab-mediated GTP hydrolysis activity required for endosomal trafficking.
Core2 1-6-N-Glucosaminyltransferase-I Deficiency Protects Injured Arteries From Neointima Formation in ApoE-Deficient Mice
Authors: Wang Huan , Zhang Weiyu , Tang Rong , Hebbel Robert P. , Kowalska M. Anna , Zhang Chunxiang , Marth Jamey D. , Fukuda Minoru , Zhu Chuhong , Huo Yuqing
Published: April 2009

Objective—

Core2 1 to 6-N-glucosaminyltransferase-I (C2GlcNAcT-I) plays an important role in optimizing the binding functions of several selectin ligands, including P-selectin glycoprotein ligand. We used apolipoprotein E (ApoE)-deficient atherosclerotic mice to investigate the role of C2GlcNAcT-I in platelet and leukocyte interactions with injured arterial walls, in endothelial regeneration at injured sites, and in the formation of arterial neointima.

Methods and Results—

Arterial neointima induced by wire injury was smaller in C2GlcNAcT-I-deficient apoE
−/−
mice than in control apoE
−/−
mice (a 79% reduction in size). Compared to controls, apoE
−/−
mice deficient in C2GlcNAcT-I also demonstrated less leukocyte adhesion on activated platelets in microflow chambers (a 75% reduction), and accumulation of leukocytes at injured areas of mouse carotid arteries was eliminated. Additionally, endothelial regeneration in injured lumenal areas was substantially faster in C2GlcNAcT-I-deficient apoE
−/−
mice than in control apoE
−/−
mice. Endothelial regeneration was associated with reduced accumulation of platelet factor 4 (PF4) at injured sites. PF4 deficiency accelerated endothelial regeneration and protected mice from neointima formation after arterial injury.

Conclusions—

C2GlcNAcT-I deficiency suppresses injury-induced arterial neointima formation, and this effect is attributable to decreased leukocyte recruitment to injured vascular walls and increased endothelial regeneration. Both C2GlcNAcT-I and PF4 are promising targets for the treatment of arterial restenosis.
Different Clinical Phenotypes in Monozygotic CADASIL Twins With a Novel
NOTCH3
Mutation
Authors: Mykkänen Kati , Junna Maija , Amberla Kaarina , Bronge Lena , Kääriäinen Helena , Pöyhönen Minna , Kalimo Hannu , Viitanen Matti
Published: April 2009

Background and Purpose—

CADASIL is a hereditary arteriopathy causing recurrent strokes and cognitive decline. Because monozygotic twins have identical genetic background, differences in their environment and lifestyle could reveal factors that may influence CADASIL patients’ clinical course, which is highly variable even within the same family.

Methods—

We describe differences in clinical and imaging findings in a pair of monozygotic CADASIL twins.

Results—

Twin B experienced his first-ever stroke 14 years earlier than twin A, and his symptoms, signs, and imaging findings were more severe. Distinguishing factors were twin B’s smoking as well as twin A’s physical activity and earlier statin treatment. Causative
NOTCH3
mutation was a novel c.752G>A -substitution (p.Cys251Tyr).

Conclusions—

The phenotypic differences in these monozygotic twins suggest influence of environmental and lifestyle factors on the clinical course of CADASIL.
Fractalkine Receptor/Ligand Genetic Variants and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness
Authors: Debette Stéphanie , Bevan Steve , Dartigues Jean-François , Sitzer Matthias , Lorenz Matthias , Ducimetière Pierre , Amouyel Philippe , Markus Hugh S.
Published: April 2009

Background and Purpose—

The fractalkine ligand/receptor (CX3CL1/CX3CR1) complex is important in inflammatory responses and has been associated with vascular disease. We determined whether genetic variants in
CX3CL1
and
CX3CR1
are associated with carotid atherosclerosis in 2 large European populations.

Methods—

18 polymorphisms in
CX3CL1
and
CX3CR1
were genotyped in 2763 German community individuals (CAPS). Positive results were tested for replication on 6049 French community individuals (3C Study).

Results—

In CAPS we found associations of common carotid artery (CCA)-IMT with 2
CX3CL1
(rs170364, rs614230) and 1
CX3CR1
(rs3732378) variants, and significant interactions of
CX3CR1
rs11129820, rs3732378, and rs614230 variants with smoking and alcohol consumption in relation with CCA-IMT. None of these were replicated in 3C. In 3C only there was a borderline significant association of rs3732378 with carotid plaques.

Conclusion—

In almost 9000 subjects, we found no replicable associations of
CX3CL1
and
CX3CR1
polymorphisms with CCA-IMT or plaque.
Cardiac Computed Tomographic Angiography for Detection of Cardiac Sources of Embolism in Stroke Patients
Authors: Hur Jin , Kim Young Jin , Lee Hye-Jeong , Ha Jong-Won , Heo Ji Hoe , Choi Eui-Young , Shim Chi-Young , Kim Tae Hoon , Nam Ji Eun , Choe Kyu Ok , Choi Byoung Wook
Published: April 2009

Background and Purpose—

We assessed the diagnostic performance of 2-phase 64-slice cardiac computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) for the detection of a cardiac source of embolism in stroke patients using transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) as the reference standard.

Methods—

We selected 137 patients who had experienced a recent episode of stroke and had undergone both 2-phase 64-slice CCTA and TEE within a period of 5 days. A potential cardiac source of embolism detected at both CCTA and TEE was recorded, and echocardiographic findings were categorized into high- and medium-risk sources based on the TOAST (Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment) classification.

Results—

Of 137 patients, 100 abnormal findings in 91 patients were found on TEE, and 46 patients had no abnormal finding on TEE. The overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the 64-slice CCTA for detecting cardiac sources of embolism were 89% (95% CI, 82%, 95%), 100% (95% CI, 90%, 100%), 100% (95% CI, 95%, 100%), and 81% (95% CI, 70%, 92%), respectively. TEE detected a total of 47 high-risk sources of embolism, whereas CT detected 44 lesions. For medium-risk sources of cardiac embolic stroke, TEE detected a total of 53 abnormal findings, whereas CT detected 44 abnormal findings. Of 53 lesions, there were 8 false-negative results on CT (5 patent foramen ovale and 3 atrial septal aneurysm).

Conclusions—

Two-phase 64-slice CCTA is a noninvasive and useful modality for detecting high-risk cardiac sources of embolism in stroke patients.
Reporting, Nonreporting, And Assessment In The Training Analysis
Authors: Calef Victor , Weinshel Edward M.
Published: April 2009

“There are currents of moral ideas which are partly philosophical and partly something less precise, changes in public consciousness…

“It is certainly not easy, and perhaps it is not possible, to calculate the real effect upon men's lives of any new system of moral ideas and of any new philosophy…

“The more fundamental and overriding assessments, in relation to which all other assessments of persons are subsidiary and conditional, we call moral assessments, just because we count them as unconditional and overriding…When we assess ourselves or others in some limited role or capacity, as performing well or ill in that role or capacity, the assessment is not fundamental and unconditional: the assessment gives guidance only to someone who wants to have that role or to act in that capacity or who wants to make use of someone who does.” Stuart Hampshire (1973; italics added)
Clinical and Prognostic Considerations in the Analysis of a Five-Year-Old Hysteric
Authors: ROSNER HENRY
Published: April 2009

“Proper Deformity Shows Not in the Fiend So Horrid As In Woman”

--Albany to Goneril, King Lear, Act 4, Scene 2
A Child's Parentdies: Studiesin Childhood Bereavement. ByErna A. Furman. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1974, xii + 316 pp., $15.00.
Authors: Burland J. Alexis
Published: April 2009

A Child's Parentdies: Studiesin Childhood Bereavement. ByErna A. Furman. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1974, xii + 316 pp., $15.00.
An Exploration Of The Relations Of Instinctual Drives And The Symbiosis/Separation-Individuation Process
Authors: Parens Henri
Published: April 2009

Drive Motivation and Psychic Development with Special Reference to Aggression and Beginning Separation-Individuation
Archaic Introjects and the Cosmology of H. G. Wells
Authors: PARKIN ALAN
Published: April 2009

“Wandering between two worlds, one dead, The other powerless to be born….” -Matthew Arnold, Stanzas from the Grande Chartreuse
The Exit Line: Heightened Transference-Countertransference Manifestations at the End of the Hour
Authors: GABBARD GLEN O.
Published: April 2009

“Every exit is an entrance to somewhere else.” -The Player in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, by Tom Stoppard.
The Role of Intuition in Strategic Decision Making
Authors: Khatri Naresh , Ng H. Alvin
Published: April 2009

Although intuitive processes are critical for effective strategic decision making, there is little in the way of applied research on the topic. Apart from many popularized treatments of intuition in the literature today, there are only a handful of serious scholarly works on the subject. The majority of them are essentially theoretical in nature; field research in management settings is virtually nonexistent. This study examined this neglected but important process in strategic decision making. We surveyed senior managers of companies representing computer, banking, and utility industries in the United States and found that intuitive processes are used often in organizational decision making. Use of intuitive synthesis was found to be positively associated with organizational performance in an unstable environment, but negatively so in a stable environment.
Trust and the Design of Work Complementary Constructs in Satisfaction and Performance
Authors: Cunningham J. Barton , MacGregor James
Published: April 2009

The article presents results that indicate that trust and job design are complementary concepts in understanding outcomes like intention to quit and satisfaction. We conceptualized a worker's beliefs that a supervisor can be trusted as being composed of three main elements - beliefs in the supervisor's predictability, benevolence and fairness. This was motivated in part by a desire to conceptualize trust in a way that distinguished it from leader-member exchange (LMX) quality. The capacity of this measure of trust to predict self-reported outcomes was then compared with a job's motivational potential score, as a way of testing the trust measure's criterion validity. To do so, the results from two separate surveys were analysed. The first was based on the questionnaire responses of 535 employees in the telephone industry in the province of British Columbia; the second, of 230 service station employees from across Canada. In the studies reported here, supervisor relationships accounted for a significant amount of the variance on a variety of criterion measures. The results also suggested that perceptions of trust act independently of job design factors in affecting the outcome variables of absence, intention to quit, satisfaction and performance. In addition, the results indicated trust to be as important as job design factors in predicting outcomes.
Personal Control in Organizations: A Longitudinal Investigation with Newcomers
Authors: Ashforth Blake E. , Saks Alan M.
Published: April 2009

Personal control over one's work environment is an important theme in many branches of the social sciences. In the present study, longitudinal field data were used to assess a model of personal control in organizational settings. Business school graduates completed questionnaires prior to graduation and after 4 months (n = 297) and 10 months (n = 231) on the job. The results suggest two distinct responses to perceived personal control. The first implies a proactive orientation where control begets control: self-efficacy was positively associated with control, both variables were positively associated with problem-focused reactance, control and reactance were both negatively related to helplessness, and helplessness was negatively related to work adjustment. The second response to personal control implies a reactive orientation where unmet expectations prompt a sense of futility and withdrawal: control was negatively associated with unmet expectations, and unmet expectations were positively associated with helplessness and negatively associated with work adjustment.
Do Politics Perceptions Relate to Political Behaviors? Tests of an Implicit Assumption and Expanded Model
Authors: Valle Matthew , Perrewe Pamela L.
Published: April 2009

This study examined perceived political behaviors as a critical, yet largely overlooked, component in the traditional organizational politics perceptions model. Further, this study developed an expanded version of the traditional antecedents to politics perceptions and examined the mediating effect of perceptions of politics in the model. Results from 260 full-time employees suggested that the use of reactive/defensive political behaviors exacerbated the already negative effects of perceived organizational politics on outcomes. Further, the set of variables that come from the job/work environment were found to explain more variance in perceptions of organizational politics than the set of organizational or individual variables. Finally, perceptions of politics demonstrated mediation effects between the antecedent variables and job satisfaction, job anxiety, and intent to turnover Discussion centers around the expanded model and the need to conceptually and empirically link politics perceptions with political behaviors.
The Relationship between Commitment Forms and Work Outcomes: A Comparison of Three Models
Authors: Cohen Aaron
Published: April 2009

This study examined three models of the relationships between commitment foci and work outcomes such as turnover intentions, actual turnover, and absenteeism. The first is based on the traditional literature that argues that the relationship between commitment foci and outcomes is direct. The second is based on Morrow's model of universal forms of work commitment. According to this model, job involvement mediates the relationship between the other commitment foci and outcomes. The third model is based on the conceptualization proposed by Randall and Cote. According to their model organizational commitment and occupational commitment should mediate the relationship between commitment foci and out-comes. In the study 283 nurses from three small hospitals in Israel were surveyed with a response rate of 62 percent. The results of path analysis (LISREL VIII) showed a better fit to the data of the Randall and Cote model. The article concludes with implications regarding the continuing assessment of Morrow's conceptualization to establish an acceptable definition and measurement of universal forms of work commitment.
Partnering Across Borders: Negotiating Organizational Culture in a German-Japanese Joint Venture
Authors: Brannen Mary Yoko , Salk Jane E.
Published: April 2009

This study expands theoretical research on negotiated culture by testing basic assumptions in the context of a German-Japanese joint venture. Data collected by semi-structured interviews are analyzed using textual analysis software to uncover key issues that became catalysts for negotiation. Results include a model of cultural negotiation linking organizational events with issue domains as points of departure for negotiations. Results show that aggregate models of cultural difference are useful only to the extent that they serve as latent conceptual anchors guiding individuals' cultural responses to events. The study shows that structural/contextual influences together with individuals' culturally determined sense-making with regard to specific organizational events are more useful determinants of negotiated outcomes. Authors conclude that, while it is unlikely we can predict organizational culture formation in complex cultural organizations, we can understand the process of cultural negotiation and as a result be better prepared to monitor and manage in culturally diverse settings.
Organizational Commitment as a Mediator of the Relationship between Islamic Work Ethic and Attitudes toward Organizational Change
Authors: Yousef Danvish A.
Published: April 2009

This study investigates the role of organizational commitment as a mediator between the Islamic work ethic (IWE) and attitudes toward organizational change. The study uses a sample of 474 employees from 30 organizations in five districts in the United Arab Emirates. The results of path analysis indicate that the IWE directly and positively influences various dimensions of both attitudes toward organizational change and organizational commitment. Furthermore, affective commitment mediates the influences of the IWE on both affective and behavioral tendency dimensions of attitudes toward organizational change. On the other hand, continuance and normative commitments mediate the influences of the IWE on cognitive dimension of attitudes toward change, while continuance commitment mediates the influences of the IWE on the behavioral tendency dimension of attitudes toward change. Implications, limitations and lines of future research are discussed.
Research Note Measuring Organizational Culture Clashes: A Two-Nation Post-Hoc Analysis of a Cultural Compatibility Index
Authors: Veiga John , Lubatkin Michael , Calori Roland , Very Philippe
Published: April 2009

Though the concept of `culture clash' has been widely discussed and written about in the context of mergers and acquisitions, the literature has been relatively silent about how to empirically measure this phenomenon. Given the difficulties associated with developing and testing such a measure - especially gaining access to sufficient numbers of firms which have recently experienced a merger - it is not surprising that little has been done. In this paper, we present a post-hoc analysis of a cultural compatibility index that was developed as part of a multi-study survey that we conducted. In addition, we provide evidence of the measure's integrity in two different national cultures. The analysis is based on a survey of executives of acquired British and French firms as to their perceptions of compatibility with the organizational values of the buying firms. We found evidence to suggest that the measure is a reliable and valid congruence index within and across national contexts.
Who Accumulates Directorships of Big Business Firms in Israel?: Organizational Structure, Social Capital and Human Capital
Authors: Maman Daniel
Published: April 2009

This article studies which of the directors of the largest corporations in Israel were invited to sit on additional boards of directors between the years 1974 and 1988. The article compares organizational affiliations, and the human and social capital of directors who accumulate directorships with those who do not. The study uses logistic regression to discern which variables increase the likelihood of being invited on to an additional board. The findings strongly support the hypothesis that it is a combination of the structure of the national economy and human and social capital of the directors which determines who will join additional boards.
Work/Family Border Theory: A New Theory of Work/Family Balance
Authors: Clark Sue Campbell
Published: April 2009

This article introduces work/family border theory - a new theory about work/family balance. According to the theory, people are daily border-crossers between the domains of work and family. The theory addresses how domain integration and segmentation, border creation and management, border-crosser participation, and relationships between border-crossers and others at work and home influence work/family balance. Propositions are given to guide future research.
The Emergence of a Surrealist Movement and its Vital `Estrangement-Effect' in Organization Studies
Authors: Carr Adrian N. , Zanetti Lisa A.
Published: April 2009

Beginning as a subversive and anti-establishment movement in France in the 1920s, surrealism was primarily a movement whose `voice' came through the written word. Later the movement extended into the visual arts, with which it is more generally associated. Surrealism was always intended as a way of thinking, a way of feeling and, indeed, a philosophy of life. This way of thinking now appears to have permeated the discourse of organization theory in both the orientation and `techniques' that are advocated by a group of writers who claim, or invoke, the insights of postmodernists (/poststructuralists). Drawing on recently published work by the critical theorists Adorno, Benjamin and Marcuse, we argue that the field needs to consider carefully `its' response to oil `surrealist movements'. We argue that the surrealist movement is an essential part of a healthy ongoing dialectic for the field and needs to be recognized in exactly that context.
Getting Acceptance that Radically New Working Practices are Required: Institutionalization of Arguments about Change within a Healthcare Organization
Authors: Sillince John A.A. , Harindranath Gopalakrishnan , Harvey Charles E.
Published: April 2009

This article considers data from a hospital that was introducing an experimental new facility onto an existing site, including the process of institutionalization of the argument ‘The new facility requires radically new working practices.’ The data are used to test a proposed integration of Barley and Tolbert’s (1997) model of the psychological mechanisms involved in institutionalization with a political model of how motives vary during the stages of organizational change. There is some empirical support for a congruence between the two models, namely, that psychological encoding matches with political recognition, psychological enactment matches with political transition, and psychological replication and externalization match with political consolidation.
Trust and Control in Anglo-American Systems of Corporate Governance: The Individualizing and Socializing Effects of Processes of Accountability
Authors: Roberts John
Published: April 2009

This article reformulates the problem of corporate governance through a shift of analytic focus, away from the problems of securing the interests of remote owners, to an understanding of processes of accountability and their effects, both objective and subjective, within Anglo-American systems of corporate governance. In place of the essentialist assumptions about human nature upon which both agency theorists and their organizational critics build, processes of accountability are instead held to be themselves constitutive of subjectivity. A distinction is drawn between different processes and practices of accountability in terms of either their ‘individualizing’ or ‘socializing’ effects. Individualizing effects, which are associated with the operation of market mechanisms and formal hierarchical accountability, involve the production and reproduction of a sense of self as singular and solitary within only an external and instrumental relationship to others. In contrast, socializing forms of accountability, associated with face-to-face accountability between people of relatively equal power, constitute a sense of the interdependence of self and other, both instrumental and moral. The article explores the complex interaction of these effects in the context of Anglo- American systems of corporate governance. The article concludes by offering a fourfold typology of the combinatory potentials of individualizing and socializing effects.
The Drama of Dysfunction: Value Conflict in US Managed Care
Authors: Mrotek Diana D.
Published: April 2009

The transformation of the American health care environment from retrospective fee-for-service to managed care has been both rapid and chaotic. This period of change has been infected by value conflict, evoking unconscious processes in system participants as they have attempted to cope with personally threatening situations. This article attempts to elucidate this process by presenting an account of events and accompanying value conflict as it occurred over time. It also includes a systems analysis of the rapidly changing mosaic of unconscious processes that resulted from the divergent values held by the public and health care professionals, using various organization behavior theories. Examples of the types of theory used are Jungian archetypes, scapegoating and mutual negative stereotyping, the Karpman Drama Triangle, and Wells' `group-as-mother' analogue.
Prejudice Versus Discrimination in the Employment Interview: We may Hire Equally, but Our Memories Harbour Prejudice
Authors: Frazer Ricardo A. , Wiersma Uco J.
Published: April 2009

The effects of applicant race and applicant quality on recall errors and on decision making in the employment interview were examined. Eighty-eight white undergraduates in the mid-Western United States reviewed paper credentials and then interviewed a high or low quality black or white applicant in a controlled experimental setting. Results showed that, although the interviewers hired the black and white applicants in equal proportion, one week later they recalled the answers to the interview questions given by the black applicants as having been significantly less intelligent then those of whites - when in fact the actual interview content in the two race conditions was identical. Presumably, the participants of this study had negative schemas towards blacks that they were able to suppress when making hiring decisions, but that were revealed when unobtrusive measures were used.
Can Blaming Victims of Rape be Logical? Attribution Theory and Discourse Analytic Perspectives
Authors: Anderson Irina , Beattie Geoffrey , Spencer Christopher
Published: April 2009

While it is frequently assumed that blaming the victims rather than the perpetrators of rape is the result of biases in causal reasoning, one rape perception study (Calhoun et al., 1976) suggests that blame attributions directed at the victim can occur as a result of logical attributional processes through the systematic and rational application of the covariational rules of inductive reasoning. The aim of the present study was to investigate this assertion. The study is unique in two ways. First, participants were asked to discuss a rape incident rather than evaluate it using questionnaire methods. Second, the study focused on the rape of males as well as the rape of females. Two analyses were performed on the conversational data - a content analysis yielding quantitative data and a qualitative discourse analysis. The main findings were that, contrary to predictions, participants did not use the covariation information to blame the victim of rape `logically'. Instead, the most frequently utilized category was `meta-commentary' which showed that the participants were extremely sensitive to the inferences implied by the covariation information and the task in general. The findings are discussed in relation to attribution theory and rape perception.
The Anarchist within: Clinical Reflections on Russian Character and Leadership Style
Authors: de Vries Manfred F.R. Kets
Published: April 2009

This article highlights a number of salient aspects of the culture and character of Russia (now the Russian Federation) in order to facilitate an informed understanding of the way Russians deal with organizations and approach leadership style. When appropriate, the clinical paradigm is applied, dimensions derived from cultural constructs are utilized, and examples are given of the author's fieldwork in Russian organizations. The article starts by examining how a number of contextual factors contribute to stoicism as a typical Russian character trait and make for a collectivist outlook. The implications of Russian child-rearing and educational practices are then discussed and the article analyses the development of a `false self' - a public self that is split from the true private self - particularly during the Soviet era. Other themes explored include emotional expressiveness, a particularistic outlook toward other people, Oblomovism and oscillation between order and disorder The destructive bureaucracy in Russia is shown to be a social defence; the Czar legacy and the wish for strong leadership are also analysed. The article ends by making a number of general comments about leadership and organizational practices in the context of stimulating the transformation processes that have recently taken place in Russia.
Network Learning: Exploring Learning by Interorganizational Networks
Authors: Knight Louise
Published: April 2009

The importance of interorganizational networks in supporting or hindering the achievement of organizational objectives is now widely acknowledged. Network research is directed at understanding network processes and structures, and their impact upon performance. A key process is learning. The concepts of individual, group and organizational learning are long established. This article argues that learning might also usefully be regarded as occurring at a fourth system level, the interorganizational network. The concept of network learning - learning by a group of organizations as a group - is presented, and differentiated from other types of learning, notably interorganizational learning (learning in interorganizational contexts). Four cases of network learning are identified and analysed to provide insights into network learning processes and outcomes. It is proposed that ‘network learning episode’ offers a suitable unit of analysis for the empirical research needed to develop our understanding of this potentially important concept.
Reminiscences
Authors: Mendelowitz Ed
Published: April 2009

The centennial of Rollo May’s birth follows quickly upon Abraham Maslow’s centenary celebration, the latter occasion marked by a series of moving remembrances compiled last year by Edward Hoffman. And so, in addition to a quite personal tribute to a revered mentor and friend, I intend also a broader reverie of sorts on adepts and acolytes and professional self-appraisal. It is a time for honoring founding fathers, mothers, and figures and, simultaneously, looking, collectively, within—what German psychiatry has called, aptly, the “truth-taking stare.”
The UK Economy
Authors: Blake Andrew P. , Weale Martin
Published: April 2009

The production of this forecast is supported by the Institute's Corporate Members: Bank of England, Barclays Bank plc, Glaxo Wellcome plc, 3i plc, INVESCO Europe Ltd, Marks and Spencer plc, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter (Europe) Ltd, Morley Fund Management, The National Grid Company plc, Nomura Research Institute Europe Ltd, Pearson Management Services Ltd, The Post Office, Rio Tinto plc, Standard Chartered Bank, UBS Warburg, Unilever plc and Willis Corroon Group plc.
Qualifications and International Mobility: A Case Study of the European Chemicals Industry
Authors: Rolfe Heather
Published: April 2009

The right of European citizens to work in other member states has been in place for many years, yet levels of movement have been lower than expected. Employers play a central role in facilitating mobility, by recruiting across national boundaries and transferring staff. Their practices are therefore likely to have a considerable impact on the extent of movement, and on the type of employees involved. This article explores the practices of employers in the chemicals industry, a key sector of the European economy. The focus of the research, which was commissioned by the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP), was on the recruitment and transfer practices of employers, and their treatment of ‘foreign’ qualifications. The article identifies the range of approaches found in the industry and presents some of the main issues to employers in relation to recruitment and transfer across member states.
The UK Economy
Authors: Pain Nigel , Kneller Richard
Published: April 2009

The production of this forecast is supported by the Institute's Corporate Members: Bank of England, Barclays Bank plc, Dixons plc, GlaxoSmithKline, INVESCO Europe Ltd, Marks and Spencer plc, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter (Europe) Ltd, Morley Fund Management, The National Grid Company plc, Nomura Research Institute Europe Ltd, Pearson plc, The Post Office, Rio Tinto plc, Standard Chartered Bank, UBS Warburg, Unilever plc and Willis Corroon Group plc.
The UK Economy
Authors: Pain Nigel , Weale Martin
Published: April 2009

The production of this forecast is supported by the Institute's Corporate Members: Bank of England, Barclays Bank plc, Consignia plc, Dixons plc, GlaxoSmithKline, INVESCO Europe Ltd, Marks and Spencer plc, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter (Europe) Ltd, Morley Fund Management, The National Grid Company plc, Nomura Research Institute Europe Ltd, Pearson plc, Rio Tinto plc, Standard Chartered Bank, UBS Warburg, Unilever plc and Willis Corroon Group plc.
What became of the New Economy?
Authors: Kay John
Published: April 2009

Over the past five years, there have been widespread claims — not only that there is a ‘new economy’ but that a new economy requires new economics. This article reviews the claims of this kind which have been made in three principal areas — in the measurement of economic statistics and in macroeconomic management, in company and stock market valuations, and in the nature of competitive advantage and the origins of business success. In each of these areas, it finds little basis for believing that revolutionary, rather than evolutionary, change is required. Indeed the application of well established economic principles and concepts might have saved investors, commentators, and those whose job it is to manage the economy, from costly mistakes
The Electricity Supply Industry: A Study of an Industry in Transition
Authors: O'Mahony Mary , Vecchi Michela
Published: April 2009

In 1989 the UK began a process of transferring an almost wholly state-owned electricity supply industry (ESI) into a collection of privately-owned generation, transmission and distribution utilities. Using data from 1960–97, this paper aims to evaluate how the performance of the UK ESI has changed over time and to compare the UK performance with France, Germany and the United States in order to assess the impact of the liberalisation process. The study takes a whole-industry approach, combining the four aspects of electricity production — generation, transmission, distribution and supply. The computation of labour and total factor productivity and the impact on consumer prices are used to shed light on how successful the various industry structures have been in raising performance.
Five Years of the Modern Apprenticeship Initiative: An Assessment against Continental European Models
Authors: Steedman Hilary
Published: April 2009

Government has promised that Britain will build a vocational route based on apprenticeship to match that found in the rest of Europe. However, judged on the first five years of Modern Apprenticeship, every important aspect of apprenticeship in Britain will need to be strengthened and improved if the government's aspirations are to be realised.

‘Beyond compulsory school age, we are determined to build a coherent and high-quality vocational education and training system that is the envy of the world.’ [Opportunity and Skills in the Knowledge-Driven Economy, a final statement on the work of the National Skills Task Force from the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, 2001.]
Britain's Relative Productivity Performance: Has Anything Changed?
Authors: O'Mahony Mary , de Boer Willem
Published: April 2009

This paper summarises the results of a major revision of the data underlying a previous study of Britain's productivity position in an international perspective (O'Mahony, 1999). Thus it examines the productivity record of the UK relative to the US, France, and Germany. There have been a number of changes since the original study which necessitated a revision rather than a mere updating of previous estimates. These included changes to national accounts definitions of value added to include immaterial investments following the adoption of SNA93 by these countries, labour input revisions which allow the distinction between jobs and persons employed, extensive revisions to industrial classifications and the desire to present estimates for unified Germany rather than the former West Germany. In addition the data series were extended to include a division of capital stocks by asset type which allows for a more refined treatment of capital input in explaining relative labour productivity performance. Hence the first aim of this paper is to see if these changes have significantly altered perceptions of Britain's relative productivity position. The evidence on the extent to which Britain has improved its relative productivity position in the past decade is presented and the paper re-examines the issue of the impact of its investment record in both physical and human capital on Britain's labour productivity shortfall. Since the publication of the original study, much of the productivity literature has focused on the new economy and, in particular, the impact of information and communications technology (ICT) on productivity trends. The association between ICT and sector productivity growth rates is also considered below.
Mathematical Attainments in Primary Schooling: Raising Standards and Reducing Diversity
Authors: Whitburn Julia
Published: April 2009

Concern over poor standards in mathematics among English school leavers has led to a number of government initiatives in recent years. Without a secure foundation of mathematical understanding and competence during the primary school years, later learning in mathematics is problematic. This paper examines recent major initiatives at the primary stage of schooling and their effect on raising standards, including the National Numeracy Strategy and the Improving Primary Mathematics (IPM) project. The latter project, influenced by successful Continental approaches to teaching mathematics, aimed both to raise average standards of attainment and to reduce the large variation in attainment that has, in the past, characterised the performance of English pupils.

Although the new teaching approaches, and the innovatively detailed teaching materials, developed by the IPM project have enabled significant improvements to be effected, concern remains over the low attainment in England of an unduly large proportion of pupils (as compared with Continental schools). It is suggested that serious consideration needs to be given to adopting arrangements that are the norm in several other countries — namely, to introduce some flexibility in age of entry to schooling (at present in England this is governed strictly by date of birth). Such a change would, it is suggested, significantly reduce the number of low attainers and range of attainment within a class, and make a teacher's task of successful interactive whole-class teaching more manageable.
Productivity and Convergence in the EU
Authors: O'Mahony Mary
Published: April 2009

For most of the postwar period both labour and total factor productivity growth in the EU was higher than in the US. The 1990s witnessed a change in this trend with the US experiencing higher growth rates for the first time in decades. This was partly due to the end of catch-up growth as many larger EU Member States had reached US levels by the beginning of the decade with also some evidence of a higher ‘New Economy’ impact in the US. The productivity record of the UK was poor relative to its major European competitors throughout most of the postwar period, although this relative decline appears to have come to an end. This paper presents figures on relative productivity for the total EU and individual Member States in the 1990s. Both postwar convergence and trends in the 1990s are discussed in terms of a number of factors which result in the emergence of differences across European countries. These include the skill composition of the workforce, the rate of introduction of new technology and the institutional environment in which firms operate. The latter include the stability of the macroeconomic environment and aspects of competition and regulation. The paper concludes that trends in productivity largely reflect long-term structural aspects but that EMU membership might have a small favourable effect on UK productivity.
A Comparison of Balance Sheet Structures in Major EU Countries
Authors: Byrne Joseph P. , Davis E. Philip
Published: April 2009

The UK is commonly viewed as having a ‘market oriented’ financial system, in contrast to other European countries which are seen as ‘bank dominated’. In the light of this supposition, we investigate sectoral balance sheet data for evidence of differences in financial structure between the UK and other major EU countries. It is found that the UK has much in common with Continental countries, in particular France, and they are themselves markedly heterogeneous. There is also some evidence of convergence towards a more market-oriented financial system, even in the most bank-dominated economy, Germany.