bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neurofeedback training produces normalization in behavioural and electrophysiological measures of high-functioning autism
Authors: Pineda Jaime A. , Carrasco Karen , Datko Mike , Pillen Steven , Schalles Matt
Published: April 2014

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition exhibiting impairments in behaviour, social and communication skills. These deficits may arise from aberrant functional connections that impact synchronization and effective neural communication. Neurofeedback training (NFT), based on operant conditioning of the electroencephalogram (EEG), has shown promise in addressing abnormalities in functional and structural connectivity. We tested the efficacy of NFT in reducing symptoms in children with ASD by targeting training to the mirror neuron system (MNS) via modulation of EEG mu rhythms. The human MNS has provided a neurobiological substrate for understanding concepts in social cognition relevant to behavioural and cognitive deficits observed in ASD. Furthermore, mu rhythms resemble MNS phenomenology supporting the argument that they are linked to perception and action. Thirty hours of NFT on ASD and typically developing (TD) children were assessed. Both groups completed an eyes-open/-closed EEG session as well as a mu suppression index assessment before and after training. Parents filled out pre- and post-behavioural questionnaires. The results showed improvements in ASD subjects but not in TDs. This suggests that induction of neuroplastic changes via NFT can normalize dysfunctional mirroring networks in children with autism, but the benefits are different for TD brains.
The mirror neuron system as revealed through neonatal imitation: presence from birth, predictive power and evidence of plasticity
Authors: Simpson Elizabeth A. , Murray Lynne , Paukner Annika , Ferrari Pier F.
Published: April 2014

There is strong evidence that neonates imitate previously unseen behaviours. These behaviours are predominantly used in social interactions, demonstrating neonates' ability and motivation to engage with others. Research on neonatal imitation can provide a wealth of information about the early mirror neuron system (MNS), namely its functional characteristics, its plasticity from birth and its relation to skills later in development. Although numerous studies document the existence of neonatal imitation in the laboratory, little is known about its natural occurrence during parent–infant interactions and its plasticity as a consequence of experience. We review these critical aspects of imitation, which we argue are necessary for understanding the early action–perception system. We address common criticisms and misunderstandings about neonatal imitation and discuss methodological differences among studies. Recent work reveals that individual differences in neonatal imitation positively correlate with later social, cognitive and motor development. We propose that such variation in neonatal imitation could reflect important individual differences of the MNS. Although postnatal experience is not necessary for imitation, we present evidence that neonatal imitation is influenced by experience in the first week of life.
What are you doing? How active and observational experience shape infants' action understanding
Authors: Hunnius Sabine , Bekkering Harold
Published: April 2014

From early in life, infants watch other people's actions. How do young infants come to make sense of actions they observe? Here, we review empirical findings on the development of action understanding in infancy. Based on this review, we argue that active action experience is crucial for infants' developing action understanding. When infants execute actions, they form associations between motor acts and the sensory consequences of these acts. When infants subsequently observe these actions in others, they can use their motor system to predict the outcome of the ongoing actions. Also, infants come to an understanding of others’ actions through the repeated observation of actions and the effects associated with them. In their daily lives, infants have plenty of opportunities to form associations between observed events and learn about statistical regularities of others’ behaviours. We argue that based on these two forms of experience—active action experience and observational experience—infants gradually develop more complex action understanding capabilities.
Ercella succinigenes gen. nov., sp. nov., an anaerobic succinate-producing bacterium
Authors: van Gelder Antonie H. , Sousa Diana Z. , Rijpstra W. Irene C. , Damsté Jaap S. Sinninghe , Stams Alfons J. M. , Sánchez-Andrea Irene
Published: April 2014

A novel anaerobic succinate-producing bacterium, strain ZWBT, was isolated from sludge collected from a biogas desulfurization bioreactor (Eerbeek, the Netherlands). Cells were non-spore-forming, motile, slightly curved rods (0.4–0.5 µm in diameter and 2–3 µm in length), and stained Gram-negative. The temperature range for growth was 25–40 °C, with an optimum at 37 °C. The pH range for growth was 7.0–9.0, with an optimum at pH 7.5. Strain ZWBT was able to ferment glycerol and several carbohydrates mainly to H2, succinate and acetate. Sulfur and fumarate could be used as electron acceptors by strain ZWBT. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 37.6 mol%. The most abundant fatty acids were iso-C14 : 0 and iso-C16 : 0 DMA. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, strain ZWBT belongs to the family

Ruminococcaceae

and it is distantly related to

Saccharofermentans acetigenes

JCM 14006T (92.1 %). Based on the physiological features and phylogenetic analysis, strain ZWBT represents a novel species of a new genus, for which the name Ercella succinigenes gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Ercella succinigenes is ZWBT ( = DSM 27333T = JCM 19283T).
Regulatory RNA design through evolutionary computation and strand displacement
Authors: Rostain William , Landrain Thomas E , Rodrigo Guillermo , Jaramillo Alfonso
Published: April 2014

The discovery and study of a vast number of regulatory RNAs in all kingdoms of life over the past decades has allowed the design of new synthetic RNAs that can regulate gene expression in vivo. Riboregulators, in particular, have been used to activate or repress gene expression. However, to accelerate and scale up the design process, synthetic biologists require computer-assisted design tools, without which riboregulator engineering will remain a case-by-case design process requiring expert attention. Recently, the design of RNA circuits by evolutionary computation and adapting strand displacement techniques from nanotechnology has proven to be suited to the automated generation of DNA sequences implementing regulatory RNA systems in bacteria. Herein, we present our method to carry out such evolutionary design and how to use it to create various types of riboregulators, allowing the systematic de novo design of genetic control systems in synthetic biology.
Cavitation Resistance in Seedless Vascular Plants: The Structure and Function of Interconduit Pit Membranes
Authors: Brodersen Craig , Jansen Steven , Choat Brendan , Rico Christopher , Pittermann Jarmila
Published: April 2014

Plant water transport occurs through interconnected xylem conduits that are separated by partially digested regions in the cell wall known as pit membranes. These structures have a dual function. Their porous construction facilitates water movement between conduits while limiting the spread of air that may enter the conduits and render them dysfunctional during a drought. Pit membranes have been well studied in woody plants, but very little is known about their function in more ancient lineages such as seedless vascular plants. Here, we examine the relationships between conduit air seeding, pit hydraulic resistance, and pit anatomy in 10 species of ferns (pteridophytes) and two lycophytes. Air seeding pressures ranged from 0.8 ± 0.15 MPa (mean ± sd) in the hydric fern Athyrium filix-femina to 4.9 ± 0.94 MPa in Psilotum nudum, an epiphytic species. Notably, a positive correlation was found between conduit pit area and vulnerability to air seeding, suggesting that the rare-pit hypothesis explains air seeding in early-diverging lineages much as it does in many angiosperms. Pit area resistance was variable but averaged 54.6 MPa s m−1 across all surveyed pteridophytes. End walls contributed 52% to the overall transport resistance, similar to the 56% in angiosperm vessels and 64% in conifer tracheids. Taken together, our data imply that, irrespective of phylogenetic placement, selection acted on transport efficiency in seedless vascular plants and woody plants in equal measure by compensating for shorter conduits in tracheid-bearing plants with more permeable pit membranes.
2-[2-(2-Nitrophenyl)-4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazol-1-yl]-3-phenylpropan-1-ol
Authors: Li Yizhen , Mao Pu , Xiao Yongmei , Yang Liangru , Qu Lingbo
Published: April 2014

In the title compound, C30H25N3O3, the central imidazole ring forms dihedral angles of 77.34 (6), 12.56 (6) and 87.04 (6)°, respectively, with theo-nitrobenzene ring and the phenyl substituents in the 5- and 4-positions. The molecular conformation is stabilized by weak intramolecular C—H...π interactions. In the crystal, molecules are linked by O—H...N hydrogen bonds, forming chains running parallel to theb-axis direction.
Poly[bis(μ-2-amino-4-nitrobenzoato)di-μ-aqua-dirubidium]
Authors: Smith Graham
Published: April 2014

In the structure of the title salt, [Rb2(C7H5N2O4)2(H2O)2]n, the asymmetric unit comprises two independent and different seven-coordinate Rb+cations, one forming an RbO7polyhedron, the other a RbO6N polyhedron, each of which is considerably distorted. The RbO7polyhedron comprises bridging O-atom donors from two water molecules, three carboxylate groups, and two nitro groups. The RbO6N polyhedron comprises the two bridging water molecules, one monodentate amine N-atom donor, one carboxyl O-atom donor and three O-atom donors from nitro groups (one from the chelate bridge). The extension of the dinuclear unit gives a three-dimensional polymeric structure which is stabilized by both intra- and intermolecular amine N—H...O and water O—H...O hydrogen bonds to carboxyl and water O-atom acceptors, as well as a number of inter-ring π–π interactions [minimum centroid–centroid separation = 3.364 (2) Å]. The title salt is isostructural with the analogous caesium salt.
1,6-Bis(p-tolyloxy)hexane
Authors: Zhang XiuQin , Xiao Jian , Xue Wei-Wei , Chen Qiang , Wang Kai
Published: April 2014

The title compound, C20H26O2, crystallized with one half-molecule in the asymmetric unit. The whole molecule is generated by inversion symmetry, with the center of inversion being situated at the mid-point of the central –CH2—CH2- bond of the bridging hexane chain. In the crystal, molecules stack in columns along thebaxis. C—H...π interactions are present within the columns.
Tribenzylammonium chloride
Authors: Diallo Waly , Diop Libasse , Plasseraud Laurent , Cattey Hélène
Published: April 2014

Single crystals of the title salt, C21H21NH+·Cl−, were isolated as a side product from the reaction involving [(C6H5CH2)3NH]2[HPO4] and Sn(CH3)3Cl in ethanol. Both the cation and the anion are situated on a threefold rotation axis. The central N atom in the cation has a slightly distorted tetrahedral environment, with angles ranging from 107.7 to 111.16 (10)°. In the crystal, the tribenzylammonium cations and chloride anions are linked through N—H...Cl and C—H...Cl hydrogen bonds, leading to the formation of infinite chains along [001]. The crystal studied was a merohedral twin.
N-(2-Allyl-4-ethoxy-2H-indazol-5-yl)-4-methylbenzenesulfonamide
Authors: Chicha Hakima , Rakib El Mostapha , Bouissane Latifa , Viale Maurizio , Saadi Mohamed , El Ammari Lahcen
Published: April 2014

The indazole ring system of the title compound, C19H21N3O3S, is almost planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.0192 Å) and forms dihedral angles of 77.99 (15) and 83.9 (3)° with the benzene ring and allyl group, respectively. In the crystal, centrosymmetrically related molecules are connected by pairs of N—H...O hydrogen bonds into dimers, which are further linked by C—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming columns parallel to thebaxis.
Four-layered [3.3]metacyclophane with ethenetetracarbonitrile
Authors: Shibahara Masahiko , Watanabe Motonori , Goto Kenta , Shinmyozu Teruo
Published: April 2014

The title complex C42H48·2C6N4{systematic name: heptacyclo[21.13.1.15,19.16,18.110,14.124,36.128,32]dotetraconta-1(37),5(40),6(41),10(42),11,13,18,23,28,30,32(39),36(38)-dodecaene–ethenetetracarbonitrile (1/2)}, consisting of four-layered [3.3]metacyclophane (MCP) with two tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) molecules, was grown from a mixture of MCP and TCNE in chloroform solution. The four-layered [3.3]MCP has an S-shaped structure in which three [3.3]MCP moieties takesyn-(chair-boat),anti-(chair-boat) andsyn-(chair-boat) conformations. The two outer [3.3]MCP moieties withsyngeometry contain benzene rings with a tilt of 32.95 (7)°. The central [3.3]MCP moiety has anantigeometry, in which the two benzene rings are oriented parallel to each other at a transannular distance of 2.31 Å. The TCNE molecules are stacked on either side of the outer [3.3]MCP units at a distance of 3.19 Å on one side and 3.24 Å on the other, and showed 0.80:0.20 and 0.44:0.56 disorder, respectively.
Two different one-dimensional supramolecular chains formed from the reaction of 2-[1-(pyridin-4-ylmethyl)-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl]quinoline with two different precursors, Co(NO3)2 and CoCl2
Authors: Wu Xiang-Wen , Zhang Dong , Ma Jian-Ping
Published: April 2014

Two different one-dimensional supramolecular chains with CoII cations have been synthesized based on the semi-rigid ligand 2-[1-(pyridin-4-ylmethyl)-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl]quinoline (L), obtained by condensation of 2-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)quinoline and 4-(chloromethyl)pyridine hydrochloride. Starting from different CoII salts, two new compounds have been obtained, viz. catena-poly[[[dinitratocobalt(II)]-μ-2-[1-(pyridin-4-ylmethyl)-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl]quinoline] dichloromethane monosolvate acetonitrile monosolvate], {[Co(NO3)2(C22H16N4)]·CH2Cl2·CH3CN}
n
, (I) and catena-poly[[[dichloridocobalt(II)]-μ-2-[1-(pyridin-4-ylmethyl)-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl]quinoline] methanol disolvate], {[CoCl2(C22H16N4)]·2CH3OH}
n
, (II). In (I), the CoII centres lie in a distorted octahedral [CoN3O3] coordination environment. {Co(NO3)2
L}
n
units form one-dimensional helical chains, where the L ligand has different directions of twist. The helical chains stack together via interchain π–π interactions to form a two-dimensional sheet, and another type of π–π interaction further connects neighbouring sheets into a three-dimensional framework with hexagonal channels, in which the acetonitrile molecules and disordered dichloromethane molecules are located. In (II), the CoII centres lie in a distorted trigonal–bipyramidal [CoCl2N3] coordination environment. {CoCl2
L}
n
units form one-dimensional chains. The chains interact via C—H...π and C—H...Cl interactions. The result is that two-dimensional sheets are generated, which are further linked into a three-dimensional framework via interlayer C—H...Cl interactions. When viewed down the crystallographic b axis, the methanol solvent molecules are located in an orderly manner in wave-like channels.
Applications of the second virial coefficient: protein crystallization and solubility
Authors: Wilson William W. , DeLucas Lawrence J.
Published: April 2014

This article begins by highlighting some of the ground-based studies emanating from NASA's Microgravity Protein Crystal Growth (PCG) program. This is followed by a more detailed discussion of the history of and the progress made in one of the NASA-funded PCG investigations involving the use of measured second virial coefficients (Bvalues) as a diagnostic indicator of solution conditions conducive to protein crystallization. A second application of measuredBvalues involves the determination of solution conditions that improve or maximize the solubility of aqueous and membrane proteins. These two important applications have led to several technological improvements that simplify the experimental expertise required, enable the measurement of membrane proteins and improve the diagnostic capability and measurement throughput.
Optimal replacement age of a conventional cotton harvester system
Authors: Ibendahl Gregory , Farrell Matthew , Spurlock Stan , Tack Jesse
Published: April 2014

Purpose

– The cotton industry has seen many technological advances throughout history that have greatly decreased the number of labor hours required to produce a bale of cotton. The latest advancement is a harvesting system that replaces the harvester, boll buggy, and module builder with a single machine. This is an asset replacement decision where there are multiple assets being replaced but the old technology (the defender assets) may all have different remaining lives and optimal lifespans. The purpose of this paper is to find the optimal time to replace the multiple defender assets with a single challenger asset (the improved technology). The goal is to determine if the ages of the boll buggy and the module builder affect the replacement age of the conventional picker.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper extends the Perrin model to allow for multiple defender assets.

Findings

– The paper finds that the supporting assets do sometimes affect the decision to replace a conventional cotton picker. If the supporting assets are newer, then the replacement decision may be delayed and if the supporting assets are older then the replacement decision may be accelerated. Field efficiency can affect the decision as well.

Originality/value

– While the Perrin model has been used extensively, the authors believe the application to a multiple asset defender is unique. Although this type of replacement decision is not common, there could be other applications as new technology is introduced on the farm.
Corporate social responsibility in Sub-Saharan Africa: hindering and supporting factors
Authors: Benon-be-isan Nyuur Richard , F. Ofori Daniel , Debrah Yaw
Published: April 2014

Purpose

– In recent years, the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has gained recognition and importance in both business and political settings. While considerable research has been conducted on CSR in developed countries, the extant literature on CSR in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is scant and CSR is seen in terms of philanthropy. This paper aims to examine CSR from a broader perspective and in particular to identify the factors that hinder and promote CSR activities in SSA using the Smit (2009) CSR Value Chain Model.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper is based on data obtained from a survey conducted by GTZ (now GIZ) on factors promoting and hindering CSR in SSA. The study surveyed 85 companies from six countries, namely; South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique and Namibia. The study essentially examined the internal and external CSR environments of the companies in the participating countries.

Findings

– The study revealed that there are nine key promoting and hindering factors of CSR for businesses in SSA. These include: leadership and governance, policy framework, project management, monitoring, evaluation and reporting, stakeholder engagement, staff engagement, government, funding and beneficiation. The study recommends a systemic and context-sensitive approach that relies on the potential of organisations and communities to design and implement their own solution within global frameworks in order to further develop CSR in the region.

Research limitations/implications

– There are a number of limitations in this study. First, this study did not include any informants from the responding organisations’ stakeholder groups, but relied mainly on information obtained from single respondents from organisations. Further research should include responses from other stakeholder groups.

Practical implications

– To promote or achieve the successful implementation of CSR and broaden its scope within the region beyond its current focus on philanthropy, managers must build bridges with their stakeholders through both formal and informal dialogues and engagement practices. Additionally, firms may enhance and maximise both social and economic value created when managers link their CSR activities to areas that improve firms’ long-term competitive potential by collectively and systematically applying their distinctive strengths to such activities in accordance with the value chain model.

Originality/value

– The finding in this study is novel and adds an important contribution to the developing CSR literature in the SSA region.
Are proposed African monetary unions optimal currency areas? Real, monetary and fiscal policy convergence analysis
Authors: Asongu Simplice
Published: April 2014

Purpose

– A spectre is hunting embryonic African monetary zones: the European Monetary Union crisis. The purpose of this paper is to assess real, monetary and fiscal policy convergence within the proposed WAM and EAM zones. The introduction of common currencies in West and East Africa is facing stiff challenges in the timing of monetary convergence, the imperative of central bankers to apply common modeling and forecasting methods of monetary policy transmission, as well as the requirements of common structural and institutional characteristics among candidate states.

Design/methodology/approach

– In the analysis: monetary policy targets inflation and financial dynamics of depth, efficiency, activity and size; real sector policy targets economic performance in terms of GDP growth at macro and micro levels; while, fiscal policy targets debt-to-GDP and deficit-to-GDP ratios. A dynamic panel GMM estimation with data from different non-overlapping intervals is employed. The implied rate of convergence and the time required to achieve full (100 percent) convergence are then computed from the estimations.

Findings

– Findings suggest overwhelming lack of convergence: initial conditions for financial development are different across countries; fundamental characteristics as common monetary policy initiatives and IMF-backed financial reform programs are implemented differently across countries; there is remarkable evidence of cross-country variations in structural characteristics of macroeconomic performance; institutional cross-country differences could also be responsible for the deficiency in convergence within the potential monetary zones; absence of fiscal policy convergence and no potential for eliminating idiosyncratic fiscal shocks due to business cycle incoherence.

Practical implications

– As a policy implication, heterogeneous structural and institutional characteristics across countries are giving rise to different levels and patterns of financial intermediary development. Thus, member states should work towards harmonizing cross-country differences in structural and institutional characteristics that hamper the effectiveness of convergence in monetary, real and fiscal policies. This could be done by stringently monitoring the implementation of existing common initiatives and/or the adoption of new reforms programs.

Originality/value

– It is one of the few attempts to investigate the issue of convergence within the proposed WAM and EAM unions.
Economic growth and poverty alleviation in Africa – linking hard and soft economics
Authors: Kuada John
Published: April 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this editorial is to provide a quick glance at the dominant issues that have characterized the developing economics debate during the past five decades. It seeks to offer a backdrop for the papers in the present volume of AJEMS.

Design/methodology/approach

– It is based on a review of a selection of literature that highlights the dominant perspectives in development economics.

Findings

– It draws a distinction between soft and hard economics, arguing that economic growth must be converted into social change that benefits poor for it to be described as development-oriented.

Originality/value

– It provides a direction for future research into issues of economic growth and poverty alleviation in Sub-Sahara Africa.
Income diversification strategies among rural households in developing countries
Authors: Senadza Bernardin
Published: April 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the income strategies adopted by rural households in Ghana and analyzes the determinants of households’ choice of income portfolio.

Design/methodology/approach

– A multinomial logit approach is employed by the paper to investigate the determinants of various income strategies adopted by households in rural Ghana.

Findings

– Results indicate that household characteristics, location and infrastructure all play a role in explaining the adoption of income strategies other than a purely on-farm strategy by households. Education is a key determinant of income strategies involving non-farm wage employment, while access to credit and electricity play important roles in non-farm self-employment income strategies.

Practical implications

– The findings of the paper call for a promotion of off-farm income opportunities to complement farm incomes and to enhance access of rural households to these sources of income.

Originality/value

– The paper models rural household income portfolios into mutually exclusive categories which enables the application of the multinomial logit approach. The paper deviates from mainstream rural income diversification literature that has focussed on assessing the determinants of income shares.
Australasian university management, gender and life course issues
Authors: Neale Jenny , White Kate
Published: April 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the issues arising for women and men in senior management in New Zealand and Australian universities where life course and career trajectories intersect, and analyses how the stereotypical masculinist culture of universities can create additional problems for women.

Design/methodology/approach

– The data presented here comes from 47 interviews undertaken with women (27) and men (20) senior managers – a total of 26 interviews from New Zealand universities and 21 from Australian universities. “Senior Management” was defined in this study as those academic managers with university wide responsibilities, who were currently in senior management positions.

Findings

– Life-course issues for women aspiring to senior management roles in universities are framed around hegemonic constructions of masculinity; notions of academic careers subsuming personal life in professional roles; and structural constraints making rational choice impossible for many women. Furthermore, the excessive hours worked in such roles equate with the definition of extreme jobs. The paper concludes that the way in which women and men in senior HE endeavour to balance work and family life differs but creates issues for them both.

Research limitations/implications

– The structure and operation of Australian and New Zealand universities make gender diversity and management difficult to operationalise, given the competing imperatives of work and other life course trajectories. It is crucial to reframe life course and career intersections are conceptualised to ensure that diversity can be maximised.

Originality/value

– This paper focuses on women and men in senior management positions in New Zealand and Australian universities, but the findings can be generalised to other countries with HE systems based on the British University model. In discussing how institutional culture affects the intersection of career and life course trajectories, this paper highlights the detrimental outcomes for individuals and the resultant lack of diversity in the sector.
Weight bias in US candidate selection and election
Authors: V. Roehling Patricia , V. Roehling Mark , Brennan Ashli , R. Drew Ashley , J. Johnston Abbey , G. Guerra Regina , R. Keen Ivy , P. Lightbourn Camerra , H. Sears Alexis
Published: April 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to use data from the 2008 and 2012 US Senate elections to examine the relationship between candidate size (obese, overweight, normal weight) and candidate selection and election outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using pictures captured from candidate web sites, participants rated the size of candidates in the primary and general US Senate elections.χ2 analyses,t-tests and hierarchical multiple regressions were used to test for evidence of bias against overweight and obese candidates and whether gender and election information moderate that relationship.

Findings

– Obese candidates were largely absent from the pool of candidates in both the primary and general elections. Overweight women, but not overweight men, were also underrepresented. Supporting our hypothesis that there is bias against overweight candidates, heavier candidates tended to receive lower vote share than their thinner counterparts, and the larger the size difference between the candidates, the larger the vote share discrepancy. The paper did not find a moderating effect for gender or high-information high vs low-information elections on the relationship between candidate size and vote share.

Research limitations/implications

– Further research is needed to understand the process by which obese candidates are culled from the candidate pool and the cognitions underlying the biases against overweight candidates.

Social implications

– Because of the bias against obese political candidates, as much as one-third of the adult US population are likely to be excluded or being elected to a major political office.

Originality value

– This study is the first to use election data to examine whether bias based on size extends to the electoral process.
Action learning and the pedagogy of professional doctorates
Authors: Bourner Tom , Simpson Penny
Published: April 2014

Purpose

– This paper is about action learning and the pedagogy of professional doctorates. The purpose of this paper is to explore the pedagogical problems of the relatively new professional doctorates and consider whether action learning offers potential solutions.

Design/methodology/approach

– This conceptual paper seeks to answer the question: how good is the fit between the learning processes of action learning and the learning goals of professional doctorates?

Findings

– The main conclusions of the paper are that action learning can support the learning of students enroled on professional doctorates by helping them realise the following three key learning outcomes, namely, the capacity to contribute to the advancement of knowledge, that is relevant to professional practice; their own personal and professional capabilities as practitioners; and their capacity to bring about change that directly enhances professional practice, i.e. they can make a direct contribution to professional practice, e.g. through some successful project that they undertake.

Research limitations/implications

– While this paper is not based on research, the main implication is that action learning can offer a valuable pedagogic approach in supporting the learning of professional doctoral candidates towards their goal of making an original contribution to the advancement of professional practice.

Practical implications

– A second implication is the need for many of those university academics responsible for leading and managing professional doctorates to become more familiar with the theory and practice of action learning. A third implication is the appreciation of the need to weigh up cost against the benefits of using action learning as a pedagogic process on professional doctorates.

Originality/value

– This conceptual paper is original as it explores the fit of action learning with pedagogic issues of professional doctorates.
Examining the use of interactive video to enhance just in time training in the workplace
Authors: Tiernan Peter
Published: April 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the development and implementation of interactive video in an organisational setting, with a view to enhancing the quality of just in time training provided.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper uses a small but focused research approach which builds on current literature to inform the design and implementation of interactive video. Qualitative data is used to evaluate staff perceptions of training materials.

Findings

– Findings indicate that the use of interactive video can greatly enhance the quality of training in the workplace.

Practical implications

– Findings reinforce previous research on interactive video, demonstrating its ability to provide worthwhile and engaging content. This study demonstrates that investing in innovative and learner focused approaches to training can increase the effectiveness and flexibility of training materials.

Originality/value

– While the use of video in education is widely researched, there is a comparative lack of literature around the use of interactive video in workplace training environments. This paper provides a unique look at the implementation of interactive video in a workplace setting and the staff perceptions of its impact. The study also provides an insight into the use of just in time training to solve a specific training problem.
What happiness at work is and how to use it
Authors: Pryce-Jones Jessica , Lindsay Julia
Published: April 2014

Purpose

–Change management, organizational, team and leadership development is often conducted through frameworks that do not meet expectations. This paper aims to look at how the science of happiness at work delivers strategic outcomes when used in a bottom-up and top-down approach.

Design/methodology/approach

–While the idea that happiness is an important concept outside work is now prevalent, there is little research or practice to show how it can be used to drive organizational success or deliver return on investment. The case study shows how to deploy the approach in an organization-wide strategic intervention.

Findings

–The science of happiness at work delivers return on investment and strategic outcomes when properly implemented.

Practical implications

–This new approach is a powerful methodology which offers traction at individual, team and organizational level: it opens up a different evaluation and development methodology that positively fast-tracks change and growth.

Social implications

–There is huge potential for making teams and organizations better places to work by using a simple, practical and aligned framework rooted in something that matters intuitively to everyone.

Originality/value

–This paper provides an understanding of the theory and application of the science of happiness at work. It shows how strategic issues can be addressed within a short space of time and highlights the benefit of an approach which encompasses personal, social and organizational issues simultaneously.
Values based leadership
Authors: Frost John
Published: April 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of the paper is to explore the power of values based leadership in connecting colleagues and clients to an organisation and in doing so creating sustainable business success.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper is based on a model of values based leadership and case study examples of where the model is being successfully used in organisations.

Findings

– It was found that the organisations cited in the article who are using a values based approach such as Apple and Unilever create a connection with their organisations, that has a significant impact on organisational performance.

Originality/value

– The paper uses a new model of values based leadership to demonstrate its impact on organisational performance. The different elements of the model are explored using current successful organisational case studies. It will therefore be of value to anyone using or considering a values based approach to developing an exciting and successful leadership culture.
Apprenticeships: silver bullet or hard slog?
Authors: Sloman Martyn
Published: April 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to review apprenticeship policy in the UK and to present examples of good practice.

Design/methodology/approach

– The approach takes the form of a review of three cases.

Findings

– Apprenticeships are not an easy option. An apprenticeship scheme, and indeed any training initiative, will not command support within an organisation unless it can be seen to assist the business in economic terms. Context is critical.

Practical implications

– The paper argues for a more realistic assessment of the role of apprenticeship at the level of government policy and in the organisation.

Originality/value

– The paper offers a different and more measured perspective on apprenticeships, which contrast with current uncritical hype and over-selling.
Using politeness to model the psychosocial dynamics of power in organizational interaction
Authors: A. Morand David
Published: April 2014

Purpose

– The purpose is to show how actors' relative power or parity is dynamically instanced in discrete speech behaviors that are exchanged throughout everyday organizational interaction.

Design/methodology/approach

– Politeness theory, rooted in the dramaturgical theories of Erving Goffman, details a set of linguistic indices used to show regard for others' face. This conceptual paper draws on politeness theory to model the unfolding of power relations within face-to-face verbal interchange in organizations. The paper presents a number of propositions suggesting how power differentials (or parity) are reflected in a set of common speech behaviors used to defray threats to face throughout organizational interaction.

Findings

– This article extends and applies politeness theory to organizations by exploring specific motives and linguistic outcomes of high and low power actors, describing the behavioral egalitarianism associated with organic organizations, and suggesting how the demand characteristics of face-to-face interaction create oligarchic tendencies that militate against the success of workplace participation. Politeness' role in the social construction of power, and in distortive processes within hierarchical communication, is also discussed.

Research limitations/implications

– This paper enables researchers to understand the specific linguistic features associated with power-related roles, and it shows how the social distribution of certain speech behaviors is a function of power and dependency relations.

Practical implications

– The findings provide managers a fine-grained understanding of how power affects speech, and an understanding of how such speech patterns may stymie attempts to stimulate organizational empowerment and employee voice.

Originality/value

– Prior scholarship has neglected this most important topic.
Surveying organizational culture to explore grid-group cultural theory
Authors: Wouters Kristel , Maesschalck Jeroen
Published: April 2014

Purpose

– The aim of this study was to develop a valid and reliable measurement instrument for organizational culture on the basis of grid-group cultural theory (GGCT).

Design/methodology/approach

– The study consisted of three phases. In a first phase, the literature was reviewed and experts on GGCT were consulted in order to design an item pool for the typology. In a second phase, a pilot study was done in two organizations of the Belgian federal government to evaluate this original item pool. The third phase consisted of the actual data gathering in seven organizations within the Belgian federal government.

Findings

– The study showed that it is possible to measure organizational culture based on GGCT. The authors used confirmatory factor analysis to examine the underlying structure of the data and found support for the existence of four culture scales. Scale reliabilities in the third phase of the study were satisfactory and ranged between 0.703 and 0.848.

Research limitations/implications

– The current research was not specifically designed to evaluate content validity. Further research is needed to explore this issue. It would also be interesting to develop a GGCT-based measurement instrument for the team level.

Practical implications

– The measurement instrument can be used by practitioners to describe and assess their organizational culture.

Originality/value

– This study introduces a novel way to measure organizational culture, using a promising theoretical framework.
Public relations education in Australia, 1950-1975
Authors: John Gleeson Damian
Published: April 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the foundation and development of public relations education (PRE) in Australia between 1950 and 1975.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper utilises Australian-held primary and official industry association material to present a detailed and revisionist history of PR education in Australia in its foundation decades.

Findings

– This paper, which locates Australia's first PRE initiatives in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide in the 1960s, contests the only published account of PR education history by Potts (1976). The orthodox account, which has been repeated uncritically by later writers, overlooks earlier initiatives, such as the Melbourne-based Public Relations Institute of Australia, whose persistence resulted in Australia's first PR course at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 1964. So too, educational initiatives in Adelaide and Sydney pre-date the traditional historiography.

Originality/value

– A detailed literature review suggests this paper represents the only journal-length piece on the history of PRE in Australia. It is also the first examination of relationships between industry, professional institutes, and educational authorities.
Impact of political events on stock market returns: empirical evidence from Pakistan
Authors: Sajid Nazir Mian , Younus Hassan , Kaleem Ahmad , Anwar Zeshan
Published: April 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between uncertain political events and Pakistani Stock Markets from May 1999 to December 2011.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using the mean-adjusted return model and event study methodology and by comparing the market efficiency between the two government style, i.e. autocratic and democratic, the authors determined that how uncertain political events are affecting Pakistani Stock Markets.

Findings

– The empirical result shows that political events have an impact on the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) returns. Moreover, the paper derives from the results that the KSE is inefficient for a short span of time, after 15 days KSE absorbs the noisy information. The political situation in Pakistan was more stable in autocratic government structure than in democratic structure but it is difficult to state that the stock markets are more efficient in Autocracy because only few events took place during an autocratic regime and magnitude of events was not same in the autocratic and democratic government structure.

Originality/value

– This study is unique in its nature as it examines the effect of multiple political events on stock market returns in Pakistan simultaneously and is expected to contribute significantly in the capital market literature of Pakistan in particular.
Tracing the evolution of the Dubai Government Excellence Program
Authors: Ahrens Thomas
Published: April 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to report on the development of the excellence awards of the Dubai Government Excellence Program (DGEP). The programme reports directly to the Dubai government cabinet. The paper traces how changing priorities have over time been reflected in an evolving portfolio of excellence award categories.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study followed a qualitative research approach, relying on interviewing within the DGEP, analysis of DGEP presentations and publicly available documents, informal conversations with senior UAE public sector managers, and ad hoc observations of the nature of public sector management and government in the UAE and Dubai.

Findings

– The DGEP exhibited three key rationales since its inception in 1997. They were rationalisations of excellence, measured effectiveness, and efficiency. They overlapped with one another and were also overlain with additional rationales, such as e-government and teamwork. This evolution of rationales has been reflecting political priorities and global trends in public sector management.

Originality/value

– The paper adds to the knowledge of successive rationales for the evolution of the excellence awards scheme of the world's first integrated, whole-government excellence initiative.
The dynamics of banking sector and stock market maturity and the performance of Asian economies
Authors: P. Pradhan Rudra , B. Arvin Mak , R. Norman Neville , H. Hall John
Published: April 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the nature of causal relations between banking sector maturity, stock market maturity, and four aspects of performance and operation of the economy: economic growth, inflation, openness in trade, and the degree of government involvement in the economy.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors look for possible links between the variables by conducting panel cointegration and causality tests, using a large sample of Asian countries over the period 1960-2011. Novel panel data estimation methods allow for robust estimates, using both variation between countries and variation over time.

Findings

– The study identifies interesting causal links among the variables deriving uniquely from our innovations. In particular, The paper finds that for all regions considered, banking sector maturity and stock market maturity are causally linked, sometimes in both directions. Furthermore, stock market maturity may lead to economic growth, both directly and indirectly through indicators such as inflation and trade openness. The findings also support the notion that economic growth affects the maturity of the stock market in most regions.

Practical implications

– The results lend support to the notion that a mature financial sector is a key contributor to generating economic growth. Furthermore, economic growth itself has the potential to bring about maturity in the financial sector.

Originality/value

– The paper uses sophisticated principal-component analysis, panel cointegration, and Granger causality tests, methods not used in this literature before. The method was applied to recent data pertaining to 35 Asian countries – a group of countries that has previously not been adopted in this literature.
Meeting the demand for statisticians in UAE: challenges and experiences
Authors: Hamed Hijazi Rafiq
Published: April 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the supply of and perceived demand for statisticians in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over the past decade.

Design/methodology/approach

– An exploratory study is conducted to examine the institutional and individual supply of statisticians in the UAE in relation to the perceived demand for such services. Supply data for the study was derived from UAE University, the Statistical Training Center and the Statistical Training Institute on statistics graduates and trainees.

Findings

– It was found that the supply of statisticians and trainees from UAE universities and training bodies is falling short of meeting the actual needs of statisticians in UAE. As the demand continues for such services, concerted efforts are needed to identify and implement workable approaches to reduce the gap between supply and demand. This includes stronger collaboration between government agencies and academic institutions to create a genuine partnership utilizing the experience of developed countries in this field.

Originality/value

– This study is the first of its kind in the UAE aimed at exploring the arising need for statistical services in the UAE. Recommendations from the study are intended to guide educational policy makers in addressing identified shortages of skilled Emirati statisticians as main contributors in supporting the knowledge-driven economy vision of UAE government.