bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Entrepreneurial aspirations: economic development, inequalities and cultural values
Authors: Morales-Alonso Gustavo , Núñez Guerrero Yilsy , Aguilera Juan Francisco , Rodríguez-Monroy Carlos
Published: March 2020

Purpose

This study aims at shedding light on entrepreneurial aspirations on both developed and developing economies, in terms of contextual and individual values. Among the former, economic development and inequalities are sought after, while among the latter national culture is the variable under study.

Design/methodology/approach

The data used are extracted from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor for a panel of countries, where the entrepreneurial aspirations of individuals of each country are measured through the Total early-stage Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA). The influence of cultural values as defined by Hofstede (individualism-collectivism (IDV), masculinity–femininity (MAS) and uncertainty avoidance (UAI)), moderated by the development level of the country and the existing inequalities are analyzed through artificial neural network (ANN) and multilayer perceptron (MLP) techniques.

Findings

Results show that in the post-crisis era, entrepreneurial aspirations are negatively linked to individualism in developing countries. In developed countries, however, entrepreneurship is not linked to individualism but to inequalities.

Originality/value

Entrepreneurial aspirations have not been thoroughly studied in the post-crisis era. We prove that entrepreneurial orientations have changed, together with the world, in the last decade. Cultural differences between countries tend to moderate, especially among developed ones, which speak of homogenization of national cultures. In this regard, inequalities are the determining factor. Contrarily, in developing countries, the differences in individualism are noticeable when it comes to analyzing entrepreneurial aspirations.
Conundrum of resource sharing in Zimbabwe: a case of academic libraries
Authors: Chisita Collence Takaingenmhamo , Fombad Madeleine C.
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the challenges and opportunities for Zimbabwe’s academic libraries in their endeavour to provide quality services. It will examine how library consortia, namely, the Zimbabwe University Library Consortium (ZULC) and the College and Research Libraries Consortium (CARLC), have been able to provide for the information needs of their users at a time when budgets are inadequate and subscription costs to journals remain unaffordable. It will examine how academic libraries, through resource sharing platforms, have been able to exploit ubiquitous technologies and build on from the traditional interlibrary loan (ILL). The paper will recommend a strategy based on a model to strengthen access to scholarship through resource sharing.

Design/methodology/approach

The researcher opted for a qualitative research design. A purposive sample of 32 participants drawn from ten academic librarians located in Zimbabwe was used to collect the information. The participants were chosen because of their involvement in resource-sharing activities. The participants were drawn from the two library consortia, namely, CARLC and ZULC. Data for the study was collected using structured interviews.

Findings

The findings revealed that resource sharing was critical for the survival of academic libraries in Zimbabwe. The study found out that resource sharing was the only option to overcome the challenges of the paywall. It highlighted the need for a concerted effort of all academic institutions in adapting a model that provides for the diverse needs of members with regard to widening access to scholarship. However, in spite of the success of library consortia in enhancing resource sharing in Zimbabwe, there are challenges that require the concerted effort of all academic institutions in coming up with a model that best provides for the diverse needs of members with regard to resource sharing.

Practical implications

The results of the study will be useful in providing a long-term strategy for enhancing resource sharing among academic libraries in Zimbabwe in their endeavor to support teaching, learning and research.

Originality/value

There is a scarcity of scholarly studies on resource sharing initiatives among academic libraries in Zimbabwe. This study is unique because it tackles the experiences of the academic libraries in overcoming the challenges of the paywall.
What drives the boom in outward FDI from India?
Authors: Saikia Munmi , Das Khanindra Ch. , Borbora Saundarjya
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The Indian economy has experienced a boom in outward FDI (OFDI) in 2006. The study aims at exploring the factors that drive the boom in OFDI of Indian firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The participation of a firm in OFDI is a two-stage process -first, the decision to internationalization and second, how much to invest. We employ a two-stage model to decompose the effects on the decision to internationalization from effects on how much to invest. The two-stage model has the advantage of allowing us to estimate separately the probability of internationalization by a firm – Pr(OFDI > 0) – and the expected volume of investment, E(OFDI|OFDI > 0). The former is estimated by the probit model and the latter is estimated by the ordinary least square model.

Findings

The study finds that prior experience and institutional advantage can strongly drive the internationalization of Indian multinationals. The study also examines the relative importance of two aspects of prior knowledge – length of prior knowledge and depth of prior knowledge on OFDI of Indian firms. The study finds that the depth of prior knowledge is a must influential driver of OFDI in comparison to its length.

Originality/value

The present study is a novel attempt to investigate, ‘What drives the boom in OFDI from India?’
Project manager roles in a public change project: the case of a municipal merger
Authors: Karlsen Jan Terje , Farid Parinaz , Torvatn Tim
Published: March 2020

Purpose

This paper investigates the emphasis placed on different managerial roles by the project manager in a public merger and change project.

Design/methodology/approach

A research model was designed based on six management roles: leader, resource allocator, spokesman, entrepreneur, liaison and monitor. Empirical data were collected using in-depth interviews. The studied case concerns a large public merger and change project between two municipalities in Norway.

Findings

The paper reveals that the project manager emphasized the externally oriented entrepreneur role mostly. The internally oriented resource allocator role that focuses on managing the project was least emphasized. The research identifies a gap between needed and actual competence in basic project management as a barrier to exercise the resource allocator role more thoroughly.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should investigate other public merger and change projects so that these findings may be generalized.

Practical implications

This research concludes that project managers in public change projects should be more internally oriented towards the resource allocator role. Furthermore, public project managers need to make sure that they possess the necessary technical project management competence to practice the resource allocator role effectively.

Originality/value

Rather than stressing the importance of leadership in general to manage a project, this paper is original as it applies a set of management roles to empirically study what a public project manager practice.
Family-friendly practices in the organization: a citation analysis
Authors: Garg Shalini , Agrawal Punam
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The objective of the study is to identify the themes of “family friendly practices” and to perform a literature review. The research aims to identify the emerging trends in the area of “family friendly practices” by carrying out an exhaustive literature review.

Design/methodology/approach

The study synthesizes the literature between the years 2010 and 2019. First of all, 150 research articles were identified by keyword search, bibliography and citation search, out of which 57 research articles were selected on the basis of the most sound theoretical background and maximum literature contribution. The citation analysis method was performed on these studies in order to study the journals, authors by using Google Scholar, ResearchGate, the international database Science Citation Index and SCImago Journal Ranking.

Findings

The author citation count shows that the research topic is still getting recognition and the research in this area is increasing. The finding of the research is that the current research in family-friendly practices has focused mainly on seven topics: availability and usability of family-friendly policy, job satisfaction, organizational performance, supervisor or manager support, work–life conflict, employee turnover employee retention and women’s employment.

Originality/value

The study may provide valuable inputs to the HRD practitioners, managers, research scholars, to understand the recent trends in the field of family-friendly policy. As per the best knowledge of the author, this is the first study on family-friendly practices using citation analysis.
The impact of implicit bias on business-to-business marketing
Authors: Stephens Kim , Baskerville Richard L.
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Physical social cues can influence the buyer and seller in business-to-business (B2B) marketing. The current behavioural model does not account for the role of implicit bias. The purpose of this paper is to present that relationship and introduce a process model to weaken implicit bias through training with the employment of transformational conversation.

Design/methodology/approach

With social cues as the predecessor to inferences, there is the potential for implicit bias to derail relationship building in a B2B context. The author’s qualitative field study offers guidance for businesses to make informed decisions about implicit bias training.

Findings

The study findings show that an interactive workshop following a process model with the addition of transformational conversation can weaken implicit bias.

Research limitations/implications

The research was conducted with a small cohort of information technology professionals. More research should be done specifically with sellers and buyers in various industries over a longer period of time with periodic follow-up on sales performance and relationship building.

Practical implications

Minority groups had a combined buying power of $3.9tn in 2018. For sellers to succeed, they have to be able to modulate the implicit biases that interfere with good sales relationships.

Originality/value

This paper introduces implicit bias as a moderator into the conceptual framework of the behavioural response to social cues in the B2B context and offers a model of implicit bias training using a process model with transformational conversation.
The interacting effect of business and cultural distances on relationship management and export performance: the case of wine export between France and China
Authors: Shao Lin Han , Bouzdine-Chameeva Tatiana , Lunardo Renaud
Published: March 2020

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the interacting effect of two forms of psychic distance (business and cultural) on export relationship management. Specifically, this research examines the moderating role of cultural distance in the effect of business distance on different dimensions of relationship management and financial export performance.

Design/methodology/approach

This research builds on a sample of 174 French export executives who were asked to rate their views of their relationship with their Chinese business counterpart in the wine trade, and their related performance.

Findings

A first finding lies in the strong positive effects of relationship management, relationship investment and communication quality on financial export performance. A second and important finding relates to the different effects of the business and cultural dimensions of psychic distance, while the former positively affects relationship management, the latter negatively moderates the effect of business distance on relationship management.

Research limitations/implications

One limitation pertains to the focus on France and China as the only countries involved in the current research. Future research could investigate whether the results replicate in different countries. Further studies would also be needed to enrich the relationship management dimensions and test whether the effects observed here replicate in relation to other dimensions.

Practical implications

For export managers, this research offers a better understanding of business and cultural distance, and their effects on relationship structuring. Specifically, the results indicate that cultural distance matters more than business distance, meaning that business distance can help relationship management only when cultural distance is low. In addition, the results indicate that wine producers might gain from communicating openly with their business counterparts, for instance, by clearly explaining the business objectives, or through continuous interactions and temporal and financial investments.

Originality/value

The originality of this research lies in identifying the interaction effect of the business and cultural dimensions of psychic distance, with cultural distance revealed as a boundary condition for the effects of business distance on relationship management. The inclusion of marketing and financial aspects constitutes a further original aspect.
Relationship value in business-to-business markets: a replication and extension of Ulaga and Eggert’s (2006) study
Authors: Tzempelikos Nektarios
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Ulaga and Eggert (2006a) examined a framework of relationship value in business markets. This study aims to replicate their study to show that relationship benefits are more important than relationship costs when it comes to choosing a main supplier. This research also extends the original study by hypothesising that the development of relationship value has a positive impact on relationship marketing outcomes, thus providing evidence for the nomological validity of the original scale.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used empirical data from purchasing managers in manufacturing firms in the UK. The research instrument was a structured questionnaire. The study adopted a close replication to Ulaga and Eggert (2006a) using a rather similar context and methodology for comparison reasons.

Findings

Relationship benefits are more important than relationship costs when it comes to choosing a main supplier. Cost competitiveness is a necessary but not sufficient condition to differentiate in business markets. Value dimensions relate significantly to relationship marketing outcomes, providing evidence for the nomological validity of the original scale.

Research limitations/implications

Given the dynamic nature of the relationship value construct, future longitudinal research could offer useful insights on how value is created over time.

Practical implications

Although internal cost reduction, which can ultimately lead to price reduction, should not be ignored, suppliers should focus on creating value through personal interaction, service quality, product enhancements and delivery efficiency.

Originality/value

The findings provide support for Ulaga and Eggert’s (2006a) conceptualisation, indicating that the relationship value is not merely a theoretical construct viewed on a high level of abstraction but rather can also be empirically measured.
Marketing through a joint commercial product portfolio: business drivers, benefits and challenges
Authors: Mustonen Erno , Harkonen Janne , Haapasalo Harri
Published: March 2020

Purpose

This study aims to improve understanding of companies’ motives and concerns in relation to cooperation through a joint commercial product portfolio.

Design/methodology/approach

The qualitative research method was used to study 17 companies based on two case projects.

Findings

The joint commercial product portfolio is introduced as a new type of co-marketing. The possible business drivers, targeted benefits and perceived challenges of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in relation to cooperation through a joint commercial product portfolio are identified. The companies seem to be motivated by and concerned about similar issues that also apply to other forms of co-marketing.

Research limitations/implications

The study consisted of two case projects in the same country and, thus, share fairly similar business environments and cultures. Therefore, the same results may not be obtained for a study that is conducted in a different location.

Practical implications

Managers of SMEs can benefit from the results of this study by improving their understanding of co-marketing opportunities through the creation of a joint commercial product portfolio with suitable companies. In addition, the results provide managers with insights into the challenges that should be considered when planning marketing cooperation.

Originality/value

The study provides new perspectives on the existing co-marketing literature by discussing the creation of a joint commercial product portfolio as a vehicle to support companies’ business objectives. The study contributes to the increasing business-to-business co-marketing literature by presenting the business drivers, targeted benefits and perceived challenges related to SMEs cooperation through a joint commercial product portfolio.
Women's birth beliefs and associated factors in an obstetrics clinic in the Southeastern Anatolian Region of Turkey
Authors: Alp Yilmaz Figen , Durgun Ozan Yeter
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The impact of birth beliefs on pregnancy and delivery are universally recognized, but the factors that affect birth beliefs vary across regions depending on individual and cultural characteristics. This study aimed to determine women's birth beliefs and examine their associated factors.

Design/methodology/approach

This cross-sectional study was conducted with 548 primiparas in the obstetrics clinic of a university hospital located in the Southeastern Anatolian Region of Turkey from February to June 2019. Descriptive characteristics, form and the Birth Beliefs Scale were used in data collection. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics, T-tests and ANOVA analyses were used.

Findings

It was determined that factors such as age group, income level, any problems during pregnancy and preferred delivery mode statistically affected women's birth beliefs.

Originality/value

Based on the findings from this study, healthcare personnel should provide training and consultation services to pregnant women starting from the prenatal period to help ensure a positive labor experience.
Halal vaccination purchase intention
Authors: Bukhari Syeda Nazish Zahra , Isa Salmi Mohd , Yen Nee Goh
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to empirically examine the determinants of purchase intention of Halal vaccination and compare the results between Muslim consumers in Malaysia and Pakistan. It focuses on analyzing the influence of various factors on the purchase intention of Halal vaccination and determining whether the relationships are significantly different in the two Muslim-majority countries.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on the extended theory of planned behavior and self-congruity theory. The variable of religiosity was added with the three variables of the theory of planned behavior, i.e. attitude toward Halal vaccinations, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control. It shows the congruity between Muslim consumer and Islamic brands and proposes a wider range of determinants in the framework. The study’s sample size was 378, and the respondents were Muslim consumers in Malaysia and Pakistan. Purposive sampling technique was used to extract the sample from three cities in each country. Partial least square (PLS) was used to statistically analyze the data using PLS–structural equation modeling approach. The measurement model was analyzed, and invariance of the measurement model was established. Afterward, the hypotheses were tested, and multi-group analysis was performed through Henseler’s multi-group analysis (MGA) and Permutation test.

Findings

The results indicate a lack of significant relationships between the independent variables and the purchase intention of Halal vaccination except in the case of subjective norms. This construct has a significant but inverse relationship in the case of Pakistan’s Muslim consumers, which can be attributed to the presence of consumer skepticism regarding the issue of Halal vaccination. The MGA results reveal a statistically significant difference in the influence of religiosity on purchase intention between the two countries, depicting differences in the brand–self congruity perceptions of consumers in the two countries.

Research limitations/implications

The sample size was relatively small due to the limited time duration.

Originality/value

The area of Halal vaccination has been given limited attention in academic literature. This study addresses this area that has limited research and is greatly attractive to a large number of brands targeting the Muslim consumer market. The results of the study can form a foundation for creating the branding strategy of this product category and assessing its demand in various Muslim markets.
Good intentions gone awry: investigating a strategically oriented MLD program
Authors: Larsson Magnus , Carsten Melissa , Knudsen Morten
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Complex organizations increasingly rely on middle managers as strategic linking-pins between the top and bottom levels of the organization. Using social identity theory and commitment theory as the foundation, this study evaluates a management and leadership development program (MLDP) intended to engage middle managers as strategy creators and implementers. We also evaluate the cascading effects of leadership development by assessing changes in subordinates' identification with the leader, and commitment to the work unit and organization.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of 107 manager participants and 913 of their subordinates, this study measures differences in both manager and subordinate identification and commitment prior to and after the completion of a 6 months strategically oriented MLDP.

Findings

Despite the organizations' best intentions, manager identification with and commitment to the organization decreased after completion of the MLDP. Similarly, subordinates identification with the leader and commitment to the organization also decreased at Time 2.

Research limitations/implications

The results paint a complex picture of the nuances of social identification as an outcome of MLDPs, and problematize the notion of cascading effects on subordinates within the organization. Researchers are encouraged to further examine organizational attitudes and perceptions as outcomes of MLDPs.

Practical implications

Suggestions are offered regarding how practitioners can manage strategically oriented MLDPs in order to avoid identity confusion and promote strategic action.

Originality/value

Strategically oriented MLDPs are increasingly popular in organizations. This study is one of the first to evaluate the theoretical mechanisms through which these programs may affect managers and problematize these effects for complex organizations.
Virtual global project management in eighteenth-century astronomy
Authors: Brockhoff Klaus
Published: March 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to demonstrate that virtual project management can be based on a common spirit and mutual trust to achieve project objectives, rather than the use of modern electronic devices to lower communication costs.

Design/methodology/approach

Evidence from the eighteenth-century files of Academies of Science and from astronomical literature is used to characterize the projects and to show how major elements of project management (such as identification of benefits to stakeholders, management of uncertainties, communication and data aggregation across related projects) were applied.

Findings

The analysis shows how the initiative to better measure the Astronomical Unit defined a megaproject, and how this was broken down at local Academies of Science into major projects or programs. This, in turn, resulted in individual expeditions. It demonstrates that innovations arose from the projects, and that learning from earlier expeditions resulted in the final success of the megaproject.

Research limitations/implications

The literature used was not written to demonstrate project management. In this respect, both the original sources and the later reports may lack information with respect to the present topic. Today’s project management might learn from the study that coordination and communication can greatly benefit from a joint vision of the project if based on a common spirit and mutual trust.

Practical implications

Present day project management might benefit from the finding that common values reduce communication costs in a similar way as recent electronic communication devices.

Originality/value

The author believes that this is the first paper to analyze the Venus transit projects from the project management perspective. This was a complex and global megaproject. The approaches taken to achieve the objectives relevant to different stakeholders provide lessons for today’s management of megaprojects.
Trade-based money laundering: organized crime, learning and international trade
Authors: Hataley Todd
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the link between trade-based money laundering and organized crime. Trade-based money laundering (TBML) has emerged as the newest and possibly most complex method used by organized crime and white-collar crime groups for illegally laundering money in the international financial system. Using legitimate global trade streams, criminal organizations are able to transfer billions of dollars annually between jurisdictions without having to adhere to state-level currency regulations.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a rational approach to understanding the behavior of criminal organizations, it is argued that TBML will continue to grow as a preferred methodology for laundering money internationally. As criminal organizations continue to be displaced from the more traditional methods of money laundering, they will look for and find TBML as a viable alternative for moving money between different jurisdictions.

Findings

As the methodology becomes more developed, the skill set will transfer to an increasing number of organized crime groups and be incorporated as a mainstream method for laundering and moving money.

Practical implications

To stay current with contemporary money laundering schemes, law enforcement agencies will have to train their investigators to spot, investigate and collect requisite evidence for successful prosecution and disruption of TBML offences. Moreover, in the absence of a global regime for sharing trade and customs information, legislators and law enforcement agencies will have to consider how to best expedite the sharing of trade and customs information.

Originality/value

This is the only study to address TBML as an emerging money laundering technique and the transfer of the skill between organized crime groups. It further details the skills that police investigators needs to develop to successfully combat TBML.
Linking team-member exchange differentiation to team creativity
Authors: Chen Chao , Liu Xinmei
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of team-member exchange (TMX) differentiation on team creativity by developing a moderated mediation model. The model focuses on the mediating role of team proactivity in linking TMX differentiation with team creativity and the moderating role of leader-member exchange (LMX) median in influencing the mediation.

Design/methodology/approach

A time-lagged field survey data from 331 employees and 68 team leaders in more than ten high-technology firms from Northern China was used to test the model.

Findings

Results indicated that the negative relationship between TMX differentiation and team creativity was mediated by team proactivity. Moderated mediation analyses further revealed that team proactivity mediated the relationship between TMX differentiation and team creativity for only those teams with a low-LMX median.

Originality/value

The empirical study provides preliminary evidence of the mediating role of team proactivity in the negative relationship between TMX differentiation and team creativity. The moderated mediation model also extends the existing finding by showing that LMX quality can moderate the indirect impact of TMX differentiation on team creativity (via team proactivity).
Exploring mechanisms of outstanding business leadership facing transitioning environment: a life-narrative perspective
Authors: Cheng Junjun , Su Yong
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Through a life-narrative perspective, this research seeks to reveal the underlying mechanisms driving and sustaining outstanding leadership among top Chinese business leaders in a transitioning environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors extracted primary thematic patterns of leadership activities by analyzing the qualitative data collected from in-depth semistructured interviews with 17 top business leaders in China.

Findings

Results revealed four major activities through which leaders can effectively lead their organizations toward a long-term growth, that is, balancing relationship with government, leveraging market uncertainties, reinventing and consolidating the organization and self-regulation and adaptation.

Originality/value

The findings explain how outstanding leadership can emerge in a typical transition economy through multidexterity in critical leadership activities and shed light on developing a contextually relevant theory of outstanding leadership.
Barriers to intergenerational learning: a case of a workplace in Turkey
Authors: Polat Soner , Yılmaz Yılmazer
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to determine barriers to intergenerational learning.

Design/methodology/approach

The research design is phenomenological, which is a qualitative research method. The study was carried out in a large-scale production facility in the Central District of Kocaeli, Turkey, and the study group of the research consists of 61 participants determined using the maximum diversity technique, one of the purposeful sampling techniques. Significant attention was paid to the examination of employees from all levels and every generation within the hierarchical structure of the company while selecting the working groups for the study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, and content analysis method was applied in the analysis of the data. Participants were questioned about barriers to their prejudices.

Findings

As a result of the research, it was observed that barriers “to being a leader for intergenerational learning” were gathered under three distinct themes: personal factors, relational factors and managerial factors. The most frequently stated subthemes of these were: “seeing knowledge and experience as a power” and “lack of job commitment and motivation” under personal factors, “communication problems” under relational factors and “insufficient support or not being supported or encouraged by management” under managerial factors.

Originality/value

This study should be of interest to researchers interested in educational organization use of barriers to intergenerational learning: a case of a workplace in Turkey, use of intergenerational learning by organization and management.
Impact of ethical leadership on job satisfaction: the mediating effect of work–family conflict
Authors: Freire Carla , Bettencourt Claudia
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the mediating effect of the work–family conflict in the relation between ethical leadership and job satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire was answered by 234 nursing professionals working in Portuguese public health institutions.

Findings

Regression analyses indicate that there is a positive relationship between ethical leadership and satisfaction and a negative relationship between ethical leadership and the nurse's work–family conflict. Furthermore, it was revealed that the work–family conflict mediated (partially) the relationship between ethical leadership and job satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

Ethical leadership was measured by assessing the nurses' perceptions of their leaders' character. The cross-sectional data limited the possibility of establishing the causality of the study variables, where the generalization of results was not possible due to the fact that data were obtained in public health institutions alone.

Practical implications

Considering that ethics precede good relations between the manager and collaborator, it is recommended that organizations develop ethical training for their leaders, more specifically in the case of head nurses.

Originality/value

The added value of this empirical study lies in the mediated role of the work–family conflict in the analysis of the relationship between ethical leadership and job satisfaction.
Neural networks support vector machine for mass appraisal of properties
Authors: Yacim Joseph Awoamim , Boshoff Douw Gert Brand
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The paper introduced the use of a hybrid system of neural networks support vector machines (NNSVMs) consisting of artificial neural networks (ANNs) and support vector machines (SVMs) to price single-family properties.

Design/methodology/approach

The mechanism of the hybrid system is such that its output is given by the SVMs which utilise the results of the ANNs as their input. The results are compared to other property pricing modelling techniques including the standalone ANNs, SVMs, geographically weighted regression (GWR), spatial error model (SEM), spatial lag model (SLM) and the ordinary least squares (OLS). The techniques were applied to a dataset of 3,225 properties sold during the period, January 2012 to May 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa.

Findings

The results demonstrate that the hybrid system performed better than ANNs, SVMs and the OLS. However, in comparison to the spatial models (GWR, SEM and SLM) the hybrid system performed abysmally under with SEM favoured as the best pricing technique.

Originality/value

The findings extend the debate in the body of knowledge that the results of the OLS can significantly be improved through the use of spatial models that correct bias estimates and vary prices across the different property locations. Additionally, utilising the result of the hybrid system is thus affected by the black-box nature of the ANNs and SVMs limiting its use to purposes of checks on estimates predicted by the regression-based models.
Differences in oxidative status explain variation in thermal acclimation capacity between individual mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki)
Authors: Loughland Isabella , Seebacher Frank
Published: March 2020

Evolutionary theory predicts that the capacity to acclimate should be favoured in variable environments. However, perfect compensation for thermal variation is rare and the capacity for thermal acclimation can vary considerably between individuals within natural populations. This variation may be explained by costs associated with acclimation, but it is not clear what these costs are.

We tested the hypothesis that oxidative stress is a cost of acclimation that could explain the variation between individuals in acclimation capacity. We acclimated individual mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki (n = 416) to 18 and 28°C sequentially, and determined swimming performance at each temperature to evaluate their acclimation capacity. Fish were then acclimated to either cold (18°C) or warm (28°C) conditions, and we increased antioxidant capacities of a subset of fish experimentally by administering N‐acetyl cysteine (NAC). We measured H2O2 production, catalase antioxidant activities and oxidative damage to proteins and membranes.

We show that there is significant variation in acclimation capacity between individuals, and that there is a trade‐off between acclimation capacity and swimming performance in warm conditions. Mean swimming performance across both acclimation temperatures increased with increasing acclimation capacity, but the increase was small biologically. Hence, greater thermal plasticity (high acclimation capacity) resulted in only minor performance benefits across acclimation conditions. We verified this rather surprising result in replicate populations grown in outdoor mesocosms.

Reactive oxygen species production, antioxidant activities and oxidative damage were higher in cold‐acclimated fish, and particularly in those fish with low capacity for acclimation. However, experimentally increasing antioxidant capacities with NAC alleviated these changes to oxidative status, suggesting a causal relationship. Hence, oxidative stress may be a cost that constrains the capacity for acclimation. Together, the performance trade‐off and oxidative cost indicate that phenotypic plasticity is not always advantageous in variable environments, and instead bet‐hedging may be a more beneficial strategy, particularly in short‐lived species.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
The dispersal syndrome hypothesis: How animals shaped fruit traits, and how they did not
Authors: Valenta Kim , Nevo Omer
Published: March 2020

Fleshy fruits have evolved multiple times and display a tremendous diversity of colours, shapes, aromas and textures. For over a century this was attributed, at least in part, to frugivore‐driven selection. The dispersal syndrome hypothesis posits that fruits and frugivores co‐evolved, each exerting sufficient selective pressure on one another, and resulting to in suites of fruit traits that match frugivore behaviour, morphology and sensory capacities.

In the last two decades of the past century, the dispersal syndrome hypothesis has been deemed overly adaptationist. Challenges are based on a variety of arguments, primarily that previous studies did not sufficiently incorporate a phylogenetic framework, and that non‐adaptive factors can explain a great deal of extant fruit trait variation.

In recent years, many studies have addressed these issues and found support for the dispersal syndrome hypothesis. As empirical evidence mounts, it's become increasingly clear that many fruit traits—primarily size, colour and scent—are strongly affected by frugivore trait preference.

At the same time, many studies do not sufficiently consider the many confounding factors involved in fruit trait evolution.

We review the evidence supporting the dispersal syndrome hypothesis and highlight the existing gaps in knowledge and the factors that are currently still not fully incorporated into the study of the evolution of fruit traits.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Intertidal gobies acclimate rate of luminance change for background matching with shifts in seasonal temperature
Authors: da Silva Carmen R. B. , van den Berg Cedric P. , Condon Nicholas D. , Riginos Cynthia , Wilson Robbie S. , Cheney Karen L.
Published: March 2020

Rate of colour change and background matching capacity are important functional traits for avoiding predation and hiding from prey. Acute changes in environmental temperature are known to impact the rate at which animals change colour, and therefore may affect their survival.

Many ectotherms have the ability to acclimate performance traits such as locomotion, metabolic rate and growth rate with changes in seasonal temperature. However, it remains unclear how other functional traits that are directly linked to behaviour and survival respond to long‐term changes in temperature (within an individual's lifetime).

We assessed whether the rate of colour change is altered by long‐term changes in temperature (seasonal variation) and if rate of colour change can acclimate to seasonal thermal conditions. We used an intertidal rock‐pool goby Bathygobius cocosensis, to test this and exposed individuals to representative seasonal mean temperatures (16 or 31°C, herein referred to cold‐ and warm‐exposed fish respectively) for 9 weeks and then tested their rate of luminance change when placed on white and black backgrounds at acute test temperatures 16 and 31°C. We modelled rate of luminance change using the visual sensitives of a coral trout Plectropmus leopardus to determine how well gobies matched their backgrounds in terms of luminance contrast to a potential predator.

After exposure to long‐term seasonal conditions, the warm‐exposed fish had faster rates of luminance change and matched their background more closely when tested at 31 than at 16°C. Similarly, the cold‐exposed fish had faster rates of luminance change and matched their backgrounds more closely at 16°C than at 31°C. This demonstrates that rate of luminance change can be adjusted to compensate for long‐term changes in seasonal temperature.

This is the first study to show that animals can acclimate rate of colour change for background matching to seasonal thermal conditions. We also show that rapid changes in acute temperature reduce background matching capabilities. Stochastic changes in climate are likely to affect the frequency of predator–prey interactions which may have substantial knock‐on effects throughout ecosystems.
The Rise of the Genotocracy
Authors: Young Toby
Published: March 2020

This article examines whether meritocracy is an effective device for legitimising socioeconomic inequality. It looks at two ways in which it could be said to do that—by allocating wealth and prestige according to merit, and by creating opportunities for those born in low income families—and concludes that the first only creates the appearance of fairness (an argument made persuasively by John Rawls) and the second is a largely unfulfilled promise. The author asks whether the low levels of social mobility in Britain and America are because they have not yet become fully‐fledged meritocracies, or because they have, and considers Richard Herrnstein and Charles Murray’s argument in The Bell Curve that meritocratic societies have a tendency to degenerate into genetically‐based caste systems. It examines the research by Dalton Conley, Jason Fletcher and Benjamin Domingue on this point, which shows that genetic assortative mating declined over the course of the twentieth century, and tentatively concludes that Herrnstein and Murray were wrong—that flatlining social mobility is a bug, not a feature, of meritocratic societies.
Microbial assemblages associated with the rhizosphere and endosphere of an herbage, Leymus chinensis
Authors: Chen Jin , Xu Daolong , Chao Lumeng , Liu Haijing , Bao Yuying
Published: March 2020

Root‐associated microbiomes play significant roles in plant productivity, health and ecological services. However, our current understanding of the microbial assemblages in the rhizosphere and endosphere of herbage is still limited. To gain insights into these microbial assemblages, Illumina MiSeq high‐throughput sequencing was performed to investigate the characteristics of microbial communities of an herbage, Leymus chinensis. Hierarchical clustering analysis and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) results showed that microbial communities of the rhizosphere and endosphere samples were clearly distinguished. Rhizosphere soil communities showed a greater sensitivity than root endosphere communities using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe). Rhizosphere and endosphere communities performed their respective functions in the soil as a cohesive collective, and Rhizobiales were observed to function as generalists. Redundancy analysis (RDA) and variance partitioning analysis (VPA) results revealed that the contribution of the interaction between soil physicochemical parameters and soil enzymes was greater than their individual contributions. In summary, this study is the first to elucidate the microbial diversity and community structure of L. chinensis and compare the diversity and composition between rhizospheric and endosphere microbiomes.
Metatranscriptomic identification of polyamine‐transforming bacterioplankton in the Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Lu Xinxin , Wang Kai , Sun Shulei , Mou Xiaozhen
Published: March 2020

The importance of short‐chained aliphatic polyamines (PAs) to bacterioplankton‐mediated carbon and nitrogen cycles has been repeatedly proposed. However, bacterial taxa and genes involved in the transformations of different PA compounds and their potential spatial variations remain unclear. This study collected surface bacterioplankton from nearshore, offshore, and open ocean stations in the Gulf of Mexico and examined how metatranscriptomes responded to additions of three single PA model compounds (i.e. putrescine, spermidine, or spermine). Our data showed an overrepresentation of genes affiliated with γ‐glutamylation and spermidine cleavage pathways in metatranscriptomes received PA amendments and the expression level of each pathway varied among different PA compounds and sampling locations. PA‐transforming taxa were affiliated with Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria, Planctomycetes, and Proteobacteria and their relative importance was also compound and location specific. These findings suggest that PAs are transformed via multiple pathways and by a diversity of marine bacterioplankton in the Gulf of Mexico. The relative importance of different PA transforming pathways and composition of functional microbial communities may be regulated by nutrient status of local environments.
‘Variations in phenological and functional traits in Thapsia garganica populations in Al Jebel Al Akhdar, Libya’
Authors: Al Borki Abd El‐Nasser S. , Alzerbi Abdulhamid K. , Kabiel Hanan F. , Hegazy Ahmad K.
Published: March 2020

Thapsia garganica is a herbaceous perennial in the Apiaceae, distributed around the Mediterranean and traditionally used in North Africa as a remedy for arthritis, herpes, hair‐fall, hypertension, rheumatic, eczema and scabies. T. garganica is the source of thapsigargin: known for killing cancer cells. Seven populations were studied in sites differing in aspect and elevation within Al Jebel Al Akhdar in Libya. We studied the within‐population size distribution of individuals, the timing of the phenological events, and vegetative and reproductive traits.Thapsia garganica showed high flexibility of functional traits and shifts in the timing of phenological events in response to elevation and aspect (north‐ or south‐facing slopes). Local soil properties, together with effects due to altitude and aspect, could be direct causes of the observed differences in terms of population size and phenological traits. The phenological patterns detected also provide insights into the species response to climate change. Despite this phenotypic flexibility, and good growth in sites at 300–700 m a. s. l. on south‐facing slopes, most sites in this study have an unstable size‐structure, with few small individuals. This raises concerns about the long‐term persistence of the other populations of this species in Al Jebel Al Akhdar.