bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stress concentration in periodically rough Hertzian contact: Hertz to soft-flat-punch transition
Authors: Ledesma-Alonso R. , Raphaël E. , Léger L. , Restagno F. , Poulard C.
Published: September 2016

We report on the elastic contact between a spherical lens and a patterned substrate, composed of a hexagonal lattice of cylindrical pillars. The stress field and the size of the contact area are obtained by means of numerical methods: a superposition method of discrete pressure elements and an iterative bisection-like method. For small indentations, a transition from a Hertzian to a soft-flat-punch behaviour is observed when the surface fraction of the substrate that is covered by the pillars is increased. In particular, we present a master curve defined by two dimensionless parameters, which allows one to predict the stress at the centre of the contact region in terms of the surface fraction occupied by pillars. The transition between the limiting contact regimes, Hertzian and soft-flat-punch, is well described by a rational function. Additionally, a simple model to describe the Boussinesq–Cerruti-like contact between the lens and a single elastic pillar, which takes into account the pillar geometry and the elastic properties of the two bodies, is presented.
The interface of SrTiO
3
and H
2
O from density functional theory molecular dynamics
Authors: Holmström E. , Spijker P. , Foster A. S.
Published: September 2016

We use dispersion-corrected density functional theory molecular dynamics simulations to predict the ionic, electronic and vibrational properties of the SrTiO
3
/H
2
O solid–liquid interface. Approximately 50% of surface oxygens on the planar SrO termination are hydroxylated at all studied levels of water coverage, the corresponding number being 15% for the planar TiO
2
termination and 5% on the stepped TiO
2
-terminated surface. The lateral ordering of the hydration structure is largely controlled by covalent-like surface cation to H
2
O bonding and surface corrugation. We find a featureless electronic density of states in and around the band gap energy region at the solid–liquid interface. The vibrational spectrum indicates redshifting of the O–H stretching band due to surface-to-liquid hydrogen bonding and blueshifting due to high-frequency stretching vibrations of OH fragments within the liquid, as well as strong suppression of the OH stretching band on the stepped surface. We find highly varying rates of proton transfer above different SrTiO
3
surfaces, owing to differences in hydrogen bond strength and the degree of dissociation of incident water. Trends in proton dynamics and the mode of H
2
O adsorption among studied surfaces can be explained by the differential ionicity of the Ti–O and Sr–O bonds in the SrTiO
3
crystal.
Modelling the climatic niche of turtles: a deep-time perspective
Authors: Waterson Amy M. , Schmidt Daniela N. , Valdes Paul J. , Holroyd Patricia A. , Nicholson David B. , Farnsworth Alexander , Barrett Paul M.
Published: September 2016

Ectotherms have close physiological ties with the thermal environment; consequently, the impact of future climate change on their biogeographic distributions is of major interest. Here, we use the modern and deep-time fossil record of testudines (turtles, tortoises, and terrapins) to provide the first test of climate on the niche limits of both extant and extinct (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian) taxa. Ecological niche models are used to assess niche overlap in model projections for key testudine ecotypes and families. An ordination framework is applied to quantify metrics of niche change (stability, expansion, and unfilling) between the Maastrichtian and present day. Results indicate that niche stability over evolutionary timescales varies between testudine clades. Groups that originated in the Early Cretaceous show climatic niche stability, whereas those diversifying towards the end of the Cretaceous display larger niche expansion towards the modern. Temperature is the dominant driver of modern and past distributions, whereas precipitation is important for freshwater turtle ranges. Our findings demonstrate that testudines were able to occupy warmer climates than present day in the geological record. However, the projected rate and magnitude of future environmental change, in concert with other conservation threats, presents challenges for acclimation or adaptation.
Transformation of the head-direction signal into a spatial code
Authors: Peyrache Adrien , Schieferstein Natalie , Buzsaki Gyorgy
Published: September 2016

Animals integrate multiple sensory inputs to successfully navigate in their environments. Head direction (HD), boundary vector, grid and place cells in the entorhinal-hippocampal system form the brain’s navigational system that allows to identify the animal’s current location, but how the functions of these specialized neuron types are acquired remain to be understood. Here we report that activity of HD neurons are influenced by the ambulatory constraints imposed upon the animal by the boundaries of the explored environment, leading to spurious spatial information. However, in the post-subiculum, the main cortical stage of HD signal processing, HD neurons convey true spatial information in the form of border modulated activity through the integration of additional sensory modalities relative to egocentric position, unlike their driving thalamic inputs. These findings demonstrate how the combination of HD and egocentric information can be transduced into a spatial code.
Using MinION nanopore sequencing to generate ade novoeukaryotic draft genome: preliminary physiological and genomic description of the extremophilic red algaGaldieria sulphurariastrain SAG 107.79
Authors: Davis Amanda M. , Iovinella Manuela , James Sally , Robshaw Thomas , Dodson Jennifer R. , Herrero-Davila Lorenzo , Clark James H. , Agapiou Maria , McQueen-Mason Simon J. , Pinto Gabriele , Ciniglia Claudia , Chong James P. J. , Ashton Peter D. , Davis Seth J.
Published: September 2016

We report here thede novoassembly of a eukaryotic genome using only MinION nanopore DNA sequence data by examining a novelGaldieria sulphurariagenome: strain SAG 107.79. This extremophilic red alga was targeted for full genome sequencing as we found that it could grow on a wide variety of carbon sources and could uptake several precious and rare-earth metals, which places it as an interesting biological target for disparate industrial biotechnological uses. Phylogenetic analysis clearly places this as a species ofG. sulphuraria. Here we additionally show that the genome assembly generated via nanopore long read data was of a high quality with regards to low total number of contiguous DNA sequences and long length of assemblies. Collectively, the MinION platform looks to rival other competing approaches forde novogenome acquisition with available informatics tools for assembly. The genome assembly is publically released as NCBI BioProject PRJNA330791. Further work is needed to reduce small insertion-deletion errors, relative to short-read assemblies.
Spiraling Complexity: A Test of the Snowball Effect in a Computational Model of RNA Folding
Authors: Kalirad Ata , Azevedo Ricardo B. R.
Published: September 2016

Genetic incompatibilities can emerge as a by-product of genetic divergence. According to Dobzhansky and Muller, an allele that fixes in one population may be incompatible with an allele at a different locus in another population when the two alleles are brought together in hybrids. Orr showed that the number of Dobzhansky–Muller incompatibilities (DMIs) should accumulate faster than linearly—i.e., snowball—as two lineages diverge. Several studies have attempted to test the snowball effect using data from natural populations. One limitation of these studies is that they have focused on predictions of the Orr model but not on its underlying assumptions. Here we use a computational model of RNA folding to test both predictions and assumptions of the Orr model. Two populations are allowed to evolve in allopatry on a holey fitness landscape. We find that the number of inviable introgressions (an indicator for the number of DMIs) snowballs, but does so more slowly than expected. We show that this pattern is explained, in part, by the fact that DMIs can disappear after they have arisen, contrary to the assumptions of the Orr model. This occurs because DMIs become progressively more complex (i.e., involve alleles at more loci) as a result of later substitutions. We also find that most DMIs involve more than two loci—i.e., they are complex. Reproductive isolation does not snowball because DMIs do not act independently of each other. We conclude that the RNA model supports the central prediction of the Orr model that the number of DMIs snowballs, but challenges other predictions, as well as some of its underlying assumptions.
Adipocyte JAK2 Mediates Growth Hormone-Induced Hepatic Insulin Resistance
Authors: Corbit Kevin C. , Camporez João Paulo G. , Tran Jennifer L. , Wilson Camella G. , Lowe Dylan , Nordstrom Sarah , Ganeshan Kirthana , Perry Rachel J. , Shulman Gerald I. , Jurczak Michael J. , Weiss Ethan J.
Published: September 2016

For nearly 100 years, Growth Hormone (GH) has been known to impact insulin sensitivity and risk of diabetes. However, the tissue governing the effects of GH signaling on insulin and glucose homeostasis remains unknown. Excess GH reduces fat mass and insulin sensitivity. Conversely, GH insensitivity (GHI) is associated with increased adiposity, augmented insulin sensitivity, and protection from diabetes. Here we induce adipocyte-specific GHI through conditional deletion ofJak2(JAK2A), an obligate transducer of GH signaling. Similar to whole-body GHI, JAK2A mice had increased adiposity and extreme insulin sensitivity. Loss of adipocyteJak2augmented hepatic insulin sensitivity and conferred resistance to diet-induced metabolic stress without overt changes in circulating fatty acids. While GH injections induced hepatic insulin resistance in control mice, the diabetogenic action was absent in JAK2A mice. Adipocyte GH signaling directly impinged on both adipose and hepatic insulin signal transduction. Collectively, our results show that adipose tissue governs the effects of GH on insulin and glucose homeostasis. Further, we show that JAK2 mediates liver insulin sensitivity via an extra-hepatic, adipose tissue-dependent mechanism.
Reconstructed cell fate–regulatory programs in stem cells reveal hierarchies and key factors of neurogenesis
Authors: Mendoza-Parra Marco-Antonio , Malysheva Valeriya , Mohamed Saleem Mohamed Ashick , Lieb Michele , Godel Aurelie , Gronemeyer Hinrich
Published: September 2016

Cell lineages, which shape the body architecture and specify cell functions, derive from the integration of a plethora of cell intrinsic and extrinsic signals. These signals trigger a multiplicity of decisions at several levels to modulate the activity of dynamic gene regulatory networks (GRNs), which ensure both general and cell-specific functions within a given lineage, thereby establishing cell fates. Significant knowledge about these events and the involved key drivers comes from homogeneous cell differentiation models. Even a single chemical trigger, such as the morphogen all-transretinoic acid (RA), can induce the complex network of gene-regulatory decisions that matures a stem/precursor cell to a particular step within a given lineage. Here we have dissected the GRNs involved in the RA-induced neuronal or endodermal cell fate specification by integrating dynamic RXRA binding, chromatin accessibility, epigenetic promoter epigenetic status, and the transcriptional activity inferred from RNA polymerase II mapping and transcription profiling. Our data reveal how RA induces a network of transcription factors (TFs), which direct the temporal organization of cognate GRNs, thereby driving neuronal/endodermal cell fate specification. Modeling signal transduction propagation using the reconstructed GRNs indicated critical TFs for neuronal cell fate specification, which were confirmed by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing. Overall, this study demonstrates that a systems view of cell fate specification combined with computational signal transduction models provides the necessary insight in cellular plasticity for cell fate engineering. The present integrated approach can be used to monitor the in vitro capacity of (engineered) cells/tissues to establish cell lineages for regenerative medicine.
Globalization, academic knowledge interests and the global careers discourse
Authors: McKenna Steve , Peticca-Harris Amanda
Published: September 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to present two objectives. The first objective is to identify the academic knowledge interests (managerial, agentic, curatorial and critical) prevalent in research on global careers. The second objective is to consider and critique the discourse constructed and perpetuated in academic texts on global careers concerning globalization, global careers and the global careerist.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a critical discourse analysis, the paper analyzes 66 articles and book chapters and one book on the subject of a global career. The authors positioned the texts into one of the four academic knowledge interests – managerial, agentic, curatorial and critical. The texts were also analyzed with respect to the discourse manifested in relation to globalization, global careers and the global careerist.

Findings

The authors found that the texts were driven by primarily managerial academic knowledge interests, followed by agentic and curatorial interests. Very few reflected critical knowledge interests. In addition, texts on global careers accept the globalization of business as natural and unproblematic and, consequently, construct a discourse about the global career and the global careerist which fits the idea that global business expansion in its current form is inevitable and inescapable.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to analyze the academic knowledge production and discourse on “global careers” and the “global careerist” as it is emerging among career scholars. It is also one of the very few articles offering a more critical perspective on global careers specifically and careers more generally.
Opening the black box and searching for smoking guns
Authors: Bennett Elisabeth E. , McWhorter Rochell R.
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of qualitative research in causality, with particular emphasis on process causality. In one paper, it is not possible to discuss all the issues of causality, but the aim is to provide useful ways of thinking about causality and qualitative research. Specifically, a brief overview of the regularity theory of causation is provided, qualitative research characteristics and ontological and epistemological views that serve as a potential conceptual frame to resolve some tensions between quantitative and qualitative work are discussed and causal processes are explored. This paper offers a definition and a model of process causality and then presents findings from an exploratory study that advanced the discussion beyond the conceptual frame.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper first conceptually frames process causality within qualitative research and then discusses results from an exploratory study that involved reviewing literature and interviewing expert researchers. The exploratory study conducted involved analyzing multiple years of literature in two top human resource development (HRD) journals and also exploratory expert interviews. The study was guided by the research question: How might qualitative research inform causal inferences in HRD? This study used a basic qualitative approach that sought insight through inductive analysis within the focus of this study.

Findings

The exploratory study found that triangulation, context, thick description and process research questions are important elements of qualitative studies that can improve research that involves causal relationships. Specifically, qualitative studies provide both depth of data collection and descriptive write-up that provide clues to cause-and-effect relationships that support or refute theory.

Research limitations/implications

A major conclusion of this study is that qualitative research plays a critical role in causal inference, albeit an understated one, when one takes an enlarged philosophical view of causality. Equating causality solely with variance theory associated with quantitative research leaves causal processes locked in a metaphoric black box between cause and effect, whereas qualitative research opens up the processes and mechanisms contained within the box.

Originality/value

This paper reframed the discussion about causality to include both the logic of quantitative studies and qualitative studies to demonstrate a more holistic view of causality and to demonstrate the value of qualitative research for causal inference. Process causality in qualitative research is added to the mix of techniques and theories found in the larger discussion of causality in HRD.
Did partnership in Ireland deliver for all workers? Unions and earnings
Authors: Turner Tom , Flannery Darragh
Published: September 2016

Purpose

After 20 years of social partnership in Ireland the purpose of this paper is to use a national survey of firms and employees to examine the extent of the wage gap between union and non-union workers in the private sector and compare the degree of wage inequality in union and non-union firms and among union and non-union employees.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis in the paper is based on the National Employment Survey carried out by the Central Statistics Office in October 2008. Approximately 9,000 enterprises were sampled and almost 5,000 enterprises responded – a response rate of over 50 per cent while almost 100,000 employees were sampled and 65,535 completed the questionnaire – a response rate of over 60 per cent. In total 22 per cent (14,619) of respondents worked in the public sector and 78 per cent (50,916) in the private sector.

Findings

It appears that over time the earnings premium enjoyed by unionised workers has declined. This may reflect a long term decline in union bargaining power in the private sector as union density levels have declined. Even so unionised employees enjoy a wage premium over non-union employees and collective coverage appears to reduce levels of income inequality. However, the overall union wage gap is relatively modest – being generally below 10 per cent possibly due to the harmonising effects associated with the period of social partnership supported by government trade unions and employers.

Research limitations/implications

The cross-sectional nature of the data means that the factors associated with variations in employee earnings over time cannot be identified.

Practical implications

There is substantial evidence of a considerable spill-over effect as nationally agreed rates of pay percolated from the union to the non-union sector. It may also be the case that social partnership has acted to reduce wage inequality in non-union as well as union establishments. It appears that partnership type arrangements have the capacity to deliver for all workers in the private sector.

Originality/value

A unique aspect of the national survey data used here is the availability of employer/employee matched data from a robust national level survey with measures of union membership, earnings, individual and employment characteristics.
Distributive justice and affective commitment in nonprofit organizations
Authors: Ohana Marc , Meyer Maryline
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study pay referents that may have an effect on employee organizational affective commitment. It explores existing connections between distributive justice – stemming from individual, external, and internal referents – and organizational affective commitment. This enables an exploration of the effects of distributive justice (Sweeney and McFarlin, 2005).

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a quantitative analysis of 198 French nonprofit employees in health and social services.

Findings

Results show that only individual distributive justice relates to organizational affective commitment and that this relationship is mediated by person-organization fit.

Originality/value

This study is the first to analyze pay referents in nonprofit organization. It also explains the distributive justice – organizational affective commitment in terms of person-organization fit.
The battle over employers’ demand for “more flexibility”
Authors: Rasmussen Erling , Foster Barry , Farr Deirdre
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to place empirical research on New Zealand employers’ attitudes to collective bargaining and legislative change within the context of the long running debate of flexibility.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional survey design using a self-administered postal questionnaire, covering private sector employers with ten or more staff and including employers within all 17 standard industry classification. To explore particular issues, an additional in-depth interviews were conducted of 25 employers participating in the survey.

Findings

It is found that employers support overwhelmingly recent legislative changes though there are variations across industries and firm sizes. There is also considerable variation in terms of which legislative changes are applied in the workplace. Despite fewer constraints on employer-determined flexibility, there was a rather puzzling finding that most employers still think that employment legislation is even balanced or favouring employees.

Originality/value

Cross-sectional survey findings of New Zealand employer attitudes to legislative changes are few and provide valuable data for policy makers, unions, employers and employment relations researchers. The paper also contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of pressures to increase employer-determined flexibility in many western countries.
Universities, expertise and the First World War
Authors: Horne Julia , Pietsch Tamson
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to: introduce the topic of the relationship between universities and the First World War historiographically; put university expertise and knowledge at the centre of studies of the First World War; and explain how an examination of university expertise and war reveals a continuity of intellectual and scientific activity from war to peace.

Design/methodology/approach

Placing the papers in the special issue of HER on universities and war in the context of a broader historiography of the First World War and its aftermath.

Findings

The interconnections between university expertise and the First World War is a neglected field, yet its examination enriches the current historiography and prompts us to see the war not simply in terms of guns and battles but also how the battlefield extended university expertise with long-lasting implications into the 1920s and 1930s.

Originality/value

The paper explores how universities and their expertise – e.g. medical, artistic, philosophical – were mobilised in the First World War and the following peace.
Nationalism, the First World War, and sites of international memory
Authors: Sluga Glenda
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to restore the history of internationalism to our understanding of the legacy of the First World War, and the role of universities in that past. It begins by emphasising the war’s twin legacy, namely, the twin principles of the peace: national self-determination and the League of Nations.

Design/methodology/approach

It focuses on the intersecting significance and meaning attributed to the related terms patriotism and humanity, nationalism and internationalism, during the war and after. A key focus is the memorialization of Edith Cavell, and the role of men and women in supporting a League of Nations.

Findings

The author finds that contrary to conventional historical opinion, internationalism was as significant as nationalism during the war and after, thanks to the influence and ideas of men and women connected through university networks.

Research limitations/implications

The author’s argument is based on an examination of British imperial sources in particular.

Originality/value

The implications of this argument are that historians need to recover the international past in histories of nationalism.
Sydney Professor G.A. Wood and the Great War 1914-1918
Authors: Moses John A.
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the views of Professor George Arnold Wood, a leading Australian scholar at the University of Sydney, concerning the involvement of the British Empire in the Great War of 1914-1918.

Design/methodology/approach

The author has examined all of Professor Wood’s extant commentaries on the Great War which are held in the archives of the University of Sydney as well as the biographical material on Professor Wood by leading Australian scholars. The methodology and approach is purely empirical.

Findings

The sources consulted revealed Professor Wood’s deeply held conviction about the importance of Christian values in the formation of political will and his belief that the vocation of politics is a most serious one demanding from statesmen the utmost integrity in striving to ensure justice and freedom, respect for the rights of others and the duty of the strong to protect the weak against unprincipled and ruthless states.

Originality/value

The paper highlights Professor Wood’s values as derived from the core statements of Jesus of Nazareth such as in the Sermon on the Mount. And as these contrasted greatly with the Machiavellian practice of the imperial German Chancellors from Bismarck onwards, and of the Kaiser Wilhelm II. It was necessary for the British Empire to oppose German war aims with all the force at its disposal. The paper illustrates the ideological basis from which Wood derived his values.
The University of Bath introduces Springboard’s Sprint programme for female undergraduates
Authors: Little Bob
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to set out the results of research which shows the gender pay gap among graduates and outline some of the steps being taken to combat this at the University of Bath. Notably, it highlights the Sprint programme, developed for women undergraduates. This programme aims to add value to the overall student experience at university, improve employability and help to ensure that each undergraduate – regardless of her subject, department or career aspirations – can develop to her fullest potential.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper outlines the Sprint programme and reports on how it is being used specifically by the University of Bath. It contains the results of interviews with the deliverers, sponsors and stakeholders of the Sprint programme.

Findings

The Sprint programme helps women focus on their studies at university, achieving results such as improved visibility and effectiveness in tutorials, better time management, less study stress, a boost in confidence and self-esteem. They also use Sprint to sharpen their career goals, raise their aspirations, explore possibilities and to take advantage of the work shadowing, internships and mentoring often offered by corporate sponsors.

Research limitations/implications

It is possible to bridge the gender pay gap as well as benefit women in other ways via learning and development activities, such as those promoted via the Sprint programme.

Practical implications

With help from programmes such as Sprint, women can achieve improved work visibility and effectiveness, better time management, reduced stress, increased confidence and self-esteem. This helps them achieve their career goals, raise their aspirations and generally develop their careers.

Social implications

Women can learn to compete effectively with men in the workplace as well as be successful in their personal lives (in terms of sorting out difficult relationships, improving fitness and gaining a better study/life balance). This offers many benefits for women – and for the well-being of society in general.

Originality/value

The Sprint programme is unique – and is, increasingly, proving valuable. Although the Sprint programme is relatively new – having started in 2013 – it is already bearing positive results. This is not just true in terms of narrowing the gender pay gap but also in terms of improved business networking and heightened self-confidence among other factors.
Competency need assessment: a gap analytic approach
Authors: Lakshminarayanan Sethumadhavan , Pai Yogesh P. , Ramaprasad Badrinarayan Srirangam
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to adopt a gap analytic approach to identify competency needs and further estimate the strength of such managerial competencies in predicting job performance.

Design/methodology/approach

A structured questionnaire was administered on 106 managers from 18 pharmaceutical companies in Maharashtra, India to capture their self-perceptions on importance of competencies, current expertise levels and job performance. Further, relative competence metric, t-test and multiple regression analysis was employed for data analysis.

Findings

Results indicate incongruence in perceptions of managers for current expertise and importance across four managerial competencies, i.e., analytic skills, self-management, relationship management and goal and action management. Further, gap analysis and relative competence metric reveals negative gaps among managers for competency dimensions pertaining to quantitative ability, adaptability, influence co-workers, change management skills and planning and task execution. Furthermore, self-management competencies are found to wield maximum influence on the self-perceptions of job performance followed closely by relationship management and analytic skills.

Originality/value

To the best knowledge of the authors, no study exists from pharmaceutical sector in India on managerial competencies and its impact on job performance. Also, authors have not come across any study in India that captures the competency needs through gap analysis and relative competence metric. This study attempts to fill both the aforementioned gaps in literature.
The effect of the 2014 West Africa Ebola virus disease epidemic on multi-level violence against women
Authors: O’Brien Melanie , Tolosa Maria Ximena
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of the disproportionate impact of the 2014 West Africa Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic on women, presenting an assessment of how this impact in particular is linked with violence against women and women’s right to health, and a critique of improvements that could avoid discrimination against women in healthcare crises.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper covers conceptual understandings of, and utilises a human rights law and public health lens to analyse how the EVD epidemic in West Africa both directly and indirectly caused greater harm to women and girls. All these factors which represent intersectional violations of the human rights of women are examined with a focus on violence against women and the right to health.

Findings

There are multiple reasons why the EVD outbreak harmed women disproportionately, and this intersectionality of discrimination must be considered in any response to a public health crisis. Addressing the vulnerability of women and girls to all forms of violence involves the coordinated efforts of public health, legal and political actors to empower women.

Originality/value

Specific issues of the 2014 West Africa EVD outbreak have been examined in medical journals, but there have been no academic studies that present a cross-disciplinary analysis of the gender concerns. This paper combines a public health perspective with a human rights law viewpoint in order to consider the impact of the EVD outbreak on women and provide suggestions as to how discrimination and disadvantage of women in such health crises can be avoided.
Making practice inclusive in gender-based violence work
Authors: Martin Suzanne Patricia
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a case for reflective practice with an intersectional focus in supporting practitioners working with gender-based violence (GBV). It is argued that GBV increases women’s experiences of social exclusion requiring support systems that are inclusive and alert to intersecting forms of oppression. Some challenges to inclusive practice are identified and some supportive practices are suggested.

Design/methodology/approach

Reflective practice examples are drawn from UK-based advocacy and therapeutic work involving women experiencing GBV.

Findings

Three critical challenges to inclusivity are identified: poor knowledge of intersectionality, misuse of power and over-reliance on the scope of empathy.

Research limitations/implications

These themes are drawn from case examples gained from work-based practice with services in London and the southeast of England. The findings have limited scope but could be used to stimulate further research.

Practical implications

If health and social care services are to achieve a more inclusive response to women who experience GBV then reflective practice needs to shift the focus to a broader inquiry into women’s experiences. Whilst reflective practice cannot overturn the power invested in the health and social care sector it can help individual practitioners to respond to the inequalities they observe.

Social implications

It is argued that providing a regular reflective space is an effective mechanism for fostering inclusive practice responses to women experiencing GBV.

Originality/value

Intersectionality, power and empathy are identified as central themes for improving practitioner responses to GBV. How these themes apply to interactions between practitioners and abused women is demonstrated through examples from reflective practice sessions.
Cultural integration of external service provider employees into client workplaces
Authors: Tucker Matthew , Aderiye Yetunde Oluwatoyin
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the complexities of how external service provider employees culturally fit within client workplaces.

Design/methodology/approach

It uses the facilities management industry to apply this research concept and is conducted using a qualitative multi-method design. A combination of semi-structured interviews and focus groups are the qualitative methods used to collect the data.

Findings

The major findings of this study are that organisational socialisation can be successful in socialising external service provider staff into the client workplace despite a current lack of awareness of its use. This study has developed a framework that can be used to achieve this integration if client organisations and service providers work together to socialise external service provider staff.

Originality/value

The findings of this study will appeal to anyone working within the service industry who manages the interface between external service provider staff and the client work space.
Housing delivery problems in developing countries: a case study of Nigeria
Authors: Mukhtar Musa Mohammed , Amirudin Roslan , Mohamad Ismail
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine problems of housing delivery in Nigeria and propose some guiding principles that will lead to successful housing delivery in Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted through in-depth analysis of some documents related to housing sector in Nigeria. These include National Housing Policy of Nigeria, Report of the Vision 2020 National Technical Working Group on Housing, as well as publications from UN-Habitat. Moreover, literature on the subject matter have been also reviewed.

Findings

Major constraints to housing delivery in Nigeria includes lack of effective housing finance system, unstable macroeconomic environment, difficulty in accessing land with secure tenure, high cost of building materials, shortages of skilled labour and poor infrastructural facilities.

Research limitations/implications

The major limitation of this study is that no interview or field survey to collect data from stakeholders has been performed.

Practical implications

The study can assist housing policy makers to understands important elements that must be incorporated in the national housing policies. It can also assist construction industries to understand how to improve efficiency and productivity in their projects.

Originality/value

The findings of this paper was based on previous studies of housing delivery and analysis of data from some formal and informal documents The findings from this study have been used to suggest some guiding principles that can assist in solving the housing delivery problems in Nigeria.
Intra-corporate plagiarism? Conceptualising antecedents and consequences of negatively perceived mobility of ideas
Authors: Arp Frithjof , Lemański Michał K.
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine and reflect on the mobility of ideas between multinational corporation (MNC) headquarters and subsidiaries. Does it always represent (positively perceived) knowledge transfer or can it sometimes constitute (negatively perceived) intra-corporate plagiarism? What are antecedents and consequences of negatively perceived mobility of ideas?

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conceptualise inter-unit knowledge transfer in MNCs without recognition of originators as an act of intra-corporate plagiarism. The conceptualisation is informed by theoretical perspectives in the literature and indicative data emerging unexpectedly from a study designed to examine knowledge transfer in MNCs. These illustrate the concept, point to factors affecting the propensity to plagiarise, and provide preliminary insight on both negative and positive consequences. Aiming to build theory, the authors offer propositions for further research.

Findings

The conceptualisation suggests that adopting units lose access to the original sources of ideas as plagiarism victims may establish defensive strategies. Originators of ideas may experience loss of trust, be unsupportive of implementation and erect barriers to future mobility. There is risk of reputation loss and rejection of ideas and practices from other units. However, the conceptualisation also suggests that, ironically and counterintuitively, plagiarism may increase the mobility of ideas within MNCs.

Research limitations/implications

The authors do not test hypotheses and make no claims from the data about statistical validity or prevalence of the phenomenon. As the emergent data are not longitudinal, and specific to human resource management practices, the authors cannot empirically establish all antecedents and consequences of intra-corporate plagiarism. Hence, the theorisations primarily rely on perspectives in the literature. The study merely offers the theoretical conceptualisation of the phenomenon and propositions for future research.

Practical implications

Drawing on theoretical perspectives in the literature at the country level (ethnocentrism, dominance effects, legitimacy, capability) and organisation level (not-invented-here syndrome, micro-politics), the study indicates consequences that MNCs may wish to consider in their knowledge management.

Originality/value

The first contribution is the conceptualisation of inter-unit knowledge transfer in MNCs without recognition of originators as an act of intra-corporate plagiarism. Second, the authors point out that knowledge transfer directionality reported in other research may be based on intentional or unintentional misrepresentation. Third, the authors theorise intra-corporate plagiarism as potentially useful in mitigating ethnocentrism, country-of-origin dominance effects and perceptions about legitimacy and capability.
Robustness and cross-cultural equivalence of the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS)
Authors: Bücker Joost , Furrer Olivier , Peeters Weem Tanja
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the cross-cultural equivalence of the four-dimensional 20-item Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS) and the two-dimensional 12-item cultural intelligence (CQ) short scale. Furthermore, the study elaborates on the results by discussing the differences between culturally equivalent and culturally non-equivalent items.

Design/methodology/approach

Data gathered from 607 students with a Chinese or Dutch background and mature international experience serve to test the cross-cultural equivalence of the CQS.

Findings

This study addresses the lack of clarity concerning the cross-cultural equivalence of the CQS in the extended domain of empirical research involving CQ. Furthermore, the consequences of the cultural equivalence tests are discussed.

Practical implications

Comparing CQ scores across cultures is only meaningful with the use of the adjusted, two-dimensional scale. Practitioners must be aware of the emic-etic character of the measurement instrument they use.

Originality/value

This study addresses the lack of clarity concerning the cross-cultural equivalence of the CQS in the extended domain of empirical research involving CQ. Furthermore, the consequences of the cultural equivalence tests are discussed.
Impact of sustainability on business performance and strategy for commercial building contractors
Authors: Eilers Heather , Chong Wai , Kim Jonghoon , Naganathan Hariharan , Glavinich† Thomas E.
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the corporate sustainability culture of contracting firms, particularly in the Midwest. Many of the local firms operate nationally. The local corporate culture influences their regional offices. Other than convenience, the firms are selected from Midwest since their headquarters are situated in Midwest region and comprises of more number of employees than their other regional offices. This helped the research to approach more contractors for better survey and interview responses. The paper documents the study on existing management and construction practices these contractors adopt on sustainability and examines how their sustainability efforts influence the firms’ performances.

Design/methodology/approach

This research utilized surveys and interviews as the primary means of data collection. The data were collected from survey and interviews with selected companies operating in the Midwest region of the USA. One of the companies also operates offices across the country. Data from the interviews and surveys were analyzed using statistical analysis system software application. χ2 analysis, particularly the frequency procedures using the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel (CMH) method was the primary analysis method used to study the relationships between different factors. The CMH method compares the association between and within two groups and permits adjustments of the control variables.

Findings

The findings of this paper include the results from various Midwest commercial building contractors. The results on different aspects of sustainable practices and their success rates among the contractors are determined and discussed, and future scope of improvements are mentioned at the conclusion of this paper.

Research limitations/implications

In summary, sustainable business practices are beneficial to society and favorable for the construction business. Embracing sustainable business practices has a positive impact on firm strategic performance for commercial building contractors through employee satisfaction, project opportunities, and market advantage. Sustainable business practices extend into the lives of individuals involved which exceedingly impacts society. The construction industry has advanced sustainability efforts, but there is a long way to go on the journey to being better stewards of the environment and resources.

Originality/value

A rival theory became apparent during the investigation that a new building consolidating all local company employees could have an impact on firm strategic performance. Third, this paper is confounded by a great recession that made project opportunities and revenue considerations analysis problematic. Some information regarding these aspects were helpful; however, expanding this paper during a more stable and typical economic period could provide additional insight.
Reversed cellular polarity in primary cutaneous mucinous carcinoma: A study on tight junction protein expression in sweat gland tumors
Authors: Nagasawa Yusuke , Ishida‐Yamamoto Akemi
Published: September 2016

Primary cutaneous mucinous carcinoma (PCMC) is a rare sweat gland tumor characterized by the presence of abundant mucin around the tumor islands, but the molecular mechanisms for this structure are not well elucidated. Because mucin is epithelial in nature, it is likely to be produced by epithelial tumor cells, not by surrounding stromal cells. We hypothesized that the abundant mucin is a result of reversed cellular polarity of the tumor. To test this hypothesis, we conducted an immunohistological study to investigate expression of tight junction (TJ) proteins occludin and ZO‐1 in PCMC, as well as in normal sweat glands and other sweat gland tumors. Dot‐like or linear expression of TJ proteins was observed at ductal structures of sweat glands, and ductal or cystic structures of related tumors. In PCMC, however, TJ protein expression was clearly visible at the edges of tumor cell islands. This study provides evidence to show that the characteristic histological structure of PCMC is caused by inverse polarization of the tumor cells, and that TJ proteins are useful markers of ductal differentiation in sweat gland tumors.
Canalization of development reduces the utility of traits as fitness biomarkers: feather fault bars in nestling birds
Authors: Boonekamp Jelle J. , Dijkstra Rutger , Dijkstra Cor , Verhulst Simon
Published: September 2016

Biomarkers that predict fitness are instrumental in unravelling mechanisms that link environmental conditions to fitness. However, development is likely to be better canalized for traits with stronger fitness effects. As a consequence, traits that are sensitive to developmental conditions may be poor fitness predictors and vice versa, and we tested for such effects using feather fault bars (translucent areas on feathers associated with developmental stress) in nestling birds.

We manipulated developmental conditions (brood size) in free‐living jackdaws (Coloeus monedula) and compared the effect on fault bar number between two feather types, tail and wing coverts. Fault bar number in the two feather types correlated poorly, indicating they can be considered different traits. Subsequently, we monitored local survival to investigate how well both traits linked developmental conditions to survival prospects.

Tail fault bar number reflected developmental conditions better than the number of fault bars in the wings: when pre‐manipulation brood size was small, nestlings had more tail fault bars when brood size was subsequently enlarged, while there was no such manipulation effect on the number of fault bars in wing coverts.

In contrast, fault bar number in wing coverts better predicted fledgling local survival compared to tail coverts.

We conclude that fault bar number in tail coverts is a biomarker of developmental conditions, while fault bar number in wing coverts is a predictor of survival prospects, but neither trait successfully links developmental conditions to fitness prospects. These findings are in agreement with the expectation that development of traits with a stronger relation to fitness will be better canalized. We discuss three hypotheses that can explain why despite canalization there are traits that are both sensitive to developmental conditions and predict fitness prospects.

A lay summary is available for this article.