bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unconstrained and X-ray constrained extremely localized molecular orbitals: analysis of the reconstructed electron density
Authors: Dos Santos Leonardo H. R. , Genoni Alessandro , Macchi Piero
Published: September 2014

The recently developed X-ray constrained extremely localized molecular orbital (XC-ELMO) technique is a potentially useful tool for the determination and analysis of experimental electron densities. Molecular orbitals strictly localized on atoms, bonds or functional groups allow one to combine the quantum-mechanical rigour of the wavefunction-based approaches with the easy chemical interpretability typical of the traditional multipole models. In this paper, using very high quality X-ray diffraction data for the glycylglycine crystal, a detailed assessment of the capabilities and limitations of this new method is given. In particular, the effects of constraining the ELMO wavefunctions to experimental X-ray structure-factor amplitudes and the ability of the method to reproduce benchmark electron distributions have been accurately investigated. Topological analysis of the XC-ELMO electron densities and of the zero-flux surface-integrated charges and dipole moments shows that the new strategy is already reliable, provided that sufficiently flexible basis sets are used. These analyses also raise new questions and call for further improvements of the method.
Logistics service characteristics and supply chain priorities for freight management
Authors: Durán Encalada Jorge Alberto , Duhamel François Bernard
Published: September 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how the type of logistics services required by firms is related to the freight characteristics, and to the cost and other dimensions of the services in Mexico.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted an exploratory study using Anova analysis and correlations, on the basis of a sample of 266 freight movements in Mexico, in order to test two main hypotheses.

Findings

The authors found an association between some logistics services, according to their level of customization, with the freight characteristics, and a positive relation of those customized services with security and reliability, on the one hand, and a negative relation with cost of the services, on the other hand.

Research limitations/implications

Size of the sample and some subjective measures of logistics services performance.

Practical implications

For shipping companies to be aware of existing limitations of Mexican logistics service providers in relation to customizing their services and the attributes associated with these services. This knowledge will contribute to firms' better planning of their freight movements.

Originality/value

Authors extend the supply chain analysis considering logistics variables variables such as freight characteristics, logistics services requirements, and the firms’ priorities for contracting these services, such as cost and other attributes.
Entrepreneurial intention: perceived advantages and disadvantages
Authors: Sampedro Inés Rueda , Fernández‐Laviada Ana , Herrero Crespo Angel
Published: September 2014

Purpose

Based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour, the purpose of this paper is to analyse the influence of the advantages and disadvantages of entrepreneurship surrounding the entrepreneurial intention on a university context.

Design/methodology/approach

To test the hypothesis it is used a quantitative research. With a structural equations approach, it is explored the psychological mechanisms that could affect to the entrepreneurial intentions of university students.

Findings

The results obtained show that the advantages related to entrepreneurship, in particular personal rewards, influence positively on the entrepreneurial attitude. However, the disadvantages, in particular economic aspects, have a negative effect. Additionally, the authors test that the gender and the academic training have a moderate effect on the variables which influence on the entrepreneurial intention.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the literature on entrepreneurship in two important aspects. First, it goes into detail about the influence that perceived advantages and disadvantages of starting a new business has on entrepreneurial intentions. Second, the authors examine relevant and special collective, university students that try to decide their professional future and, hence, it is a critical period to decide the startup of a new business.
CSR influence on hotel brand image and loyalty
Authors: Martínez Patricia , Pérez Andrea , del Bosque Ignacio Rodríguez
Published: September 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on brand image and loyalty in the hotel industry.

Design/methodology/approach

A reflective structural equations model was developed to test the research hypothesis. The study was tested using data collected from a sample of Spanish consumers who assessed the top ten Spanish hotel chains operating in the Latin American context.

Findings

The role of CSR as a tool to generate both functional and affective brand image, and loyalty was confirmed. CSR has a greater influence on the affective dimension of brand image, whereas functional image has a greater influence on brand loyalty. Furthermore, CSR can be seen as having a direct positive effect on brand loyalty.

Research limitations/implications

It is necessary to extend this study to other subsectors in the tourism industry and to other Latin American countries. Future research should measure CSR as a formative construct to provide a greater consensus regarding the measurement of this topic. Moreover, the inclusion of new variables in the model would increase its explanatory power.

Originality/value

The principal contribution of this paper is that it provides important insights into the development of efficient strategies to enhance brand image and loyalty through CSR. Findings from this study may be of importance for hotel managers and directors when developing more effective branding strategies.
We are all monsters now!
Authors: Bloom Peter
Published: September 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate how Marxist accounts of capitalism and capitalists as “vampiric” and “cannibalistic” can challenge the exploitation underlying “monstrosity” of the diverse “liberal organization”.

Design/methodology/approach

– To bear out this argument, it will critically turn to Marx's original description of capitalism as “vampire” like. It will do so by examining a range of theoretical and existing empirical research related themes of contemporary diversity.

Findings

– The paper argues that in order to avoid becoming capitalist monsters it is imperative to adopt an explicitly anti-capitalist Marxist perspective centring on themes of a “monstrous” capitalism. Capitalist organizations, not only “suck the blood of workers” but turns them into exploiting vampires, feeding on others for own profit and promotion. Yet it also expands on such readings by emphasizing the liberating possibilities that a more contemporary view of “monsters” stressing radical diversity and difference can make to this Marxist critique.

Originality/value

– To this end, it illuminates how a perspective uniting these ideals, termed here as a “revolutionary monstrous humanism”, can effectively challenge the dehumanization of managerial control and market ideologies while also fighting for the right of individuals to express their heterogeneous and always evolving unique cultural identities.
Always different?: exploring the monstrous-feminine and maternal embodiment in organisation
Authors: Vachhani Sheena J
Published: September 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to problematise the notion of woman-as-monster and draws together a conceptual analysis of the monstrous-feminine and its relation to maternal and monstrous bodies including its implications for equality and inclusion in the workplace.

Design/methodology/approach

– Whilst exploring how female monsters are inextricably tied to their sexual difference, the author draws on social and psychoanalytic perspectives to suggest how such monstrosity is expressed through ambivalence to the maternal. The author analyses two “faces” of the monstrous-feminine in particular: the archaic mother and the monstrous womb (Creed, 1993) and develop this discussion in relation to the potential for a feminist monstrous politics of organisation.

Findings

– First, the author exposes the basis on which the monstrous-feminine articulates and disarticulates femininity, that is to say, how a feminist analysis of monsters may enable but also foreclose a positive articulation of disruption, disorder and disorganisation central to the conceptualisation of monsters. This is done through a reading of the maternal-feminine and literature on motherhood in organisation studies. Second, the author locates the monstrous-feminine in the body and explores how maternal bodies are constructed and experienced as monstrous as they disrupt the self/other relationship. This analysis suggests that embodying the monster comes with risks and that different configurations of the monstrous maternal are necessary for equality and inclusion in the workplace.

Originality/value

– The paper identifies and contributes to growing research on the ambivalence of monsters and expands a neglected area of the feminine and maternal aspects of these relationships and what this means for workplace relations.
Monstrous motherhood versus magical maternity? An exploration of conflicting attitudes to maternity within health discourses and organizational settings
Authors: Gatrell Caroline J
Published: September 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to compare public health discourses on the importance of motherhood with organizational attitudes towards childbearing. It shows how pregnancy and the nurturing of infant children are valorized within public health discourses, which treat pregnancy and new maternity as a miraculous “project”, encouraging mothers to position maternity as central to their lives. By contrast, the paper shows how employers treat pregnancy and new motherhood as inconvenient and messy: as monstrous, at work.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper draws upon a database of qualitative netnographic (or internet-based) research. It analyses netnographic interactions between pregnant and newly maternal women. These virtual data are afforded the same validity as face-to-face research.

Findings

– The paper demonstrates how maternal responsibilities for nurturing pregnancy and infant children, and the bio-medical properties of the maternal body, are central to public health discourses. By contrast, the maternal body is treated within organizations as alien, or monstrous.

Originality/value

– The paper compares and contrasts public health valorizations of motherhood, with organizational tendencies to treat pregnancy/newly maternal bodies as monstrous. It highlights dichotomies faced by employed mothers. A continuing chasm between the social organization of maternity, and the attitudes of employers towards children and maternal bodies, is identified.
Apple was sweeter when Steve Jobs held sway
Authors: Kaliannan Maniam , Ponnusamy Vanitha
Published: September 2014

Purpose

– This paper observes that Apple illustrates the right and wrong ways to bring about organizational change, and emphasizes the key role of personalities in the process.

Design/methodology/approach

– Compares and contrasts the performance of Apple under the leadership of Steve Jobs and John Sculley.

Findings

– Advances the view that Steve Jobs was more successful because he focused on innovation, while John Sculley paid more attention to current products and profitability.

Practical implications

– Describes how the Steve Jobs era saw the introduction of such iconic Apple products as the iPod, iPhone and iPad, which helped the company to gain pre-eminence in its field.

Social implications

– Argues that, in today’s globalized business environment, organizational change is a must. Demonstrates how to achieve this successfully.

Originality/value

– Describes two sides of the Apple story and draws the lessons for other businesses involved in organizational change.
Step by step to better performance
Authors: Mayfield Jacqueline , Mayfield Milton
Published: September 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to discuss how to foster organizational–citizenship behavior (OCB), which offers benefits including improved competitive advantage and employee welfare.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper defines OCB, discusses its benefits and limitations and offers advice on interventions.

Findings

– It is argued that enhanced OCB can significantly improve organizational performance and employee well-being.

Practical implications

– A framework that could help companies to implement OCB, while recognizing that the circumstances of every business are different has been set out.

Social implications

– This paper reveals why OCB is less common among the millennial generation.

Originality/value

– OCB as a tool to boost employee motivation and to breach the gap created by the disappearing traditional employer–employee psychological contract has been presented.
Surviving downsizing and innovative behaviors: a matter of organizational commitment
Authors: Marques Tânia , Galende Jesús , Cruz Pedro , Portugal Ferreira Manuel
Published: September 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyse the simultaneous effects of perceived job insecurity and organizational commitment on the innovative behavior of workers in an announced downsizing environment.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors suggest and empirically test a model using the case of a firm, an innovative high technology firm, in a downsizing process.

Findings

– The results show an indirect effect of job insecurity on innovative behavior, through organizational commitment.

Research limitations/implications

– First, the paper only examined one firm. Although the firm is a large multinational firm it may have a specific organizational culture and a track record that generates some idiosyncratic feelings in face of downsizing. Second, the context of knowledge-intensive firms limits the scope of the study, although it is reasonable to suggest that these firms are more dependent on employees’ innovative efforts for competitive advantage.

Practical implications

– This study is a contribution to the HRM practitioners in a tense and delicate worldwide restructuring situation. The outcomes experienced by those who remain – the survivors – are important for the future competitive capabilities of firms post-downsizing.

Social implications

– Thus, it seems that organizational commitment directly and positively determines workers’ innovative behavior and that organizational commitment is impacted by job insecurity in an announced downsizing environment. It is, essentially, an affective commitment and job insecurity is more affected by a perceived threat to one’s total job.

Originality/value

– A downsizing strategy warrants that the full impact on firms’ ability to innovate be assessed.
Enhancing organizational performance of Malaysian SMEs
Authors: Wan Hooi Lai , Sing Ngui Kwang
Published: September 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine organizational learning (OL) capability as a mediator of the relationship between human resource management (HRM) and performance of Malaysian small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

– A cross-sectional design was adopted, where data were collected from a sample of 286 manufacturing and service SMEs, utilizing a survey questionnaire. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling.

Findings

– Results from a two-stage structural equation modeling analysis suggest that the use of human-capital enhancing HR practices strengthen SMEs’ learning capability. Furthermore, SMEs’ learning capability mediates the effect of the HR practices on firm performance.

Research limitations/implications

– It uses a cross-sectional design which has prevented the examination of cause and effect relationship between two constructs. It also did not include large organizations in the sample population. It also did not consider other SME contextual variables which may otherwise exert significant impact on OL capability, or moderate the relationship between the constructs under study.

Practical implications

– A profound understanding of HR practices’ holistic effect on performances would assist organizations to implement strategies to sustain competitive advantage. Company capabilities embedded in employee behavior are less likely to be inimitable and organizations could effectively nurture the needed employee capabilities to achieve the desired performance outcomes.

Originality/value

– The study advances knowledge on HRM among SMEs by proposing that decisions on selection of HR practices can be guided by the objective of developing the OL capability of the firm.
A composite index for measuring performance in higher education institutions
Authors: Asif Muhammad , Searcy Cory
Published: September 2014

Purpose

– Governments and funders are increasingly linking the funding of higher education institutions (HEIs) to their performance. Performance indicators (PIs) provide a means to measure and track performance of HEIs. The purpose of this paper is to provide a structured framework for mapping out key PIs and developing a composite index for measuring performance in HEIs.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper makes use of the analytic hierarchy process to develop the framework. The application of the framework is demonstrated through a case study.

Findings

– A structured approach to determining key PIs and developing a composite index in HEIs is elaborated. The framework developed in this paper is consensus-based, knowledge-intensive, and allows input to and ownership of the decision process and its output.

Practical implications

– While there are numerous PIs; organizational resources and capabilities to manage these PIs are usually limited. HEIs must manage and improve their performance within their unique contexts. This paper provides a methodology to do so.

Originality/value

– The process of mapping out key PIs and developing composite indices for integrated performance measurement are not adequately understood and need further research. The framework discussed in this paper has not been elaborated on in previous publications.
Selection of single sampling plans by attributes under the conditions of zero-inflated Poisson distribution
Authors: Appaia Loganathan , Kandaswamy Shalini
Published: September 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to determine single sampling plans (SSPs) by attributes when the number of nonconformities is distributed according to a zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP) distribution.

Design/methodology/approach

– Manufacturing processes have now-a-days been aligned properly and are monitored well, so that the occurrence of nonconformities would be a rare phenomenon. The information related to number of nonconformities per product will have more number of zeros. Under such circumstances, the appropriate probability distribution of the number of nonconformities is a ZIP distribution. The operating characteristic function of the sampling plan is derived.

Findings

– Parameters of the sampling plans are obtained for some sets of values of (p1,α,p2,β). Numerical examples are given to illustrate the selection of SSPs under ZIP distribution and to study its advantages over Poisson SSP.

Originality/value

– Results obtained in this paper are original and has been done for the first time in this regard. Parameters of the sampling plans are essential to make decisions either to accept or reject the lots based on the inspection of the samples.
RSS feeds behavior analysis, structure and vocabulary
Authors: Travers Nicolas , Hmedeh Zeinab , Vouzoukidou Nelly , du Mouza Cedric , Christophides Vassilis , Scholl Michel
Published: September 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present a thorough analysis of three complementary features of real-scale really simple syndication (RSS)/Atom feeds, namely, publication activity, items characteristics and their textual vocabulary, that the authors believe are crucial for emerging Web 2.0 applications. Previous works on RSS/Atom statistical characteristics do not provide a precise and updated characterization of feeds’ behavior and content, characterization that can be used to successfully benchmark the effectiveness and efficiency of various Web syndication processing/analysis techniques.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors empirical study relies on a large-scale testbed acquired over an eight-month campaign from 2010. They collected a total number of 10,794,285 items originating from 8,155 productive feeds. The authors deeply analyze feeds productivity (types and bandwidth), content (XML, text and duplicates) and textual content (vocabulary and buzz-words).

Findings

– The findings of the study are as follows: 17 per cent of feeds produce 97 per cent of the items; a formal characterization of feeds publication rate conducted by using a modified power law; most popular textual elements are the title and description, with the average size of 52 terms; cumulative item size follows a lognormal distribution, varying greatly with feeds type; 47 per cent of the feed-published items share the same description; the vocabulary does not belong to Wordnet terms (4 per cent); characterization of vocabulary growth using Heaps’ laws and the number of occurrences by a stretched exponential distribution conducted; and ranking of terms does not significantly vary for frequent terms.

Research limitations/implications

– Modeling dedicated Web applications capacities, Defining benchmarks, optimizing Publish/Subscribe index structures.

Practical implications

– It especially opens many possibilities for tuning Web applications, like an RSS crawler designed with a resource allocator and a refreshing strategy based on the Gini values and evolution to predict bursts for each feed, according to their category and class for targeted feeds; an indexing structure which matches textual items’ content, which takes into account item size according to targeted feeds, size of the vocabulary and term occurrences, updates of the vocabulary and evolution of term ranks, typos and misspelling correction; filtering by pruning items for content duplicates of different feeds and correlation of terms to easily detect replicates.

Originality/value

– A content-oriented analysis of dynamic Web information.
Effects of complaint behaviour and service recovery satisfaction on consumer intentions to repurchase on the internet
Authors: H.A. Bijmolt Tammo , K.R.E. Huizingh Eelko , Krawczyk Adriana
Published: September 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of complaint behaviour and service recovery satisfaction on consumer intentions to repurchase through internet channels.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using survey data from large consumer samples from 15 European countries, the authors classify consumers according to: whether they had negative experiences with online purchases, whether they complained, and whether they were satisfied with the complaint handling. A logistic regression analysis assesses the effects of these experiences on repurchase intentions.

Findings

– Remarkable differences arise among the consumers with respect to intentions to repurchase on the internet. Consumers with negative experiences who complained expressed higher repurchase intentions than consumers with no reason to complain and also than consumers who had negative experiences but did not complain. Yet the highest repurchase intentions arose among consumers who complained and expressed satisfaction with the complaint handling, in support of the service recovery paradox in an online setting.

Originality/value

– This project is one of the first empirical studies of the consequences of dissatisfaction and complaints related to online purchase behaviour.
The measurement and dimensionality of e-learning blog satisfaction
Authors: Wang Yi-Shun , Li Ci-Rong , Lin Hsin-Hui , Shih Ying-Wei
Published: September 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a multi-dimensional instrument to measure e-learning blog satisfaction (ELBS).

Design/methodology/approach

– This study introduces and defines the construct of ELBS, provides an empirical validation of the construct and its underlying dimensionality, develops a generic ELBS instrument with desirable psychometric properties, and investigates the instrument's theoretical and practical applications.

Findings

– After analyzing data from a calibration sample (n=238) and a validation sample (n=226), this study proposes a five-factor, 20-item ELBS instrument.

Practical implications

– This empirically validated instrument will be useful to researchers in terms of developing and testing blog-based learning theories, as well as to educators in terms of understanding students’ ELBS and promoting the use of blog-based learning systems.

Originality/value

– This study is a pioneering effort to develop and validate a multi-dimensional instrument to measure ELBS.
Exploring the relationship between intentional and behavioral loyalty in the context of e-tailing
Authors: Liao Yi-Wen , Wang Yi-Shun , Yeh Ching-Hsuan
Published: September 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to understand what drives customers’ behavioral loyalty and explore the relationship between intentional and behavioral loyalty in the context of e-tailing.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on the theory of reasoned action and the recency-frequency-monetary value model, this study proposes a research model to explore the relationships among satisfaction, switching cost, intentional loyalty (i.e. word of mouth (WOM) and repurchase intention), and behavioral loyalty (i.e. purchase frequency and monetary value). Data collected from 266 respondents in the context of e-tailing are tested against the research model using a partial least squares (PLS) approach.

Findings

– The results indicate that both satisfaction and switching cost are positively related to intentional loyalty (i.e. WOM and repurchase intention), and that the relationship of satisfaction with intentional loyalty outweighs that of switching cost. Additionally, while repurchase intention significantly associates with purchase frequency and monetary value, a relatively small portion of the variance in both purchase frequency and monetary value are explained. More importantly, WOM is unrelated to both purchase frequency and monetary value. The insignificance of WOM and the low predictability of repurchase intention indicate that the relationship between intentional and behavioral loyalty is weak in e-tailing context.

Originality/value

– This study provided empirical evidence to support the weak relationship between intentional and behavioral customer loyalty in the context of e-tailing. The findings provide several important theoretical and practical implications for e-tailing customer relationship management.
Tweet or “re-tweet”? An experiment of message strategy and interactivity on Twitter
Authors: Li Zongchao , Li Cong
Published: September 2014

Purpose

– Although a large number of prior studies have discussed the impact of using social media to organizations, the existing literature has not yet provided a clear guidance on what specific communication strategy organizations should adopt on social media and what relationship they need to establish with the public. To fill this theoretical gap, the purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of message strategy and interactivity from a relationship-building perspective within a social media context.

Design/methodology/approach

– Through a 2×2 between-subjects experiment (n=84), this study tests the effects of two message strategies, communal-relationship oriented messages and exchange-relationship oriented messages, with either a high or low level of interactivity within a corporate Twitter setting.

Findings

– The study findings indicate that communication strategies with different relationship orientations differ in quality. Communal-relationship oriented messages tend to generate more favorable relationship outcomes such as trust and control mutuality than exchange-relationship oriented messages. Message interactivity also positively influences attitude toward the company, perceived company credibility, and commitment.

Originality/value

– The unique contribution of this study is to extend relationship theories to a discussion of what message strategies organizations should use on social media. It suggests that messages oriented toward different relationships can lead to different outcomes. It also demonstrates the effectiveness of message interactivity in building a relationship between an organization and the public.
Improving relevance in B2B research: analysis and recommendations
Authors: Brennan Ross , Tzempelikos Nektarios , Wilson Jonathan
Published: September 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of the study is to identify and discuss critical aspects of the academic/practitioner gap and suggest how to make marketing research more relevant.

Design/Methodology/Approach

– The study uses data from an earlier study of eight qualitative interviews conducted with business-to-business (B2B) marketing practitioners and from an earlier quantitative study among 128 academics and 510 marketing research practitioners. The data are re-analyzed for this article.

Findings

– Results show that academics and practitioners agree that academic research should be of more practical value. However, their priorities differ. For academics, publishing in refereed journals is the first priority and influencing practice is of much lower priority, while practitioners are not interested in the methodological and theoretical advances of marketing research; their priority is to satisfy day-to-day practical needs. Hence, practitioners have no interest in academic journals. The academic reward system tends to reinforce this divide because academic career progression depends substantially on the production of refereed journal articles.

Research limitations/implications

– Much prior consideration has been given to how academic journals can be made more relevant to practitioners, which is a desirable goal. However, a more fruitful approach for B2B academics would be to embrace new technologies such as blogging and social media to reach practitioners through their preferred channels. If greater relevance is to be achieved, then consideration needs to be given to the views of doctoral students, and to doctoral training processes in B2B marketing.

Practical implications

– The study provides academics with guidance concerning how marketing research can have a greater effect on the practice of marketing.

Social implications

–

Originality/value

– The study contributes to the research base by identifying and discussing critical aspects of the academic/practitioner gap. The study also offers insights into how managerial relevance in marketing research can, practically, be improved.
Superstars and disloyal football fans: factors influencing attraction to competition
Authors: Hoegele Daniel , L. Schmidt Sascha , Torgler Benno
Published: September 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of superstars (and other factors) on football fans’ attraction to competition (i.e. disloyal behavior).

Design/methodology/approach

– A proprietary data set including archival data on professional German football players and clubs as well as survey data of more than 900 football fans is used. The hypotheses are tested with two-sample mean-comparison t-tests and multivariate probit models.

Findings

– This study provides evidence that superstars both attract new fans and contribute to the retention of existing fans. While the presence of superstars, team loyalty and team identification prevent football fans from being attracted to competition, the team's recent performance seems to have no effect. Fans who select their favorite player from a competing team rather choose superstars, young players, players who are known for exemplary behavior and defenders.

Originality/value

– This paper contributes to existing research by expanding the list of antecedents of disloyalty and by being the first to employ independent, quantitative data for the assessment of superstar characteristics in the context of team loyalty.
Design thinking in talent acquisition: a practitioner’s perspective
Authors: Sahay Pradeep
Published: September 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this article is to examine the applicability of design thinking to the strategic role of talent acquisition in organizations. While design thinking has become part of popular lexicon in contemporary design and engineering practice, as well as business and management, its principles can be seamlessly applied across multiple disciplines and industries. The premise is that by knowing about the process and the methods that designers use to ideate, and by understanding how designers approach problem solving, individuals and businesses will be better able to connect with and invigorate their ideation processes to take innovation to a higher level.

Design/methodology/approach

– The methodology used was based on empirical research drawn from the authors > 20 years of experience in the industry as also secondary research, which has been appropriately referenced in the attached article.

Findings

– The process of developing talent relationships forces managers to develop a more outward-looking view, staying on top of cutting-edge trends, building their company’s image and staying in sync with customer expectations. This is but the essence of the design thinking methodology – taking insights from people at the various stages, touch points of the process and build from the outside-in rather than from the inside-out.

Originality/value

– The article is an attempt to articulate the challenges that confront organizations today as they compete for talent in the changing talent marketplace. Hopefully, the document will elevate some awareness and discourse on the subject and finally concretize on a roadmap that turns its talent acquisition into a strategic advantage with visible impact on the bottom-line. In essence, the article is about creating innovative efficiencies within the recruiting function.
Development of theKneeOA Pre‐ScreeningQuestionnaire
Authors: Yázigi Flavia , Carnide Filomena , Espanha Margarida , Sousa Miguel
Published: September 2014

Aim

Self‐report questionnaires are still considered to be a useful instrument for disease screening and for epidemiological studies. Few questionnaires have been developed for the purpose of screening for knee osteoarthritis (KOA). The aim of this study was to develop aKOAscreening tool that is useful for health and exercise professionals who do not have access to advanced and costly diagnostic instruments.

Methods

This study comprised five steps: content validity, reliability, criterion validity, construct validity and responsiveness. Internal consistency was verified usingCronbach's alpha and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Reproducibility was analyzed using theICC(1 week). Criterion validity was assessed by comparing theKneeOA Pre‐ScreeningQuestionnaire (KOPS) score with theShortForm (SF)‐12, theKneeInjury andOsteoarthritisOutcomeScores questionnaire and the 6 min walk test. Construct validity was verified using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AmericanCollege ofRheumatology clinical criteria andX‐ray). Responsiveness was analyzed over 3 months of an aquatic exercise program using the pooled effect size.

Results

The overallKOPSscore yielded aCronbach's alpha of 0.747 and anICCof 0.646.KOPSwas considered reproducible (ICC: 0.895–0.992;Cronbach's alpha: 0.894–0.979). TheROCcurve revealed a sensitivity of 86.96 and a specificity of 75.82. TheKOPSdemonstrated medium responsiveness in terms of the total score and the pain and symptoms components.

Conclusion

TheKOPSquestionnaire is valid for the purposes for which it was created, and its translation intoEnglish should be considered.
Silent fish surveys: bubble‐free diving highlights inaccuracies associated with SCUBA‐based surveys in heavily fished areas
Authors: Lindfield Steven J. , Harvey Euan S. , McIlwain Jennifer L. , Halford Andrew R.
Published: September 2014

Underwater visual census (UVC) using SCUBA is a commonly used method for assessing reef fish communities. Evidence suggests, however, that fish avoid divers due to the sound of bubbles produced by open‐circuit SCUBA, and avoidance behaviour is more pronounced as fishing pressure increases. Despite the potential for producing biased counts and conclusions, these behavioural effects have rarely been quantified, especially when assessing the effectiveness of marine protected areas (MPAs).

To test the magnitude of avoidance behaviour, we surveyed fish populations inside and outside two MPAs in Guam, using two diving systems: standard open‐circuit (OC) SCUBA and a closed‐circuit rebreather (CCR) that produces no bubbles. Data were collected using a diver‐operated stereo‐video system (stereo‐DOV), which provided counts of relative abundance, measures of fish length and the minimum approach distance of the diver to a fish.

Inside MPAs, fish surveys conducted with CCR recorded similar community metrics to fish surveys conducted with conventional OC SCUBA. In contrast, outside the MPAs, the bubble‐free diving system recorded 48% more species and up to 260% greater fish abundance. These differences reflected the ability of a diver wearing the silent CCR unit to sample the larger, most heavily targeted species that are shy of divers in fished areas. This difference was also large enough to change some results from ‘reject’ to ‘accept’ the null hypothesis of ‘no significant differences exist between fished and protected areas’.

The use of CCR for fish surveys clearly minimizes behavioural biases associated with fish avoiding open‐circuit SCUBA divers. We recommend the use of this bubble‐free diving system for surveys assessing reef fish populations, especially in areas where fish are heavily targeted by spearfishing. If fish behaviour is not accounted for, surveys using SCUBA could result in erroneous conclusions when comparing fished and protected areas. While the behaviour of fish towards divers is rarely mentioned in conclusions from studies using UVC, it is an important source of bias that should be acknowledged and minimized where possible.
Influence of artificial food provisioning from fisheries on killer whale reproductive output
Authors: Tixier P. , Authier M. , Gasco N. , Guinet C.
Published: September 2014

Prey availability is a critical factor influencing demographic trajectories of long‐lived, top predators, which may therefore be strongly affected by artificial food provisioning. In the Crozet archipelago, killer whales feed on a wide range of species including birds, marine mammals and fish. Following the development of the Patagonian toothfish fisheries in 1996, killer whales began to also depredate longlines. Social groups, hereafter referred to as matrilines, exhibited different levels of interaction; some were involved in most of the depredation events, while others were never observed interacting with fisheries. These differences in interaction levels influenced reproduction. An extensive photo‐identification effort from 2003 to 2012 allowed us to estimate the probability of calving for 21 reproductive females. Using multi‐model inference, we found a positive effect of depredation on female calving rate. These results suggest an effect of artificial food provisioning on female reproductive output with potentially far‐reaching consequences on the demography of the Crozet killer whale population. Our findings evidence the need to account for both intra‐population heterogeneity and level of interaction with fisheries when assessing conservation strategies of long‐lived marine predators involved in similar depredation worldwide.
Complications and long‐term follow‐up on colorectal resections in the treatment of deep infiltrating endometriosis extending to bowel wall
Authors: Tarjanne Satu , Heikinheimo Oskari , Mentula Maarit , Härkki Päivi
Published: September 2014

Objective

To evaluate the rate of complications, factors associated with complications and long‐term results in colorectal resections for the treatment of deep infiltrating endometriosis of the bowel wall.

Design

Retrospective study.

Setting

Tertiary center in Finland.

Methods

Medical charts were reviewed for 164 women undergoing colorectal resections for deep infiltrating endometriosis between June 2004 and December 2012 at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Helsinki University Central Hospital; in 112 women (68%) bowel resection was performed laparoscopically and in 52 women (32%) laparotomy was needed.

Main outcome measures

Complications, re‐operations, fertility.

Results

The rate of major complications was 12% for both laparoscopies and laparotomies. However, the rate of complications during laparoscopies decreased from 27% in 2004–06 to 8% between 2010 and 2012. Similarly, the complication rate in laparoscopies fell with increased personal experience of the operating surgeon. A greater size (≥4 cm) of the nodules in the resected bowel was significantly associated with the development of a major complication. During the median follow up of 61 months (range 16–116 months) 7% needed a re‐operation due to recurrence. Forty‐seven percent of those women who preoperatively desired a pregnancy, subsequently had a child.

Conclusions

Laparoscopy has become a feasible alternative to laparotomy for performing colorectal resection in cases of deep infiltrating endometriosis of the bowel wall. Moreover, colorectal resections seem to result in good long‐term pain relief and fertility. With increasing experience the number of complications was reduced and therefore, the practice of centralizing these operations seems to be well justified.
Description of the population structure and genetic diversity of tuberculosis in Estado de México, a low prevalence setting from Mexico
Authors: Zenteno‐Cuevas Roberto , Mendoza‐Damián Fabiola , Muñoz Irving Cansino , Enciso‐Moreno Leonor , Pérez‐Navarro Lucia Monserrat , Ramírez‐Hernández Ma. Dolores , Vázquez‐Medina Karen , Widrobo‐García Lorena , Lauzardo Michael , Enciso‐Moreno José Antonio
Published: September 2014

In order to identify the genetic characteristics of the strains of mycobacteria circulating in the Estado de México, one of the states with the lowest prevalence of tuberculosis in Mexico, spoligotyping and 12‐loci MIRU‐VNTR typing were used to genotype tuberculosis clinical isolates. The average age of the 183 patients analyzed was 50 (± 17) years, drug resistance was noted in 57 (31%) and multidrug resistance in 22 (12%) individuals. The results from the isolates recovered showed that 80% were located in four major Euro‐American lineages: Haarlem (17%), LAM (15%), T (20%) and X (29%). Other lineages found in lower proportions were: EAI, S, Beijing, West African, Turkey, Vole and Bovis. Eighteen isolates were orphans. Only 57 isolates were grouped in nine clusters and the SIT119 (X1) showed the highest number of members (23). The LAM lineage showed an increased risk for development of drug resistance (RR=4, IC: 95%: 1.05–14.2, p = 0.03). Despite the important prevalence of four major lineages found and the diversity of strains circulating in the population, we found the presence of one of the largest populations of isolates clustered to the X lineage in a setting from a Latin American country.
Clonal dissemination of multilocus sequence type 11 Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase – producing K. pneumoniae in a Chinese teaching hospital
Authors: Sun Kangde , Chen Xu , Li Chunsheng , Yu Zhongmin , Zhou Qi , Yan Yuzhong
Published: September 2014

Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)‐producing K. pneumoniae has disseminated rapidly in China. We aimed to analyze the molecular epidemiology of four KPC‐producing K. pneumoniae strains isolated from a suspected clonal outbreak during a 3‐month period and to track the dissemination of KPC‐producing K. pneumonia retrospectively. We created antimicrobial susceptibility profiles using an automated broth microdilution system and broth microdilution methods. We screened carbapenemase and KPC phenotypes using the modified Hodge test and meropenem–boronic acid (BA) disk test, respectively. We identified β‐lactamase genes with PCR and sequencing. We investigated clonal relatedness for epidemiological comparison using pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). All isolates expressed multidrug resistance and yielded positive results for the modified Hodge and meropenem‐BA disk tests. The isolates all carried blaKPC‐2, and coproduced CTX‐M–type extended‐spectrum β‐lactamase. PFGE and MLST showed that the isolates were clonally related. The PFGE patterns of these isolates had ≥90% similarity. We found a single clone, sequence type (ST) 11, and its typical dissemination mode resembled clonal spread. The dissemination of KPC‐producing K. pneumoniae is clonally related and there is probable local transmission of a successful ST11 clone.
The CD48 receptor mediates Staphylococcus aureus human and murine eosinophil activation
Authors: Minai‐Fleminger Y. , Gangwar R. S. , Migalovich‐Sheikhet H. , Seaf M. , Leibovici V. , Hollander N. , Feld M. , Moses A. E. , Homey B. , Levi‐Schaffer F.
Published: September 2014

Background

Allergy is characterized by eosinophilia and an increased susceptibility to microbial infection. Atopic dermatitis (AD) is typically associated with Staphylococcus aureus (SA) colonization. Some of the mechanisms by which SA and its exotoxins interact with eosinophils remain elusive. CD48, a glycosylphosphatidylinositol‐anchored receptor belonging to the CD2 family, participates in mast cells–SA stimulating cross‐talk, facilitates the formation of the mast cell/eosinophils effector unit and as expressed by eosinophils, mediates experimental asthma.

Objective

To investigate the role of CD48 expressed on human peripheral blood and mouse bone marrow‐derived eosinophils (BMEos) in their interaction with heat‐killed SA and its three exotoxins, Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), protein A (PtA) and peptidoglycan (PGN).

Methods

Eosinophils were obtained from human peripheral blood and BM of WT and CD48−/− mice. SA was heat killed and eosinophils–SA/exotoxins interactions were analyzed by confocal microscopy, adhesion and degranulation, cell viability, cytokine release and cell signalling. In addition, peritonitis was induced by SEB injection into CD48−/− and WT mice. CD48 expression was studied in AD patients' skin and as expressed on their leucocytes in the peripheral blood.

Results

We provide evidence for the recognition and direct physical interaction between eosinophils and SA/exotoxins. Skin of AD patients showed a striking increase of eosinophil‐associated CD48 expression while on peripheral blood leucocytes it was down‐regulated. SA/exotoxins enhanced CD48 eosinophil expression, bound to CD48 and caused eosinophil activation and signal transduction. These effects were significantly decreased by blocking CD48 on human eosinophils or in BMEos from CD48−/− mice. We have also explored the role of CD48 in a SEB‐induced peritonitis model in CD48−/− mice by evaluating inflammatory peritoneal cells, eosinophil numbers and activation.

Conclusions

These data demonstrate the important role of CD48 in SA/exotoxins–eosinophil activating interactions that can take place during allergic responses and indicate CD48 as a novel therapeutic target for allergy and especially of AD.