bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acute Paraesophageal Hernia: Laparoscopic Repair With Adjunct T-Fastener Gastropexy for the High Operative Risk Patient
Authors: Arevalo Gabriel , Wilkerson Jordan , Saxe Jonathan
Published: April 2018

Background:

In the emergent setting, most paraesophageal hernia (PEH) repairs are done by laparotomy with adjunct gastropexy or gastrostomy tube (GT) placement. This adjunct to the repair can be performed expeditiously by a laparoscopic approach by utilizing T-fasteners. We present our case series of patients with PEHs and acute gastric volvulus that were managed with laparoscopy and how patient characteristics can influence the repair technique.

Methods:

Patients with high operative risk who underwent laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair with adjunct T-fastener gastropexy in the emergent setting between July 2014 and July 2016 were included in this study.

Results:

Thirteen patients underwent successful PEH repair and all were classified as urgent/emergent upon admission. In total, 30.7% were performed laparoscopically. The median patient age was 84 years. A laparoscopic GT or gastropexy was performed for fixation of the stomach. Crural closure by an anterior cruroplasty was performed in all patients. There were no mortalities. One patient required conversion of gastropexy into a GT given symptoms of dysphagia. Prolonged length of stay was related to postdischarge institutionalization. All patients remained free of obstructive symptoms.

Conclusions:

Laparoscopic PEH repair with adjunct gastropexy or GT placement should be considered in emergent cases for elderly patients with predominately obstructive symptoms. Laparoscopy for PEH repair is challenging and requires technical skills. T-fastener gastropexy or GT placement is safe, simple, and obviates the need for intracorporeal suturing. It also may be used to improve physician comfort with laparoscopy and to expedite the repair in this high-risk population.
Nationwide trends in mortality following penetrating trauma: Are we up for the challenge?
Authors: Sakran Joseph V. , Mehta Ambar , Fransman Ryan , Nathens Avery B. , Joseph Bellal , Kent Alistair , Haut Elliott R. , Efron David T.
Published: April 2018

BACKGROUND

Despite a focus on improved prehospital care, penetrating injuries contribute substantially to trauma mortality in the United States. We therefore analyzed contemporary trends in prehospital mortality from penetrating trauma in the past decade.

METHODS

We identified patients in the The National Trauma Data Bank from 2007 to 2010 (“early period”) and 2011 to 2014 (“late period”) with gunshot wounds (GSW) and stab wounds (SW), who were treated at hospitals that recorded dead-on-arrival statistics. Multivariable logistic regressions assessed differences in body locations of trauma, prehospital mortality, and in-hospital mortality between the early and late periods. Models accounted for hospital clusters and adjusted for age, pulse, hypotension, New Injury Severity Score, Glasgow Coma Scale, and number of injured body parts.

RESULTS

From 2007 to 2014, 437,398 patients experienced penetrating traumas, with equal distributions of GSW and SW. There were unadjusted differences in prehospital mortality (GSW: early, 2.0% vs. late, 4.9%; SW: early, 0.2% vs. late, 1.1%) and in-hospital mortality (GSW: early, 13.8% vs. late, 9.5%; SW: early, 1.8% vs. late, 1.0%) by both mechanisms. After adjustment, patients in the late period relative to those in the early period had significantly higher odds of prehospital death (GSWs: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 4.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.31–6.22; SWs: aOR, 8.98; 95% CI, 5.50–14.67) and lower odds of in-hospital death (GSWs: aOR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.80–0.90; SWs: aOR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.71–0.92). Sensitivity analyses assessing GSWs and SWs by locations of body injury found similar results. Additionally, patients in the late period were more likely to experience penetrating injuries to the face, spine, and lower extremities.

CONCLUSION

In the United States, the prevalence of penetrating traumas remains a nationwide burden. The odds of prehospital mortality has increased over fourfold for GSWs and almost ninefold for SWs. Examining violence intensity, along with improvements in hospital care and data collection, may explain these findings.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Prognostic and epidemiological, level IV.
Minimizing Structural Bias in Single-Molecule Super-Resolution Microscopy
Authors: Mazidi Hesam , Lu Jin , Nehorai Arye , Lew Matthew D.
Published: April 2018

Single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) depends on sequential detection and localization of individual molecular blinking events. Due to the stochasticity of single-molecule blinking and the desire to improve SMLM’s temporal resolution, algorithms capable of analyzing frames with a high density (HD) of active molecules, or molecules whose images overlap, are a prerequisite for accurate location measurements. Thus far, HD algorithms are evaluated using scalar metrics, such as root-mean-square error, that fail to quantify the structure of errors caused by the structure of the sample. Here, we show that the spatial distribution of localization errors within super-resolved images of biological structures are vectorial in nature, leading to systematic structural biases that severely degrade image resolution. We further demonstrate that the shape of the microscope’s point-spread function (PSF) fundamentally affects the characteristics of imaging artifacts. We built a Robust Statistical Estimation algorithm (RoSE) to minimize these biases for arbitrary structures and PSFs. RoSE accomplishes this minimization by estimating the likelihood of blinking events to localize molecules more accurately and eliminate false localizations. Using RoSE, we measure the distance between crossing microtubules, quantify the morphology of and separation between vesicles, and obtain robust recovery using diverse 3D PSFs with unmatched accuracy compared to state-of-the-art algorithms.
Hypoxia increases the tempo of evolution in glioblastoma
Authors: Grimes David Robert , Jansen Marnix , Macauley Robert J. , Scott Jacob G. , Basanta David
Published: April 2018

Background

Low oxygen in tumours have long been associated with poor prognosis and metastatic disease, precise reasons for which remain poorly understood. Somatic evolution drives cancer progression and treatment resistance. This process is fuelled not only by genetic and epigenetic mutation, but by selection resulting from the interactions between tumour cells, normal cells and physical microenvironment. The ecological habitat tumour cells inhabit influences evolutionary dynamics but impact on tempo of evolution is less clear.

Methods

We explored this complex dialogue with a combined clinical-theoretical approach. Using an agent-based-model, we simulated proliferative hierarchy under heterogeneous oxygen availability. Predictions were compared against clinical data derived from histology samples taken from glioblastoma patients, stained to elucidate areas of hypoxia / necrosis, and p53 expression heterogeneity.

Results

Simulation results indicate cell division in hypoxic environments is effectively upregulated, and that low-oxygen niches provide new avenues for tumour cells to spread. Analysis of human data indicates cell division isn’t decreased in low-oxygen regions, despite evidence of significant physiological stress. This is consistent with simulation, suggesting hypoxia is a crucible that effectively warping evolutionary velocity, making deleterious mutations more likely than in well-oxygenated regions.

Conclusions

Results suggest hypoxic regions alter evolutionary tempo, driving mutations which fuel tumour heterogeneity..
Mice follow odor trails using stereo olfactory cues and rapid sniff to sniff comparisons
Authors: Jones Peter W , Urban Nathan N
Published: April 2018

Animals use the distribution of chemicals in their environment to guide behaviors essential for life, including finding food and mates, and avoiding predators. The presence of this general class of behavior is extremely widespread, even though the olfactory sensory apparatus and strategies used may vary between animals. The strategies and cues used by mammals to localize and track odor sources have recently become of interest to neuroscientists, but are still poorly understand. In order to study how mice localize odors, we trained mice to perform a trail following task using a novel behavioral paradigm and behavioral monitoring setup. We find that mice, in order to follow an odor trail, use both sniff by sniff odor concentration comparisons and internares comparisons to guide their behavior. Furthermore, they employ olfactory information to guide adaptive behaviors with remarkably short latencies of approximately 80ms. This study and its findings establish a rich, quantifiable olfactory localization behavior in mice that is amenable to physiological investigations and motivates investigation into the neural substrates of the identified olfactory cues.

Significance

Many animals, like rodents, rely heavily on their sense smell to guide them as they navigate their environment, to find food and mates and to avoid predators. Yet, in mammals, this function of the olfactory system is much less well studied than odor identification. We created a behavioral task where mice had to follow odor trails in order to efficiently find food and then tracked their movements around those trails. We found that they respond to sniff-by-sniff changes in odor intensity, using those changes to guide movements in less than one tenth of a second and also confirm that they use stereo cues to guide behavior. These results lay the groundwork for determining the brain circuits underlying olfactory navigation.
T-cell receptor αβ chain pairing is associated with CD4+ and CD8+ lineage specification
Authors: Carter Jason A. , Preall Jonathan B. , Grigaityte Kristina , Goldfless Stephen J. , Briggs Adrian W. , Vigneault Francois , Atwal Gurinder S.
Published: April 2018

While a highly diverse T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire is the hallmark of a healthy adaptive immune system, relatively little is understood about how the CD4+ and CD8+ TCR repertoires differ from one another. We here utilize high-throughput single T-cell sequencing to obtain approximately 100,000 TCR αβ chain pairs from human subjects, stratified into CD4+ and CD8+ lineages. We reveal that substantial information about T-cell lineage is encoded by Vαβ gene pairs and, to a lesser extent, by several other TCR features such as CDR3 length and charge. We further find that the strength of association between the β chain and T-cell lineage is surprisingly weak, similar in strength to that of the α chain. Using machine learning classifiers to predict T-cell lineage from TCR features, we demon-strate that αβ chain pairs are significantly more informative than individual chains alone. These findings provide unprecedented insight into the CD4+ and CD8+ TCR repertoires and highlight the importance of αβ chain pairing in TCR function and specificity.
Likelihood-based Fits of Folding Transitions (LiFFT) for Biomolecule Mapping Data
Authors: Das Rhiju
Published: April 2018

Biomolecules shift their structures as a function of temperature and concentrations of protons, ions, small molecules, proteins, and nucleic acids. These transitions impact or underlie biological function and are being monitored at increasingly high throughput. For example, folding transitions for large collections of RNAs can now be monitored at single residue resolution by chemical mapping techniques. LIkelihood-based Fits of Folding Transitions (LIFFT) quantifies these data through well-defined thermodynamic models. LIFFT implements a Bayesian framework that takes into account data at all measured residues and enables visual assessment of modeling uncertainties that can be overlooked in least-squares fits. The framework is appropriate for multimodal techniques ranging from chemical mapping including multi-wavelength spectroscopy.

Availability

Freely available MATLAB package at https://ribokit.stanford.edu/LIFFT/.

Contact

rhiju@stanford.edu

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Inheritance of neural substrates for motivation and pleasure experience
Authors: Li Zhi , Wang Yi , Yan Chao , Li Ke , Zeng Ya-wei , Cheung Eric F. C. , Docherty Anna R. , Sham Pak C. , Gur Raquel E. , Gur Ruben C. , Chan Raymond C. K.
Published: April 2018

Despite advances in the understanding of the reward system and the role of dopamine in recent decades, the heredity of the underlying neural mechanisms is not known. In the present study, a Monetary Incentive Delay (MID) task was used to examine the haemodynamic activation of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), a key hub of the reward system, in 86 healthy monozygotic twins and 88 dizygotic twins during the anticipation of monetary incentives. The participants also completed self-report measures of pleasure experience. Using a voxel-wise heritability mapping method, activation of the bilateral NAcc during the anticipation of monetary gains was found to have significant heritability (h2 = 0.20-0.49). Moreover, significant shared genetic covariance was observed between pleasure experience and NAcc activation when anticipating monetary gain. These findings suggest that NAcc activation and self-reported pleasure experience may both be heritable, and their phenotypic correlation may be partially explained by shared genetic variation.
Musical flavor: the effect of background music and presentation order on taste
Authors: Ziv Naomi
Published: April 2018

Purpose

In many food marketing contexts products are sampled while music is played in the background. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether changing the pleasantness of background music while tasting two identical products in succession may influence the experience of taste and preference.

Design/methodology/approach

Two studies were conducted. In Study 1, 60 participants were asked to taste two identical cookies, one with pleasant and one with unpleasant background music, in differing orders. In Study 2, 60 participants tasted two cookies with two unpleasant musical pieces and 60 participants tasted two cookies with pleasant background music. Participants were asked to evaluate each cookie and indicate which cookie they preferred.

Findings

In Study 1, a main effect of music was found, with cookies tasted with pleasant background music evaluated as better than those tasted with unpleasant background music. In addition, an interaction between presentation order and music was found, with a stronger difference in evaluation between the cookies when the first is tasted with pleasant background music. In Study 2, no main effect of music was found. A primacy effect was found, with higher evaluations for the first tasted cookie.

Research limitations/implications

The studies considered only one type of product, which in itself is pleasant-tasting. Further studies, using other products, are thus needed to allow generalization.

Practical implications

A discerning use of background music in consumer settings involving sampling of a sequence of products may aid marketers in maximizing music’s effect on product evaluation and choice.

Originality/value

Although the effect of music on taste has been previously studied, this is the first research to examine presentation order effects of music pleasantness on the experience of taste. The pleasantness of background music is integrated into the experience of taste, and food marketing strategies should take into account how the order in which different musical pieces are heard may influence consumers’ evaluation and preference for sampled products.
Building brand authenticity in fast-moving consumer goods via consumer perceptions of brand marketing communications
Authors: Dwivedi Abhishek , McDonald Robert
Published: April 2018

Purpose

Brand authenticity has emerged as a strategic imperative for many firms. The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the effect of consumer perceptions of brand marketing communications on brand authenticity of fast-moving consumer goods.

Design/methodology/approach

Direct and indirect pathways from brand marketing communications to brand authenticity were conceptualized. Data were collected from US energy drink consumers and analysed using structural equation modelling. Multiple marketing mix variables and context-relevant covariates have been controlled for.

Findings

Direct and indirect pathways to building brand authenticity have been observed. The total effect of brand marketing communications on brand authenticity is strong, thereby highlighting the predictor’s overall effectiveness in shaping the ultimate outcome.

Research limitations/implications

The focus on consumer-perceived authenticity as opposed to objective authenticity complements the prior literature. An integrative perspective on brand marketing communications is offered, specifying it as an antecedent of perceived brand authenticity.

Practical implications

An important implication is that investments into brand marketing communications will likely influence perceived brand authenticity. Such investments may also have favourable implications for the clarity of brand positioning. Overall, brand marketing communications are effective tools for building consumer-perceived brand authenticity.

Originality/value

A need to outline managerially controllable drivers of authenticity was addressed. How consumer perceptions of brand marketing communications influence brand authenticity via direct and indirect mechanisms was demonstrated. The existence of authenticity in fast-moving consumer goods was also demonstrated.
Constraints faced by women entrepreneurs in developing countries: review and ranking
Authors: Panda Swati
Published: April 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to identify and ranks constraints faced by women entrepreneurs in developing countries. It offers a framework to differentiate between the constraints faced by male and female entrepreneurs.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper engages in an exhaustive literature review and uses a qualitative methodology to categorize and rank entrepreneurial constraints.

Findings

Constraints faced by women entrepreneurs in developing countries arise from gender discrimination, work-family conflict, difficulty in raising capital, lack of infrastructure, unstable business, economic and political (BEP) environments, lack of training and education and personality differences. The study suggests that in addition to financial constraints, unstable BEP environments need to be addressed as top priorities.

Originality/value

This study offers a broad overview and ranking of the constraints faced by women entrepreneurs in developing countries. It brings together literature on women entrepreneurship from multiple countries and creates a condensed body of knowledge. This paper bridges the gap between entrepreneurship theory and practice and gives direction to policy makers in creating a conducive environment for the success of women entrepreneurs.
Nursing and learning – healthcare pedagogics and work-integrated learning
Authors: Pennbrant Sandra , Svensson Lars
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to describe work-integrated learning (WIL) related to healthcare pedagogics, and to describe the distinctive aspects of research on WIL with specialization in healthcare pedagogics.

Design/methodology/approach

The general purpose of this theoretical paper is to define and formulate a research agenda within WIL with specialization in healthcare pedagogics.

Findings

WIL with specialization in healthcare pedagogics is a multidisciplinary field of knowledge encompassing education, health sciences and social sciences, and focuses on research and knowledge-creation involving nursing schools in higher education, healthcare organizations and the surrounding community.

Originality/value

The starting point of the research environment is the ambition to gain knowledge about the conditions, processes and outcomes in healthcare education and healthcare organizations, both individually and collectively, intra- and inter-professionally, in the perspective of life-long learning. WIL with specialization in healthcare pedagogics is a research area that can carry out important research in healthcare education and healthcare organization and, thus, contribute to high-quality care meeting current and future needs.
The impact of economic crisis on civic attitudes
Authors: Colloca Pasquale
Published: April 2018

Purpose

In times of crisis, the deterioration of living standards may also have direct consequences on civic culture of people and become dangerous for the health of democracy. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which the recent economic crisis directly influences the civic attitudes in some European democracies focusing on two questions: how much does crisis exposure affect civic attitudes? And what is the role played by expected social mobility on this effect?

Design/methodology/approach

Hypotheses are tested using data collected in the Western European countries included in the Life in Transition Survey II (France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and UK). To analyze the civic consequences of crisis exposure and to evaluate the moderating role of expected social mobility, multivariate regressions are conducted. The statistical analysis is performed using the Stata software.

Findings

The findings show that economic crisis exposure significantly affects civic attitudes. The results confirm that higher crisis exposure is associated with lower civic attitudes. Additionally, the present research rules out the possibility that crisis exposure affects attitudes in a specific way, depending on the expected mobility valence.

Social implications

To evaluate the moderating factors of the civic consequences of economic crises is important for both academic research and policymakers. Analyzing these mechanisms may lead to understand under which conditions it is possible to limit deterioration processes in democratic fabric of a society.

Originality/value

This paper sheds light on the importance of analyzing the negative civic effect of economic crisis and on the critical role that the fear of social downgrading plays in determining this effect.
Mumpreneurship in New Zealand: an exploratory investigation
Authors: Khan Mohammad Saud , Rowlands Chelsea
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the challenges facing Mumpreneurs in New Zealand, a sub-group of female entrepreneurs. Research in this area will help to alleviate the challenges these individuals face on a daily basis, providing insights into the support systems, resources and policy initiatives these women may require to overcome various barriers.

Design/methodology/approach

A phenomenological qualitative approach guided the collection and analysis of the data. Eight semi-structured interviews were carried out with Mumpreneurs from New Zealand. An interpretivist approach was adopted to understand the challenges facing Mumpreneurs, creating an insightful understanding of the participants’ experiences.

Findings

Findings reveal that the key challenges facing Mumpreneurs are time, growth, finance, stigma and achieving a family balance.

Research limitations/implications

Mumpreneurs in this study had all been in business for less than four years, so the results may not reflect the challenges facing Mumpreneurs at different stages of business ownership.

Originality/value

This study provides valuable insights into the nature of being a Mumpreneur, information that is often difficult to obtain, assisting mothers who are contemplating business ownership as well as existing Mumpreneurs, who may feel alone in their struggles for success.
Lifting and shifting the Air Force retail supply system
Authors: Ellis Tommie L. , Nicholson Robert A. , Briggs Antoinette Y. , Hunter Scott A. , Harbison James E. , Saladna Paul S. , Garris Michael W. , Ohnemus Robert K. , O’Connor John E. , Reynolds Steven B.
Published: April 2018

Purpose

Rising operational costs and software sustainment concerns have driven the Air Force to move to newer technology to ensure that the Air Force Standard Base Supply System (SBSS) can continue to provide affordable and sustainable mission support in the years to come. This paper aims to summarize the successful software modernization effort the Air Force undertook to achieve that objective.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper describes the preliminary system updates that were required to isolate the SBSS software from all internal and external system and user interfaces in preparation for the subsequent successful code roll effort. Once the legacy SBSS component was fully isolated, the SBSS software modernization objective was achieved via a “code roll” conversion of the SBSS software from legacy COBOL to Java code, and movement of the integrated logistics system-supply application from a proprietary information technology (IT) platform to an open IT operating environment.

Findings

The SBSS system modernization yielded immediate and significant IT operational cost reductions and provided an important foundation for achieving Air Force logistics system consolidation and cloud computing objectives going forward.

Originality/value

The SBSS modernization experience should be useful in assisting similar data system software modernization efforts.
A receiver’s approach to family business brands
Authors: Botero Isabel C. , Astrachan Claudia Binz , Calabrò Andrea
Published: April 2018

Purpose

Although prior research has indicated that ownership characteristics of a firm can influence how organizations are perceived, there is a gap in our understanding of the general associations that individuals have with the term “family firm.” Some argue that promoting a firm as family-owned can result in positive evaluations by stakeholders; others argue that it can result in negative perceptions about a firm. However, very few empirical projects have directly explored the associations that external stakeholders have with the term “family firm.” The purpose of this paper is to explore the associations that individuals in Switzerland have with the term “family firm.”

Design/methodology/approach

A two-stage study is conducted in this paper. In Stage 1 (n=138), the authors generated the list of associations that individuals had with the term “family firm.” The authors then categorized these associations into seven categories. In Stage 2 (n=321), the authors explored whether these associations were unique to family firms by asking participants in the “family firm” or the “publicly owned company” condition to assess which descriptors better represented the condition the characteristics of organizations in their conditions.

Findings

The findings indicate that there are seven general descriptor categories associated with the term “family firm.” These are: tradition and continuity, small and medium companies, trustworthiness, strong culture, corporate citizenship, professionalism, and career opportunities. The findings also indicate that individuals have different associations with the terms “family firm” and “publicly owned company.” While the term “family firm” is primarily associated with traditional, small, and trustworthy companies, the term “publicly owned company” is often associated with companies that are profit-oriented, large, and thought to offer superior career opportunities. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.

Originality/value

This study continues to build our understanding of branding in family firms by helping us connect the term “family firm” with the direct associations in the mind of the audience. This is important because it can help practitioners and researchers better understand under which conditions promoting family firms will have a positive influence on consumers.
Institutions and sensemaking of change
Authors: Khan Amer Saleem
Published: April 2018

Purpose

Scholarly research has increasingly emphasised the need for more research that provides fine-grained empirical accounts of how context plays a role in sensemaking. The purpose of this paper is to provide an in-depth look at how broader institutional context shapes the sensemaking of organisational change in a novel empirical context of a Pakistani commercial bank.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative inductive case study of a commercial bank using interviews and archival material.

Findings

Actors make sense of an organisational change initiative by accessing broader societal institutional logics when the field-level organisational logics are not plausible. The consequences of such frame switching may include the provocation of emotionally charged perceptions of politics and moral valuations of legitimacy.

Research limitations/implications

This study is based on a single organisational case study in a particular national context.

Practical implications

This study urges organisational change leaders to consider the role of informal interpersonal relationships and culturally shaped, and emotionally charged, perceptions of change among the change recipients, beyond the technical considerations of the industry concerned. Instead of just focussing on official interaction and top-down communication, along with creating top-level “guiding coalitions” to manage change, organisational leaders need to be sensitive to informal channels at the lower rungs of the organisation to pick emotional reactions of change recipients.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the literature on sensemaking of organisational change by showing how the institutional context, a neglected factor in the literature, impacts sensemaking. The study also contributes to the empirical literature on microfinance (MF) by providing an in-depth account of a commercial bank that introduced MF as a product line.
Employee empowerment and job satisfaction in urban Malaysia
Authors: Idris Aida , See Denise , Coughlan Paul
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The topic of employee empowerment and job satisfaction, and its implications for organizational change management, is underexplored in developing countries. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between the two variables in the context of urban Malaysia as an emerging market. Differences in empowerment and job satisfaction in relation to organizational and socio-cultural environments were also assessed. The findings are then discussed in terms of their implications for organizational change management in Malaysia and other emerging countries.

Design/methodology/approach

Using survey data gathered from 125 local employees working in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, the effect of empowerment on job satisfaction was tested using correlation and regression analyses. ANOVA tests were used to determine differences in empowerment and satisfaction among sub-groups divided according to four factors in the organizational and socio-cultural environments, namely, form of ownership, job sector, type of industry and organizational hierarchy.

Findings

The results demonstrate that employee empowerment has a strong positive effect on job satisfaction. However, significant differences in employee empowerment and job satisfaction between higher and lower levels of the organizational hierarchy raise concerns about organizational change diffusion and the sustainability of strategic changes.

Research limitations/implications

Empirical evidences are provided for the generalizability of the theoretical link between employee empowerment and job satisfaction in the urban Malaysian context. Nevertheless, the findings have highlighted the need to further examine specific issues faced by employees in lower levels of the organizational hierarchy which affect their rates of empowerment and satisfaction in a rapidly changing environment.

Practical implications

Implications on power relations between managers and their subordinates are discussed, as well as on succession and goal-sharing during periods of intense organizational change.

Originality/value

By demonstrating the influence of organizational hierarchy on employee empowerment and job satisfaction in a non-western setting, this study has contributed new insights on the role of socio-culture and power relations in organizational change management.
Partisanship and organisational change in Mauritius
Authors: Gungadeen Sanjiv , Paull Megan , Holloway David
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on a study of change management practices in private sector organisations in the small island economy of Mauritius.

Design/methodology/approach

Interviews were conducted with key decision makers and individuals who had experienced the organisational change process in three private organisations from different sectors in Mauritius: a bank, a hotel and a privatised state-owned enterprise. A grounded theory approach was employed to establish the key dimensions of organisational change in this setting.

Findings

Organisational change is a multi-dimensional, multi-directional and evolutionary process strongly influenced by the contextual and historical aspects of the country. The emerging key elements of change identified in the data confirmed a range of dimensions evident in the extant literature, but also identified a largely unacknowledged factor, considered to be central to the change process in Mauritian organisations. This emerging factor was identified as partisanship.

Originality/value

This study served to confirm six dimensions evident in the extant literature on organisational change: organisational structure, organisational culture, leadership processes, individuals, knowledge management and resistance to change. A seventh dimension, and heretofore largely unacknowledged factor, considered to be central to the change process in Mauritian organisations was also identified: partisanship. The study identified this emerging key dimension as having a pervasive influence. History, culture and context have served to embed this dimension in Mauritian organisations. Evidence is presented to illustrate how the process of organisational change is undertaken in Mauritius, and identify the role of partisanship. This has the potential to be applied to other small island economies with similar historical, cultural or contextual features.
Board restructuring and successful demutualization: the stock exchanges
Authors: Padilla-Angulo Laura , Ben Slimane Faten
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study corporate governance restructuring strategies of companies to adapt to new market conditions following conversion into a for-profit structure. It focuses on the changes in the composition of the board of directors.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper conducts a field experiment using stock exchanges, which have become more international over time, and many of which have been forced to demutualize and convert to for-profit structures to compete more efficiently. The paper does a fine-grained analysis of restructuring in the composition of the board using the ANOVA technique. The paper also examines the impact of this board composition restructuring on the reputation of the exchanges using a regression technique.

Findings

The authors find that the stock exchanges restructured board composition and refocused them to create better value. Results suggest that the conversion of a company to a for-profit structure brings efficiencies when accompanied by changes in the governing bodies. The authors also find that converting to for-profit firms had a positive impact on the reputation of the exchanges. The positive impact was even greater when accompanied by changes in board composition.

Research limitations/implications

A stronger focus on the corporate governance dimension to understand the successful demutualization of stock exchanges is needed.

Originality/value

The authors analyze the corporate governance dimension during demutualization processes of an under examined sector. The financial performance of the stock exchanges the authors study significantly improved after their conversion to for-profit organizations and provide an example of successful corporate governance restructuring.
Factors associated with security/cybersecurity audit by internal audit function
Authors: Islam Md. Shariful , Farah Nusrat , Stafford Thomas F.
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to explore the factors associated with the extent of security/cybersecurity audit by the internal audit function (IAF) of the firm. Specifically, the authors focused on whether IAF/CAE (certified audit executive [CAE]) characteristics, board involvement related to governance, role of the audit committee (or equivalent) and the chief risk officer (CRO) and IAF tasked with enterprise risk management (ERM) are associated with the extent to which the firm engages in security/cybersecurity audit.

Design/methodology/approach

For analysis, the paper uses responses of 970 CAEs as compiled in the Common Body of Knowledge database (CBOK, 2015) developed by the Institute of Internal Auditors Research Foundation (IIARF).

Findings

The results of the study suggest that the extent of security/cybersecurity audit by IAF is significantly and positively associated with IAF competence related to governance, risk and control. Board support regarding governance is also significant and positive. However, the Audit Committee (AC) or equivalent and the CRO role are not significant across the regions studied. Comprehensive risk assessment done by IAF and IAF quality have a significant and positive effect on security/cybersecurity audit. Unexpectedly, CAEs with security certification and IAFs tasked with ERM do not have a significant effect on security/cybersecurity audit; however, other certifications such as CISA or CPA have a marginal or mixed effect on the extent of security/cybersecurity audit.

Originality/value

This study is the first to describe IAF involvement in security/cybersecurity audit. It provides insights into the specific IAF/CAE characteristics and corporate governance characteristics that can lead IAF to contribute significantly to security/cybersecurity audit. The findings add to the results of prior studies on the IAF involvement in different IT-related aspects such as IT audit and XBRL implementation and on the role of the board and the audit committee (or its equivalent) in ERM and the detection and correction of security breaches.
Common weights in dynamic network DEA with goal programming approach for performance assessment of insurance companies in Iran
Authors: Gharakhani Davood , Toloie Eshlaghy Abbas , Fathi Hafshejani Kiamars , Kiani Mavi Reza , Hosseinzadeh Lotfi Farhad
Published: April 2018

Purpose

Conventional data envelopment analysis (DEA) models permit each decision-making unit (DMU) to assess its efficiency score with the most favorable weights. In other words, each DMU selects the best weighting schemes to obtain maximum efficiency for itself. Therefore, using different sets of weights leads to many different efficient DMUs, which makes comparing and ranking them on a similar basis impossible. Another issue is that often more than one DMU is evaluated as efficient because the selection of weights is flexible; therefore, all DMUs cannot be completely differentiated. The purpose of this paper is to development a common weight in dynamic network DEA with a goal programming approach.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, a goal programming approach has been proposed to generate common weights in dynamic network DEA. To validate the applicability of the proposed model, the data of 30 non-life insurance companies in Iran during 2013-2015 have been used for measuring their efficiency scores and ranking all of the companies.

Findings

Findings show that the proposed methodology is an effective and practical approach to measure the efficiency of DMUs with dynamic network structure.

Originality/value

The proposed model delivers more knowledge of the common weight approaches and improves the DEA theory and methodology. This model makes it possible to measure efficiency scores and compare all DMUs from multiple different standpoints. Further, this model allows one to not only calculate the overall efficiency of DMUs throughout the time period but also consider dynamic change of the time period efficiency and dynamic change of the divisional efficiency of DMUs.
Mobile phones as a learning tool: a lecturer’s viewpoint
Authors: Ahmad Tashfeen
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to share a lecturer’s viewpoint on using mobile phone, as an academic tool, in the lecture room.

Design/methodology/approach

Students were encouraged to use their mobile phones and find information during the author’s class discussions, at the University of the West Indies – Mona Campus. At the end of the semester, the author asked the students if they found mobile phone, a distraction, in their learning process and did they enjoy using them. These questions were asked to understand their perspective, about mobile phone usage during class discussions.

Findings

The finding is that respondents did not see mobile phone usage in lecture room as a distraction as they learn and they also enjoyed using them.

Originality/value

Students’ opinion on using mobile phone as an academic tool at the University level has not been explored before in Jamaica. This viewpoint provides the lecturers and university management an opportunity to rethink the existing rules, towards mobile phone usage in class, in an effort to enhance teaching and learning in the Caribbean context particularly in Jamaica.
The learning organization as paradox
Authors: Vince Russ
Published: April 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to describe and discuss the idea of the learning organisation as a paradox and to explore the implications of this idea for improving the longevity and influence of the learning organisation concept.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents qualitative data drawn from MBA students’ involvement in learning about leadership. Participants’ written reflections on the “Temporary Learning Organisation (TLO) Exercise” are used to illustrate paradoxical tensions emerging from their attempts to lead the emergence of a learning organisation.

Findings

Three inter-connected paradoxical tensions are identified: inhibited freedom, detached engagement and ambivalent enthusiasm. These can help to explain how processes and practices that encourage learning in organisations are inseparable from those that undermine the effort to learn.

Originality/value

The paper presents a novel way of looking at the debate between the learning organisation as a positive ideal, and the learning organisation as negative ideology. A paradox viewpoint is focused on sustaining tensions because they generate possibilities. There is much to be learned from the interplay between the desire to create ongoing learning opportunities and conscious and unconscious efforts to avoid and undermine them.
A systemic approach to processes of power in learning organizations
Authors: Flood Robert L. , Romm Norma R.A.
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to introduce a systemic approach to organizational learning “triple loop learning” (TLL) that addresses processes of power. Three equally important foci in our TLL are processes of design, processes of debate and processes of power. The focus on power aims to shift “power over” (power as domination) to “power to” enact empowering designs, “power to” co-develop responsible decision-making and “power to” transform our relations with each other and with life on Earth.

Design/methodology/approach

The organizational learning literature is reviewed in the context of power dynamics and its shortcomings are highlighted. The authors introduce their understanding of TLL, and how it engages with power dynamics in organizations.

Findings

Peter Senge’s conceptualization of systems thinking is unable to recognize processes of power in organizations and offers limited support to transformative learning. Conceptualizations of TLL aim to enhance learning in organizations but none satisfactorily address the processes of power. The learning organization literature as a whole does not satisfactorily address processes of power or reflect our way of envisaging “looping between loops of learning” in TLL to better design, better debate and better develop relationality in the social fabric of organizations.

Originality/value

The authors introduce an original approach to TLL that directly addresses the processes of power in organizations. It offers researchers, learning facilitators and practitioners of the learning organization a way to engage with the processes of power without neglecting other important organizational and environmental issues.
Work disability in Argentinian patients with systemic lupus erythematosus is prevalent and it is due to ethnic, socioeconomic and disease‐related factors
Authors: Pisoni Cecilia N. , Muñoz Sebastián A. , Tamborenea María N. , García Mercedes , Curti Ana , Cappuccio Ana , Rillo Oscar , Imamura Patricia M , Schneeberger Emilce , Ballent Marcela , Cousseau Mario L. , Velasco Zamora Jorge , Saurit Verónica , Toloza Sergio , Danielsen María C , Bellomio Verónica I , Graf Cesar , Paira Sergio , Cavallasca Javier , Pons Estel Bernardo , Moreno José L. C. , Díaz Mónica , Alba Paula , Verando Marcela , Tate Guillermo , Mysler Eduardo , Sarano Judith , Civit Emma E. , Risueño Fabián , Álvarez Sepúlveda Pablo , Larroude María S. , Méndez Marcos F. , Conforti Andrea , Sohn Débora
Published: April 2018

Objective

To study the prevalence and the associated factors of work disability (WD) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients.

Methods

A sample of 419 SLE patients from an observational cross‐sectional multicenter study was included. Sociodemographic features, disease characteristics, comorbidities, quality of life, unhealthy behaviors, and work‐related factors were measured in a standardized interview. Work disability was defined by patient self‐report of not being able to work because of SLE. To identify variables associated with work disability, two different multivariate regression models using a stepwise backward method were performed.

Results

Prevalence of WD due to SLE was 24.3%. Eighty‐nine percent were female and 51% were Caucasians. Mean disease duration was 8.9 ± 7.2 years, and median System Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology damage index SLICC‐SDI was 1.5 (range 0–17). In stepwise multivariate logistic regression, living below the poverty line (odds ratio [OR] = 4.65), less than 12 years of education (OR = 2.84), Mestizo ethnicity (OR = 1.94) and SLICC‐SDI (OR = 1.25) were predictors of WD. A second model was performed including patient‐derived measures; in this model sedentary lifestyle (OR = 2.69) and lower emotional health domain score of the Lupus Quality of Life (LupusQoL) questionnaire (OR = 1.03) were found to be associated to WD and a higher score in LupusQoL physical health domain (OR = 0.93) was protective.

Conclusion

The prevalence of WD in Argentinian SLE patients was 24.3%. WD was associated with ethnic (Mestizo), socioeconomic (poverty) and disease‐related factors. Patient‐related outcomes such us sedentary lifestyle and poor emotional quality of life were also associated with WD.