bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spotlight on islands: on the origin and diversification of a new lineage of the Italian wall lizardPodarcis siculusin the western Pontine Islands
Authors: Gabriele Senczuk , Katja Havenstein , Valentina Milana , Chiara Ripa , Emanuela De Simone , Ralph Tiedemann , Riccardo Castiglia
Published: April 2018

Groups of proximate continental islands may conceal more tangled phylogeographic patterns than oceanic archipelagos as a consequence of repeated sea level changes, which allow populations to experience gene flow during periods of low sea level stands and isolation by vicariant mechanisms during periods of high sea level stands. Here, we describe for the first time an ancient and diverging lineage of the Italian wall lizardPodarcis siculusfrom the western Pontine Islands. We used nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences of 156 individuals with the aim of unraveling their phylogenetic position, while microsatellite loci were used to compare several a priori insular biogeographic models of migration with empirical data. Our results suggest that the western Pontine populations colonized the islands early during their Pliocene volcanic formation, while populations from the eastern Pontine Islands seem to have been introduced recently. The inter-island genetic makeup indicates an important role of historical migration, probably due to glacial land bridges connecting islands followed by a recent vicariant mechanism of isolation. Moreover, the most supported migration model predicted higher gene flow among islands sharing a longitudinal arrangement. Considering the threatened status of small insular endemic populations, we suggest this new evolutionarily independent unit be given priority in conservation efforts.
Dimer arrangement and monomer flattening determine actin filament formation
Authors: Hoyer Maria , Correia Jose Rafael Cabral , Lamb Don C. , Crevenna Alvaro H.
Published: April 2018

Actin filament dynamics underlie key cellular processes, such as cell motility. Although actin filament elongation has been extensively studied under the past decades, the mechanism of filament nucleation remains unclear. Here, we immobilized gelsolin, a pointed-end nucleator, at the bottom of zero-mode waveguides to directly monitor the early steps of filament assembly. Our data revealed extensive dynamics and that only one, of two populations, elongates. Annalysis of the kinetics revealed a more stable trimer but a less stable tetramer in the elongating population compared to the non-elongating one. Furthermore, blocking flattening, the conformational change associated with filament formation, prevented the formation of both types of assemblies. Thus, flattening and the initial monomer arrangement determine gelsolin-mediated filament initiation.
Neuronal population mechanisms of lightness perception
Authors: Ruff Douglas A. , Brainard David H. , Cohen Marlene R.
Published: April 2018

The way that humans and animals perceive the lightness of an object depends on its physical luminance as well as its surrounding context. While neuronal responses throughout the visual pathway are modulated by context, the relationship between neuronal responses and lightness perception is poorly understood. We searched for a neuronal mechanism of lightness by recording responses of neuronal populations in monkey primary visual cortex (V1) and area V4 to stimuli that produce a lightness illusion in humans, in which the lightness of a disk depends on the context in which it is embedded. We found that the way individual units encode the luminance (or equivalently for our stimuli, contrast) of the disk and its context is extremely heterogeneous. This motivated us to ask whether the population representation in either V1 or V4 satisfies three criteria: 1) disk luminance is represented with high fidelity, 2) the context surrounding the disk is also represented, and 3) the representations of disk luminance and context interact to create a representation of lightness that depends on these factors in a manner consistent with human psychophysical judgments of disk lightness. We found that populations of units in both V1 and V4 fulfill the first two criteria, but that we cannot conclude that the two types of information in either area interact in a manner that clearly predicts human psychophysical measurements: the interpretation of our population measurements depends on how subsequent areas read out lightness from the population responses.

New & Noteworthy

A core question in visual neuroscience is how the brain extracts stable representations of object properties from the retinal image. We searched for a neuronal mechanism of lightness perception by determining whether the responses of neuronal populations in primary visual cortex and area V4 could account for a lightness illusion measured using human psychophysics. Our results suggest that comparing psychophysics with population recordings will yield insight into neuronal mechanisms underlying a variety of perceptual phenomena.
Magnetic assessment and modelling of the Aramis undulator beamline
Authors: Calvi M. , Camenzuli C. , Ganter R. , Sammut N. , Schmidt Th.
Published: April 2018

Within the SwissFEL project at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), the hard X-ray line (Aramis) has been equipped with short-period in-vacuum undulators, known as the U15 series. The undulator design has been developed within the institute itself, while the prototyping and the series production have been implemented through a close collaboration with a Swiss industrial partner, Max Daetwyler AG, and several subcontractors. The magnetic measurement system has been built at PSI, together with all the data analysis tools. The Hall probe has been designed for PSI by the Swiss company SENIS. In this paper the general concepts of both the mechanical and the magnetic properties of the U15 series of undulators are presented. A description of the magnetic measurement equipment is given and the results of the magnetic measurement campaign are reported. Lastly, the data reduction methods and the associated models are presented and their actual implementation in the control system is detailed.
Gyreandgimble: a maximum-likelihood replacement for Patterson correlation refinement
Authors: McCoy Airlie J. , Oeffner Robert D. , Millán Claudia , Sammito Massimo , Usón Isabel , Read Randy J.
Published: April 2018

Descriptions are given of the maximum-likelihoodgyremethod implemented inPhaserfor optimizing the orientation and relative position of rigid-body fragments of a model after the orientation of the model has been identified, but before the model has been positioned in the unit cell, and also the relatedgimblemethod for the refinement of rigid-body fragments of the model after positioning.Gyrerefinement helps to lower the root-mean-square atomic displacements between model and target molecular-replacement solutions for the test case of antibody Fab(26-10) and improves structure solution withARCIMBOLDO_SHREDDER.
Exploiting distant homologues for phasing through the generation of compact fragments, local fold refinement and partial solution combination
Authors: Millán Claudia , Sammito Massimo Domenico , McCoy Airlie J. , Nascimento Andrey F. Ziem , Petrillo Giovanna , Oeffner Robert D. , Domínguez-Gil Teresa , Hermoso Juan A. , Read Randy J. , Usón Isabel
Published: April 2018

Macromolecular structures can be solved by molecular replacement provided that suitable search models are available. Models from distant homologues may deviate too much from the target structure to succeed, notwithstanding an overall similar fold or even their featuring areas of very close geometry. Successful methods to make the most of such templates usually rely on the degree of conservation to select and improve search models.ARCIMBOLDO_SHREDDERuses fragments derived from distant homologues in a brute-force approach driven by the experimental data, instead of by sequence similarity. The new algorithms implemented inARCIMBOLDO_SHREDDERare described in detail, illustrating its characteristic aspects in the solution of new and test structures. In an advance from the previously published algorithm, which was based on omitting or extracting contiguous polypeptide spans, model generation now uses three-dimensional volumes respecting structural units. The optimal fragment size is estimated from the expected log-likelihood gain (LLG) values computed assuming that a substructure can be found with a level of accuracy near that required for successful extension of the structure, typically below 0.6 Å root-mean-square deviation (r.m.s.d.) from the target. Better sampling is attempted through model trimming or decomposition into rigid groups and optimization throughPhaser'sgyrerefinement. Also, after model translation, packing filtering and refinement, models are either disassembled into predetermined rigid groups and refined (gimblerefinement) orPhaser's LLG-guided pruning is used to trim the model of residues that are not contributing signal to the LLG at the target r.m.s.d. value. Phase combination among consistent partial solutions is performed in reciprocal space withALIXE. Finally, density modification and main-chain autotracing inSHELXEserve to expand to the full structure and identify successful solutions. The performance on test data and the solution of new structures are described.
Review of current research trends in bird strike and hail impact simulations on wing leading edge
Authors: Goraj Zdobyslaw Jan , Kustron Kamila
Published: April 2018

Purpose

Bird strike and hail impact resistances are considered in relation to the fulfilment of airworthiness/crashworthiness regulations as specified by appropriate aviation authorities. Before aircraft are allowed to go into service, these regulations must be fulfilled. This includes the adaption of the wing leading edge (LE) structure to smart diagnostics and an easy repair. This paper aims to focus on the wing LE, although all forward-facing aircraft components are exposed to the impact of foreign object during the flight. The best practices based on credible simulations which may be appropriate means of establishing compliance with European Aviation safety Agency and Federal Aviation Administration regulations regarding bird strikes, together with the problem of collisions with hailstones, are overviewed in aspect of accuracy and computing cost.

Design/methodology/approach

The best means of evaluating worldwide certification standards so as to be more efficient for all stakeholders by reducing risk and costs (time and money consuming) of certification process are recommended. The very expensive physical tests may be replaced by adequate and credible computer simulations. The adequate credible simulation must be verified and validated. The statistical approaches for modelling the uncertainty are presented in aspect of computing cost.

Findings

The simulation models have simplifications and assumptions that generate an uncertainty. The uncertainty must be identified in benchmarking tests. Instead of using “in house” physical tests, there are scientific papers available in open literature thanks to the new trend in worldwide publication of the research results. These large databases can be efficiently transform into useful benchmark thanks to data mining and knowledge discovery methods and big data analyses. The physical test data are obtained from tests on the ground-based demonstrator by using high-speed cameras and a structural health monitoring system, and therefore, they should be applied at an early stage of the design process.

Originality/value

The sources of uncertainty in simulation models are expressed, and the way to their assessment is presented based on statistical approaches. A brief review of the current research shows that it widely uses efficient numerical analysis and computer simulations and is based on finite element methods, mesh structure as well as mesh free particle models. These methods and models are useful to analyse airworthiness requirements for damage tolerance regarding bird-strike and hail impact and haves been subjected to critical review in this paper. Many original papers were considered in this analysis, and some of them have been critically reviewed and commented upon.
A relational view of start-up firms inside an incubator: the case of the ARCA consortium
Authors: Di Fatta Davide , Caputo Francesco , Dominici Gandolfo
Published: April 2018

Purpose

Analyzing the entrepreneurial ecosystem related to the ARCA consortium, the purpose of this paper is to study the relationships among the start-up firms inside an incubator.

Design/methodology/approach

Thanks to the adoption of the relationships concentric model and the density concentric model, the paper highlights the role of relational conditions for innovative projects in partnership among the incubated firms. Reflections herein are tested via a qualitative research approach based on a single case study: the ARCA consortium.

Findings

This research found that about 32 percent of relationships inside the incubator support the emergence of short-term relationships among the incubated firms. Furthermore, about 18 percent of the relationships support the emergence of strong collaborative strategies for the implementation of long-term relationships resulting in innovative pathways: innovative projects in partnership.

Originality/value

The most interconnected firms inside the incubator are those that play a central role also in the innovation pathway developing the higher number of innovative project in partnership. This finding emphasizes a correlation between collaborative relationships and innovation inside an incubator ecosystem.
Measuring the impact of out-of-class communication through instant messaging
Authors: Nkhoma Clara Akuzike , Thomas Susan , Nkhoma Mathews Zanda , Sriratanaviriyakul Narumon , Truong Trang Huyen , Vo Hung Xuan
Published: April 2018

Purpose

Despite the growing body of literature demonstrating the role of communication in educational settings, there are limited up-to-date studies exploring the use of an instant messaging (IM) tool and its impacts on students’ learning outcomes, especially in the tertiary education in Vietnam. This study approached IM as an out-of-class communication (OCC) approach in computer-mediated communication. The purpose of this paper is to investigate students’ perceived quality of information received and its influence on their perceived performance proficiency as a result of their lecturers’ clarification of their enquiries through an online instant message application, namely Remind (www.remind.com/).

Design/methodology/approach

The target groups were first-year business students in an international university in Vietnam. The analysis of the data gathered from the questionnaire was carried out using a measurement model and a structural equation model.

Findings

The findings indicate that using OCC technology creates social bonding between students and lecturers by allowing students to clarify the ambiguity of concepts learnt in class and create a sense of connection with their lecturers which leads to better student engagement and hence improved learning outcomes.

Originality/value

The authors highlight the evidence of effective usage of IM tool by university students as a meaningful communication tool and the need to integrate technology into all educational settings.
Role of gender on the relationship between abusive supervision and employee’s intention to quit in Indian electricity distribution companies
Authors: Pradhan Sajeet , Jena Lalatendu Kesari , Mohapatra Mamta
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold; first, to examine the relationship between employee’s perception of abusive supervision and their intention to quit the organization and, second, to investigate the moderating role of gender differences on this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 227 employees working in an Indian electricity distribution company through self-report questionnaires using a time-lagged design on two occasions (span between T1 and T2 was 3 to 4 weeks).

Findings

The finding of the study confirms that abusive supervision is strongly related to subordinates’ intention to quit. The study also reveals that women employees intend to quit organization more often than their men counterpart, when they perceive their supervisors to be abusive.

Originality/value

The research provides insight into how an interpersonal stressor like abusive supervision depletes an employee’s critical resources (conservation of resources theory) and thereby amplifies the employee’s intention to quit. The study is among the first to also reveal different coping strategies (to quit or not to quit) used by male and female employee (in line with “Role theory”) when faced with an interpersonal stressor like abusive supervision.
A female leadership competency framework from the perspective of male leaders
Authors: Esser Anke , Kahrens Marion , Mouzughi Yusra , Eomois Ester
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a competency framework that incorporates the key leadership competencies required of female leaders working in male-dominated industries by putting particular emphasis on the male leaders’ point of view.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative research combines a thorough literature review on important leadership competencies with ten in-depth, semi-structured interviews with male leaders from the Telecommunication and ICT industry, two typically male-dominated industries in Germany. All the interviews were transcribed and analysed through qualitative content analysis based on Mayring.

Findings

Findings revealed that success of female leaders within male dominances is shaped by not only their exceptional professional expertise but also the complex mix of behaviours on a professional and interpersonal level.

Practical implications

This study contributes to the academic debate on why only a few women reach the top of organisations in male-dominated industries by considering the perspective of male leaders. A competency model is proposed that incorporates both professional competencies and expected behaviours on a personal and interpersonal level and therefore enables leadership professionals to better understand the male leaders point of view on the complex mix of competencies expected from female leaders operating in male-dominated industries.

Originality/value

The need for more women in leadership has become a global business imperative, yet little is known about the competencies required to succeed in environments shaped by male leadership styles and the understanding that women are less capable leaders. Assessing the point of view of male leaders, who dominate these working environments, provides new and valuable insights into the complex issue of women in leadership for the academic debate and the practitioners’ point of view.
Transition and transformation in youth care in the Netherlands
Authors: de Vries Marsha , Wolbink Ronald
Published: April 2018

Purpose

Since January 2015, the Dutch youth care system has been under construction. Its focus has shifted from the problematic to the normal development of children. Emphasis on the capacities of both youths and parents, on customized care and on better cooperation between professionals should decrease the use of specialized services. This reconstruction of the youth care system not only appeals to the competencies and skills of professionals, but also requires innovations in terms of leadership. The purpose of this paper is to describe the struggle managers face when working to transform the youth care system, and to provide some suggestions for how managers can be supported.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on the results of two empirical, qualitative studies that were recently conducted by the Research Institute Youth, which is part of the Health Care and Social Work Research Centre of Windesheim University of Applied Sciences in Zwolle, the Netherlands. Over the course of a preliminary study, executive managers of five youth care organizations were interviewed on the ongoing transformations of their organizations and the changing roles and needs of managers within these transformations. Subsequently, 13 middle- and first-line managers of 3 youth care organizations were interviewed about their experiences and the ways in which they have handled the new roles they have taken on in transforming their organizations.

Findings

The management of youth care organizations is responsible for facilitating professionals in taking on and shaping their new roles, thus affecting not only the structure but also the culture and practices of youth care organizations and of management itself. This research shows that managers are struggling with these changes in their own ways. While youth care managers are struggling with their new roles and responsibilities, the intended transformation of the youth care system lags behind. Appropriate support of managers is essential, but is currently lacking. This paper provides some suggestions for how managers can be supported.

Originality/value

This paper identifies and explains the challenges that top-, middle- and lower-level managers face in current transformation processes in social service organizations, and provides some suggestions for how managers can be supported in these processes.
Employment patterns and family satisfaction in Europe
Authors: Böhnke Petra , Cifuentes Isabel Valdés
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between labour market integration and family satisfaction in a cross-country comparison perspective and takes important intervening factors into consideration such as the social policy and flexibility strategy as well as the cultural context of 27 European countries.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors rely on data from the European Quality of Life Survey 2012 and conduct multi-level analyses using both the one-step random intercept Model with cross-level interactions as well as a two-step hierarchical model. The country-specific framework is addressed with indicators for the level of social security, for external flexibility labour market characteristics, and for the predominant family solidarity norm of a country.

Findings

The paper provides empirical support for the thesis of social disruption according to insecure labour market attachment. This link is weakened in countries where flexible labour market conditions are accompanied by strong efforts on state-provided social security. High family support norms can only partially compensate a lack of social protection covered by the state.

Research limitations/implications

The paper reveals the increasing social vulnerability of people who are not or not completely integrated into the labour market. These risks cannot be convincingly weakened by social security measures. To know more about these mechanisms, the link between labour market integration and the quality of family life should be studied in more detail in a cross-country comparative perspective to develop ideas and give advice on reducing the potential insecurity of flexible employment.

Originality/value

The paper complements previous research by providing empirical findings about the link between insecure labour market attachment and the integration into family networks in a cross-country comparison perspective.
Meandering rides of the Swedish taxi industry
Authors: Slavnic Zoran , Urban Susanne
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the interplay between changes in policies, rules and regulations that have altered ethnic composition and incomes in the Swedish taxi industry since deregulation in the 1990s.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a mixed-methods study, combining the qualitative interviews, scrutiny of relevant policy documents and statistical data of the Swedish population between 1992 and 2012. The analysis uses a mixed embeddedness perspective to show how the changed regulations resulted in new openings/closings in opportunities for individuals operating in the sector and how the proportion of immigrants in the sector, increased continuously between 1992 and 2012.

Findings

Policy changes have altered ethnic composition and incomes in the Swedish taxi sector. Income differences between foreign born and Swedish born are decreasing. It occurs however in the context of a general trend of lower wages within the sector. New jobs are created, but these are low paid jobs with harsh working conditions.

Originality/value

What makes this paper original is the use of the mixed-method approach, combining the analyses of economic and ethnic changes in the sector with internal and external institutional changes in rules and regulations, which exemplify the essence of the mixed embeddedness concept. Additionally the quantitative part of the study uses register data - tax registers and population registers that includes entire population and is administered by Statistics Sweden in a database for REMESO.
Psychological dimension of corruption
Authors: Sadigov Turkhan
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore relatively neglected side of corruption – citizen-initiated bribe offers – to identify the degree to which citizens on the grassroots level are ready to support top-down government anti-corruption policies.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on Avessalom Podvodny’s framework of modalities, this research analyzes the results of the nationally representative survey of 1,002 respondents, and ten in-depth interviews – both held in Azerbaijan. The author uses both logistic regression and qualitative description to highlight research inferences.

Findings

Modalities provide a new way of making sense of the factors affecting corruption, and informality. Bribe offers are associated with imbalance within Local-Global, Symbol-Content, Active-Passive pairs of modalities. All of the relevant independent variables (except for one), drawn from relevant theories and organized around modalities, are statistically significant in predicting bribe offers.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is able to pose and answer fundamental policy questions: why villagers in Azerbaijan prefer to invest in building mosques and cemeteries rather than schools and kindergartens? Why insurance is not perceived as a sphere of business by the Azerbaijani population? On a practical level, the paper shows that governments’ selective focus on bureaucratic graft neglects formidable argument that the problem of corruption is tightly woven into political culture of a post-Soviet society. Simple administrative measures cannot overcome fundamental value orientations within a society.

Originality/value

The paper adds to corruption researchers’ toolkit, by expanding research to factors affecting citizen voluntary choices to bribe. The research shows what specific variables should be considered and which of them are statistically significant in explaining citizen choices.
Technology transfer between universities and companies
Authors: Chais Cassiane , Patrícia Ganzer Paula , Munhoz Olea Pelayo
Published: April 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to research how technology transfer occurs, based on the Schumpeterian approach to innovation trilogy focusing on the interaction between the university and the company.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology used for this study was the analysis of two cases with an exploratory and qualitative approach. The case study subjects were two Brazilian universities: University of Campinas (UNICAMP) and University of Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS). Semi-structured interviews were used as the data collection technique, whereas content analysis was used as the analysis technique.

Findings

The main results showed the need of companies and universities to understand that working in collaborative technology research contributes to the transformation of applied research into technological innovations that can transform society.

Research limitations/implications

The research’s limitations were the unfeasibility of studying the government helix, the lack of clear and established processes within universities so that a comparison between the cases would be possible and the lack of access to technology contracts, as they are considered confidential. In addition, the use of two cases is considered a limitation, as it is not possible to generalize the conclusions pointed out by the study.

Originality/value

With this research, the authors were able to conclude that the university–industry interaction process has been improving, but it still needs to advance in organizational aspects. Some of the aspects to be considered are the adjustments for the institutions’ internal policies, the existing negotiations, the researchers’ behavior regarding the dissemination of the innovation culture and the performance of the technological innovation centers, which gradually are being trained to work in the market as well as in the university. It is necessary that primarily companies and universities understand that they must join efforts in collaborative technological research, so that the financial resources invested are not only accepted as published articles in qualified journals but also turn into technological innovations accepted by the market. All this investment must return as new products, services and technologies that generate local, regional, national and even international impact, implementing new types of businesses and new markets and yielding an economic impact in the country, thus generating innovation and social well-being.
The interface between electronic banking and accounting modules
Authors: Nguyen Danh , Gopalaswamy Arun Kumar
Published: April 2018

Purpose

There is a substantial lack of the need for adopting interface between accounting systems of companies and banks in Vietnam. The purpose of this paper is to bring out the benefits and lacunas in the adoption of interface for companies as well identify the factors that possibly could be crucial in making the interface adoption a success or failure.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is set in the context of case analysis and has adopted a mixed method approach. In this study, a contrast between successful adopters of interface and non-adopters of interface is discussed to identify the motivating factors for interface as well as the factors which form the barriers for non-adopters.

Findings

By conducting a case study-based analysis for intensive data comparison of two companies as interface adopters and two as non-adopters in Vietnam, it is found that the success of the interface adoption is influenced by inter-related factors such as the manager characteristics, industrial environment, company characteristic and innovation characteristics. Particularly, the effectiveness of the interface can be well demonstrated by cost saving, manpower reduction, data consistency, accuracy, and speed of the process.

Research limitations/implications

The impact on the banker is not analyzed. Furthermore, this research only focuses on the effects of interface on the electronic banking system and accounting modules in the form of electronic payment, while in reality, banks provide a variety of services which can also be explored by other researchers.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies in the context of Vietnam. This study is highly relevant in the current context, given the significant growth in the number of industries and export markets in Vietnam.
Does the private equity financing improve performance in family SMEs?
Authors: Salerno Dario
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relation between family involvement in ownership and the performance of private equity (PE)-backed SMEs.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of 533 European PE-backed SMEs (i.e. 107 PE-backed family SMEs and 426 PE backed non-family SMEs), the author estimate the OLS model where a firms operating performance is a function of the presence or not of family shareholders, various other firm-specific characteristics, the experience of PE investor and a dummy for the financial crisis. To control the robustness of results, the author restrict the analysis to those firms that are incorporated in one of the 15 old member states of the European Union and the author include among the independent variables the one-year lagged values of the dependent variable.

Findings

The results show that PE-backed family SMEs outperform non-family PE-backed SMEs over the post-investment period.

Originality/value

This paper aims to extend literature about the link between PE backing and the involvement of family in ownership, considering European countries.
Behavioural competencies of sustainability leaders: an empirical investigation
Authors: Knight Beth , Paterson Fred
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The world faces greater environmental, social and governance challenges than ever before and a growing number of organisations are establishing sustainability functions, strategies and plans in an effort to address these complex issues. However, limited research exists on the critical behavioural competencies required to maximise leadership impact on sustainability initiatives. With the stakes so high and the task so complex, the purpose of this paper is to identify the key behavioural competencies of corporate sustainability leaders and set out a model for assessing these behavioural competencies.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a review of the empirical literature, the study sets out five competency groupings, which informed a hypothesis. This was tested quantitatively via a self-report tool that enabled a quantitative analysis of behavioural competencies. Contributions from 97 participants were triangulated with data collected from colleagues who rated the participants on the same set of competencies.

Findings

Ten critical and ten prominent behaviours of sustainability leaders in five competency groupings were identified. The analysis also explored how the business sector, location, years of experience and level of qualification impacted upon the sample sustainability leaders’ perceived effectiveness.

Research limitations/implications

The sample size means that the competency model derived from the findings should be seen as propositional and requiring further validation. Impact measures would add considerable robustness to the findings.

Practical implications

The research offers a means to better focus and tailor leadership development experiences and as a tool for the recruitment of sustainability leaders.

Originality/value

The study is based on a robust quantitative approach, and the behavioural competency model developed as a result provides a tool for sustainability leaders to map current behaviours and monitor their progress over time.
Do jobs matter more than nations? Cultural constraints on organizational performance
Authors: Wolonciej Mariusz Tomasz
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce new perspectives on the job position analysis practice rooted in the traditional person-job fit approach. It highlights selected theoretical assumptions and the case of a company challenged by hidden cultural constraints on the work environment. The author attempts to show how human resources management may benefit from incorporating the aspect of cultural traits in job position analysis. Next, the author provides a regulatory definition of a job position culture, followed by practical guidelines to facilitate a better person-job fit across various work environments.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper opts for a conceptual contribution by introducing a new term “job position culture” as, companies are challenged by new management difficulties when creating universal job position descriptions and a better person-job fit. The paper highlights the need of including additional, cultural aspects of the work environment to better manage organizational change.

Findings

The paper shows how cultural traits could be implemented in human resources management such as recruitment and selection, as well as efficient job position management. A regulatory definition of job position culture is proposed, and some practical implications for a more complete organizational change management in job cultures.

Research limitations/implications

The regulatory definition for the job position culture, presented in the paper, is at the preliminary and theoretical stage. It requires being operationalized and implemented it in each job analysis case.

Practical implications

The new, cultural perspective on the job analysis may serve for the more adequate fit of personnel to the work environment and better manage organizational change including distinct job cultures.

Social implications

The cultural perspective on a job analysis may serve a more adequate fit and work satisfaction of workers resulting in job attachment and better work performance.

Originality/value

The paper shows the need to study additional work environment traits on the bases of the regulatory definition of job position culture.
Inbound open innovation and radical innovation capability
Authors: Shi Xiaoxiao , Zhang Qingpu
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of inbound open innovation and organizational inertia on radical innovation capability (RIC). It also seeks to explore whether the existence of organizational inertia has a moderating effect and influence on the relationship between inbound open innovation and RIC.

Design/methodology/approach

In this empirical research, the authors collected sample of patents in smart phone industry over the 2000-2016 period. Then, the authors examined the direct roles of inbound open innovation and organizational inertia, and the moderating role of organizational inertia by using hierarchical regression analysis.

Findings

Results found that cognitive inertia (CI) has a positive influence on firms’ RIC, but network inertia (NI) has a negative influence on RIC. CI also has a significant moderating effect on the relationship between inbound open innovation and RIC, but NI only has a significant moderating effect on the relationship between open search breadth and RIC. Inbound open innovation directly affects RIC.

Research limitations/implications

The authors collected the patent data of this study within the single industry and excluded other types of industries. And it may limit the generalization of the findings.

Practical implications

The paper includes implications for adopting an appropriate open search strategy and developing a better understanding of organizational inertia on firms’ radical innovation behavior. The findings suggest future directions to technology intensive industries for improving their RIC.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the relationship between organizational inertia and RIC within the framework of inbound open innovation.
Knowledge processes and firm performance: the mediating effect of employee creativity
Authors: Imran Muhammad Kashif , Ilyas Muhammad , Aslam Usman , Fatima Tehreem
Published: April 2018

Purpose

In current era, firms are facing difficulties in aligning their capabilities with the hallmarks of the knowledge-intensive economy. Notwithstanding the fact that employees’ creativity ensures competitive advantage through innovation, firms are unable to reap the required level of performance. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the linkage among knowledge processes, employee creativity and firm performance. Moreover, the current quantitative study measures the moderating effect of a knowledge-intensive culture on knowledge processes and employee creativity.

Design/methodology/approach

Surveys were conducted in eight services sector organizations operating in southern Punjab, Pakistan, and responses were obtained from 197 employees selected at random. To test the exposition using an empirical data analysis approach, three core hypotheses are drawn, and to test these hypotheses, multiple regression analyses, Preacher and Hayes (2004) mediation analysis and Aguinis (2004) guidelines were applied on 197 responses.

Findings

The results explain that knowledge processes have a positive impact on firm performance and employee creativity partially mediates their stated relationship. Moreover, a knowledge-intensive culture has a strengthening effect on the relationship between knowledge processes and employee creativity. In-depth investigation outlines that knowledge acquisition, sharing and application are more influencing processes to enhance firm performance. Furthermore, knowledge conversion and protection do not hold significant relevance with firm performance but are supportive elements for other processes.

Research limitations/implications

In order to have a sustained performance, firms have to initiate steps to promote employees’ creativity by deploying an optimal mix of knowledge processes and flourish a knowledge-intensive culture in routine organizational life. Moreover, knowledge processes are important to promote creative behavior in employees that will lead to incessant innovation and firm performance.

Originality/value

This study gives meaningful thoughts to unexplored areas in the field of knowledge management. First, the indirect effect of knowledge processes on firm performance through employees’ creativity. Second, the importance of knowledge processes to enhance employees’ creativity in the presence of a knowledge-intensive culture. This study gets together the dynamic constructs in the field of knowledge management, such as knowledge-intensive culture and employee creativity, and describes the linkage between knowledge processes and firm performance.
Chinese immigrants’ occupational well-being in Finland: the role of paternalistic leadership
Authors: Nie Dan , Lämsä Anna-Maija
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to enhance the understanding of paternalistic leadership behaviour in the Finnish organisational context by investigating its relationship with Chinese immigrant employees’ occupational well-being.

Design/methodology/approach

This research was based on a survey of 117 Chinese immigrants working in Finland. The snowball sampling method was adopted in the present research.

Findings

The findings show that the dimensions of paternalistic leadership, specifically benevolent leadership behaviour, can be influential in Chinese immigrant knowledge workers’ occupational well-being in the Finnish organisational context.

Research limitations/implications

Paternalistic leadership style can also make sense in a Western organisational context, especially when dealing with well-being among immigrant employees from China or other Asian countries.

Originality/value

Some misunderstanding of paternalistic leadership behaviour in Western societies may impede the theory’s further development. The study enhanced the understanding of paternalism in the Finnish organisational context by illuminating the effect of paternalistic leadership on Chinese immigrant employees’ occupational well-being.
Human resource management transfer challenges within multinational firms
Authors: Oppong Nana Yaw
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The paper aims to trace the challenges that multinational companies (MNCs) face as they grow out of their national borders into foreign countries and how they attempt to transfer human resource management (HRM) policies and practices across their subsidiaries for a best-fit HRM model.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses the dilemma theory (involving two opposing values which doing one without the other creates a disadvantage but both cannot be done together) as the main analytical tool and reviews scholarly literature on MNCs’ HRM transfers for the assessment of the transfer challenges.

Findings

It is found that MNCs face a dilemma as to how to find best-fit between home-country HRM requirements and host-country demands. In the face of this dilemma, MNCs attempt to build synergy between home-country requirements and host-country demands for a best-fit HRM that is beneficial to both the parent company and their foreign subsidiaries. Despite the best-fit HRM practices to diffuse the tension, parent company has greater influence in the final synergy product which is the trade-off between home-country HRM label and host-country contextual demands, thereby advancing the dominant HRM option of the dilemma.

Practical implications

MNCs should be aware of the possible challenges as they internationalise and should equally be aware that though they may build a synergy (a blend of workable headquarters and subsidiary HRM), the final product will continue to favour headquarters’ HRM policies and practices.

Originality/value

The paper generates theoretical implications into the issues and challenges that arise with HRM transfers within multinational firms by examining how the dilemma theory sheds light on the transfer process and challenges from the dominant-contextual tension till the fight for best-fit HRM. It also contributes to the development of cycle of cross-border HRM dilemma, cross-border HRM transfer framework and Synergy-Dominant theory.
Methods of removal wide-stripe noise in short-wave infrared hyperspectral remote sensing image
Authors: Huang Shi-Qi , Wu Wen-Sheng , Wang Li-Ping , Duan Xiang-Yang
Published: April 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to study the removal of wide-stripe noise in hyperspectral remote sensing images. There is a great deal of stripe noises in short-wave infrared hyperspectral remote sensing image, especially wide-stripe noise, which brings great challenge to the interpretation and application of hyperspectral images.

Design/methodology/approach

To remove the noise and to reduce the impact based on in-depth study of the mechanism of the stripe noise generation and its distribution characteristics, this paper proposed two statistical local processing and moment matching algorithms for the elimination of wide-stripe noise, namely, the gradient mean moment matching (GMMM) algorithm and the gradient interpolation moment matching (GIMM) algorithm.

Findings

The experiments were carried out with the practical short-wave infrared hyperspectral image data and good experiment results were obtained. Experiments show that both can reduce the impact of wide-stripe noise, and the filtering effect and the application range of the GIMM algorithm is better than that of the GMMM algorithm.

Originality/value

Using new methods to deal with the hyperspectral remote sensing images, it can effectively improve the quality of hyperspectral images and improve their utilization efficiency and value.
Challenges of the levels of learning
Authors: Rupčić Nataša
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to highlight challenges and opportunities that surround the process of learning with an emphasis on higher-order learning and learning as behavior. Higher-order learning has been conceptualized as learning behavior that can be learned.

Design/methodology/approach

The holistic framework regarding higher-order learning has been proposed on the basis of systems perspective and critical thinking of previous contributions.

Findings

A review and analysis of learning, especially higher-order learning, resulted in its conceptualization and guidelines on how to implement it. Higher-order learning is a learning behavior that can be learned and implemented in many situations in complex social and organizational practices.

Research limitations/implications

Conclusions and remarks provided in this paper need further empirical testing and validation.

Practical implications

Implications for practitioners have been identified in terms of recommendations for implementing higher-order learning as a learning behavior that can be learned.

Social implications

Dedicated implementation of higher-order learning and learning as behavior can bring true change to the current social and economic paradigm and lasting solutions to the so-called “stubborn problems” of pollution, abuse, destruction and poverty, and can cause systemic transformation of our declining society.

Originality/value

Higher-order learning has been conceptualized and challenges surrounding it have been identified along with suggestions on how to overcome them.