bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Avian Model for B‐Cell Immunology – New Genomes and Phylotranscriptomics
Authors: Kohonen P. , Nera K.‐P. , Lassila O.
Published: July 2007

The purpose of this review is to discuss the use of chicken and other model organisms in the study of B‐cell development and function as well as to highlight the opportunities afforded by the expanded genome‐sequencing efforts. A brief introduction on chicken B‐cell biology is followed by discussion of somatic cell reverse genetic approaches using the DT40 cell line. The unique advantages of the DT40 system are emphasized with discussion on B‐cell receptor signalling research as well as on DNA repair and mechanisms of immunoglobulin diversification. An attempt is made to compare and contrast the results from chicken with mouse knockouts on the one hand and RNAi with human cell lines on the other. Chicken is also emerging strongly as a platform for gene expression analysis, and avian studies are compared with mammalian studies. Multi‐species gene co‐expression analysis, which could also be termed phylotranscriptomics, aims to use the evolutionary distance between organisms to its advantage. This approach, still in its infancy, is also reviewed and its applicability to the chicken is discussed.
Characterization of a new HLA‐B allele, HLA‐B*5312, and re‐evaluation of the published sequences of the untranslated regions of HLA‐B*35 and HLA‐B*53
Authors: Heinold A. , Bauer M. , Scherer S. , Opelz G. , Tran T. H.
Published: July 2007

We report a novel human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐B allele, HLA‐B*5312. Compared with HLA‐B*530101, there is one silent substitution at nucleotide 438 and two non‐synonymous substitutions at nucleotides 431 and 440, causing a change of the amino acid sequence (Asn→Ser at codon 77 and Ile→Thr at codon 80, respectively) within the Bw4 epitope. In contrast to the published sequences (IMGT/HLA Database, version 2.16.0, January 2007), we found that HLA‐B*530101 had a C instead of a T at nucleotide −221, whereas HLA‐B*350101 had a C instead of an A at nucleotide 2992. According to our sequencing results, HLA‐B*5312 resembles HLA‐B*350101 regarding its sequence of the untranslated regions. HLA‐B*5312 may have been the result of a double crossing over event during which HLA‐B*350101 adopted a Bw4 motif.
Carbon dioxide and argon gas embolism during laparoscopic hepatic resection
Authors: Min S. K. , Kim J. H. , Lee S. Y.
Published: July 2007

During laparoscopic hepatic resection, an abrupt decrease in FE’CO2 (from 28 mmHg to 9 mmHg) associated with near cardiac arrest occurred concomitantly with hepatic vein laceration and the use of an argon beam coagulator system. During venous gas embolism, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) proved the transpulmonary passage of the gas. In the post‐operative period, the patient developed pulmonary edema and made a full recovery after 5 days. This is a case report of a possible paradoxic carbon dioxide (CO2) and argon gas embolism by transpulmonary passage during laparoscopic hepatic resection.
Preventing rotavirus gastroenteritis: Do you have the facts?
Authors: Davidson Geoffrey , Elliott Elizabeth J , Kirkwood Carl , Pearce Rodney
Published: July 2007

Abstract:  From 1 July 2007 two new rotavirus vaccines licensed for use in Australia (RotaTeq CSL Biotherapies/Merck and Rotarix Glaxo Smith Kline) will be funded for the National Immunisation Program. The vaccines differ with respect to their composition and the timing and mode of administration. Both have been evaluated in huge randomised trials and shown to be highly effective in preventing rotavirus gastroenteritis, including severe disease requiring hospital admission. Neither has been associated with an increased rate of intussusception; however, surveillance for adverse effects following vaccination will be important. As rotavirus infection is ubiquitous in young children, funding of this vaccine will significantly decrease the enormous morbidity and costs associated with this disease in our community.
Resistance to pathogens and host developmental stage: a multifaceted relationship within the plant kingdom
Authors: Develey‐Rivière Marie‐Pierre , Galiana Eric
Published: July 2007

The induction of resistance to disease during plant development is widespread in the plant kingdom. Resistance appears at different stages of host development, varies with plant age or tissue maturity, may be specific or broad‐spectrum and is driven by diverse mechanisms, depending on plant–pathogen interactions. Studies of these forms of resistance may help us to evaluate more exhaustively the plethora of levels of regulation during development, the variability of the defense potential of developing hosts and may have practical applications, making it possible to reduce pesticide applications. Here, we review the various types of developmental resistance in plants and current knowledge of the molecular and cellular processes involved in their expression. We discuss the implications of these studies, which provide new knowledge from the molecular to the agrosystem level.

Contents

Summary
405

I.
Introduction
405

II.
The many forms of developmental resistance
406

III.
Molecular mechanisms of developmental resistance
410

IV.
Relationships between defense and development in plants
412

V.
Concluding remarks
413

Acknowledgements
413

References
413
Measuring and Mapping Threats to a Wildlife Sanctuary in Southern India
Authors: BARVE N. , KIRAN M. C. , VANARAJ G. , ARAVIND N. A. , RAO D. , SHAANKER R. UMA , GANESHAIAH K. N. , POULSEN J. G.
Published: July 2007

Abstract:  Although conservation and management of tropical ecosystems requires that we understand the threats to these areas, there are no standardized methods to quantify threats to ecosystems. We used a geographic information system‐based protocol with several physical and socioeconomic attributes to assess the threats to a protected area, a wildlife sanctuary in southern India. Physical attributes included threats from major and minor roads and the accessibility of an area (given as inverse of the slope of the area), and socioeconomic attributes included the number of human settlements and human, cattle, and sheep populations. We divided the sanctuary into 30‐ha grids, and for each grid we computed three threat categories: (1) settlement‐associated threat from humans, cattle, and sheep; (2) development‐associated threat resulting from major and minor roads; and (3) accessibility‐related threat caused by the steepness of the terrain. Combining all three threats, we derived a composite threat index for each grid and mapped five levels of threats in the sanctuary. We collected data on human activities, tree species richness, and diversity in the transects laid in areas corresponding to these five threat levels. Although the threat levels of the transects were strongly correlated with the human‐related disturbance activities, the composite threat indices of the transects were negatively correlated with tree species richness, indicating that the threat values we derived served as a good surrogate of the actual threat experienced by the sanctuary. With appropriate modifications, the protocol developed here can be applied to other ecosystems as well.
Novel α‐conotoxins fromConus spuriusand the α‐conotoxin EI share high‐affinity potentiation and low‐affinity inhibition of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
Authors: López‐Vera Estuardo , Aguilar Manuel B. , Schiavon Emanuele , Marinzi Chiara , Ortiz Ernesto , Restano Cassulini Rita , Batista Cesar V. F. , Possani Lourival D. , Heimer de la Cotera Edgar P. , Peri Francesco , Becerril Baltazar , Wanke Enzo
Published: July 2007

α‐Conotoxins from marine snails are known to be selective and potent competitive antagonists of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Here we describe the purification, structural features and activity of two novel toxins, SrIA and SrIB, isolated fromConus spuriuscollected in the Yucatan Channel, Mexico. As determined by direct amino acid and cDNA nucleotide sequencing, the toxins are peptides containing 18 amino acid residues with the typical 4/7‐type framework but with completely novel sequences. Therefore, their actions (and that of a synthetic analog, [γ15E]SrIB) were compared to those exerted by the α4/7‐conotoxin EI fromConus ermineus, used as a control. Their target specificity was evaluated by the patch‐clamp technique in mammalian cells expressing α1β1γδ, α4β2and α3β4nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. At high concentrations (10 µm), the peptides SrIA, SrIB and [γ15E]SrIB showed weak blocking effects only on α4β2and α1β1γδ subtypes, but EI also strongly blocked α3β4receptors. In contrast to this blocking effect, the new peptides and EI showed a remarkable potentiation of α1β1γδ and α4β2nicotinic acetylcholine receptors if briefly (2–15 s) applied at concentrations several orders of magnitude lower (EC50, 1.78 and 0.37 nm, respectively). These results suggest not only that the novel α‐conotoxins and EI can operate as nicotinic acetylcholine receptor inhibitors, but also that they bind both α1β1γδ and α4β2nicotinic acetylcholine receptors with very high affinity and increase their intrinsic cholinergic response. Their unique properties make them excellent tools for studying the toxin–receptor interaction, as well as models with which to design highly specific therapeutic drugs.
GENERALIZED HILL FUNCTION METHOD FOR MODELING MOLECULAR PROCESSES
Authors: LIKHOSHVAI VITALI , RATUSHNY ALEXANDER
Published: July 2007

Development of an in silico cell is an urgent task of systems biology. The core of this cell should consist of mathematical models of intracellular events, including enzymatic reactions and control of gene expression. For example, the minimal model of the E. coli cell should include description of about one thousand enzymatic reactions and regulation of expression of approximately the same number of genes. In many cases detailed mechanisms of molecular processes are not known. In this study, we propose a generalized Hill function method for modeling molecular events. The proposed approach is a method of kinetic data approximation in view of additional data on structure functional features of molecular genetic systems and actually does not demand knowledge of their detailed mechanisms. Generalized Hill function models of an enzymatic reaction catalyzed by the tryptophan-sensitive 3-deoxy-d-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase and the cydAB operon expression regulation are presented.
RECOGNITION OF CIS-REGULATORY ELEMENTS WITH VOMBAT
Authors: POSCH STEFAN , GRAU JAN , GOHR ANDRE , BEN-GAL IRAD , KEL ALEXANDER E. , GROSSE IVO
Published: July 2007

Variable order Markov models and variable order Bayesian trees have been proposed for the recognition of cis-regulatory elements, and it has been demonstrated that they outperform traditional models such as position weight matrices, Markov models, and Bayesian trees for the recognition of binding sites in prokaryotes. Here, we study to which degree variable order models can improve the recognition of eukaryotic cis-regulatory elements. We find that variable order models can improve the recognition of binding sites of all the studied transcription factors. To ease a systematic evaluation of different model combinations based on problem-specific data sets and allow genomic scans of cis-regulatory elements based on fixed and variable order Markov models and Bayesian trees, we provide the VOMBATserver to the public community.
EXTENDED BACKUS-SYSTEMS FOR THE REPRESENTATION AND SPECIFICATION OF THE GENOME
Authors: HOFESTÄDT RALF
Published: July 2007

In this theoretical paper, we focus to the usage of formal languages and define an extended Backus-System which will allow an adequate representation of molecular data. Furthermore, based on this new formalization we try to define the "complexity of organisms". Our results show that this formalization is useful for the syntactical specification of the genome interpreted as a formal language.
Meaning in life mediates the relationship between social and physical functioning and distress in cancer survivors
Authors: Jim Heather S. , Andersen Barbara L.
Published: July 2007

Objectives.Impairments in physical and social functioning are often associated with distress for the cancer survivor. Impaired functioning may also lead individuals to question previously held beliefs about meaning in life. Meaning in life was hypothesized to mediate the relationship between functioning and distress.

Design and methods.Two studies were conducted. In the cross‐sectional study (I), cancer survivors (N= 420) were accrued via the Internet and completed measures of social and physical functioning, meaning and distress. In the longitudinal study (II), breast cancer survivors (N= 167) completed measures of functioning at 18 months, meaning at 24 months and distress at 30 months post‐diagnosis.

Results.In Study I, meaning in life was a significant, partial mediator for both of the effects of physical and social functioning impairments on heightened distress. In Study II, significant indirect effects of functioning impairments on distress through meaning were replicated even when functioning and distress were measured 1 year apart. The relationship of social functioning and distress was fully mediated by meaning in life, whereas the relationship of physical functioning and distress was partially mediated by meaning.

Conclusion.The negative social and physical sequelae of cancer are associated with heightened distress, and this association appears to be accounted for, in part, by patients' loss of meaning in their lives.
Einsatz der Road-Lab-Math Strategie bei der simulationsbasierten Entwicklung von Fahrdynamikregelsystemen (Application of the Road-Lab-Math Strategy in Simulation-based Development of Chassis Control Systems)
Authors: Kochem Michael , Holzmann Henning
Published: July 2007

Aktuelle und zukünftige Fahrzeugentwicklungsprojekte sind durch eine hohe bzw. steigende Variantenvielfalt gekennzeichnet. Ohne Unterstützung durch Simulationen ist dies nicht zu bewältigen. Die Road-Lab-Math Strategie (RLM) hat zum Ziel, die Entwicklungsaktivitäten so zwischen Fahrversuch, Labor und Simulation zu verteilen, dass die maximalen Synergie-Effekte für die Entwicklung ausgenutzt werden können. Notwendig sind dazu die entsprechende Simulationsgüte und die automatisierte Simulation von umfangreichen Testszenarien. Am Beispiel eines aktuellen Fahrzeugprojektes zeigt dieser Beitrag wie die Umsetzung der RLM-Strategie zur Freigabeempfehlung der ABS-/ESP-Software bzw. deren Variantenparametern geführt hat.

A rising number of variants characterizes actual and upcoming vehicle development projects. The development activities cannot be met without simulation support. Therefore, the Road-Lab-Math strategy (RLM) has been created to balance the development load between road testing, lab and math-based simulation. As a basis for that, a high simulation confidence as well as an automated simulation of various test scenarios are necessary. An actual vehicle development project serves as example how the RLM-strategy leads to release suggestions for the ABS-/ESC-software and its respective parameters.
From the Moral Economy to the World Economy: Revisiting Vietnamese Peasants in a Globalizing Era
Authors: Mcelwee Pamela
Published: July 2007

This paper revisits themes from a classic text on Vietnam, The Moral Economy of the Peasant (1976), by James C. Scott. Fieldwork undertaken in Nghêê Tĩĩnh provides a contemporary re-examination of some of the key premises of Scott's book. The article argues that a "moral economy" that guarantees a right to subsistence, based on normative values and risk-averse behavior, does indeed still exist. Recent protests and rebellious acts that mirror previous revolts in the region are also noted, and changes in the agrarian sector that may be a result of Vietnam's recent WTO accession are discussed.
Mixtures of metals and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons elicit complex, nonadditive toxicological interactions in meiobenthic copepods
Authors: Fleeger John W. , Gust Kurt A. , Marlborough Sidney J. , Tita Guglielmo
Published: July 2007

The acute toxicity of metal–polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) mixtures (i.e., Cd, Hg, Pb, fluoranthene, and phenanthrene) associated with sediments was assessed in two benthic copepods. Schizopera knabeni was exposed to sediment amended with single contaminants and mixtures. Adult S. knabeni were highly tolerant of single-contaminant exposures to phenanthrene, Cd, Hg, and Pb as well as a mixture of Cd, Hg, and Pb. Binary experiments revealed that although phenanthrene was synergistic with Cd and Hg, the phenanthrene-Cd synergism was much stronger (2.8 times more lethal than predicted). When a mixture of Cd, Hg, and Pb was combined with phenanthrene, a synergistic response was observed, eliciting 1.5 times greater lethality than predicted. A Cd-phenanthrene synergism in S. knabeni was also observed in aqueous exposures, suggesting that the interaction was related to a pharmacological insult rather than a sediment-related exposure effect. An antagonism between Cd, Hg, and Pb was indicated, and this antagonism may have moderated the Cd-phenanthrene synergism in mixtures containing Cd, Hg, Pb, and phenanthrene. Experiments with Amphiascoides atopus revealed that phenanthrene and fluoranthene were each synergistic with Cd in aqueous exposures. Our studies suggest that interactive toxicity among metal-PAH mixtures may be common among benthic copepods and that strong synergistic effects observed in binary mixtures may be moderated in more diverse contaminant mixtures. However, the strength of the observed synergisms raises concerns that established sediment quality criteria may not be protective for organisms jointly exposed to PAH and metals, especially Cd-PAH mixtures.
Intersex in Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) used as negative controls in toxicologic bioassays: A review of 54 cases from 41 studies
Authors: Grim K. Christiana , Wolfe Marilyn , Hawkins William , Johnson Rodney , Wolf Jeffrey
Published: July 2007

Histologic assessment of the gonads to detect intersex has become a valuable end point in reproductive toxicologic testing for fish, and many studies have solidly linked intersex with exposure to endocrine active substances (EAS). An assumption in such studies is that spontaneous intersex does not occur in control fish. Using historical data derived from toxicologic tests with Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes), we report a retrospective study in which we identified 54 individual instances of intersex (testicular oocytes or ovarian testicular tissue) in control medaka from 15 of 41 selected toxicologic studies. These studies, comprised of previously unpublished data, had been conducted at three geographically distant laboratories, each of which utilized unique water sources, employed somewhat different culture protocols, and maintained distinct medaka breeding colonies. During our histologic examinations, we also identified three germ cell neoplasms that had been inadvertently diagnosed as intersex. In the present report, we review potential causes of intersex, discuss possible reasons why spontaneous intersex has rarely been reported, and propose suggestions for the judicious interpretation of intersex results in medaka studies involving EAS.
Hohokam Ritual and Economic Transformation: Ceramic Evidence from the Phoenix Basin, Arizona
Authors: Abbott David R.
Published: July 2007

The Hohokam regional system in southern and central Arizona was marked by a dense network of ballcourts during the eleventh century. The ritual ballgames provided venues for social and economic interaction that probably included the barter and exchange of thousands of clay containers each year. Previous ceramic evidence has shown that pottery production was highly concentrated with far-flung distribution, although by the twelfth century the ballcourt network had collapsed. New data from Las Colinas, a ballcourt village situated near the lower Salt River, demonstrate that the organization of pottery manufacture and distribution radically changed in the lower Salt River valley just at the time the Las Colinas ballcourt was abandoned, implying that the ritual ballgames had been a central component of the Hohokam regional economy.
International Business, Morality, and the Common Good
Authors: Velasquez Manuel
Published: July 2007

The author sets out a realist defense of the claim that in the absence of an international enforcement agency, multinational corporations operating in a competitive international environment cannot be said to have a moral obligation to contribute to the international common good, provided that interactions are nonrepetitive and provided effective signals of agent reliability are not possible. Examples of international common goods that meet these conditions are support of the global ozone layer and avoidance of the global greenhouse effect. Pointing out that the conclusion that multinationals have no moral obligations in these areas is deplorable, the author urges the establishment of an international enforcement agency.
Postmodern Interviews in Business Ethics: A Reply to Ronald Green
Authors: Schmidt David P.
Published: July 2007

My objective is to extend Ronald Green’s account of postmodernism by asking how postmodern ethicists should interview business people. I note the use of the interview method in current business ethics research. I then present Jeffrey Stout’s criticism of Robert Bellah’s interview techniques used in Habits of the Heart, which prompts questions about what constitutes a postmodern interview. In conclusion I seek clarification about whether and in what sense Ron Green intends to be a “foundationalist postmodern business ethicist.”
Creating and Maintaining Ethical Work Climates: Anomie in the Workplace and Implications for Managing Change
Authors: Cohen Deborah Vidaver
Published: July 2007

This paper examines how unethical behavior in the workplace occurs when management places inordinately strong emphasis on goal attainment without a corresponding emphasis on following legitimate procedures. Robert Merton’s theory of social structure and anomie provides a foundation to discuss this argument. Key factors affecting ethical climates in work organizations are also addressed. Based on this analysis, the paper proposes strategies for developing and changing aspects of organizational culture to reduce anomie, thereby creating work climates which discourage unethical practices and provide employees with mechanisms to resolve ethical conflicts in a constructive way.
Roman Catholic Tradition and Ritual and Business Ethics: A Feminist Perspective
Authors: Andolsen Barbara Hilkert
Published: July 2007

Clerical workers are an important segment of the work force. Catholic social teachings and eucharistic practice shed useful moral light on the increase in contingent work arrangements among clerical workers. The venerable concept of “the universal destination of the goods of creation” and a newer understanding of technology as “a shared workbench” illuminate the importance of good jobs for clerical workers. However, in order to apply Catholic social teachings to issues concerning clerical work as women’s work, sexist elements in traditional Catholic social teachings must be critically assessed. Participation in the Eucharist helps share a moral stance of inclusivity and sensitivity to forms of social marginalization. While actual practice fails fully to embody gender or racial inclusivity, participation in the inclusive table fellowship of the Eucharist should make business leaders question treating contingent workers as a peripheral work force.
Business Ethics and Politics in China
Authors: Steidlmeier Paul
Published: July 2007

Business ethics in China is highly politicized, both within China as well as on the global scene. Over the past years many issues of business ethics have arisen. It turns out that the Chinese often have a different set of ethical priorities with respect to the economy than do their Western counterparts. China possesses rich and well-developed ethical traditions that provide a meaningful basis for evaluating its own problems. This article reviews China’s ethical heritage and, at the same time, takes note of Western ethical concerns of human rights, property and so forth that have been injected into the debate. The article further reviews the principal issues of ethical analysis and, within the context of China/U. S. inter-relations, suggests ethical paths to pursue on four levels: government to government, multinational corporations, interest groups and international fora, and individual initiatives and commitment.
The Morality of the Corporation: An Empirical or Normative Disagreement?
Authors: Maitland Ian
Published: July 2007

In the canonical view of the corporation, management is the agent of the owners of the corporation—the stockholders—and, as such, has a fiduciary duty to manage the corporation in their best interests. Most business ethicists condemn this arrangement as morally indefensible because it fails to respect the right of other corporate constituencies or “stakeholders” to self-determination. By contrast, the modern agency theory of the firm provides a defense of this arrangement on the grounds that it is the result of stakeholders’ right to self-determination. This paper uses the example of managers’ fiduciary duty to stockholders to argue that different normative judgments often mask empirical disagreements.
A Feminist Reinterpretation of The Stakeholder Concept
Authors: Wicks Andrew C. , Gilbert Daniel R. , Freeman R. Edward
Published: July 2007

Stakeholder theory has become one of the most important developments in the field of business ethics. While this concept has evolved and gained prominence as a method of integrating ethics into the basic purposes and strategic objectives of the firm, the authors argue that stakeholder theory has retained certain “masculinist” assumptions from the wider business literature that limit its usefulness. The resources of feminist thought, specifically the work of Carol Gilligan, provide a means of reinterpreting the stakeholder concept in a way that overcomes many of the existing limitations. This reading provides a different understanding of the identity and meaning of the firm, specifically in terms of its relationship to stakeholder groups and what it means for a firm to succeed. The alternatives proposed also converge with recent trends in the wider management literature and provide practical guidance for firms which face a myriad of challenges in the increasingly complex and global marketplace.
The Social Equation: Freedom and its Limits
Authors: Horvath Charles M.
Published: July 2007

Western business philosophy is rooted in the concepts of free enterprise, free markets, free choice. Yet freedom has its limits. Nature itself imposes constraints. In the state of nature each business must try to accomplish everything autonomously and ward off the attacks of rivals. These activities cost the business a great deal of freedom. The social contract emerges from such anarchy to increase the freedom available to all members of society. It does so by setting limits on individual freedom which actually increase the overall amount of freedom available within the system. The Social Equation presents a relational model of this contract to show how overall freedom is increased in a state of society. In so doing, the obligations which society places on businesses to produce beneficial goods and services is developed. Next, the complex relationship between socially enforced constraints and social moral constraints is examined, showing that social moral constraints increase freedom more than do enforced constraints. This work concludes with proposed uses of the Social Equation as a heuristic for business ethics.
The Ethical Context in Organizations: Influences on Employee Attitudes and Behaviors
Authors: Treviño Linda Klebe , Butterfield Kenneth D. , McCabe Donald L.
Published: July 2007

This field survey focused on two constructs that have been developed to represent the ethical context in organizations: ethical climate and ethical culture. We first examined issues of convergence and divergence between these constructs through factor analysis and correlational analysis. Results suggested that the two constructs are measuring somewhat different, but strongly related dimensions of the ethical context. We then investigated the relationships between the emergent ethical context factors and an ethics-related attitude (organizational commitment) and behavior (observed unethical conduct) for respondents who work in organizations with and without ethics codes. Regression results indicated that an ethical culture-based dimension was more strongly associated with observed unethical conduct in code organizations while climate-based dimensions were more strongly associated with observed unethical conduct in non-code organizations. Ethical culture and ethical climate-based factors influenced organizational commitment similarly in both types of organizations. Normative implications of the study are discussed, as are implications for future theorizing, research and management practice.
The Moral Psychology of Business: Care and Compassion in the Corporation
Authors: Solomon Robert C.
Published: July 2007

The virtue of moral psychology is that it emphasizes what is most human in business, as opposed to the more bloodless concepts of “obligation,” “duty,” “responsibility” and rights.” The heart of moral psychology is to be found in such concrete phenomena as fear, love, affection, antipathy, loyalty, jealousy, anger, resentment, avarice, ambition, pride, and cowardice. In this essay, I want to explore two of the core virtues of the corporation, conceived of as a community, the “sentiments” of care and compassion. These were taken to be the very core of ethics by Adam Smith. I want to distinguish care and compassion from each other and both from the more principled and rule-bound conceptions of ethics that still dominate philosophy.
The Commons and the Moral Organization
Authors: Hartman Edwin M.
Published: July 2007

A complex organization is in effect a commons, which supervisory techniques cannot preserve from free riding. A corporate culture strong enough to create the requisite community-minded second-order desires and beliefs may be morally illegitimate. What morality requires is not local enforcement of foundational moral principles—a futile undertaking—but that the organization be a good community in that it permits the disaffected to exit, encourages reflective consideration of morality and the good life, and creates appropriate loyalty.
An Evaluation of Journal Quality: The Perspective of Business Ethics Researchers
Authors: Wicks Andrew C. , Derry Robbin
Published: July 2007

The subject of journal quality has received little attention in the business ethics literature. While there are reasons for this past neglect, there are important new considerations which make it vital that researchers now address this topic. First, virtually all business school departments use evaluations of journal quality as an important indicator of scholarly achievement, yet business ethics has no such studies. Second, as many schools are beginning to ask ethicists to publish in the wider management literature, it is important to find a way to compare journal quality across these domains. In the absence of such studies, performance review committees (including tenure decisions) may well make incorrect inferences about journal quality within business ethics or assume that ethics journals are not prestigious unless a candidate can provide evidence to the contrary (i.e. as in a study like this one). This study addresses these two issues. It relies on an opinion-based survey to establish journal quality by incorporating a list of journals within business ethics and the wider management literature. The target population is active business ethics researchers within the Society for Business Ethics (SBE). We present the results of the study and discuss their implications.
Business ETHICS/BUSINESS ethics: One Field or Two?*
Authors: Trevino Linda Klebe , Weaver Gary R.
Published: July 2007

This paper delineates the normative and empirical approaches to business ethics based upon five categories: 1) academic home; 2) language; 3) underlying assumptions; 4) theory purpose and scope; 5) theory grounds and evaluation criteria. The goal of the discussion is to increase understanding of the distinctive contributions of each approach and to encourage further dialogue about the potential for integration of the field.
Why Be Moral? A Different Rationale for Managers
Authors: Hosmer LaRue Tone
Published: July 2007

It is proposed that mangers have to be moral, have to be concerned about the distribution of benefits and the allocation of harms brought about by their decisions and actions, in order to build trust, commitment, and effort among the stakeholders of the firm. Trust, commitment, and effort on the part of all of the stakeholders are essential for long-term corporate success, given the economic conditions of intense global competition that now exist for the foreseeable future.
The Influence of Collegiate and Corporate Codes of Conduct on Ethics-Related Behavior in the Workplace
Authors: McCabe Donald L. , Trevino Linda Klebe , Butterfield Kenneth D.
Published: July 2007

Codes of conduct are viewed here as a community's attempt to communicate its expectations and standards of ethical behavior. Many organizations are implementing codes, but empirical support for the relationship between such codes and employee conduct is lacking. We investigated the long term effects of a collegiate honor code experience as well as the effects of corporate ethics codes on unethical behavior in the workplace by surveying alumni from an honor code and a non-honor code college who now work in business. We found that self-reported unethical behavior was lower for respondents who work in an organization with a corporate code of conduct and was inversely associated with corporate code implementation strength and embeddedness. Self-reported unethical behavior was also influenced by the interaction of a collegiate honor code experience and corporate code implementation strength.
Ethical Behavior as a Strategic Choice by Large Corporations: The Interactive Effect of Marketplace Competition, Industry Structure and Firm Resources
Authors: Prakash Sethi S. , Sama Linda M.
Published: July 2007

Analysis of ethical conduct of business organizations has hitherto placed primary emphasis on the conduct of that corporation’s managers because ethical conduct, like all conduct, must manifest itself through individual behavior. This paper argues that in the real world corporate actions are influenced, to a considerable extent, by external market-based conditions. Therefore, a more comprehensive explanation of ethical business conduct must incorporate both corporate, i.e., internal considerations, and competitive, industry structure-based, i.e., external considerations. A framework is presented that provides a systematic analysis of the interactive effect between different types of external market-based competitive conditions, institutional opportunities to engage in ethical behavior, and the likelihood that corporations would do so. The analytical framework leads to recommendations as to the types of actions that might be more effective in improving business ethical conduct under varying sets of market-based competitive conditions.
Freedom, Participation and Corporations: The Issue of Corporate (Economic) Democracy
Authors: Brenkert George G.
Published: July 2007

The freedom (or its lack) of employees within large corporations has been the topic of considerable attention. Various discussions have invoked utilitarian appeals, social contract arguments, rights to meaningful jobs and analogies between corporations and state government. After briefly reviewing and rejecting these approaches, this paper contends that the legitimate exercise of corporate authority requires its accountability to a relevant group. It is then argued that the most relevant group are the employees over whom such power is exercised and that the form such accountability must take is that of recognizing the right of employees to participate in corporate decisions and actions. Recognition of this right to participation, it is contended, constitutes respect for the freedom of corporate employees.
The Language of International Corporate Ethics
Authors: Donaldson Thomas
Published: July 2007

This paper identifies six basic languages of morals and shows that while in general it is impossible to say that one moral language is better, some languages are better for the purpose of characterizing international corporate responsibility. In particular, moral languages that imly minimum rather than perfectionist standards of behavior, and which are not overly dependent on analogy with human moral psychology, are better than ones ranging broadly over both minimum and maximum standards and requiring analogy to human beings. Languages based in rights and duties, avoidance of harm, and social contracts, are better for understanding international corporate ethics than ones based in virtues, self control, or the maximization of human happiness.
The End of an Era
Authors: D'Andrade Kendall
Published: July 2007

“Greed,” says Gordon Gekko, “Greed is good.” At this point in the movie Wall Street he is acting as the spokesman for the American Dream, so he naturally emphasizes financial greed. Yet he is willing to include, “Greed in all of its forms,” including greed for life and greed for happiness. Since greed almost always means trying to grab too much, even when what is sought is undeniably worth having, he must believe that MORE is ALWAYS better. Michael Slote's counterpoint: moderation is generally preferable.
Community Lost?
Authors: Maitland Ian
Published: July 2007

This paper examines recent communitarian writing about the market. Much of this work explains the loss of community in our times as a result of the expansion of the market and market values. As the market has invaded other domains, such as family and neighborhood, relationships there have become infected by the instability and transience that characterize market relations. Central to this critique of the market is the view that the market is unable to sustain lasting commitments. This paper tests this hypothesis by examining the fate of the family—the paradigmatic case of commitment—in three separate historical periods when market or commercial values were especially dominant. It then extends the analysis to two other component institutions of community—voluntary and charitable activities. Finally, it examines institutions where so-called market values should presumably hold unchallenged sway, namely in the work place and the marketplace. The paper finds that communitarian values appear to thrive in market society. Instead of being a juggernaut the market may be an endangered species.
Are Corporations Morally Defensible?
Authors: Brock Gillian
Published: July 2007

Are corporations morally defensible sorts of entities? How might we go about showing that they are? Thomas Donaldson offers us the most detailed contractarian justification for the moral defensibility of corporations. In this paper I show how we can significantly develop this sort of justification to yield a more compelling contractarian justification, though one that is importantly conditional. The primary points I take up in this paper are these:

1. The question Donaldson poses to generate his contract is not quite as simple as may appear. The sort of transformation we need to consider is more complex than the sort Donaldson describes.

2. Partly because of considerations that arise in discussing the first point, the contract we are considering is a more conditional agreement. The terms of the agreement will vary depending on the kind of state we are assuming prevails. The sort of contract we want to draw up is at least a three-way contract: between society, productive organizations and the state. The sort of agreement we reach will have the following form: society a agrees to allow productive organizations of type b to exist if we assume state c will do various things (d1 to dn), productive organizations will do various things (e1 to en) and members of society will do various things (f1 to fn). Importantly, if state c is not doing d1 to dn, productive organizations may not be morally defensible.

3. The terms of the contract that can be derived would benefit from the introduction of some of Rawls’s apparatus.

4. When we consider the right questions, with more of the background institutions filled in, and when we include some more social contract apparatus, we get a better contract which fills in for us not only the obligations of business but, importantly, many obligations for government as well.
Unethical Business Behavior in Post-Communist Russia: Origins and Trends
Authors: Filatov Alexander
Published: July 2007

Russian is presently in a transition stage between the old centrally administered command economy and a market economy. The result is uncertainty and instability. In such a situation there is both little room and little concern for business ethics. The objective conditions for this include distortions in the systems of supply and exchange, political instability, and judicial ineffectiveness. The subjective conditions include the breakdown of morality under the communist system, and the wide acceptance of “wild” capitalism as a necessary stage in the development of a capitalist market system.
Business Ethics in Developing Countries
Authors: Rossouw G. J.
Published: July 2007

Underlying this paper is the conviction that it is of utmost importance that business ethics should indeed become an integral part of business culture in all, and therefore also in developing countries. It is not to be denied that business ethics has to a much larger extent become part of the business culture in developed countries than in developing countries. In this paper, I first of all wish to provide an explanation for the fact that business ethics is fighting an uphill battle in becoming part of the business culture in developing countries. Secondly I want to give a thumbnail sketch of the preconditions that have to be fulfilled in order to stimulate the development of a moral business culture in developing countries. In order to achieve these goals I will focus mainly on Africa, and more specifically on South Africa.
A Critical Analysis of Misappropriation Theory in Insider Trading Cases
Authors: Salbu Steven R.
Published: July 2007

Under the present judicial interpretation of federal securities law, an individual is prohibited from trading on non-public information that has been misappropriated in contravention of a fiduciary duty. Trades made using non-public information that has not been misappropriated are not prohibited by Rule 10b-5, promulgated under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934. The current requirement of misappropriation to trigger Rule 10b-5 liability creates a gap that permits transactions that are both ethically and economically undesirable. Judicial or legislative reforms are recommended to close the gap and help ensure the fairness and efficiency of securities markets.
Hume’s Game-Theoretic Business Ethics
Authors: Vanderschraaf Peter
Published: July 2007

In recent years, a number of authors have used game-theoretic reasoning to explain why purely self-interested agents would ever conform their economic activities with the requirements of justice, when by doing so they forego opportunities to reap unilateral net gains by exploiting others. In this paper, I argue that Hume’s justification of honest economic exchanges between self-interested agents in the Treatise foreshadows this contemporary literature. Hume analyzes the problem of explaining justice in self-interested economic exchange as a problem of agents coordinating on a pattern of reciprocal cooperation, as opposed to some other behavioral pattern such as reciprocal exploitation, in exchanges repeated over time. Hume’s arguments anticipate informally the contemporary interpretation of just economic practices as forming part of an equilibrium of a repeated game. I close the paper by arguing that Hume does not provide a satisfactory explanation of how the mutual expectations that support justice in economic exchange arise in a community of self-interested agents. The problem Hume leaves unsolved is one of equilibrium selection, that is: Why do agents follow an equilibrium corresponding to just economic exchanges rather than some other equilibrium corresponding to unjust exchanges? I also argue that contemporary game theory still lacks a satisfactory theory of equilibrium selection, but that such a theory would lead us closer to a satisfactory Humean reconciliation of justice and self-interest in economic exchange.
The Great Illusion: Ignorance, Informational Cascades, and the Persistence of Unpopular Norms
Authors: Bicchieri Cristina , Fukui Yoshitaka
Published: July 2007

Norms of discrimination against women and blacks, norms of revenge still alive in some Mediterranean countries, and norms that everybody dislikes and tries to circumvent, such as the invisible norms of reciprocity that hold among the Iks studied by Turnbull, are all examples of unpopular and inefficient norms that often persist in spite of their being disliked as well as being obviously inefficient from a social or economic viewpoint. The world of business is not immune to this problem. In all those countries in which corruption is endemic, bribing public officials to get lucrative contracts is the norm, but it is often true that such a norm is disliked by many, and that it may lead to highly inefficient social outcomes (Bicchieri and Rovelli 1995).

From a functionalist viewpoint such norms are anomalous, since they do not seem to fulfill any beneficial role for society at large or even for the social groups involved in sustaining the norm. In many cases it would be possible to gain in efficiency by eliminating, say, norms of racial discrimination, in that it would be possible to increase the well-being of a racial minority without harming the rest of society. To social scientists who equate persistence with efficiency, the permanence of inefficient norms thus presents an anomaly. They rest their case on two claims: when a norm is inefficient, sooner or later this fact will become evident. And evidence of inefficiency will induce quick changes in the individual choices that sustain the norm. That is, no opportunity for social improvement remains unexploited for long. Unfortunately, all too often this is not the case, and this is not because people mistakenly believe inefficient norms to be good or efficient.
Ethical Challenges for Business in the New Millennium: Corporate Social Responsibility and Models of Management Morality
Authors: Carroll Archie B.
Published: July 2007

As we transition to the 21st century, it is useful to think about some of the most important challenges business and other organizations will face as the new millennium begins. What will constitute “business as usual” in the business ethics arena as we start and move into the new century? My overall thought is that we will pulsate into the future on our current trajectory and that the new century will not cause cataclysmic changes, at least not immediately. Rather, the problems and challenges we face now we will face then. Undoubtedly, new issues will arise but they will more likely be extensions of the present than discontinuities with the past.
Business Ethics at the Millennium
Authors: Freeman R. Edward
Published: July 2007

Business ethics, as a discipline, appears to be at a crossroads. Down one avenue lies more of the same: mostly philosophers taking what they know of ethics and ethical theory and applying it to business. There is a long tradition of scholars working in the area known as “business and society” or “social issues in management.” Most of these scholars are trained as social scientists and teach in business schools. Their raison d’etre has been admirable: trying to get executives and students of business to understand the social impacts of business and to see business in broad, societal terms.