bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Gender and ethics
Authors: Valentine Sean , Godkin Lynn , Page Karen , Rittenburg Terri 
Published: December 2009

PurposePrevious research indicates that women often perform more ethically on the job than do men. However, the results have been mixed, suggesting that further inquiry is needed. The purpose of this paper is to explore this important topic in a large healthcare organization. A field study sought to identify gender differences in ethical judgment, ethical intention, and organization‐based altruism in a healthcare organization, thereby providing some insight into the individual differences that influence ethical reasoning in the healthcare industry.Design/methodology/approachThe investigation was based on survey data returned from a large sample of faculty and staff employed by a multiple‐campus health science center. Multivariate and univariate statistical modeling was used to evaluate the relationship between gender and ethical reasoning/conduct.FindingsThe findings suggest that women are generally more ethical than men. Being a woman was related to increased ethical judgment, being a woman and older was associated with increased ethical intention, and being a woman and a supervisor was related to higher altruism.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that women should play a key role in the ethical role modeling of newly hired employees, as well as the development and management of organizational ethical values and codes of conduct. Healthcare organizations might also consider encouraging women to accept supervisory roles and become opinion leaders to foster organizational ethicality.Originality/valueThe findings add weight to the evidence that women are indeed more ethical than men in a variety of work roles, but greater insight into the complexities of these gender differences is also provided.
An exploration of unspoken bias: women who work for women
Authors: Warning Renee , Buchanan F. Robert 
Published: December 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to inquire whether gender plays a role in the supervisory preference of female workers, and to establish a starting‐point in the identification of any bias that is discovered.Design/methodology/approachA field experiment of 226 adults of both genders was used to test the hypotheses. It combined a video vignette with a survey that employed a dispositional index followed by attitudinal measures.FindingsDescriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and regression analyses were used to highlight the biases that were discovered. Females believed that other women are good managers, but the female workers did not actually want to work for them. The results may have some basis in females' perceptions of female managers as being high in dominance. The female manager was also seen as being emotional. More specifically, the female manager was seen as being more nervous and more aggressive than a male manager. It was also discovered that female preference for male supervisors increased with greater numbers of years in the workforce.Research limitations/implicationsThis is an exploratory study. Workers surveyed were enrolled in a large metropolitan US university. Subsequent studies need to include a broader sample, particularly including workers from earlier generations. Extensive additional research is essential.Originality/valueThe findings lend credence to strong but seldom discussed anecdotal undercurrents of women's unwillingness to work for other women. Although female managers have been studied to a limited degree, there has been no empirical research on the female subordinate relationship. The study makes an entry into this important question of whether women have a prejudice against working for other women. The practitioner/policymaker implications are substantial.
Management, leadership and gender representation in UK higher and further education
Authors: McTavish Duncan , Miller Karen 
Published: December 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse gender representation in leadership and management in further and higher education organisations. It does this, through the lens of two perspectives on bureaucratic representation, a “liberal democratic” perspective and an alternative view which states that bureaucracies are not necessarily gender blind or women friendly. The paper reviews the reform and managerial environments, vertical and horizontal gender patterns in the sectors; undertakes empirical research which surveys staff in six case study institutions seeking responses on job roles and activities, career motivators and inhibitors, supportiveness of line managers, perceptions of organisational leadership and culture with regard to gender equality and career advance.Design/methodology/approachSecondary data were used from a variety of sources. Primary data were based on all staff surveys using online software symbolic network analysis program in case study institutions withn=4,522, representing one quarter of the population.FindingsNon‐executive levels of management in both sectors were highly gendered and unrepresentative of the population. Vertical segregation was found at executive level too, though less in colleges than universities. In higher education, horizontal gendering – in subject areas – and the emphasis on subject knowledge and background with the connected gender segregation of research activity, played a crucial role in unequal gender representation patterns. In colleges, while there was horizontal subject‐based segregation, the lesser importance of research/subject background in the career dynamic has created opportunities to de‐couple subject background and career opportunity. Part‐time working, especially in colleges, had mixed effects in gender career terms. The research showed that in universities women spent greater proportions of time in teaching and administrationvis‐a‐visresearch compared to men. Work life balance was not a career inhibitor for women in higher education but was for women in colleges. Some other key similarities and differences in perceptions between men and women in both sectors are outlined, perhaps the most striking of which was that women in both sectors, while agreeing that opportunities policies are equal and fair, felt that institutional leadership could do more to advance the careers of women; men did not.Originality/valueThis is the first study of its kind to compare and contrast college and university sectors, and makes a significant contribution to understanding of gender representation in organisations. While, there are similarities between the sectors, this research has highlighted major differences which have importance for research, policy and managerial practice. The paper, in its conclusion, aims to stimulate action by suggesting some practical initiatives, based on the research.
Striking a different balance
Authors: Knudsen Knud 
Published: December 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore how male and female managers may regulate their workload differently in response to conflicting job‐home pressures. The main hypothesis is that female managers seek to reduce anticipated discord by investing less time in their work role. The paper investigates this postulated link between managers' gender and work‐family conflict via their workload, based on a conceptual model and within a Scandinavian context. The central argument is evaluated against a competing explanation of structural constraints, implying that female managers in stead of choosing reduced workloads are required to work less.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on a large survey of Norwegian managers. The applied sample size is 2,195, with 1,740 men and 455 women. In addition to indicators of time‐based work‐family conflict the questionnaire contains detailed information on managers' individual background and positional characteristics. To trace direct and indirect influences of gender over different analytical stages, a step‐wise regression analysis is carried out.FindingsInitial investigations document that female managers have a lighter workload, more frequently perceive glass ceiling constraints and less often experience work‐family conflict. Step‐wise regression analysis demonstrates that the effect of gender on job‐home tensions is mediated mainly by managers' workload, and is less related to the glass ceiling. This pattern is consistent with central hypothesis, still the alternative explanation cannot be totally ruled out.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper is limited to the Scandinavian setting at a single point in time.Practical implicationsIt is important that employers recognize the need for more optimal time arrangements for women in higher‐level positions. In addition, female managers could benefit from support networks across work organizations.Originality/valueThis paper is among the first to examine the mediational processes by which gender influences work‐family interdependencies for managers, tracing indirect pathways as well as direct effects for alternative model specifications. A representative sample with a broad set of individual and positional characteristics in combination with a relevant regression approach provides credible and robust results.
Role conflict and well‐being among employed mothers: the mediating effects of self‐efficacy
Authors: Houle Lucie , Chiocchio François , Favreau Olga E. , Villeneuve Martine 
Published: December 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the importance of self‐efficacy in facilitating the joint management of work and family and in predicting the well‐being of employed mothers.Design/methodology/approachVia a self‐report questionnaire, data were obtained from 300 full‐time professional women on measures of: work interfering with family (WIF), family interfering with work (FIW), self‐efficacy, emotional health, organizational commitment, and turnover intentions. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the relations among these variables and to test for the mediation effects of self‐efficacy.FindingsThree key findings emerged: self‐efficacy was a significant predictor of FIW and WIF, and of all three indices of well‐being; the greater the interference between work and family, the more women felt emotionally exhausted, the less committed they were, and the more likely they were to consider changing jobs or opting out of the market; and self‐efficacy mediated the relationships between FIW and WIF and all three indices of well‐being.Originality/valueFindings confirm the importance of self‐efficacy in the adjustment of employed mothers. They also extend previous works by showing that efficacy beliefs not only impact general areas of well‐being, such as emotional health, but more active components of functioning as well like turnover intentions. Exactly how self‐efficacy leads to effective coping and limits the negative impacts of FIW and WIF on women's well‐being are critical issues that deserve additional attention.
Entrepreneurship education in higher educational institutions: the gender dimension
Authors: Petridou Eugenia , Sarri Aikaterini , Kyrgidou Lida P. 
Published: December 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to address entrepreneurial programs offered by Greek higher education institutions (HEIs) to 1639 students in different scientific disciplines at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh) and Technical Educational Institution of Thessaloniki (TEITh). The programs were analyzed and it was revealed that there were differences in participation rates, attitudes towards entrepreneurship education and perceptions about required skills between the two genders.Design/methodology/approachDuring the developmental phase of the particular entrepreneurship program, an evaluation stage had been predicted, whereby student participants (344 females and 370 males AUTh students and 410 females and 515 males TEITh students) would anonymously fill out questionnaires upon completion of the program, regarding male as opposed to female attitudes and perceptions.FindingsThere are higher enrollment rates of males than females. Regarding attitudes towards participation in entrepreneurial educational programs, females demonstrate a stronger interest in acquiring knowledge, developing skills, facing career competition and networking with local business, to a significantly higher degree than their male counterparts. In addition, females rank all skills as of higher significance in successful entrepreneurial activity, assigning lower value only to communication skills, compared to men. The opposite holds for males, who ranked communication skills as of greatest importance among all other skills.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper provides insight into gender differences regarding male and female involvement in entrepreneurial education and as to their “pre‐entrepreneurial” profile and characteristics. It therefore sharpens understanding as to the way in which entrepreneurship education can encourage female participation within the entrepreneurial arena in future.Practical implicationsFactors that male and female students consider to be most important in issues of entrepreneurship education are identified, providing a framework for the effective design, quality and delivery of such programs.Originality/valueThe present paper constitutes one of the first to examine factors accounting for male and female student participation in entrepreneurship education programs offered by HEIs in the Greek context. The value derived aids the development of curricula tailored to gender distinctive needs and demands.
Becoming multinational: challenges for Chinese firms
Authors: Shenkar Oded 
Published: December 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the features of Chinese multinational enterprises (MNEs), and identify the obstacles that Chinese firms must overcome if they are to become viable global competitors, as well as some of the strategies that can take them there.Design/methodology/approachBased on statistical data, the paper examines entry mode, regional and geographical distribution of Chinese outward foreign direct investment. It also discusses the obstacles, weaknesses and strengths of Chinese firms, and suggests where and how such firms can improve their capabilities.FindingsIf they are to become global competitors, Chinese firms need to develop an “MNE with Chinese characteristics” which builds on strengths such as a deep understanding of personal networks to solidify coordination and takes advantage of a tradition of appreciation of human relationships.Originality/valueThe paper presents a great deal of insight into Chinese MNEs.
“Rushing in where angels fear to tread”?
Authors: Naudé Wim 
Published: December 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine whether there are empirical differences in the extent and motivation of early internationalisation between indigenous and foreign‐invested Chinese firms.Design/methodology/approachData on 3,948 firms surveyed by the World Bank in 2002 and 2003 in China are used and four hypotheses are tested using regression analysis.FindingsDespite having started with internationalisation relatively more recently than most foreign‐invested firms, and having less foreign experience, indigenous firms which internationalise early perform better than foreign‐invested firms.Research limitations/implicationsThe data were not gathered with international entrepreneurship in mind, may not include all relevant control variables, and lack a panel.Originality/valueChina is a country noted for its success in internationalisation. However, this has been due, in the most part, to foreign‐invested firms, with indigenous firms seemingly being less successful. This makes knowledge of the differences in early internationalisation behaviour of indigenous versus foreign‐invested firms potentially interesting.
THE SON MORE VISIBLE: IMMATERIALISM AND THE INCARNATION
Authors: HIGHT MARC A. , BOHANNON JOSHUA 
Published: December 2009

AbstractIn this article we argue that an immaterialist ontology—a metaphysic that denies the existence of material substance—is more consonant with Christian dogma than any ontology that includes the existence of material substance. We use the philosophy of the famous eighteenth‐century Irish immaterialist George Berkeley as a guide while engaging one particularly difficult Christian mystery: the doctrine of the Incarnation of Christ. The goal is to make plausible the claim that, from the analysis of this one example, there are strong reasons for thinking that if one wants to be a Christian one ought to be an immaterialist.
Influence of Plasmid pO157 on
Escherichia coli
O157:H7 Sakai Biofilm Formation
Authors: Lim Ji Youn , La Hyun Joon , Sheng Haiqing , Forney Larry J. , Hovde Carolyn J. 
Published: December 2009

ABSTRACT

The role of plasmid pO157 in biofilm formation was investigated using wild-type and pO157-cured
Escherichia coli
O157:H7 Sakai. Compared to the wild type, the biofilm formed by the pO157-cured mutant produced fewer extracellular carbohydrates, had lower viscosity, and did not give rise to colony morphology variants that hyperadhered to solid surfaces.
Effect of Chlorine on Incorporation of
Helicobacter pylori
into Drinking Water Biofilms
Authors: Gião M. S. , Azevedo N. F. , Wilks S. A. , Vieira M. J. , Keevil C. W. 
Published: December 2009

ABSTRACT

The use of a specific peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probe demonstrated that
Helicobacter pylori
persisted inside biofilms exposed to low concentrations of chlorine (0.2 and 1.2 mg liter
−1
) for at least 26 days, although no culturable cells were recovered. Coupled with data obtained using viability stains in pure culture, this result suggests that
H. pylori
can survive chlorination but remain undetectable by culture methods, which can be effectively replaced by PNA hybridization.
Role of
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Oxidoreductases Bdh1p and Ara1p in the Metabolism of Acetoin and 2,3-Butanediol
Authors: González Eva , Fernández M. Rosario , Marco Didac , Calam Eduard , Sumoy Lauro , Parés Xavier , Dequin Sylvie , Biosca Josep A. 
Published: December 2009

ABSTRACT

NAD-dependent butanediol dehydrogenase (Bdh1p) from
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
reversibly transforms acetoin to 2,3-butanediol in a stereospecific manner. Deletion of
BDH1
resulted in an accumulation of acetoin and a diminution of 2,3-butanediol in two
S. cerevisiae
strains under two different growth conditions. The concentrations of (2
R
,3
R
)-2,3-butanediol are mostly dependent on Bdh1p activity, while those of (
meso
)-2,3-butanediol are also influenced by the activity of NADP(H)-dependent oxidoreductases. One of them has been purified and shown to be
d
-arabinose dehydrogenase (Ara1p), which converts (
R
/
S
)-acetoin to
meso
-2,3-butanediol and (2
S
,3
S
)-2,3-butanediol. Deletion of
BDH2
, a gene adjacent to
BDH1
, whose encoded protein is 51% identical to Bdh1p, does not significantly alter the levels of acetoin or 2,3-butanediol in comparison to the wild-type strain. Furthermore, we have expressed Bdh2p with a histidine tag and have shown it to be inactive toward 2,3-butanediol. A whole-genome expression analysis with microarrays demonstrates that
BDH1
and
BDH2
are reciprocally regulated.
LccA, an Archaeal Laccase Secreted as a Highly Stable Glycoprotein into the Extracellular Medium by
Haloferax volcanii
Authors: Uthandi Sivakumar , Saad Boutaiba , Humbard Matthew A. , Maupin-Furlow Julie A. 
Published: December 2009

ABSTRACT

Laccases couple the oxidation of phenolic compounds to the reduction of molecular oxygen and thus span a wide variety of applications. While laccases of eukaryotes and bacteria are well characterized, these enzymes have not been described in archaea. Here, we report the purification and characterization of a laccase (LccA) from the halophilic archaeon
Haloferax volcanii
. LccA was secreted at high levels into the culture supernatant of a recombinant
H. volcanii
strain, with peak activity (170 ± 10 mU·ml
−
1
) at stationary phase (72 to 80 h). LccA was purified 13-fold to an overall yield of 72% and a specific activity of 29.4 U·mg
−
1
with an absorbance spectrum typical of blue multicopper oxidases. The mature LccA was processed to expose an N-terminal Ala after the removal of 31 amino acid residues and was glycosylated to 6.9% carbohydrate content. Purified LccA oxidized a variety of organic substrates, including bilirubin, syringaldazine (SGZ), 2,2,-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and dimethoxyphenol (DMP), with DMP oxidation requiring the addition of CuSO
4
. Optimal oxidation of ABTS and SGZ was at 45°C and pH 6 and pH 8.4, respectively. The apparent
K
m
values for SGZ, bilirubin, and ABTS were 35, 236, and 670 μM, with corresponding
k
cat
values of 22, 29, and 10 s
−
1
, respectively. The purified LccA was tolerant of high salt, mixed organosolvents, and high temperatures, with a half-life of inactivation at 50°C of 31.5 h.
Use of
Hydrogenophaga pseudoflava
Penetration To Quantitatively Assess the Impact of Filtration Parameters for 0.2-Micrometer-Pore-Size Filters
Authors: Lee A. , McVey J. , Faustino P. , Lute S. , Sweeney N. , Pawar V. , Khan M. , Brorson K. , Hussong D. 
Published: December 2009

ABSTRACT

Filters rated as having a 0.2-μm pore size (0.2-μm-rated filters) are used in laboratory and manufacturing settings for diverse applications of bacterial and particle removal from process fluids, analytical test articles, and gasses. Using
Hydrogenophaga pseudoflava
, a diminutive bacterium with an unusual geometry (i.e., it is very thin), we evaluated passage through 0.2-μm-rated filters and the impact of filtration process parameters and bacterial challenge density. We show that consistent
H. pseudoflava
passage occurs through 0.2-μm-rated filters. This is in contrast to an absence of significant passage of nutritionally challenged bacteria that are of similar size (i.e., hydrodynamic diameter) but dissimilar geometry.
Extracellular Production of an RNA Aptamer by Ribonuclease-Free Marine Bacteria Harboring Engineered Plasmids: a Proposal for Industrial RNA Drug Production
Authors: Suzuki Hiromichi , Ando Tomoaki , Umekage So , Tanaka Terumichi , Kikuchi Yo 
Published: December 2009

ABSTRACT

Natural noncoding small RNAs have been shown to be involved in a number of cellular processes as regulators. Using the mechanisms thus elucidated, artificial small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), ribozymes, and RNA aptamers are also expected to be potential candidates for RNA therapeutic agents. However, current techniques are too costly for industrial production of these RNAs for use as drugs. Here, we propose a new method for
in vivo
production of artificial RNAs using the marine phototrophic bacterium
Rhodovulum sulfidophilum
. Using engineered plasmids and this bacterium, which produces extracellular nucleic acids in nature, we developed a method for extracellular production of a streptavidin RNA aptamer. As the bacterium does not produce any RNases in the culture medium, at least within the cultivation period tested, the designed RNA itself is produced and retained in the culture medium of the bacterium without any specific mechanism for protection against degradation by nucleases. Here, we report that the streptavidin RNA aptamer is produced in the culture medium and retains its specific function. This is the first demonstration of extracellular production of a functional artificial RNA
in vivo
, which will pave the way for inexpensive production of RNA drugs.