2,823 research outputs found
Exploring gendered inclusion in contemporary organisations - ESRC
The last three decades have seen an unprecedented rise in the number of women in work and the mainstreaming of the equal opportunities agenda. In this context, we are also witnessing a growth of postfeminist rhetoric, suggesting that gender workplace equality has been achieved and that women's progress now depends on individual capabilities, such as confidence levels, because structural barriers have been dismantled. In Sheryl Sandberg's words, women simply need to 'lean in' in order to succeed alongside their male colleagues. Despite this optimism, academic research continues to highlight disadvantage experienced by women in the workplace, such as the gendered pay gap, the glass ceiling, women's concentration in lower-paid industries and low representation at senior levels, comprising only 8.6 per cent of directors in large UK firms in 2015
The quality of equality: thinking differently about gender inclusion in organizations
Purpose: This article suggests a shift in thinking about how to improve gender inclusion in organisations, as well as offering a number of practical action points.
Design/methodology/approach: This article takes a perspective based on the authors’ own ongoing research as well as synthesis of existing insights into gender inclusion in organisations.
Findings: In order to retain top talent and improve organisational climate, we need to re-think how we measure the success of organisational inclusion policies. Specifically, the article suggests moving from numbers and targets to looking at the quality of gender inclusion in the workplace. The article explains why this shift in thinking is important, and how to approach it.
Practical implications: The article provides strategic insights into and practical thinking about ways in which progressive organisations can continue to improve gender equality.
Originality/value: The article makes a provocative call for a change of perspective on gender inclusion in organisations based on cutting-edge research, and puts forward action points in an accessible format
Thermodynamically consistent description of the hydrodynamics of free surfaces covered by insoluble surfactants of high concentration
In this paper we propose several models that describe the dynamics of liquid
films which are covered by a high concentration layer of insoluble surfactant.
First, we briefly review the 'classical' hydrodynamic form of the coupled
evolution equations for the film height and surfactant concentration that are
well established for small concentrations. Then we re-formulate the basic model
as a gradient dynamics based on an underlying free energy functional that
accounts for wettability and capillarity. Based on this re-formulation in the
framework of nonequilibrium thermodynamics, we propose extensions of the basic
hydrodynamic model that account for (i) nonlinear equations of state, (ii)
surfactant-dependent wettability, (iii) surfactant phase transitions, and (iv)
substrate-mediated condensation. In passing, we discuss important differences
to most of the models found in the literature.Comment: 31 pages, 2 figure
Search for the disappearance of muon antineutrinos in the NuMI neutrino beam
We report constraints on muon antineutrino oscillation parameters that were obtained by using the two MINOS detectors to measure the 7% antineutrino component of the NuMI neutrino beam. In the Far Detector, we select 130 events in the charged-current muon antineutrino sample, compared to a prediction of 136.4 +/- 11.7(stat) ^{+10.2}_{-8.9}(syst) events under the assumption |dm2bar|=2.32x10^-3 eV^2, snthetabar=1.0. A fit to the two-flavor oscillation approximation constrains |dm2bar|<3.37x10^-3 eV^2 at the 90% confidence level with snthetabar=1.0
Spreading of Latex Particles on a Substrate
We have investigated both experimentally and theoretically the spreading
behavior of latex particles deposited on solid substrates. These particles,
which are composed of cross-linked polymer chains, have an intrinsic elastic
modulus. We show that the elasticity must be considered to account for the
observed contact angle between the particle and the solid substrate, as
measured through atomic force microscopy techniques. In particular, the work of
adhesion computed within our model can be significantly larger than that from
the classical Dupr\'{e} formula.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, to appear in Europhys. Let
Hydrocarbon Dust Absorption in Seyfert Galaxies and ULIRGs
We present new spectroscopic observations of the 3.4 micron absorption
feature in the Seyfert galaxies, NGC1068 and NGC7674, and the ultraluminous
infrared galaxy, IRAS08572+3915. A signature of C-H bonds in aliphatic
hydrocarbons, the 3.4 micron feature indicates the presence of organic material
in Galactic and extragalactic dust. Here we compare the 3.4 micron feature in
all the galaxies in which it has been detected. In several cases, the
signal-to-noise ratio and spectral resolution permit a detailed examination of
the feature profile, something which has rarely been attempted in extragalactic
lines of sight. The 3.4 micron band in these galaxies closely resembles that
seen in the Galactic diffuse ISM and in newly-formed dust in a protoplanetary
nebula. The similarity implies a common carrier for the carbonaceous component
of dust, and one which is resistant to processing in the interstellar and/or
circumnuclear medium. We also examine the mid-IR spectrum of NGC1068, because
absorption bands in the 5-8 micron region further constrain the chemistry of
the 3.4 micron band carrier. While weak features like those present in the
mid-IR spectrum of diffuse dust towards the Galactic center would be
undetectable in NGC1068, the strong bands found in the spectra of many proposed
dust analog materials are clearly absent, eliminating certain candidates and
production mechanisms for the carrier. The absence of strong absorption
features at 5-8 microns is also consistent with the interpretation that the
similarity in the 3.4 micron feature in NGC1068 to that in Galactic lines of
sight reflects real chemical similarity in the carbonaceous dust.Comment: 30 pages, 8 figures (preprint style), ApJ accepte
Exploring the links between unhealthy eating behaviour and heavy alcohol use in the social, emotional and cultural lives of young adults (aged 18–25): A qualitative research study
Alcohol use peaks in early adulthood and can contribute both directly and indirectly to unhealthy weight gain. This is the first qualitative study to explore the links between unhealthy eating behaviour and heavy alcohol use in the social, emotional and cultural lives of young adults. We conducted 45 in-depth interviews with 18–25-year-olds in North-East England to inform development of a dual-focused intervention to reduce health risk due to excess weight gain and alcohol use. Data were analysed thematically, following the principles of constant comparison, resulting in three intersecting themes: (1) how food and alcohol consumption currently link together for this population group; (2) influences upon linked eating and drinking behaviours and (3) young adults’ feelings and concerns about linked eating and drinking behaviours. Socio-cultural, physical and emotional links between food and alcohol consumption were an unquestioned norm among young adults. Eating patterns linked to alcohol use were not tied only to hunger, but also to sociability, traditions and identity. Young adults conceptualised and calculated risks to weight, appearance and social status, rather than to long-term health. This study is the first to evidence the deeply interconnected nature of food and alcohol consumption for many young adults. Findings have important implications for intervention development, UK public health policy and practice, and point to a need for similar research in other countries
Determination of Inter-Phase Line Tension in Langmuir Films
A Langmuir film is a molecularly thin film on the surface of a fluid; we
study the evolution of a Langmuir film with two co-existing fluid phases driven
by an inter-phase line tension and damped by the viscous drag of the underlying
subfluid. Experimentally, we study an 8CB Langmuir film via digitally-imaged
Brewster Angle Microscopy (BAM) in a four-roll mill setup which applies a
transient strain and images the response. When a compact domain is stretched by
the imposed strain, it first assumes a bola shape with two tear-drop shaped
reservoirs connected by a thin tether which then slowly relaxes to a circular
domain which minimizes the interfacial energy of the system. We process the
digital images of the experiment to extract the domain shapes. We then use one
of these shapes as an initial condition for the numerical solution of a
boundary-integral model of the underlying hydrodynamics and compare the
subsequent images of the experiment to the numerical simulation. The numerical
evolutions first verify that our hydrodynamical model can reproduce the
observed dynamics. They also allow us to deduce the magnitude of the line
tension in the system, often to within 1%. We find line tensions in the range
of 200-600 pN; we hypothesize that this variation is due to differences in the
layer depths of the 8CB fluid phases.Comment: See (http://www.math.hmc.edu/~ajb/bola/) for related movie
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