Organizational culture and information privacy assimilation: An empirical study

Data privacy concerns in organizations have been rising over the past several decades. As per the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), organizations need to implement highest possible privacy settings by design and default. This study develops a model for understanding the mechanisms of information privacy assimilation in Information Technology (IT) organizations. This study treats information privacy as a distinct dimension separate from information security. We have examined the mediating role of senior management participation and organizational culture on privacy assimilation (strategy and organizational activities). On the strategy, our findings showed that full mediating role of senior management participation for coercive forces, partial mediation for normative and mimetic forces. On the organizational activities, our findings showed that full mediating role of organizational culture for coercive forces and normative forces, partial mediation for mimetic forces. These findings would enable senior managers to identify and respond to institutional pressures by focusing on appropriate factors within the organization

Antecedents of Information Privacy Assimilation in Indian IT Organizations: An Empirical Investigation

Information privacy at the organizational level is receiving increased attention due to the huge amount of personal information being stored, transmitted across national boundaries, and ownership being shared between organizations due to change in business dynamics. This study develops a framework for understanding the mechanisms of information privacy assimilation in Information Technology (IT) organizations. There is a great need for investigating the interplay between external forces and internal influencers that impact the privacy assimilation practices within an organization. To fill this gap, we empirically examined the interplay between the external forces and internal influencers following the institutional theory. Specifically, we have examined the nature and relative significance of influencing forces, and the mediating role of senior management participation. Also, the moderating effects of process capability and cultural aspects have been investigated. This study treats information privacy as a distinct dimension separate from information security. Our findings show that mediating role of senior management participation for coercive and normative forces. Mimetic forces appears to have direct impact on assimilation. Also, positive moderating effect of process capability and negative moderating effect of cultural aspects is observed for coercive forces. These findings would enable senior managers identify and respond to institutional pressures by focusing on appropriate factors within the organization

Understanding Information Privacy Assimilation in IT Organizations using Multi-site Case Studies

We develop a framework for understanding the mechanisms of information privacy assimilation in information technology (IT) organizations. Following neo-institutional theory, we develop a broad conceptual model and further build a detailed theory based on a multi-site, multi-case study of 18 organizations. We treat information privacy as a distinct dimension separate from information security. As in the case of information security, senior management support emerged as a mediator between the external influences of coercive, mimetic, and normative forces and information privacy assimilation. Privacy capability emerged as a distinct construct that had a moderating effect on the influence of coercive and normative forces on privacy assimilation. Similarly, cultural acceptability also moderated the effect of external forces on privacy assimilation. We produce a theoretical model that future research can empirically test. The findings would enable senior managers identify and respond to institutional pressures by focusing on appropriate factors in the organizations

Diarrhea, CD4 counts and enteric infections in a hospital - based cohort of HIV-infected patients around Varanasi, India

Background: As most of the studies in HIV patients with diarrhea were cross sectional, focusing on the etiological agents, we are reporting data on the rate of diarrhea, associations between diarrhea and CD4 counts and variation in frequency of identifying a pathogen with consistency of diarrhea and duration in a prospective hospital based study. Methods: Stool specimens were obtained between Jan 2001 and April 2003 from HIV infected adults with diarrhea presenting to Infectious Disease clinic, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. In all patients with diarrhea, specimens were examined by microscopy and cultures to identify pathogens. Results: During the study, 630 person years of observations with diarrhea were analyzed. 140 stool samples were collected representing 43% of episodes of reported diarrhea. Positivity of finding a pathogen from watery stools and formed stools were 40%&24% respectively (p < 0.01) probably due to associated inflammation is more in watery diarrhea. Patients having chronic diarrhea are 2.25 (95%CI 1.52-2.81) times at more risk of developing other opportunistic infections compared to those who don't have. However this is not true with the acute diarrhea where risk of harboring the opportunistic infections remain same. Conclusion: Diarrhea was most strongly associated with low CD4 counts. Over two-thirds of diarrheal episodes were undiagnosed, suggesting that unidentified agents or primary HIV enteropathy are important causes of diarrhea in this population. There is a strong negative association between duration of diarrhea and CD4 levels

Infections in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Recipients in the Pre-Engraftment Period

Introduction: The recipients of the hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are at increased risk of a variety of infections due to their immunocompromised state. The severity of the immunocompromise differs depending upon host, underlying disease, comorbidities, type of transplantation, conditioning regimen, and immunosuppressive drugs. Pre-engraftment period is attended by neutropenia, mucosal barrier disruption, broad spectrum antibiotic usage and invasive procedures like central lines. Aim: We sought to evaluate the type and frequency of the infections in the pre-engraftment period in our transplant center. Methods and Results: We reviewed 17 HSCT cases done in our center over 24 months from August, 2011 upto August, 2013 which included 11 autologous and 6 allogeneic HSCT cases. We found a total of 20 febrile neutropenic episodes with 12 bacterial and 6 fungal infections. Eighteen of the 73 cultures were positive (24.65%). Nine out of 17 patients (52.94%) had at least one culture positive. Eight out of 11 bacteria were ESBL producing (extended spectrum beta lactamase) and one organism was only sensitive to colistin. Only 2 of the 12 bacteria were gram positive (16.67%). Only one stool test was positive for Clostridium deficile. We had only one culture documented fungal infection (Aspergillus sinusitis) and 5 presumed Aspergillus infections. Conclusion: The incidence of febrile neutropenia is similar to other centers in India and Western world, though the organisms are different. Gram negative bacteria continue to be the major threat to hematopoietic cell transplant recipients especially in the early post-transplant period in India

Analysis of the antibiotic resistance profiles in methicillin-sensitive s. Aureus pathotypes isolated on a commercial rabbit farm in Italy

The breeding of meat rabbits is an important sector in the livestock industry in Italy. The focus of this study was to describe the antibiotic resistance profile distribution among the Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus isolated in a rabbit farm. From 400 animals of different ages and three farm workers, 96 randomly selected strains isolated from various anatomical sites and lesions were analysed. According to spa typing and the resistance profiles towards veterinary and human antibiotics, 26 pathotypes were identified. The highest resistance was observed against Tetracyclines (92.3%) and Macrolides (80.8%), while almost all were susceptible to Penicillins, according to the limited use of β-lactams on the farm. In total, 92.3% of pathotypes were multidrug resistant (MDRs). Two MDR pathotypes belonging to the t2802 spa type were isolated from both farmers and rabbits. Age categories harboured significantly different pathotypes (p = 0.019), while no association was found between pathotypes and lesions (p = 0.128) or sampling sites (p = 0.491). The antibiotic resistance was observed to increase with the time spent in the farm environment (age category). The selective pressure exerted by antibiotic use acted by giving advantage to more resistant strains rather than by lowering susceptibility to various drug categories within strains