Culture, Burnout, and Engagement: A Meta-Analysis on National Cultural Values as Moderators in JD-R Theory

Despite prominence and increasing application of the Job Demands‐Resources (JD‐R) theory across national contexts, the role of culture has not yet been systematically explored. We conducted a meta‐analysis of 132 independent samples from 120 studies across 5 global regions (total N = 101,073) to fill this void. Our paper responds to long‐standing concerns around neglecting differences in the relationships of workplace factors with burnout and engagement across national cultures by testing for a moderating role within JD‐R theory. Results suggest strong support for the direct job demands‐burnout and job resources‐engagement pathways. Regarding the role of culture, our study reveals moderating roles for five out of six cultural dimensions using Hofstede’s framework. Interestingly, these cultural dimensions present a moderating impact towards relationships with either job demands or job resources, yet not both. Our findings offer a valuable starting point for further theoretical developments that can impact international business and global mobility. While these insights suggest a role of national cultural context in JD‐R studies, sensitivity analyses showed that the findings were only partly stable

Characterization of optical surface degradation: Angular resolved scatterometer

The Angular Resolved Scatterometer (ARS) is a sensitive diagnostic instrument for quantitatively specifying the degree of degradation for optical surfaces. ARS test results are reported for coatings undergoing aboveground (AGT) prompt x-ray irradiation. With the ARS, the light scattered from an optical surface is measured as a function of scattering angle, wavelength, and polarization. From these data the power spectral density (PSD) is calculated and contains the bandwidth-limited spatial information about the surface. Subtle changes in surface properties (e.g., radiation-induced absorption, polarization changes, or localized incipient melting) that would not be detected by surface roughness or reflectance measurements appear as a significant PSD change. The ARS data are an integration over all spatial frequencies and thus accurately and uniquely characterize each surface

Designing Trustworthy organizations

Our model is based on research we conducted with colleagues over the last 12 years to understand how organizations and their leaders earn, maintain and violate trust and repair it after a violation. We conducted detailed reviews of the academic literatures on trust, trust building and trust repairi and basic experimental, field and theoretical research into the nature, development and repair of trust. In 2011, we completed a study commissioned by the Institute of Business Ethics of 30 organizations that had violated trust and then attempted to repair trust (with varying degrees of success) during the prior 10 yearsii; the study analyzed case study data based on both archival and interview sources. We have also conducted deep examinations of two large corporate and government organizations experiencing trust crises. For obvious reasons, the identity of the organizations must remain confidential. One was global and headquartered outside the United States; the other was U.S.-based and operated primarily within the United States. In both cases we had extensive access to key employees at all levels and collected interview and survey data. We supplemented the above research with an examination of best practices at select companies that consistently appear on the “Most Admired” and “Best Companies to Work For” lists compiled by Fortune magazine and data from several hundred executives and managers attending executive education leadership programs on the trust issues they experience in their organizations

Abrogation of HMX1 function causes rare oculoauricular syndrome associated with congenital cataract, anterior segment dysgenesis, and retinal dystrophy.

PURPOSE: To define the phenotypic manifestation, confirm the genetic basis, and delineate the pathogenic mechanisms underlying an oculoauricular syndrome (OAS). METHODS: Two individuals from a consanguineous family underwent comprehensive clinical phenotyping and electrodiagnostic testing (EDT). Genome-wide microarray analysis and Sanger sequencing of the candidate gene were used to identify the likely causal variant. Protein modelling, Western blotting, and dual luciferase assays were used to assess the pathogenic effect of the variant in vitro. RESULTS: Complex developmental ocular abnormalities of congenital cataract, anterior segment dysgenesis, iris coloboma, early-onset retinal dystrophy, and abnormal external ear cartilage presented in the affected family members. Genetic analyses identified a homozygous c.650A>C; p.(Gln217Pro) missense mutation within the highly conserved homeodomain of the H6 family homeobox 1 (HMX1) gene. Protein modelling predicts that the variant may have a detrimental effect on protein folding and/or stability. In vitro analyses were able to demonstrate that the mutation has no effect on protein expression but adversely alters function. CONCLUSIONS: Oculoauricular syndrome is an autosomal recessive condition that has a profound effect on the development of the external ear, anterior segment, and retina, leading to significant visual loss at an early age. This study has delineated the phenotype and confirmed HMX1 as the gene causative of OAS, enabling the description of only the second family with the condition. HMX1 is a key player in ocular development, possibly in both the pathway responsible for lens and retina development, and via the gene network integral to optic fissure closure