Corporate Social Responsibility: A Cross-National Study of the Treatment of Consumers and Employees

Within a CSR framework, this paper reports on an extensive array of studies which explore consumer and employee issues with businesses in 13 countries, including the United States and countries in Eastern and Western Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. The relevance of this study is based on the idea that consumer trust and fair treatment of employees are both core components of CSR and vital elements of economic efficiency and satisfaction from both supplier and customer perspective

Cross-cultural priming and its effects on business ethical decision making

Priming is based on the notion that our emotions, actions, and perceptions, are strongly affected by unconscious environmental cues, as opposed to consciously processed stimuli. This research study adopts a priming approach to cross-cultural business ethics, and examines the effect of cultural priming on managerial ethical decision-making. Subjects were primed through exposure to a series of pictures depicting two cultures: either an American or an African culture. Using the scenario approach, subjects were asked to evaluate four short narratives describing an ethically questionable situation on an ethical scale. The four topics were: bribery, false advertising, pollution, and species extinction. The results show that groups which were primed with either culture found all the scenarios to be more unethical than those who were not primed at all. Significant differences between the two priming groups (African, American) were observed only for the species extinction scenario. More specifically, subjects that were primed with the African images viewed the extinction scenario as more unethical. Although cultural priming was not fully observed, both priming groups found all scenarios to be more unethical than the control group, meaning there was indeed a priming effect. These findings may lead to a better understanding of cultural differences and hopefully in diminished cultural misunderstanding and strife. It can also lead to better ethical decision-making by business people understanding the unconscious influences and biases they experience when dealing with different cultures and ethical dilemmas

Dynamic Heterogeneity in Ring-Linear Polymer Blends

We present results from a direct statistical analysis of long molecular dynamics (MD) trajectories for the orientational relaxation of individual ring molecules in blends with equivalent linear chains. Our analysis reveals a very broad distribution of ring relaxation times whose width increases with increasing ring/linear molecular length and increasing concentration of the blend in linear chains. Dynamic heterogeneity is also observed in the pure ring melts but to a lesser extent. The enhanced degree of dynamic heterogeneity in the blends arises from the substantial increase in the intrinsic timescales of a large subpopulation of ring molecules due to their involvement in strong threading events with a certain population of the linear chains present in the blend. Our analysis suggests that the relaxation dynamics of the rings are controlled by the different states of their threading by linear chains. Unthreaded or singly-threaded rings exhibit terminal relaxation very similar to that in their own melt, but multiply-threaded rings relax much slower due to the long lifetimes of the corresponding topological interactions. By further analyzing the MD data for ring molecule terminal relaxation in terms of the sum of simple exponential functions we have been able to quantify the characteristic relaxation times of the corresponding mechanisms contributing to ring relaxation both in their pure melts and in the blends, and their relative importance. The extra contribution due to ring-linear threadings in the blends becomes immediately apparent through such an analysis

Haematological response of cyclists after competition

The aim of the study was to analyze the hematologic response of cyclists after a nationwide competition level. Participated in 20 athletes (35 ± 7,90 years old, 1,75 ± 0,06m of height, 18,71 ± 4,12% of body fat, VO2max 57,90 ± 6,80 ml/kg/min, 345 ± 50,90W, 202 ± 6,77bpm of maximum heart rate), which underwent two blood samples, monitoring of body weight and water intake. After the competition was observed decrease in body weight (78,20 ± 9,10 to 76,70 ± 9,20 kg, p = 0,0001) with an average consumption of 620 ± 532,20 mL of water, and a significant increase (p = 0,0001) in the concentration of erythrocytes (5,28 ± 0,44 6 ± 0,41 million/mm3), hemoglobin (15,80 ± 1 to 17,70 ± 0,95 g/%), the platelets (211.950 ± 42.488,2 to 285.050 ± 47.097,2 un/mm3) and hematocrit (47 ± 2,97 to 54 ± 2,79%). Strong correlation (r > 0.7) between hematocrit with erythrocytes level and hemoglobin was observed. It was concluded that there is an increase in the number of hematological components of cyclists after competition with weak correlation with the water intake, body weight and the maximum volume of oxygen levelO objetivo do estudo foi analisar a reposta hematológica de ciclistas após uma competição de nível nacional. Participaram 20 atletas (35 ± 7,90 anos, 1,75 ± 0,06m de estatura, 18,71 ± 4,12% de gordura, VO2máx de 57,90 ± 6,80 ml/kg/min, 345 ± 50,90W, 202 ± 6,77 bpm de frequência cardíaca máxima), que passaram por duas coletas de sangue, monitoramento do peso corporal e da ingesta de água. Após a competição foi verificada queda no peso corporal (78,20 ± 9,10 para 76,70 ± 9,20 kg, p = 0,0001) com consumo médio de 620 ± 532,20 ml de água, e aumento significativo (p = 0,0001) na concentração de eritrócitos (5,28 ± 0,44 para 6 ± 0,41 milhões/mm3), de hemoglobina (15,80 ± 1 para 17,70 ± 0,95 g/%), de plaquetas (211.950 ± 42.488,20 para 285.050 ± 47.097,20 un/mm3) e hematócrito (47 ± 2,97 para 54 ± 2,79%). Foi verificada forte correlação (r > 0,7) entre o hematócrito com o nível de eritrócitos e de hemoglobina. Concluiu-se que existe aumento na quantidade dos componentes hematológicos em ciclistas após competição, com fraca correlação com a ingesta voluntária de água, peso corporal e nível do volume máximo de oxigêni

The impact of language barriers on trust formation in multinational teams

This study systematically investigates how language barriers influence trust formation in multinational teams (MNTs). Based on 90 interviews with team members, team leaders, and senior managers in 15 MNTs in three German automotive corporations, we show how MNT members’ cognitive and emotional reactions to language barriers influence their perceived trustworthiness and intention to trust, which in turn affect trust formation. We contribute to diversity research by distinguishing the exclusively negative language effects from the more ambivalent effects of other diversity dimensions. Our findings also illustrate how surface-level language diversity may create perceptions of deep-level diversity. Furthermore, our study advances MNT research by revealing the specific influences of language barriers on team trust, an important mediator between team inputs and performance outcomes. It thereby encourages the examination of other team processes through a language lens. Finally, our study suggests that multilingual settings necessitate a reexamination and modification of the seminal trust theories by Mayer, Davis and Schoorman (1995) and McAllister (1995). In terms of practical implications, we outline how MNT leaders can manage their subordinates’ problematic reactions to language barriers and how MNT members can enhance their perceived trustworthiness in multilingual settings

Language in international business: a review and agenda for future research

A fast growing number of studies demonstrates that language diversity influences almost all management decisions in modern multinational corporations. Whereas no doubt remains about the practical importance of language, the empirical investigation and theoretical conceptualization of its complex and multifaceted effects still presents a substantial challenge. To summarize and evaluate the current state of the literature in a coherent picture informing future research, we systematically review 264 articles on language in international business. We scrutinize the geographic distributions of data, evaluate the field’s achievements to date in terms of theories and methodologies, and summarize core findings by individual, group, firm, and country levels of analysis. For each of these dimensions, we then put forward a future research agenda. We encourage scholars to transcend disciplinary boundaries and to draw on, integrate, and test a variety of theories from disciplines such as psychology, linguistics, and neuroscience to gain a more profound understanding of language in international business. We advocate more multi-level studies and cross-national research collaborations and suggest greater attention to potential new data sources and means of analysis