Skill formation, automation and governance: comparing German and Korean automotive manufacturers in Central-Eastern Europe

Building on neo-institutionalist models of the transfer of HRM practices within multinational companies, this article analyzes the transfer of skill formation concepts using the cases of two automotive OEMs in Slovakia. The purpose of the article is twofold. First, it aims to explain the differences between the two multinationals. Second, it builds on the empirical analysis to reconsider the neo-institutionalist theoretical framework.The article is based on two qualitative case studies of automotive multinationals in Slovakia. The home country locations of both companies represent different approaches to skill formation: systematic vocational education for blue-collar workers is regarded as crucial at the German manufacturer, while the Korean company relies mainly on on-the-job-training and puts much less emphasis on skilled blue-collar work. The article shows that the differences between the companies are related to different understanding of technology/automation. It argues that the increasing automation and the decentralization of responsibilities for the product-launch processes supported the transfer of German skill formation concepts to the plant in Slovakia, while the Korean manufacturer's specific engineering-led automation concept and centralization of product launch responsibilities in its Korean headquarters reduced the need to invest in skill formation for blue collars abroad. The article concludes that theories of the transfer of HRM practices within multinationals must include technological factors, and must also develop more specific concepts of the centralization of multinationals. The article is to our knowledge the first to include technology as a core variable into the neo-institutionalist theory in the field of international business and HRM. While the relationship between technology and organization has gained huge prominence in the recent discussions about digitalization, it has been so far neglected by scholars of international business

Low energy cost for optimal speed and control of membrane fusion

Membrane fusion is the cell’s delivery process, enabling its many compartments to receive cargo and machinery for cell growth and intercellular communication. The overall activation energy of the process must be large enough to prevent frequent and nonspecific spontaneous fusion events, yet must be low enough to allow it to be overcome upon demand by specific fusion proteins [such as soluble N-ethylmaleimide–sensitive factor attachment protein receptors (SNAREs)]. Remarkably, to the best of our knowledge, the activation energy for spontaneous bilayer fusion has never been measured. Multiple models have been developed and refined to estimate the overall activation energy and its component parts, and they span a very broad range from 20 kBT to 150 kBT, depending on the assumptions. In this study, using a bulk lipid-mixing assay at various temperatures, we report that the activation energy of complete membrane fusion is at the lowest range of these theoretical values. Typical lipid vesicles were found to slowly and spontaneously fully fuse with activation energies of ∼30 kBT. Our data demonstrate that the merging of membranes is not nearly as energy consuming as anticipated by many models and is ideally positioned to minimize spontaneous fusion while enabling rapid, SNARE-dependent fusion upon demand

A Mean Field Model for the Quadrupolar Phases of UPd3_3

UPd$_3$ is known to exhibit four antiferroquadrupolar ordered phases at low temperatures. We report measurements of the magnetisation and magnetostriction of single crystal UPd$_3$, along the principal symmetry directions, in fields up to 33 T. These results have been combined with recent inelastic neutron and x-ray resonant scattering measurements to construct a mean field model of UPd$_3$ including up to fourth nearest neighbour interactions. In particular we find that anisotropic quadrupolar interactions must be included in order to explain the low temperature structures derived from the scattering data.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, 3 table

Evidence for the horizontal acquisition of murine AKR virogenes by recent horizontal infection of the germ line

Several recent reports (8, 10, 11, 13) have established the biological and molecular genetic similarity between the endogenous AKV virus of strain AKR, and an N-ecotropic endogenous virus found in the genome of feral Japanese mice, Mus musculus molossinus. The similarities are so striking as to suggest a common origin of these viruses, which are present in some, but not all, inbred mouse strains. The virogenes of AKR mice may have been acquired by either: (a) common descent of AKR (and other AKV(+) strains) from a common ancestor of AKR and molossinus animals, or (b) horizontal germ line infection of the AKR strains by molossinus virus at 1;he strain’s inception followed by fixation through inbreeding. The sexual descent model carries with it a prediction of relative consanguinity of the AKR strain and molossinus, whereas the horizontal infection model does not. We have examined the polymorphic allozyme (allelic isozyme) genotype of 51 nonvirus-related loci in 17 strains of mice including AKR, C58, BALB/c, Swiss, and molossinus. By comparing the composite allozyme genotype of different inbred and outbred mouse strains, the “genetic distance” statistic was derived. Genetic distance measures the degree of allelic substitution between populations and increases proportionately with the amount of time the populations have been reproductively isolated. The genetic distance computed between molossinus and AKR is large, nearly 5-10 times the distance between known related populations and strains (e.g., C57L vs. C57BL/6). Molossinus had a similarly large distance from AKV negative strains (Swiss, C57L) as it did from AKV- positive strains. Cellular DNA sequences that flank the integrated AKV provirus were analyzed by restriction enzyme digestion of liver DNA from molossinus, AKR, and additional inbred strains that express ecotropic murine leukemia virus. The integration flanks of three AKR provirus sequences, Akv-1, Akv-2, and a third uncharacterized sequence, were not evident in molossinus cell DNA, which contained at least six different proviral integration fragments. These data effectively exclude the interpretation of consanguinity of AKR and molossinus and support the notion of acquisition of the endogenous virus in AKR by horizontal infection of the molossinus virus

Chronic constipation in the elderly: an unusual presentation of colonic dysmotility in an elderly patient.

Introduction. Chronic constipation is common in the elderly, and often no underlying pathology is found. Primary colonic dysmotility has been described in children but is rare in the elderly. Case report. We present an 82-year-old female with long standing constipation presenting acutely with large bowel obstruction. Laparotomy and Hartman's procedure was performed, and a grossly distended sigmoid colon was resected. Histology revealed a primary myopathic process. Conclusion. Primary colonic myopathy should be considered in elderly patients presenting with large bowel obstruction and a long preceding history of constipation, particularly when previous endoscopic examinations were normal

Solubility of Fe2(OH)3Cl (pure-iron end-member of hibbingite) in NaCl and Na2SO4 brines

Pure-iron end-member hibbingite, Fe2(OH)3Cl(s), may be important to geological repositories in salt formations, as it may be a dominant corrosion product of steel waste canisters in an anoxic environment in Na–Cl- and Na–Mg–Cl-dominated brines. In this study, the solubility of Fe2(OH)3Cl(s), the pure-iron endmember of hibbingite (FeII, Mg)2(OH)3Cl(s), and Fe(OH)2(s) in 0.04 m to 6 m NaCl brines has been determined. For the reaction Fe2 (OH)3Cl(s) + 3H+↔ 3H2O + 2Fe2+ + Cl−, the solubility constant of Fe2(OH)3Cl(s) at infinite dilution and 25 °C has been found to be log10 K=17.12±0.15 (95% confidence interval using F statistics for 36 data points and 3 parameters). For the reaction Fe(OH)2(s)+2H+↔ 2H2O + Fe2+ ; the solubility constant of Fe(OH)2 at infinite dilution and 25 °C has been found to be log10 K=12.95±0.13 (95 % confidence interval using F statistics for 36 data points and 3 parameters). For the combined set of solubility data for Fe2(OH)3Cl(s) and Fe(OH)2(s), the Na+–Fe2+ pair Pitzer interaction parameter θNa+/Fe2+ has been found to be 0.08±0.03 (95% confidence interval using F statistics for 36 data points and 3 parameters). In nearly saturated NaCl brine we observed evidence for the conversion of Fe(OH)2(s) to Fe2(OH)3Cl(s). Additionally, when Fe2 (OH)3Cl(s) was added to sodium sulfate brines, the formation of green rust(II) sulfate was observed, along with the generation of hydrogen gas. The results presented here provide insight into understanding and modeling the geochemistry and performance assessment of nuclear waste repositories in salt formations

Solubility of Fe2(OH)3Cl (pure-iron end-member of hibbingite) in NaCl and Na2SO4 brines

Pure-iron end-member hibbingite, Fe2(OH)3Cl(s), may be important to geological repositories in salt formations, as it may be a dominant corrosion product of steel waste canisters in an anoxic environment in Na–Cl- and Na–Mg–Cl-dominated brines. In this study, the solubility of Fe2(OH)3Cl(s), the pure-iron endmember of hibbingite (FeII, Mg)2(OH)3Cl(s), and Fe(OH)2(s) in 0.04 m to 6 m NaCl brines has been determined. For the reaction Fe2 (OH)3Cl(s) + 3H+↔ 3H2O + 2Fe2+ + Cl−, the solubility constant of Fe2(OH)3Cl(s) at infinite dilution and 25 °C has been found to be log10 K=17.12±0.15 (95% confidence interval using F statistics for 36 data points and 3 parameters). For the reaction Fe(OH)2(s)+2H+↔ 2H2O + Fe2+ ; the solubility constant of Fe(OH)2 at infinite dilution and 25 °C has been found to be log10 K=12.95±0.13 (95 % confidence interval using F statistics for 36 data points and 3 parameters). For the combined set of solubility data for Fe2(OH)3Cl(s) and Fe(OH)2(s), the Na+–Fe2+ pair Pitzer interaction parameter θNa+/Fe2+ has been found to be 0.08±0.03 (95% confidence interval using F statistics for 36 data points and 3 parameters). In nearly saturated NaCl brine we observed evidence for the conversion of Fe(OH)2(s) to Fe2(OH)3Cl(s). Additionally, when Fe2 (OH)3Cl(s) was added to sodium sulfate brines, the formation of green rust(II) sulfate was observed, along with the generation of hydrogen gas. The results presented here provide insight into understanding and modeling the geochemistry and performance assessment of nuclear waste repositories in salt formations