Technology, culture and HRM : a 'neo-contingency' Anglo-French comparison

The objective of this research is to provide a new perspective on how technology, culture and human resources management policies and practices (HRWP) are approached by firms located in France and England. This thesis offers a new perspective: 'neo-contingency' approach; which analyses both the contingency and the divergence theories. The contingency variable chosen in this study is technology. The divergence theory is specifically illustrated by the national education approach. The HRMPP studied are: recruitment and selection, organisation, training and compensation. One hundred and sixty-three high-, mid- and low-tech firms answered a questionnaire which is analysed along with twenty-five semi-structured interviews in eight firms located in both France and England. The technological aspect of the neocontingency approach is validated in two factors: 1) technological profile and 2) longterm approach to training. The cultural aspect is notable in two cases: 1) long-term approach to training, and 2) compensation based on performance. A key implication of the findings in this thesis is that employees working in intensive technology firms need a creative and adaptive HR management approach, which would better enable them to cope with the challenge presented by the business environment. The results that this thesis report are illustrated by the strong influence of educational systems on managers' behaviour. French firms seem to prefer higher levels of control and formalisation in recruitment and selection, training and compensation than the W which could be interpreted as a reflection of the French educational system. It is important to highlight that the culture and technology factors cannot be the total 'determinants' of organisations. At most, they are important features that, along with others, Cinfluence' organisations' internal operation. Future 'neo-contingency' studies using other organisational characteristics as moderators and a large sample are needed in order to gain insights into the neo-contingency approach proposed in this thesis.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

The Impact of ’Narco-terrorism’ on HRM

This paper presents a mixed-method study that explores the configuration of human resource management (HRM) systems in “narco-terrorism” environments. The quantitative analysis focuses on 204 news stories. In addition, 25 interviews were conducted with managers and HR professionals at 20 firms in Mexico to explore the direct and indirect impacts of narco-terrorism on firms. Our analysis of firms’ responses in terms of HRM systems indicate that trust of formal and informal institutions seems to shape HRM system in the focal firms. More specifically, a combination of strict employee control, an emphasis on soft-skills training and development, and a flexible work schedule seems to facilitate the building of trust in narco-terrorism contexts. It seems that the role of firms as social institutions integrate strategies, which seems to aim at avoid and manipulate the institutional constraints. Our findings highlight the importance of reinforcing values, such as trust, openness, and participation to develop a strong HRM system in violent driven environments. We examine the various effects of institutional contextual factors on the operation of HRM systems and practices

Entrepreneurs’ Responses to Organized Crime and Violence

This research aims to investigate the various direct and indirect impacts of organized violence and crime on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as entrepreneurs’ responses to violent acts. A mixed-method design based on a quantitative content analysis of 204 news stories found in the international press and a multi-case study covering 10 SMEs operating in Monterrey, Mexico, is used to explore entrepreneurs’ responses to the direct and indirect effects of violent acts. The results highlight the dynamic between informal and formal institutions in SMEs’ attempts to survive in complex institutional contexts. Future studies based on the results of this research could enhance the literature on SMEs and entrepreneurs in emerging markets. The results, which illustrate entrepreneurs’ responses to violent acts, enhance our understanding of the emerging operational and managerial strategies of SMEs operating in complex institutional contexts. The findings highlight the emerging process of social change in Mexican society among members of the middle class, and various attempts to fight back against organized violence and crime in a non-violent manner. SMEs are important in Mexico and Latin America. However, the understanding of the direct and indirect impacts of organized crime and violence on SMEs is limited. This research identifies and analyzes the emerging responses of entrepreneurs to these institutional constraints

Nutritional Evaluation of Tropical Forage Grass Alone and Grass-Legume Diets to Reduce in vitro Methane Production

Forage grass nutritional quality directly affects animal feed intake, productivity, and enteric methane (CH4) emissions. This study evaluated the nutritional quality, in vitro enteric CH4 emission potential, and optimization of diets based on two widely grown tropical forage grasses either alone or mixed with legumes. The grasses Urochloa hybrid cv. Cayman (UHC) and U. brizantha cv. Toledo (UBT), which typically have low concentrations of crude protein (CP), were incubated in vitro either alone or mixed with the legumes Canavalia brasiliensis (CB) and Leucaena diversifolia (LD), which have higher CP concentrations. Substitution of 30% of the grass dry matter (DM) with CB or LD did not affect gas production or DM degradability. After 96h of incubation, accumulated CH4 was 87.3mg CH4 g−1 DM and 107.7mg CH4 g−1 DM for the grasses alone (UHC and UBT, respectively), and 100.7mg CH4 g−1 DM and 113.2mg CH4 g−1 DM for combined diets (70% grass, 15% CB, and 15% LD). Diets that combined legumes (CB or LC) and grass (UHC or UBT) had higher CP contents, gross, and metabolizable energy (GE, ME, respectively) densities, as well as lower concentrations of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL). The ME and nutritional variables such as NFD, tannins (T), and CP showed a positive correlation with in vitro net gas production, while ruminal digestibility was affected by CP, ADL, T, and GE. Optimal ratios of components for ruminant diets to reduce rumen net gas production and increase protein content were found with mixtures consisting of 60% grass (either UHC or UBT), 30% CB, and 10% LD. However, this ratio did not result in a decrease in CH4 production

Puntos farmacéuticos clave de la terapia antimicrobiana parenteral domiciliaria: revisión narrativa

Introduction: The good results of home intravenous therapy, the greater complexity of patients and the increase in hospital pressure cause that every time the technical requirements on it are more demanding. Method: Of all drugs, a search was carried out in order using MESH terms searching: [“drug” and stability], [“drug” and storage], [“drug” and solvent]. Results: This article details the critical technical aspects when considering a home intravenous antibiotic therapy strategy: antimicrobials (antibiotics, antifungals and antivirals) candidates to be administered at home intravenously in an inpatient in charge of a home hospitalization service are reviewed: the candidate drugs, the concentration to be administered, the minimum infusion times, storage conditions, maximum stability, the most frequent compatible solvents and the vascular access in which we should administer according to the physicochemical properties of the drug, the delivery device and the expected duration of treatment. Conclusions: It is essential when considering a home antibiotic intravenous therapy that the drugs are correctly conditioned and selected.Introducción: Los buenos resultados de la terapia intravenosa domiciliaria, la mayor complejidad de los pacientes y el aumento de presión hospitalaria provocan que cada vez que los requerimientos técnicos sobre la misma sean más exigentes. Método: De todos los principios activos se realizó una búsqueda ordenada mediante términos MESH buscando: [“principio activo” and stability], [“principio activo” and storage], [“principio activo” and solvent]. Resultados: En este artículo se detallan los aspectos técnicos críticos a la hora de plantear una estrategia de antibioterapia intravenosa a domicilio: se revisan los antimicrobianos (antibióticos, antifúngicos y antivirales) candidatos a ser administrados en el domicilio por vía intravenosa en un paciente ingresado cargo de un servicio de hospitalización a domicilio: se revisan los principios activos candidatos, la concentración a la que se debe administrar, los tiempos de infusión mínimos, las condiciones de conservación, las estabilidades máximas, los solventes compatibles más frecuentes tipo de vía en la que deberíamos administrar según las propiedades fisicoquímicas del fármaco, el dispositivo de administración y la duración prevista del tratamiento. Conclusiones: Es fundamental a la hora de plantear una terapia intravenosa antibiótica domiciliaria que los fármacos se encuentren correctamente acondicionados y seleccionados

Evaluation of five different rapid immunochromatographic tests for canine leishmaniosis in Spain

Canine leishmaniosis is a vector-borne disease caused by Leishmania parasites. Serological methods are the most common tests used for the diagnosis. This study aimed to evaluate and compare different serological commercial immunochromatographic rapid tests available in Spain to detect anti-Leishmania canine antibodies. The immunochromatographic tests were evaluated in different groups of dogs (healthy seronegative dogs (n = 21), naturally-sick dogs with moderate anti-Leishmania antibodies (n = 39), naturally-sick dogs with high anti-Leishmania antibodies (n = 37), dogs with the serological result of other pathogens infection (n = 20) and exposed dogs (n = 33)) admitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Zaragoza (Spain) according to the clinical information sent with the sample to the laboratory for diagnostic purposes. The serology status was also routinely recorded through an in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and an in-house indirect immunofluorescence test (IFAT). The qualitative commercial serological immunochromatographic tests used were: FASTest LEISH, Uranotest Leishmania, Uranotest Leishmania 2.0, Speed Leish K, Witness Leishmania, and DFV Test Leishmania. Performance measures analyzed for each test were: sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver-operating (ROC) curve. The maximum specificity (1.00) was attained for Uranotest Leishmania and DFT Test Leishmania, followed by FASTest LEISH (0.98), Uranotest Leishmania 2.0 (0.98), Speed Leish K (0.98), and Witness Leishmania (0.95). The maximum sensitivity was attained for FASTest LEISH (1.00), followed by Uranotest 2.0 (0.97), Speed Leish K (0.97), Uranotest (0.96), and the lowest results with Witness (0.84) and DFV Test (0.59). Regarding the ROC curve, the maximum value was attained with the FASTest LEISH (0.99), followed by Uranotest (0.98), Uranotest 2.0 (0.97), Speed Leish K (0.97), Witness (0.90), and the lowest result with DFV Test (0.79). Efforts in the field of diagnosis should focus on establishing a commercial immunochromatographic test with high sensitivity and specificity with a reasonable cost-benefit balance

INFLUENCIA DE LA CUENTÍSTICA DE LOS "TRES EN RAYA" EN LA PRODUCCIÓN LITERARIA DE LOS NUEVOS NARRADORES HUANUQUEÑOS

La investigación: «INFLUENCIA DE LA CUENTÍSTICA DE LOS "TRES EN RAYA" EN LA PRODUCCIÓN LITERARIA DE LOS NUEVOS NARRADORES HUANUQUEÑOS (2014)» toma como punto de partida la gran trascendencia que tuvo para la literatura huanuqueña la publicación en 1985 del libro de cuentos Tres en raya, de los escritores Mario Malpartida, Andrés Cloud y Samuel Cardich, que sería reforzada en los años siguientes por otros obras de dichos autores. La obra cuentística de Malpartida, Cloud y Cardich influyó grandemente en la obra de los autores de las siguientes generaciones. Nosotros hemos tomado como grupo de estudio a los narradores jóvenes de Huánuco que actualmente vienen dedicándose a la producción cuentística, autores cuyas edades oscilan entre los veinte y los cuarenta años de edad, y afirmamos que los mismos han recibido una gran influencia de la obra narrativa de los "Tres en raya". Para corroborar la hipótesis previa, se ha tomado en cuenta dos aspectos de estudio: los contenidos temáticos y las técnicas literarias que presentan los cuentos tanto de los "Tres en raya" (primer grupo) como de los nuevos narradores huanuqueños (segundo grupo). Se seleccionaron doce cuentos del primer grupo y diez del segundo. En lo que respecta a los contenidos temáticos, se ha encontrado una gran similitud cualitativa y cuantitativa en el empleo de los siguientes temas: sexualidad, prostitución, violencia, muerte, pobreza, amor e idealización del personaje femenino; sin embargo, existe una radical diferencia en solo un tema: los "Tres en raya" abordan con preferencia el tema de la nostalgia por la niñez, adolescencia o juventud perdidas, mientras que los jóvenes narradores abordan mayoritariamente la temática juvenil. En lo concerniente a las técnicas literarias la similitud entre ambos grupos es mucho mayor; existe una sorprendente coincidencia cualitativa y cuantitativa en el empleo de las siguientes técnicas: relatos paralelos, combinación de primera, segunda y tercera personas, primera persona protagonista, primera persona testigo, presencia de canciones o melodías, monólogo interior y monólogo dirigido; sin embargo; se hace evidente que los narradores jóvenes aún no dominan la técnica de la perspectiva múltiple, en la que los "Tres en raya" son diestros. Habiendo analizado y discutido nuestros resultados, se arribó a la conclusión de que, efectivamente, la obra cuentística de los "Tres en raya" sí ha influido grandemente en el trabajo narrativo de los nuevos cuentistas huanuqueños

Priority areas for investment in more sustainable and climate-resilient livestock systems

Livestock production supports economic growth, jobs and nutrition, but contributes to and is vulnerable to climate change. A transition is thus needed for livestock systems to become more sustainable and climate resilient, with clear positive effects on the Sustainable Development Goals. It is unclear, however, where the global community should invest to support this change. We identified priority geographies for livestock system investments in 132 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), at mid- and low latitudes. Our results show that adaptation and mitigation goals are inextricably linked for the vast majority of these countries. An equal weighting of adaptation and mitigation indicators suggests that the top five investment priorities are India, Brazil, China, Pakistan and Sudan. Across LMICs, these act as critical control points for the livestock sector’s interactions with the climate system, land and livelihoods