THE EFFECT OF LEADER-MEMBER EXCHANGE, CO-WORKER COOPERATION AND LOCUS OF CONTROL ON EMPLOYEE OUTCOMES IN LEBANESE SMES: PERCEPTIONS OF POLITICS AS A MEDIATOR

Purpose – This study aims to investigate the nature of the relationships between three variables (leader-member exchange, locus of control and co-worker cooperation) and two employee outcomes (job satisfaction and turnover intention). It also examines whether these relationships are mediated by perceptions of politics. Design/methodology/approach – Survey data was obtained from 300 employees from Lebanese SMEs located between Tripoli and Beirut. Mediation was tested using Baron and Kenny (1986)’s framework. Findings – Results revealed that leader-member exchange and co-worker cooperation are positively related to job satisfaction and negatively related to turnover intention. Locus of control, on the other hand, is negatively related to job satisfaction and positively related to turnover intention. Also, perceptions of politics partially mediated some of these relationships while it fully mediated others. Originality/value – This study extends research on organizational politics to Eastern cultures by examining SMEs in a country like Lebanon. It also attempts to explain inconsistency in the literature by adding a mediating variable to the model of determinants and employee outcomes. That is, it suggests that the effect of leader-member exchange, locus of control and co-worker cooperation on outcomes is through the mechanism of perceptions of politics

Composite beam effects and implications to seismic design provisions

Previous studies have investigated the slab effects on the cyclic behavior of composite beams in moment-resisting frames. Of interest in this paper, is the slab contribution to the flexural strength and effective stiffness of the beam. The former influences the strong column/weak beam ratio while the latter affects the fulfillment of serviceability limits. For this purpose, experimental data of composite beams from prior subassembly and frame system tests are assembled in a consistent database format. This database facilitates the evaluation of code-based approaches that are adopted in the seismic design of composite beams in steel moment-resisting frames. In particular, the developed database is used to assess the plastic flexural strength and effective stiffness of the beams according to the current Eurocode, US and Japanese seismic provisions. The database is also used to quantify the plastic rotation capacity of composite beams that is particularly important for nonlinear seismic assessment. In general, all three design codes estimate the sagging plastic moment resistance of the beams reasonably well. On the other hand, the estimated effective stiffness shows greater variability. The proposed composite beam effective stiffness according to the Japanese seismic provisions is found to be the most accurate between the three design provisions. Results also suggest that the plastic deformation capacity of composite beams is higher under sagging bending than hogging bending due to the slab restraint. Although inconclusive, the framing action seems to enhance the plastic deformation capacity of beams intersecting interior joints

Partially Fluorinated Poly- p -xylylenes Synthesized by CVD Polymerization

This paper describes partially fluorinated poly- p -xylylenes prepared by CVD polymerization. The synthesis, characterization, and surface modification of two partially fluorinated polymer coatings, namely poly(4,12-dibromo-1,1,9,9-tetrafluoro- p -xylylene) ( 2 ) and poly(4-heptadecafluorononanoyl- p -xylylene-co- p -xylylene) ( 4 ), is described. Polymer 2 is synthesized from 4,12-dibromo-1,1,9,9-tetrafluoro[2.2]paracyclophane ( 1 ), which is fluorinated at the aliphatic bridge, while 4-heptadecafluorononanoyl[2.2]paracyclophane ( 3 ), which contains a perfluorinated keto group at the aromatic ring, is used to synthesize polymer 4 . Furthermore, the keto-functionalized polymer 4 introduces both extreme hydrophobicity and surface reactivity towards hydrazide-containing ligands.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/63082/1/142_ftp.pd

Challenge of Pigs with Classical Swine Fever Viruses after C-Strain Vaccination Reveals Remarkably Rapid Protection and Insights into Early Immunity

Pre-emptive culling is becoming increasingly questioned as a means of controlling animal diseases, including classical swine fever (CSF). This has prompted discussions on the use of emergency vaccination to control future CSF outbreaks in domestic pigs. Despite a long history of safe use in endemic areas, there is a paucity of data on aspects important to emergency strategies, such as how rapidly CSFV vaccines would protect against transmission, and if this protection is equivalent for all viral genotypes, including highly divergent genotype 3 strains. To evaluate these questions, pigs were vaccinated with the Riemser® C-strain vaccine at 1, 3 and 5 days prior to challenge with genotype 2.1 and 3.3 challenge strains. The vaccine provided equivalent protection against clinical disease caused by for the two challenge strains and, as expected, protection was complete at 5 days post-vaccination. Substantial protection was achieved after 3 days, which was sufficient to prevent transmission of the 3.3 strain to animals in direct contact. Even by one day post-vaccination approximately half the animals were partially protected, and were able to control the infection, indicating that a reduction of the infectious potential is achieved very rapidly after vaccination. There was a close temporal correlation between T cell IFN-γ responses and protection. Interestingly, compared to responses of animals challenged 5 days after vaccination, challenge of animals 3 or 1 days post-vaccination resulted in impaired vaccine-induced T cell responses. This, together with the failure to detect a T cell IFN-γ response in unprotected and unvaccinated animals, indicates that virulent CSFV can inhibit the potent antiviral host defences primed by C-strain in the early period post vaccination