Organizational speed as a dynamic capability: Toward a holistic perspective

Current research on organizational speed has been disjointed, which has left organizational speed as an underdeveloped area of study. In this essay, we expand the view of organizational speed as a multidimensional gestalt-like construct that may influence firm performance and competitive advantage. We offer a capability-based definition of organizational speed and identify and review the building blocks of organizational speed. We propose new avenues and questions for future research based on our perspective

Financial frictions and the monetary transmission mechanism: theory, evidence and policy implications

This paper provides a brief survey of the role of financial frictions in the monetary transmission mechanism. After noting some of the key stylised facts that any model of the transmission mechanisms must be consistent with, we discuss both the classical interest rate channel and the credit and bank lending channels of monetary transmission. We then review the empirical evidence relating to the relative importance of these channels. Finally we consider what impact the presence of significant financial frictions might have on the conduct of monetary policy JEL Classification: E52, E58, E44bank-lending channel, credit channel, monetary policy, transmission mechanism

Influence of Land Cover Type and the Reliability of Selected Land Surface Models: A Comparison of WRF Version 3.6 Coupled to CLM Version 4.0, Noah-MP, and the Bucket Hydrology

In this study, the validity of 3 LSMs (Community Land Model version 4.0, Noah-MP and the Budyko Bucket Hydrology model [henceforth referred to as ‘Bucket model’]) coupled with the Weather Research and Forecasting model version 3.6 (WRF3.6), was examined in an effort to show the associated strengths and weaknesses of each LSM. This objective was completed by first, developing expected results based on a simple surface energy budget calculation, and by later comparing model output to Parameter-elevation Relationships on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) data, which serve as gridded observed values of mean monthly temperature and total monthly precipitation. Model output temperature, precipitation, sensible heat (SH), latent heat (LH), downward solar radiation, and soil water content (SWC) are also compared to observations from several Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) and AmeriFlux sites across the Central and Southern Great Plains. The LSM output analysis revealed an overall warm bias in CLM4.0 and Noah-MP, with a cool bias of larger magnitude in the Bucket model. All 3 LSMs produced similar patterns of wet and dry biases when compared to each other across identical time periods, but no overall bias for any particular LSM emerged. Biases in model output of SWC, SH, LH, and downward solar radiation compared to observations, were consistent with what would be expected based on results from the surface energy budget component of the study. While many factors should be considered when choosing a LSM, both sophisticated LSMs seem to be viable options for simulating the effects of land use change in the Southern Great Plains region, while the limitations of the Bucket model with detailed surface energy calculations make it less suitable for such a detailed study

Failure to regulate: counterproductive recruitment of top-down prefrontal-subcortical circuitry in major depression

Although depressed mood is a normal occurrence in response to adversity in all individuals, what distinguishes those who are vulnerable to major depressive disorder (MDD) is their inability to effectively regulate negative mood when it arises. Investigating the neural underpinnings of adaptive emotion regulation and the extent to which such processes are compromised in MDD may be helpful in understanding the pathophysiology of depression. We report results from a functional magnetic resonance imaging study demonstrating left-lateralized activation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) when downregulating negative affect in nondepressed individuals, whereas depressed individuals showed bilateral PFC activation. Furthermore, during an effortful affective reappraisal task, nondepressed individuals showed an inverse relationship between activation in left ventrolateral PFC and the amygdala that is mediated by the ventromedial PFC (VMPFC). No such relationship was found for depressed individuals, who instead show a positive association between VMPFC and amygdala. Pupil dilation data suggest that those depressed patients who expend more effort to reappraise negative stimuli are characterized by accentuated activation in the amygdala, insula, and thalamus, whereas nondepressed individuals exhibit the opposite pattern. These findings indicate that a key feature underlying the pathophysiology of major depression is the counterproductive engagement of right prefrontal cortex and the lack of engagement of left lateral-ventromedial prefrontal circuitry important for the downregulation of amygdala responses to negative stimuli

Preferences Toward Gender of Coach and Perceptions of Roles of Basketball Coaches

International Journal of Exercise Science 8(4): 303-317. Framed within role congruity theory this study examined (a) if female collegiate basketball players have a preference toward male or female head basketball coaches, (b) if the gender and enjoyment level of past head coaches influence preferences toward a male or female head coach and/or influence the perceived roles of women’s basketball head coaches, and (c) if there is a relationship between the perceived roles of women’s basketball head coaches and female collegiate basketball players’ preferences toward male or female head coaches. Fifty-nine women’s basketball players from 10 Division I universities completed a survey that included a consent form, demographic questions, the list of managerial sub roles, and questions regarding preferences, gender, and enjoyment level of past and current coaches. Participants significantly preferred male head coaches compared to female head coaches. A cluster analysis was conducted to group participants into a male coach profile and a female coach profile using the variables of gender of past and current coaches and the gender of coach enjoyed most. Results showed that the male coach profile group preferred male coaches significantly more than the female coach profile group. Because preferences for male coaches still exist, especially with female basketball players who did not have a female high school coach, it is vital that the numbers of female coaches increase, especially at younger age levels

Financial frictions and the monetary transmission mechanism: theory, evidence and policy implications

This paper provides a brief survey of the role of financial frictions in the monetary transmission mechanism. After noting some of the key stylised facts that any model of the transmission mechanisms must be consistent with, we discuss both the classical interest rate channel and the credit and bank lending channels of monetary transmission. We then review the empirical evidence relating to the relative importance of these channels. Finally we consider what impact the presence of significant financial frictions might have on the conduct of monetary polic

Post-Brexit implications for transboundary groundwater management along the Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland border

There are multiple transboundary groundwater bodies shared between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland that are currently managed jointly through the EU Water Framework Directive. In 2016 the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union and consequently, there are uncertainties regarding the future status of groundwater management between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in regards to future UK environmental policy. This paper explores the post 'Brexit' transboundary groundwater implications, if a transboundary groundwater agreement is required between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and, should it transpire, what form should it take

Evaluation of daily gridded meteorological datasets over the Niger Delta region of Nigeria and implication to water resources management

Hydro-climatological study is difficult in most of the developing countries due to the paucity of monitoring stations. Gridded climatological data provides an opportunity to extrapolate climate to areas without monitoring stations based on their ability to repli-cate the Spatio-temporal distribution and variability of observed datasets. Simple cor-relation and error analyses are not enough to predict the variability and distribution of precipitation and temperature. In this study, the coefficient of correlation (R2), Root mean square error (RMSE), mean bias error (MBE) and mean wet and dry spell lengths were used to evaluate the performance of three widely used daily gridded precipitation, maximum and minimum temperature datasets from the Climatic Research Unit (CRU), Princeton University Global Meteorological Forcing (PGF) and Climate Fore-cast System Reanalysis (CFSR) datasets available over the Niger Delta part of Nigeria. The Standardised Precipitation Index was used to assess the confidence of using grid-ded precipitation products on water resource management. Results of correlation, er-ror, and spell length analysis revealed that the CRU and PGF datasets performed much better than the CFSR datasets. SPI values also indicate a good association between station and CRU precipitation products. The CFSR datasets in comparison with the other data products in many years overestimated and underestimated the SPI. This indicates weak accuracy in predictability, hence not reliable for water resource man-agement in the study area. However, CRU data products were found to perform much better in most of the statistical assessments conducted. This makes the methods used in this study to be useful for the assessment of various gridded datasets in various hy-drological and climatic applications

Selection of CMIP5 GCM ensemble for the projection of spatio-temporal changes in precipitation and temperature over the Niger Delta, Nigeria

Selection of a suitable general circulation model (GCM) ensemble is crucial for effective water resource management and reliable climate studies in developing countries with constraint in human and computational resources. A careful selection of a GCM subset by excluding those with limited similarity to the observed climate from the existing pool of GCMs developed by different modeling centers at various resolutions can ease the task and minimize uncertainties. In this study, a feature selection method known as symmetrical uncertainty (SU) was employed to assess the performance of 26 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) GCM outputs under Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5. The selection was made according to their capability to simulate observed daily precipitation (prcp), maximum and minimum temperature (Tmax and Tmin) over the historical period 1980–2005 in the Niger Delta region, which is highly vulnerable to extreme climate events. The ensemble of the four top-ranked GCMs, namely ACCESS1.3, MIROC-ESM, MIROC-ESM-CHM, and NorESM1-M, were selected for the spatio-temporal projection of prcp, Tmax, and Tmin over the study area. Results from the chosen ensemble predicted an increase in the mean annual prcp between the range of 0.26% to 3.57% under RCP4.5, and 0.7% to 4.94% under RCP 8.5 by the end of the century when compared to the base period. The study also revealed an increase in Tmax in the range of 0 to 0.4 °C under RCP4.5 and 1.25–1.79 °C under RCP8.5 during the periods 2070–2099. Tmin also revealed a significant increase of 0 to 0.52 °C under RCP4.5 and between 1.38–2.02 °C under RCP8.5, which shows that extreme events might threaten the Niger Delta due to climate change. Water resource managers in the region can use these findings for effective water resource planning, management, and adaptation measures