Management Research on Multinational Corporations: A Methodological Critique

In the context of burgeoning research on multinational corporations (MNCs), this paper addresses the issue of the representativeness of databases of MNCs in Ireland. It identifies some important deficiencies in existing databases much used by scholars in the field. Drawing on the international literature, it finds that this problem also characterises research on MNCs in many other countries. In the Irish context, we find that the extant empirical research has generally excluded two key categories of MNCs, namely, (a) foreign MNCs which are not grant-aided by the main industrial promotions agencies and (b) Irish-owned MNCs. The paper outlines our experience in identifying and addressing these deficiencies and describes the methods that might be employed in more precisely defining the MNC population in Ireland. More generally the paper reviews some of the issues and obstacles confronting scholars investigating the MNC sector in Ireland and abroad.

The spatiotemporal pattern of earthworm community in the grass savannas of Lamto (Ivory Coast): The spatiotemporal pattern of earthworm community in the grass savannas of Lamto (Ivory Coast)

The impact of earthworms on both soil physical properties and soil organic matter dynamics has been well documented (Lavelle and Spain 2001). There is a wealth of literature dedicated to the biological mechanisms at work or to empirical approaches based on field data. Assessing the functional role of a species or community implies establishing both time and space scales at which it is effectively the primary determinant of the process(es) at hand. In that context, space-time data analyses are powerful tools to process community data collected on numerous occasions but are, however, not widely disseminated in the community of ecologists. Although computer resources are available, one difficulty is that ad hoc field data are not always easily available which hinders thepercolation of the methods

Soil biodiversity: functions, threats and tools for policy makers

Human societies rely on the vast diversity of benefits provided by nature, such as food, fibres, construction materials, clean water, clean air and climate regulation. All the elements required for these ecosystem services depend on soil, and soil biodiversity is the driving force behind their regulation. With 2010 being the international year of biodiversity and with the growing attention in Europe on the importance of soils to remain healthy and capable of supporting human activities sustainably, now is the perfect time to raise awareness on preserving soil biodiversity. The objective of this report is to review the state of knowledge of soil biodiversity, its functions, its contribution to ecosystem services and its relevance for the sustainability of human society. In line with the definition of biodiversity given in the 1992 Rio de Janeiro Convention, soil biodiversity can be defined as the variation in soil life, from genes to communities, and the variation in soil habitats, from micro-aggregates to entire landscapes. Bio Intelligence Service, IRD, and NIOO, Report for European Commission (DG Environment

El suelo auto organizado

El objetivo de esta reflexión es exponer el modelo de funcionamiento del suelo, donde se explica cómo los diferentes organismos, cooperan en sistemas auto organizados para regular y optimizar todas las funciones del suelo, permitiendo así, una producción primaria sostenida. Los suelos son sistemas ecológicos autoorganizados dentro de los cuales los organismos interactúan dentro de un conjunto anidado de escalas discretas. Los ingenieros de ecosistemas, principalmente raíces de plantas, lombrices de tierra, termitas y hormigas, desempeñan un papel clave en la creación de hábitats para otros organismos y en el control de sus actividades mediante procesos físicos y bioquímicos. Este modelo de funcionamiento del suelo, se convierte en una guía fundamental y base para el diseño de experimentos y nuevos tipos de manejo del suelo, permitiendo conservar y amplificar la producción de los servicios ecosistémicos.  

El suelo auto organizado

El objetivo de esta reflexión es exponer el modelo de funcionamiento del suelo, donde se explica cómo los diferentes organismos, cooperan en sistemas auto organizados para regular y optimizar todas las funciones del suelo, permitiendo así, una producción primaria sostenida. Los suelos son sistemas ecológicos autoorganizados dentro de los cuales los organismos interactúan dentro de un conjunto anidado de escalas discretas. Los ingenieros de ecosistemas, principalmente raíces de plantas, lombrices de tierra, termitas y hormigas, desempeñan un papel clave en la creación de hábitats para otros organismos y en el control de sus actividades mediante procesos físicos y bioquímicos. Este modelo de funcionamiento del suelo, se convierte en una guía fundamental y base para el diseño de experimentos y nuevos tipos de manejo del suelo, permitiendo conservar y amplificar la producción de los servicios ecosistémicos.  

El suelo auto organizado

El objetivo de esta reflexión es exponer el modelo de funcionamiento del suelo, donde se explica cómo los diferentes organismos, cooperan en sistemas auto organizados para regular y optimizar todas las funciones del suelo, permitiendo así, una producción primaria sostenida. Los suelos son sistemas ecológicos autoorganizados dentro de los cuales los organismos interactúan dentro de un conjunto anidado de escalas discretas. Los ingenieros de ecosistemas, principalmente raíces de plantas, lombrices de tierra, termitas y hormigas, desempeñan un papel clave en la creación de hábitats para otros organismos y en el control de sus actividades mediante procesos físicos y bioquímicos. Este modelo de funcionamiento del suelo, se convierte en una guía fundamental y base para el diseño de experimentos y nuevos tipos de manejo del suelo, permitiendo conservar y amplificar la producción de los servicios ecosistémicos

Ecologia e o desafio do uso multifuncional do solo

Soil zoology and soil ecology have become very active fields of research since the early 1990s. A search in the ISI Web of Science databases showed a steady increase in publications about that theme over the last two decades, and 3,612 bibliographic references were found for that theme for the period of 2004 to 2008. The researches covered mostly soil environmental issues, toxicology and ecology. The issue of theoretical development in soil ecology is discussed, and arguments are presented against the idea that the soil ecology theory is deficient. Finally, the need for a general model of soil function and soil management is discussed and some options are presented to reach this goal.A zoologia e a ecologia do solo tornaram-se áreas de pesquisa muito ativas a partir do início da década de 1990. Uma busca realizada na base de dados ISI Web of Science mostrou um gradual aumento no número de publicações sobre o assunto nas últimas duas décadas, tendo sido encontradas 3.612 referências bibliográficas para o período de 2004 a 2008. As pesquisas abordaram principalmente assuntos ambientais, toxicologia e ecologia. O desenvolvimento da teoria em ecologia do solo é discutido, e são apresentados argumentos contra a ideia de que existe deficiência na teoria em ecologia do solo. Finalmente, é discutida a necessidade de um modelo geral de funcionamento e manejo do solo, e são apresentadas algumas opções para atingir esse objetivo.   

Biometric relationships in earthworms (Oligochaeta)

15 páginas, 1 tabla, 2 figurasDigging and hand-sorting of soil blocks is a very widespread method in the study of earthworm communities. One disadvantage of this method is that it is very time consuming and often many earthworms are incomplete because they were cut by the digging tools. When authors report earthworm biomass, no mention is made of the assessment of any relationship between the mass of those cut earthworms and their overall weight. In such cases, biomass is generally underestimated. In this paper, our objective was to propose a new method to estimate the weight of incomplete earthworms on the basis of preclitellar diameter and its usefulness for studying the dynamics of earthworm populations. Complete earthworms were collected from samplings performed in native savannahs and man-made pastures of the eastern plains of Colombia and from a poplar grove (Populus sp.) in Central Spain. A strong correlation between the preserved fresh weight and the maximum preclitellar diameter was found for all the species studied. Three types of models have provided a convenient method to estimate earthworm biomass: (i) linear for almost all the species; (ii) exponential for a large Neotropical anecic species, Martiodrilus carimaguensis (Glossoscolecidae); and (iii) second degree polynomic equation.This study was included within the STD-3 European Macrofauna Project (No. ts3*ct920128) and the Tropical Lowlands Program at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, CIAT (Cali, Colombia). This study was supported partly by a research grant obtained by the first author within the Macrofauna programme. E. Mamolar received a one-year scholarship from ‘Fundación CajaMadrid’ (Spain). The first author deeply thanks Thibaud Decaëns, from the ‘Université de Rouen’ (France) for his criticism in a first version of the manuscript and two anonymous referees for their helpful comments.Peer reviewe