Treading the lines between self-interest, cultural relativism and universal principles: ethics in the global marketplace

Purpose: This paper introduces this special issue of Management Decision by exploring the themes of the issue and the contribution of each of the articles in the collection. Approach: The paper reviews notions of ethics, justice and responsibility. It then uses the framework developed through this review as the basis for an appreciation of the articles that constitute the issue. Value: This article provides an introduction to, and suggests an overarching framework for, this special issue on questions we ask about ethics in a global marketplace. It is also an important reminder to managers and employees who constitute the entities to which “responsibility” is generally attached, that responsibility, ultimately, is irreducible beyond the individual, who cannot simply “follow orders”

Matters for judgement: some thoughts on method in management history

Purpose: This paper reflects on some aspects of method in management history and the importance of the self-reflection on their world-view that must accompany authors’ endeavours, in order to be articulated in the matters they proffer for the reader’s judgement. Approach: Drawing on the insights proffered by Evans (1999:1) about how to study, research, write about and read history, this paper offers some thoughts on the importance of giving due consideration to method in management history. Research & Practical Implications: Thomas Hobbes (1660/1994:32) observed that “Out of our conception of the past, we make a future”. It behoves us then, as managers and management scholars, to be satisfied that our conceptions of the past are developed in ways that, as far as possible, avoid the problems that would make them less than useful in creating that future. This paper identifies some of the issues of which those seeking to create the future must be cognisant. Value: If knowing accurately the history of management thought is of importance to scholars and practitioners, then this paper alerts practitioners and commentators to the need for a sound method in producing, and learning from, the lessons of management history

Issues in equivalence: Information literacy and the distance student

Information Literacy is a recognised lifelong learning skill, and an expected graduate attribute. With the growth in distance provision of tertiary education it is important to acknowledge the barriers faced by distance students and the difficulties libraries face in delivering equivalent learning opportunities to students who are physically isolated from their institution. This paper outlines the importance of information literacy, the major barriers faced by distance students and makes suggestions as to how institutions and their libraries can better meet their learning needs

An investigation into unsteady base bleed for drag reduction in bluff two-box SUVs

This paper discusses a preliminary investigation into the use of base bleed on a production SUV using CFD analysis. The paper shows the methods used in creating the computational model and conducting the analysis, and present the findings to date. The paper shows that the reduction in drag increases as the mass flow rate of air is increased when the flow is deflected at the outlet. By controlling the turbulent wake to the rear of the vehicle, it is shown in the paper that mass flow rates of under 2kg/s can reduce drag coefficient by 8.2% with an outlet on the side of the vehicle, and that a mass flow rate of under 1.5kg/s can reduce the drag coefficient by 10.7% for an outlet on the upper section of the rear of the vehicle. The paper also discusses the feasibility of base bleed being applied to a production vehicle

Politics, Emotion and Protest Workshop reflection

What follows is a very personal and emotional response to my participation in the Politics, Emotion and Protest workshop, coordinated by the social movements groups within the Media, Communications and Cultural Studies Association. Whilst it is neither a piece of research, nor an outline of my previous or current research activity, it does – polemically – reflect the impact the workshop had on how I conceptually orientate myself to my working practice as an academic researcher within the field of critical event studies

Cost-utility of adjuvant zoledronic acid in patients with breast cancer and low estrogen levels

BACKGROUND: Adjuvant zoledronic acid (za) appears to improve disease-free survival (dfs) in women with early-stage breast cancer and low levels of estrogen (lle) because of induced or natural menopause. Characterizing the cost-utility (cu) of this therapy could help to determine its role in clinical practice. METHODS: Using the perspective of the Canadian health care system, we examined the cu of adjuvant endocrine therapy with or without za in women with early-stage endocrine-sensitive breast cancer and lle. A Markov model was used to compute the cumulative costs in Canadian dollars and the quality-adjusted life-years (qalys) gained from each adjuvant strategy, discounted at a rate of 5% annually. The model incorporated the dfs and fracture benefits of adjuvant za. Probabilistic and one-way sensitivity analyses were conducted to examine key model parameters. RESULTS: Compared with a no-za strategy, adjuvant za in the induced and natural menopause groups was associated with, respectively, $7,825 and$7,789 in incremental costs and 0.46 and 0.34 in qaly gains for cu ratios of $17,007 and$23,093 per qaly gained. In one-way sensitivity analyses, the results were most sensitive to changes in the za dfs benefit. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis suggested a 100% probability of adjuvant za being a cost-effective strategy at a threshold of $100,000 per qaly gained. CONCLUSIONS: Based on available data, adjuvant za appears to be a cost-effective strategy in women with endocrine-sensitive breast cancer and lle, having cu ratios well below accepted thresholds

In vivo analysis of NHPX reveals a novel nucleolar localization pathway involving a transient accumulation in splicing speckles

The NHPX protein is a nucleolar factor that binds directly to a conserved RNA target sequence found in nucleolar box C/D snoRNAs and in U4 snRNA. Using enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP)– and enhanced cyan fluorescent protein–NHPX fusions, we show here that NHPX is specifically accumulated in both nucleoli and Cajal bodies (CBs) in vivo. The fusion proteins display identical localization patterns and RNA binding specificities to the endogenous NHPX. Analysis of a HeLa cell line stably expressing EYFP–NHPX showed that the nucleolar accumulation of NHPX was preceded by its transient accumulation in splicing speckles. Only newly expressed NHPX accumulated in speckles, and the nucleolar pool of NHPX did not interchange with the pool in speckles, consistent with a unidirectional pathway. The transient accumulation of NHPX in speckles prior to nucleoli was observed in multiple cell lines, including primary cells that lack CBs. Inhibitor studies indicated that progression of newly expressed NHPX from speckles to nucleoli was dependent on RNA polymerase II transcription, but not on RNA polymerase I activity. The data show a specific temporal pathway involving the sequential and directed accumulation of NHPX in distinct subnuclear compartments, and define a novel mechanism for nucleolar localization