R&D managers’ adaptation of firms’ HRM practices

The heads of R&D departments are those most responsible for the adaptation of firms’ human resource management (HRM) practices to the idiosyncrasies of their departments. From their description, this paper analyzes the HRM practices in R&D departments and the adaptation achieved in four different firms. The data suggest that the main adaptations are produced primarily in recruiting and organizing the work of R&D personnel. In contrast to suggestions in the specialized literature, less adaptation is found in other HRM practices analyzed (managerial support and degree of delegation, compensation and career plans). Psychological theories of procedural justice and social comparison can improve our understanding of such results. The organizational structure affects the reference group for such comparisons and, consequently, the R&D managers’ capacity to adapt such practices. Based on these arguments, the delegation of HRM practices to R&D departments will enhance the degree of adaptation of such policiesPublicad

Servitization, digitization and supply chain interdependency

This study draws on literature at the intersection of servitization, digital business models and supply chain management. Work empirically explores how digital disruption has affected Business-to-Business (B2B) interdependencies. Dematerialization of physical products is transforming the way firms are positioned in the supply chain due to a reduction in production and transport costs and the different ways business engage with customers. Specifically, we propose that these new market conditions can empower downstream firms. We further propose that upstream firms can still capture additional value through digital service if their servitized offer includes difficult to imitate elements. The context of the analysis is the publishing industry. The Payment Card method employed is used to test UK and US consumer’s perceptions of digital formats (eBooks) and assess their willingness to pay in relation to printed formats. The method undertaken enables us to elicit aggregated consumer demand for eBooks which in turn identifies optimal pricing strategies for the digital services. Analysis demonstrates that during digital servitization upstream firms should seek to deploy unique resources to ensure their strategic position in the supply chain is not diminished

Externalizing, internalizing and fostering commitment: the case of born-global firms in emerging economies

This paper examines the HR practices of mature born-global firms from twenty-nine emerging economies. Through an examination of large scale survey data the paper questions the extent to which firm size impacts the employment of temporary workers, the employment of skilled workers and the extent of employee training. Findings suggest that as firm size increases the use of temporary workers decreases, the number of skilled workers increases and the number of employees receiving training also increases. The paper highlights how born-global firms are able to shift away from externalized, market-based approaches towards more internalized, commitment-based approaches in order to survive, adapt and grow

PFAS in Great Lakes Fish: Spatial and Temporal Trends

Presentation to the Great Lakes Fish Health Committee Meeting January 2023 Search for CCTE records in EPA’s Science Inventory by typing in the title at this link. https://cfpub.epa.gov/si/si_public_search_results.cfm?advSearch=true&showCriteria=2&keyword=CCTE&TIMSType=&TIMSSubTypeID=&epaNumber=&ombCat=Any&dateBeginPublishedPresented=07/01/2017&dateEndPublishedPresented=&dateBeginUpdated=&dateEndUpdated=&DEID=&personName=&personID=&role=Any&journalName=&journalID=&publisherName=&publisherID=&sortBy=pubDate&count=25 </p

Sedimentary records of mercury stable isotopes in Lake Michigan

Abstract Mercury (Hg) concentrations and Hg isotopic composition were investigated in three sediment cores in Lake Michigan (LM). Two cores were collected from Green Bay, a region heavily impacted by Hg contamination and one core from an offshore region of LM absent of direct point source Hg. Historical trends of Hg influxes suggest increased Hg deposition began in the 1890s in Green Bay and in the early 1800’s in offshore LM. Recently deposited sediment reflecting more anthropogenic influence shows similar δ202 Hg values (-1.0 to -0.5‰) for all three cores however, deep core sediments, reflecting pre-industrial eras, show much lower δ202Hg values (-1.7 to -1.2‰). Using a binary mixing model based on δ202Hg signatures, the proportion of anthropogenic Hg was estimated. Model output confirms that Green Bay is more contaminated by local point source than the offshore LM. An increase in positive Δ199Hg values (-0.02 to +0.27‰) was observed from inner Green Bay to the offshore of LM, which may indicate increased input of atmospheric Hg and decreased watershed inputs along this transect. Overall, this study suggests that sedimentary Hg isotopes maybe a useful tracer in understanding Hg sources and history of Hg contamination in large lakes

Consistent trace element distribution and mercury isotopic signature between a shallow buried volcanic-hosted epithermal gold deposit and its weathered horizon

Trace elements and Hg isotopic composition were investigated in mineralized rocks, barren rocks, and mineral soils in the Xianfeng prospect, a shallow buried epithermal gold deposit in northeastern China, to understand whether this deposit has left a diagnostic geochemical fingerprint to its weathered horizon. All the rocks and soils display congruent patterns for immobile elements (large ion lithophile elements, high field strength elements, and rare earth elements), which reflect the subduction-related tectonic setting. Both mineralized rocks and soils showed common enrichment of elemental suite As -Ag-Sb-Hg, suggesting that the Xianfeng gold deposit has released these elements into its weathered horizon. Similar mercury isotopic composition was observed between mineralized rocks (delta Hg-202: -0.21 +/- 0.70 parts per thousand; Delta Hg-199: -0.02 +/- 0.12 parts per thousand; 2SD) and barren rocks (delta Hg-202: -0.46 +/- 0.48 parts per thousand;Delta Hg-199: 0.00 +/- 0.10 parts per thousand; 2SD), suggesting that mercury in the Xianfeng deposit is mainly derived from the magmatic rocks. Mineralized soils (delta Hg-202: -0.44 +/- 0.60 parts per thousand; -0.03 +/- 0.14 parts per thousand; 2SD) and barren soils (delta Hg-202: -0.54 +/- 0.68 parts per thousand; Delta Hg-199: -0.05 +/- 0.14 parts per thousand; 2SD) displayed congruent Hg isotopic signals to the underlying rocks, suggesting limited Hg isotope fractionation during the release of Hg from ore deposit to soils via weathering. This study reveals evidence of a simple and direct geochemical link between this shallow buried hydrothermal deposit and its weathered horizon, and highlights that the weathering of shallow-buried hydrothermal gold deposits can release a substantial amount of heavy metals (e.g. Hg, As and Sb) to surface soil. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.11Nsciescopu

Anomalous mercury enrichment in Early Cambrian black shales of South China: Mercury isotopes indicate a seawater source

Extremely elevated Hg levels up to the mu g g(-1) range were found in sulfide-rich black shale and phosphorite in the lowermost part of the Early Cambrian black shale sequences on the Yangtze Platform in South China. In this study, mercury isotopes were used to help resolve the origin of this anomalous Hg enrichment. Mass independent fractionation signatures of Hg isotopes with positive Delta Hg-199 values of 0.13 to 0.24% and positive Delta Hg-200 values of 0.05 to 0.10% were observed, indicating seawater is an important source of Hg. We hypothesize that up-welling of nutrient-rich waters from the open ocean resulted in high bioproductivity in the photic zone with concomitant scavenging of Hg from seawater. Advanced decay of biomass and remineralization under anoxic to euxinic conditions combined with very low clastic input led to enrichment of Hg and a broad spectrum of other redox-sensitive and biogenic metals up to 107 compared to modern seawater. Such spectacular hydrogenous metal enrichment has previously been observed in the oxic deep-sea environment only, i.e. manganese crusts/nodules