474 research outputs found
Of the significance of business relationships
The Industrial Network Theory aims to describe and explain the business relationships and networks in which the focal firm is deeply embedded. One of its major propositions is that business relationships somehow influence, to different extents and over time, the focal firmâs survival. This pertains to the diverse and time-varying significance of business relationships for the focal firm. It has often been implicitly sustained that such significance is strongly related to the role played by business relationships and consequently the relationship outcomes accruing to the focal firm. The logic underlying the relationship significance proposition is outwardly oriented, somewhat overlooking the focal firmâs inside and in particular the conspicuous influence of business relationships on what the focal firm does competently both within and across its vertical boundaries. Arguably, the (predominantly âfunctionalâ) network-based arguments currently advanced represent a necessary but not sufficient condition for relationship significance. This conceptual paper tentatively suggests that there may be missing a supplementary (essentially internal) explanation supported by Competence-based Theories of the Firm.Industrial Network Theory; relationship significance proposition
How is the relationship significance brought about? A critical realist approach
The markets-as-networks theorists contend, at least tacitly, the significance of business relationships for the focal firm â that is, business relationships contribute somewhat to the focal firmâs survival and growth. We do not deny the existence of significant business relationships but sustain, in contrast to the consensus within the Markets-as-Networks Theory, that relationship significance should not be a self-evident assumption. Significance cannot be a taken-for-granted property of each and every one of the focal firmâs business relationships. We adopt explicitly a critical realist position in this conceptual paper and claim that the relationship significance is an event of the business world, whose causes remain yet largely unidentified. Where the powers and liabilities of business relationships (i.e., their functions and dysfunctions) are put to work, inevitably under certain contingencies (namely the surrounding networks and markets), effects result for the focal firm (often benefits in excess of sacrifices, i.e., relationship value) and as a result the relationship significance is likely to be brought about. In addition, the relationship significance can result from the dual influence that business relationships have on a great part of the structure and powers and liabilities of the focal firm, i.e., its nature and scope respectively.Markets-as-Networks Theory, relationship significance, business relationships, focal firm, resources, competences, activities
Relationship significance: is it sufficiently explained?
The Industrial Networks Theory (cf. Axelsson and Easton, 1992, Hakansson and Snehota, 1995) sets out to describe and explain the business relationships and markets in which the focal firm is deeply embedded. One of its major propositions pertains to the (time-varying) significance of business relationships for the focal firm (Gadde et al., 2003), i.e., business relationships influence to some extent the focal firmâs survival. Such significance seems strongly related to the role played by business relationships and consequently the relationship outcomes accruing to the focal firm. The theoretical justification underlying this proposition is outwardly oriented, somewhat overlooking the inside of the focal firm - in particular the influence of business relationships on what the focal firm does competently within and across its boundaries. Arguably, the creation and appropriation of relationship value by the focal firm is a necessary but not sufficient condition for relationship significance. A supplementary (internal) explanation supported by Knowledge-based Theories of the Firm (e.g., see Kogut and Zander, 1992), we suggest, may be missing. Our aim here has been to intuitively pinpoint a theoretical flaw, further suggesting a feasible path for its solution.Industrial Networks Theory; relationship significance proposition; relationship functions, dysfunctions, benefits, sacrifices, and value
Percepção de incongruĂȘncias no contorno entonacional de frases e de melodias por crianças com, ou sem, treino musical
A prosĂłdia estĂĄ relacionada com a materialização da linguagem enquanto estĂmulo acĂșstico. Constituem
aspectos da prosĂłdia a entoação, o ritmo, a intensidade e as pausas linguĂsticas (Ladefoged, 1982). Alguns
destes aspectos sĂŁo comuns Ă mĂșsica. No caso da entoação da fala, esta Ă© anĂĄloga Ă melodia em mĂșsica. A
prosĂłdia de uma frase falada e a melodia de um trecho musical apresentam componentes estruturais muito
semelhantes.
O presente estudo aborda esta questĂŁo do ponto de vista psicolĂłgico. Trata-se de um estudo sobre a
percepção de melodias e de prosódia, realizado no seguimento de Schön et al (2002), cuja problemåtica estå
centrada no contorno da frequĂȘncia fundamental ( fo) da entoação em fala e da melodia em mĂșsica. Pretendese
averiguar se hå ou não uma correlação entre a percepção prosódica e a percepção melódica; e se a
aprendizagem musical pode potenciar o desenvolvimento da capacidade de percepção prosódica,
nomeadamente no que diz respeito ao contorno entonacional. A metodologia empregue Ă© comportamental
(medida dos tempos de reacção, percentagem de repostas correctas e sensibilidade, dâ). Os participantes do
estudo sĂŁo dois grupos de crianças do 4.Âș ano de escolaridade: um com aprendizagem musical desde o 1.Âș ano
de escolaridade e outro sem aprendizagem musical formal. Os resultados indicaram que nĂŁo existem
diferenças significativas entre os dois grupos de crianças. Contudo, as crianças com melhor performance na
tarefa musical, independentemente do grupo a que pertencem, sĂŁo as que tĂȘm melhor performance na tarefa
de linguagem. Este facto pode ser indicador de uma predisposição musical que pode influenciar o
desenvolvimento da percepção das caracterĂsticas entonacionais da linguagem
Anatomy of relationship significance: a critical realist exploration
Markets-as-networks (MAN) theorists contend, at least tacitly, the significance of business relationships to the firm â that is, business relationships contribute somewhat to corporate survival or growth. One
does not deny the existence of significant business relationships but sustain,
in contrast to the consensus within the MAN theory, that relationship significance should not be a self-evident assumption. For significance cannot be a taken-for-granted property of each and every one of the firmâs
business relationships. The authors adopt explicitly a critical realist metatheoretical
position in this conceptual paper and claim that relationship significance is an event of the business world, whose causes remain yet largely unidentified. Where the powers and liabilities of business relationships
(i.e., relationship functions and dysfunctions) are put to work, inevitably under certain contingencies (namely the surrounding networks and markets), relationship effects ensue for the firm (often benefits in excess of sacrifices, i.e., relationship value) and as a consequence relationship significance is likely to be brought about. In addition,
relationship significance can result from the dual impact that business relationships may have on the structure and powers and liabilities of the firm, that is, on corporate nature and scope, respectively
Keep that in mind: late event-related potentials at boundary onset reflect integrative processing
"Powered by whom?" : A network perspective on replication as strategy
This study examines the configuration of resources and activities among firms as a strategy to improve their position in a network through the replication of a template. The conceptual background combines the network approach to strategizing with the capability approach to replication. Using a longitudinal study of a large wholesaler, this study demonstrates that change in a network position can result from two interwoven processes: the development and replication of a template in some sections of the network, and a rearrangement of the web of relationships among counterpartsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Corporate governance : value creation and performance in credit unions
In this study, we examine the relationship between good corporate governance practices and the creation of value/performance of credit unions from 2010 to 2012. The objective was to create and validate a corporate governance index for credit unions, and to then analyse the relationship between good governance practices and the creation of value/performance. The problem question is: do good corporate governance practices provide value creation for credit unions? The research started by creating indices from factor analysis to identify latent dependent variables related to value creation and performance; next indices were created from the principal component analysis for the creation of independent latent variables related to corporate governance. Finally, based on panel data from regression models, the influence of the variables and indices related to corporate governance on the indices of value creation and performance was verified. Based on the research, it became evident that the Corporate Governance Index (IGC) is mainly impacted by Executive Management, with 40.31% of the IGC value, followed by the Representation and Participation dimension, with 34.07% of the IGC value. The contribution for academics was the creation of the Corporate Governance Index (IGC) applied for credit unions. As for the contribution to the system of credit unions, the highlight was the effectiveness of the mechanisms for economic-financial and asset management adopted by BACEN, credit unions and OCEMG.Nesta pesquisa, procurou-se analisar a relação entre as boas prĂĄticas de governança corporativa e a relação com a criação de valor/desempenho, das cooperativas de crĂ©dito ao longo do perĂodo de 2010 e 2012. O objetivo da pesquisa foi criar e validar um Ăndice de governança corporativa para as cooperativas de crĂ©dito para entĂŁo analisar a relação entre boas prĂĄticas de governança e a criação de valor/desempenho, tendo como questĂŁo problema: as boas prĂĄticas de governança corporativa proporcionam criação de valor para as cooperativas de crĂ©dito? Assim, iniciou-se a pesquisa por meio da criação de Ăndices a partir da anĂĄlise fatorial para a identificação de variĂĄveis latentes dependentes relacionadas Ă criação de valor e desempenho; em seguida, a criação de Ăndices a partir da anĂĄlise de componentes principais para a criação de variĂĄveis latentes independentes relacionadas Ă governança corporativa. Finalmente, verificou-se, a partir de modelos de regressĂŁo com dados em painel, a influĂȘncia das variĂĄveis e Ăndices relacionados Ă governança corporativa com os Ăndices de criação de valor e desempenho. Com base na pesquisa, ficou evidenciado que o Ăndice de Governança Corporativa (IGC) Ă© impactado principalmente pela GestĂŁo Executiva, representando 40,31% da importĂąncia do IGC, seguido da dimensĂŁo Representação e Participação com 34,07% da importĂąncia do IGC. A contribuição do trabalho para a academia foi a criação de Ăndice de Governança Corporativa (IGC) aplicĂĄvel Ă s cooperativas de crĂ©dito. Quanto Ă contribuição para o sistema de cooperativas de crĂ©dito, assinala-se a constatação de efetividade dos mecanismos de gestĂŁo econĂŽmico-financeira e patrimonial adotados pelo BACEN, Centrais de Cooperativas de CrĂ©dito e a OCEMG
Functional distribution of Ca2+-coupled P2 purinergic receptors among adrenergic and noradrenergic bovine adrenal chromaffin cells
Background
Adrenal chromaffin cells mediate acute responses to stress through the release of epinephrine. Chromaffin cell function is regulated by several receptors, present both in adrenergic (AD) and noradrenergic (NA) cells. Extracellular ATP exerts excitatory and inhibitory actions on chromaffin cells via ionotropic (P2X) and metabotropic (P2Y) receptors. We have taken advantage of the actions of the purinergic agonists ATP and UTP on cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) to determine whether P2X and P2Y receptors might be asymmetrically distributed among AD and NA chromaffin cells.
Results
The [Ca2+]i and the [Na+]i were recorded from immunolabeled bovine chromaffin cells by single-cell fluorescence imaging. Among the ATP-sensitive cells ~40% did not yield [Ca2+]i responses to ATP in the absence of extracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+o), indicating that they expressed P2X receptors and did not express Ca2+- mobilizing P2Y receptors; the remainder expressed Ca2+-mobilizing P2Y receptors. Relative to AD-cells approximately twice as many NA-cells expressed P2X receptors while not expressing Ca2+- mobilizing P2Y receptors, as indicated by the proportion of cells lacking [Ca2+]i responses and exhibiting [Na+]i responses to ATP in the absence and presence of Ca2+o, respectively. The density of P2X receptors in NA-cells appeared to be 30â50% larger, as suggested by comparing the average size of the [Na+]i and [Ca2+]i responses to ATP. Conversely, approximately twice as many AD-cells expressed Ca2+-mobilizing P2Y receptors, and they appeared to exhibit a higher (~20%) receptor density. UTP raised the [Ca2+]i in a fraction of the cells and did not raise the [Na+]i in any of the cells tested, confirming its specificity as a P2Y agonist. The cell density of UTP-sensitive P2Y receptors did not appear to vary among AD- and NA-cells.
Conclusion
Although neither of the major purinoceptor types can be ascribed to a particular cell phenotype, P2X and Ca2+-mobilizing P2Y receptors are preferentially located to noradrenergic and adrenergic chromaffin cells, respectively. ATP might, in addition to an UTP-sensitive P2Y receptor, activate an UTP-insensitive P2Y receptor subtype. A model for a short-loop feedback interaction is presented whereby locally released ATP acts upon P2Y receptors in adrenergic cells, inhibiting Ca2+ influx and contributing to terminate evoked epinephrine secretio
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