An empirical investigation of the influence of organizational culture on individual readiness for change in Syrian manufacturing organizations

Purpose - While few recent studies have paid attention to the relationship between Organizational Culture (OC) and Individual Readiness for Change (IRFC), there is still a lack of systematic and empirical studies regarding the influence of all OC types on the IRFC components within the change management literature. This study aims to fill this gap in the literature by empirically examining the influence of all four organizational culture types of the Competing Values Framework (CVF) on the components of IRFC regarding TQM implementation, within the context of manufacturing organizations operating in Syria. Design/methodology/approach - A total of four hypotheses were proposed for testing. A questionnaire was developed and distributed to 350 Syrian Manufacturing Organizations (SMOs) in order to measure the level of IRFC and to identify the cultural profiles and characteristics of these organizations. Findings - The analysis of the collected shows that certain types of organizational culture are conducive to fostering IRFC. In particular, the findings of an empirical investigation revealed that group culture and adhocracy culture are the most supportive culture types for IRFC. Originality/value - This paper contributes to the existing literature of change management by providing empirical evidence leading to advancement of knowledge and the understanding of the relationship between OC types and IRFC components. Furthermore, the paper adds value via its contextual originality; being the first study that empirically examined the Syrian cultural context, and hence contributing to the scarce body of literature of both OC and IRFC, and in particular the developing countries

COMBINED EFFECTS OF ELECTROSTATIC AND ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCES OF HIGH VOLTAGE OVERHEAD POWER LINES ON AERIAL METALLIC PIPELINE

The main purpose of this paper is to model and analyze the electrostatic and electromagnetic interferences between a HV overhead power line and an aerial metallic pipeline situated parallel at a close distance. The modelling of these interferences is typically done for safety reasons, to ensure that the induced voltage does not pose any risk to the operating and maintenance personnel and to the integrity of the pipeline. The adopted methodologies respectively for electrostatic and electromagnetic interferences are based on the charge and current simulation methods combined with the Teaching learning based optimization (TLBO) algorithm. The Friedman test  analysis indicate that teaching learning based optimization (TLBO) algorithm can be used for parameters optimization, it showed better results. In the case where the induced currents and voltages values exceed the limit authorized values by the international CIGRE standard, mitigation measures become necessary. The simulation results obtained were compared with those provided respectively by the admittance matrix analysis and Carson's method, good agreement was obtained

Clinical and echocardiographic evaluation of patients undergoing total leaflets preservation during mitral valve replacement; Does it make a difference?

Background: The effect of anterior and posterior leaflet preservation on left ventricular function after mitral valve replacement is still the subject of ongoing research. The objective of this study is to analyze the early outcomes of total leaflets preservation compared to posterior and non-leaflet preservation during mitral valve surgery on cardiac function and dimensions measured by echocardiography and on the clinical outcomes.Methods: This prospective cohort study recruited 155 patients who had mitral valve replacement (MVR) from April 2016 to March 2018 at Assiut University Hospital. Patients were divided into three groups according to the technique of leaflets preservation; Group I (no leaflet preservation-N-MVR), Group II (total leaflet preservation- T-MVR) and Group III (posterior leaflet preservation-P-MVR). Patients who underwent redo mitral valve replacement (MVR) or those with endocarditis and had combined coronary artery bypass grafting with the MVR were excluded from the study.Results: There were nine early deaths (6%); eight patients were in Group I (N-MVR). Causes of mortality were massive intracranial hemorrhage (n= 2) and left ventricular failure (n=6). One patient died in Group III (P-MVR) from intracranial hemorrhage (1.3%). Hospital stay was significantly longer in N-MVR group compared to T-MVR and P-MVR (10.6±2.13 days in N-MVR group; p= 0.03 and 0.011 respectively). Postoperative low cardiac output occurred in all patients in N-MVR group. Left ventricular function (ejection fraction= 61.28±6.02%) and dimensions (end-diastolic diameter= 5.18±0.69 mm, end-systolic diameter= 3.58±0.78 mm) improved significantly in total leaflets preservation group.Conclusion: Leaflet preservation during mitral valve replacement was associated with improved clinical and echocardiographic outcomes. Non-leaflets preservation increased the risk of postoperative complications and length of hospital stay. Leaflet preservation is recommended as the standard approach during mitral valve replacement