Exploratory study of managerial stress in Spain, An

The purpose of this exploratory study is to chart the existing Spanish literature, and to report some first tentative results on managerial stress in Spain. The study is based on a literature study and a quantitative study using a sample of 115 Spanish managers. The results are based on data collected for the Collaborative International Study on Managerial Stress (CISMS). The literature review of work stress in Spain revealed that most studies on work stress use health professionals as respondents, and that research on managerial stress is generally lacking in Spain. Cross-cultural studies on work stress show that there is a clear need for nation-specific research. We compare the results of our Spanish sample with other countries that participated in the CISMS-study. We found that Spanish managers report relatively higher levels of mental strain than their colleagues worldwide. An explanation can be found in long working hours and relatively high work stress, which in turn causes work-family conflict. An important implication is that mental strain has an important influence on the performance of managers. Cluster analysis seems to suggest that coping and health habits can make a difference, although personality and work environment are also important in differentiating healthy from unhealthy managers.managerial stress;

Career inhibitors and career enablers for executive women

This paper is intended to contribute to the study of career inhibitors and career enablers for women. The analysis is based on data obtained from a survey conducted by the International Center of Work and Family at IESE Business School. The main conclusions of the analysis are: - Women have readier access to general management posts in small companies. - The feeling of working a "double work day" is widespread among women managers, especially in large companies. - Lack of sympathy on the part of colleagues and superiors when women give priority to their family responsibilities undermines women managers' satisfaction with their professional life. - The main career inhibitor is corporate culture (the "glass ceiling"). - The importance that executive women ascribe to career inhibitors decreases with age and professional rank. - The average woman manager's main support is her husband, who in most cases is also a manager. - The principal career enablers are: motivation, training, mental strength and value system.top management; career; family; women;

Políticas de conciliación trabajo-familia en 150 empresas españolas

Con la incorporación cada vez mayor de la mujer al mundo laboral, vivimos en un mundo compartido. Hombres y mujeres integran, actúan y forman a la vez el mundo del trabajo y la familia. En el IESE tenemos una línea de investigación -conciliación trabajo/familia- que pretende detectar, analizar, evaluar y, en la medida de lo posible, sugerir, aquellas políticas que desde la empresa favorecen la armonía entre estos dos ámbitos. Nuestro estudio IFREI (IESE Family Responsible Employer Index) y el Primer Premio a la Empresa Flexible concedido este año a la empresa de telefonía móvil Vodafone, son los primeros pasos de un camino que se adivina lleno de posibilidades y que puede ser una fuente de retribución para el empleado tan importante como la salarial.familia; conciliacion; recursos humanos; trabajo;

Influence of lipophilicity in O-acyl and O-alkyl derivatives of juglone and lawsone: a structure–activity relationship study in the search for natural herbicide models

Naphthoquinones are known for their broad range of biological activities. Given the increasing demands of consumers in relation to food quality and growing concerns about the impact of synthetic herbicides, it is necessary to search for newagrochemicals. Natural products and allelopathy provide newalternatives for the development of pesticides with lower toxicity and greater environmental compatibility. A structure–activity relationship to evaluate the effect of bioavailability was performed. A total of 44 O-acyl and O-alkyl derivatives of juglone and lawsone with different linear chain lengths were prepared. These compounds were tested on etiolated wheat coleoptiles, standard target species (STS) and four weeds, Echinochloa crus-galli L., Lolium rigidum Gaud., Lolium perenne L. and Avena fatua L. The results showed a strong influence of lipophilicity and, in most cases, the data fitted a logP-dependent quadratic mathematical model. The effects producedwere mostly stunting and necrosis caused by growth inhibition. The potential structure and activity behaviour is described

Measuring the Purpose Strength

In the preceding chapters, a new logic for the twenty-first-century organization was proposed—the logic of leading based on a shared and common business purpose, one that captures the mind, captivates the heart, and guides the day-to-day routines of every individual in the organization. In view of this new logic, though, the question becomes, how are leaders to assess whether or not the purpose of the business is truly common and deeply shared

Absorption and Elimination of the Allelochemical MBOA by Weeds during Seedling Growth

6-Methoxy-2-benzoxazolinone (MBOA) is an allelochemical that is found in Poaceae and is generally associated with monocotyledon species. This compound is formed from the glycosylated form of 2,4-dihydroxy-(2H)-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one (Gly-DIMBOA) by a two-stage degradation process. The MBOA detoxification capacity of two weed species, namely Echinochloa crus-galli and Lolium rigidum, and a resistant biotype of Lolium rigidum (SLR31) was studied both qualitatively and quantitatively. The product of metabolism is similar for both weed species. This finding indicates that these weeds probably metabolize xenobiotics by an identical route, since the product detected was the same in both cases. Kinetic studies on the absorption and translocation to the shoot showed differences in these processes depending on the species. The analysis of treated plants, which were subsequently transplanted to a growth medium without xenobiotic compound, showed that the weeds studied are capable of transmitting the previously absorbed compound to the medium by root exudation. The results show that this process is another defense mechanism of plants facing external threats

Synthesis of Bioactive Speciosins G and P from Hexagonia speciosa

The first total synthesis of speciosins P and G, previously isolated from Hexagonia speciosa, is reported. These compounds have been synthesized by Sonogashira coupling from readily available starting materials. Siccayne was also synthesized from the same starting material in two steps along with a number of other derivatives. The compounds were tested in the wheat coleoptile bioassay. The most active compound was the intermediate 18, followed by 29 and 17. The structural requirements for activity in these compounds are the presence of methoxy groups in the aromatic ring and a formyl or hydroxy group in the side chain

Soil biodegradation of a benzoxazinone analog proposed as a natural products-based herbicide

Aims Benzoxazinones with the 4-hydroxy-(2H)-1,4- benzoxazin-3(4H)-one skeleton have been proposed as potentially successful models for the development of novel design leads. D-DIBOA has proven to be the most promising base structure in the search for novel herbicide models based on the benzoxazinone skeleton. The biodegradation dynamics of D-DIBOA in soil are therefore relevant and are the subject of this study. Methods A previously optimized methodology for the assessment of biodegradation has been applied for the first time to a synthetic benzoxazinone. Results Biodegradability is a characteristic of natural benzoxazinones and a safety requirement for the development of herbicidal chemicals. The biodegradation phenomenon and its consequences for the development of new herbicide models are discussed. The half-life determined for D-DIBOA was much higher than those previously reported for the natural products DIBOA, DIMBOA and their benzoxazolinone derivatives. Conclusions This finding, together with its previously described potent phytotoxicity, suggests that D-DIBOA is a useful candidate for novel herbicide model development. The lactam D-HBOA, which is slightly less phytotoxic than its precursor, was discovered to be the first and principal metabolite resulting from D-DIBOA degradation

Diversidad y paradigmas de empresa: un nuevo enfoque

Después de hacer un repaso por la literatura académica sobre gestión de la diversidad desde los años noventa hasta la fecha, este artículo propone que el objetivo de la gestión de la diversidad debe ser la unidad de la organización, no el simple incremento de la misma. Para lograr este objetivo se necesitan dos cosas: fomentar la motivación trascendente de los directivos y colaboradores y desarrollar competencias de liderazgo inter e intrapersonales. Para fundamentar estas propuestas se introduce el modelo conocido como Octógono Empresarial, basado en la teoría de Pérez López (1992). A lo largo de la argumentación se establecen cinco principios generales para la gestión de la diversidad.-----After reviewing the academic literature from the Nineties to today on diversity management, this paper suggests that the objective of diversity management must be the unity of the organization, not simply the growth of the same. To achieve this goal, two things are needed: first, the promotion of altruistic motivation of managers and employees, and second, the development of interand intrapersonal competencies. In support of these proposals, the anthropological paradigm of the company, based on the theory of Pérez López (1992), will be introduced. Throughout the argument five principles for diversity management will be set out

Resistance modulatory and efflux-inhibitory activities of capsaicinoids and capsinoids

Capsaicinoids are reported to have a bunch of promising pharmacological activities, among them antibacterial effects against various strains of bacteria. In this study the effect on efflux pumps of mycobacteria was investigated. The importance of efflux pumps, and the inhibition of these, is rising due to their involvement in antibiotic resistance development. In order to draw structure and activity relationships we tested natural and synthetical capsaicinoids as well as synthetical capsinoids. In an accumulation assay these compounds were evaluated for their ability to accumulate ethidium bromide into mycobacterial cells, a well-known substrate for efflux pumps. Capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin, the two most abundant capsaicinoids in Capsicum species, proved to be superior efflux pump inhibitors compared to the standard verapamil. A dilution series showed dose dependency of both compounds. The compound class of less pungent capsinoids qualified for further investigation as antibacterials against Mycobacterium smegmatis