Effect of isomorphic forces on safety practices in service organizations – are there dangers to homogeneity?

A wide range of different safety practices exist. However, they have been developed for production-oriented high-hazard environments. We know relatively little about safety practices in low-hazard service sector environments where most people in the U.K work and which differ from production-oriented industries in their organization, working practices and hazards. We conducted 143 semi-structured interviews in 10 stores of four leading U.K retailers and an office and two warehouses of a global logistics company. These revealed 32 categories of safety practices in these service organizations which we aligned to those indicated in the OHSAS 18001 framework to allow comparison across industries. There were few practices that were not common to all service environments. Moreover, these closely resembled safety practices conducted in production-oriented high-hazard environments. We explain this homogeneity by institutional isomorphism, which encourages conformity through coercive, normative and mimetic pressures arising respectively from legal and regulatory requirements, professional standards and training, and lack of resources and staff turnover. We draw attention to the contingent relationship between hazards and appropriate safety practices and conclude that these pressures encourage organizations to borrow practices inappropriately and to accumulate layers of practices to ensure safe working needlessly increasing organizational costs. Opportunities for further research are discussed

Identifying the roles of university fundraisers in securing transformational gifts: Lessons from Canada

As university public funding diminishes so the need for private funding increases commensurately. We investigate how a purposive sample of 16 professional university fundraisers in Canada successfully secured large (>$5m CAD) transformation donations from high-net-worth Canadian philanthropists. Using an inductive process, we articulate three key roles (the 3Ns – Networker, Negotiator and Knowledge-broker) professional fundraisers use for securing transformational gifts. Collectively, these roles indicate the relational nature of transformational giving; gifts arise from a co-created dyadic process of fundraiser–philanthropist interaction. The recommendations have major implications for how university development teams are developed, structured, trained and rewarded. We suggest further research investigates how trust develops between fundraisers and transformational gift-givers, and the motivations for transformational giving

Public Debt and Economic Growth: Panel Data Evidence for Asian Countries

This study examines the relationship between public debt on both short and long-run economic growth, in a panel of selected Asian countries for the period of 1980-2012. We employ several econometrics methods: pooled mean group, mean group, dynamic fixed effects and also allow for common correlated effects. The impact of a change in public debt is also analysed using asymmetric panel ARDL method. Our results indicate that an increase in government debt is negatively associated with economic growth in both the short and long-run

Miocene sediments and faunas of Pakistan

The results of five field seasons of work on the Siwalik sediments of Northern Pakistan have greatly expanded our knowledge of these Miocene sediments and their vertebrate faunas. We have measured six long stratigraphic sections on the north limb of the Soan synclinorium near the town of Khaur. These columns, the longest of which is over 3,000 meters, provide the stratigraphic framework for our paleontological studies and give a detailed description of the lithological sequences in the Khaur region. We have concluded that the formational units of previous workers are poorly defined and of little practical value for biostratigraphy or chronostratigraphy. We recognize three major lithological facies: a blue-gray sand facies; a buff sand facies; and a silt/clay facies. The results of intensive paleomagnetic sampling allow a provisional correlation to the La Brecque magnetic time scale. The paleomagnetic sampling has also defined a series of isochrons, one of which we have followed laterally along a 30 km-long belt of outcrop. Certain lithological horizons may also be reliable chronostratigraphic markers. We hypothesize that the two sand facies correspond to two separate river systems which co-existed for millions of years. The characteristics of the blue-gray sandstones suggest a large braided river carrying sediment derived from a freshly weathered terrain. The buff sandstones display characteristics of both meandering and braided channels. The sediments of this river system were derived from an area of intense weathering. The silt/ clay facies represent levee and floodplain deposition. The pattern of interfingering of the two sandstone facies, with broad overlap on a scale of at least 30-40 km, indicates periodic fluctuations in the dominance of one or the other river system. These fluctuations are seen as the result of periodic, extensive influxes of the blue-gray system. Increased production of sand in the source area might have been the result of climatic or tectonic changes. Fossils are usually found only in the buff sands or their laterally equivalent fine-grained floodplain and levee deposits. We recognize three types of fossil localities based on the characters of the fossil assemblages and the sediments. Localities in channel-related deposits were formed as composite events averaged overtime and space, and therefore provide information suitable for paleoecological reconstructions. On the basis of appearances of key species we are provisionally defining a series of eleven biostratigraphic zones. These span the sequence from the Lower Siwaliks to the base of the Upper Siwaliks. The faunas of the three lowest zones show similarities to the Asteracian faunas of Europe and to the East African middle Miocene faunas. Zones 4 through 8 appear to be a period of faunal endemism although there are some resemblances to European and Asian faunas. Correlations of these middle zones are to Eurasian localities dated between 10 and 8 million years (m. y.). Beginning in Zone 9 the faunal endemism is disturbed by a series of immigrations and emigrations. Most of the interchanges seem to be with Africa. Correlations suggest ages of 8 to 6 m. y. for Zones 9 and 10. Paleomagnetic evidence places the base of Zone 11 at 5.1 m. y. Particularly important among the many thousands of fossils we have found are over one hundred new specimens of the hominoids Ramapithecus, Gigantopithecus, and Sivapithecus. Among the new finds are post-cranial elements which can be attributed to these three hominoids. The bulk of the hominoid collection comes from a stratigraphic level provisionally dated at 9 m. y. From the geological evidence we infer the large river systems were not stable through time. River floodplains were well drained with few lakes or ponds except in cut-off channels. Most of the time the shifting, braided channels of the buff river system were dominant, creating a mosaic of habitats by constant destruction and renewal of plant successions resulting in a vegetational mosaic of grassland, bush, and woodland. There is little detectable change in the trophic structure of the herbivores from Zone 1 through Zone 8. The faunal change in Zone 9 does suggest an underlying habitat change

Intervention in the Foreign Exchange Market: Rationale, Effectiveness, Costs and Benefits

This paper reviews the underlying rationale for intervention in the foreign exchange market and argues that intervention can at times be justified due to the market producing the “wrong rate”, to mitigate the effects of exchange rate overshooting and also to slow down the process of economic adjustment. However, in order to be effective foreign exchange market intervention needs to be of the non-sterilized variety, that is, affect the domestic money supply and short term interest rate. Unfortunately, as the case of the Peoples Bank of China and the recent case of the Swiss National Bank’s attempts to stem the appreciation of their currencies, the side effects have shown the rapid expansion of their money supplies and low interest rates have had imposed significant costs on their economies. The result is that the Cemtral Bank has to continually monitor the costs and benefits of their foreign exchange interventions and be prepared consider a return to floating when the costs become too high

Effects of R&D implementation on the performance of publicly funded research in Sultan Qaboos University

Models of R&D account for technical, technological and administrative factors of R&D implementation but underestimate the influence of behavioural and political factors such as power and conflict. They assume that R&D organisation is “well-insulated” from partisan, emotions, political reactions and contextual factors and that decision makers are rational and decisions are taken to best fit the content of R&D programme. The present study explores the effects of rational and irrational factors in the R&D implementation process on the performance of publicly funded research projects in universities. It uses realist and qualitative exploratory semi-structured interviews with 22 active researchers in Sultan Qaboos University provides “depth and detail” of the complexities of R&D implementation effects on its performance. The study discovers 18 measures of success of academic research and 30 effects of R&D implementation of the performance of publicly funded research.The study concludes that the iterative, non-linear and processual nature of R&D implementation is a continuous dynamic system. R&D success builds up the capacity for future success whilst failures decrease the chances of future successes. The integrated effects of implementation (IEI) influence R&D performance through technical and administrative capability of the R&D organisation as well as through behaviours of organisation members. These include leaders’ behaviours, conflict and political skills within individuals. Both success dynamism and IEI suggest contextualism implementation of R&D.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Role of the Cyclooxygenase Pathway in Chemotherapy-Induced Oral Mucositis: A Pilot Study

Goals Oral mucositis can be a significant and dose-limiting complication of high-dose cancer therapy. Mucositis is a particularly severe problem in patients receiving myeloablative chemotherapy prior to bone marrow or hematopoetic stem cell transplant (HSCT). The cyclooxygenase (COX) pathway mediates tissue injury and pain through upregulation of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins, including prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and prostacyclin (PGI2). The objective of this small (n=3) pilot study was to examine the role of the COX pathway in causing mucosal injury and pain in chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis. Materials and methods We collected blood, saliva, and oral mucosal biopsy specimens from three autologous HSCT patients at the following time-points before and after administration of conditioning chemotherapy: Day −10, +10, +28, and +100, where day 0 is day of transplant. RNA extracted from full-thickness tissue samples was measured by RT-PCR for the following: COX-1, COX-2, microsomal prostaglandin E synthase (mPGES), IL-1β, and TNF-α. Blood and saliva samples were measured by ELISA for PGE2 and PGI2, which are markers of COX activity. Severity of oral mucositis was determined using the Oral Mucositis Index. Severity of pain due to oral mucositis was measured using a Visual Analog Scale. Relationships between the different variables were examined using Spearman rank correlation coefficients. Main results Mean mucositis and pain scores increased significantly after administration of chemotherapy and then gradually declined. The correlation between changes in mucositis and pain scores was strong and statistically significant. The following additional correlations were statistically significant: between tissue COX-1 and pain; between tissue mPGES and pain; between salivary PGE1 and pain; between salivary PGI2 and pain. Other relationships were not statistically significant. Conclusions Our finding of significant associations of pain scores with tissue COX-1 and mPGES, as well as salivary prostaglandins, is suggestive of a role for the cyclooxygenase pathway in mucositis, possibly via upregulation of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins. However, our small sample size may have contributed to the lack of significant associations between COX-2 and other inflammatory mediators with mucosal injury and pain. Thus, additional studies with larger numbers of subjects are warranted to confirm the involvement of the cyclooxygenase pathway in chemotherapy-induced mucositis

Understanding employee resourcing in construction organizations

In recent years the literature on employee resourcing has consistently advocated the importance of adopting a holistic, strategic approach to employee deployment decision making rather than adopting a reactive needs-based approach. This is particularly problematic in construction where the multi-project environment leads to constantly changing resource requirements and to changing demands over a project's life cycle. This can lead to inappropriate decisions, which fail to meet the longer-term needs of both construction organizations and their employees. A structured and comprehensive understanding of the current project team deployment practices within large construction organizations was developed. Project deployment practices were examined within seven case study contracting firms. The emergent themes that shaped the decision-making processes were grouped into five broad clusters comprising human resource planning, performance/career management, team deployment, employee involvement and training and development. The research confirms that a reactive and ad hoc approach to the function prevails within the firms investigated. This suggests a weak relationship between the deployment process and human resource planning, team deployment, performance management, employee involvement and training and development activities. It is suggested that strategic HR-business partnering could engender more transparent and productive relationships in this crucial area

Effect of arsenic-phosphorus interaction on arsenic-induced oxidative stress in chickpea plants

Arsenic-induced oxidative stress in chickpea was investigated under glasshouse conditions in response to application of arsenic and phosphorus. Three levels of arsenic (0, 30 and 60 mg kg−1) and four levels of P (50, 100, 200, and 400 mg kg−1) were applied to soil-grown plants. Increasing levels of both arsenic and P significantly increased arsenic concentrations in the plants. Shoot growth was reduced with increased arsenic supply regardless of applied P levels. Applied arsenic induced oxidative stress in the plants, and the concentrations of H2O2 and lipid peroxidation were increased. Activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and concentrations of non-enzymatic antioxidants decreased in these plants, but activities of catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) were significantly increased under arsenic phytotoxicity. Increased supply of P decreased activities of CAT and APX, and decreased concentrations of non-enzymatic antioxidants, but the high-P plants had lowered lipid peroxidation. It can be concluded that P increased uptake of arsenic from the soil, probably by making it more available, but although plant growth was inhibited by arsenic the P may have partially protected the membranes from arsenic-induced oxidative stress

Forecasting exchange rate volatility: GARCH models versus implied volatility forecasts

This study investigates whether different specifications of univariate GARCH models can usefully forecast volatility in the foreign exchange market. The study compares in-sample forecasts from symmetric and asymmetric GARCH models with the implied volatility derived from currency options for four dollar parities. The data set covers the period 2002 to 2012. We divide the data into two periods one for the period 2002 to 2007 which is characterised by low volatility and the other for the period 2008 to 2012 characterised by high volatility. The results of this paper reveal that the implied volatility forecasts significantly outperforms the three GARCH models in both low and high volatility periods. The results strongly suggest that the foreign exchange market efficiently prices in future volatility