Analyzing Business Research on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: Clusters, Gaps, and Future Directions

This study comprehensively analyzed and summarized business-related research on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Research on the FCPA is essential because sanctions for violations have grown substantially, increasing risks for multinational enterprises (MNEs). Recent fines exceeded $1 billion, and business executives were personally fined and imprisoned (Stanford Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Clearinghouse, 2021). Unfortunately, theory-based and empirically-validated business research has not kept pace with this increased risk. Performance mapping and science mapping pinpointed the most prolific academic fields, the most cited articles, and clusters of authors, journals, and keywords. Analyses identified gaps in the literature. Prior research focused on public policy questions, like the impact of the FCPA on American companies (Shapiro, 2013), the propriety of attempting to regulate foreign business ethics, and international treaties. Moreover, significant clustering and fractionalization into legal academic silos have side-stepped business-related research topics. New and different research directions are proposed

Lateral flow (immuno)assay: its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. A literature survey

Lateral flow (immuno)assays are currently used for qualitative, semiquantitative and to some extent quantitative monitoring in resource-poor or non-laboratory environments. Applications include tests on pathogens, drugs, hormones and metabolites in biomedical, phytosanitary, veterinary, feed/food and environmental settings. We describe principles of current formats, applications, limitations and perspectives for quantitative monitoring. We illustrate the potentials and limitations of analysis with lateral flow (immuno)assays using a literature survey and a SWOT analysis (acronym for 'strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats'). Articles referred to in this survey were searched for on MEDLINE, Scopus and in references of reviewed papers. Search terms included 'immunochromatography', 'sol particle immunoassay', 'lateral flow immunoassay' and 'dipstick assay'

National Culture and Union Membership : A Cultural-Cognitive Perspective

National Culture and Union Membership: A Cultural-Cognitive PerspectiveMoving beyond the normative and regulative perspectives of neo-institutional theory, this study adopted a cultural-cognitive perspective to study the influence of multiple dimensions of national culture on union membership. Cultural frameworks were compared using data from the World Values Survey that were matched to GLOBE and Hofstede national culture scores (n = 43,867 employees, 32 countries). Contrasts between GLOBE and Hofstede scores revealed that GLOBE culture constructs were better predictors and they also enabled an improved understanding of the relationships between national culture and union membership. This resolved the paradoxical lack of a significant relationship between collectivism and union membership in prior research. Specifically, union membership was positively related to institutional collectivism but not to in-group collectivism. Also, that fact that GLOBE Performance Orientation was negatively related to union membership explained why Hofstede’s Masculinity was negatively related to union membership in prior research. Moreover, prior research on union membership tended to use either individual level (i.e., employees) variables, or macro level (i.e., country) variables to explain union membership. Recently developed statistical techniques enabled the analysis of both individual and country level variables in a hierarchical model. Results show that union membership was positively related to sex (female), education, and institutional collectivism, and negatively related to occupation (supervisors and professionals) and performance orientation. There were curvilinear relationships between union membership and age and uncertainty avoidance. Younger and older people were less likely to be union members. Low or high uncertainty avoidance increased union membership. The juxtaposition of the influences of Age and Uncertainty Avoidance on union membership revealed an interesting phenomenon. Opposing curvilinear relationships (concave vs. convex), suggested a complex yet interrelated relationship between age and uncertainty avoidance that is worthy of future research. At different ages people may use uncertainty avoidance differently to evaluate the risks and benefits of union membership.La culture nationale et la syndicalisation : une approche culturelle et cognitiveVoulant aller au-delà des perspectives normatives et régulatrices de la théorie néo-institutionnelle, cette étude se sert d’une perspective culturelle et cognitive pour étudier l’influence portée par les dimensions multiples d’une culture nationale sur la syndicalisation. Dans ce but, les structures culturelles ont été comparées en utilisant des données du World Values Survey qui ont été associés aux résultats de GLOBE et Hofstede sur la culture nationale (n = 43 867 employées, 32 pays). Des contrastes entre les résultats de GLOBE et de Hofstede ont démontré que ceux de GLOBE fournissaient de meilleurs indices et qu’ils offraient une meilleure compréhension de la relation entre la culture nationale et la syndicalisation. Ceci a résolu le paradoxe concernant l’absence d’un rapport important entre le collectivisme et la syndicalisation dans les recherches précédentes.Plus précisément, la syndicalisation a été associée de manière positive au collectivisme institutionnel, mais non pas au collectivisme en groupe. De plus, le fait que l’orientation de performance de GLOBE ait été associée de manière négative à la syndicalisation explique le rapport négatif entre la masculinité et la syndicalisation chez Hofstede dans les recherches précédentes.Par ailleurs, les recherches précédentes sur la syndicalisation ont utilisé en général soit des variables au niveau individuel (c’est-à-dire des employés), soit des variables au niveau macro (c’est-à-dire du pays) pour expliquer la syndicalisation. Des techniques statistiques développées récemment ont permis l’analyse à la fois des variables individuelles et nationales dans un modèle hiérarchique. Les résultats ont démontré que la syndicalisation était associée de manière positive au sexe (féminin), au niveau de scolarité et au collectivisme institutionnel; la syndicalisation était aussi associée, de manière négative, au travail (superviseurs et professionnels) et à l’orientation vers la performance.Nous avons aussi observé des rapports curvilignes entre la syndicalisation et l’âge et le désir d’éviter l’incertitude. Il est moins probable que les personnes plus jeunes et les plus âgées deviennent membres d’un syndicat. Un désir exceptionnellement bas ou haut d’éviter l’incertitude augmenterait la syndicalisation. La juxtaposition des influences de l’âge et du désir d’éviter l’incertitude sur la syndicalisation révèle un phénomène intéressant. Des rapports curvilignes opposés (concave et convexe) suggèrent un rapport complexe mais étroitement lié entre l’âge et le désir d’éviter l’incertitude qui mérite d’être approfondi dans des recherches ultérieures. Il est possible que les gens d’âges différents se servent différemment du désir d’éviter l’incertitude pour évaluer les risques et les avantages de la syndicalisation.La cultura nacional y el sindicalismo: una perspectiva cognoscitiva-culturalEste estudio ha ido más allá de las perspectivas normativas y regulatorias de la teoría neo-institucional, al adoptar una perspectiva cognoscitiva-cultural para estudiar la influencia que las dimensiones múltiples de la cultura nacional tienen sobre el Sindicalismo. Se compararon los marcos culturales usando información de la Encuesta Mundial de Valores y los índices nacionales de cultura de GLOBE y Hofstede (n = 43,867 empleados, 32 países). El contraste entre los índices de GLOBE y Hofstede reveló que las construcciones culturales de GLOBE eran mejores pronósticos y pudieron brindar un entendimiento mejorado de las relaciones entre la cultura nacional y el Sindicalismo. Esto solucionó la paradójica falta de una relación importante entre el colectivismo y el Sindicalismo en estudios previos. De manera específica, el Sindicalismo se relacionó positivamente con el colectivismo institucional, pero no con el colectivismo grupal. Asimismo, el hecho de que la Orientación de Desempeño de GLOBE se relacionara negativamente con el Sindicalismo, explicó la razón por la que la Masculinidad de Hofstede fue relacionada de la misma manera, en investigaciones anteriores. Aún más, las investigaciones previas sobre el Sindicalismo tuvieron la tendencia a usar ya sea las variables de nivel individual (por ejemplo, los empleados) o las de nivel macro (por ejemplo, el país) para explicar la misma. Las técnicas estadísticas desarrolladas recientemente hicieron posible el análisis tanto de las variables a nivel individual como de las nacionales, en un modelo jerárquico. Los resultados demostraron que el Sindicalismo estaba relacionado de manera positiva con el sexo (femenino), educación y colectivismo institucional y se relacionaba de manera negativa con la ocupación (supervisores y profesionales) y la orientación del desempeño. Se percibe una relación curvilínea entre el Sindicalismo y la edad y la tendencia a eludir situaciones de incertidumbre. Era menos probable que las personas más jóvenes o de mayor edad, pertenecieran a un sindicato. Una mayor o menor tendencia a eludir situaciones de incertidumbre aumentaba el Sindicalismo. La yuxtaposición de la influencia de la edad y la tendencia a eludir situaciones de incertidumbre sobre el Sindicalismo reveló un fenómeno interesante. Las relaciones curvilíneas opuestas (cóncavas contra convexas), sugirieron una relación compleja, aunque interrelacionada, entre la edad y la tendencia a eludir situaciones de incertidumbre, que vale la pena investigar a futuro. A diferente edad, las personas pueden utilizar de diferente manera la tendencia a eludir situaciones de incertidumbre con el fin de evaluar los riesgos y beneficios del Sindicalismo

On deformations of quasi-Miura transformations and the Dubrovin-Zhang bracket

In our recent paper we proved the polynomiality of a Poisson bracket for a class of infinite-dimensional Hamiltonian systems of PDE's associated to semi-simple Frobenius structures. In the conformal (homogeneous) case, these systems are exactly the hierarchies of Dubrovin-Zhang, and the bracket is the first Poisson structure of their hierarchy. Our approach was based on a very involved computation of a deformation formula for the bracket with respect to the Givental-Y.-P. Lee Lie algebra action. In this paper, we discuss the structure of that deformation formula. In particular, we reprove it using a deformation formula for weak quasi-Miura transformation that relates our hierarchy of PDE's with its dispersionless limit.Comment: 21 page

International comparisons of Foundation Phase number domain mathematics knowledge and practice standards

Poor mathematics performance in schools is both a national and an international concern. Teachers ought to be equipped with relevant subject matter knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge as one way to address this problem. However, no mathematics knowledge and practice standards have as yet been defined for the preparation of Foundation Phase student teachers in South Africa. To make recommendations for the drafting of such standards for final year Foundation Phase teachers, we compared different policy documents. We performed a document analysis on policy documents from South Africa, The Netherlands, Australia and North Carolina (United States of America), all of which addressed the number domain in mathematics. Our findings indicate that knowledge standards ought to include subject matter knowledge, while practice standards require pedagogical content knowledge, noting that neither of these are fulfilled in the education system in South Africa at present.Key words: foundation phase; knowledge and practice standards; mathematical knowledge; number domain; pedagogical content knowledge; policy documents; subject matter knowledg

Using a Cured Meat Model System to Investigate Factors that Influence Cured Color Development

Producing cured meats manufactured with natural ingredients could impact cured meat characteristics, including color. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of nitrite source (sodium nitrite or cultured celery juice powder), reducing agents (no reducing compound or sodium erythorbate/ ascorbic acid), and holding times prior to cooking on cured color development in a meat model system. The addition of reducing compounds had the largest impact on cured color development and reduced residual nitrite in a cured meat model system. Treatments cured with sodium nitrite had slightly greater cured color development than treatments cured with celery juice powder. Holding times prior to cooking had limited impact on cured color development. These findings indicate that processors can produce cured meats with adequate cured meat color using celery juice powder and ascorbic acid from cherry powder without needing to extend holding time prior to cooking

HIRING TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERS IN EDUCATION: LESSONS LEARNED FROM STRUCTURED EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEWS

AbstractIn the educational setting, hiring transformational leaders is essential to a schools’ success or failure.  According to Burgess (2002), “transformational leadership is vital to school improvement initiatives” (p. 20).  In this study, we examine Confucianism and country influence on structured employment interviews from both Western (United States) and Eastern cultures (Taiwan).  Eastern cultures have certain values not prevalent in Western cultures that may reduce the use of transformational leadership questions in job interviews.  Eastern cultures have higher levels of uncertainty avoidance, collectivism, and power distance.  We examined questions asked in actual job interviews in Taiwan and the United States (N = 178).  Additionally, we examined the three dimensions of interview structure including evaluation standardization, question sophistication, and questioning consistency.  We found that the number of questions about transformational leadership were less common in Taiwan, with its lower selection ratios, and when question sophistication and consistency were higher.  In the United States, we found that the number of questions about transformational leadership increased with selection ratio, question sophistication, and question consistency, but not in Taiwan.  The results of this study have important implications to all workplace settings around the globe where it may be argued that it is advantageous to hire transformational leaders to improve any organization.  However, the results of this study may have particular importance to the educational setting, in both China and the United States, and globally, where the need to attract and hire transformational leaders can be vital to a schools’ success (or failure). Key WordsLeadership, Employment Interviews, Transformational Leadership, Educatio

Amorphous carbon nanoparticles: a versatile label for rapid diagnostic (immuno)assays

Carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) labeled with reporter molecules can serve as signaling labels in rapid diagnostic assays as an alternative to gold, colored latex, silica, quantum dots, or up-converting phosphor nanoparticles. Detailed here is the preparation of biomolecule-labeled CNPs and examples of their use as a versatile label. CNPs can be loaded with a range of biomolecules, such as DNA, antibodies, and proteins (e.g., neutravidin or a fusion protein of neutravidin with an enzyme), and the resulting conjugates can be used to detect analytes of high or low molecular mass