Reweaving the Web of Life: A Case Study of a Feminist Leader in a Feminist Organization

The cultural context of the late twentieth century has given voice to new ways of thinking, knowing, being. Emerging out of the history and traditions of feminism is a style that is on the cutting edge in leadership studies. With emphasis on connection, humanity, interdependence, caring and empowerment of people, feminist leadership also echoes chaos theory. The reinvention of nature has allowed space within science for feminist values in the public realm. The mutual reinforcement of these two leadership theories has led to a simpler way to organize human endeavors. This paper is based on feminist and chaos theories of leadership and is exemplified by a case study of the co-creator of a local peace and justice group. Information about the case study subject has been gathered by the use of questionnaires, interviews, videos, and Internet sources. Personal history with the organization also informed the working knowledge of this organization. Matching leaders and theories is never perfect, but his paper will touch on the commonalities, the challenges and the short and long-term consequences of this leader and organization seen through the lens of theory. The applicability of these two leadership theories is very wide; the leader will always be a source of inspiration and hope to all those committed to societal change and a more peaceful world

Where does the water come from? A temporal geochemical characterization of water sources in the lives of storms

An analysis of the ion chemistry, δ18O, and δ2H values of precipitation may allow for the characterization of their water sources. As water evaporates, it retains a signature of its source in the ions that it carries and in the amount of fractionation of the oxygen and hydrogen isotopes. Precipitation samples for coastal, lake effect, and continental sources were collected over the months of October- January in Syracuse, New York throughout the duration of each storm, including one hurricane, one thunderstorm, two lake effect snowstorms, and seven rain events. These samples were run through IC, ICP-OES, and cavity ring-down laser ablation spectrometry methods; the measured ion concentrations and isotope values were plotted in partial Piper plots and on the local meteoric water line for each storm, respectively. These results were found to be characteristic of the expected trends for each type of storm

Corporate responsibility reporting in the foodservice sector in the UK: a critical realist perspective

This study is concerned with Corporate Responsibility (CR) in the UK foodservice sector. This sector contributes £4.25bn to the UK economy and operates in a complex environment with specific challenges to those undertaking CR reporting and yet to date this not been the focus of academic enquiry. In addressing the aims of the thesis the social construction of CR reporting in the UK foodservice sector is analysed through a critical evaluation of a range of reporting guidance, a purposive sampling of the views of experts operating within the foodservice sector and an evaluation of the CR reporting of a UK foodservice company: a revelatory case. The critical analysis of the CR reporting guidance revealed that a continuum of motivations for reporting existed, ranging from a normative approach to a strategic or managerial approach. There are not, however, agreed underlying principles determining report content and so it is possible for the report content to be inconsistent with the declared motivations. The study concluded that the definition of the boundary of CR reporting had been appropriated from financial reporting but that its application to the foodservice sector is problematic, allowing the manipulation of information to enable a more favourable view of CR performance to be communicated. In addition, the study found that the existing CR reporting guidance did not consider one of the key issues faced by the sector, that of diet related ill health, and so the existing CR reporting guidance was not appropriate for use by the foodservice sector. It is clear that the nature of the relationship between business and society is changing. CR reporting is seen as a means by which business can legitimise its position in society and manage its relationship with stakeholders. Both legitimacy theory and stakeholder theory have been used to explore motivations for CR reporting and there is recognition of an overlap in these theories. This study also contributes to this debate by identifying the mechanism for this overlap

Influence of environment on soil carbonate clumped isotope records, Andean piedmont of Central Argentina (32-34⁰S)

The clumped isotope geothermometer estimates the formation temperature (T(Δ 47)) of carbonates and has tremendous potential to enhance the extraction of environmental data from pedogenic (soil) carbonate in the geologic record. However, the interpretation of pedogenic carbonate T(Δ47) data is limited by uncertainties in our understanding of carbonate formation processes. This study examines the potential for along-strike, same elevation and plant biomass (C3/C4) site variability to influence pedogenic carbonate T(Δ47) data. Pedogenic carbonates were collected from five modern soil pits in the semi-arid eastern Andean piedmont of Argentina under a summer precipitation regime. Three of the five soil pits were instrumented with soil temperature and soil moisture sensors to a depth of 1 m (at 1 km elevation), while a fourth was instrumented with an additional soil CO2 sensor and atmospheric sensors (temperature, relative humidity, insolation and rainfall) (at 0.6 km elevation). T(Δ47) values are statistically indistinguishable between the four instrumented sites and are invariant with depth. The mean T(Δ47) is 31°C ± 4°C (± 1SE), reflecting summer soil temperatures. Soil moisture and temperature data indicate that isothermal conditions are achieved immediately after significant wetting events. Carbonate formation under these conditions could result in our observed hot isothermal T(Δ47) values. The results of this study constrain carbonate formation to the early part of soil drying, with T(Δ47) interpretations biased to soil conditions just after major precipitation events

The Elder Family Meeting: Leading to the Heart of the Matter

The aging of the population is poised to challenge our current system of medical, economic and social supports. It will also test the limits of our national compassion. Professionals working in the field of aging are preparing for the demographic bulge and are seeking cost-effective interventions to help elders and their families develop cooperative caregiving and decision-making skills. Caregivers are often at the center of the family system trying to deal with a situation they don\u27t want and don\u27t understand. One intervention common during health transitions is the family meeting. This application project describes the context of caregiving and healthcare today and outlines a three-stage format for the effective family meeting, Already considered the family expert on the healthcare team, the coordination of the family meeting gives the gerontological social worker a leadership role in the medical setting and contributes to enhanced family/team coordination. Encouraging the use of the family meeting among geriatric professionals will highlight the value of this benchmark of high-quality geriatric care

The boundary of sustainability reporting: Evidence from the FTSE100

Purpose. The aim of this paper is to use a multidisciplinary theoretical understanding of boundary setting to develop a quadripartite model in which sustainability reporting boundaries are classified as ‘Reputation Management’, ‘Ownership and Control’, ‘Accountability; and, ‘Stakeholder Engagement’. Content analysis is then used to empirically test the model. Design/approach. Using impression management theory, rationalism, systems and contingency theory, and network theory a model is created which classifies sustainability reporting boundaries. Content analysis is used to empirically test boundaries across the disclosure of 49 GRI topics by the FTSE100. Findings. Sustainability reporting fails to discharge accountability due to adoption of narrow ‘Reputation Management’ boundaries. Boundaries are significantly (p<0.0001) narrower than previous research suggests. Findings support Impression Management Theory as the strongest theory to predict reporting content. An Ownership and Control boundary, although widely criticised, represents the boundary of progressive reporters, lending marginal support for economic theories. Accountability boundaries are scarce. No evidence was found for Stakeholder Engagement boundaries. Practical Implications. The determination of boundary is critical to the discharge of accountability. A critical consideration of boundary setting is required, including authentic stakeholder engagement in determining boundaries and transparency of boundary adopted. The results are ranked to enable benchmarking of the FTSE100. Boundaries can be widened through regulation or ‘name and shame campaigns’. Originality/value. This paper provides a theory-informed advancement in thinking on sustainability reporting boundary setting and the importance of this for advancing sustainability reporting quality

Stakeholder engagement in marketing

It has long been recognised within the stakeholder management literature that value is enhanced through meaningful stakeholder relationships based on trust, commitment, loyalty and transparency. This resonates with developments within the marketing literature whereby the organisation-centric, transaction-based, buyer-supplier dyad focus of mainstream thinking has faced criticism for failing to understand the complex stakeholder networks that create and destroy value. Relational-based co-creation associated with relationship marketing, and the holistic approach embedded within stakeholder marketing, specifically address such criticisms. These represent an exciting new frontier for marketers. This chapter aims to add to the stakeholder marketing literature through the development of a marketing ladder of stakeholder engagement. The ladder of stakeholder management and engagement proposed by Friedman and Miles (2006) is reconfigured to reflect contemporary thought in relation to how a closer consideration of stakeholder management techniques can help to build trust and foster loyalty within the marketing function

Characterization of the Mitochondrial Proteome in Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Kinase 4 Wild-Type and Knockout Mice

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)The goal of this study was to determine the effect of a PDK4 (pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase isoenzyme 4) knock-out on mitochondrial protein expression. A 2-D gel based mass spectrometry approach was used to analyze the mitochondrial proteomes of PDK4 wild-type and knockout mice. Mitochondria were isolated from the kidneys of mice in both well-fed and starved states. Previous studies show PDK4 increases greatly in the kidney in response to starvation and diabetes suggesting its significance in glucose homeostasis. The mitochondrial fractions of the four experimental groups (PDK4+/+ fed, PDK4+/+ starved, PDK4-/- fed, and PDK4-/- starved) were separated via large- format, high resolution two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Gels were scanned, image analyzed, and ANOVA performed followed by a pair-wise multiple comparison procedure (Holm-Sidak method) for statistical analysis. The abundance of a total of 87 unique protein spots was deemed significantly different (p<0.01). 22 spots were up- or down-regulated in the fed knockout vs. fed wild-type; 26 spots in the starved knockout vs. starved wild-type; 61 spots in the fed vs. starved wild-types; and 44 in the fed vs. starved knockouts. Altered protein spots were excised from the gel, trypsinized, and identified via tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Differentially expressed proteins identified with high confidence include ATP synthase proteins, fatty acid metabolism proteins, components of the citric acid cycle and electron transport chain. Proteins of interest were analyzed with Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) to examine relationships among the proteins and analyze biological pathways, as well as ontological analysis with Generic Gene Ontology (GO) Term Mapper. IPA found a number of canonical pathways, biological functions, and functional networks associated with the 87 proteins. Oxidative phosphorylation was the pathway associated with a majority of the proteins, while the largest network of proteins involved carbohydrate metabolism and energy production. Overall, the effects of starvation were more extensive on mitochondrial protein expression than the PDK4 knockout