Utilizing Relational Governance in Export Relationships: Leveraging Learning and Improving Flexibility and Satisfaction

Exporting manufacturers that pursue international expansion via foreign distributors face a trade off. Their decision to utilize international distributors as a market entry mode reduces some risks; however, the manufacturers do not enjoy control of the foreign channel. Given heterogeneity in global environments and often a significant geopolitical separation between manufacturers and international distributors, the ability to control the behavior of channel partners is inherently reduced. Consequently, natural conditions for opportunistic behavior are created (Karunaratna & Johnson, 1997; Klein & Roth, 1990)

Cultivating learning and fostering flexibility in international distribution

Research examining the relationship among learning orientation, strategic flexibility, and performance is assessed in an international setting focused on exporting manufacturers involved in contractual relationships with foreign distributors. Adopting a learning orientation—developing skills in creating, acquiring, and transferring knowledge—has generally been believed to significantly impact performance. In the current research, however, the relationship between learning orientation and performance was not direct, but found to flow indirectly through strategic flexibility. The results suggest that learning orientation develops a set of firm capabilities, such as flexibility, that eventually lead to enhanced performance

An Examination of the Public's Perceptions Towards Transgender Populations

Issues concerning transgender rights have become more salient in the present-day political atmosphere; this is largely due to well-publicized ordinances which restrict bathroom use per an individual’s assigned gender at birth. While transgender individuals make up a small minority of the population, their rights and treatment by society sit at the front of civil rights debates. In this study, I evaluate possible factors associated with the public’s support or opposition to the implementation of transgender rights policies. First, using original pre-election survey data collected from citizens in the state of Colorado, I examine how elements like party identification and policy stances shape individuals’ opinions on bathroom laws. Then, using data from the American National Election Studies (ANES) 2016 Pilot Survey, I examine how similar elements shape individuals’ feelings towards transgender individuals, broadening my focus to the American (rather than Colorado) public. In both cases, I find that party identification and religious practice play roles in shaping public opinion. In the end, my study helps contribute to research on transgender policy, as most public opinion work has been focused on issues of gay and lesbian rights. Creating an understanding of this and other identity groups in society will help make democracy function properly in a large and diverse country like the United States

‘Starfire’ Cuphea Hybrid

‘Starfire’ is a sterile hybrid of Cuphea ignea A. DC. xC. angustifolia Jacq. ex Koehne and is intended as a pot plant for greenhouse or home (Fig. 1). ‘Starfire’ is the first reported hybrid between these two species (Thompson et al., 1989) and has unique flower and foliage characteristics

Variability in Cuphea viscosissima Jacq. collected in east-central United States

Accessions of Cuphea viscosissima were collected from the central and east-central U.S. during two field explorations, one in 1987 and the other in 1989. Characterization and evaluation data of accessions collected in 1987 have been reported earlier. This paper reports the results of characterization and evaluation trials of the 1989 collections. Thirty-one of these accessions were grown for characterization and seed-increase plantings in 1990 and twenty-four of these in replicated evaluation trials in 1991 at Ames, Iowa. Morphological characters are rather uniform and resemble accessions collected in 1987. A new pale flowered form was identified. Glandular trichomes, which produce a sticky resin, occurred uniformly on the stems and flowers of all accessions, but their presence on leaves was variable. Fourteen of the thirty-one accessions lacked glandular trichomes on their leaves. Statistically significant variation occurred in plant height (59 to 90 cm) and mass (89 to 216 g), seed yield (0.9 to 7.0 g/plant), and the amounts of caprylic (8:0) (14.3 to 16.8%), capric (10:0) (68.0 to 71.9%), and lauric (12:0) (2.5 to 3.4%) acids. Variations in 100-seed weight, seed germination, and oil content were non-significant. The narrow range of variability found in these accessions collected from rather diverse ecological regions would suggest that C. viscosissima has occupied its native range rather recently, and has had little time to diversify genetically. The variability identified is being used in interspecific hybrid crosses with C. lanceolataAiton to develop a domestic source of medium-chain fatty acids

Morphological and agronomic variability in Cuphea viscosissima Jacq

Cuphea viscosissima Jacq. has been proposed as a possible domestic source of medium-chain triglycerides, particularly capric acid (10:0), a 10-carbon saturated fatty acid. Domestication of this species is dependent upon obtaining variability for the constraining characters necessary to make this wild species into an economic crop. This paper reports the variability found among 40 accessions of this species recently collected from the central US. plus three other accessions, all part of the Cuphea germplasm collection at the North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station. Morphological variability is very limited. Significant differences were found in plant mass, plant height, postharvest seed dormancy, seed shatter, 100-seed weight, seed yield, oil content, and the amounts of caprylic (8:0) and capric (10:0) acid. The degree of natural variation in seed size, seed yield and in oil percent and fatty acids could be exploited to produce improved cultivars