Switching hats ::the effect of role transition on individual ambidexterity

This article contributes to the growing body of research that focuses on the microfoundations of organizational ambidexterity, that is, understanding what enables individuals to address the exploitation-exploration dilemma. One central challenge generated by ambidexterity is the multiplicity and divergence of organizational roles, to which individuals need to cater when exploiting and exploring. Specifically, we point to the relevance of how individuals identify with and enact this multiplicity of role demands. Following identity theory, we apply the logic of role integration and role segmentation, a foundational classification of how individuals cognitively manage role multiplicity. Further, as different role domains often require the interaction with other organizational functions, we test for the moderating effect of cross-functional coordination on the relationship between role segmentation and individual ambidexterity. Based on data from 120 global account managers employed by multinationals with an average size of 73,348 employees, our results indicate that role segmentation negatively influences an individual’s ability to behave ambidextrously. Interestingly, though, when operating in cross-functional teams, the impact of role segmentation becomes positive. We conclude by highlighting the scope and significance of these findings for theory, managerial practice, and future research

Long-Term Dose-Response Condensed Tannin Supplementation Does Not Affect Iron Status or Bioavailability

Citation: Delimont, N. M., Fiorentino, N. M., Kimmel, K. A., Haub, M. D., Rosenkranz, S. K., & Lindshield, B. L. (2017). Long-Term Dose-Response Condensed Tannin Supplementation Does Not Affect Iron Status or Bioavailability. Current Developments in Nutrition, 1(10), e001081. https://doi.org/10.3945/cdn.117.001081Background: Repeated phytic acid consumption leads to iron absorption adaptation but, to the best of our knowledge, the impact of repeated tannin consumption has not yet been established. Salivary proline-rich proteins (PRPs) may improve iron absorption by precipitating tannins. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the effect of long-term, dose-response condensed tannin supplementation on iron bioavailability and status and to assess the effect of salivary proteins on iron bioavailability during prolonged condensed tannin consumption. A secondary objective was to assess astringency as a potential marker for adaptation to tannins and iron bioavailability. Methods: Eleven nonanemic women were enrolled in a double-blind 3-dose crossover trial. Three (1.5, 0.25, or 0.03 g) condensed tannin supplements were consumed 3 times/d for 4 wk in random order, with 2-wk washouts in between. Meal challenges were employed before and after supplementation to assess iron bioavailability, iron status, salivary PRP changes, and astringency. Results: Tannin supplementation in any dose did not change iron bioavailability at any dose (P . 0.82) from weeks 0 to 4. Hemoglobin (P = 0.126) and serum ferritin (P = 0.83) were unchanged by tannin dose from weeks 0 to 4. There were significant correlations among tannin supplementation and iron bioavailability, basic proline-rich proteins (bPRPs) (r = 0.366, P = 0.003), and cystatin production (r = 0.27, P = 0.03). Astringency ratings did not change significantly within or between tannin doses (P . 0.126), but there were negative relations among bPRP (r , 20.32, P , 0.21), cystatin production (r , 20.2, P , 0.28), and astringency ratings. Conclusions: Condensed tannin consumption did not affect iron bioavailability or status regardless of the supplementation period in premenopausal nonanemic women. Correlation analyses suggest that bPRPs and cystatins are associated with improved iron bioavailability and that lower ratings of astringency may predict improved iron absorption with repeated tannin consumption. Curr Dev Nutr 2017;1:e001081

Die Bibliothek als Erfolgsfaktor - 10 Jahre danach

Im Jahr 2022 feiert die Universitätsbibliothek Bochum ihr 60. Jubiläum. Die UB Bochum ist auf dem Campus der Ruhr-Universität Bochum neben ihrer Rolle als professionelle Dienstleisterin für Studium, Lehre und Forschung längst ein attraktiver Lern- und Begegnungsort, geographisch zentral und in Sachen Digitalisierung sowie Vernetzung und Kooperationen zukunftsweisend

Excitability of the Motor Cortex Ipsilateral to the Moving Body Side Depends on Spatio-Temporal Task Complexity and Hemispheric Specialization

Unilateral movements are mainly controlled by the contralateral hemisphere, even though the primary motor cortex ipsilateral (M1ipsi) to the moving body side can undergo task-related changes of activity as well. Here we used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to investigate whether representations of the wrist flexor (FCR) and extensor (ECR) in M1ipsi would be modulated when unilateral rhythmical wrist movements were executed in isolation or in the context of a simple or difficult hand-foot coordination pattern, and whether this modulation would differ for the left versus right hemisphere. We found that M1ipsi facilitation of the resting ECR and FCR mirrored the activation of the moving wrist such that facilitation was higher when the homologous muscle was activated during the cyclical movement. We showed that this ipsilateral facilitation increased significantly when the wrist movements were performed in the context of demanding hand-foot coordination tasks whereas foot movements alone influenced the hand representation of M1ipsi only slightly. Our data revealed a clear hemispheric asymmetry such that MEP responses were significantly larger when elicited in the left M1ipsi than in the right. In experiment 2, we tested whether the modulations of M1ipsi facilitation, caused by performing different coordination tasks with the left versus right body sides, could be explained by changes in short intracortical inhibition (SICI). We found that SICI was increasingly reduced for a complex coordination pattern as compared to rest, but only in the right M1ipsi. We argue that our results might reflect the stronger involvement of the left versus right hemisphere in performing demanding motor tasks

A pan-European epidemiological study reveals honey bee colony survival depends on beekeeper education and disease control

Reports of honey bee population decline has spurred many national efforts to understand the extent of the problem and to identify causative or associated factors. However, our collective understanding of the factors has been hampered by a lack of joined up trans-national effort. Moreover, the impacts of beekeeper knowledge and beekeeping management practices have often been overlooked, despite honey bees being a managed pollinator. Here, we established a standardised active monitoring network for 5 798 apiaries over two consecutive years to quantify honey bee colony mortality across 17 European countries. Our data demonstrate that overwinter losses ranged between 2% and 32%, and that high summer losses were likely to follow high winter losses. Multivariate Poisson regression models revealed that hobbyist beekeepers with small apiaries and little experience in beekeeping had double the winter mortality rate when compared to professional beekeepers. Furthermore, honey bees kept by professional beekeepers never showed signs of disease, unlike apiaries from hobbyist beekeepers that had symptoms of bacterial infection and heavy Varroa infestation. Our data highlight beekeeper background and apicultural practices as major drivers of honey bee colony losses. The benefits of conducting trans-national monitoring schemes and improving beekeeper training are discussed

Riociguat treatment in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: Final safety data from the EXPERT registry

Objective: The soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator riociguat is approved for the treatment of adult patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and inoperable or persistent/recurrent chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) following Phase

Abstracts from the 8th International Conference on cGMP Generators, Effectors and Therapeutic Implications

This work was supported by a restricted research grant of Bayer AG

- CONNECTING THE DOTS -<br>STUDIES ON BOUNDARY-SPANNING AMBIDEXTERITY AT THE INDIVIDUAL, PROJECT, FIRM AND ALLIANCE LEVEL

In today’s volatile markets innovation determines the survival or failure of an organization. Research has assumed a strategic posture that companies need to engage in the stretch between exploitation and exploration, which implies leveraging existing competencies while simultaneously adjusting to future needs, also referred to as ambidexterity. Further, research in this field of innovation management has highlighted firm’s benefits by accessing, creating, and transferring knowledge from sources external to the firm, reflecting the increased importance of boundary-spanning relationships, as a response to market complexity and information dispersion.Reflecting both the urge to continuously innovation, incrementally and radically, as well as acknowledging that most innovations are not driven in solitude anymore, this dissertation will concentrate on the concept of boundary-spanning ambidexterity. With boundary-spanning ambidexterity, I mean the simultaneous engagement both in exploitation and exploration with the inclusion of the external environment. This integration of the external environment may vary from information absorption to close collaborations and may be located on multiple levels of the organization. In sum, this dissertation aims at a better understanding and a holistic conceptualization of how organizations successfully engage in exploitation and exploration by means of boundary-spanning. In particular, this dissertation further extends and refines our understanding of the phenomenon of ambidexterity. In moving the focus away from internal innovation activities to include external sources, this dissertation reflects the increasing external orientation firm’s pursue in driving innovation. Existent studies on innovation through boundary-spanning have, however, largely analyzed how exploitation and exploration can be generated separately and neglect that today’s organizations face an increasing pressure to adapt continuously both incremental and radical to survive in turbulent environments. Further, in combining the literatures of inter-firm collaboration, organizational learning and organization management, this dissertation contributes to a more holistic understanding of innovation management and reveals factors that affect ambidexterity on multiple organizational levels and ultimately the overall innovation outcome. Finally, managers who espouse an understanding of the importance of ambidexterity by integrating the external environment find guidelines that help them to connect the dots that lead to a sustained innovation strategy

The best of both worlds ::experiential problem-based learning approaches in hospitality education

Hospitality education has long integrated experiential and problem-based learning for their positive effects on students’ learning outcomes. Yet, these types of learning have inherent shortcomings – whereas experiential learning is mostly conducted outside the classroom and thereby costly, time consuming and complex in ensuring learning outcomes, in-class problem-based learning suffers from an abstraction from reality. To address these shortcomings, this study conducted an in-class experiential problem-based learning activity within the corporate strategy class in 2018 at a university in Switzerland. The study showcases how a combined learning approach allows us to marry the best of both worlds. Further, these insights contribute to research on experiential and problem-based learning by extending knowledge beyond what the benefits of both approaches are to how these benefits are generated. The inductive method applied generates insights that explicate the levers in making the learning process successful and warrants important boundary conditions

The prodigy ::mastering multi-role identity management to obtain a behavioral competitive advantage

A prevalent phenomenon in modern organizational contexts is for individuals to operate in multi-role environments that drive them to define themselves through multiple, often simultaneously salient role identities. These role identities function as filters of appropriateness, as to how individuals as well as their social context would expect them to behave in a role. In a context where individuals adopt multiple role identities, they need to evaluate which role identities are most appropriate to enact for that given situation, potentially forcing them to move between different role identities frequently, also referred to as micro role-transitions. Prior research highlights many potential cognitive, emotional, and performance-related effects on the enactment of multiple role identities in the organizational context. Our qualitative case study of CarCorp (Technical Vehicle Testing Company - name changed for reasons of anonymity), one of the four nationwide accredited car inspection organizations in Germany, adds to these insights by pointing to the creation of a ‘behavioral’ competitive advantage that allows CarCorp operating in a highly regulated market to generate above-average performance as a result of successful role identity management. These findings provide insights that complement recent studies that have looked into the micro-foundations of strategy as to how identity may drive individual and ultimately organizational performance. Specifically, we develop a theoretical model of how multi-role identity management may provide flexibility and empowerment to individuals, which ultimately allows them to drive superior organizational performance