Application of poly CDME (PCDME) gel to the palatal plate

In some patients with cleft lip and palate, the palatal cleft is wide and three-dimensionally deformed at birth. This can result in difficulty in sucking, which subsequently causes poor weight and development. The resin-based palatal plate for patients is maintained in position with retentive components such as a ball clasp and Adams clasp. In this study, we report on our experience conducting research and developing a palatal plate that consists of PCDME [Poly-N-(carboxymethyl)-N,N-dimethyl-2-(methacryloyloxy) ethanaminium] gel adhered to a polycarbonate frame. The gel is viscous and adheres to the mucosa, thereby maintaining the plate. Moreover, there are no retentive components, such as clasps for attachment and detachment ; therefore, it can been worn with a comfortable fitting, i.e ., tight and with sufficient pressure. If this device is put to practical use, the burden on patients with cleft palate could be reduced considerably

A reconceptualization of social value creation as social constraint alleviation

Purpose: The purpose of this paper includes two interconnected objectives. The first is to provide a reconceptualisation of social value creation as social constraint alleviation. The second is to respond to the call put forward by Giuliani and Macchi (2014) to produce synergies between bodies of literature exploring the development impact of businesses. The paper focuses on ideas from the global value chain/global production networks (GVC/GPN), business and human rights, corporate social responsibility (CSR), international business (IB) and (social) entrepreneurship literatures. Design/methodology/approach: The paper offers a reconceptualisation of social value creation by building on the synergies, complementarities and limitations of existing concepts identified through the literature review. Findings: The reconceptualisation of social value creation put forward in this paper contributes to the literature in the following way. It offers a useful and clear definition of the term “social” (Devinney, 2009), and it attends to the limitations of the constraint concept as put forward by Ted London and his collaborators (London, 2011). Furthermore, it sketches out the basic ideas of a two-system approach to allow for the differentiation between symptom treatment and root cause alleviation. Finally, it offers a refinement of Wettstein’s (2012) proposed capability-based remedial action concept. The paper furthermore proposes that there are three distinct ways in which businesses generally respond to social constraints. Originality/value: The paper illustrates how the redefined concept of social value creation can connect different bodies of literature and help make sense of existing empirical results, without engaging in definitional debates

ICT deployment and resource-based power in multinational enterprise futures

Applying a resource-dependency perspective to intra-multinational enterprise (MNE) power 53,54, this paper examines the effect of the deployment of advanced ICT and particularly the implementation of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Although subsidiaries in the multinational do not have authority-based or ‘structural’ power with respect to key strategic decisions 6,16, they may have ‘resource-based’ power in the form of knowledge and capabilities that is of value to the multinational as a whole. Business network analysis highlights the ‘invisibility’ of the external networks (often in the host country) to the upper echelons in the multinational through which valuable subsidiary knowledge and capabilities develop. It points out that this ‘invisibility’ undermines the headquarters’ ability to control the subsidiary 3,28,36,42,68,72. In this paper we argue that the deployment of ERP undermines the resource base of subsidiary power and thus helps to restore greater central authority in the MNE. The paper reports findings from studies in twelve MNEs which have implemented ERP and points out that from the perspective of subsidiary managers a key effect of ERP deployment is the reduction in their autonomy. This may have significant adverse implications for the futures of the MNE as a federative organizational form and the legitimacy of MNE operations abroad

Triangulating consumers' perceptions of payment systems by using social representations theory: A multi-method approach

Social systems play a pivotal role in shaping customers' views, the adoption process and subsequent product diffusion for novel products. Perceptions of Austrian consumers regarding payment systems were assessed in a cross-sectional analysis applying social representations theory. Social representations help to unravel the sources of individuals' attitudinal or perceptual similarities and differences, which often stem from inter-group differences. In short, they are useful for the investigation of ‘deeper structure’ aspects of consumer behaviour, as has been shown in previous studies. This may be seen as a further step forward for marketing research, which operates largely on social phenomena. This study addresses the shortage of non-cognitive-based research in marketing by offering a methodological approach that uses triangulation on the basis of associative answers from social groups. A four-step analytic design revealed that consumer groups transpose the abstract concept of payment systems into tangible objects and processes in a similar way; however, their social background impacted which value was attached to established as well as new means of payment. Cash is still seen as the prototypical form of payment; newer forms, such as credit cards or ATM cards, appear already in the periphery of representations, urgently needing well-concerted marketing efforts to become recognized as substitutes for cash. From a managerial view, the research employs social phenomena as a basis for segmenting natural rather than nominal groups in order to better serve consumers' needs in an increasingly connected social reality

Multilingual elite-interviews and software-based analysis: Problems and solutions based on CAQDAS

Qualitative international research is increasingly popular in marketing, management and business practice. Cultural dimensions, most importantly language, play a central role in this research context. The importance of language in the context of questionnaire design and international data gathering has long been stressed in various sources (Pike 1966; Brislin 1970; Piekkari & Welch 2004). However, the practice of qualitative data collection and analysis has not been addressed sufficiently, although new and innovative software-based tools are available to help these efforts. This paper deals with methodological and practical issues in analysing qualitative interviews with corporate elites. We illustrate conceptual challenges in setting up qualitative projects that build on interviewing corporate elites and address practical implementation issues in terms of multilingual coding, node creation and theory building by means of computer assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS). To this end a specific empirical example will be used

Rising power firms - The developmental promises and challenges

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce the notion of "rising power firms” and how these firms offer developmental promises and challenges to the face of international business (IB). We suggest that rising power firms offer novel capabilities, connect IB to global value chains (GVCs) and then introduce the papers in the special issue. Design/methodology/approach – The papers in the special issue are grouped under two distinct themes, one considering the capabilities of rising power firms and how these are shaped broadly by the economic and socio political features of their home countries. The second theme clusters papers that have a GVC dimension in so far as they highlight failures in upgrading, flag the disconnect between economic and social upgrading and provide a novel conceptualisation of social value creation. Findings – The international business literature has paid growing attention to the emergence of multinational enterprises (MNEs) from rising powers, notably the ‘BRICS’. One perspective, a dominant perspective in IB, sees RP MNEs as a manifestation of catch–up efforts by firms from emerging economies, another perspective suggests that rising power firms compete with distinct capabilities and business models. This special issue highlights the latter perspective. Originality/value – This paper introduces five diverse papers that deal with issues pertaining to rising power firms and developmental perspectives. Keywords – Rising powers, emerging multinational enterprises (EMNEs), global value chains, development, upgrading, social value creation. Paper type - General revie

The use of global value chain/global production network related literature in international business research:investigating the nature and degree of integration

In this chapter, the authors present a brief literature review on how the International Business (IB) literature has evolved and taken shape over the ten-year period since the mid-2000s, along with how global value chain (GVC)/global production networks(GPN) studies can contribute to contemporary IB. The GPN framework has close linkages with global commodity chain analysis, proposed by G. Gereffi which subsequently evolved into the GVC framework. The GVC/GPN frameworks can contribute to the study of multinational enterprises (MNEs) internationalisation paths in a networked economy, MNEs' strategies for governing their production networks, and an increased understanding of power and knowledge dynamics between MNEs and other GVC/GPN actors. The authors outline the methodology of the systematic bibliographic analysis. It discusses the findings regarding the nature of GVC/GPN integration into IB studies. They investigate the relationship between their disciplinary backgrounds and the level of integration

The internet as an alternative path to internationalization?

Purpose: While the internet enjoys increasing interest regarding its potential to extend the global reach of firms, especially small and medium‐sized firms (SMEs), little work has been done on the viability of the internet as a new and effective path to internationalization. Specifically, it is unclear how the internet can successfully support export marketing. The purpose of this paper is to examine the drivers and performance outcomes of two patterns of internet use supporting export marketing: the internet as an alternative to a physical presence and the internet as a sales channel. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from 115UK‐based SMEs involved in “active online internationalization”. Relationships are examined in a “soft‐modeling” partial least squares (PLS) analysis. Findings: The findings suggest that online channel support positively enhances export performance for SMEs. Yet, the use of the internet as an alternative to a physical market presence does not lead to higher export performance. Specifically, born‐global firms that are relying too much on the internet are prone to fall into the “virtuality trap”. Entrepreneurial firms that use the internet as a sales channel can improve their overall performance, however. Research limitations/implications: This paper provides some empirical evidence of the existence of the notion of the “virtuality trap”. The paper also shows that the internet can serve a valuable complementary role. Traditional exporters are likely to use the internet as a complement to, and thus to support, existing physical operations. Practical implications: Managers should focus on relationship building and on‐site learning, instead of putting too much emphasis on the internet as a substitute for a physical market presence. Originality/value: The authors develop a framework and explore previously untested relationships that suggest the internet may play a complementary role in firm internationalization

National differences in materialism - Using alternative research strategies to explore the construct

One of the core objectives in cross-national marketing research is to establish research results which are comparable across national entities. Nevertheless certain national idiosyncrasies (unique meaning of constructs, distinctive expressions) may hamper these cross-national research endeavors. Two different approaches have been introduced in the social sciences, in order to cope with this comparability-dilemma. The "emic" and the "etic" school of thought. These can be seen as two extremes on the continuum of cross-national research methodology. The paper tries to illustrate advantages and potential shortcomings of the etic (mostly quantitative) vs. the emic (mostly qualitative) research approach. A combination of alternative, qualitative and quantitative research strategies was used to explore national differences in materialism. A questionnaire was developed comprising both both qualitative and quantitative sections on materialism. The materialism scale, as operationalized by Richins and Dawson (1992) was used, for the quantitative section. The research findings call for the use of 'alternative research strategies' to overcome the emic - etic duality in cross-national research. Comparative text analysis and graphical representations of consumers statements can help to explore the reasons for conceptual differences