25 research outputs found
Who is dominant? Occupational Health and Safety management in Chinese shipping
This paper investigates the implementation of the International Safety Management
(ISM) Code in the Chinese chemical shipping industry. In particular, it examines the
tension between management focus on speedy production and seafarersâ participation
in safety related decision making and analyses how this tension is managed. It shows
that while on paper companies have policies stating safety commitment in compliance
with the ISM Code, in practice shore management tends to prioritise efficient
production. When Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and shipâs sailing schedules
are in conflict, managers implicitly request shipmasters to prioritise the âcore interestâ
of the company. Although the ISM Code endows shipmasters with overriding
authorities in relation to shipboard safety management, they tend to read between the
lines and tacitly follow managersâ intentions. The study suggests that if the ISM
implementation makes a difference, it is the practice that managers become more
subtle in giving orders to exert their dominance. The study further reveals that the
managementâs practice is not only irresponsive to seafarersâ safety concerns but also
makes rather limited contributions to promote OHS Management
Entrepreneurial growth and ownership under market socialism in China: a longitudinal case study of small business growth
How firms grow is still a mystery and a definitive explanation remains elusive. This is especially the case for emerging economies, where the development of research into business growth has been notably slow whilst emerging business ventures are developing at hyper speed. Since most empirical studies have focused on the quantitative differences in growth across firms, this paper adopts a longitudinal case study approach to explore the qualitative differences in terms of how various types of firm achieve their growth outcomes in the organisational development process over a prolonged period of time.
Through a theoretical lens which focuses on growth process approaches, this study not only demonstrates that entrepreneurial processes take different forms and dimensions in different contexts, but it also provides insights into the interactions of various organisational factors underpinning the strategies and changes that lead to contrasting growth outcomes.
Case study findings assert that the ownership factor is a key contingent factor that shapes management structure and resources which, in turn, affect particular entrepreneurial outcomes. Furthermore, a combination of leadership style and the approach to knowledge management also play critical roles in the learning process which, tends to determine the strategy choice of either high or low value added product strategy.
The findings of this research are that small firms with a low value product strategy can improve their survival chances and growth through the vertical broadening of a product portfolio in synchrony with increasing production and technology advancement. The case study companies show a tendency to reinforce their industry position by adopting contrasting choices for growth. The paper addresses the challenges and managerial implications for Western company managers in different growth contexts
Refining Kidney Survival in 383 Genetically Characterized Patients With Nephronophthisis
Introduction: Nephronophthisis (NPH) comprises a group of rare disorders accounting for up to 10% of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in children. Prediction of kidney prognosis poses a major challenge. We assessed differences in kidney survival, impact of variant type, and the association of clinical characteristics with declining kidney function. Methods: Data was obtained from 3 independent sources, namely the network for early onset cystic kidney diseases clinical registry (n = 105), an online survey sent out to the European Reference Network for Rare Kidney Diseases (n = 60), and a literature search (n = 218). Results: A total of 383 individuals were available for analysis: 116 NPHP1, 101 NPHP3, 81 NPHP4 and 85 NPHP11/TMEM67 patients. Kidney survival differed between the 4 cohorts with a highly variable median age at onset of ESKD as follows: NPHP3, 4.0 years (interquartile range 0.3â12.0); NPHP1, 13.5 years (interquartile range 10.5â16.5); NPHP4, 16.0 years (interquartile range 11.0â25.0); and NPHP11/TMEM67, 19.0 years (interquartile range 8.7â28.0). Kidney survival was significantly associated with the underlying variant type for NPHP1, NPHP3, and NPHP4. Multivariate analysis for the NPHP1 cohort revealed growth retardation (hazard ratio 3.5) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) treatment (hazard ratio 2.8) as 2 independent factors associated with an earlier onset of ESKD, whereas arterial hypertension was linked to an accelerated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decline. Conclusion: The presented data will enable clinicians to better estimate kidney prognosis of distinct patients with NPH and thereby allow personalized counseling
Impact of the 2007-09 global economic crisis on human resource management among Chinese export-oriented enterprises
This research study examines the impact of the 2007â09 global economic crisis on human resource management (HRM) practices among export-oriented enterprises in China's coastal regions. Data were obtained from 184 firms in the first phase of the study, using a structured questionnaire. In the second phase, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 firms. The findings of our study indicate that âretrenchmentâ was the most common HRM strategy adopted. The global economic crisis affected all major HRM functions, but had the weakest impact on performance management. While retrenchment played an important role in cost reduction, organizational downsizing and workforce casualization are likely to have had a negative impact on long-term competitiveness and sustainability. We discuss here some effective HR strategies, such as talent acquisition, employee involvement and maintenance of employee compensation, which organizations can adopt to tide over an economic recession
Supplementary Material for: HCC Immune Surveillance and Antiviral Therapy of Hepatitis C Virus Infection
<b><i>Objective:</i></b> HCV clearance by current antiviral therapies improves clinical outcomes but falls short in eliminating the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) emergence. As the HCC immune surveillance establishment is vital for the control of neoplastic development and growth, we investigated its correlation with on-/post-treatment HCC emergence, and further analyzed the influence of viral eradication on this setup in patients with HCV-related liver cirrhosis. <b><i>Design:</i></b> PBMC isolated at baseline and longitudinally during therapy were analyzed for tumor-associated antigen (TAA)-specific CD8+ T cell responses against glypican-3 overlapping peptides in vitro using high-definition flow cytometry. Multianalyte profiling of fifty soluble inflammatory mediators (SIM) in the plasma was also performed using Luminex-based multiplex technology. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Cirrhosis patients were characterized by an altered profile of distinct SIMs at baseline. At this time point, immune-surveilling T cells targeting specific HCC-associated antigens were readily detectable in HCV-free cirrhosis patients whilst being rather weak in such patients who further developed HCC upon virus eradication. Therapy-induced cure of HCV infection analogously reduced the strength of the prevailing HCC immune surveillance machinery, particularly by CD8+ T cells in cirrhosis patients. These results were further validated by T cell reactivities to six immuno-dominant HCC-associated HLA-A2-restricted epiÂtopes. Further, we demonstrated that this phenomenon was likely orchestrated by alterations in SIMs â with evidence of IL-12 being a major culprit. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Given the relationship between the baseline HCC-specific immune surveilling T cell responses and therapy-associated HCC emergence, and the impact of HCV clearance on its strength and magnitude, we recommend a continued HCC screening in cirrhotic HCV patients despite HCV resolution