Emotional Bonds as Promotors of IT Capability: A study of affective commitment in industrial business relationships

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the prospective effect of affective commitment on relationship IT capability, and also investigate the role that relationship information exchange plays to support IT capability in industrial markets. Building on information systems research and business relationship research, a research model is developed and tested with LISREL on a sample of 353 customer-relationships of Swedish industrial firms. The results show that affective commitment in business relationships serves as a fundament that strengthens IT capability, when the exchange of information is important to a relationship. Interestingly enough, the LISREL-analysis provides empirical evidence that the effect of affective commitment on IT capability is mediated by information exchange in business relationships, but that the path from affective commitment to IT capability is not significant. Well-functioning information exchange systems are, thus, vital for affective commitment to impact IT capabilities in business relationship settings. This finding contributes with new knowledge about the role of emotions as prerequisites of IT capability development in the interfirm business relationships of industrial firms. The results highlight the importance of emotional bonds to support the development of interfirm IT capabilit

Digital Transformation of Global Business Processes: The Role of Dual Embeddedness

While much existing research on MNC digital transformation has followed a linear design and implementation logic using cross-sectional data, the multiple and divergent needs of headquarters (HQ) and subsidiaries suggest that MNC digital transformation actually involves a more iterative journey. In this paper, we apply the theoretical perspective of embeddedness to better define the complexities of MNC digital transformation, and identify how HQ and subsidiaries can navigate the complexities. This paper presents a longitudinal multi-case study of five Forbes Global 2000 firms that are HQ in Europe with large subsidiaries in the U.S. We find that the process of digital transformation is significantly influenced by internal embeddedness (relationship of HQ with subsidiaries and across subsidiaries) and external embeddedness (relationship of subsidiaries with their local markets), and also by strategy, financial and technology considerations. While HQ and subsidiaries have different perspectives, an understanding of these influences can help HQ and subsidiaries navigate digital transformation

Synecology of the white-oak (Quercus garryana Douglas) woodlands of the Willamette Valley, Oregon

Quercus garryana dominated plant communities are found in the interior coastal valleys and on foothills from southeastern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, south to San Francisco, California. They occur as savannas, intermixed with a variety of conifers, and in almost pure stands. The diversity of habitats occupied by the species and the variety of vegetation associated with it provide an opportunity for a basic synecological investigation of plant communities having a common, important member. The study was designed to describe the floristic composition and structure of the Quercus garryana communities, to determine their ecological relation to the physical environment, and clarify successional status. It provides a framework for future autecological investigations of the component species and is directed at furnishing a fuller understanding of the synecology of an important segment of the vegetation of western Oregon. Two levels of sampling were used during the study. The first was a rapidly applied, qualitative method. This reconnaissance technique was designed to provide an assessment of dominance, size-class distribution, and composition of the species comprising the vegetation. Information on influential habitat factors was also obtained. Sampling at this level enabled the examination of many stands, provided a record of each stand, and served as the basis for the selection of stands for more quantitative sampling. One hundred forty stands were examined during the reconnaissance phase of the study. Subjective evaluation of these stands supported by an analysis using marginal punch cards determined that only a few species were dominating the tall shrub and low shrub-herbaceous layers of the understory and that certain combinations of these dominant species were being repeated geographically through the study area. The second sampling phase was based on the reconnaissance information and was designed to provide a quantitative record of the species complexes or plant communities delineated during reconnaissance. This method was applicable by a single investigator and measured the dominance, frequency, size distribution, and density of tree species; and the percent coverage and percent frequency of shrubs, herbs, and grasses. Soil profile descriptions were made in each stand where the vegetation was quantitatively sampled. Salient features of the physical environment were also recorded as were indications of past and present land uses. Forty seven stands were sampled. Quercus garryana was the cverstory tree dominant in all of these stands. The understory pecies were found to fall into four major communities. From mesic to xeric these were: the Corylus cornuta/Polystichum munitum community, the Prunus avium/Symphoricarpos albus community, the Amelanchier alnifolia/Symphoricarpos albus community, and the Rhus diversiloba community. These communities were named for the species usually dominating the tall shrub and low shrub layers. Seven soil series served as the substrate of these communities; Steiwer, Carlton, Peavine, Dixonville, Nekia, Olympic, and Amity. The understory plant communities of the Quercus forest show considerable variation and intergradation. Changes are a matter of shifts in species dominance rather than alterations in species composition. The absence of environmental extremes in the Willamette Valley and heavy present and historical land use have increased this intergradation. The presence of large, open-form Quercus garryana trees surrounded by smaller forest-form trees indicates that the present Quercus forests have developed from a savanna. The cause of this change in gross physiognomy is probably the control of the repeated ground fires which swept the pre-settlement savanna. Mature Quercus trees are not harmed by ground fires, but such fires would tend to keep dense reproduction from occurring. The present abundance of Rhus diversiloba in the under story may be directly related to heavy livestock grazing. The interconnected root system of ground cover and liana-form Rhus provides the species with a grazing resistance mechanism. The liana Rhus is out of reach of grazing animals. Photosynthate transferred from the liana to the ground cover plants would aid the latter in retaining vigor even under heavy grazing pressure. Thus it would have an advantage over other plants that were also being grazed, eventually becoming the ground layer dominant. Both Pseudotsuga menziesii and Acer macrophyllum appear to be successional to Quercus garryana. Acer is better adapted to mesic sites than Quercus. Pseudotsuga will succeed Quercus on less mesic sites. The successional trends are promoted by livestock grazing which opens up the ground layer and facilitates seedling establishment especially for Pseudotsuga. On some sites Prunus avium, an introduced species, is becoming part of the overstory canopy. It reproduces vigorously in its own shade and will become an important member of the Quercus forest in the future. Quercus garryana reproduction was more abundant on drier, exposed sites and the species seems to be able to perpetuate itself on these locations

Molecular Gas Tracers in Young and Old Protoplanetary Disks

Molecular emission is used to investigate both the physical and chemical properties of protoplanetary disks. Therefore, to accurately derive disk properties, we need a thorough understanding of the behavior of the molecular probes we rely on. Here we investigate how the molecular line emission of N$_2$H$^+$, HCO$^+$, HCN, and C$^{18}$O compare to other measured quantities in a set of 20 protoplanetary disks. Overall, we find positive correlations between multiple line fluxes and the disk dust mass and radius. We also generally find strong positive correlations between the line fluxes of different molecular species. However, some disks do show noticeable differences in the relative fluxes of N$_2$H$^+$, HCO$^+$, HCN, and C$^{18}$O. These differences occur even within a single star-forming region. This results in a potentially large range of different disk masses and chemical compositions for systems of similar age and birth environment. While we make preliminary comparisons of molecular fluxes across different star-forming regions, more complete and uniform samples are needed in the future to search for trends with birth environment or age.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

A Systematic Classification of the Congenital Bronchopulmonary Vascular Malformations: Dysmorphogeneses of the Primitive Foregut System and the Primitive Aortic Arch System

Purpose: We reviewed the cases of 33 patients from our clinic and 142 patients from the literature with congenital bronchopulmonary vascular malformations (BPVM), systematically analyzed the bronchopulmonary airways , pulmonary arterial supplies, and pulmonary venous drainages, and classified these patients by pulmonary malinosculation( PM). Materials and Methods: From January 1990 to January 2007, a total of 33 patients (17 men or boys and 16 women or girls), aged I day to 24 years (median, 2.5 months), with congenital BPVM were included in this study. Profiles of clinical manifestations, chest radiographs, echocardiographs , esophagographs, computer tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) , magnetic resonance angiography (MRA ), cardiac catheterizations with angiography, contrast bronchographs, bronchoscopies, chromosomal studies, surgeries, and autopsies of these patients were analyzed to confirm the diagnosis of congenital BPVM. A total of 142 cases from the literature were also reviewed and classified similarly. Results: The malformations of our 33 patients can be classified as type A isolated bronchial PM in 13 patients, type B isolated arterial PM in three, type C isolated venous PM in two, type D mixed bronchoarterial PM in five, type F mixed arteriovenous PM in one, and type G mixed bronchoarteriovenous PM in nine. Conclusion: Dysmorphogeneses of the primitive foregut system and the primitive aortic arch system may lead to haphazard malinosculations of the airways, arteries, and veins of the lung. A systematic classification of patients with congenital BPVM is clinically feasible by assessing the three basic bronchovascular systems of the lung independently

Das Kränchen-Wasser zu Bad-Ems und seine vortrefflichen Würkungen

beschrieben von Moritz Gerhard Thilenius. Ausführlicher bearb. und mit neueren Erfahrungen bereichert von Hartmann Christian Thileniu