High-growth firms: introduction to the special section

High-growth firms (HGFs) have attracted considerable attention recently, as academics and policymakers have increasingly recognized the highly skewed nature of many metrics of firm performance. A small number of HGFs drives a disproportionately large amount of job creation, while the average firm has a limited impact on the economy. This article explores the reasons for this increased interest, summarizes the existing literature, and highlights the methodological considerations that constrain and bias research. This special section draws attention to the importance of HGFs for future industrial performance, explores their unusual growth trajectories and strategies, and highlights the lack of persistence of high growth. Consequently, while HGFs are important for understanding the economy and developing public policy, they are unlikely to be useful vehicles for public policy given the difficulties involved in predicting which firms will grow, the lack of persistence in high growth levels, and the complex and often indirect relationship between firm capability, high growth, and macro-economic performance

Moral Distress in Critical Care Nursing: The State of the Science

Background: Moral distress is a complex phenomenon frequently experienced by critical care nurses. Ethical conflicts in this practice area are related to technological advancement, high intensity work environments, and end-of-life decisions. Objectives: An exploration of contemporary moral distress literature was undertaken to determine measurement, contributing factors, impact, and interventions. Review Methods: This state of the science review focused on moral distress research in critical care nursing from 2009 to 2015, and included 12 qualitative, 24 quantitative, and 6 mixed methods studies. Results: Synthesis of the scientific literature revealed inconsistencies in measurement, conflicting findings of moral distress and nurse demographics, problems with the professional practice environment, difficulties with communication during end-of-life decisions, compromised nursing care as a consequence of moral distress, and few effective interventions. Conclusion: Providing compassionate care is a professional nursing value and an inability to meet this goal due to moral distress may have devastating effects on care quality. Further study of patient and family outcomes related to nurse moral distress is recommended

Psychometric properties of the revised children’s anxiety and depression scale (RCADS) for autistic youth without co-occurring intellectual disability

Autistic youth often present with comorbid anxiety and depression yet there is a dearth of validated assessment tools. The Revised Children’s Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) assesses internalizing symptoms but there is little psychometric data in autistic youth. Treatment-seeking autistic youth with anxiety or obsessive-compulsive symptoms (N = 74; age 6–14 years), and caregivers, were administered the RCADS-Parent, RCADS-Child, and assessments of internalizing, externalizing symptoms and social impairment indicative of autism. RCADS-Parent and RCADS-Child total anxiety scores demonstrated excellent internal consistency, and the six subscales demonstrated acceptable-to-good internal consistency. The RCADS-Child and Parent total anxiety scores were weakly correlated, and neither child age nor gender altered the strength of this association. Convergent validity was supported by moderate-to-strong correlations with clinician and parent-reported anxiety symptoms. Support for divergent validity was mixed. Results provide support for the RCADS-Parent and RCADS-Child as reliable, valid measures of internalizing symptoms in autistic youth

International Alliance Strategies: A Case Study of the Indonesian Medical Device Industry

This study aims to investigate how the multinational corporations form alliance strategies with local businesses under the dynamic institutional environment in the Indonesian context. We used a qualitative approach with a case study of the medical device industry to examine how the institutional environment affects the choice of the strategic alliance. By collecting the qualitative data, including interviews, observations and archival data, the interpretive approach was adopted to understand social worlds from the point of view of participants. We identified five types of alliance strategies: the wholly owned subsidiary with contractual collaboration, the wholly owned subsidiary with the licence agreement, the international trade with the licence agreement, joint venture and outsourcing. There are also two main issues of the institutional environments that determine the choice of alliance strategic: the restriction for foreign companies to carry out direct selling and the new policy that introduces the electronic procurement system. This study provides evidence of the role of the institutional environment on collaboration strategies between the multinational enterprises from the developed countries and the local distributors from Indonesia. The results extend the concept of international business in the Asian context

Natural Resource Condition Assessment, Homestead National Monument of America

Executive Summary The National Park Service (NPS) Natural Resource Condition Assessment (NRCA) Program administered by the NPS Water Resources Division evaluates current conditions for important natural resources and resource indicators using primarily existing information and data. NRCAs also report on trends in resource condition when possible, identify critical data gaps, and characterize a general level of confidence for study findings. This NRCA complements historic resource assessments, is multi-disciplinary in scope, employs a hierarchical indicator framework, identifies and develops reference conditions/values for comparison against current conditions, and emphasizes spatial evaluation of conditions and GIS (map) products. Congress established the Homestead National Monument of America (hereafter referred to as HOME, Monument, or park) in 1936 under the stewardship of the NPS to “retain for posterity a proper memorial emblematical of the hardships and the pioneer life through which early settlers passed in the settlement, cultivation and civilization of the Great West.” On September 25, 1970, Congress added the Freeman School parcel to “further the interpretation and commemoration of the pioneer life of early settlers of the West.” The mission of the Monument is to maintain a memorial that commemorates and interprets the Homestead Act and its influence upon the country. The mission is to maintain the 160-acre original homestead and the Freeman School addition in a manner that provides visitors an approximate perspective of the influences and impacts upon the land in its transition from its natural state to cultivation and agriculture. The NRCA for HOME began in 2012. This study employed a scoping process involving Colorado State University, Park and NPS staffs to discuss the NRCA framework, identify important park resources, and gather existing information and data. Indicators and measures for each resource were then identified and evaluated. Data and information were analyzed and synthesized to provide summaries and address condition, trend and confidence using a standardized but flexible framework. A total of 19 focal resources were examined: six addressing landscape context – system and human dimensions, three addressing chemical and physical attributes, nine addressing biological attributes, and one addressing integrated natural/cultural resources. Landscape context – system and human dimensions included land cover and land use, night sky, soundscape, scenery, climate change and fire disturbance regime (Table 5.1-1). Climate change and land cover/land use were not assigned a condition or trend—they provide important context to the park and many natural resources, and can be stressors on resources. Land cover analysis incorporated spatial data for landcover classes, natural vs. converted landcover, impervious surfaces, population and housing trends and conservation (i.e., protection) status for buffer areas outside the park. Land ownership in the region is overwhelmingly private. Some of the land cover and land use-related stressors at HOME and in the larger region are related to the development of rural agricultural land and increases in population/housing over time. The trend in land development, coupled with the lack of significantly-sized and linked protected areas, presents significant challenges to the conservation of natural resources of HOME to also include dark night skies, natural sounds and scenery. Climate change is happening and is affecting resources, but is not considered good or bad per se. The information synthesized in that section is useful in examining potential trends in the vulnerability of several sensitive biological resources below. The fire regime is included here because in this region fire is a key natural process under which many biological components have evolved. Therefore, it is deemed a critical component of the long-term persistence of prairie species and the ecological integrity of the system. The fire regime warranted moderate concern with an unchanging trend, and might be significantly ameliorated via planning for a more heterogeneous fire regime with occasional high severity. Fire regime within the bur oak community was discussed—the lack of fire within that system appears to be degrading its condition and contributing to a declining trend. and stream hydrology/geomorphology. The condition of these resources can affect visitor experience such as visibility and scenery as well as biological components such as vegetation health and stream biota. Air quality and stream hydrology/geomorphology warranted significant concern, while water quality warranted moderate concern. Conditions were estimated to be unchanging for air quality and stream hydrology/geomorphology, with an unknown trend for water quality due to a lack of data. Air quality and water quality in Cub Creek are significantly impacted by land uses outside the park boundary. Impacts to air quality appear to be largely from distant sources that are affecting regional air quality, or local sources produced by ecologically necessary prescribed burns. Both stream geomorphology and water quality appear to be significantly impacted by cattle grazing and upstream land uses. Incision of Cub Creek is a legacy of historical land uses as well as conversion of natural systems to agriculture. The floral biological components examined included prairie vegetation, invasive exotic plants and the mesic bur oak community (Table 5.1-1). The tallgrass prairie at HOME is considered an excellent example of a restored tallgrass prairie, and is one of the oldest restorations of its kind in the U.S. The vegetation composition is thought to be similar to that of presettlement vegetation, although forb species richness is still below expected levels. Enhanced management of prescribed fire and continued invasive plant management would likely increase the heterogeneity of vegetation and overall habitat quality. Grazing of native ungulates such as bison would likely have ecological benefits but their management is not considered practical for the small site. The bur oak community is considered an excellent example of this rare type in Nebraska. Historic cutting and disturbances, the lingering effects of those events, lack of fire, and dominance of undesirable tree species continue to impact this community, which warrants moderate concern. Challenges related to invasive plant management and fire regime contribute to management concerns. Although the prairie is rated in good condition, there is some risk associated with potential expansion of nonnative invasive plants. Intensive, park-wide surveys occur regularly and management is driven by the monitoring results. Maintenance of a desirable fire regime can help control woody plants and promote floristic diversity, but is challenging due to the park’s location within an ex-urban area and limited implementation of prescribed burns. The faunal biological components examined included aquatic macroinvertebrates, terrestrial invertebrates, birds, fish, herptiles and mammals. Two of the six resources examined were found to be in good condition with an unchanging trend. Aquatic macroinvertebrates are being impacted by poor water quality and altered stream flows/hydrology that originate upstream outside the boundary. The fish and mammal communities warranted moderate concern. The herptile community warrants significant concern. The bird community is in good condition. Trends for faunal resources examined are unchanging or unknown. Because of the small size of the park and the predominance of developed and agricultural land uses, opportunities to support a diverse faunal assemblage at HOME, including a variety of herpetofauna, carnivores, ungulates and other species is limited. Many animals have been lost from the landscape and are no longer present in the park. Nonetheless, the park still provides an island of restored prairie and bottomland forest that provides habitat for native animals. The role of connectivity and partnering with other landowners will be critical to maintain and enhance the fauna at HOME. The identification of data gaps during the course of the assessment is an important outcome of the NRCA. In some cases significant data gaps contributed to low confidence in the condition or trend assigned to a resource. Primary data gaps and uncertainties encountered were lack of recent survey data; uncertainties regarding reference conditions; availability of consistent, long-term data; and incomplete understanding of the ecology of rare resources. Findings from the NRCA will help Monument managers to develop near-term management priorities, engage in watershed or landscape-scale collaboration and education efforts, conduct park planning, and report program performance. Ecosystem stressors impacting park resources and their management exist both inside and outside park boundaries. Altered disturbance regimes such as fire and flooding, conversion and fragmentation of natural habitats, spread of invasive exotic plants that threaten regional biological diversity, altered hydrology and channel degradation of streams, and water pollution appear to be significant stressors of biological resources. Other resources related to human dimensions and visitation appeared to be stressed or directly affected by changes in land uses and land cover, population and housing densities, commercial wind energy development and traffic. Many of the resources were found to have interrelated stressors, the most common being invasive plants, altered fire regime, and stream alteration. Regional and park-specific mitigation and adaptation strategies are needed to maintain or improve the condition of some resources over time. Success will require acknowledging a “dynamic change context” that manages widespread and volatile problems while confronting uncertainties, managing natural and cultural resources simultaneously and interdependently, developing broad disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge, and establishing connectivity across broad landscapes beyond park borders

Natural Resource Condition Assessment, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

Executive Summary The National Park Service (NPS) Natural Resource Condition Assessment (NRCA) Program administered by the NPS Water Resources Division evaluates current conditions for important natural resources and resource indicators using primarily existing information and data. NRCAs also report on trends in resource condition when possible, identify critical data gaps, and characterize a general level of confidence for study findings. This NRCA complements historic resource assessments, is multi-disciplinary in scope, employs a hierarchical indicator framework, identifies and develops reference conditions/values for comparison against current conditions, and emphasizes spatial evaluation of conditions and GIS products. Created in 1996, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve (TAPR) is a unique and highly successful partnership between The Nature Conservancy and the National Park Service. The purpose of TAPR is to preserve, protect, and interpret for the public, an example of a tallgrass prairie ecosystem; to preserve and protect the cultural resources found within the preserve; and to interpret for the public, the cultural resources and the social and cultural values represented within the preserve. The combination of historic elements and high-quality tallgrass prairie is unparalleled within the NPS. The rural nature of the surrounding area, expansive views and lack of wind energy development creates scenery with high natural and cultural quality. Preserve managers and NPS initiatives have made great strides since the preserve was created in 1996 and an active monitoring program supports preserve management. Introduction of bison in 2009 presented challenges to the preserve but the herd is thriving and multiple ecosystem and visitation benefits are occurring as a result of their presence. The NRCA for Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Kansas began in 2012. This study employed a scoping process involving Colorado State University, preserve and NPS staff to discuss the NRCA framework, identify important preserve resources, and gather existing information and data. Indicators and measures for each resource were then identified and evaluated. Data and information were analyzed and synthesized to provide summaries and address condition, trend and confidence using a standardized but flexible framework. A total of 19 focal resources were examined: six addressing landscape context – system and human dimensions, three addressing chemical and physical attributes, and ten addressing biological attributes. Landscape context – system and human dimensions included land cover and land use, night sky, soundscape, scenery, climate change and fire disturbance regime. Climate change and land cover/land use were not assigned a condition or trend—they provide important context to the preserve and many natural resources, and can be a source of stress and management concern. Some of the land cover and land use-related stressors at TAPR and in the larger region are related to the development of rural agricultural land and increases in population/housing over time. The trend in land development, coupled with a lack of significantly-sized and linked protected areas in the region, presents challenges and risks to the conservation of preserve natural resources, including dark night skies, natural sounds, scenery and air and water quality. There are opportunities to mitigate the effects of some local stressors through planning, management and mitigation. Stressors driven by more distant factors such as light pollution generated by urban centers, and increase in regional transportation volumes affecting sights and sounds, and air quality issues in distant urban centers affecting prescribed burning are more difficult to mitigate. Collectively, this context supports resource planning and management within the preserve, and provides a foundation for collaborative conservation with other landowners in the surrounding area. The supporting chemical and physical environment at the preserve includes its air quality, water quality and stream hydrology/geomorphology. The condition of these resources can a affect human dimensions of the preserve such as visibility and scenery as well as biological components such as stream biota. Air a quality warranted significant concern, while water quality and stream hydrology/geomorphology warranted moderate concern. Air quality and water quality in Fox Creek are significantly impacted by land uses outside the preserve boundary. Water quality in most streams evaluated have all or most of their watersheds within the preserve boundary. Both stream geomorphology and water quality appear to be significantly impacted by cattle grazing. Although trampling from cattle grazing appears to have a significant negative impact on the streams within the preserve, it is difficult to attribute stream bank and incision problems to current grazing management vs. historic overgrazing as recent as 2005. The floral biological components examined included prairie vegetation and invasive exotic plants. The preserve is an excellent example of tallgrass prairie and one of the largest protected parcels in the historic range of the community. In some areas, enhanced management of prescribed fire and cattle grazing (especially since grazing rights were acquired), bison introduction, and prairie restoration projects in the Fox Creek bottomlands are likely increasing the heterogeneity of vegetation and overall habitat quality. However, challenges related to invasive plant management and fire regime contribute to moderate ratings and some declining trends. The faunal biological components examined included aquatic macroinvertebrates, birds, bison, butterflies, fish, greater prairie-chicken, herptiles and the Topeka shiner. Half of the resources examined were found to be in good condition with an unchanging trend or no trend. Of the remaining four resources that warranted moderate concern, three are aquatic fauna that are being impacted by poor water quality, altered stream flows/hydrology and introduced warm-water species of fish. The bison reintroduction effort has been extremely successful. Although the herd is limited to occupying no more than 10% of the preserve, managers are hoping to use bison to achieve ecological restoration objectives as well as objectives related to bison herd health and genetics, herd size and demographics, and visitor experience. The identification of data gaps during the course of the assessment is an important outcome of the NRCA. In some cases significant data gaps contributed to low confidence in the condition or trend assigned to a resource. Primary data gaps and uncertainties encountered were lack of recent survey data; uncertainties regarding reference conditions; availability of consistent, long-term data; and incomplete understanding of the ecology of rare resources. Findings from the NRCA will help preserve managers to develop near-term management priorities, engage in watershed or landscape-scale collaboration and education efforts, conduct preserve planning, and report program performance. Ecosystem stressors impacting preserve resources and their management exist both inside and outside preserve boundaries. Altered disturbance regimes such as fire and flooding, conversion and fragmentation of natural habitats, spread of invasive exotic plants and animal species that threaten regional biological diversity, altered hydrology and channel degradation of streams, and water pollution appear to be significant stressors of biological resources. Other resources related to human dimensions and visitation appeared to be stressed or directly affected by changes in land uses and land cover, population and housing densities, and traffic. Climate change is estimated to contribute to the vulnerability of the Topeka shiner at the preserve. Many of the resources were found to have interrelated stressors, the most common being invasive plants and increased development and damage to streams and water quality by agricultural practices and grazing. Regional and preserve-specific mitigation and adaptation strategies are needed to maintain or improve the condition of some resources over time. Success will require acknowledging a “dynamic change context” that manages widespread and volatile problems while confronting uncertainties, managing natural and cultural resources simultaneously and interdependently, developing broad disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge, and establishing connectivity across broad landscapes beyond preserve borders

Monitoring and managing anthropogenic noise in national parks: Lessons learned from field and laboratory studies

For more than ten years, collaborative social science research initiatives between university researchers, environmental consulting planners, and federal agency programs have advanced understanding of soundscape management in parks. The results of these efforts have been integrated into management processes, enabling managers to monitor and manage acoustic resource and experiential conditions in protected areas. During this time, research methods have been developed and improved. These include measuring and evaluating sounds both in the field and laboratories, using messaging to alter perceptions and behaviors related to sounds, and using a vast array of technologies for measuring and demonstrating sound modeling, replication, presentation, and effects on human physiological response. Case studies demonstrating methodological developments for evaluating perceptions and effects of sounds and measuring and managing visitor soundscape experiences are discussed. Key research findings are presented, suggesting the continued importance of research and management strategies that promote protection of natural sounds and associated visitor experiences