Resolving the Artisan Entrepreneur’s Oppositional Identity With Venturing in a Declining City Context

This article presents conceptual research questions and propositions on the relationship between the artisan entrepreneur’s oppositional identity and entrepreneurially venturing in the context of declining cities and urbanized regions. In general, I propose that some features of declining cities typically deemed harmful to business (e.g., deindustrialization, population loss, stifled innovation) may be less problematic for artisan ventures operated with a strong devotion to craft, localness and sense of place, and independence and less emphasis on financial performance than is typical of more mainstream entrepreneurship. The conceptual development herein relies on identity theory (including occupational identity and counter-institutional identity concepts), embeddedness theory, and urban economics concepts. This effort addresses calls for more research on both artisan entrepreneurship and the declining city as a context of entrepreneurship

Chronic Underfit of the Small Firm’s HRM Function: When Low Functional Elaboration Interacts with Contingencies

We address qualitative functional elaboration of human resource management (HRM) in small firms where HRM is typically simple and informal. After describing qualitative functional elaboration in terms of structuration, managerial process, and effects on HRM, we discuss relevant contingencies that can render small-firm HRM’s degree of elaboration insufficient relative to firm needs and goals. We then discuss implications of chronic underfit of HRM in small firms, drawing on theory of asymmetric effects of misfit. Finally, we discuss implications for future research, practice, and entrepreneurship education

On Observers’ Conjunctive Attributions and Blame for Workplace Mistreatment

This essay reflects on the need for more research to address observers’ perspectives and reactions when witnessing or hearing about workplace mistreatment. After describing workplace mistreatment with respect to a behavioral spectrum ranging from incivility to violence, this essay focuses on observers’ causal attributions and blame for workplace mistreatment. We relate observers’ conjunctive causal attributions to multifocus blame that positions the organization as decidedly more blameworthy than typical research in a traditional causal attribution paradigm would suggest. We also offer some suggestions for future research that is more responsive to observers’ blame for workplace mistreatment

On Antecedents of Functional Elaboration of HRM in Small Firms

This work further develops the foundation for a functional elaboration theory of human resource management (HRM) in small firms (Wilkerson & Seers, 2019) by detailing some antecedents of HRM’s qualitative and quantitative elaboration in the small firm. Whereas theoretical development in this area to date has focused on functional elaboration and associated fit or misfit of HRM to relevant contingencies, adequate explanation of antecedents has been lacking. We present propositions regarding several entrepreneurial and organizational predictors of, as well as relevant interactive effects on, HRM’s functional elaboration in small firms

Research Note: On Tracking Faith-Related Student Learning Outcomes in Accredited Christian Business Schools

This research note focuses on whether or not accredited Christian business schools formally articulate goals for and track faith-related student learning outcomes (SLOs), and it discusses some of the difficulty in doing so. Results of a small survey suggest that perceived importance of faith-related SLOs is associated with significantly greater likelihood of the business school having formally articulated such SLOs. At the same time, only half of the survey sample’s business schools reported using faith-related SLOs

Grace and Discipline, Remediation and Punishment: Dealing with Graduate Business Students’ Plagiarism

We draw on theory, biblical Scripture, and practice in this discussion of professors’ and administrators’ response to graduate business students’ plagiarism. First, we discuss why graduate business students plagiarize, using Ajzen’s (1991) theory of planned behavior as a framework for relating antecedents to students’ intentions to plagiarize. Then we discuss professors’ and administrators’ typical assumptions and expectations regarding graduate business students’ plagiarism and explain why such assumptions and expectations may be incorrect. Thirdly, we conceptually explore the nature and appropriateness of professors’ responses to graduate business students’ plagiarism. We advocate a response that applies both grace and discipline and offer biblical support for such an approach. Finally, we describe several implications of the foregoing for graduate degree program features, policies, and practices

Immunofluorescent spectral analysis reveals the intrathecal cannabinoid agonist, AM1241, produces spinal anti-inflammatory cytokine responses in neuropathic rats exhibiting relief from allodynia

During pathological pain, the actions of the endocannabinoid system, including the cannabinoid 2 receptor (CB2R), leads to effective anti-allodynia and modifies a variety of spinal microglial and astrocyte responses. Here, following spinal administration of the CB2R compound, AM1241, we examined immunoreactive alterations in markers for activated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), the anti-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-10 (IL-10) as well as degradative endocannabinoid enzymes, and markers for altered glial responses in neuropathic rats. In these studies, the dorsal horn of the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia were examined. AM1241 produced profound anti-allodynia with corresponding immunoreactive levels of p38 mitogen-activated kinase, IL-1β, IL-10, the endocannabinoid enzyme monoacylglycerol lipase, and astrocyte activation markers that were similar to nonneuropathic controls. In contrast, spinal AM1241 did not suppress the increased microglial responses observed in neuropathic rats. The differences in fluorescent markers were determined within discrete anatomical regions by applying spectral analysis methods, which virtually eliminated nonspecific signal during the quantification of specific immunofluorescent intensity. These data reveal expression profiles that support the actions of intrathecal AM1241 control pathological pain through anti-inflammatory mechanisms by modulating critical glial factors, and additionally decrease expression levels of endocannabinoid degradative enzymes

Assessing Cervical Dislocation as a Humane Euthanasia Method in Mice

Research investigators often choose to euthanize mice by cervical dislocation (CD) when other methods would interfere with the aims of a research project. Others choose CD to assure death in mice treated with injected or inhaled euthanasia agents. CD was first approved for mouse euthanasia in 1972 by the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia, although scientific assessment of its humaneness has been sparse. Here we compared 4 methods of spinal dislocation–3 targeting the cervical area (CD) and one the thoracic region–in regard to time to respiratory arrest in anesthetized mice. Of the 81 mice that underwent CD by 1 of the 3 methods tested, 17 (21%) continued to breathe, and euthanasia was scored as unsuccessful. Postmortem radiography revealed cervical spinal lesions in 5 of the 17 cases of unsuccessful CD euthanasia. In addition, 63 of the 64 successfully euthanized mice had radiographically visible lesions in the high cervical or atlantooccipital region. In addition, 50 of 64 (78%) mice euthanized successfully had radiographically visible thoracic or lumbar lesions or both. Intentionally creating a midthoracic dislocation in anesthetized mice failed to induce respiratory arrest and death in any of the 18 mice subjected to that procedure. We conclude that CD of mice holds the potential for unsuccessful euthanasia, that anesthesia could be valuable for CD skills training and assessment, and that postmortem radiography has minimal promise in quality-control assessments

Measurement of the solar neutrino capture rate with gallium metal

The solar neutrino capture rate measured by the Russian-American Gallium Experiment (SAGE) on metallic gallium during the period January 1990 through December 1997 is 67.2 (+7.2-7.0) (+3.5-3.0) SNU, where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. This represents only about half of the predicted Standard Solar Model rate of 129 SNU. All the experimental procedures, including extraction of germanium from gallium, counting of 71Ge, and data analysis are discussed in detail.Comment: 34 pages including 14 figures, Revtex, slightly shortene