Politicization and political contests in and around contemporary multinational corporations: An introduction

© 2018, © The Author(s) 2018. This article looks at core arguments in international business, organization studies and surrounding academic fields that focus on the study of politicization and political contests in and around multinational corporations (MNCs). Two evident streams of debate are identified. Equally evident is that these streams hardly connect. One stream is mainly interested in studying politicization from the outside, whereas the other is mainly interested in politicization from within. As a way of connecting both streams, we introduce the circuits of power framework. Next, we introduce the contributions of our Special Issue, followed by concluding comments which distinguish five emergent themes. First, we show how the application of the circuits of power framework sheds new light on the study of political contests of MNCs. Second, we highlight that the role of nation states has not lost its significance as, for example, political corporate social responsibility (CSR) approaches would have us believe. Third, dominant ideologies play an important role in establishing and controlling circuits of power in and around MNCs. Fourth, it is vital to take labour issues into account in this field of study. Fifth, there is increasing evidence that asymmetric and hierarchical forms of organizing do not disappear in new MNC network forms

A carboxyl-terminal interaction of lamin B1 is dependent on the CAAX endoprotease Rce1 and carboxymethylation

The mammalian nuclear lamina protein lamin B1 is posttranslationally modified by farnesylation, endoproteolysis, and carboxymethylation at a carboxyl-terminal CAAX motif. In this work, we demonstrate that the CAAX endoprotease Rce1 is required for lamin B1 endoproteolysis, demonstrate an independent pool of proteolyzed but nonmethylated lamin B1, as well as fully processed lamin B1, in interphase nuclei, and show a role for methylation in the organization of lamin B1 into domains of the nuclear lamina. Deficiency in the endoproteolysis or methylation of lamin B1 results in loss of integrity and deformity of the nuclear lamina. These data show that the organization of the nuclear envelope and lamina is dependent on a mechanism involving the methylation of lamin B1, and they identify a potential mechanism of laminopathy involving a B-type lamin

Mitochondria mediate septin cage assembly to promote autophagy of Shigella

Septins, cytoskeletal proteins with well-characterised roles in cytokinesis, form cage-like structures around cytosolic Shigella flexneri and promote their targeting to autophagosomes. However, the processes underlying septin cage assembly, and whether they influence S. flexneri proliferation, remain to be established. Using single-cell analysis, we show that the septin cages inhibit S. flexneri proliferation. To study mechanisms of septin cage assembly, we used proteomics and found mitochondrial proteins associate with septins in S. flexneri-infected cells. Strikingly, mitochondria associated with S. flexneri promote septin assembly into cages that entrap bacteria for autophagy. We demonstrate that the cytosolic GTPase dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) interacts with septins to enhance mitochondrial fission. To avoid autophagy, actin-polymerising Shigella fragment mitochondria to escape from septin caging. Our results demonstrate a role for mitochondria in anti-Shigella autophagy and uncover a fundamental link between septin assembly and mitochondria

Generation of a three-dimensional collagen scaffold-based model of the human endometrium.

The endometrium is the secretory lining of the uterus that undergoes dynamic changes throughout the menstrual cycle in preparation for implantation and a pregnancy. Recently, endometrial organoids (EO) were established to study the glandular epithelium. We have built upon this advance and developed a multi-cellular model containing both endometrial stromal and epithelial cells. We use porous collagen scaffolds produced with controlled lyophilization to direct cellular organization, integrating organoids with primary isolates of stromal cells. The internal pore structure of the scaffold was optimized for stromal cell culture in a systematic study, finding an optimal average pore size of 101 µm. EO seeded organize to form a luminal-like epithelial layer, on the surface of the scaffold. The cells polarize with their apical surface carrying microvilli and cilia that face the pore cavities and their basal surface attaching to the scaffold with the formation of extracellular matrix proteins. Both cell types are hormone responsive on the scaffold, with hormone stimulation resulting in epithelial differentiation and stromal decidualization

Crisis and change in industrial relations in Central and Eastern Europe

This article introduces the special issue on industrial relations in Central and Eastern Europe since the financial and economic crisis. Already dependent economically on funding from the west, and lacking the robust industrial relations institutions traditional in much of Western Europe, countries in the region were particularly vulnerable. However, there are important cross-national differences, and the strategies of key actors have significantly affected the outcomes

Building professional discourse in emerging markets: Language, context and the challenge of sensemaking

Using ethnographic evidence from the former Soviet republics, this article examines a relatively new and mainly unobserved in the International Business (IB) literature phenomenon of communication disengagement that manifests itself in many emerging markets. We link it to the deficiencies of the local professional business discourse rooted in language limitations reflecting lack of experience with the market economy. This hampers cognitive coherence between foreign and local business entities, adding to the liability of foreignness as certain instances of professional experience fail to find adequate linguistic expression, and complicates cross-cultural adjustments causing multi-national companies (MNCs) financial losses. We contribute to the IB literature by examining cross-border semantic sensemaking through a retrospectively constructed observational study. We argue that a relative inadequacy of the national professional idiom is likely to remain a feature of business environment in post-communist economies for some time and therefore should be factored into business strategies of MNCs. Consequently, we recommend including discursive hazards in the risk evaluation of international projects

Agnoprotein Is an Essential Egress Factor during BK Polyomavirus Infection.

BK polyomavirus (BKPyV; hereafter referred to as BK) causes a lifelong chronic infection and is associated with debilitating disease in kidney transplant recipients. Despite its importance, aspects of the virus life cycle remain poorly understood. In addition to the structural proteins, the late region of the BK genome encodes for an auxiliary protein called agnoprotein. Studies on other polyomavirus agnoproteins have suggested that the protein may contribute to virion infectivity. Here, we demonstrate an essential role for agnoprotein in BK virus release. Viruses lacking agnoprotein fail to release from host cells and do not propagate to wild-type levels. Despite this, agnoprotein is not essential for virion infectivity or morphogenesis. Instead, agnoprotein expression correlates with nuclear egress of BK virions. We demonstrate that the agnoprotein binding partner α-soluble N-ethylmaleimide sensitive fusion (NSF) attachment protein (α-SNAP) is necessary for BK virion release, and siRNA knockdown of α-SNAP prevents nuclear release of wild-type BK virions. These data highlight a novel role for agnoprotein and begin to reveal the mechanism by which polyomaviruses leave an infected cell

Effects of place attachment on home return travel: a spatial perspective

Recent studies on place-mobility relationships suggest an increasing possibility that people can have multiple place attachments at varied spatial scales. Yet our understanding of how place attachment in different spatial scales affects mobility remains limited. This study investigates home return visits by Chinese diaspora tourists from North America who have made multiple trips to China. A total of 27 in-depth interviews with repeat home return travellers was conducted. Four different types of return movements were identified: local; dispersed; local & dispersed; and second-migration locale focused. A relationship was found between the participants’ sense of place, place identity and home return travel. The findings suggest that home return travel is more complex than previously thought. More focused sense of place and strong personal connection to ancestral homes may lead to more localized return, while a more generic sense of place (i.e. to ‘China’) and collective personal identity would result in a more dispersed travel pattern. Family migration history and strong attachment to family’s first migration destination also leads to focused return to the place. The study highlights the fact that place and place attachment are deeply personal and can evolve over time and space