Expatriates managers' cultural intelligence as promoter of knowledge transfer in multinational companies

This study analyzes the role of the Cultural Intelligence (CQ) of expatriate managers in the processes of Conventional (CKT) and Reverse Knowledge Transfer (RKT) in Multinational Companies (MNCs). The Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique was adopted to analyze the data from a survey of 103 senior expatriate managers working in Croatia. The study reveals how CQ, in all of its four dimensions (metacognitive, cognitive, behavioral, and motivational), acts as a knowledge de-codification and codification filter, assisting managers in the Knowledge Transfer process. The study also reveals how previous international experience does not moderate the positive effect of CQ on both CKT and RKT, offering important theoretical and practical insights to support MNCs in the KT process

Heterogeneity of plural forms: A revised transaction cost approach

International audienceStrategies pushing firms to adopt plural forms and the heterogeneity of solutions they endorse have attracted increasing attention. This paper proposes a theoretical framework that combines asset specificity and uncertainty to explain why there are plural forms and focuses on the key role of uncertainty, within a given range of asset specificity, to predict what and when specific types of plural forms should be observed. Propositions derived from this model are tested on an extensive set of cases from the agribusiness sector. The empirical richness of these cases allows going beyond the existing literature, which has essentially focused on franchising

Micronuclei in neonates and children: effects of environmental, genetic, demographic and disease variables

Children may be more susceptible to the effects of the environmental exposure and medical treatments than adults; however, limited information is available about the differences in genotoxic effects in children by age, sex and health status. Micronucleus (MN) assay is a well established method of monitoring genotoxicity, and this approach is thoroughly validated for adult lymphocytes by the Human Micronucleus Biomonitoring project (HUMN.org). Similar international undertaking is in progress for exfoliated buccal cells. Most of the MN studies in children are focused on analyses of lymphocytes but in the recent years, more investigators are interested in using exfoliated cells from the oral cavity and other cell types that can be collected non-invasively, which is particularly important in paediatric cohorts. The baseline MN frequency is relatively low in newborns and its assessment requires large cohorts and cell sample counts. Available results are mostly consistent in conclusion that environmental pollutants and radiation exposures lead to the increase in the MN frequency in children. Effects of medical treatments are less clear, and more studies are needed to optimise the doses and minimise genotoxicity without compromising therapy outcomes. Despite the recent progress in MN assay in children, more studies are warranted to establish the relationship between MN in lymphocytes and exfoliated cells, to clarify sex, age and genotype differences in baseline MN levels and the changes in response to genotoxicants. One of the most important types of MN studies in children are prospective cohorts that will help to clarify the predictive value of MN and other cytome end points for cancer and other chronic diseases of childhood and adulthood. Emerging ‘omic’ and other novel molecular technologies may shed light on the molecular mechanisms and biological pathways associated with the MN levels in children