Seeking legitimacy through CSR: Institutional Pressures and Corporate Responses of Multinationals in Sri Lanka

Arguably, the corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices of multinational enterprises (MNEs) are influenced by a wide range of both internal and external factors. Perhaps most critical among the exogenous forces operating on MNEs are those exerted by state and other key institutional actors in host countries. Crucially, academic research conducted to date offers little data about how MNEs use their CSR activities to strategically manage their relationship with those actors in order to gain legitimisation advantages in host countries. This paper addresses that gap by exploring interactions between external institutional pressures and firm-level CSR activities, which take the form of community initiatives, to examine how MNEs develop their legitimacy-seeking policies and practices. In focusing on a developing country, Sri Lanka, this paper provides valuable insights into how MNEs instrumentally utilise community initiatives in a country where relationship-building with governmental and other powerful non-governmental actors can be vitally important for the long-term viability of the business. Drawing on neo-institutional theory and CSR literature, this paper examines and contributes to the embryonic but emerging debate about the instrumental and political implications of CSR. The evidence presented and discussed here reveals the extent to which, and the reasons why, MNEs engage in complex legitimacy-seeking relationships with Sri Lankan institutions

Диагностика и лечение спонтанного пневмоторакса: клинические рекомендации Испанского общества пульмонологов и торакальных хирургов (SEPAR)

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How can CEOs influence HRM implementation? Unfolding top management’s role in HRM

This paper investigates how CEOs can influence the implementation of HRM policies in their organizations. It does so by comparing the HRM implementation roles of the same CEO in two different companies as well as those of different CEOs in the same firm. Based on the findings, the study inductively develops a model that describes different types of CEO direct and indirect influence, unfolding the generic label of CEO “support” into a wide catalogue of actions, and identifying further behaviours other than support. The results also challenge some established ideas, such as the view of CEOs’ HRM role solely as strategic decision makers, or that CEO influence necessarily involves overt action. Finally, our findings open several avenues for future research on a relevant and, so far, underdeveloped topic.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Serious games and funny work: The role of humour and irony in shaping organizational culture

This paper tries to study workplace humour from a linguistic-anthropological perspective. In particular, we analyze the stories that organizational members tell during lunchtime, highlighting the role that humour and irony play in those stories to convey and shape organizational values. In so doing, we will analyze the case of a small design and communication company located in Northern Italy

A numerical study of the influence of solidity on the performance of vertical axis turbine

The paper is developed in the framework of CFD to study the performance of Vertical Axis Turbines (VAT). One direct application is to establish design trends regarding the solidity. The model is validated with benchmarks from the literature for fluvial turbine. As for turbulence models, transitional SST version of k-w is used. The model includes two additional conservation equations for intermittency and critical Reynolds that establishes the transition from laminar to turbulent. Flow pattern are analyzed at intermediate positions along the revolution. A reduction in solidity increases the operation conditions

Trends in HIV testing, prevalence among first-time testers, and incidence in most-at-risk populations in Spain: the EPI-VIH Study, 2000 to 2009.

During 2000 to 2009, data on people undergoing HIV testing and on those newly diagnosed with HIV were collected in a network of 20 Spanish clinics specialising in sexually transmitted infections and/or HIV testing and counselling. The number of tests performed, overall and disaggregated by different variables, was obtained. HIV prevalence among first-time testers and HIV incidence among repeat testers were calculated. To evaluate trends, joinpoint regression models were fitted. In total, 236,939 HIV tests were performed for 165,745 individuals. Overall HIV prevalence among persons seeking HIV testing was 2.5% (95% CI: 2.4 to 2.6). Prevalence was highest in male sex workers who had sex with other men (19.0% (95% CI: 16.7 to 21.4)) and was lowest in female sex workers (0.8% (95% CI: 0.7 to 0.9)). Significant trends in prevalence were observed in men who have sex with men (MSM) (increasing) and heterosexual individuals (decreasing). The incidence analysis included 30,679 persons, 64,104 person-years (py) of follow-up and 642 seroconversions. The overall incidence rate (IR) was 1.0/100 py (95% CI: 0.9/100 to 1.1/100). Incidence was significantly higher in men and transgender females than in women (1.8/100 py (95% CI: 1.6 to 1.9), 1.2/100 py (95% CI: 0.5 to 2.8) and 0.1/100 py (95% CI: 0.09 to 0.2) respectively) and increased with age until 35–39 years. IRs in MSM and people who inject drugs were significantly greater than in heterosexual individuals (2.5/100 py (95% CI: 2.3 to 2.7), 1.6/100 py (95% CI: 1.1 to 2.2) and 0.1/100 py (95% CI: 0.09 to 0.2) respectively), and an upward trend was observed in MSM. Our results call for HIV prevention to be reinforced in MSM and transgender women in Spain.This work has been supported with grants No. 36303/02, 36537/05 and 36794/08 from FIPSE (Fundación para la Investigación y la Prevención del Sida en España). The au-thors wish to thank Kathy Fitch for the English review.S