Unions and the Adoption of High Performance Work Systems: Does Employment Security Play a Role?

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://ilr.sagepub.com.Previous research on the association between unionization and the adoption of high performance work systems (HPWSs) has yielded inconsistent results. Using data from a 2004 multi-industry survey of firms operating in the Republic of Ireland, the authors examine the relationship between employee union membership rates and relative use of HPWSs. They also test arguments that employment security may affect the receptiveness of unions to such HR practices. The results indicate that as union representation increased, there was a significant decrease in the use of high performance work systems. Evidence also suggests that providing employment security significantly ameliorated this negative impact

High performance work systems, workforce productivity, and innovation: a comparison of MNCs and indigenous firms

Previous research has reported conflicting results on whether or not foreign-owned firms diverge from indigenous firms with respect to their human resource policies and practices. Set in the dynamic, globalized economy of the Republic of Ireland, this study examines the relative use of high performance work systems (HPWS) by foreign-owned versus Irish-owned firms. We also investigate the implications of HPWS use for organizational effectiveness. Results suggest substantial differences associated with country of ownership. Relative to Irish-owned firms, foreign-owned firms report higher HPWS utilization and higher rates of workforce productivity and innovation. Results suggest that the relationship between country of ownership and organizational effectiveness is mediated by the use of HPWS

Microscopic Marangoni Flows Cannot Be Predicted on the Basis of Pressure Gradients.

A concentration gradient along a fluid-fluid interface can cause flow. On a microscopic level, this so-called Marangoni effect can be viewed as being caused by a gradient in the pressures acting on the fluid elements or as the chemical-potential gradients acting on the excess densities of different species at the interface. If the interface thickness can be ignored, all approaches should result in the same flow profile away from the interface. However, on a more microscopic scale, the different expressions result in different flow profiles, only one of which can be correct. Here we compare the results of direct nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations with the flows that are generated by pressure and chemical-potential gradients. We find that the approach based on the chemical-potential gradients agrees with the direct simulations, whereas the calculations based on the pressure gradients do not

Recent dermatophyte divergence revealed by comparative and phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial genomes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Dermatophytes are fungi that cause superficial infections of the skin, hair, and nails. They are the most common agents of fungal infections worldwide. Dermatophytic fungi constitute three genera, <it>Trichophyton</it>, <it>Epidermophyton</it>, and <it>Microsporum</it>, and the evolutionary relationships between these genera are epidemiologically important. Mitochondria are considered to be of monophyletic origin and mitochondrial sequences offer many advantages for phylogenetic studies. However, only one complete dermatophyte mitochondrial genome (<it>E. floccosum</it>) has previously been determined.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The complete mitochondrial DNA sequences of five dermatophyte species, <it>T. rubrum </it>(26,985 bp), <it>T. mentagrophytes </it>(24,297 bp), <it>T. ajelloi </it>(28,530 bp), <it>M. canis </it>(23,943 bp) and <it>M. nanum </it>(24,105 bp) were determined. These were compared to the <it>E. floccosum </it>sequence. Mitochondrial genomes of all 6 species were found to harbor the same set of genes arranged identical order indicating that these dermatophytes are closely related. Genome size differences were largely due to variable lengths of non-coding intergenic regions and the presence/absence of introns. Phylogenetic analyses based on complete mitochondrial genomes reveals that the divergence of the dermatophyte clade was later than of other groups of pathogenic fungi.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This is the first systematic comparative genomic study on dermatophytes, a highly conserved and recently-diverged lineage of ascomycota fungi. The data reported here provide a basis for further exploration of interrelationships between dermatophytes and will contribute to the study of mitochondrial evolution in higher fungi.</p

Partnership, high performance work systems and organizational effectiveness

Using data gathered from 132 organizations operating in Ireland, we examined the impact of high performance work systems (HPWS) and partnership on firm-level performance. Our results reveal that HPWS and partnership practices are positively associated with labour productivity, workplace innovation and negatively associated with voluntary turnover. More specifically, both HPWS and partnership are positively associated with labour productivity and employee retention, and the positive relationship between partnership and workplace innovation is mediated by HPWS