Governance tools for board members : adapting strategy maps and balanced scorecards for directorial action

The accountability of members of the board of directors of publicly traded companies has increased over years. Corresponding to these developments, there has been an inadequate advancement of tools and frameworks to help directorial functioning. This paper provides an argument for design of the Balanced Scorecard and Strategy Maps made available to the directors as a means of influencing, monitoring, controlling and assisting managerial action. This paper examines how the Balanced Scorecard and Strategy Maps could be modified and used for this purpose. The paper suggests incorporating Balanced Scorecards in the Internal Process perspective, ‘internal’ implying here not just ‘internal to the firm’, but also ‘internal to the inter-organizational system’. We recommend that other such factors be introduced separately under a new ‘perspective’ depending upon what the board wants to emphasize without creating any unwieldy proliferation of measures. Tracking the Strategy Map over time by the board of directors is a way for the board to take responsibility for the firm’s performance. The paper makes a distinction between action variables and monitoring variables. Monitoring variables are further divided on the basis of two considerations: a) whether results have been met or not and b) whether causative factors have met the expected levels of performance or not. Based on directorial responsibilities and accountability, we take another look at how the variables could be specified more completely and accurately with directorial recommendations for executives

Molecular characterization of potato virus Y inducing potato tuber necrotic ringspot disease in Serbia

The Potato virus Y (PVY) is the most important limiting factor for potato seed production in Serbia. Currently, PVY is a major concern for the potato seed growers. Initially, serological (ELISA) tests were carried out on 100 potato seed tubers from each of the seven potato cv. during 2013. The infection rates with the PVYN was between 5 and 36%. A complete genome sequencing of the most common Serbian isolate of PVY (3D), followed by molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis has been performed to show what group it belongs to. Our isolate's complete genome sequence (KJ946936) showed that the Serbian PVY isolate (3D) is 99.7% identical at nt level, with other tuber necrosis strain group (PVYNTN) from Europe. Phylogenetic analysis revealed three consistent lineages of isolates, showing that our isolate was clustered with the isolates from Europe and North America in the PVYN lineage which induces potato tuber necrotic ringspot disease (PTNRD). The Serbian isolate of PVYNTN together with the isolates from Europe was clustered in the branch of European sublineage, with a high bootstrap support and no genetic diversity. This is the first study in Serbia demonstrating phylogenetic distinction between our isolate and other isolates of PVY