1545 research outputs found
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The Role of Foreignness in the Relationship between Disruptive Innovation and MNE Performance
Get PDFThe innovation-performance literature has failed to make a distinction between the effects of incremental and disruptive innovation on multinational enterprise (MNE) performance. The understanding of the role of foreignness has overemphasized the negative side. From the institutional anomie theory perspective, this study investigates how foreignness, which consists of national culture, industrial competition, and innovative national capacity, affects the relationship between disruptive innovation and MNE performance. We illustrate the distinctiveness between incremental and disruptive innovation and then build a conceptual model to show the moderating role of foreignness on the innovation-performance link. The model suggests that foreignness provides contextual conditions under which the relationship between disruptive innovation and MNE performance is either strengthened or impeded. Also, firm-level cultural intelligence (CQ) can help MNEs to overcome the negative effects of foreignness, as well as enhance its positive effects. Propositions are discussed for further research
Construal Level Research in Decision Making: Analysis and Pushing Forward the Debate Using Bibliometric Review and Thematic Analysis
Get PDFThis study examines the extant literature on Construal Level Theory through bibliometric analysis that traces the path of research from 1998 to November 2019. It uses the Scopus database to identify emerging trends, seminal and most-cited papers, authors, universities, and countries that contributed to the development of the theory. A total of 680 papers from 1445 authors, were published in as many as 322 journals. The results indicate that ‘Journal of Experimental Social Psychology,’ ‘Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,’ and ‘Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,’ were the three most productive sources of knowledge for this theory. The results show that over time, the discussion has progressed from theory to application in different areas of decision sciences, psychology, and management with a recent trend towards application in sustainability. This is the first literature review that has been conducted on the Construal Level Theory using bibliometric analysis. This study attempts to describe, explore possibilities, and provide a roadmap for future research in this field
Accounting Information Quality and the Clustering of Stock Prices
Get PDFThe foundation of economic theory is based on the premise that prices will converge to their equilibrium value. However, prior research has documented that stock prices cluster on round pricing increments. In this study, we develop and test the hypothesis that audit quality and the management of earnings—both of which affects the information environment of the firm—influence the degree of price clustering. Results show that firms with Big 4 auditors have less clustering in their stock prices while firms with higher abnormal audit fees, more discretionary accruals, and firms that tend to manipulate earnings have a higher degree of price clustering. These findings support our hypothesis and suggest that accounting information quality helps explain the price clustering anomaly and subsequently influences the efficiency of financial markets
Effect of Borrelia burgdorferi on Normal and Neoplastic Mammary Epithelial Cells
No full textBorrelia burgdorferi, the causative agents of Lyme Disease, is known to able to disseminate and colonize various organs and tissues of its hosts, which is very crucial for its pathogenicity and survival. Recent studies have shown the presence of Borrelial DNA in various kinds of breast cancer tissues which raises the question about whether B. burgdorferi could play a role in tumor development. The first objective of the study was to confirm the presence of B. burgdorferi DNA and investigate the potential presence of antigen in normal and breast cancer tissues using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and PCR technology. IHC analysis showed approximately 32% of the breast cancer tissues were positive for B. burgdorferi s.l. and approximately 12% were positive for B. burgdorferi s.s., but none of the normal breast tissues were found to be positive for Borrelial antigen. PCR technology further confirmed the presence of Borrelial DNA in breast cancer, but not in normal mammary tissues. Confocal microscopy images confirmed individual spirochetal organism of all the positive cancer tissues as well as biofilm forms in invasive ductal breast carcinoma samples. The second part of the study was designed to assess the effect of Borrelial infection in mammary epithelial cells. The immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy results showed that Borrelia is capable of invading normal epithelial (HC11) and a breast carcinoma cell line (MDA-MB-231) within 24 hours, however, the infection rate for the breast carcinoma cells line was significantly higher. While the infection of epithelial cells with B. burgdorferi did not cause any changes in cell proliferation rates, it showed significant effect on the invasion and migration capacity for both normal and breast cancer cells determined by Matrigel Invasion and Wound Healing Assays. For HC11 cells, there was a 16-fold increased rate of invasion and 3-fold increased rate of migration, while the breast cancer cells, MDA-MB-231, showed a 3-fold increase in invasion and 2-fold increase in migration capacity. In summary, our results suggest that 7 spirochetal organism could play important role in the development of cancer in breast tissues. Further studies, however, are necessary to confirm the causal relationship of borrelial infection and cancer development
Patterns of Fish Diversity Among Nearshore Habitats of San Salvador, Bahamas
No full textThe island of San Salvador, Bahamas is home to a wide array of fishes on patch reefs and surrounding hard bottom habitats. Exploring how different components of diversity vary across spatial scales can provide important insights as to factors that promote and maintain α-diversity within habitats, β-diversity among habitats, and how these contribute to overall γ-diversity. The purpose of this study was to assess fish community diversity at different sites around the island to understand diversity patterns across multiple spatial and temporal scales. Data was collected from thirteen sites across five regions and included three different habitat types: patch reefs, high relief, and rubble sites. GoPro footage was collected then uploaded to Behavioral Observation Research Interactive Software (BORIS) to quantify the fish community composition down to the lowest possible taxonomic level. Multivariate statistics and additive partitioning were utilized to assess diversity patterns. A total of 55 species were observed and one-way ANOVA tests yielded significant differences in species richness among regions and sites. In all instances, β₂ (among sites within a region) and β₃ (among different regions) diversity contributed greater than expected numbers of species to γ-diversity in the island’s nearshore environment, accounting for over half of the observed total species richness. nMDS analyses revealed different levels of dissimilarity among regions, sites, and habitat types. Species rarefaction and accumulation curves indicate that more species are likely present. The collection of different habitat types and sites each make contributions to overall γ-diversity in the system. Therefore, all the sites that were sampled in this study contribute to overall island diversity and should be considered in conservation and management. The results of this study provide a more expansive consideration of fish diversity patterns among nearshore habitats around San Salvador
The Relative Tax Gap Hypothesis: An Exploratory Analysis and Application to U.S. Financial Markets
Get PDFThis study empirically investigates the “relative tax gap hypothesis,” which posits that the greater the size of the relative tax gap, the greater the degree to which the U.S. Treasury must borrow from domestic and/or other credit markets and hence the higher the ex ante real interest rate yield on the Bellwether 30 year U.S. Treasury bond. The study uses the most current data available for computing what is referred to here as the “relative tax gap,” which is the ratio of the aggregate tax gap (the loss in federal income tax revenue resulting from personal income tax evasion) to the GDP level. For each year of the study period, the nominal value of the tax gap is scaled by the nominal GDP level and expressed as a percentage. The study period runs from 1982 through 2016, reflecting data availability for all of the variables. The estimation results provide strong support for the hypothesis. In addition, in separate estimations, evidence is provided that the relative tax gap also acts to elevate the ex ante real interest rate yield on Moody’s Baa-rated long-term corporate bonds. It logically follows, then, that to the extent that a greater relative tax gap leads to higher ex ante real interest rates, it may contribute to the crowding out of corporate investment in new plant equipment associated heretofore with government budget deficits per se
Does Knowledge from Home Markets Boost Outward Foreign Direct Investments of Emerging Economy Multinationals? Evidence from Indian Family EMNEs
Get PDFDespite increasing research on multinationals from emerging economies (EMNEs), our understanding of the antecedents of their international expansion is still limited. In this study, we seek to examine whether knowledge gained from operating in their complex and diverse domestic markets deter or aid the outward foreign direct investments of EMNEs. As family firms are dominant in emerging economies, we further explore how heterogeneity within family firms moderate this relationship. We conduct our investigations using a proprietary longitudinal dataset comprising 213 EMNEs from India featuring in the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) 500 index covering a six-year period from 2007-08 to 2012-13, of which 175 were family EMNEs and find supporting evidence for our theoretical predictions
Examining the Mechanisms Linking Work-Related Conflicts and Employee Well-Being: A Mediation Model
Get PDFThis study examines the role of negative affect state and relationship conflict in explaining the association between two types of work-related conflicts namely, task and process conflicts; and employee well-being. Drawing from affective events theory and social attribution theory, the study hypothesizes a mediation model in which task and process conflicts are negatively associated with employee well-being through negative affect state and relationship conflict. While examining this model, the study establishes the inter-linkage between task, process conflicts and employee well-being and identifies two pathways to explain these relationships. Based on a sample of 554 IT employees from India, the study found support for the mediation model in which negative affect state and relationship conflict mediates the relationship between two types of conflict and employee well-being. Findings of the present study contribute to the theory by extending our understanding of the effect of task and process conflicts on employee well-being and also explains how it impairs well-being. The current insights will help managers and practitioners to design interventions to mitigate the detrimental effect of task and process conflicts on employee well-being
Navigating the Web of Informal Institutions When Investing in a Strange Land: Chinese Multinational Enterprises in Australia
Get PDFMultinational enterprises (MNEs) need to understand and handle various informal institutions in host countries to survive and succeed. How MNEs effectively manage informal institutional characteristics of host countries is an important question for both practitioners and scholars. This paper addresses this important but neglected topic based on an in-depth longitudinal qualitative study. It identifies some key informal institutions in Australia, examines how such institutional distinctiveness shapes the behaviour of Chinese expatriates and MNEs and how they handle such informal institutional differences between China and Australia. Our findings challenge some taken-for-granted assumptions regarding informal institutions in the literature and demonstrate that informal institutions of host countries significantly shape the behaviour of expatriates and firm-level strategies of MNEs
Dewatering of Chlorella Through Carbon Dioxide Hydrate Formation for Biofuel Production
Get PDFRenewable energy alternatives are currently of interest to meet ever-growing energy demands due to fossil fuel depletion and climate change. Biofuels, an alternative source, can be made from a range of organic matter. One option is algae, which can be grown without impacting food production and in a variety of conditions, however, the feasibility of converting algae into biofuel is of concern. Dewatering algae is a critical step in the process to make oil extraction more efficient. This study utilizes carbon dioxide clathrate hydrates as a novel process to dewater water saturated algae solutions. Clathrate hydrates are crystalline solids formed from water molecules that contain trapped gas molecules. Carbon dioxide is specifically trapped in Structure I hydrates that are composed of a 512 62 structure. A stainless-steel reactor was used to perform proof-of concept experiments using Chlorella sp. Experiments were performed with an initial pressure of 450 psig in a refrigerated circulator cooled to 2°C for three or more days with occasional agitation to encourage carbon dioxide hydrate formation. After performing several experiments, it was found that between 0.2 to 14.7 wt% of free water was converted into clathrate hydrates. Overall, the results show potential for the use of clathrate hydrates to dewater a water-saturated algae solution