1,154 research outputs found
Disruption of the developmental programme of Trypanosoma brucei by genetic ablation of TbZFP1, a differentiation-enriched CCCH protein
No full textThe regulation of differentiation is particularly important in microbial eukaryotes that inhabit multiple environments. The parasite Trypanosoma brucei is an extreme example of this, requiring exquisite gene regulation during transmission from mammals to the tsetse fly vector. Unusually, trypanosomes rely almost exclusively on post-transcriptional mechanisms for regulated gene expression. Hence, RNA binding proteins are potentially of great significance in controlling stage-regulated processes. We have previously identified TbZFP1 as a trypanosome molecule transiently enriched during differentiation to tsetse midgut procyclic forms. This small protein (101 amino acids) contains the unusual CCCH zinc finger, an RNA binding motif. Here, we show that genetic ablation of TbZFP1 compromises repositioning of the mitochondrial genome, a specific event in the strictly regulated differentiation programme. Despite this, other events that occur both before and after this remain intact. Significantly, this phenotype correlates with the TbZFP1 expression profile during differentiation. This is the first genetic disruption of a developmental regulator in T. brucei. It demonstrates that programmed events in parasite development can be uncoupled at the molecular level. It also further supports the importance of CCCH proteins in key aspects of trypanosome cell function
Socio-Emotional Wealth Separation and Decision-Making Quality in Family Firm TMTs: The Moderating Role of Psychological Safety
No full textSocio-emotional wealth (SEW), defined as the firm's non-financial aspects meeting the family's affective needs, has become the dominant paradigm in family firm research. Recent debate acknowledges potential SEW heterogeneity within family firms. This study considers the effect of polarizing opinions on SEW preservation among TMT members as a source of separation in the TMT. More concretely, we study the effect of SEW separation on TMT decision making quality, while taking into consideration behavioral integration as a team process and psychological safety as a team context. Based on a unique multiple respondent sample of 300 managers from 55 Belgian private family firms, we find that behavioral integration mediates the negative effect of SEW separation on TMT decision making quality. In addition, we find that the negative effect of SEW separation on behavioral integration is mitigated by psychological safety and even turns into a positive effect at high levels of psychological safety. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Multiple directorships in emerging countries: Fiduciary duties at stake?
No full textThis study investigates the effect of multiple directorships on firm performance, using a database of non-financial firms listed on the Pakistan stock exchange. Prior literature provides inconsistent evidence on the relationship between multiple directorships and firm performance in an emerging country context, which may be the result of overlooking both the large differences in institutional environments among emerging countries and the dynamic endogenous relationships between board variables and firm performance. We aim to contribute to this academic debate by focusing on directorship appointments to multiple boards in a weak institutional context. Corporate governance practices, such as boards with outside directors exercising their fiduciary duties, are crucial for effective governance in weak institutional environments. However, serving in multiple directorships is expected to compromise the execution of director duties. Using a dynamic system Generalized Method of Moments model, our findings show, indeed, a negative effect of multiple directorships on firm performance in a weak institutional environment. Building on the premise that corporate governance is conditional in nature, we also tested the moderating influence of firm size on this relationship, but we did not find supporting evidence in a dynamic model setting. Our results have important practical implications for policy makers as well as firms.Higher Education Commission, Pakistan.Voordeckers, W (corresponding author), Hasselt Univ, Res Ctr Entrepreneurship & Family Firms RCEF, B-3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.
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Het effect van veranderingen in de samenstelling van topmanagement teams op de prestaties
No full textOm te begrijpen waarom organisaties op een bepaalde manier handelen, dient men een beter inzicht te krijgen in de belangrijkste beslissingsnemers van de organisatie, namelijk de topmanagers. Uit onderzoek is namelijk gebleken dat niet de CEO maar de topmanagers de meeste invloed uitoefenen op de prestaties van de organisatie (Hambrick & Mason, 1984). Topmanagement en topmanagementteams zijn de laatste decennia ook een zeer actief onderzoeksdomein geworden. Hierbij speelt de samenstelling van het TMT een centrale rol. Individuele kenmerken en ervaringen van de managers hebben invloed op de beslissingen die ze nemen (Hambrick & Mason, 1984). Hierdoor worden ook de prestaties van de onderneming beïnvloed. Verder is de manier waarop teamleden integreren en met elkaar samenwerken cruciaal voor het behalen van goede prestaties.
Een belangrijke ontdekking binnen TMT-onderzoek is het onderscheid dat gemaakt kan worden tussen productieve en niet-productieve diversiteit (Hope-Pelled et al., 1999; Jehn et al, 1999; Hendriks, 2004). Diversiteit op vlak van productieve kenmerken zoals functionele achtergrond, opleiding,' zorgen voor ervaringen, kennis en perspectieven. Ze dragen bij aan de kwaliteit van de genomen beslissingen en zo aan de prestaties van de onderneming (Milikens & Martins). Diversiteit op vlak van niet-productieve kenmerken zoals leeftijd, geslacht,' die niets bijdragen, dienen zo beperkt mogelijk te worden gehouden. De achterliggende gedachte is: alle vormen van diversiteit beïnvloeden de integratie en samenwerking
Determinants of professionalization of TMT in private family firms
No full textWe examine the determinants of top management team professionalization in Belgian private family firms. Professionalization, conceptualized here as the inclusion of non-family managers, can be more challenging due to the unique composition of family firms. Therefore, predictions are based on contingency factors that are formed by three different subsystems: the ownership, business, and family system. A multi-theoretical approach is used to determine which family firms are more or less eager to hire non-family managers. Furthermore, the specific ties within a business family, translated by socio-emotional wealth, are considered to be influential. The results of the logistic regression analyses on a sample of 218 Belgian private family firms provide partial support for the effect of all three subsystems while also a significant influence of socio-emotional wealth is found. Hence, professionalization of top management teams in family firms is confirmed to be complex due to the unique interaction between the firm’s owners, management and family
Determinants of professionalization of TMT in private family firms
No full textWe examine the determinants of top management team professionalization in Belgian private family firms. Professionalization, conceptualized here as the inclusion of non-family managers, can be more challenging due to the unique composition of family firms. Therefore, predictions are based on contingency factors that are formed by three different subsystems: the ownership, business, and family system. A multi-theoretical approach is used to determine which family firms are more or less eager to hire non-family managers. Furthermore, the specific ties within a business family, translated by socio-emotional wealth, are considered to be influential. The results of the logistic regression analyses on a sample of 218 Belgian private family firms provide partial support for the effect of all three subsystems while also a significant influence of socio-emotional wealth is found. Hence, professionalization of top management teams in family firms is confirmed to be complex due to the unique interaction between the firm’s owners, management and family
Het effect van veranderingen in de samenstelling van topmanagement teams op de prestaties
No full textOm te begrijpen waarom organisaties op een bepaalde manier handelen, dient men een beter inzicht te krijgen in de belangrijkste beslissingsnemers van de organisatie, namelijk de topmanagers. Uit onderzoek is namelijk gebleken dat niet de CEO maar de topmanagers de meeste invloed uitoefenen op de prestaties van de organisatie (Hambrick & Mason, 1984). Topmanagement en topmanagementteams zijn de laatste decennia ook een zeer actief onderzoeksdomein geworden. Hierbij speelt de samenstelling van het TMT een centrale rol. Individuele kenmerken en ervaringen van de managers hebben invloed op de beslissingen die ze nemen (Hambrick & Mason, 1984). Hierdoor worden ook de prestaties van de onderneming beïnvloed. Verder is de manier waarop teamleden integreren en met elkaar samenwerken cruciaal voor het behalen van goede prestaties.
Een belangrijke ontdekking binnen TMT-onderzoek is het onderscheid dat gemaakt kan worden tussen productieve en niet-productieve diversiteit (Hope-Pelled et al., 1999; Jehn et al, 1999; Hendriks, 2004). Diversiteit op vlak van productieve kenmerken zoals functionele achtergrond, opleiding,' zorgen voor ervaringen, kennis en perspectieven. Ze dragen bij aan de kwaliteit van de genomen beslissingen en zo aan de prestaties van de onderneming (Milikens & Martins). Diversiteit op vlak van niet-productieve kenmerken zoals leeftijd, geslacht,' die niets bijdragen, dienen zo beperkt mogelijk te worden gehouden. De achterliggende gedachte is: alle vormen van diversiteit beïnvloeden de integratie en samenwerking
The effect of nonfamily managers on decision-making quality in family firm TMTs: The role of intra-TMT power asymmetries
No full textIn this paper, we examine the impact of the presence of both family and nonfamily managers on TMT decision-making quality. Based on a unique multiple respondent sample of 284 managers from 52 Belgian private family firms, we find that a higher proportion of nonfamily managers reduces TMT decision-making quality through intra-TMT ownership power asymmetries. In addition, we find that variety in knowledge and expertise in the TMT mitigates the negative effect of intra-TMT ownership power differences on decision-making quality. As such, we argue that expertise power can be a good counterbalance for the negative impact of a higher proportion of nonfamily managers on TMT outcomes in family firms
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