Unintentional drowning in urban South Africa: a retrospective investigation, 2001–2005

Drowning is a major public health concern in low- and middle-income countries. In South Africa there is sound information and an emerging knowledge base for drowning prevention. However, there remains a scarcity of analyses of drowning in the country. The purpose of this analysis was to quantify the magnitude and describe occurrence of unintentional drowning deaths in five major South African cities, recorded between 2001 and 2005 by the National Injury Mortality Surveillance System. Drowning in South African cities occurred at rates of between 1.4 and 2.7/100,000 population. The majority of drowning occurred among males, while the highest rates were observed among 0–4 year olds. Most drowning deaths occurred during recreational periods, over weekends and in the afternoon. Of adult drowning victims, 41.5% were alcohol-positive at the time of death. This study is based on one of only two known systematic sources of drowning mortality in Africa. It provides an indication of drowning rates in South African cities with young children and males at considerably more risk. The most likely locations for drowning varied from city to city. Among adult victims, especially men, alcohol is an important risk factor.     

A retrospective population-based data analyses of unintentional fall mortality and hospitalisation in Taiwan during 2005–2007

The objective of this study is to describe the epidemiology of unintentional fall mortality and hospitalisation and to find the risk factors associated with inpatient mortality. We analysed mortality data from official publications which record the vital statistics and hospitalisation data from National Health Insurance (NHI) Research Database from 2005 to 2007 and fall injuries were classified in accordance with ICD-9-CM E-Codes, including ‘falls on the same level (E885–E886)’, ‘falls on a different level (E880–E884)’ and ‘unspecified falls (E887–E888)’. We used SPSS 18.0 software. During 2005–2007 in Taiwan, there were 3555 deaths and 180,175 inpatients due to unintentional falls and the mortality rate was 5.19 per 100,000 and the hospitalisation rate was 236.14 per 100,000. With regards to deaths, different-level falls were the primary cause, and those aged 25 or more were high-risk groups; with regards to hospitalisation, same-level falls were the primary cause, and those aged 65 or more were the high-risk group. Associated factors for inpatient mortality can be classified by patient characteristics (older age, catastrophic illness, higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and head trauma) and hospital-related factors (geographic area, type of hospital, level of hospital and department of care). The high-risk groups were different between ‘same-level’ and ‘different-level’ falls and the findings of this study will be beneficial for concerned authorities to draft up appropriate prevention plans in the future. Moreover, future researchers can further explore different risk factors for injuries using questionnaire surveys or hospital emergency room data.     

From thrifts to universal banks: the sources of organisational change in French savings banks, 1945–2000

This article aims to analyse the processes by which French savings banks have transformed themselves in the past 70 years. Although much is known about how banking has changed in industrialised countries since the late 1970s, in particular through higher competition, regulatory changes and restructuring, we know relatively little about how non-profit banks have been affected. In addition, although the key factors of change highlighted in the literature all reveal an implicit emphasis on exogenous sources of change (i.e. banks respond to changes in their external environment by adjusting their strategy), not much research has been dedicated to investigate the potential endogenous factors of change and, by extension, more complex interactions between banks and their environment have been ignored. This article aims to respond to these two challenges, by drawing on the framework proposed by Haveman and Rao suggesting that organisational change occurs as the outcome of co-evolution between organisations and institutions. Given the key role played by the state in banking, the article proposes an amendment to this framework by taking into account the multiple interdependencies between state and banking actors, and how these interdependencies evolve over time.     

Knowledge transfer in the context of buyer–supplier relationship: An analysis of a supplier's customer portfolio

In the context of buyer–supplier relationship, the present study will not only analyse the role of formal and informal mechanisms to transfer knowledge but also the direct and moderating effect of trustworthiness, as relational dimensions, to understand how customers acquire knowledge from suppliers. The results related to a sample of 105 customers belonging to a medium-sized Italian manufacturer's customer portfolio show that both formal and informal transfer mechanisms positively impact knowledge acquisition. Trustworthiness positively moderates the effect of informal transfer mechanisms and negatively moderates the effect of formal transfer mechanisms on knowledge transfer. Some considerations regarding the customer portfolio are suggested to enhance our understanding of the effectiveness of knowledge transfer mechanisms in relation to different trustworthiness contexts.     

Is international entrepreneurship a field? A bibliometric analysis of the literature (1989–2015)

The abundant academic literature on international entrepreneurship has attracted the attention of many researchers in various fields (international business, entrepreneurship, management, marketing, to mention a few). A debate has been opened on whether international entrepreneurship is indeed a field. In this article, we seek to contribute to this debate. We applied a bibliometric analysis to 567 articles on international entrepreneurship published during the 1989–February 2015 period. The main indices that this is an emerging field are as follows: a concentration of publications on central contributors and universities, key dates of social events, the creation of a journal dedicated to the topic and a strong identity of keywords. A co-citation analysis shows that the international entrepreneurship field is structured on a stable body of references, organised into five key clusters, distinct from its mother disciplines: international business and entrepreneurship. Our work helps to identify the paradigmatic approaches that structure international entrepreneurship.     

Comparative analysis of innovative diffusion in the high-tech markets of Japan and South Korea: a use–diffusion model approach

In recent years, many scholars and practitioners have raised doubt as to whether or not conventional research on the diffusion of innovation can explain and predict the needs and behavioral patterns of consumers in the raiding and converging market environment. Thus, it has been suggested that the use–diffusion model would be a good alternative framework to study innovation diffusion. This study explores whether the new model is effective in explaining and predicting the needs and innovative behavioral patterns of consumers in the Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) market in Japan and South Korea. Nation-wide surveys were conducted in Japan and South Korea for data collection, resulting in a large random sample (n = 500 in Japan and n = 500 in South Korea). Important findings of the study are: (1) product experience and sophistication of technology were found to be the most important factors in explaining the innovative diffusion process among IPTV users; (2) functional similarity, complementarity, and substitution effect were also main determinants for enhancing users’ satisfaction with IPTV services; (3) complexity and relative advantage were crucial measures of IPTV’s current technological level, functional performance, and quality with regard to services; and (4) a comparative analysis of diffusion patterns of IPTV between Japan and South Korea indicated that IPTV users in Japan appeared to be still in the phase of early adopters, while South Korean users have gone beyond to the phase of early majority in the adoption cycle.     

Facilitating intercultural negotiated practices in joint ventures: The case of a French–German railway organization

In this paper, we show how new work and managerial practices emerge in international joint ventures (IJVs), how they are co-constructed by cultural negotiating processes over time, and how this co-construction can provide synergistic effects. We use the case study of a binational railway organization which coordinates activities of its parent companies, DB and SNCF, between France and Germany, to focus on emerging practices, and use the framework of Brannen and Salk (2000) to categorize these practices. Our study centres on factors that facilitate the development of synergistic practices: organizational and communication structures, individual skills and socialization of IJV actors, and interpersonal relationships and learning processes in “boundary spanning dyads”. Where previous studies typically insist on boundary spanners as individuals, we specifically highlight the important role of boundary spanning dyads and relationships.     

The Role of Infomediaries: CSR in the Business Press During 2000–2009

Given the important role that business media play in corporate life, scarce attention has been paid to the role of media in the construction and popularization of corporate social responsibility (CSR). In this article, we understand media as a key infomediary and examine how the business press has framed and presented CSR over the last 10 years. Based on a content analysis of how CSR is presented in two English-language business newspapers with an international readership, we develop a framework for understanding the role of business media setting the corporate CSR agenda. The results show that business media contribute to the construction of what CSR means in corporate practice by creating links between CSR and certain corporate activities, between CSR and arguments that strengthen the view of CSR as a business case, and between CSR and certain spokespersons. These links contribute to create a notion of what CSR stands for, what it means in practice, and why it is important that one should pay attention to.     

Transitions in industrial research: the case of the Philips Natuurkundig Laboratorium (1914–1994)

In this article we describe the history of the Philips Natuurkundig Laboratorium (Nat.Lab.) in the Netherlands in the period 1914–1994. The article aims at considering three main research problems. Firstly, we pay attention to the process of institutionalisation of industrial research and development (R&D) in the twentieth century. Secondly, we place the history of the Nat.Lab. in the context of innovation in the Netherlands. Finally, we investigate the role of this industrial laboratory in its company, Philips Electronics. The historical account shows that the Nat.Lab.'s mission changed over time in accordance with the changes in its context and adapted its structure, culture and external contacts according to the needs of each new mission. Throughout time it remained a unique place for multidisciplinary research for the company.     

Green tea quality attributes: a cross-cultural study of consumer perceptions using importance–performance analysis (IPA)

This study examined consumer perceptions about green tea quality attributes and consumers’ green tea consumption behavior within major green tea-producing and consuming countries including China, Japan, and Korea. Five factors of green tea quality attributes were revealed through the exploratory factor analysis and were analyzed using importance–performance analysis (IPA). Safety, health, and sensory factors perceived by Chinese consumers as being important and well-performed were positioned in the “Keep Up the Good Work” quadrant. Safety and sensory factors were perceived by Japanese and Koreans as being important, but were less-performed and were placed in the “Concentrate Here” quadrant. Japanese and Koreans considered the health factor as less important and less well-performed and were positioned in the “Low Priority” quadrant. The price/utility and production factors were less important by all consumers. Chinese consumers perceived all five factors as performing very well. However, Japanese and Koreans perceived other factors as performing less acceptable except for the production factor for Korean respondents and the price/utility factor for those Japanese respondents. The production factor was the most influential for drinking frequency and spending for green tea in all three countries, also for the amount purchased by Chinese and Japanese consumers.     

Determinants of growth in non-farm proprietor densities in the US, 1990–2000

The number of non-farm proprietorships in the US has expanded significantly in past decades, but this expansion has not occurred evenly over space. Regression analysis correcting for spatial autocorrelation reveals that proprietors respond rationally to economic incentives. Parameter estimates for variables measuring collateral, age, ethnic mix, government policy, female labor force participation, and natural amenities, each have the expected signs. A few options are available to policymakers for influencing growth in self-employment densities over time.

French textile specialisation in long run perspective (1836–1938): trade policy as industrial policy

Abstract

This article concerns textile industry dynamics. Using a new database covering French international trade between 1836 and 1938, it focuses on France’s specialisation in various textiles. It demonstrates, for the first time, the major influence of trade policy on the French textile trade during the first globalisation. Tariffs appear to be key factors in specialisation, measured by the Lafay Index and intra-industry trade in textiles. By analysing changes in tariffs between textile raw materials and finished textiles and decorrelation between tariffs, we show that an effective trade protection approach was applied by successive French governments in order to sustain the industrial competitiveness of textile firms. Such trade policy slowed down textile de-specialisation in silk and wool fabrics until World War One.     

Geographic distribution of suicide and railway suicide in Belgium, 2008–2013: a principal component analysis

This study investigated the geographic distribution of suicide and railway suicide in Belgium over 2008--2013 on local (i.e., district or arrondissement) level. There were differences in the regional distribution of suicide and railway suicides in Belgium over the study period. Principal component analysis identified three groups of correlations among population variables and socio-economic indicators, such as population density, unemployment, and age group distribution, on two components that helped explaining the variance of railway suicide at a local (arrondissement) level. This information is of particular importance to prevent suicides in high-risk areas on the Belgian railway network.     

The entrepreneurial control imperative: A case history of Steria (1969–2000)

Steria, a leading French information systems and services company, was created with the vision that it would be owned by employees of all ranks. Founded in 1969 with US$80,000 initial capital and eight employees, Steria achieved its initial public offering (IPO) in 1999, and in May 2000 had sales of US$400 million, 3000 employees, and a market value of US$800 million, with a price/earnings ratio of 55. Steria's strategy was driven by the entrepreneurial control imperative. While the founder entrepreneur gradually relinquished control in favor of new employees, Steria was wary, almost paranoid, in ensuring its independence from takeovers by other companies. We discuss the four stages of growth of Steria, separated by three internal crises. Two of these crises were caused by the revolt of dissatisfied employees, the “barons,” and were resolved through the statesmanship of the founder entrepreneur. We analyze the key factors that contributed to the success of Steria, and we discuss whether the strategy of maintaining entrepreneurial control was beneficial to Steria and whether this strategy is still valid for the post-IPO “New Steria.”     

A Review of the Empirical Ethical Decision-Making Literature: 2004–2011

This review summarizes the research on ethical decision-making from 2004 to 2011. Eighty-four articles were published during this period, resulting in 357 findings. Individual findings are categorized by their application to individual variables, organizational variables, or the concept of moral intensity as developed by Jones (Acad Manag Rev 16(2):366–395, 1991). Rest’s (Moral development: advances in research and theory, Praeger, New York, 1986) four-step model for ethical decision-making is used to summarize findings by dependent variable—awareness, intent, judgment, and behavior. A discussion of findings in each category is provided in order to uncover trends in the ethical decision-making literature. A summary of areas of suggested future research is provided.     

Productivity growth,technical progress and efficiency change in Spanish retail trade (1995–2004): a disaggregated sectoral analysis

This article analyses productivity growth in Spanish retail stores during the period 1995–2004. It is also interested in analysing the influence of regulation/deregulation processes on the efficiency and productivity of the firms. The analysis is carried out from a disaggregated sectoral perspective at the 4-digit NACE code level. The non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis approach is used to compute Malmquist productivity indexes. These are decomposed into efficiency change and technical change. Big differences are found in the productivity growth for each sector. First, six retail sectors experienced positive productivity growth, while six saw productivity growth decrease. Second, most sectors experienced technical progress. Third, some sectors improved their efficiency, while others became less efficient. Fourth, the TFP improvements were almost entirely due to technical progress, and only four sectors improved their efficiency. The findings obtained from the analysis of the deregulation of opening hours show two important facts: (i) the differences in the productivity and the efficiency of the firms between sectors, and (ii) the losses /improvements of efficiency of the firms in relation to the effects of the shop opening hours or the lack of adaptation to the environment.     

Zobele chemical industries: the evolution of a family company from flypaper to globalization (1919–2001)

The Zobele, located in Trento, Northern Italy, was founded in 1919 by Enrico Zobele Sr., who became famous when he invented his first “killer product” in 1930—flypaper. After the Second World War, the bombed-out factory was rebuilt by his sons, Luigi and Fulvio, who introduced new products for home hygiene and home care. The company globalized under the joint leaderships of Chief Executive Enrico Jr., son of Luigi, and Franco and Giovanni, sons of Fulvio. In 2001, Zobele Chemical Industries reported sales of US$75 million with profits of US$5.1 million. The company had 700 employees, factories in Italy, Spain, Brazil, Paraguay, India, Hong Kong, Mexico, and Malaysia with continuing expansions in Italy and China. This is a case study of the Zobele family and Zobele Chemical Industries, their past history, and present status. It centers on the challenges they face in ensuring global leadership in their served market niches, while maintaining the continuity of family ownership and control. This case presents the practical implications for family enterprises in their attempts to meet the challenges of a globalized marketplace.     

Revisiting the fit–performance thesis half a century later: a historical financial analysis of Chandler's own matched and mismatched firms

This study revisits Chandler's seminal work Strategy and Structure (1962) empirically. This work helped fashion the notion of strategic fit as well as the need for new organisational forms. Chandler's fit–performance thesis proposes that firms which match structure to their strategy will become economically more efficient than mismatched firms. The very same firms Chandler studied are analysed financially as their structure evolves through successive phases of being matched to their strategy, mismatched, and then finally matched again. Over 70 longitudinal tests are performed, yielding mostly statistically significant results. These tests surprisingly suggest that mismatched firms generally outperform firms that match structure to strategy. Such results matter in light of new conceptual approaches being introduced on the subject of ‘fit’; novel plausible explanations are provided for this apparent theoretical paradox.