Contextualizing Cultural Orientation and Organizational Citizenship Behavior

This research attempts a more contextualized approach to examining organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Borrowing from theory in international and cross cultural management as well as organizational behavior, context is conceptualized as multi-level and as a shaper of meaning and variability in employee citizenship behaviors. By centralizing the unique socio-cultural, political and historical national context (i.e., omnibus context) of Lebanon at the core of our theorizing, we hypothesize, contrary to previous research, a positive relationship between idiocentrism and employee engagement in organizational citizenship behaviors. Furthermore, we explore the influence that unit level OCB (i.e., discrete context) has on the idiocentrism–OCB relationship. Our analysis confirms the positive relationship between idiocentrism and OCB in this unique context. In addition, our cross-level analysis suggests that in workgroups with higher levels of unit level OCB, idiocentrism is more strongly related to employee engagement in OCB. The findings highlight the value added in contextualizing research on OCB and employee behavior in general.     

From Boom to Bust: How Different Has Microfinance Been from Traditional Banking?

This article presents in‐depth analysis of developments in the microfinance sector before and after the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008, by comparing them with developments in the traditional banking sectors of emerging markets and developing countries. Its findings indicate that microfinance has been part of the same credit boom observed in the traditional banking sector, and that the boom was also fostered by substantial inflows of foreign capital. Further, that risks associated with credit booms in the traditional sector also evolved in the microfinance sector. The article comes to the conclusion that, by becoming part of the global financial system, microfinance has lost one of the characteristics distinguishing it from traditional banking, namely, its greater resilience to crises in domestic and global financial markets.     

Recruiting Managing Directors: Doing Homosociality

This article examines homosociality in the context of top management recruitment in Sweden, drawing on interviews with chairmen of the board and three recruitments of managing directors. The analysis suggests that homosociality is done through two main practices: (re)defining competence and doing hierarchy, resulting in a preference for certain men and the exclusion of women. It is argued that the preference of men can be understood as an unreflexive practice, which can explain why many Swedish male managers are aware of the adverse conditions women face and claim to be pro‐equality but continue to recruit men for management positions. In light of this, it is also argued that homosociality and gender discrimination can be seen as two sides of the same coin.     

Corporate lobbying: Role perceptions and perceived influence on political decisions of public affairs professionals

This study aims to provide insight into public affairs professionals’ role conceptions and perceived influence on political decision making. We conducted a quantitative online survey with 238 corporate public affairs professionals in Germany who worked either “in-house” at a corporation, for an industry association, or in a public affairs consultancy firm. Based on their main stakeholder orientation (clients, political actors, or society) and primary objectives (mediator, expert, or advocate), a cluster analysis categorized the professionals into four main roles: persuaders, advisors, coordinators, and mediators. Although acting in line with ethical norms and being transparent about their practices were deemed important for all roles, there were differences regarding the balancing of positions and loyalty toward the client. Finally, a regression analysis showed that financial resources, information sovereignty, and ethical considerations were the strongest predictors of public affairs professionals’ perceived influence on political decisions. Implications and avenues for future research are discussed.     

The height of two types of generalised Motzkin paths

Consider Motzkin paths which are lattice paths in the plane starting at the origin, running weakly above the x-axis and after n   unit steps returning at the point (n,0)$(n,0)$. The allowed steps are the up and down steps (1,1)$(1,1)$ and (1,−1)$(1,-1)$ respectively and certain horizontal steps. We consider two types of horizontal steps that have attracted recent attention in the literature. First, we consider unit horizontal steps (1,0)$(1,0)$ coloured with k colours, secondly, we look at paths where the horizontal steps are of length k, for a non-negative integer k. Using generating functions, we study the sum of heights of such paths of size n. With the use of the Mellin transform, we find asymptotic expressions for the mean heights as n tends to infinity.     

Perspective: Determinants of the Severity of Poliovirus Outbreaks in the Post Eradication Era

The potential consequences of the reintroduction of poliovirus in the post-eradication era range from trivial (no or self-limited transmission and no clinical cases) to very serious (return of continued transmission of polioviruses and abandonment of the poliomyelitis eradication goal). This paper summarises the key determinants of such outcomes and identifies factors relating to infection surveillance, to vaccination policies at the time of OPV cessation and beyond, and to the still-unknown implications of these policies for infection transmission in environments with poor sanitation, as particularly important. Explicit consideration of these issues should encourage studies on the effectiveness of IPV vaccines in reducing poliovirus transmission in tropical environments, and should influence the location and containment requirements of facilities for vaccine production and storage, and for poliovirus-related research, in the era after cessation of OPV.     

Gender Differences in Time Use Among Adolescents in Developing Countries: Implications of Rising School Enrollment Rates

This comparative analysis of gender differences in time use among adolescents uses surveys from five developing countries and is motivated by an interest in gender role socialization and gendered patterns of behavior during adolescence. Exploring differences in work (both noneconomic household work and labor market work) and leisure time among adolescents according to school enrollment status, we examine the implications of school enrollment for adolescent development. Consistent differences in time use patterns exist between students and nonstudents across a range of settings. Students spend many fewer hours than nonstudents in work activities and the type of work they do is primarily domestic. Although females carry a heavier workload and enjoy less leisure time than males during their adolescent years regardless of enrollment status, the distribution of their time and the types of activities they participate in are much more similar to their male peers when they are students.     

Is screening and brief advice for problem drinkers by clergy feasible? A survey of clergy

Routine screening for alcohol abuse in primary care, with brief advice to stop drinking for those screening positive, can detect individuals with alcohol problems and reduce alcohol use and alcohol induced problems in those detected. Not everyone with alcohol problems sees a physician regularly, however, and not all respond to a physician's brief advice. To explore the feasibility of expanding screening for alcohol problems to clergy, we did a mailed survey to 315 clergy at Christian churches in Cleveland, Ohio. Clergy reported a variety of views about alcohol use and abuse, but most agreed that alcoholism is a disease. They indicated counseling a significant number of parishioners, and were receptive to learning brief screening questions to detect alcohol problems. We conclude that many clergy would be interested in a strategy of screening and then giving brief advice or referral to individuals found to have alcohol problems.     

Disseminating science-based prevention: lessons learned from CSAP's CAPTs

A wide variety of prevention approaches that reduce substance use and associated problems have been developed and tested. But successes have been limited in promoting the use of these scientific advances by the policy makers, practitioners, and concerned citizens. The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention's six regional Centers for the Application of Prevention Technologies (CSAP's CAPTs) are a major mechanism by which CSAP brings research to practice. This article synthesizes the issues that the CAPTs have faced, the solutions they have developed, and conclusions concerning the work that still needs to be done to increase the application of science-based approaches to prevention. These discussions highlight the particular importance of addressing issues related to the larger systems in which prevention programs and strategies operate.