Relationship Power Among Same-Sex Male Couples in New York and San Francisco: Laying the Groundwork for Sexual Risk Reduction Interventions Focused on Interpersonal Power

Research is clear that power differentials between women and men shape women’s human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risks; however, little research has attempted to examine power differentials within same-sex male (SSM) couples and whether these influence sexual risk outcomes. To produce the first quantitative scale that measures power in SSM relationships, the current work was a Phase 1 qualitative study that sought to understand domains of relationship power and how power operated in the relationship among 48 Black, White, and interracial (Black–White) SSM couples recruited from San Francisco and New York. Interview domains were focused on definitions of power and perceptions of how power operated in the relationship. Findings revealed that couples described power in three key ways: as power exerted over a partner through decision-making dominance and relationship control; as power to accomplish goals through personal agency; and as couple-level power. In addition, men described ways that decision-making dominance and relationship control could be enacted in the relationship—through structural resources, emotional and sexual influence, and gender norm expectations. We discuss the implications of these findings for sexual risks and HIV care and treatment with SSM couples that are focused on closing gaps in power.     

Shareholders ad Corprate Elections

Concern about the need to address the problem of conflicts of interest between management and shareholders has led to calls on shareholders to exercise their voting rights at the annual general meetings. It is argued here that the distribution of shareholding in the UK companies creates a complex pattern of incentives and disincentives for the holders of even larger blocks of shares to participate in the voting process. Whether the effort to participate is rewarded depends in an unpredictable manner on the distribution of large block shareholdings, and also on the percentage of the holders of small parcels who exercise their right to vote. A clear choice set is needed to arrive at a rational decision concerning the exercise of franchise, but that is not available.     

NEW TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS IN MULTISTAGE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

The introduction of new technologies in production and manufacturing (such as robotics, flexible manufacturing systems (FMS), and computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM)) frequently motivates capital investment decisions. Traditionally, the need for additional capacity has motivated the evaluation of investment decisions which were undertaken based on financial factors such as the net present value (NPV), internal rate of return, taxation, and depreciation. This research integrates investment decisions with operational decisions for the case of multistage production assembly systems. We show that for such systems investment decisions affect not only the financial structure but also production scheduling and material flow in the system.