Why Are Some Subsidiaries of Multinationals the Source of Novel Practices while Others Are Not? National,Corporate and Functional Influences

It has frequently been argued that multinational companies are moving towards network forms whereby subsidiaries share different practices with the rest of the company. This paper presents large‐scale empirical evidence concerning the extent to which subsidiaries input novel practices into the rest of the multinational. We investigate this in the field of human resources through analysis of a unique international data set in four host countries – Canada, Ireland, Spain and the UK – and address the question of how we can explain variation between subsidiaries in terms of whether they initiate the diffusion of practices to other subsidiaries. The data support the argument that multiple, rather than single, factor explanations are required to more effectively understand the factors promoting or retarding the diffusion of human resource practices within multinational companies. It emerges that national, corporate and functional contexts all matter. More specifically, actors at subsidiary level who seek to initiate diffusion appear to be differentially placed according to their national context, their place within corporate structures and the extent to which the human resource function is internationally networked.     

A new estimate of Ukrainian population losses during the crises of the 1930s and 1940s

Ukraine experienced two very acute demographic crises during the Soviet era: the 1933 famine and the Second World War. While different estimates of total losses have been produced previously, we have tried here to distinguish the specific impact of the crises on mortality from their impact on fertility and migration. Taking into account all existing sources of registered data and estimates, a painstaking reconstruction of annual demographic changes has been produced and complete annual life tables have been computed for the years 1926-59. Life expectancy at birth fell to a level as low as 10 years for females and 7 for males in 1933 and plateaued around 25 for females and 15 for males in the period 1941-44.     

Ethical Issues that arise in Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy is designed to give the debtor another chance after a financial failure, and it is often an option that is both more ethical and more efficient than liquidation. We address some basic issues, such as whether Chapter 11 bankruptcy itself is ethical and what elements help one to decide if a particular bankruptcy is ethical. There are many chances for unethical acts during bankruptcy, such as the ethics of a firm that files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy yet has sufficient assets to meet its financial obligations, or the often exorbitant fees that bankruptcy professionals are allowed as well as the apparent partiality demonstrated in some bankruptcy courts.     

Écarts d'âge entre conjoints en Algérie. Évolution depuis 1966 et disparités régionales

The improvement in the positionof women and the evolution of spousal relationsare considered to be principal factors in thefertility transition. The age differentialbetween spouses is an important indicator ofthese. In Algeria, within 30 years, thespectacular increase in the mean ages at firstmarriage of women (from 18 to 28 years) and ofmen (from 24 to 31 years) has been coupled witha strong reduction in the average spousal agedifferential which has shifted from 5.6 yearsin 1966 to 3.7 years in 1998.The analysis of the dynamics of this agedifferential at the national level over aperiod of half a century (1948–1998) and ananalysis of its current regional variationsilluminate the very strong links of this trendwith the socio-economic and cultural context(education and activity of women, but alsohousing conditions, the role of agriculture,etc.). However, periodical socio-economicdifficulties (unemployment, poverty, housingshortage) weaken these long-term effects on thespousal age differential, since they force manymen to involuntarily postpone their marriage,thus slowing down the reduction in spousal agedifferentials.     

L‘économie des Québécois francophones à la lumière de la socio-anthropologie*

After taking a summary look at the links that exist between anthropology and sociology, the author introduces what would seem at first glance to be a new discipline, that of socio-anthropology. Advances made in this new field of research stem from the implications behind the definition given to the object of study, and from the methods used. An economic sector controlled by French-speaking Quebecers serves as an illustration. Its examination draws on the hypothesis that family relationships are constituent of relationships in production, that is, of the economic structure. The author then posits that an interdisciplinary approach is essential in socio-anthropology. Après un rapide survol des liens entre l'anthropologie et la sociologie, cet article présente ce qui semble être, au premier abord, une nouvelle discipline: la socio-anthropologie. Les progrès de cette dernière résident notamment dans la teneur de la définition de l'objet et dans les méthodes adoptées pour l'étudier. L'examen de l'économie des francophones au Québec sert ici d'illustration. Il se réclame de l'hypothèse voulant que les rapports de parenté soient constitutifs des rapports de production, c'est-á-dire de la structure économique. La socio-anthropologie relève, au dire de l'auteur, d'une approche interdisciplinaire.     

Sexual inactivity among men who have sex with men living with hiv in europe

Objectives: Most people living with HIV stay sexually active, but some remain inactive. This study investigated prevalence and correlates of sexual inactivity among European HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM). Methods: An anonymous sexual health questionnaire was distributed in 17 HIV outpatient clinics throughout Europe. Ninety-seven (11.6%) of 838 respondents reported absence of sexual activity. Results: Multivariable regression analysis identified older age, relationship status, and less satisfaction with general health and sexual desire as being associated with sexual inactivity. Conclusions: Prevalence of sexual inactivity has declined since the introduction of antiretroviral therapy to levels similar to those of HIV-negative MSM, suggesting a tendency toward normalization of HIV-positive MSM's sex lives.     

Economic evaluation of brief sex counseling for sexually dysfunctional adolescents

Objectives: In a randomized controlled trial brief sex counselling (BSC), intensive sexual healthcare (ISH) and no treatment (NT) for adolescents with a sexual dysfunction were compared. The aim of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of BSC versus ISH and NT from a societal perspective. Methods: Costs, sexual functioning and quality of life were measured during 6 months. Primary outcome measures were measured with the Female Sexual Functional Index, the International Index of Erectile Function and the utilities reflecting Quality of Life based on the SF-36. Uncertainty was dealt with by using bootstrap replications and sensitivity analyses. Results: Results show that the societal costs were the highest for ISH followed by NT and BSC. The difference in costs between ISH compared to NT and BSC was significant. Furthermore, there were no significant group differences in sexual functioning or quality of life. With respect to the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility, BSC can be considered to be a suitable treatment for adolescents with a sexual dysfunction. Conclusions: Due to the lack of a significant difference in clinical effect, it can be concluded that BSC is the cheapest treatment option when implementing the intention-to-treat, besides a no treatment option, for adolescents with a sexual dysfunction.