Search

In this paper, we study the agency relationship between the firm's owners and managers. We apply the theory of Cognitive Moral Development (CMD) to answer the question: What factors affect salience of the interests of the firm's owners to the managers? Using a sample of Russian managers, we found that higher levels of CMD weaken the relationship between the owners' perceived urgency and the owners' salience and strengthen the relationship between the owners' perceived power and the owners' salience. We also found that managerial CMD is positively associated with the perceived legitimacy of the owners' demands to the managers. Our results show that the higher the managers' CMD, the less applicable are the recommendations of agency theory to incentivizing and controlling the managers.

The Ethiopian Highlands represent one of the most important centres of endemism on Earth. Six endemic species of laminate-toothed rats have been reported from Ethiopia in a previous study based mostly on morphological analyses. Largely missing genetic data for some of the species, insufficient sampling across Ethiopia, and presence of a pseudogene on cytochrome b created knowledge gaps in basic taxonomy, distribution, and phylogenetic position of the Ethiopian taxa. Here we perform an integrative taxonomic revision of the group by using the largest available sets of genomic and morphological data. We first reconstructed the mitochondrial phylogeny of the whole genus, delimited major clades, and evidenced two independent colonization events of Otomys to Ethiopia. By using genome-scale SNPs, we delimited putative Ethiopian species and analysed their phylogenetic relationships. In genetically characterized specimens we assessed morphological variation of skulls. We confirmed the presence of six previously reported species and significantly extended the known distributional range for some of them. Furthermore, we discovered a genetically and morphologically distinct lineage in northern Ethiopia, probably representing a new species. The speciation processes are similar to other Afromontane Ethiopian endemic rodent clades, with prevailing allopatric diversification combined with reticulate processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently established Chebera Churchura National Park represents a mosaic of savanna and montane evergreen forest. A report on small mammals (2013) showed their relatively high diversity, but species identification was based only on external morphology. We conducted a new field survey and genetic analyses to shed light on diversity and biogeographical affinities of small mammals in this under-explored national park. Based on results of mitochondrial DNA barcoding, 14 species of rodents and two species of shrews, including Crocidura turba (new to the Ethiopian fauna), were identified. Moreover, a new taxon of gerbils – presumably representing a new species – of the genus Gerbilliscus was discovered. We show that forest and savanna species often inhabit the same localities, which can be explained by the mosaic nature of biotopes. These results document the uniqueness of Chebera Churchura NP, especially in comparison with other Ethiopian national parks, and argue for its protection and further development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies possible complementarities and substitution effects between such strategic choices as alliances, acquisitions and internal R&D investments. The findings indicate that a firm’s absorptive capacity affects the presence of complementarities and substitution effects among those strategic choices. Firms with high absorptive capacity exhibit substitution effects between alliances and acquisitions and between alliances and internal R&D investments. Firms with high absorptive capacity also exhibit complementarities between acquisitions and additional R&D investments. These results were obtained from panel data of large and medium U.S. companies spanning the years 1998-2009. The results are robust to the use of different measures of performance: profitability, market-to-book value, and sales growth. This paper contributes to our understanding of the role of absorptive capacity for the optimal choice of inter-organizational strategy vs. greater internal R&D investments.

Innovation has been discussed as a mechanism to help markets adapt to the consequences of climate change but the adoption of innovation is shaped by a set of formal and informal institutions, one of which is national culture norms. In this empirical study, we examine the impact of innovation on adaptive capacity to climate change then investigate how national culture norms enhance or weaken this relationship, using a database of 42 countries across the period of 2009–2020. We find that innovation has a positive effect on countries' adaptive capacity to climate change and the culture dimensions of Uncertainty Avoidance and Future Orientation moderate this relationship, such that countries scoring high on Uncertainty Avoidance and Future Orientation are better able to channel innovation into the adaptive capacity to climate change. Furthermore, while we found that Uncertainty Avoidance and Future Orientation had a direct positive impact on adaptive capacity, the dimension of institutional collectiveness had no significant impact. Implications for policy makers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors suppose that the vulnerability of natural-and-technical system in relation to the subsidence can be equated to the financial costs of repair or new construction with the summation of losses from the temporary exception of this system from the economic activity. Then the vulnerability can be considered as the economic damage, and risk can be considered as the multiplication of damage by the probability of a dangerous event. The method of calculation of geological risk is offered in the article and can be applied in practice by geologists, mathematicians and designers.

Purpose: This study aims to test the moderating effect of market-supporting institution on the strategic similarity–firm performance relationship. Design/methodology/approach: The present is study based on a large panel of firms from developed and emerging economies covering the period 2000–2014. Findings: Highly-developed market-supporting institutions improve the performance of firms that stick to industry's average strategies while weakly-developed market supporting institutions improve the performance of firms that deviate from industry norms. Originality/value: This is the first paper that shows that the effect of strategic similarity on firm performance depends on the degree of development of market-supporting institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research into gene flow across interspecies hybrid zones gives an opportunity to identify mechanisms involved in the formation and maintenance of a species. The section of the hybrid zone between Microtus arvalis and M. obscurus in the Lower Oka basin (East European plain, Russia) was analysed here. Clinal analysis of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA and karyotypic and phenotypic features revealed a cline for mitochondrial gene Cytb; this cline exceeded in width clines for nuclear gene Tp53, for male-specific gene SMCY and for chromosomal markers. The phenotypic cline is second in width after the Cytb cline. The centre of the Cytb cline was found to be shifted from centres of the other clines towards the M. obscurus geographic range. Centres of the nuclear and chromosomal clines nearly coincide. The width of the Cytb cline and the shift of its centre can be explained by expansion of M. obscurus males into the geographic range of M. arvalis. The wide phenotypic cline may be caused by a large number of loci of small effect that determine the phenotypic features. Despite the expected negative correlation between the level of genetic divergence of the contacting forms and the width of the hybrid zones between them, the M. arvalis x M. obscurus hybrid zone in the studied section is wider when compared with the hybrid zones between phylogenetic lineages of M. arvalis in Southwest and Central Europe. We suppose that this discrepancy results from an influence of specific landscape features on the parameters of the hybrid zones. An inversion in autosome No. 5, which is an exclusive feature of M. obscurus, was absent to the west of the centre of the hybrid zone. The limited distribution of this inversion is suggestive of incompatibility of this chromosomal rearrangement with some genes of M. arvalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing literature has documented significant levels of technological similarity among firms in the same industry. However, there is no theory of how technological similarity affects firm performance. This study builds and tests a theory of performance consequences of technological similarity of a firm to its industry ("technological footprint similarity"). It argues that invention performance and market performance may be affected in different ways and that specific firm characteristics moderate these relationships. This study also argues that technological footprint similarity is different from the established concepts of technological diversification and strategic similarity. The contribution of the article centers on developing the concept of technological footprint similarity and developing and testing theory of its performance consequences in the presence of firm-specific moderators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The naked mole‐rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is used as an animal model in various studies, but not much is known on the genetic diversity of this animal. Here, on the basis of dataset collected from the most part of the distribution range of the naked mole‐rat, we reconstruct phylogenetic relationships between its different lineages using mitochondrial and nuclear markers. We also mapped the distribution of the main genetic lineages, dated the divergence using different Bayesian tree‐calibration techniques, and modeled the distribution of ecological niches for the period of last glacial maximum. Our results show the existence of two deeply divergent clades designated as the eastern clade (East Ethiopia) and the southern clade (South Ethiopia and North Kenya). Additional phylogeographic structure was demonstrated for each of these two clades. Divergence between these two main lineages dated back to the Middle Pleistocene (ca. 1.4–0.8 Mya) and may have been related to climate changes in Africa during the Mid‐Pleistocene Revolution. In light of substantial genetic differences between the eastern and southern lineages of the naked mole‐rat, these two clades can be considered as two deeply divergent subspecies or even as distinct species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multimammate mice of the genus Mastomys are widespread in sub-Saharan Africa and occur in a wide range of open habitats. Representatives of this genus are the most common African rodents, the main vertebrate agricultural pests and vectors of human pathogens. In Ethiopia, the biogeographically most complex eastern African country, several species have been reported, but their distribution has never been described because of their cryptic morphology. Here we present genetically identified species from 377 Ethiopian Mastomys specimens and analyse their distributional patterns. The genus, represented by four species, inhabits most of the country, with the exception of the highest mountains and dry areas, such as the Afar triangle and the Somali region. For the first time we document M. kollmannspergeri from a single locality in the northernmost part of Ethiopia. Three previously recorded species are more widespread – M. erythroleucus was found at 32 localities, M. natalensis at 13 localities and the Ethiopian endemic species M. awashensis at 18 localities. Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequences indicates that only one of the six phylogroups of M. natalensis and one of the four phylogroups of M. erythroleucus are represented in Ethiopia. Haplotype network analysis indicates two subclades of Ethiopian M. erythroleucus separated by the Ethiopian Rift Valley. Using presence records, we constructed distribution models for the species and analysed the level of overlap. The predicted distribution shows most overlap between M. awashensis and M. natalensis, which is in agreement with empirical data as both species were found in sympatry at four localities. A medium level of overlap was predicted between M. natalensis and M. erythroleucus and both species were found co-existing at two localities. This study not only presents the first detailed distribution of cryptic Mastomys species, but also clearly identifies multimammate mice as model taxa for future evolutionary studies (e.g. the evolution of coexistence or host-parasite interactions) and indicates the regions suitable for such studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we review the literature on interfirm contracting in an effort to synthesize existing research and direct future scholarship. While transaction cost economics (TCE) is the most prominent perspective informing the “optimal governance” and “safeguarding” function of contracts, our review indicates other perspectives are necessary to understand how contracts are structured: relational capabilities (i.e., building cooperation, creating trust), firm capabilities, relational contracts, and the real option value of a contract. Our review also indicates that contract research is moving away from a narrow focus on contract structure and its safeguarding function toward a broader focus that also highlights adaptation and coordination. We end by noting the following research gaps: consequences of contracting, specifically outcome assessment; strategic options, decision rights, and the evolution of dynamic capabilities; contextual constraints of relational capabilities; contextual constraints of contracting capabilities; complements, substitutes, and bundles; and contract structure and social process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]