Notwithstanding the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, influenza virus infection still represents a global health concern in terms of hospitalizations and possible pandemic threats. The objective of ...next-generation influenza vaccines is not only to increase the breadth of response but also to improve the elicitation of an effective and robust immune response, especially in high-risk populations. To achieve this second objective, the administration of adjuvanted influenza vaccines has been considered. In this regard, the monitoring and characterization of the antibody response associated with the administration of adjuvanted vaccines has been evaluated in this study in order to shed light on the kinetic, magnitude and subclass usage of antibody secreting cells (ASCs) as well as of circulating antigen-specific serum antibodies. Specifically, we utilized the DBA/2J mouse model to assess the kinetic, magnitude and IgG subclass usage of the antibody response following an intramuscular (IM) or intraperitoneal (IP) immunization regimen with AddaVax-adjuvanted bivalent H1N1 and H3N2 computationally optimized broadly reactive antigen (COBRA) influenza recombinant hemagglutinins (rHAs). While the serological evaluation revealed a homogeneous kinetic of the antibody response, the detection of the ASCs through a FluoroSpot platform revealed a different magnitude, subclass usage and kinetic of the antigen-specific IgG secreting cells peaking at day 5 and day 9 following the IP and IM immunization, respectively.
The purpose of this article is to uncover how accounting modules are designed across UK Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs). We carried out a content analysis of Undergraduate Year 1 Accounting ...Module Handbooks for a sample of 12 UK Universities. The study finds considerable heterogeneity concerning the way accounting modules are designed and delivered across the UK HE sector. Our findings reveal significant variations across the sector in terms of credit hours, module learning outcomes and assessment strategies. This research contributes to accounting/business education literature as no study has previously utilised a content analysis approach to understand how accounting modules are designed and delivered across UK HEIs.
•We use gender-innovation data for 472 multinational corporations operating in 21 emerging economies.•We use multi-stage theoretical framework–institutional factors, Hofstede national cultural ...dimensions & firm level factors.•Our study is the first to empirically examine the effect of gender diversity on innovation for emerging economies.•National culture & country-level institutional quality has mediating influence on boardroom gender diversity & innovation.
This paper contributes to burgeoning research concerning the relationship between boardroom gender diversity and corporate innovation. The paper deploys a multi-theoretical framework comprising insights from the upper echelons, resource-dependency, and institutional theories, and the Hofstede's cultural dimensions framework. We test a panel dataset for 472 multinationals in 21 emerging economies, covering nine years (2009–2018). Our findings reveal that gender diversity is positively associated with corporate innovation. We also find that local factors such as national norms, cultural values, and country-level institutional quality influence boardroom gender diversity, level of investment in research and development (R&D), and corporate innovation. The paper concludes by providing policy and managerial recommendations on how to promote firm innovation within emerging markets contexts.
Empirical research shows that developing countries that are rich in natural resources tend to suffer slow economic growth and development due to various factors such as quality of institutions, ...governance, among others. The phenomenon of slow growth is widely known as the ‘natural resource-curse’ within the energy sector literature, and past research suggests that the membership of international non-governmental organisations and transparency are key factors in supporting economic development. However, limited research has been conducted to explore the key factors and their impact on the ‘natural resource-curse’. This study utilizes 222 cases from 18 of Ghana's key stakeholders and finds that the membership of country's Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and petroleum revenue management policies are insufficient to avert its ‘resource-curse’ unless they are complemented with country-level institutional factors such as the quality of institutions, quality of governance, government effectiveness, accountability, corruption control mechanisms, natural resource sustainability and effective accounting practices. Consequently, the study contributes to the deeper understanding of complex macro-level factors interlinked with the ‘natural resource-curse’. We also discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings, along with suggestions for future research.
•Natural resources rich developing countries suffer slow growth and development.•This phenomenon is widely known as the “natural resource-curse”.•We carried out a survey of 222 stakeholders in Ghana.•Country-level institutional factors are key determinants of natural resource-curse escape.
•Blockchain technology is a remarkable technological innovation of the 21st century.•Our survey paper explores the opportunities and issues presented by blockchain.•We discuss the implications of ...blockchain for accounting, finance, taxation, banking and international trade.•We show how organisations and regulators can leverage blockchain to upscale business operations.
Blockchain is one the most remarkable technological innovations of the 21st century. The most notable application of blockchain is in the development and operation of cryptocurrencies (e.g. bitcoin, ethereum, among others). Besides the financial services industry, blockchain is also considered in other sectors such as international trade, taxation, supply chain management, business operations and governance. However, blockchain has not been examined comprehensively in all areas of relevant literature. This article conducts a survey of the literature to gain an understanding of the opportunities and issues presented by blockchain in various business functions. The article begins by providing a discussion regarding how the blockchain technology operates. The paper takes a broad focus in its analysis of the prospects of blockchain for various business functions, including banking and the capital markets, corporate governance, international trade, and taxation. The paper demonstrates how organisations and regulators can leverage blockchain to upscale business operations, enhance efficiency and reduce operational costs. The key drawbacks of blockchain that stakeholders need to bear in mind before adopting the technology are also highlighted. The article also reflects on how organisations can tap into blockchain to reap the full potential of the fourth industrial revolution.
With the surge in economic growth in the global-north vis-a-vis social and economic inequalities in the global-south (north-south dichotomy), there is an increasing requirement for critical research ...and an examination of the policy implications with respect to human rights in emerging economies. This paper draws on the concept of convergence and institutional theories to enhance our understanding of how multinational corporations (MNCs) fulfil their profit maximisation agendas using capitalist principles; and the extent to which these ideologies produce human rights violations in emerging economies. Using multiple data sources from the Human Rights Watch, our study provides a comprehensive list of various human rights violations perpetrated by MNCs from 2002 to 2017. We verified 273 violations by 160 MNCs mostly from developed countries. More than 90% of our sample firms have CSR/sustainability committees, are signatories to the UN Global Compact and have reported compliance with the International Labour Organisation (ILO). This raises questions about the effectiveness of these programmes for CSR compliance. We contribute to the CSR/sustainability literature by providing new insights into the nature and location of human rights violations committed by MNCs.
This paper empirically investigates whether cryptocurrencies might have a useful role in financial modelling and risk management in the energy markets. To do so, the causal relationship between ...movements on the energy markets (specifically the price of crude oil) and the value of cryptocurrencies is analysed by drawing on daily data from April 2013 to April 2019. We find that shocks to the US and European crude oil indices are strongly connected to the movements of most cryptocurrencies. Applying a non-parametric statistic, Transferring Entropy (an econophysics technique measuring information flow), we find that some cryptocurrencies (XEM, DOGE, VTC, XLM, USDT, XRP) can be used for hedging and portfolio diversification. Furthermore, the results reveal that the European crude oil index is a source of shocks on the cryptocurrency market while the US oil index appears to be a receiver of shocks.
Prior studies on big data analytics have emphasized the importance of specific big data skills and capabilities for organizational success; however, they have largely neglected to investigate the use ...of cross‐functional teams’ skills and links to the role played by relevant data‐driven actions and business performance. Drawing on the resource‐based view (RBV) of the firm and on unique data collected from 240 big data experts working in global agrifood networks, we examine the links between the use of big data‐savvy (BDS) teams’ skills, big data‐driven (BDD) actions and business performance. BDS teams depend on multi‐disciplinary skills (e.g. computing, mathematics, statistics, machine learning and business domain knowledge) that help them turn their traditional business operations into modern data‐driven insights (e.g. knowing real‐time price changes and customer preferences), leading to BDD actions that enhance business performance. Our results, raised from structural equation modelling, indicate that BDS teams’ skills that produce valuable insights are the key determinants for BDD actions, which ultimately contribute to business performance. We further demonstrate that those organizations that emphasize BDD actions perform better compared to those that do not focus on such applications and relevant insights.
With the surge in economic growth in the global-north vis-a-vis social and economic inequalities in the global-south (north-south dichotomy), there is an increasing requirement for critical research ...and an examination of the policy implications with respect to human rights in emerging economies. This paper draws on the concept of convergence and institutional theories to enhance our understanding of how multinational corporations (MNCs) fulfil their profit maximisation agendas using capitalist principles; and the extent to which these ideologies produce human rights violations in emerging economies. Using multiple data sources from the Human Rights Watch, our study provides a comprehensive list of various human rights violations perpetrated by MNCs from 2002 to 2017. We verified 273 violations by 160 MNCs mostly from developed countries. More than 90% of our sample firms have CSR/sustainability committees, are signatories to the UN Global Compact and have reported compliance with the International Labour Organisation (ILO). This raises questions about the effectiveness of these programmes for CSR compliance. We contribute to the CSR/sustainability literature by providing new insights into the nature and location of human rights violations committed by MNCs.
•We report a comprehensive list of various human right violations committed by MNCs.•We uncovered 273 violations committed by 160 MNCs mostly from developed countries.•90% of our sample firms have social responsibility/sustainability committees.•These firms are also signatories to the UN Global Compact.•They have also reported compliance with International Labour Organisation (ILO).
In the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the United Nations, the functionality of financial development is undeniable in the wider economy toward Sustainable Development Goals ...(SDGs). Using novel panel data of 36 countries over the last decades, the study sheds light on the bi-directional nexus between financial development and green growth where human capital and education expenditure present their central roles in sustainable development. The study provides critical findings to the existing literature on climate change, environment, and sustainability. Following the empirical findings, we provide important insights to regulators, policy makers, and organizations in investigating the substantial contributions of financial development including financial markets and financial institutions where their accessibility, depth, and efficiency need a thorough consideration toward SDGs and mitigating climate change impacts worldwide. Apart from using the multidimensional proxies, the empirical findings are validated by a set of econometric approaches.
•The study presents a bi-directional nexus between financial development (FD) and green growth (GG).•Using international evidence from 36 countries, the bi-directional nexus between GG and FD is affirmed through a set of several econometric models.•Human capital (HC) and education expenditure (EE) present their central roles in the GG-FD nexus across countries and regions.•Financing sustainable infrastructure is an undeniable critical factor in the trajectories between GG and FD in the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.•Sustainable infrastructure investments in the era of climate change are crucial to economies with high climate risk exposure due to employing heavily non-renewable sources of energy.
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