Am I my brain or my genitals? A nature-culture controversy in the hermaphrodite debate from the mid-1960s to the late 1990s.

The groundbreaking and prophetic rhetoric of neuroscience has recently highlighted the fetal brain as the most promising organ for understanding why transsexuals feel "trapped in the wrong body", and for predicting whether children born with "ambiguous" genitalia will grow up to feel like a man or a woman.This article proposes a recent history of the cerebralization of intersexuality and of transsexuality as atypical neurodevelopmental conditions. It examines the ways in which the organizational theory of brain sex differentiation developed in the late 1950s in behavioral neuroendocrinology has gained increased prominence in and through controversies over best practice issues in the case management of intersex newborns, and the etiology of transsexuality.It focuses on the American context and on the leading warrior in this battle: Milton Diamond, now a most prominent figure in professional debates about the clinical management of intersexuality, and the intersex person's best friend. Persons with an intersexed or transsexual condition consider, not their gonads, but their brains, their core sense of self, as the primary determinant of sex. (Diamond and Beh 2005, 6-7, note 1)

Organizational resources and intrapreneurial activities: a cross-country study

The importance of entrepreneurship for social and economic growth is generally accepted. In addition, intrapreneurship or corporate entrepreneurship is recognized as one of the key elements for organizational development. In this context, corporate culture and, specifically, entrepreneurial competences are considered to be catalysts for intrapreneurship. The main purpose of this paper is to analyse the influence of resources and capabilities on the probability of becoming an intrapreneur. Using data obtained from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) for 39 countries, and a logistic model, the study shows that entrepreneurial resources and capabilities, such as previous entrepreneurial experience, entrepreneurial competences and the ability to detect business opportunities, influence intrapreneurial behaviour. The contributions of this research are both conceptual (advancing corporate entrepreneurship theory) and practical (relating to the design of policies to foster intrapreneurial activities).

Beyond GDP: Methodological and measurement issues in redefining “wealth”

In the last decades; a growing stock of literature has been devoted to the criticism of GDP as an indicator of societal wealth. A relevant question is: what are the perspectives to build, on the existing knowledge and consensus, alternative measures of prosperity? A starting point may be to connect well-being research agenda with the sustainability one. However, there is no doubt that there is a lot of complexity and fuzziness inherent in multidimensional concepts such as sustainability and well-being. This article analyses the theoretical foundations and the empirical validity of some multidimensional technical tools that can be used for well-being evaluation and assessment. Of course one should not forget that policy conclusions derived through any mathematical model depend also on the conceptual framework used, i.e. which representation of reality (and thus which societal values and interests) has been considered.

Cognitive issues in fingerprint analysis: Inter- and intra-expert consistency and the effect of a "target" comparison

Deciding whether two fingerprint marks originate from the same source requires examination and comparison of their features. Many cognitive factors play a major role in such information processing. In this paper we examined the consistency (both between- and within-experts) in the analysis of latent marks, and whether the presence of a 'target' comparison print affects this analysis. Our findings showed that the context of a comparison print affected analysis of the latent mark, possibly influencing allocation of attention, visual search, and threshold for determining a 'signal'. We also found that even without the context of the comparison print there was still a lack of consistency in analysing latent marks. Not only was this reflected by inconsistency between different experts, but the same experts at different times were inconsistent with their own analysis. However, the characterization of these inconsistencies depends on the standard and definition of what constitutes inconsistent. Furthermore, these effects were not uniform; the lack of consistency varied across fingerprints and experts. We propose solutions to mediate variability in the analysis of friction ridge skin.

Research involving biological material from forensic autopsies: legal and ethical issues.

Recommendations and laws do not always contain specific and clear provisions on the use of cadaveric material in research, and even more rarely do they address explicitly the ethical issues related to research on material obtained during forensic autopsy. In this article we analyse existing legal frameworks in Europe by comparing the legal provisions in 2 European Countries which are member states of the Council of Europe, the UK and Switzerland. They were chosen because they have distinct legal frameworks that make comparisons interesting. In addition, the detailed laws of the UK and a specific law project and national ethical recommendations in Switzerland permit us to define more clearly the legal range of options for researchers using cadaveric material obtained during forensic investigations. The Human Tissue Act 2004 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, its Scottish equivalent with the same title (2006) and the national ethical guidelines in Switzerland all require consent from the deceased person, an appropriate relative or a person with power of attorney for healthcare decisions before cadaveric biological material can be obtained and used for research. However, if the purpose of the autopsy is purely forensic, no such authorization will be sought to carry out the autopsy and related analyses, which might include genetic testing. In order to be allowed to carry out future research projects, families need to be approached for informed consent, unless the deceased person had left written directives including permission to use his or her tissues for research.

Les enjeux de l'allaitement maternel pour les nouveau-nés hospitalisés [Issues surrounding the breastfeeding of hospitalized newborns].

The nutritional and physiological qualities of breast milk make it the best food for newborns, favouring their wellbeing and growth. The implementation of a programme encouraging the breastfeeding of hospitalised newborns in care departments requires specific methods of organisation, as well as constant and adapted support from health professionals.

Survival and Sensemaking: Organizational Resilience in a Wall Street Trading Room After 9/11

How do organizations cope with extreme uncertainty? The existing literature is divided on this issue: some argue that organizations deal best with uncertainty in the environment by reproducing it in the organization, whereas others contend that the orga nization should be protected from the environment. In this paper we study the case of a Wall Street investment bank that lost its entire office and trading technology in the terrorist attack of September 11 th. The traders survived, but were forced to relocate to a makeshift trading room in New Jersey. During the six months the traders spent outside New York City, they had to deal with fears and insecurities inside the company as well as outside it: anxiety about additional attacks, questions of professional identity, doubts about the future of the firm, and ambiguities about the future re-location of the trading room. The firm overcame these uncertainties by protecting the traders' identities and their ability to engage in sensemaking. The organization held together through a leadership style that managed ambiguities and created the conditions for new solutions to emerge.

Organizational Choice and Environmental Change

We explain the choice between franchising and vertical integration by estimating a model of relative performance in a sample of 250 Spanish car distributors, controlling for self-selection and including environmental factors. The method allows us to estimate performance counterfactuals. Organizational choice seemingly aims to contain moral hazard for both distributors and manufacturers but it is subject to start-up constraints and switching costs. While the market for franchises remained underdeveloped, information asymmetries led to the opening of integrated outlets. Their subsequent conversion into franchised outlets probably involved prohibitive transaction costs. Consequently, they performed worse than would have been expected had they been independent, as confirmed by the systematic improvement observed when they were in fact converted. The timing of such conversions suggests that switching costs were prohibitive until firms developed a substantial cushion of temporary contracts, previously forbidden by regulation.

As práticas de responsabilidade social organizacional: uma análise nas empresas cabo-verdianas

A responsabilidade social organizacional (RSO) constitui um assunto cada vez mais discutido no seio dos diversos sectores e é considerado importante na gestão das organizações. As acções de responsabilidade social, gradualmente, têm vindo a tornar-se um diferencial em termos de estratégia e competitividade, contribuindo, no seu todo, para a sustentabilidade da sociedade e das pessoas que nela vivem. Assim, torna-se importante compreender a forma como as organizações e seus gestores entendem e assumem o seu compromisso para com todos os stakeholders, bem como despertar-lhes o interesse para os benefícios e vantagens que poderão obter com a prática e implementação de uma gestão da responsabilidade social nas organizações. Apesar de as práticas de RSO constituírem ainda um assunto muito recente em Cabo Verde, já é notável o crescimento das acções desencadeadas pelas organizações em prol de uma sociedade mais justa, responsável e transparente. Com o objectivo de identificar as práticas de responsabilidade social das organizações cabo-verdianas na sua vertente económica, social e ambiental, o presente trabalho inclui uma análise quantitativa e qualitativa, feita a partir da aplicação de um inquérito por questionário, com questões fechadas, complementado por questões abertas. Assim foi realizada uma pesquisa exploratória-descritiva nas organizações, escolhidas em função da sua notoriedade e da sua posição estratégica para o desenvolvimento do país. Entre os principais resultados obtidos pode-se destacar a preocupação com questões ambientais, o respeito pela Lei laboral e apoio regular às comunidades. Dos resultados obtidos e da análise efectuada, pode-se concluir que a cultura da RSO nas organizações cabo-verdianas, ainda se apresenta de forma incipiente. Espera-se, com este trabalho, explicitar o carácter estratégico da responsabilidade social organizacional, bem como fomentar reflexões posteriores de forma a efectivar uma mudança de cultura, levando gestores, colaboradores, e demais stakeholders a desenvolverem o interesse sobre esta matéria, uma vez que a RSO não é apenas um assunto das grandes empresas, mas sim, de todos nós. Social organizational responsibility (SOR) is an increasingly discussed subject amongst several sectors and it’s considered as extremely important on organization management. The social responsibility actions have gradually becoming a disparity regarding strategy and competitivety, contribution in its whole for the society’s and its inhabitant’s sustainability. Thus, it’s important to identify the way the organizations and its managers understand and assume their commitment with the stakeholders, as well as to bring up their interest for the benefits and advantages that they may obtain with the social responsibility management practice on the organizations. Although the SOR practices are still considered as a recent subject in Cape Verde, it’s already noticeable the organizations actions growth towards a fairer, responsible and transparent society. Aiming to identify the capeverdian social organizational responsibility practices on its economical, social and environmental string, this written presentation includes a quantitative and qualitative analysis, with closed questions, completed by open ones. It was therefore performed an explanatory-descriptive research for the organizations, each chosen regarding their notoriety and strategic position for the country’s development. Amongst the main results we may enhance the concern on environmental issues, the respect for the Labour law and the regular support for the communities. From the obtained results and the analysis done, we may conclude that the SOR culture on the Capeverdian organizations is still considered as quite insipient. With this written presentation, it’s expected to explain the social organizational responsibility strategic character, as well as to enhance the posterior reflections in order to implement a cultural change, influencing the managers, co-workers and remaining stakeholders to develop their interest on the subject, once the SOR should not only be some big companies issue, but instead, one regarding all of us.

Addressing Practical Issues Related Tto Nursing Care For International Visitors To Hiroshima

When nine million foreigners visited Japan in 2013, the federal government set a goal to attract an additional two and a half million visitors including medical tourists by 2020. This research investigates the attitudes and concerns of Japanese nurses when they are in a situation dealing with foreign patients. The data were collected from March through September 2010, from 114 nurses at three hospitals, in close proximity to popular tourist destinations in Hiroshima. A questionnaire was developed for this research, named Mari Meter, which included a section to write answers to an open question for the nurses to express their opinions. These responses were examined statistically and by word analysis using Text Mining Studio. Japanese nurses expressed greatest concern about payment options, foreign language skills, and issues of informed consent, when dealing with foreigners. The results confirm that, in order to provide a high quality of patient care, extra preparation and a greater knowledge of international workers and visitors are required by nursing professionals in Japan.


The organizational culture of a Brazilian public hospital

The objective of this research was to analyze the organizational culture of a Brazilian public hospital. It is a descriptive study with quantitative approach of data, developed in a public hospital of São Paulo State, Brazil. The sample was composed by 52 nurses and 146 nursing technicians and auxiliaries. Data were collected from January to June 2011 using the Brazilian Instrument for Assessing Organizational Culture – IBACO. The analysis of the organizational values showed the existence of hierarchical rigidity and centralization of power within the institution, as well as individualism and competition, which hinders teamwork. The values concerning workers’ well-being, satisfaction and motivation were not highly valued. In regard to organizational practices, the promotion of interpersonal relationship, continuous education, and rewarding practices were not valued either. It becomes apparent that traditional models of work organization support work practices and determine the organizational culture of the hospital.