Different Shades of Gray: A Priming Experimental Study on How Institutional Logics Influence Organizational Actor Judgment

This article examines whether and how judgments made by individual organizational actors may be influenced by institutional logics—the historical patterns of cultural symbols and material practices, including assumptions, values, and beliefs, by which individuals and organizations provide meaning to their daily activity, organize time and space, and reproduce their lives and experiences. Using an experimental design, the authors prime three institutional logics in three independent groups of managers (n = 98) and assess the influence of the primes on individual‐level judgment preferences. The results show that such priming affects participants' judgments in an ambiguous judgmental task, with each prime influencing judgment in a discernibly unique pattern. Consequently, a more nuanced account of larger patterns of behavior can be constructed. The findings highlight the potential of text as priming stimuli within institutionally complex work settings such as those in the public sector, an important yet underexamined issue.     

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

A few years ago,no one would have thought that China's role in the global economy would be what it is today. The architect of China's reform and openingup policy,late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, shifted China from a centrally planned to a market-oriented economy,credited for the rapid economic and social development the country has expedenced.     

Radiological determination of the cranial index of present-day Ghanaians

The cranial index (CI) of Ghanaians is currently unknown. The aim of this study was to measure the CI in a population of Ghanaians in order to classify them against pre-determined CI categories. A systematic random sampling method was used to select 300 normal computed tomography (CT) head scans of adult Ghanaians from the largest hospital in Ghana. All patients were deemed to have a normal cranial image configuration based on the radiological report. The biparietal diameter (BPD, width) and the occipitofrontal diameter (OFD, length) were measured on transaxial CT images using a workstation with a calibrated measurement calliper tool. The CI ratio was calculated as the BPD multiplied by 100 and divided by the OFD. Mean, standard deviation (SD) and range were calculated for BPD, OFD and CI. Differences in measurements between demographic groups were compared using an unpaired t-test, with test α set at 0.05. Of the population of Ghanaians included in this study, 165 (55%) were male and 135 (45%) were female. The mean CI was 77.3 ± 3.6 in males and 79.0 ± 3.3 in females, placing both genders in the mesocephalic category. However, the difference between males and females was found to be statistically significant (P = 0.02). The study indicated that most Ghanaian adults belong to the mesocephalic category of CI. Females also had a higher CI, which could be used to differentiate gender groups. This information can be useful for forensic medicine, plastic surgeries for clinical and research purpose.

Key points

• This study found the mean CI of adult Ghanaians to be 78.0 ± 13.0.
• This indicates that most Ghanaian adults belong to the mesocephalic category of CI.
• Females had a higher CI, which could be used to differentiate gender groups.
• To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study which assessed CI of Ghanaians using CT scan.

     

Silencing the Guns

Newly elected Chairperson of the African Union(AU),South African President Cyril Ramaphosa,outlined key priority areas that will drive Africa's growth within the framework of Agenda 2063 while addressing the 33 rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU.     

Rape as terror: The case of Bosnia

When ethnic minority parties are excluded from government coalitions, are group attributes such as religion related to the groups’ use of political violence? We argue that extremist factions within minority groups make use of divergence in religion to mobilize support for violent action when the group is excluded from government. Thus, we posit that while religion per se is not a source of violence, extremist elements of ethnic minorities, whose religion differs from the majority, may use religious divergence to mobilize group members to perpetrate terrorism. Specifically we test the hypotheses that extremist factions of an excluded group will be more likely to carry out terrorist attacks when the group's members belong to a different religion as well as when they belong to a different denomination or sect of a religion than the majority. To test these propositions, we use data on ethnic minority party inclusion in government coalitions, ethnic minority group religion, and the Global Terrorism Database (GTD) by matching perpetrators with ethnic groups for all democracies, 1970–2004.     

Trade and Opportunities

AfCFTA can benefit Africa’s youth and women and increase Sino-African cooperation The new year has come with good tidings for Africa despite the devastating economic effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic on the global economy.On the first day of 2021,African countries officially opened their markets under the continental free trade agreement(FTA)for duty-free trading of goods and services across borders.