British Companies Research Articles

An Impact assessment of Post-Approval Regulatory and Quality Compliance at a UK – Only Pharmaceutical Manufacturer

Purpose: To assess the regulatory compliance of operational processes at a British pharmaceutical manufacturing company (Company X). Provide remediation strategies for any compliance gaps identified to align operations with regulatory approvals. Ultimately, to assure Qualified Persons that finished pharmaceutical products released for sale are compliant with regulatory approvals and manufactured to current quality standards. Materials and methods: A gap analysis between regulatory-approved CTD sections and operational documentation is conducted for a single marketed product at Company X. Inclusion of CTD sections for review is determined according to those likely to contain Established Conditions (EC) as specified in the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH) of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use Q12 guideline. A three-tiered review process is used to identify Established Conditions and describe compliance. Tier 3 (Student) identifies Established Conditions by comparing like-for-like (compliant), equivocal (further assessment required) and opposing (non-compliant) terminology in the CTD sections compared to operational documentation. Tier 2 (Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)) reviews and approves Tier 1 outputs. Equivocal terminology is assessed as either compliant or non-compliant. Non-compliant conditions are assessed as regulatory gaps if they deviate from the CTD or quality gaps if they are compliant with the CTD but deviate from Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). A risk assessment is conducted using a risk priority numbering (RPN) tool and remediation proposals are made. Tier 1 (Governance) reviews and confirms Tier 2 compliance gap outputs and ratifies a final adjudication and remediation strategy. Results and discussion: Data outputs for this study could only be generated at Tier 3 and Tier 2 levels due to time constraints. A total of 62 compliance-related Established Conditions (EC) were identified with 37 representing compliance gaps. 49% (30 conditions) related to regulatory compliance gaps, 40% (25 conditions) were compliant and 11% (7 conditions) were quality compliance gaps. Six categories of regulatory compliance gaps were identified with the most commonly observed being the unavailability of regulatory-approved CTD sections for review. Three categories of quality compliance gaps were identified with the most commonly observed being the misalignment of operational and validating documentation. Conclusions: Company X is presently in a state of non-compliance. The unavailability of regulatory-approved documentation emerges as the most common compliance issue suggesting insufficiencies in regulatory document control may currently exist. A root cause analysis coupled with a corrective and preventative action plan may be beneficial to support sustained compliance. Further work is required to remediate identified compliance gaps to bring operations into regulatory compliance.

Africa in British Security Strategy after Brexit: Risks, Instruments, Prospects

The UK after withdrawal from the EU and guided by the ideas of “Global Britain”, proclaimed itself a leading state with global interests. The rationale behind it is not only to declare ambitions, but practically implement them, taking into consideration security challenges on national, regional and global levels. Africa plays an ambiguous role in this configuration which affects both security in the UK (migration and the activities of British companies). In addition, the risks associated with competition in Africa directly affect the UK prospects in the region and its position in the world. It is not surprising that Britain plans to strengthen its presence in Africa through interaction with African countries in the field of security. Based on strategic documents dedicated to security British experts’ discussions, the role of Africa in British international strategy is analyzed. The author concludes that despite the significant efforts, the UK tools are seriously limited by their own allies in Africa, not to mention China and Russia. It is argued that currently UK just initiated its return to Africa. At the same time, the emphasis in further advancement in Africa will no longer be made by the British on military cooperation, which will continue with a minimum number of countries (Kenya, Nigeria), but rather on financial and investment instruments, as well as programs related to “soft power” still related to security issues.

Benevolent authoritarianism, paternalism and religious humanitarianism in Sri Lanka: a dependent or autonomous HR?

This article examines the cases of five Sri Lankan export-oriented companies, each situated within global production networks (GPN) with British companies at the apex. In examining their managerial practices, a strong similarity to the practices associated with Anglo-Saxon paternalism is identified. However, these observed parallels are a product of local circumstances and the particular location within the GPN rather than a consequence of any emulation of British practices. The resulting system reflects a high power-dependency relationship that employers hold over ­employees. In this sense, the emergent HR system is partly dependent on the position in the GPN and partly autonomous. The system is characterised by a gendered division of labour and by the proximity of managerial oversight over the issue of worker autonomy. The factory setting has lower levels of worker autonomy and dependency compared to tea harvesting. One outlying exception to the general paternalistic approach, in one of the companies studied, is where the religious and ethnic makeup of the workforce is not shared with management, leading to increased conflict with the unionised workforce. The nature of Sri Lankan paternalism is specific and endogenous, but the conditions creating this paternalism are likely to be replicated elsewhere.

Technologies for customized housing in modular construction

In the modular construction, the range of customization options is limited compared to traditional construction, which can be seen as a negative aspect. Different customization strategies can be adopted by companies, but the choice of the appropriate strategy is related to the technologies used in the operational process, with emphasis on the design and production stages. This study aims to compare the technologies used in the design, production and exchange of information in the development of customized housing in modular construction companies in Brazil and England. To achieve that, three case studies were conducted in English modular construction companies operating in the residential sector. The results of the case studies were compared with the literature on technologies used by Brazilian companies. It was noted that English companies, regardless of their size and type of customization offered, use Revit software to develop the design, and communication between different designers is done via cloud computing. However, communication between designers and production is often done on paper, which leads to errors. The machinery used on the shop floor varies between companies. The results found are similar to the Brazilian reality. It was noted that companies do not make use of all available potential; however, larger companies that are able to perform mass customization invest more in technologies for control and integration between operations. To ensure greater productivity and efficient use of technologies, companies should adopt mass customization.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY COMMUNICATION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: COMPARISON BETWEEN BRAZILIAN AND BRITISH COMPANIES

The beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic brought numerous changes to lifestyle, which led to the adoption of new consumption habits and new challenges to the market. Consumers have adapted their habits and especially consumption behavior, in this way organizations have also started to adapt their processes for their own survival and to support society to overcome this crisis. Thus, the purpose of this study is to analyze the communication of socially responsible companies about CSR initiatives in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, in addition to analyzing the reflection of cultural differences between Brazil and the United Kingdom in this communication. To achieve this objective, descriptive research was carried out by means of content analysis with secondary data from the websites of 62 Brazilian organizations indexed on the ISE B3 and British organizations indexed on the DJSI Europe. The companies' communications on their websites were analyzed using the OEEC Model, which is divided into 64 items in four categories: orientation, structure, ergonomics and content. The research concludes that the communication of CSR initiatives in response to Covid-19 are as effective as the communication of the organization's other CSR initiatives in both countries. Brazilian companies and British companies demonstrated average values within satisfactory performance of their website’s communication toward Covid-19 initiatives. Among the theoretical contributions of the study, the expansion of the discussion on Hofstede's cultural dimensions stands out. However, the present study also contributes to expanding the knowledge regarding to CSR practices in times of crisis.

Swimming with the coelacanth: the UK and export controls of technology and knowledge in the Cold War

ABSTRACT Export controls, such as through the lists of embargoed goods drawn up by the Co-ordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls (COCOM) from the 1950s until the 1980s, were a means by which the West sought to put economic and strategic pressures on the communist East. This paper explores a tension within the historiography of Cold War export controls provoked by the recent scholarship of Mario Daniels and John Krige, who place knowledge control as a central aim, by focusing on the perspective of the UK to the US-led system. The paper argues that British companies, civil servants and politicians worked within the export control system established by the United States but strained against its restrictions on trade; that the UK nevertheless had to balance a host of other demands, including encouraging trade, preservation of sterling, regulation of transborder movement of goods, widely understood; and that while the UK recognised the framing of export controls as a matter of knowledge control, the framing was not central to the complaints made against the system.

Training strategies of Chinese and British multinational companies in Germany

In the academic literature, the training strategies of the foreign branches of multinational companies have hardly been considered so far. Consequently, it is unclear how these subsidiaries meet their demand for skilled workers. Since the training cultures in the respective countries of origin are often different from those in the host country, research into this topic is of interest. This article is therefore dedicated to the question of how foreign companies from China and Great Britain behave when they come to Germany with the dual training system that dominates here. Based on 11 qualitative interviews, the training and recruitment strategies of these companies are analyzed as well as the effect of the influences on the adaptation to the German environment.

THE ADMISSION OF ALBANIA TO THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS

The aim of this research is to bring to the public one of the most significant moments in the history of modern Albania. At the end of World War I the winning powers (Entente Allies) had to set up a new world order. For this purpose a Peace Conference was convened in Paris in January 1919. But, Albania was not included in new European projects, since its independence and territorial integrity was not respected. At the same time a new international organization – League of Nations – emerged. The League of Nations was an international organization whose mission was to maintain peace and collective security around the world. Therefore, the Albanian political elite viewed admission to the League as their best hope to preserve Albania. Albania's request for admission was rejected on the ground that the political and legal status of Albania had to be confirmed. In the meantime, news about the discovery of oil resources in Albania attracted the attention of British diplomacy. In exchange for granting a concession for oil exploration and exploitation to a British company, the British government facilitated Albania's admission to the League of Nations. The paper “The Admission of Albania to the League of Nations” aims to elaborate on the circumstances that led to the rejection and then the admission of Albania to the League of Nations, to argue that economic and strategic factors and interests are the main determinants of international policies. Albania’s membership in the League was of critical importance for political affirmation, preservation of its independence and territorial integrity. The perspective used in this paper is based on a comparative and chronological approach. This approach combines archival sources with contemporary literature to take a literal interpretation of historical developments.

The Capitalocene Versus Indigenous Eco-justice in Helon Habila’s Oil on Water

Capitalistic disruptions on the face of the earth and the consequent climatic changes appear as serious global threats in the contemporary era caused by uncontrolled materialistic quests. Helon Habila’s Oil on Water depicts the saga of the perpetual predicament of the dehumanized Indigenous people in Nigeria, who inhabit a land of contaminated water, soil, air, and food induced by inconsiderate oil mining of the British oil companies which colonize and hegemonize both the human and the non-human world. Habila juxtaposes an unyielding decolonizing movement through the revolt of the Indigenous people against the oil extracting companies for eco-justice, which causes decay and death in the vulnerable Indigenous communities. The human-nature dichotomy triggered by capitalism translates into the massive destruction of the livelihood of the poor Indigenous people who rely on natural resources for survival and are not responsible for the detrimental environmental metamorphoses leading to their unemployment and displacements. Using the theoretical framework of eco-Marxism, this study examines the conflict between the commodification of nature and indigenous environmental justice in the Niger Delta. It investigates the politics of oil extraction and how it impacts the people of the region.

МОЖЛИВОСТІ ЗАСТОСУВАННЯ ЗАРУБІЖНОГО ДОСВІДУ У ПРОЦЕСІ УПРАВЛІННЯ ФІНАНСОВИМИ РЕСУРСАМИ ВІТЧИЗНЯНИХ ПІДПРИЄМСТВ

The article considers the need for the formation and use of financial resources for the need for effective functioning of modern enterprises. The need of domestic enterprises to improve the management of their financial resources is analyzed. It was determined that there are a number of ways of managing the financial resources of economic entities, which make it possible to increase the efficiency of the use of funds. The global practice of modern cash flow management, which is based on such theoretical models as V. Baumol's model, the Miller-Orr model, B. Stone's model, and the method of simulation modeling or statistical tests, is studied. It is noted that the successful implementation of cash flow optimization directions at the business level requires appropriate measures to be taken on a national scale as well. Measures are proposed that will contribute to the optimization of cash flows and the activation of entrepreneurship. Special attention is paid to such a way of managing financial resources as planning. It is noted that the world experience of developed countries proves that planning can be replaced by forecasting only in the conditions of a country in which the economy functions successfully and the general economic condition is stable. It is proven that the management of financial resources of French, German and English companies is carried out taking into account certain factors influencing the formation and management of the structure of financial resources of business entities. These factors include the level of financial risk, financial stability, tax burden, and financial management features. It is proven that the management of financial resources of French, German and English companies is carried out taking into account certain factors influencing the formation and management of the structure of financial resources of business entities. These factors include the level of financial risk, financial stability, tax burden, and financial management features.

Media framing of sustainability: The case of British pharmaceutical companies (2000–2020)

AbstractCorporate sustainability is a complex concept, creating ambiguity regarding what it means and entails in a given context. Especially in sectors such as the pharmaceutical industry, where there is little direct interaction between the company and its stakeholders, infomediaries such as the mass media play a pivotal role in framing corporate sustainability and providing social evaluations to the general public. This paper reports on a longitudinal frame analysis of the newspaper reporting on corporate sustainability related to two British pharmaceutical companies, AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline, in the period between 2000 and 2020. It explores and explains dominant sustainability frames related to pharmaceutical industry. The findings suggest that newspaper frames prioritize social and economic sustainability dimensions, related to companies' core business activities and relationships with stakeholders, and neglect the environmental dimension. The paper contributes to the existing literature by exploring contextual media framing, sustainability complexity and, empirically, sustainability in the pharmaceutical industry.

The Birth and Growth of Two Scottish Deep-sea Tramp Ship Firms: Hugh Hogarth & Sons and the Lyle Shipping Company Limited, 1832–1967

This article is largely based on the surviving records of two Scottish tramp shipping firms, Hugh Hogarth & Sons and Lyle Shipping, the former privately owned throughout its history and the latter later a public company. It traces their birth and growth up to what became, after 1958 when ocean freight rates dropped, an increasingly difficult operational environment for British shipping firms dealing with increased international competition, political and economic volatility and financial pressures. As family owners died, chartered accountants increasingly took control of company boards to negotiate credit terms, arrange loans and overdrafts, and to chase tax-free allowances and investment grants from governments. In this regard, Hogarth and Lyle were no different to other British shipping companies.

Italy's position in European defence integration

Brussels favours the eventual creation of a common European defence market. Rome favours simultaneous European defence integration and a permanent relationship with US and British companies (due to the strong Anglo-Saxon industrial ties of major Italian companies), but is concerned that excessive use of "off-the-shelf" solutions will undermine the European Defence Technology and Industrial Base (EDITB) due to the "lock-in" effect. Rome's aim is to promote defence cooperation with the EU, benefiting itself, while at the same time preventing EU initiatives from damaging Italian industrial cooperation ties with third countries such as the US, UK.

Gifts, Sovereignty and Power: The British and French Trading Companies in Mughal India, 1735-65

This article focuses on the gifts awarded by Indian powers to the British and French trading companies and their representatives in Mughal India in exchange for services rendered – notably the provision of military support. As the Mughal Empire disintegrated, Indian powers solicited the military backing of the British and French to secure their positions of power. When this support was delivered, the companies and their agents were handsomely rewarded with payments and gifts, the awarding of which was part of the performance of sovereignty by the rulers concerned. Beneath this appearance of sovereignty, however, real world power was increasingly vested in the British and French companies, which, confident of their military superiority, exercised more and more control over the rulers that they claimed to serve. What role did the gifts offered by Indian rulers to their European collaborators play in these changing power relations? What do the gifts reveal about how these relations changed? Can a distinction be maintained between gifts and payments? And can objects obtained coercively really be considered gifts? These questions are explored in relation to the political ascent of the British and French companies in the Carnatic and Bengal between 1735 and 1765.

Развитие экономических отношений Великобритании и ЮАС(Р) в конце 40-х – начале 60-х годов XX века

Introduction. The article analyzes a retrospective of the economic relations between Great Britain the Union of South Africa (since 1961 the Republic of South Africa) taking into account their socio-economic and politic development. The historical preconditions for the formation of political and socio-demographic conditions affecting the nature and direction of economic relations between the countries were investigated. The article shows the strength of the position of Britain in the South African Union. It was largely determined by the presence of large British-born white settler communities, which had a significant impact on economic, investment and financial policies of the country. The author comes to the conclusion about the status of the South Africa as one of the largest «global storage» of mineral and strategic raw materials. The presence and specificity of elements of the resource potential of the Union of South Africa, that are most significant for investments of British capital, have been revealed. The mutual interest of the United Kingdom (strengthening the position of the British capital) and South Africa (growth of the volumes and concentration of investments primarily in the mining and gold mining industry) in the development of economic relationshas been substantiated. Materials and Methods. The main sources of the article were materials from economic reviews, statistical reference books and analytical information about activities of British companies investing in the economy of the South Africa. The article uses general scientific methods – analysis, comparison, and special methods – problem-chronological and historical-comparative. Analysis. The article assesses the main directions, absolute volumes and profitability of British investments in the South African economy using the example of large corporations. The downward trend in the positions of the United Kingdom was tracked as the penetration of US capital into the economy of the Union of South Africa intensified. Result. In the 1950s and 1960s, despite the penetration of American capital into South Africa, the British economic orientation of the Union of South Africa dominated.

A brief study on economic impact of British rule in India during the colonial period

After the battle of Plessey and Boxer, the British East-India company started to establish their control over Bengal and gradually the company introduced the sway almost all over India. Consequently, they started to introduce various reforms in favor of their administration. Keeping in mind in this regard they initiated a series of reforms for the people of India as they wished from their ends. The British brought about social, political, and agrarian reforms to improve the condition of the people of India. The Britain tried their best to improve the economic condition of the people of India as well as their colonial interest. Hence through this topic it has been tried how British governments make huge changes in the field of economy during their tenure. Economists, scholars, and lawmakers are still arguing about what part and how big British empire policy played in India's relative drop in world GDP from 1858 to 1947. Some people who didn't like British rule said that it had bad effects and that Britain made India less industrialized to help British exports, which made Indians poorer than they were before British rule.

Why did shareholder liability disappear?

Why did shareholder liability disappear? We address this question by looking at its use by British insurance companies until its complete disappearance. We explore three possible explanations for its demise: (1) regulation and government-provided policyholder protection meant that it was no longer required; (2) it had become de facto limited; and (3) shareholders saw an opportunity to expunge something they disliked when insurance companies grew in size. Using hand-collected archival data, our findings suggest investors attached a risk premium to companies with shareholder liability, and it was phased out as insurance companies expanded, which meant that they were better able to pool risks.

Reparations and Oil in the Cold War: British Perspectives on the Luxembourg Agreement of 1952

This article analyses the British perspectives on the Luxembourg Reparations Agreement between Israel and the Federal Republic of Germany from 1952. Short-term economic interests were of central importance when it came to assessing the consequences of this deal for the United Kingdom. Her Majesty's Government welcomed West German reparations as a means of securing Israel's ability to pay for oil supplied by British companies, but at the same time saw them as a threat to its economic and political interests in the Middle East. British diplomats underestimated the long-term political value of the Luxembourg Agreement precisely because they read it verbatim. They recognized the reservations on both sides but did not expect that working relations between Israel and the Federal Republic would improve rapidly after the Agreement was ratified, limiting in turn the UK's political and economic room for manoeuvre in the region. By examining a hitherto little-noticed chapter of British foreign policy in the postwar years, the article foregrounds the commercial aspects of diplomacy in the early 1950s and contributes to a better understanding of international relations in the Cold War.

Societal Institutions and Contradictions in the Workplace: A comparative analysis of lean management systems in Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom

This article combines insights from the organizational institutionalist (OI) literature on the complexity of transnational institutional streams and the power-based approach of the comparative employment relations (CER) literature to better explain diversity in human resource (HR) practices across organizations embedded in different societal contexts. Building on the insights from both literature strands, the article argues that societal institutions, by providing power resources to labour vis-a-vis management, influence the settlement of contradictions in HR practices in the workplace, with implications for the internal consistency of HR systems. The findings are based on the comparative case study of three metal companies in Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom that implemented lean management systems. They suggest that labour-supporting institutions at the sectoral and organizational levels in the German metal company contribute to a more ‘balanced’ settlement of the tensions between the (ideo)logics of empowerment, cost-cutting and Taylorism, which characterize lean management systems, compared to the Italian and British companies. The article contributes to cross-fertilization between the OI and CER literature because it demonstrates the value of integrating the power resource perspective in (comparative) OI studies, and of taking into greater consideration the role of transnational (ideo)logics in CER research.

Protective effect of luteolin on cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats with myocardial infarction through ERK/JNK signaling pathway

Due to the increased incidence of cardiovascular diseases, the incidence of cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) is also on the rise. Luteolin has a certain protective effect on myocardium. Therefore, this study focuses on whether luteolin can protect IRI in rats with myocardial infarction. A myocardial infarction rat model was prepared and the isolated heart was treated to induce cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury. British biodegradable packaging company (BIOPAC) biological signal collector detects myocardial indicators; semi-automatic biochemical analyzer detects myocardial infarct size; hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining observes pathological changes along with analysis of the levels of ERK, JNK, and Caspase-3 and proliferation and apoptosis of myocardial cells. Luteolin can improve the myocardial index level of rats with myocardial infarction and increase survival rate; the rats in luteolin group have the smallest myocardial infarction area, and the myocardial tissue is tightly arranged, the myocardial collagen is significantly reduced, and the myocardial injury index is significantly reduced. Luteolin inhibited the proliferation, migration and apoptosis of cardiomyocytes. Caspase-3, ERK, and JNK expression in the ERK/JNK agonist group was the most obvious. Their levels were highest in the luteolin+ERK/JNK agonist group (vs. other groups, P <0.05), which was higher than ERK/JNK agonist group. Luteolin can inhibit Caspase-3 expression by activating ERK/JNK signaling pathway, thereby reducing myocardial injury.