Cultural Fit Research Articles

An Optimal Lysis Time Maximizes Bacteriophage Fitness in Quasi-Continuous Culture.

ABSTRACTOptimality models have a checkered history in evolutionary biology. While optimality models have been successful in providing valuable insight into the evolution of a wide variety of biological traits, a common objection is that optimality models are overly simplistic and ignore organismal genetics. We revisit evolutionary optimization in the context of a major bacteriophage life history trait, lysis time. Lysis time refers to the period spanning phage infection of a host cell and its lysis, whereupon phage progenies are released. Lysis time, therefore, directly determines phage fecundity assuming progeny assembly does not exhaust host resources prior to lysis. Noting that previous tests of lysis time optimality rely on batch culture, we implemented a quasi-continuous culture system to observe productivity of a panel of isogenic phage λ genotypes differing in lysis time. We report that under our experimental conditions, λ phage productivity is maximized around optimal lysis times ranging from 60 to 100 min, and λ wildtype strain falls within this range. It would appear that natural selection on phage λ lysis time uncovered a set of genetic solutions that optimized progeny production in its ecological milieu relative to alternative genotypes. We discuss this finding in light of recent results that lysis time variation is also minimized in the strains with lysis times closer to the λ wild-type strain.

Identifying and assessing talent potential for future needs of a company

PurposeThis article investigates which definitions, indicators and instruments are used by the companies to identify and assess talented employee potential with successful performance on future pivotal positions.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical data were collected in 2020–2021 in 45 local and multinational companies in Russia with well-established talent management functions using in-depth interviews with human resource (HR) managers and consultants.FindingsThe study found a diversity of approaches to identifying and assessing talent potential with a predominantly contextual approach but so far with little focus on company’s strategic objectives. It was also found that companies assessed cultural (values) fit, social intelligence and impact, engagement and commitment as predictors of managerial and leadership potential of talented employees for future strategic jobs, in addition to characteristics of personal resources. The search for new complex and validated tools and methods of potential assessment under budget constraints show that companies have taken the path of experimentation.Practical implicationsThe results of this research can inform talent and human resource managers how to identify and assess potential of talented employees for future needs of their organizations.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the existing research in three ways. First, it offers a classification of approaches to potential assessment and explores the underlying dimensions of high-potential talent for future needs of a company. Second, it provides an overview of the current state of potential assessment in the companies in a non-western context. Third, it points out the challenges HR professionals face in implementing potential assessment for identifying talents in a new situation of unprecedented changes and uncertain future.

From small country churches to explosion into megachurches: A modern Pentecostal cultural fit for the Assemblies of God in South Africa

This article examines the evolutionary journey of Assemblies of God in South Africa from small country churches into explosion of megachurches. This Pentecostal denomination is categorised as a classical Pentecostal church that evolved as a missionary church from the early twentieth century. It was officially registered in South Africa in 1917. Historically, it developed as small fellowships in small structures; however today, it has exploded into a huge denomination spread in some geographical locations as local megachurches. Through literature reviews, the objectives are to reveal the rationale behind this explosion, which are the church organisation, emphasis on education, entrepreneurship spirit, apostolic heritage and local church autonomy based on the group system. Results of this explosion are accounted to vigorous evangelism, and Bible-oriented religion such as kerygma, diakonia, koinonia and rhetorics to be culturally and contextually relevant. Assemblies of God embrace African gregarious worldviews and apostolic practices of ecclesial life. This apostolic outlook invokes the discussions on leadership principles. It also influences the church polity exercised by many African megachurches. Shifts from orthodox Pentecostal doctrines such as glossolalia, divine healing and eschatological expectations are examined. The conclusion is while the neo-Pentecostal movement replaces these doctrines by prosperity gospel, personal prophecies and motivational rhetorics instead of sound biblical hermeneutics, Assemblies of God in South Africa remain rooted in their evangelical and classical Pentecostal tradition.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This research study is a historical reflection based on Church History, Missiology, Pentecostal Studies, and invokes Practical Theology by referring to strong leadership principles, which leads to church stability. It further calls for Pentecostals to carry out self-examination regarding their fundamental doctrines that are invaded and influenced retrogressively by the neo-Pentecostal movement.

The influence of organizational structure on value-based management sophistication

Despite the widespread use of value-based management (VBM) in European companies, studies investigating the reasons for the differences in its sophistication remain scarce and are predominantly focused on environmental and intra-organizational aspects. Since the structure of a firm as a major organizational determinant is assumed to have a considerable impact on the fit between an organization and an administrative innovation, we examine the influence of organizational structure on VBM sophistication. Based on survey data from 117 large for-profit firms in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, our findings indicate that the organizational structure variables centralization, formalization and horizontal integration are positively associated with VBM sophistication. Our data provide insight into the interconnection of specific organizational structure variables on particular VBM subdimensions. The findings illustrate that a high level of centralization is positively associated with the political fit of an organization with VBM, while vertical differentiation seems to have a negative relationship with the cultural fit with VBM. High levels of formalization and horizontal integration indicate a technical, political and cultural fit with VBM, which helps to achieve and prevail a high extent of VBM implementation in late diffusion stages. While firms that are listed on the stock market show a positive association with VBM sophistication, the interconnections of organizational structure variables with VBM sophistication appear both in listed and unlisted firms.

Application of the IDEAS Framework in Adapting a Web-Based Physical Activity Intervention for Young Adult College Students.

User-centered developmental processes are critical to ensuring acceptability of e-health behavioral interventions, and yet physical activity research continues to be inundated with top-down developmental approaches. The IDEAS (Integrate, Design, Assess, and Share) framework outlines a user-centered process for development of e-health interventions. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe the application of the IDEAS framework in adapting a web-based physical activity intervention for young adult college students. Steps 1–3 emphasized integrating insights from users and theory and Steps 4–7 focused on iterative and rapid design with user feedback. Data were collected via repeat qualitative interviews with young adult college students (N = 7). Resulting qualitative metathemes were engagement, accountability, and cultural fit. Therefore, intervention modifications focused on strategies to foster ongoing engagement with the program (e.g., increase interactivity), support personal and social accountability (e.g., private social media group), and provide a cultural fit within the college lifestyle (e.g., images relevant to student life). The resulting web-based intervention included eight weekly lessons, an expanded resource library, “how-to” videos, step and goal trackers, and a private social media group to be led by a wellness coach. In conclusion, the IDEAS framework guided an efficient, user-centered adaptation process that integrated empirical evidence and behavior change theory with user preferences and feedback. Furthermore, the process allowed us to address barriers to acceptability during the design and build stages rather than at later stages of pilot and efficacy testing.

Are Religious People Happy or Non-Religious People Unhappy in Religious Contexts?

In this study, we shed light on how the social aspect of religiosity affects well-being of religious and non-religious individuals utilizing a province-level representative dataset with more than 196,000 observations from Turkey. The large-scale data from an Islam-dominant country is one of the strengths of this article. First, in line with previous studies, we show that the average religiosity in the province where individuals live matters especially for the well-being of religious individuals. Second, the bulk of non-religious people do not care about others’ religiosity nor what others think of their own religiosity. Moreover, 94% of the non-religious do not feel under pressure. When put together, the analysis results suggest that what drives person–culture fit in religiosity in Turkey is not non-religious people’s marginalization. Rather, religious people seem to benefit from being in the company of fellow religious individuals as they attach an importance to others’ religiosity.

Designing for Plurality in Democracy by Building Reflexivity

Designing for Plurality in Democracy by Building Reflexivity

Values Moderate the Relations Between Self-Construals and Creativity: The Role of Cultural Fit

Values Moderate the Relations Between Self-Construals and Creativity: The Role of Cultural Fit

Enhancing customer satisfaction through open innovation communities: A comparison of knowledge management approaches

Organizational learning integrates core specialized tacit resources and knowledge to facilitate development of strategic interdisciplinary knowledge development, integration, management and innovation. To promote open innovation within a gig economy, we address three problems: first, to identify which knowledge management view may contribute more in deriving, creating and increasing value and customer satisfaction; second, to educate users to learn, improve, and transfer the value to his/her designs via the user innovation community’s (UIC) feedback; third, from the reviews and findings, to identify implications/factors that we should pay more attention to when synergizing strategies and technology amidst co-evolving markets. Scoping our research to individual and additive/incremental Resource-based view (RBV-KM), Knowledge-based view (KBV-KM), and Mixed-based view (MBV-KM) knowledge management approaches, the UIC are framed (positioned) as novice product designers-customers learning via HerAll, a Malaysian B2C niche card design e-commerce website. Hypothetically, RBV-KM may evidence more participation; KBV-KM more meaningful knowledge-sharing, moderated by the leader’s design and leadership skills; MBV-KM better design outcomes, knowledge sharing and the highest designer-customer satisfaction. Findings indicate 75.85% overall average customer satisfaction for RBV-KM, 71.40% KBV-KM and 81.35% MBV-KM. These correspond with the Diamond model and Customer Relationship Models. With perceived value in the midst of inter-connected, co-evolving business models as motivator, customer satisfaction is influenced most by familiarity with the learning environment and tasks, followed by the type and quality of leadership, feedback/comments from the UIC, which influence the development of community and identity, ability, and cultural fit. Findings on the type and timing of rewards and (intelligent) guidance concur with prior literature.

Experimental evolution links post-transcriptional regulation to Leishmania fitness gain.

The protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani causes fatal human visceral leishmaniasis in absence of treatment. Genome instability has been recognized as a driver in Leishmania fitness gain in response to environmental change or chemotherapy. How genome instability generates beneficial phenotypes despite potential deleterious gene dosage effects is unknown. Here we address this important open question applying experimental evolution and integrative systems approaches on parasites adapting to in vitro culture. Phenotypic analyses of parasites from early and late stages of culture adaptation revealed an important fitness tradeoff, with selection for accelerated growth in promastigote culture (fitness gain) impairing infectivity (fitness costs). Comparative genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics analyses revealed a complex regulatory network associated with parasite fitness gain, with genome instability causing highly reproducible, gene dosage-independent and -dependent changes. Reduction of flagellar transcripts and increase in coding and non-coding RNAs implicated in ribosomal biogenesis and protein translation were not correlated to dosage changes of the corresponding genes, revealing a gene dosage-independent, post-transcriptional mechanism of regulation. In contrast, abundance of gene products implicated in post-transcriptional regulation itself correlated to corresponding gene dosage changes. Thus, RNA abundance during parasite adaptation is controled by direct and indirect gene dosage changes. We correlated differential expression of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) with changes in rRNA modification, providing first evidence that Leishmania fitness gain in culture may be controlled by post-transcriptional and epitranscriptomic regulation. Our findings propose a novel model for Leishmania fitness gain in culture, where differential regulation of mRNA stability and the generation of modified ribosomes may potentially filter deleterious from beneficial gene dosage effects and provide proteomic robustness to genetically heterogenous, adapting parasite populations. This model challenges the current, genome-centric approach to Leishmania epidemiology and identifies the Leishmania transcriptome and non-coding small RNome as potential novel sources for the discovery of biomarkers that may be associated with parasite phenotypic adaptation in clinical settings.

Holding onto the center: Lived experience and the construct of schizophrenia

Schizophrenia, as currently operationalized, is a serious public health concern everywhere in the globe. Occurring at a rate of approximately 4.6 per 1000 population at any point of observation and between 3.0 and 6.0 per 1000 over the lifetime, the condition is responsible for 7% of disability adjusted live years caused by mental and substance use disorders. The impact of the disorder on affected persons and communities across the world is thus considerable. In Africa, where schizophrenia is seen as the prototypical “mental disorder” by the lay public, it constitutes a major cause of human rights abuses as well as experienced stigma and discrimination. The delineation of the disorder, including its construct validity and cultural applicability, is of interest not only to researchers but also to mental health practitioners and policy makers. Studies conducted on the continent have demonstrated that the construct of schizophrenia, as described in the global classificatory systems, is recognizable and applicable in the African settings. But such studies have been largely designed from an etic perspective leaving open the question of whether the diagnostic construct has sufficient cultural and social fit as well as salience to African populations. This commentary seeks to highlight ways in which existing gap in knowledge can be addressed in providing an African perspective on the future status of schizophrenia as a diagnostic construct and as a descriptive label of a clinical state.

Organizational Culture and Effective Leadership in Academic Medical Institutions.

In the US, a heterogeneity in archetypes of leadership augments the success of an Academic Medical Institution (AMI) in fulfilling its key missions of clinical service, teaching, training, mentoring, research and scholarship, community engagement, inclusion, and diversity. Effective leadership is profoundly influenced by organizational culture with its dominant foundations in shared attitudes, beliefs, mores, behaviors—scripted and unscripted, as well as explicit and tacit rules and policies that become entrenched in the operational repertoire over time. Modulating organizational culture are an AMI’s mission, vision, core and affirmed values, formal governance and its complexity, informal influencers, historical precedent, the rapidly evolving landscape of healthcare, regional and institutional socioeconomics, and faculty prototypes. It is paramount that AMIs endeavor to recruit and position leaders whose values align with those of the institution (“cultural fit”). This treatise highlights the crucial influences that affect organizational culture and its interface with AMI leadership and ensure the success of the organization and its leaders.

The construct of schizophrenia as a human-specific condition

Schizophrenia, as currently operationalized, is a serious public health concern everywhere in the globe. Occurring at a rate of approximately 4.6 per 1000 population at any point of observation and between 3.0 and 6.0 per 1000 over the lifetime, the condition is responsible for 7% of disability adjusted live years caused by mental and substance use disorders. The impact of the disorder on affected persons and communities across the world is thus considerable. In Africa, where schizophrenia is seen as the prototypical “mental disorder” by the lay public, it constitutes a major cause of human rights abuses as well as experienced stigma and discrimination. The delineation of the disorder, including its construct validity and cultural applicability, is of interest not only to researchers but also to mental health practitioners and policy makers. Studies conducted on the continent have demonstrated that the construct of schizophrenia, as described in the global classificatory systems, is recognizable and applicable in the African settings. But such studies have been largely designed from an etic perspective leaving open the question of whether the diagnostic construct has sufficient cultural and social fit as well as salience to African populations. This commentary seeks to highlight ways in which existing gap in knowledge can be addressed in providing an African perspective on the future status of schizophrenia as a diagnostic construct and as a descriptive label of a clinical state.

A framework for integration of dimensional and diagnostic approaches to the diagnosis of schizophrenia

Schizophrenia, as currently operationalized, is a serious public health concern everywhere in the globe. Occurring at a rate of approximately 4.6 per 1000 population at any point of observation and between 3.0 and 6.0 per 1000 over the lifetime, the condition is responsible for 7% of disability adjusted live years caused by mental and substance use disorders. The impact of the disorder on affected persons and communities across the world is thus considerable. In Africa, where schizophrenia is seen as the prototypical “mental disorder” by the lay public, it constitutes a major cause of human rights abuses as well as experienced stigma and discrimination. The delineation of the disorder, including its construct validity and cultural applicability, is of interest not only to researchers but also to mental health practitioners and policy makers. Studies conducted on the continent have demonstrated that the construct of schizophrenia, as described in the global classificatory systems, is recognizable and applicable in the African settings. But such studies have been largely designed from an etic perspective leaving open the question of whether the diagnostic construct has sufficient cultural and social fit as well as salience to African populations. This commentary seeks to highlight ways in which existing gap in knowledge can be addressed in providing an African perspective on the future status of schizophrenia as a diagnostic construct and as a descriptive label of a clinical state.

Schizophrenia: Transcending old world shadows

Schizophrenia, as currently operationalized, is a serious public health concern everywhere in the globe. Occurring at a rate of approximately 4.6 per 1000 population at any point of observation and between 3.0 and 6.0 per 1000 over the lifetime, the condition is responsible for 7% of disability adjusted live years caused by mental and substance use disorders. The impact of the disorder on affected persons and communities across the world is thus considerable. In Africa, where schizophrenia is seen as the prototypical “mental disorder” by the lay public, it constitutes a major cause of human rights abuses as well as experienced stigma and discrimination. The delineation of the disorder, including its construct validity and cultural applicability, is of interest not only to researchers but also to mental health practitioners and policy makers. Studies conducted on the continent have demonstrated that the construct of schizophrenia, as described in the global classificatory systems, is recognizable and applicable in the African settings. But such studies have been largely designed from an etic perspective leaving open the question of whether the diagnostic construct has sufficient cultural and social fit as well as salience to African populations. This commentary seeks to highlight ways in which existing gap in knowledge can be addressed in providing an African perspective on the future status of schizophrenia as a diagnostic construct and as a descriptive label of a clinical state.

Applicability and future status of schizophrenia as a construct in Africa

Schizophrenia, as currently operationalized, is a serious public health concern everywhere in the globe. Occurring at a rate of approximately 4.6 per 1000 population at any point of observation and between 3.0 and 6.0 per 1000 over the lifetime, the condition is responsible for 7% of disability adjusted live years caused by mental and substance use disorders. The impact of the disorder on affected persons and communities across the world is thus considerable. In Africa, where schizophrenia is seen as the prototypical “mental disorder” by the lay public, it constitutes a major cause of human rights abuses as well as experienced stigma and discrimination. The delineation of the disorder, including its construct validity and cultural applicability, is of interest not only to researchers but also to mental health practitioners and policy makers. Studies conducted on the continent have demonstrated that the construct of schizophrenia, as described in the global classificatory systems, is recognizable and applicable in the African settings. But such studies have been largely designed from an etic perspective leaving open the question of whether the diagnostic construct has sufficient cultural and social fit as well as salience to African populations. This commentary seeks to highlight ways in which existing gap in knowledge can be addressed in providing an African perspective on the future status of schizophrenia as a diagnostic construct and as a descriptive label of a clinical state.

Cultural Considerations for Treating PTSD in Latinx Sexual Assault Survivors With Prolonged Exposure

There is growing interest in the implementation of culturally responsive mental health care that balances treatment fidelity and cultural fit (Castro et al., 2004). Prolonged exposure (PE) is a first-line, evidence-based treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and has been successfully implemented in low-income and ethnoracial minority samples (Feske, 2008) and with Latinx individuals specifically (Vera et al., 2011). However, cultural and systemic factors may contribute to Latinx individuals experiencing higher conditional risk for PTSD (Alcántara et al., 2013), disparities in mental health care utilization (Alves-Bradford et al., 2020), and challenges with PTSD treatment delivery (Valentine et al., 2017). Culturally responsive implementation of PE with Latinx clients involves making culturally informed but person-specific assessments of clients, with adaptations as needed. We propose several culturally responsive strategies for therapists to consider when conducting PE with Latinx sexual assault survivors, such as building trust and rapport early on, conducting culturally informed assessment, investing in psychoeducation, optimizing imaginal exposure and in vivo exposure, and problem-solving barriers to homework engagement. Therapists are encouraged to approach this work with cultural humility (Fisher-Borne et al., 2015; Tervalon & Murray-Garcia, 1998) through open listening, critical self-reflection, and consideration for the way in which Latinx identity intersects with other important identity characteristics that can impact treatment relevance and engagement.

Schizophrenia as a categorical diagnosis: A view from the neural risk architecture

Schizophrenia, as currently operationalized, is a serious public health concern everywhere in the globe. Occurring at a rate of approximately 4.6 per 1000 population at any point of observation and between 3.0 and 6.0 per 1000 over the lifetime, the condition is responsible for 7% of disability adjusted live years caused by mental and substance use disorders. The impact of the disorder on affected persons and communities across the world is thus considerable. In Africa, where schizophrenia is seen as the prototypical “mental disorder” by the lay public, it constitutes a major cause of human rights abuses as well as experienced stigma and discrimination. The delineation of the disorder, including its construct validity and cultural applicability, is of interest not only to researchers but also to mental health practitioners and policy makers. Studies conducted on the continent have demonstrated that the construct of schizophrenia, as described in the global classificatory systems, is recognizable and applicable in the African settings. But such studies have been largely designed from an etic perspective leaving open the question of whether the diagnostic construct has sufficient cultural and social fit as well as salience to African populations. This commentary seeks to highlight ways in which existing gap in knowledge can be addressed in providing an African perspective on the future status of schizophrenia as a diagnostic construct and as a descriptive label of a clinical state.

Cross-Cultural Innovation and Entrepreneurship

How can culture help explain persistent cross-country differences in innovation and entrepreneurship? This overview of cross-cultural innovation/entrepreneurship research draws on the most prominent cultural frameworks (by Hofstede, Schwartz, GLOBE, and Gelfand and colleagues). After outlining similarities and differences between these frameworks, I discuss theoretical perspectives of how culture shapes innovation/entrepreneurship (culture fit, culture misfit, cultural social support, and culture as a boundary condition) and give an overview of empirical research on culture and innovation/entrepreneurship. I conclude by outlining opportunities and best practices for future research and practical implications.

Academic Orientation as a Function of Moral Fit: The Role of Individualizing Morality

Researchers have studied academic orientation—students’ valuing of and commitment to education—as in part a function of a cultural fit between students’ cultural capital, competencies, identity, and the institutional culture of the education system. Recent research on students’ aspirations and commitment highlights the moral undertones of such cultural fit. Scholars have identified the perceived moral connotations of becoming “an educated person” and illustrated how students’ academic orientation may be intertwined with the unique moral culture of the education system. Neoinstitutional scholars have examined modern education systems’ emphasis on an individualizing type of moral culture, that is, an institutional moral culture emphasizing individual autonomy, rights, and achievement over traditional mores, knowledge, and social hierarchies. Scholars have yet to bridge these streams of research by examining the link between students’ personal moral culture and the institutional moral culture of education systems. In this study, we consider whether students whose moral orientation matches the individualizing moral culture of education systems are more academically oriented. We conceptualize this link as moral fit, and we use moral foundations theory to identify students’ personal moral culture. Analysis of a unique sample of students drawn from all secondary schools in Iceland (N = 10,525) shows (1) individualizing moral intuitions (those that emphasize the individual as the basic moral unit) are associated with a greater academic orientation, net of parental involvement, cultural capital, and other important controls, and (2) this association is only lightly moderated by differences in the school structure.