Different Types Of Cultures Research Articles

On the Importance of National Culture for the Design of Information Systems

Culture can be defined as shared values and behavior patterns and is highly relevant for the development of socio-technical systems. Publications in this domain show substantial heterogeneity due to the variety of related problems and questions, as well as the focus on different types of culture. In this paper we develop a comprehensive framework for the design of culturally sensitive information systems that enables us to structure previous publications. Based on this framework, a literature review is conducted to investigate which meeting points of national culture and the elements of system development have thus far been addressed. We explore existing knowledge related to the different aspects of culturally sensitive design of information systems and identify areas where further research is needed in order to enhance corresponding design knowledge.

The influence of organisational culture on the Total Quality Management programme performance

This paper aims to examine the relationships between different types of cultures and effectiveness in Total Quality Management (TQM) implementation. Using Cameron's framework, we have tested the connection between a quality culture taxonomy and TQM programme performance using data from a survey carried out with 113 Spanish companies that have implemented TQM systems. A structural equation modelling is proposed to assess the links between both types of constructs using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) technique. The most substantial results confirm, in the sample analysed, the relationship between quality culture types and the TQM programme performance, and there being different influence levels of the quality cultures.

General practice after the introduction of the QOF

While the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) is reported to improve performance, its impact on some aspects of organisations need to be explored given the increased reliance on such schemes. Organisational culture can be seen as providing a sense of common values, belief, and norms, which may act as guidelines for behaviour in organisational settings. This research employs a competing value framework depictures different types of culture based on specific focuses and processes. The study is based on interviews with 2 GP practices in the north of England involving 19 participants. Healthcare professionals were aware that there is a dominant value held and shared strongly among members of the organisations—to provide high quality patient-centred services. This study found that while clan culture is still strong in both practices, changes occured in respondents’ culture after the implementation of the QOF.

A dual role for microglia in promoting tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP) expression in glial cells in response to neuroinflammatory stimuli

BackgroundBy neutralizing the effect of the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), the tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMPs) play a critical role in maintaining tissue proteolysis in balance. As the major reactive glial cell types in the central nervous system (CNS), microglia and astrocytes play fundamental roles in mediating tissue breakdown and repair. As such, it is important to define the TIMP expression profile in these cells, as well as the mechanisms of regulation by neuroinflammatory stimuli.MethodsPrimary mixed glial cultures (MGC), pure microglia, and pure astrocytes were used in this study. To study astrocytes, we employed a recently described pure astrocyte culture system, which has the major advantage of totally lacking microglia. The three different types of culture were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or individual cytokines, and cell culture supernatants assayed for TIMP-1 or TIMP-2 protein expression by western blot.ResultsLPS induced TIMP-1 expression in MGC, but not in pure astrocyte or microglial cultures. When pure astrocytes were treated with the cytokines IL-1β, IFN-γ, TNF or TGF-β1, only IL-1β induced TIMP-1 expression. Significantly, astrocyte TIMP-1 expression was restored in LPS-treated astrocyte cultures after the addition of microglia, or conditioned medium taken from LPS-activated microglia (MG-CM). Furthermore, this effect was lost after depletion of IL-1β from MG-CM. By contrast, TIMP-2 was constitutively expressed by astrocytes, whereas microglia expressed TIMP-2 only after exposure to serum.ConclusionsTaken together, these results demonstrate an important concept in glial interactions, by showing that microglia play a central role in regulating glial cell expression of TIMPs, and identify microglial IL-1β as playing a key role in mediating microglial-astrocyte communication.

The effect of message appeals and unrealistic optimism on purchase intentions

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to extend a 2007 study by investigating which types of message appeals are more effective in reducing unrealistic optimism (a tendency for people to believe that they are less prone than are others to encounter negative outcomes) and inducing purchase intentions of a life‐threatening hazard prevention product in collectivist and individualist cultures.Design/methodology/approachAn experiment was conducted with 133 American, 145 Singaporean, and 200 Thai undergraduates, totaling 478 participants.FindingsThe findings confirm the existence of unrealistic optimism in the marketing setting and show that first, lower levels of optimism are associated with higher purchase intentions for the product; second, hazard‐related behavior priming advertisement appeals lead to lower purchase intentions than do advertisements without priming, contradicting some earlier findings; and third, participants from collectivist cultures (Singaporeans and Thais) show higher purchase intentions than do those from individualist cultures (Americans) for both the risk‐priming and the expert advertisement appeals.Research limitations/implicationsThe samples, while well matched, consist of undergraduate students who are not necessarily representative of the populations as a whole. The samples also come from only three countries. In addition, the study uses a single message.Practical implicationsThe study suggests that: external‐control/collectivist cultures may be more influenced by advertising, regardless of the appeal employed; different types of cultures may require different amounts of advertising to achieve equal levels of effectiveness; unrealistic optimism needs to be addressed by marketers of preemptive products; and for products that are health‐related and difficult to evaluate, advertisements using expert appeals may be more effective than those attempting to counter unrealistic optimism by priming the risk‐related behaviors.Originality/valueThe paper has re‐affirmed the existence of unrealistic optimism, and that this phenomenon exists internationally with respect to a high‐involvement risk product category. It has unveiled relationships between optimism and purchase intentions. Finally, the paper has identified both similarities and differences in terms of the existence of unrealistic optimism and the relative effectiveness of different message types across cultures.

Organizational learning culture, innovative culture and innovations in South Korean firms

The aim of this paper is to present and test a model of innovativeness improvement based on the impact of organizational learning culture. The concept of organizational learning culture (OLC) is presented and defined as a set of norms and values about the functioning of an organization. They should support systematic, in-depth approaches aimed at achieving higher-level organizational learning. The elements of an organizational learning process that we use are information acquisition, information interpretation, and behavioral and cognitive changes. Within the competing values framework OLC covers some aspects of all four different types of cultures: group, developmental, hierarchical, and rational. Constructs comprising innovativeness are innovative culture and innovations, which are made of technical (product and service) and administrative (process) innovations. We use data from 201 Korean companies employing more than 50 people. The impact of OLC on innovations empirically tested via structural equation modeling (SEM). The results show that OLC has a very strong positive direct effect on innovations as well as moderate positive indirect impact via innovative culture.

Comparison of Angiotensin I-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor Activities of Pre-Fermented Douchi (a Chinese Traditional Fermented Soybean Food) Started with Various Cultures

Pre-fermented douchi, also called douchi qu, is a salt-free semi-product of a Chinese traditional fermented soybean food (douchi), which is classified into three types, that is, Aspergillus-type, Mucor-type and Bacteria-type. In this work, angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor activities of douchi qu started by different types of cultures were compared. It was found that douchi qu fermented with Aspergillus oryzae, Mucor wutungkiao, Bacillus subtilis natto and Bacillus subtilis B1 showed significantly different (p < 0.05) ACE inhibitor activities with decreasing IC50 values of 0.4991, 0.3535, 0.2294 and 0.0901 mg/mL, respectively. Twenty-five fractions were separated by gel filtration chromatography and the strongest ACE inhibitor activity was observed in a fraction with high contents of glycine, lysine and arginine from B. subtilis B1 fermented sample. Results indicated that the type of starter cultures affected significantly the production of ACE inhibitors in douchi qu, and that B. subtilis B1 could be potential candidate as an inoculant to prepare fermented soybeans with strong ACE inhibitor activity in functional food industry.

Do types of organizational culture matter in nurse job satisfaction and turnover intention?

PurposeThe purpose of the study is to examine whether and how different types of organizational culture are associated with job satisfaction and turnover intention among hospital nurses in Korea, where the work culture is often considered different from that of Western countries.Design/methodology/approachThe sample for the study consists of 527 nurses working in two public hospitals in Korea. Perceived organizational culture was assessed by a previously validated 20‐item instrument, and job satisfaction and turnover intention were measured by self‐report questionnaires. Factor analysis was employed to construct four different types of culture (consensual, rational, developmental, and hierarchical). The relationship among organizational culture, job satisfaction, and turnover intention was tested by structural equation modeling (SEM).FindingsAmong the different types of culture, consensual culture and rational culture had significant, positive associations with the nurses' job satisfaction. In addition, consensual culture exhibited the strongest, negative association with the turnover intention of the nurses, while hierarchical culture showed a significant, positive association.Research limitations/implicationsConsensual culture that emphasizes teamwork and values human relations was most strongly associated with higher job satisfaction and lower turnover intention of nurses in Korea. However, caution is needed in inferring that organizational culture is the cause of the nursing outcomes because this study is designed as a cross‐sectional study; thus, an association alone was proven and not causality.Practical implicationsManagers should be aware that understanding the organizational culture can help them to determine where to strive to help improve nurses' job satisfaction and retention rate.Originality/valueThe results of the study may be useful to health administrators who wish to decrease nurse turnover. Improving nurses' job satisfaction in the work environment may reduce turnover and help ensure a stable and qualified workforce.

The role of corporate culture in the process of strategic human resource management: Evidence from Chinese enterprises

AbstractExtant research on strategic human resource management (SHRM) has primarily focused on the content of SHRM (best practices, bundles of practices, etc.) and its effect on firm performance. Little research has examined the SHRM process so as to better understand how SHRM is adopted and implemented and what impact it has on organizational processes and outcomes. This article examines the role of corporate culture in the SHRM adoption and implementation process. Empirical results from a sample of 223 Chinese enterprises indicate that corporate culture has an impact on the adoption of SHRM, and that different types of culture affect the SHRM process differently. Specifically, group and developmental cultures have positive effects on the adoption of SHRM, but the effect of hierarchical culture is not significant. Developmental culture is also found to have a direct effect on firm performance. This study offers significant implications for HRM in China and other dynamic and emerging economies. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Volatile organic compounds produced by human skin cells.

Skin produces volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released to the environment with emission patterns characteristic of climatic conditions. It could be thought that these compounds are intermediaries in cell metabolism, since many intermediaries of metabolic pathways have a volatile potential. In this work, using gas chromatography, we answered the question of whether VOC profiles of primary cultures of human dermal fibroblasts were affected by the type of culture conditions. VOCs were determined for different types of culture, finding significant differences between skin cells grown in classical monolayer culture -2D- compared with 3D matrix immobilized cultures. This indicates that VOC profiles could provide information on the physiological state of skin cells or skin.

Integrated assessment of ecosystem-scale carrying capacity in shellfish growing areas

This paper describes the development and application of an integrated framework for determination of sustainable carrying capacity in shellfish growing areas. This framework combines field data, experimental results and various types of models, ranging from individual shellfish growth models to broad-scale ecosystem models. The process by which we have integrated and coupled the various types of models is designed to capture the essential signal at each simulation scale, whilst allowing multi-year runs which provide results on cultivation of commercial species, nutrient and chlorophyll cycling, and other outputs of interest to decision-makers. The complete modelling framework enables integrated analyses of animal–environment interrelations affecting overall production at system-scales, according to different temporal and spatial scenarios, accounting for conservation aspects such as the presence of autochthonous wild species.This framework was applied to three loughs in Northern Ireland; Carlingford (a transboundary system), Strangford and Belfast, to provide estimates of harvestable biomass over typical cultivation cycles of 2–3 years in both the blue mussel Mytilus edulis and the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. The model accommodates different types of culture, whether subtidally on the bottom, suspended from rafts or intertidally on trestles.Results predicted for Carlingford and Strangford are within ranges of landings reported by fisheries agencies. In Belfast lough, where 10,000 ton live weight are reported annually, our model framework provides stable results of 8700 ton after a 10 year model run. These models are shown to be useful for driving farm-scale simulations, which are of great interest to producers, and also for analyses of the consequences of changed environmental conditions or in the timing, distribution and/or composition of culture practice. Examples are presented that include (i) an analysis of the spatial redistribution of mussel culture, illustrating changes both to production and to the Average Physical Product; (ii) assessment of the differential effects of climate change on mussel and oyster production, indicating that oysters are significantly less impacted; and (iii) investigation of the consequences of including wild suspension-feeding species in the model framework, resulting in an expected reduction in the capacity for production of cultivated shellfish. These scenarios were produced to illustrate the uses of the modelling approach, and enable better-informed discussion between different stakeholders, towards sustainable aquaculture (ecoaquaculture).

The effect of message appeals countering unrealistic optimism on purchase intentions

PurposeThis study seeks to examine which types of message appeals are more effective in reducing unrealistic optimism (a tendency for people to believe that they are less susceptible than others to encounter negative outcomes) and inducing purchase intentions of preemptive products in collectivist and individualist cultures.Design/methodology/approachAn experiment is conducted with 131 US, 111 Singaporean, and 127 Thai undergraduates.FindingsThe findings confirm the existence of unrealistic optimism in the marketing setting and show that: lower levels of optimism are associated with higher purchase intentions for the product; hazard‐related behavior‐priming ad appeals lead to higher purchase intentions than ads without priming; Singaporeans show higher purchase intentions than Americans for both the risk‐priming and the expert ad appeals, and they also show higher purchase intentions than Thais for expert ad appeals.Research limitations/implicationsThe samples, while well matched, consist of undergraduate students who are not necessarily representative of the populations as a whole. The samples also come from only three countries. Finally, only one product is employed.Practical implicationsThe study suggests that: external‐control/collectivist cultures may be more influenced by advertising, regardless of the appeal employed; different types of cultures may require different amounts of advertising to achieve equal levels of effectiveness; unrealistic optimism needs to be addressed by marketers of preemptive products; marketers should use ads that prime risky behaviors when promoting products for reducing/preventing undesirable outcomes/hazards.Originality/valueThe study has re‐affirmed that unrealistic optimism exists, and that this phenomenon exists internationally with respect to a relatively lower‐involvement risk product category than had previously been studied. It has unveiled relationships between optimism and purchase intentions. Finally, the study has identified both similarities and differences in terms of the existence of unrealistic optimism and the relative effectiveness of different message types across cultures.

Volatile Organic Compounds Produced by Human Skin Cells

Skin produces volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released to the environment with emission patterns characteristic of climatic conditions. It could be thought that these compounds are intermediaries in cell metabolism, since many intermediaries of metabolic pathways have a volatile potential. In this work, using gas chromatography, we answered the question of whether VOC profiles of primary cultures of human dermal fibroblasts were affected by the type of culture conditions. VOCs were determined for different types of culture, finding significant differences between skin cells grown in classical monolayer culture -2D- compared with 3D matrix immobilized cultures. This indicates that VOC profiles could provide information on the physiological state of skin cells or skin.

Советская культура 20—30-х годов: поиск методологических ориентиров

The article proposes methodological tools for describing Soviet culture of the 1920s—30s and its relation to Russian culture at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The author reveals the heterogeneity of Soviet culture in this period and distinguishes between the following two 'cultural flows' with significantly different worldview and axiological characteristics: 1) radical intelligentsia (intellectuals) and 2) workers and peasants. Basic characteristics of the former flow are: goaloriented rational attitude, love for the people and anti Philistinism, a defiant break with the past, and internationalism that is reflected in its extreme form in the idea of world revolution; the ones of the latter flow are: contextual character of thinking, the absence of an attitude towards rational planning of one's activity, conformist worldviews, dislike for 'old' intelligentsia. This paper shows that many concrete transformations of Soviet culture which took place over the decade between the 1920s 30s (and which gave ground to some researchers to speak of two completely different types of culture) are related with the change of dominant cultural flows, that is, with the transition from the first cultural flow to the second.

Organizational learning culture—the missing link between business process change and organizational performance

The aim of this paper is to present and test a model of organizational performance improvement based on the impact of organizational learning culture. The concept of organizational learning culture (OLC) is proposed and defined as a set of norms and values about the functioning of an organization. They should support systematic, in-depth approaches aimed at achieving higher-level organizational learning. The elements of an organizational learning process that we use are information acquisition, information interpretation, and behavioral and cognitive changes. Within the competing values framework OLC covers some aspects of all four different types of cultures: group, developmental, hierarchical, and rational. We use data from 203 Slovenian companies employing more than 50 people. The impact of OLC on organizational performance is empirically tested via structural equation modeling (SEM). The results show that OLC has a positive direct impact on all three aspects of non-financial performance included in the model: performance from the employee, customer, and supplier perspectives. The effect of organizational learning culture on financial performance is still positive, but indirect (through non-financial performance from the employee perspective).

Species-Specific Fibroblasts Required for Triggering Invasiveness of Partially Transformed Oral Keratinocytes

This study tests the hypothesis that invasion of partially transformed keratinocytes is initiated by diffusible, proinvasive signals provided by species-specific fibroblasts. In vitro organotypic cultures of neoplastic human oral mucosa were constructed by growing a partially transformed, nontumorigenic keratinocytic cell line isolated from a dysplastic human oral lesion (DOK-ECACC94122104) on top of various types of connective tissue equivalents. Cultured tissues were analyzed by histomorphometry (depth and area of invasion: Dinv, Ainv) and immunohistochemistry. Presence of human fibroblasts in the matrix induced a local invasion of DOK (Dinv = 95.6 +/- 7.1 microm, Ainv = 45.8 +/- 3.5%). Minimal invasion (P < 0.05) was observed when DOK grew on simple collagen matrix (Dinv = 14.1 +/- 2.1 microm, Ainv = 3.7 +/- 0.8%) or matrices containing fibroblasts from mouse (Dinv = 11.5 +/- 4.0 microm, Ainv = 4.3 +/- 1.0%) or rat (Dinv = 15.6 +/- 1.2 microm, Ainv = 6.1 +/- 0.5%). In these cultures, local invasion could be induced by the presence of human fibroblasts in a bottom layer of the collagen matrix (P < 0.05) or by conditioned medium from organotypic cultures of DOK on human fibroblast-containing matrix (P < 0.05) but not by conditioned medium from human fibroblast monocultures (P > 0.05). Deposition of human collagen IV was observed at epithelial-matrix interface only when DOK behaved invasively. In conclusion, invasion of partially transformed oral keratinocytes was triggered by keratinocyte-induced fibroblast-derived diffusible factor(s) in a species-specific manner and associated with de novo synthesis of collagen IV.

The relationship between total quality management practices and organizational culture

PurposeThis empirical study explores the relationship between total quality management (TQM) practices and organizational culture with the purpose of identifying the particular cultures that determine the successful implementation of TQM practices. Specifically, it tests two competing views on the relationship; the unitarist and pluralist views.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical data was drawn from 194 organizations in Australia. The research model employs the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award criteria as TQM framework and builds on the competing values model to frame organizational culture. The data was analysed using structural equation modelling technique.FindingsThe findings support the pluralist view, wherein different subsets of TQM practices are determined by different types of cultures. Interestingly, hierarchical culture was found to have a significant relationship with certain practices of TQM. Additionally, the findings indicate that although the cultural factors underpinning different elements of TQM are dissimilar, even antagonistic, organizations can implement them in harmony.Practical implicationsThe major implication of this study is that organizations need to accommodate divergent goals by developing a system and/or structure that allows enough flexibility for adapting different (even contrasting) management styles, between control and flexibility and between internal and external orientations, so that they may gain benefits from the multiple dimensions of TQM.Originality/valueThis paper provides empirical evidence on the multidimensionality of TQM practices along with their association with different types of culture.

Perceptions of Organisational Subculture and their Significance for Organisational Commitment

Cet article examine la relation entre les styles de leadership, l’implication et la perception des cultures et subcultures organisationnelles. L’impact de la culture et du style de leadership sur l’implication a déjàété envisagé, mais on manque d’informations sur les relations que les différents types de culture et de styles de leadership entretiennent avec l’implication. L’article est centré sur la notion de subculture organisationnelle et la façon dont la perception de ces cultures rejaillit sur l’implication, la subculture étant une variable négligée dans la littérature sur l’implication. Cette question fut abordée dans une enquête portant sur 258 infirmières relevant de divers secteurs hospitaliers de l’agglomération de Sydney. Les résultats indiquent que la subculture organisationnelle perçue est forcement reliée à l’implication. On précise en outre la force du lien existant entre l’implication et les différents types de leadership et de subculture. Les subcultures innovantes et centrées sur les personnes bénéficient d’une relation nettement positive tandis que les subcultures bureaucratiques souffrent d’une relation négative. Pour ce qui est des styles de leadership, un style centré sur les relations présente un lien plus fort avec l’implication qu’un style centré sur la tâche. Une analyse de régression a permis d’étudier l’éventuel rôle médiateur de la subculture dans l’influence du leadership sur l’implication. Le leadership a des effets à la fois directs et indirects sur l’implication. On traite finalement des retombées sur la pratique et les recherches à venir.This paper investigates the relationship between perceptions of organisational culture, organisational subculture, leadership style, and commitment. The impact of culture and leadership style on commitment has been previously noted, but there is a lack of detail regarding how different types of culture and leadership styles relate to commitment. The paper particularly addresses the notion of organisational subcultures and how the perception of those cultures relates to commitment, subculture being a neglected variable in the commitment literature. These issues were addressed in a survey of 258 nurses drawn from a range of hospital settings and wards within the Sydney metropolitan region. Results indicate that perceived organisational subculture has a strong relationship with commitment. Furthermore, the results identify the relative strength of specific types of leadership style and specific types of subculture with commitment. Both innovative and supportive subcultures have a clear positive relationship, while bureaucratic subcultures have a negative relationship. In terms of leadership style, a consideration style had a stronger relationship with commitment than a structuring style. Regression analysis was used to investigate the possible role of subculture as a mediator for the influence of leadership on commitment. Both direct and indirect effects of leadership on commitment were found. Implications for practice and for further research are discussed.

The heritable changes in metabolic profiles of plants regenerated in different types of in vitro culture

In this work we show how three types of cucumber in vitro cultures – leaf callus culture, cytokinin dependent cell suspension and liquid culture of meristematic clumps – influence the metabolite profiles of plants in the first generative progeny. Based on this study we conclude that there exists a specific and inheritable metabolic fingerprint reflecting the history of previous generations, probably related to specific stress factors accompanying the passage through different types of culture. The leaf callus culture generated the highest heritable differences in metabolite content and was the most distinctly separated cluster in PCA analysis. The smallest number of variable metabolites characterizes the plants regenerated from cytokinin dependent cell suspension whereas the liquid culture of meristematic clumps induced slightly more changes. Changes induced by these two culture types were not as pronounced as in the case of leaf callus culture. However the plants after these types of culture were well separated from the control on PCA diagram. The highest changes were over 2-fold increases in cystin and galactose-6-P and over 2-fold decreases in aspartate, myo-inositol, hydroxylamine, phosphate and putrescine. These changes concerned the plants, which were one generation after the leaf callus culture. The possible nature of observed heritable changes is discussed.

Photophysiological variability of microphytobenthic diatoms after growth in different types of culture conditions

R.M. Forster and V. Martin-Jézéquel. 2005. Photophysiological variability of microphytobenthic diatoms after growth in different types of culture conditions. Phycologia 44: 393–402.Microphytobenthic diatoms have great ecological importance in estuarine and coastal marine ecosystems, yet many aspects of their physiology have not been investigated under controlled conditions. This work describes patterns in growth rates and photosynthesis in different types of culture for several species of benthic diatom. Cells were grown as epipelic biofilms both in batch culture vessels and in a continuous culture system, and differences in growth and photosynthetic physiology were measured using optical techniques. Consistent differences were observed in the maximum photochemical efficiency of PS II, Fv/Fm between species of diatoms, with highest values recorded early in the development of a culture. The maximum biomass produced also varied greatly between species, with the densest biofilms being formed by Amphora coffeaeformis. Batch cultures of benthic diatoms showed only small changes in Fv/Fm, but large decreases in the maximum rate of photosynthetic electron transport during the first week of culture development because conditions within the biofilm became unfavourable. A flow-through culture chamber was developed in order to increase the supply of nutrients to the biofilm and prevent the build-up of oxygen. In this system, high growth rates and a high maximum rate of photosynthesis was observed for periods of up to 1 wk. The flow chamber system could therefore be used for producing suitable material for comparative photophysiological experiments.