Indirect Links Research Articles

Firm Performance and Corporate Social Responsibility: Spatial Context and Effect Mechanism

This study investigates the effect of firm performance on corporate social responsibility (CSR) in a specific spatial context. The results for a sample of 1,557 listed companies in China suggest that a firm’s CSR performance level is influenced by that of nearby firms. This study also confirms the indirect link between financial and CSR performance through the mediating role of institutional and executive shareholding rates. In addition, the empirical evidence in this study not only supports the spatial context-sensitive thesis but, more importantly, proposes a spatiotemporal context-sensitive thesis. It provides strong empirical support for the true relative value of the spatiotemporal context affecting CSR performance, which yields important theoretical, methodological, and policy implications.

Corporate social responsibility and brand loyalty in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

The current study looks at how customer brand loyalty in the banking sector is impacted by perceived corporate social responsibility (CSR). The current study investigates the indirect link between CSR and brand loyalty through brand identity and believability. The causal link between perceived CSR, brand loyalty, brand identity, and brand credibility is examined. A survey of 330 banking clients in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) nations was used to get the data. Further data analysis was done using AMOS version 24.0 and structural equation modeling (SEM) methods (Hamad & Cek, 2023). By examining the impact of perceived CSR, brand credibility, and brand identity on customer brand loyalty for banking services, this study broadened the conventional understanding of CSR impacts on consumers and attempted to fill a vacuum in the literature (Svetlozarova Nikolova, 2023). The study’s conclusions have important ramifications for financial organizations. These findings have implications for consumer policymakers when promoting CSR.

Risk of intact forest landscape loss goes beyond global agricultural supply chains

•More than one-third of IFL loss was related to export production for the global market •Global supply chains of forest, energy, and mining products dominated IFL loss •Mainland China, the EU, and the United States were major final consumers of IFL-risk products •The dispersed nature of IFL loss drivers calls for stronger government engagement The continued loss of unfragmented intact forest landscapes (IFLs) despite numerous global conservation initiatives indicates the need for improved knowledge of proximate and underlying drivers. Yet the role of non-agricultural activities in forest degradation and fragmentation has not received adequate attention. We focus on IFL loss caused by various economic activities and investigate the influence of global consumption and trade via the multi-regional input-output model. For IFL loss associated with the 2014 world economy, over 60% was related to final consumption of non-agricultural products. More than one-third of IFL loss was linked to export, primarily from Russia, Canada, and tropical regions to mainland China, the EU, and the United States. Of IFL loss associated with export, 51% and 26% was directly caused by logging and mining or energy extraction, respectively. The dispersed nature of IFL loss drivers and their indirect links to individual final consumers call for stronger government engagement and supply chain interventions. The continued loss of unfragmented intact forest landscapes (IFLs) despite numerous global conservation initiatives indicates the need for improved knowledge of proximate and underlying drivers. Yet the role of non-agricultural activities in forest degradation and fragmentation has not received adequate attention. We focus on IFL loss caused by various economic activities and investigate the influence of global consumption and trade via the multi-regional input-output model. For IFL loss associated with the 2014 world economy, over 60% was related to final consumption of non-agricultural products. More than one-third of IFL loss was linked to export, primarily from Russia, Canada, and tropical regions to mainland China, the EU, and the United States. Of IFL loss associated with export, 51% and 26% was directly caused by logging and mining or energy extraction, respectively. The dispersed nature of IFL loss drivers and their indirect links to individual final consumers call for stronger government engagement and supply chain interventions.

The Relation between Corruption and Economy in OECD Countries: A Moderating Role of Tax Revenue

This research study's goal is to examine how tax income influences the relationship between corruption and the economy in OECD countries. OECD countries 35 panel data from the years 1996 to 2021 have been used for this purpose. Economic growth is used as the dependent variable, corruption and tax revenue as the independent variables, and education, foreign direct investment (FDI), inflation, and governance as the control factors. First, we used the cross-sectional dependence CD test to check whether the cross-correlations of the errors are zero. Next, Panel unit-root test is used to check whether the data are stationary. Hausman test is used test to check whether endogenous regressors (predictor variables) are present in the regression model. Finally, Panel ARDL (PMG) techniques used for short-run and long-run analysis of variables. Similarly, the Baron and Kenny estimating process has been used to assess the direct and indirect link between these variables to discover the mediating influence between corruption, tax revenue, and economic growth. According to the panel ARDL (PMG) analysis's findings, economic growth is long-term positively impact by corruption, tax revenue, education, FDI, and governance. While inflation and political unrest have a negative and considerable impact on economic growth. The study's main finding is that tax revenue and corruption have a positive and substantial relationship with economic growth. The principal-Agent theory aids in understanding both governmental structure and the effects of corruption. The mediation analysis's conclusion is that corruption not only directly affects economic growth, but also indirectly. The study provides policymakers with comprehensive knowledge that decreasing corruption results in higher tax receipts and economic growth.

Prophetic Communication: Islam as Knowledge Practice

Prophetic Communication is briefly defined as 'Prophetic Communication' or 'Apostolic Communication'. Prophetic communication does not only mean "communication that imitates the 'prophet's ways of communicating'', or 'dakwah' or 'Islamic communication', but goes further than that, namely communication that seeks to imitate prophetic goals. so the writer uses two theoretical frameworks, firstly Kuntowijoyo's prophetic communication, as well as Harun Nasution's in Islamic books in terms of various aspects. This research is based on library research. The data collected consists of verses from the Qur'an and written materials that have been published in the form of books, journals, and magazines as well as from the internet which have direct and indirect links. with this research. This research was also carried out using descriptive-analytical research, namely by describing the form of civil society embodied by the prophet through an Islamic communication approach that adorns religious social life. The results of the study found that the Qur'an is substantially and principally very relevant to the content of prophetic communication, namely a). amar ma'ruf (humanization), such as getting used to cooperative behavior, increasing social welfare, strengthening brotherhood, and maintaining social solidarity, b). nahi munkar (liberation), such as egalitarian-based identity construction, poverty alleviation, child protection, and gender equality, c). al-iman billah (transcendence), such as strengthening the values of faith and piety, repentance as a purification of the soul, and internalizing morals.

THE IMPACT OF ORGANIZATIONAL TRUST UPON PROCESS INNOVATION THROUGH PATH OF ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY

The aim of current study was to examine how absorptive capacity functions as mediator amid organizational trust and Process innovation. Employee information was gathered and basic linear and multiple regression analysis were used to further examine the data. The findings support hypothesis that organizational trust influences process innovation via absorptive capacity. The conditional indirect impact model demonstrates how absorptive ability mediates indirect link between organizational trust and process innovation. The cross-sectional design of this study was its main drawback. To deepen their understanding of the significance of organizational trust, researchers in human resource management should work to expand and imitate findings using multi-wave data. This is first example to demonstrate how absorptive capacity might affect organizational trust, which in turn can drive process innovation. The study offered significant results that helps in reaching the desired conclusions and offering certain recommendations to policymakers and future researchers in order to revisit their research regarding the issues under consideration.

Diet and the gut-lung axis in cystic fibrosis – direct & indirect links

ABSTRACT Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a multisystem, autosomal, recessive disease primarily affecting the lungs, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, and liver. Whilst there is increasing evidence of a microbial ‘gut-lung axis’ in chronic respiratory conditions, there has been limited analysis of such a concept in CF. We performed a comprehensive dietary and microbiota analysis to explore the interactions between diet, gastrointestinal microbiota, respiratory microbiota, and clinical outcomes in children with CF. Our results demonstrate significant alterations in intestinal inflammation and respiratory and gastrointestinal microbiota when compared to age and gender matched children without CF. We identified correlations between the gastrointestinal and respiratory microbiota, lung function, CF pulmonary exacerbations and anthropometrics, supporting the concept of an altered gut-lung axis in children with CF. We also identified significant differences in dietary quality with CF children consuming greater relative proportions of total, saturated and trans fats, and less relative proportions of carbohydrates, wholegrains, fiber, insoluble fiber, starch, and resistant starch. Our findings position the CF diet as a potential modulator in gastrointestinal inflammation and the proposed gut-lung axial relationship in CF. The dietary intake of wholegrains, fiber and resistant starch may be protective against intestinal inflammation and should be explored as potential therapeutic adjuvants for children with CF.

Leadership styles and employees commitment: the mediating role of job satisfaction

Purpose This study aims to explore the relationship between three primary constructs: leadership styles, job satisfaction and organizational commitment among private-practice quantity surveyors in the Nigerian construction industry. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey of 127 quantity surveying consultancy firms in Abuja was conducted using a quantitative research approach. A total of 76 acceptable questionnaires were returned from a total of 127 that were distributed, giving a response rate of approximately 60%. The data were analyzed using partial least square structural equation modelling. Findings Results showed a positive indirect link between leadership styles and organizational commitments, with job satisfaction acting as a partial mediator. It was also found through importance–performance map analysis, which is crucial for prioritizing managerial actions, that an employee’s commitment to a task is strongly influenced by that person’s level of job satisfaction. Research limitations/implications The study is quantitative and cross-sectional in nature, collecting information from a single source within an organization. A longitudinal strategy and a mixed methods approach should be used in future research. Practical implications Superiors/principal partners should make an effort to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of leadership styles that is capable of enhancing job satisfaction and creating pleasant interaction in the work environment to increase the commitment of employees working in quantity surveying consultancy businesses. Originality/value As far as the author is aware, this study is one of the few to examine the impact of job satisfaction as a mediator between organizational commitments and leadership styles in the Nigerian construction industry. Furthermore, the study provides the basis for further discussion of the concepts offered in the paper.

Assessing the link between market orientation and hotel performance: the mediating role of value-based marketing innovation

PurposeThis study examines how market orientation (MO) affects hotel performance through the value-based marketing innovation intermediate function.Design/methodology/approach:Structural equation modeling-partial least squares (SEM-PLS) analyses are performed to assess the proposed research model on a sample of 166 three-to-five-star hotels located in six provinces of Java Island, Indonesia.FindingsThe findings indicate that MO influences value-based marketing innovation and hotel performance. Additionally, it was demonstrated that value-based marketing innovation mediates the indirect link between MO and hotel performance.Practical implicationsThis research encourages the managers of hotels to adopt MO as the company's culture and to pay close attention to value-based marketing innovation to recognize the potential benefit of MO in hotel performance enhancement.Originality/valueThis research focuses on unifying MO and resource-based view into a cohesive approach to better understand the link between MO and value-based marketing innovation and how both aspects affect hotel performance.

Exploring the indirect links between enterprise risk management and the financial performance of SMEs

This paper responds to the lack of empirical evidence on how enterprise risk management (ERM) and the financial performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are related. Structural equation modeling is used to explore new mediators in the relationship between ERM and SME financial performance. The results show that organizational culture (mission dimension) and strategic risk management performance are full and positive mediators between ERM and financial performance. These research results highlight the fact that the implementation of ERM in an enterprise does not by itself generate the expected effects without the existence of a mature organizational culture and the monitoring of strategic risk management performance. These findings are particularly relevant for SMEs with “pretend ERM” that lacks the strategic and operational components. ERM also helps to transform the negative effect of foreign capital in SME equity on financial performance into a positive effect.

Life history and chemical defense interact to drive patterns of adaptation in an annual monkeyflower.

Although chemical defenses and herbivore pressure are widely established as key targets and agents of selection, their roles in local adaptation and determining potential evolutionary responses to changing climates are often neglected. Here, we explore fitness differences between 11 rangewide M. guttatus populations in a field common garden experiment and assess the agents and targets of selection driving relative fitness patterns. We use piecewise structural equation models to disentangle associations between chemical defenses, (phenylpropanoid glycosides; PPGs), and life history traits with herbivory and fitness. While the historical environment of populations is not predictive of fitness differences between populations, >90% of variation in fitness can be predicted by the flowering time and foliar PPG defense arsenal of a population. Piecewise structural equation models indicate that life history traits, particularly earlier flowering time, are strongly and directly linked to fitness. However, herbivory, particularly fruit predation, is also an important agent of selection that creates indirect links between fitness and both chemical defenses and life history traits. Our results emphasize the multivariate nature of the agents and targets of selections in producing adaptation and suggest that future responses to selection must navigate a complex fitness landscape.

Seeing the big picture during the COVID-19 pandemic: the spillover effects of visionary leadership on employees' work-to-family conflict.

While an expanding body of research has revealed the beneficial impacts of visionary leadership on employees' work-related outcomes, little is known about its spillover effects on nonwork domains. Drawing upon work-home resources theory, we investigated the impacts of visionary leadership on employees' work-to-family conflict (WFC). Utilizing three-wave data from 268 employees, the results indicate that visionary leadership promotes follower relational energy, which in turn reduces WFC. Furthermore, perceived COVID-19 crisis disruption was found to strengthen the negative indirect link between visionary leadership and employees' WFC. Our research broadens our understanding of the potential positive spillover effects of visionary leadership in the nonwork domain through relational energy, and the accentuating effect of perceived crisis disruption on the work-family interface. The theoretical and managerial implications of these findings are discussed.

TRPV1 and GABAB1 in the Cerebrospinal Fluid-Contacting Nucleus are Jointly Involved in Chronic Inflammatory Pain in Rats.

To assess the receptors of TRPV1 and GABAB1 receptors that were colocalized in cerebrospinal fluid contacting nucleus (CSF-contact nucleus) of chronic inflammatory pain (CIP) rats bringing inspiration for reducing chronic pain. A rat model of CIP was constructed by plantar injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA), and the paw withdrawal mechanical threshold (PWMT) and paw withdrawal thermal latency (PWTL) were measured 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 14 days after plantar injection. In the first part of the experiment, rats with CIP were divided into the immunofluorescence group and the coimmunoprecipitation (Co-IP) group (n = 6). Rats in the immunofluorescence group were injected with the retrograde tracer CB conjugated with Alexa Fluor 594 into the lateral ventricle two days before the injection of CFA into the plantar surface of the left paw. Three days later, rats that exhibited hyperalgesia were perfused, and their brains were extracted and used for double immunofluorescence staining of the CSF-contacting nucleus. Rats in the Co-IP group were anesthetized and dissected 3 days after CFA injection, and fresh brain segments containing the CSF-contacting nucleus were collected for Co-IP to assess the colocalization of TRPV1 and GABAB1 in the CSF-contacting nucleus (n = 6). In the second part of the experiment, SD rats were divided into the normal saline group (control group) and the CFA group. Fresh CSF-contacting nucleus-containing tissues were collected for Western blot analysis 3 days after plantar injection to observe the changes in TRPV1 and GABAB1 expression in the CSF-contacting nucleus. TRPV1 and GABAB1 were co-expressed in the CSF-contacting nucleus in rats with CIP, and their expression was upregulated. TRPV1 and GABAB1 in the CSF-contacting nucleus are jointly involved in CIP in rats, and there is a direct or indirect link between TRPV1 and GABAB1.

Pathogenic associations between oral and gastrointestinal diseases.

Both periodontitis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are complex chronic conditions characterized by aberrant host immune response and dysregulated microbiota. Emerging data show an association between periodontitis and IBD, including direct and indirect mechanistic links between oral and intestinal inflammation. Direct pathways include translocation of proinflammatory microbes from the oral cavity to the gut and immune priming. Indirect pathways involve systemic immune activation with possible nonspecific effects on the gut. There are limited data on the effects of periodontal disease treatment on IBD course and vice versa, but early reports suggest that treatment of periodontitis decreases systemic immune activation and that treatment of IBD is associated with periodontitis healing, underscoring the importance of recognizing and treating both conditions.

Clinical relevance of globotriaosylceramide accumulation in Fabry disease and the effect of agalsidase beta in affected tissues.

Fabry disease (FD) is a rare lysosomal storage disorder, characterized by a reduction in α-galactosidase A enzyme activity and the progressive accumulation of globotriaosylceramide (GL3) and its metabolites in the cells of various organs. Agalsidase beta, an enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), is approved for use in patients with FD in Europe, Canada, Australia, South America, and Asia, and is the only ERT approved for use in the United States. In this review, we discuss the clinical relevance of GL3 accumulation, the effect of agalsidase beta on GL3 in target tissues, and the association between treatment-related tissue GL3 clearance and long-term structure, function, or clinical outcomes. Accumulation of GL3 in the kidney, heart, vasculature, neurons, skin, gastrointestinal tract and auditory system correlates to cellular damage and irreversible organ damage, as a result of sclerosis, fibrosis, apoptosis, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction. Damage leads to renal dysfunction and end-stage renal disease; myocardial hypertrophy with heart failure and arrhythmias; ischemic stroke; neuropathic pain; skin lesions; intestinal ischemia and dysmotility; and hearing loss. Treatment with agalsidase beta is effective in substantially clearing GL3 in a range of cells from the tissues affected by FD. Agalsidase beta has also been shown to slow renal decline and lower the overall risk of clinical progression, demonstrating an indirect link between treatment-related GL3 clearance and stabilization of FD.

The relationship between moose browsing, habitat structure and predation pressure on insect herbivores

Grazing and browsing by large ungulates can have a strong effect on habitat composition and structure. Associated effects can be reduction in the abundance of palatable tree species and alter understory properties, thereby affecting habitat complexity. Changes in habitat structure and complexity can in turn affect arthropod predation pressure, as arthropod predators are strongly influenced by habitat characteristics. This may be increasingly important in production forests, as such systems are often more vulnerable to disturbances such as pest insects. However, studies exploring this indirect link between ungulates and predation rate are sparse. We explore this link through the comparison of fenced plots excluding ungulates (for four years) with associated control plots replicated in 16 forest stands covering a large geographical area. We measured vegetation characteristics to assess the effect of exclusion on habitat structure. We used plasticine models to compare predation rates in fenced and control plots on pine trees. In addition, we sampled herbivorous insects to explore the potential relationship between predation and herbivore abundance. We could only demonstrate a weak effect of browser exclusion on habitat structure, suggesting that the time of exclusion was too short to cause a vegetation response. In terms of arthropod predation, we found that predation was positively affected by understory cover, but not related to herbivore abundance. Understory properties such as species composition and biomass has been demonstrated to be affected by ungulates in other studies. Therefore, we propose that ungulate browsing – despite weak effects of browsing exclusion in our study – can affect arthropod predation via changes in the understory, which could potentially affect pest populations. Our study is one of the first attempts to connect effects of mammalian browsing to changes in predation rates on herbivorous insects.

Cumulative Childhood Trauma, Communication Patterns, and Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrated by Men Seeking Help.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a complex and multifactorial public health problem associated with important physical and psychological repercussions. Recent studies suggest that cumulative childhood trauma (CCT) may be related to higher IPV perpetration through dysfunctional communication patterns, but to our knowledge, no study has tested this proposition in a clinical population. This study aimed to explore the direct and indirect links between CCT and perpetrated IPV through dysfunctional communication patterns among 577 men seeking help from community centers specializing in IPV. Prior to receiving services, participants completed a battery of questionnaires including validated brief measures of CCT (sexual, physical, and psychological abuse; physical and psychological neglect; witnessing of physical and psychological parental violence; bullying), communication patterns (demand/demand, partner demands/man withdraws, man demands/partner withdraws), and IPV (psychological, physical, coercive control). Results from a path analysis reveal that having sustained a higher number of different forms of childhood trauma is directly related to men's higher risk of perpetrating psychological IPV. CCT is also indirectly related to higher perpetrated psychological and physical IPV and coercive control through a higher report of the demand/demand communication pattern and a higher report of the man demands/partner withdraws communication pattern. The tested model explains 23% of the variance in psychological IPV, 6% of the variance in physical IPV, and 12% of the variance in coercive control. Results highlight the importance of assessing, in therapy, both distal and proximal variables associated with IPV, including the accumulation of many forms of childhood interpersonal trauma, and to tailor trauma-informed interventions that promote constructive communication strategies.

Do land property rights matter for stimulating agricultural productivity? Empirical evidence from Burkina Faso

Rural households in Burkina Faso face serious problems of food security due to very low agricultural productivity. Our study investigates how the existing land property rights affect agricultural productivity in the country. Unlike previous studies, we use nationally representative data and take into account the indirect link between land property rights security and agricultural productivity. The Conditional Recursive Mixed Process (CMP) regression is used for this purpose. The results show that formal land rights positively and significantly affect land productivity. It is also found that formal education, non-farm activities, receiving cash transfers, and social capital affect land productivity. Our findings show evidence that land property rights matter for stimulating agricultural productivity, especially by motivating large-scale private land related-investments in Burkina Faso. However, it would be too early and somehow naïve to claim that the possession of a legal title is the best way to grant land tenure security in the current context of Burkina Faso, where land market imperfections are a non-negligible issue.

English Learning Stress, Self-Efficacy, and Burnout among Undergraduate Students: The Moderating Effect of Mindfulness and Gender

Research has indicated that English learning stress contributes significantly to English learning burnout among undergraduate students. However, knowledge of the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relationship is limited. To bridge this gap, a moderated mediation model was constructed to examine whether English learning self-efficacy mediated the relationship between English learning stress and English learning burnout. Furthermore, this study analyzed whether the mediated relationship was moderated by mindfulness and gender. A total of 1130 Chinese undergraduate students (mean age = 20.84 years, SD = 1.57 years) reported their experiences regarding English learning stress, English learning self-efficacy, English learning burnout, and mindfulness. After controlling for covariates, the results revealed that English learning self-efficacy mediated the positive link between English learning stress and English learning burnout among both men and women. Moreover, the findings demonstrated that the indirect link was moderated by mindfulness among male undergraduate students. However, the moderating effect of mindfulness was not significant among the women in this study. The implications of these findings for future research, and the development of intervention and prevention of English learning burnout are discussed.

Reduced seed set under water deficit is driven mainly by reduced flower numbers and not by changes in flower visitations and pollination

Abstract Water deficit can alter floral traits with cascading effects on flower‐visitor interactions and plant fitness. Water stress induction can diminish productivity, directly resulting in lower flower production and consequently seed set. Changes in floral traits, such as floral scent or reward amount, may in turn alter pollinator visitations and behaviour and consequently can reduce pollination services resulting in lower reproduction output. However, the relative contribution of this indirect in comparison to the direct effects to changes in seed set are not fully understood. We manipulated water availability using rain‐out shelters in a field experiment and measured effects on floral scent bouquet, morphology, phenology, flower‐visitor interactions, pollination and seed set. Plant individuals of Sinapis arvensis (Brassicaceae) were randomly assigned to one of three treatments: mean precipitation (=control), reduced mean precipitation or drought period treatment. Our results show that decreasing water availability lowers the number of flowers and seed set. This indicates a direct link between water stress and seed set, as seed mass increases with increasing flower number. The indirect link of water stress via floral traits, pollinator visits and pollination has weaker effects on seed set. However, floral traits remain relatively stable under decreased water availability, whereas plant growth and flower abundance decrease, potentially in order to allow investment in more resources in fewer flowers to maintain pollination success. Thus, plants are able to compensate for water stress and can maintain floral trait expression, such as a stable scent emission and bouquet, to retain pollinator attraction. These findings indicate that the direct link from water stress to seed set has a stronger impact on plants reproductive success than the indirect link through altered floral trait expression and pollinator visits in a generalist plant species. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.