Company Representatives Research Articles

What does energy resilience mean for transitioning oil majors: A study of the impact of energy governance on energy resilience

How oil majors respond to climate change mitigation in times of crisis significantly impacts the success of the ongoing low-carbon energy transition, especially amid the recent COVID-19 and Russia-Ukraine conflict turbulences. The study employs thematic content analysis using the software of MAXQDA on the disclosed information of China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) and Equinor, representatives of national oil companies (NOCs) in state-centric and market-centric governance, ranging from 2019 to 2022, to compare energy resilience of different energy governance. It is found that NOCs in state-centric governance exhibit stronger coping capacity in crisis yet need to catch up regarding adaptive and transformative capacity compared with NOCs in market-centric governance. The research findings provide lessons for policymakers on state intervention in the petroleum industry. States can oppose short-term trends and offer stimuli in times of crisis. However, in the long run, state dominance would severely hinder the energy transition of NOCs.

Teaching English for specific purposes at Russian universities: problems teachers have to cope with

Any university performance is assessed according to the job placement of its graduates who according to the Russian Federal Educational Standard of higher vocational education must acquire professional skills as well as skills of using Russian and foreign sources of information and being active representatives of domestic companies in business dealings with their overseas partners. Thus, in comparison with English for general purposes taught at Russian schools, students at non-linguistic universities learn English for specific purposes. Since an ESP course is a very demanding one, the paper deals with the main challenges ESP teachers cope with.

The formation of strategic portfolio of the development of risk management in telecommunications enterprises during martial law and post-war conditions

The object of research is the processes of interaction of components of the strategic portfolio of development of telecommunications enterprises, which are subject to the principles of economic security and highlight risk management measures, in terms of overcoming the negative consequences of any changes, conflicts, crises, management problems, and stresses from external influences on the development of telecommunications enterprises. One of the most problematic areas is to determine the actual risks of strategic development of telecommunications enterprises caused by threats and challenges due to the war in Ukraine, which resulted in the destruction of infrastructure, reconstruction works, demining, migration of personnel, reduced solvency of the population, investment risks. This requires an adequate response to preserve positions or minimize destruction. At the same time, an important task is the formation of strategic imperatives for the economic security of telecommunications enterprises. In addition, it is important not only to establish a list of such components, but also to substantiate the principles of ensuring the organisational and managerial stability and competitiveness of the telecommunications enterprise by forming a strategic portfolio for the development of risk management in conditions of instability and uncertainty during martial law and post-war conditions and the dynamism of the external environment. In the course of the study, methods of detailed analysis of the current state of the problem, based on information search and methods of empirical research (observation, comparison) were used. As well as the method of synthesis and structural-genetic method (extraction from a complex phenomenon of such elements that significantly affect the rest of the research object, in the case of sustainable development tools). At the same time different sources of information, databases, secondary sources of information, company websites and analytical reports were used. As well as primary sources - interviews of company representatives. The scientific and practical value of the study lies in the formation of the theoretical and methodological foundations of strategic risk management aimed at avoiding or reducing them and at the same time ensuring the desired level of economic security of the telecommunications enterprise. This will allow clearly building the management process in the risk management system in the long term and ensuring the desired level of economic security of the telecommunications enterprise. This allows a reasonable approach to building a business, contributes to the improvement of strategic plans through the relationship with risk management, namely: – possibility of in-depth goal setting to achieve the ultimate goal; – development of the least risky strategic set and an effective system of performance indicators; – improving the efficiency of risk management; – adaptation to changes in the external and internal environment; – increasing the flexibility of the business model.

Occupational exposure to silica dust in Slovenia is grossly underestimated.

As a by-product or material used in various industries crystalline silica contaminates the air many occupational settings. If its fine particles are inhaled, they are deposited in the lungs and may cause the development of silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer. The goal of this study was to estimate occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) in Slovenia and the associated health risks. To do that, we ran two cross-sectional studies, one to determine the number of workers at risk of occupational exposure to RCS in Slovene industries and the other to determine and classify changes in the lung radiographs of glass factory workers exposed to RCS, as a means to infer health risks for other RCS exposed workers in Slovenia. However, the first study shows that official public data on occupational exposure to silica in Slovenia are unreliable and incomplete and that company representatives strongly underestimate occupational exposure to silica. Measurements of total and silica dust are made by 8.3 % and 1.8 % of companies working with silica, respectively. The second study shows that about a third of the exposed workers had lung changes associated with silicosis. We have failed to achieve the goal of our study, as the obtained data are grossly underestimated and unreliable, but it has opened our eyes as to what needs to be improved. All companies need to systematically be informed about occupational health risks, field inspections need to be consistent, regular, and intensified, and health surveillance of all exposed workers implemented regularly.

Violations of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes: a multi-country analysis

The marketing of formula milk as a substitute for breast milk continues to be ubiquitous and multifaceted despite passage by the World Health Assembly of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (the Code) in 1981. In this paper, we summarized reports of the Code violations from eight studies using the WHO/UNICEF NetCode protocol. Among 3,124 pregnant women and mothers with young children, in eight countries, 64% reported exposure to promotion of products covered under the Code in the previous 6 months, primarily from advertisements seen outside of health facilities (62%). Nearly 20% of mothers with an infant < 6 months reported that a health care provider had advised them to feed their child food or drink other than breast milk, and 21% of providers reported contact with a representative of a formula company in the previous 6 months to distribute promotional materials, samples, or free supplies (range 2%–53%). Of the 389 retail stores and pharmacies surveyed, promotions were observed in 63% (range 0–100%), and of 1,206 labels and inserts of products reviewed, nearly half included health and/or nutrition claims (range 0–100%). A strong, though non-significant, linear relationship between the composite violations score and quality of Code legislation was found; countries with the lowest percentage of violations had the strongest Code legislation. In Latin America, over 50% of health care providers reported no knowledge of the Code, and 50% reported no knowledge of national legislation. Our study highlights three key facts: 1) the marketing of BMS is ubiquitous and multifaceted, 2) the high variability of promotion across countries generally reflects the comprehensiveness of Code legislation, and 3) health care providers have poor knowledge of the Code and national legislation.

Perception of Partnership among Freight Forwarder Companies in Supporting SDGs for the Sustainability of the Logistics System in Indonesia during the Covid 19

Partnership sustainable development goals are increasingly being studied from different perspectives; however, the perceptions of road freight companies have received little attention. This study explores the views of representatives of small and medium road transport companies on sustainable partnership development goals in Indonesia. This type of research uses quantitative research methods. Data were obtained from questionnaires distributed to 150 employees of freight forwarder companies in Central Java which were determined using the non-probability sampling method. This type of research uses quantitative research methods. Data were obtained from questionnaires distributed to 150 employees of freight forwarder companies in Central Java which were determined using the non-probability sampling method. The results of the study show that Transactional Flexibility has a positive effect on Firm performance, Operational Flexibility has a positive effect on Firm performance, and Strategic Flexibility has a positive effect on Firm performance.

OGBN P04 Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy- can we make it both Greener and cheaper?

Abstract Background Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is one of the most common operations in the UK, with around 60,000 performed in the UK each year. Large numbers of single use instruments are used in laparoscopic surgery, despite the availability of reusable and hybrid alternatives. A hybrid instrument is one where most of the instrument is reusable but it also has a single use replaceable component Operating theatres are a major carbon hotspot within healthcare. The NHS alone is estimated to be responsible for about 4% of England's carbon emissions, thought to be similar in Scotland and operating theatres account for up to 33% of solid waste produced in hospitals. The NHS has a target of reaching net zero emissions by 2040. There is a wide variability in surgical instruments use for laparoscopic cholecystectomy between operators and hospitals - our aim was to examine what was currently being used within 7 different hospital within a single health board, and to suggest the ‘greenest ’ possible instrument tray. It has already been shown that for a single procedure, the cost of using a hybrid laparoscopic clip appliers, scissors, and ports was 47% of that of single-use equivalents, and the carbon footprint 76% lower (Rizan 2021) Methods Visits to the 7 hospital sites currently performing laparoscopic cholecystectomy within a single health board was carried out by 3rd Year medical Student, as part of a Sustainability in Surgery SSC, during a 4 week period in May 2022. This was a snap shot audit and only one surgeon per site was visited. The items used during laparoscopic cholecystectomy were recorded with focus on the use of reusable, hybrid and single use tools. Costs and supplier information were gathered from theatre staff and company representatives. The relevant elements of the surgical tray setups were collated into a table and costs were compared. CO2 footprint was also collated when available. Results There was a wide variation in surgical set ups between hospitals within the same health board. 3 hospitals no longer had any reusable laparoscopic instruments and used all single use, the rest used a combination of single use, hybrid and disposable. All hospitals except one used single use laparoscopic ports- the other used hybrid ports. Most hospitals used single use clip appliers- one surgeon used ties instead. 2 hospitals used skin staples for skin closure. No single hospital utilised the most sustainable option in every item analysed. Costs were analysed below. Single use items were cheaper than reusables for nearly all key items but more expensive in the long term. Hybrid items had lower or similar costs to single use and much lower carbon emissions. Waste and decontamination costs were not taken into account in this analysis. Conclusions Taking the most sustainable practises from the hospitals we visited, an ‘ideal setup’ from an environmental viewpoint was devised using items already available within the health-board. We suggest that this be adopted to reduce both carbon emissions as well as costs. Where the upfront costs of purchasing new reusable instruments are prohibitive, hybrid instruments are recommended. Addressing simple things such as swapping low cost single use plastic item for their reusable counterparts is important and often overlooked. Using reusable instruments to the end of their lifespan, efficient decontamination and regular maintenance also play a role in reducing impact and costs. Further work is required by the healthcare sector and manufacturers to carry out environmental analyses for commonly used items and provide data upon which purchasing decisions could be made to improve sustainability and allow the NHS to meet its net zero target.

Proceedings of the 2020 Mathematics in Industry Study Group

&#x0D; MISG 2020&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; University of Newcastle, Australia&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; 28 January -- 1 February, 2020&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; This special Section of the ANZIAM Journal (Electronic Supplement) contains the refereed papers from the 2020 Mathematics and Statistics in Industry Study Group (MISG 2020) held at the University of Newcastle from 28 January -- 1 February 2020. The MISG is a special interest meeting of ANZIAM, the Australia and New Zealand Industrial and Applied Mathematics (ANZIAM) division of the Australian Mathematics Society. The MISG meetings take place annually and provide a forum where projects proposed by industry can be worked on intensively, by high profile scientists in the fields of Applied Mathematics, Statistics and Operations Research, from Australia, New Zealand and the world beyond, along with representatives from the industries proposing the projects.&#x0D; The writing of these papers was coordinated by the project moderators in consultation with the coauthors and company representatives. The manuscripts were submitted to the editors, Associate Professor Mike Meylan, Professor Ngamta Thamwattana and Professor Tony Roberts, and were subsequently refereed by two expert referees. On the advice of the referees, manuscripts were accepted for publication, subject to the recommended revisions, and formally approved by the editorial committee.&#x0D; At MISG 2020, six projects were presented from diverse industries, with 78 delegates participating.&#x0D; Industry Partners&#x0D; We gratefully acknowledge the support of our industry partners:&#x0D; &#x0D; Lovells Springs;&#x0D; Safearth;&#x0D; Concrush;&#x0D; Hyper Q Aerospace.&#x0D; &#x0D; Acknowledgements&#x0D; In addition to our industry partners, we gratefully acknowledge support from the following organisations:&#x0D; &#x0D; ANZIAM;&#x0D; Office of the NSW Chief Scientist \&amp; Engineer, Department of Industry, NSW Government;&#x0D; Priority Research Centre: Computer Assisted Research Mathematics and its Applications, The University of Newcastle;&#x0D; Faculty of Science, The University of Newcastle.&#x0D; &#x0D; We are also grateful to Professor Ryan Loxton from the Centre for Optimisation and Decision Science, Curtin University, for giving a public lecture on power of optimisation research in mining, energy, and agriculture industries, as part of the MISG's outreach event and acknowledge the support from the Hunter Branch of the Royal Society of NSW in promoting the public lecture. We are also grateful to Professor Mark McGuinness (Victoria University of Wellington), Professor Troy Farrell (Queensland University of Technology), Associate Professor Amie Albrecht (University of South Australia) and Dr Neville Fowkes (University of Western Australia) for their helpful advice and comments in organising the MISG 2020.&#x0D; MISG2020 Organising Committee&#x0D; &#x0D; Professor Ngamta Thamwattana (Co-Director)&#x0D; Associate Professor Mike Meylan (Co-Director)&#x0D; Mrs Juliane Turner (Administrative Support)&#x0D; Dr David Allingham (Technical Support)&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Music Industry

The COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the world, not only threatening people’s health but also impacting various industries. This paper will focus on the impact of the pandemic on the music industry, specifically on live and recorded music. To help determine how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted both live and recorded music, we will analyze the log-returns of stock data of three companies representative of the music industry: Live Nation Entertainment, Tencent Music Entertainment, and Warner Music Group. We also provide descriptive statistics related to the log-returns of stock data of the three companies and calculate the correlation coefficients of the log returns for these companies using three correlation methods (Pearson correlation test, Kendall correlation test, and Spearman correlation) before and after the pandemic. From stock price charts, we observed a negative relationship between the stock indices of both live and recorded music during the early pandemic period. However, we found that there was no correlation in the log-returns of both live and recorded music company stocks after the COVID-19 vaccination became widely available, despite their being a slight positive correlation from the results.

No Resilience Without Partners: A Case Study on German Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in the Context of COVID-19

Much research has been conducted on the effects of COVID-19 on company and supply chain resilience. However, few contributions have focused on small and medium-sized enterprises. These companies are claimed to be the drivers of economic growth but often lack access to resources and alternatives when interruptions occur, making them a bottleneck for supply chains. Using a multiple case study approach, this paper links resilience theory to the design of the relationships between eight German small and medium-sized enterprises and their suppliers and customers. It analyzes the way in which these companies combine contractual and relational investments across their supply chain flows of product, finance, and information in order to improve resilience. Company representatives were interviewed on three occasions between June 2018 and December 2020, that is, before COVID-19 and during the lockdowns. The results of the case study explain why and how companies of this type have been able to anticipate and manage the crisis. The interviews revealed that those companies that made the largest investments in the relational aspects of their partnerships while safeguarding product and financial flows through contracts performed best. In principle, contractual investments are higher in partnerships with suppliers. However, the precise combination of contractual and relational investments depends on the business model, the business philosophy of the CEO, and the allocation of power within the supply chain. These findings indicate that, when collaborating with small businesses, supply chain partners should focus on building relationships in order to create resilience in the supply chain.

PP151 VALIDATE Methodology On A Medication-Related Clinical Decision Support System: Holistic Assessment For Optimal Technology Adoption

IntroductionIn the past decade, health technology assessment (HTA) has narrowed its scope to analyses of mainly clinical and economic benefits. Technology challenges in the 21st century emphasize the need for holistic assessments to obtain accurate recommendations for decision-making, as in HTA’s foundations. Using the VALues In Doing Assessments of health TEchnologies (VALIDATE) methodology for complex technologies provides a deeper understanding of problems through analysis of stakeholders’ views, allowing for more comprehensive HTAs. This study aimed to assess a pharmaceutical clinical decision support system (CDSS) using VALIDATE.MethodsSemi-structured interviews with different stakeholders were conducted in the following domains: problem definition (medication error [ME] occurrence and prevention); judgement of solution (existing preventive methods and previous experiences of the CDSS); background theories (future impact and personal beliefs); and barriers to and facilitators of implementation. The following individuals were interviewed: medical informatic specialists (n=3), pharmacists (n=2), nurses (n=2), physicians (n=2), CDSS company representatives (n=1), electronic health record developer (n=1), and health consultancy firm representatives (n=1). Content analysis was used to integrate and analyze the data.ResultsThe multistakeholder interviews identified various barriers to the acceptance and implementation of a pharmaceutical CDSS that were different from those reported in the literature. These included: (i) occurrence of ME (no traceability of medication taken or poor patient medication empowerment); (ii) perception of current level of MEs (huge improvement from ten years ago); (iii) perception of technology as a tool to prevent ME (not enough if only implemented at one point of care); (iv) previous experiences with a CDSS (low rates of development of CDSSs are due to medication prescriptions being digitalized last in hospitals); (v) CDSS metrics (input data should be measured to control CDSS performance); and (vi) other barriers.ConclusionsIncluding facts and stakeholders’ values in problem definition and the scoping of health technologies is essential for the proper conduct of HTAs. Incorporating views from multiple stakeholders when scoping the assessment of health technologies brings additional values to literature findings, resulting in a more holistic evaluation. The lack of multistakeholder scoping can lead to inaccurate information and result in wrong decisions about if, when, and how to adopt a CDSS.

B2B Videos for Sales Outreach General analysis and a model extension for product videos

Due to the growing importance of videos for B2B sales outreach, this study proposes an extended model based on the Corporate-Video Model by Büsching and Meidel (2016) and a qualitative survey with high-ranking company representatives. The findings comprise seven complementary categories: structure, communication, product display, information content, unique selling proposition, value-based selling, and dramaturgy of product videos. The model extension aids practitioners in analyzing and conceptualizing compelling B2B product videos.

Ipsative Assessment and Peer Feedback in an Orthopaedic Junior Doctor Teaching Programme: A Project Plan and Narrative Review of the Literature.

The main aim of this study is to describe a plan for a project to introduce the use of formative ipsative assessment and peer feedback within an orthopaedic junior doctor teaching programme. These changes will ensure that students demonstrate objective progress and understand that they are making progress in their learning journey. It will also improve learner collaboration through the creation of communities of practice. Key stakeholders involved include the junior doctors, tutors, consultants, medical education department, research/audit department, and orthopaedic company representatives. Outcomes will be measured using a four-point Likert scale on Google forms digital portfolios for the domains of clinical knowledge, technical skills, communication, teamwork, and basic research skills. Progress will be audited at six-month intervals. Full project implementation will be within 6-12 months. A narrative review of relevant literature and theories of learning in relation to ipsative assessment and peer feedback within a clinical teaching context was also performed. The future of medical education will still contain large components of ipsative assessment. In addition, a problem-based collaborative learning approach is now utilized in many medical schools and peer feedback will become more frequently utilized as a part of this in future. The author looks forward to implementing this project successfully and anticipates that the knowledge/skills gained from this will be useful for any future career projects both within and outside medical education.

Swedish public and private housing companies’ access to the capital market for financing energy renovation

The financing of energy efficiency measures and renovations is key to reaching energy efficiency targets for the housing sector. The purpose of this article is to add the Swedish case of how capital market funds have become accessible and used by public and private housing companies, in particular for energy efficiency measures. The core of this article are interviews with representatives of Swedish housing companies made during the spring of 2021 with the purpose of mapping how public and larger private housing companies finance renovation and energy efficiency measures, and to what extent funds from the capital market are used for these purposes. In this article, we have found that capital market funds are commonly used by the Swedish public and the largest private housing companies. Bonds are less costly compared to bank loans, and green bonds are 0.02–0.03 percentage points less costly than conventional bonds. Furthermore, control systems that investigate the values of building portfolios as security for bonds are poor. A conclusion is that governmental control systems over the capital market issuing bonds for the housing market could be needed to avert future housing bubbles.

Economic Crisis Impact Assessment and Risk Exposure Evaluation of Selected Energy Sector Companies from Bombay Stock Exchange

The energy sector is one of the most important sectors as it is the producer and supplier of fuel to run other industries and economies. This research aims to present an intertwined structure of risk exposure measuring the performance of the S&amp;P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Energy Index and selected companies from the constituents while taking into account two scenarios of risk, namely the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia–Ukraine conflict, in a manner appropriate for energy stock investors, energy companies, and the economy through hedging against investment risk, diversification in operations securing the continuation of energy production, and the risk of fluctuating prices in the energy market, respectively. The research problem is observed as the requirement to choose the representative stocks of the S&amp;P (BSE) Energy Index to evaluate their situations during the period of the two crisis scenarios and to provide the current risk exposure to India’s energy sector. The methodological approach was through the process of selecting the stock market, the reason behind selecting the energy sector, analyzing the crisis situation, and finally providing the risk exposure matrix. The COVID-19 pandemic affected the index and stocks only in the beginning when the market was scared psychologically. The Russia–Ukraine conflict is considered to measure the stock status showing the effect on the index and the effect on selected stocks showing a deviated performance. All ten companies representative of the S&amp;P BSE Energy Index ranked in the increasing order of risk exposure comparatively and concludes a high potential growth and return.

Blockchain Platforms in Energy Markets—A Critical Assessment

Compared to other applications of distributed ledger technologies, for example, in decentralized finance, non-fungible tokens, and logistics, Blockchain applications in the energy industry have not found widespread dissemination and fell short of market expectations during the Blockchain hype in the late 2010s. In semi-structured qualitative interviews with leading providers in the energy industry, conducted from 2019 to 2021, hurdles in energy applications are compared with a control group of additional interviews with representatives of companies operating in IT and FinTech. The analysis uses a framework covering technical feasibility, desirability, and economic viability, as well as the role of regulatory frameworks. The interviews reveal that the first Blockchain applications suffered from a combination of technological constraints and inter-platform competition. Due to the permissionless configuration of the early energy Blockchains, they were slow in terms of transaction speed compared to existing platforms and prices per transaction were high, in addition to high degrees of complexity related to requirements from both critical-infrastructure systems and financial market regulation. The analysis further points to the slow adoption of Blockchain applications in the energy sector being related to business models rather focusing on products and platforms as well as on transactional rather than procedural use cases, with a high degree of standardization of the offering and low levels of inclusiveness concerning processes. The move from transaction platforms to innovation platforms and the emergence of Blockchain as a service provider—plus technical advances with regards to high-frequency transactions combined with the increasing importance of use cases, such as proof of origin for fuels or e-charging—may induce a shift from pilot applications to commercialization within the larger innovation ecosystem. While the involvement of Blockchain solutions in energy markets increases with pilot projects and with this, the acceptance of players and stakeholders in the energy ecosystem, a big hurdle for innovation remains the regulation of energy markets to allow for peer-to-peer trading, a usage-driven distribution of network costs, and bottom-up pricing markets.

Evaluation of the effectiveness and efficiency of the East African community joint assessment procedure by pharmaceutical companies: Opportunities for improvement.

Background: A 2021 study to determine the viewpoints among the seven member countries regarding the effectiveness (i.e., achieving the intended outcomes) and efficiency (i.e., achieving the intended outcomes in timely manner with the resources available) of the East African Community Medicine Regulatory Harmonisation (EAC-MRH) Joint Assessment Procedure recommended the conduct of a similar study among pharmaceutical company applicants. The aim of this study then was to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the current EAC-MRH operating model from the applicants' perspective, including the challenges and opportunities for improvement. Methods: Using the Process Effectiveness and Efficiency Rating for Industry questionnaire developed by the authors, data were collected from company representatives responsible for EAC joint procedure submissions. Results: Responses from 14 study participants underlined the support of pharmaceutical companies for the EAC-MRH initiative, which has facilitated the harmonisation of registration requirements across the EAC region leading to one registration for all countries and a reduction of the workload for both applicants and assessors. In addition, it is expected that shorter timelines for approval will lead to improved access to quality-assured essential medicines in the region. Access to various markets at the same time was also noted as an important benefit to pharmaceutical companies. Noted challenges include a lack of process information, a lack of centralised submission and tracking process and a lack of mandated central registration. A key strategy proposed by participants is the establishment of a regional administrative body to centrally receive and track EAC applications and the eventual establishment of a Regional EAC Medicines Authority. Conclusion: This is the first study evaluating the performance of the EAC work-sharing initiative from the point of view of the applicants. In general, the applicants believe that the system performs efficiently and fulfils its promise. However, some participants indicated that in some countries an EAC positive recommendation does not directly result in an individual country approvals. Following the recommendations listed in this report may mitigate identified areas for improvement and facilitate the overall goal of the EAC-MRH initiative to expedite the availability of needed quality-assured medicines to patients in the region.

The Hidden Value of Brand Communities for Strategic Communication: A Qualitative Study of Motorcycle Companies in Portugal

ABSTRACT The high competitiveness of the corporate sector requires a strategic communication approach to bring brands closer to consumers. In this context, brand communities (BCs) can be an interesting asset for brands. This article uses the example of motorcycle brands to analyze how BCs on social media can enhance the strategic dimension of brand communication. For this purpose, nine company representatives were interviewed, who represented 16 motorcycle brands. The data were examined using qualitative content analysis. Overall, the results suggest that motorcycle brand communication is increasingly digital and does not explicitly recognize BCs as a strategic target. However, several advantages are ascribed to approaching BCs as part of a communication strategy (e.g., stimulating brand loyalty or brand satisfaction) and to interacting with BCs as social groups (e.g., encouraging feelings of belongingness or sharing of information). Concerning online BCs, the results show that managers perceived using social applications as beneficial, increasing brand promotion, saving time, and improving communication. These findings could inspire companies to make the best of BCs and develop new and relevant communication strategies through online apps that will increase brand satisfaction and, consequently, brand profits.

Legitimation strategies of Russian companies: a bricolage of social responsibility

ABSTRACT Russian companies, with their long-established tradition of social responsibility, still operate social and infrastructure projects at the regional and local levels. Adopting the framework of organisational “bricolage”, this article explores how managers combine various ideas and understandings about social responsibility, creating narratives addressed to multiple audiences, including the market, state, employees and local community. The analysis builds on 116 semi-structured interviews with company representatives and stakeholders, conducted in Russia in 2018. The empirical findings show that managers construct a bricolage of social responsibility that prioritises business interests and highlights loyalty towards the authorities; Soviet-era remnants are of minor importance.

Opioids: The Elephant in the Room

America is currently immersed in an opioid crisis brought on by the overprescription and misuse of oral outpatient opioids. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta, Georgia) current data report reveals that “More than 932,000 people have died since 1999 from a drug overdose. Nearly 75% of drug overdose deaths in 2020 involved an opioid.”1 The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (San Antonio, Texas) annual report noted that, “Among people aged 12 or older in 2020, 3.4% (or 9.5 million people) misused opioids [and]…an estimated 667,000 people misused prescription pain relievers and used heroin in the past year.”2 Some physicians and specifically anesthesiologists may think they fully grasp this calamity because they prescribe opioid analgesics. Unfortunately, some have firsthand experience with the devastating consequences of the opioid crisis. Others may not fully grasp this or are somewhat blind to the depth and breadth of the opioid crisis. I have a suggestion for all of us that is bound to aid understanding of the opioid crisis.American poet John Godfrey Saxe (1816 to 1887) graced us with his retelling of the Indian parable, “The Blind Men and the Elephant.”3 This tale reveals the very different accounts of what the elephant is as explained by the blind men who each touched a different part of the mammoth creature and described their impressions. Each was sure, yet none had seen the elephant. There certainly is some truth that beauty originates from the eyes (more than touch) of the beholder. I encourage you to read two current books about the opioid crisis to realize some of the parts of this multifaceted crisis.If you were the blind man feeling the economic arm of the opioid crisis, reading Patrick Keefe’s “Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty” will open your eyes. This book recounts the saga of siblings, Arthur, Mortimer, and Raymond Sackler, all well-educated physicians, who bought a small somewhat insignificant pharmaceutical company and cultivated it, with their children and faithful employees, into Purdue Pharma. Mortimer and Raymond focused on growing the company into a money-making powerhouse, peddling powerful analgesics, with the aid of Arthur’s expertise in medical advertising, a potent combination. Relaunching OxyContin treatment, Purdue Pharma executives instructed the company sales representatives to characterize its clinical properties as nonaddicting and more effective with increasing dose regimes. Reading on, the story recounts unscrupulous sales force strategies, such as those brought to the clinical community’s attention in 2009,4 that exploded OxyContin prescriptions yielding total sales of 35 billion dollars from 1996 to the present. As visible through Keefe’s book, the opioid crisis is a catastrophe attributable to the avarice of a family, who rationalized their behavior through their benefactor largesse, working side-by-side with lawyers and corporate executives who prioritized the bottom line, rather than patient benefit priorities.Beth Macy’s “Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America” offers a different glimpse of this elephant. This tome recounts the emotionally disturbing saga of people impacted by opioid use disorder. Dopesick is a collection of narratives of the patients and their families and friends who lived and grieved the consequences of the opioid abuse. The narrative expounds the personal stories chronicling the development of the crisis in rural Appalachia, a story universal to all communities attempting to cope with this malady. “Because many die [from opioid abuse] prematurely…surviving family members and communities lose out on benefits from an individual’s lifetime earnings. Opioid use disorder also results in costs associated with added health care expenses, criminal justice, lost productivity, and reduced quality of life. In 2017, these costs totaled an estimated $1.02 trillion—54% was attributed to overdose deaths and 46% to opioid use disorder…”5Keefe writes his text sensing the opioid crisis in a manner focused on and critical of the pharmaceutical industry; Macy writes her text focused on sensing the opioid crisis as a sadly disturbing empathetic concern about the personal stories of the victims. Elements of each author’s perspective appear in each other’s book. It is the emphasis on the economic versus human fallout that urges one to read both books to gain a more complete understanding of the elephant. “Empire of Pain” and “Dopesick” are written to provide astonishing detail that enables the blind man to see the elephant in the room, the opioid crisis.