Top Positions Research Articles

Efficiency and Super‐Efficiency in the CRO Industry, 2012–2021: A Two‐Stage Exploration

ABSTRACTThis paper explores the productivity of contract research organizations (CROs) by computing and exploring efficiency and super‐efficiency data envelopment analysis (SDEA) scores for a sample of companies over 2012–2021. Main findings suggest that CRO efficiency and super‐efficiency is high and has increased more than 25% over 2012–2021. The top positions in the rankings according to efficiency are not limited to a few companies; in contrast, many firms in the sample are able to reach a top position in at least one concept of efficiency, suggesting the high degree of rivalry and competition in this industry. A second‐stage preliminary analysis of variables associated with efficiency suggests that best performers implement a sound human capital policy, with controlled costs. Moreover, they also have a careful short‐term cash‐flow management, with brief collection periods. Big and small firms outperform the rest of the companies, suggesting the presence of increasing returns and niche advantages in some stages of the supply chain. Finally, results suggest that the COVID pandemic had an asymmetric impact on CROs, affecting positively only large CROs.

Occupational and social mobility of skilled migrants: an intersectional analysis

ABSTRACT Research on skilled migration has grown substantially in recent years. Drawing on 58 in-depth interviews with skilled Americans in China, this paper explores how the intersectionality of race, gender, and citizenship shapes their occupational and social mobility, and whether these two forms of mobility align. The findings suggest that skilled migrants’ social identities simultaneously create both advantages and disadvantages in their occupational and social mobility. I coined the term ‘glass box’ to describe their experiences: while many enjoyed enhanced occupational mobility, they eventually hit a ‘glass ceiling’ that blocked access to top positions and faced ‘glass walls’ that pigeonholed them into a narrow range of occupations. However, their social identities also brought privileges, forming a ‘glass floor’ that protected them from employment precarity. Their social mobility, extending beyond occupational mobility, improved to varying degrees after migration to China but declined rapidly and unexpectedly following the outbreak of COVID-19. While changes to skilled Americans’ occupational and social mobility aligned most of the time, there were notable exceptions where these two forms of mobility shifted in opposite directions. Such contradictory experiences highlight the persistent structural barriers that shape their professional and social trajectories.

GREEK SHIPPING ON THE BLACK AND AZOV SEAS AT THE TURN OF THE 40s - 50s OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY (BASED ON THE MATERIALS OF THE AUSTRIAN CONSULAR REPORTS AND THE AUSTRIAN PRESS)

The article aims to examine the participation of the Greek merchant fleet in the navigation of the Black and Azov Seas in the mid-nineteenth century on the basis of a complex of Austrian sources that has been little studied in Ukrainian historiography. The latter included published reports from Austrian consular offices in Odesa, Berdiansk, Mariupol, Trebizond, and Galați. Materials from the Austrian press of the time are also used, primarily from the Austrian Ministry of Commerce's “Austria” newspaper, which was published as a daily newspaper from 1849 to 1856 and as a weekly from 1856. During the period under review, the Greek fleet was in a leading position in shipping in the Black and Azov Seas, successfully competing with the Austrian, British and Italian fleets. The success of the Greek merchant fleet was due, among other things, to the fact that seafaring was an ancient Greek craft, and in Ottoman times they were able to maintain the continuity of experience and tradition. In addition, this was facilitated by the developed network of Greek trading houses, which were widely represented in the main area of their fleet's navigation, in the Mediterranean Sea, especially its eastern part, and in the Black and Azov Seas. Therefore, the radical political and economic changes in the Black and Azov Seas regions did not take them and the Italians by surprise, and they were the first to take advantage of the rapid development of trade and transport traffic there. And despite increased competition in the mid-nineteenth century from the Austrians and the British, the Greeks continued to hold top positions in the shipping of the Black and Azov Seas. Moreover, unlike the Sardinians, they were gradually involved in long-distance voyages beyond Gibraltar, mainly to Great Britain. At the same time, the challenges for the traditionally sailing Greek merchant fleet from the emergence of steamship lines on the Black Sea were outlined. The first indicators were the activities of some of the Greeks' main competitors, the Austrians, in the Danube ports and on the Bulgarian coast, and the British, Austrians and Turks in the Anatolian ports.

Efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors for advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Currently, several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been conducted to investigate the efficacy of combining immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) with chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer; however, the optimal treatment strategy remains undetermined. A comprehensive search of online databases was conducted to identify RCTs published until December 31, 2023. Network meta-analysis was performed to evaluate PFS, OS, TRAEs, irAEs, and the ranking of different treatment regimens. A total of 2702 patients from five RCTs (six reports) were included in the analysis. The combination therapy of ICIs significantly prolonged PFS (HR = 0.69, 95%CI 0.63-0.76, p < 0.0001) and OS (HR = 0.73, 95%CI 0.63-0.85, p < 0.0001) in the overall population. Among the different ICIs combinations evaluated, Durva-Olap-CP exhibited superior efficacy for both PFS and OS outcomes. In the pMMR population, both Durva-Olap-CP and Pembro-CP significantly reduced the risk of disease progression or death compared to Avelu-CP and Atezo-CP treatments; however, no significant differences were observed among various ICI combination therapies in patients with dMMR. In the dMMR population, Dostar-CP demonstrates a 42.2% probability of achieving first rank in terms of PFS, whereas in the pMMR population, Pembro-CP exhibits a 60% likelihood of securing the top position. Importantly, the toxicity associated with ICIs combination therapy was manageable and well-tolerated. The combination of ICIs and chemotherapy as first-line treatment for advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer has demonstrated superior survival outcomes compared to chemotherapy alone. Durva-Olap-CP exhibited the most favorable PFS and OS benefits in the overall population. In patients with dMMR, Dostar-CP showed the greatest improvement in PFS, while Pembro-CP demonstrated the most pronounced PFS benefit in patients with pMMR.

Turbulent transport mechanisms and their impact on the pedestal top of JET plasmas with small-ELMs

Abstract Understanding the transport mechanisms that regulate the H-mode pedestal structure is crucial for developing regimes with edge dynamics that are compatible with the thermal and particle load constraints of plasma facing components. In this regard, at the JET tokamak, H-mode plasma regimes featuring small-ELM (BSE) dynamics have been developed, expelling less plasma energy per ELM compared to the standard type-I ELM. The pedestal of these new regimes remains stable against peeling-ballooning modes, leaving its structure unexplained.&amp;#xD;In this study, three baseline H-mode JET discharges, a reference with type-I ELM and two BSE regimes, are selected to investigate the turbulent transport mechanisms occurring in pedestals with different structures. The turbulence analysis is conducted using local gyrokinetic simulations around the pedestal top position. The results show that at ion-scales, while hybrid ITG-KBM and KBM are destabilized in the type-I ELM discharge, the BSE regimes are dominated by hybrid ITG-TEM, suggesting a different role of turbulent transport in the two cases. At electron-scales, both regimes are dominated by toroidal and slab ETG, the latter extending up to very small scales. Simulations of turbulence driven by hybrid ITG-TEM focuses on the impact and competition of electromagnetic (EM) effects and equilibrium $\vb*{E}\times\vb*{B}$ shearing. A strong EM stabilization mechanism is found, resulting in a saturated turbulence regime with spectra different from those in the electrostatic limit (ES$_l$). Additionally, while increasing $\vb*{E}\times\vb*{B}$ shearing reduces transport in ES$_l$ simulations, it is observed to have the opposite effect in the EM regime. Finally, stiff ETG transport is also shown to produce transport levels compatible with experimental observations.&amp;#xD;The findings of this study suggest the EM stabilization and its competition with $\vb*{E}\times\vb*{B}$ shearing as new key elements determining the nature of the turbulent transport mechanisms around the pedestal top, which need to be considered in reduced models for pedestal limits.

Open access publications drive few visits from Google Search results to institutional repositories

AbstractGiven the importance of Google Search in generating visits to institutional repositories (IR), a lack of visibility in search engine results pages can hinder the possibility of their publications being found, read, downloaded, and, eventually, cited. To address this, institutions need to evaluate the visibility of their repositories to determine what actions might be implemented to enhance them. However, measuring the search engine optimization (SEO) visibility of IRs requires a highly accurate, technically feasible method. This study constitutes the first attempt to design such a method, specifically applied here to measuring the IR visibility of Spain’s national university system in Google Search based on a set of SEO-based metrics derived from the Ubersuggest SEO tool. A comprehensive dataset spanning three months and comprising 217,589 bibliographic records and 316,899 organic keywords is used as a baseline. Our findings show that many records deposited in these repositories are not ranked among the top positions in Google Search results, and that the most visible records are mainly academic works (theses and dissertations) written in Spanish in the Humanities and Social Sciences. However, most visits are generated by a small number of records. All in all, our results call into question the role played by IRs in attracting readers via Google Search to the institutions’ scientific heritage and serve to underscore the prevailing emphasis within IRs on preservation as opposed to online dissemination. Potential improvements might be achieved using enhanced metadata schemes and normalized description practices, as well as by adopting other actionable insights that can strengthen the online visibility of IRs. This study increases understanding of the role played by web indicators in assessing the web-based impact of research outputs deposited in IRs, and should be of particular interest for a range of stakeholders, including open access and open science advocates, research agencies, library practitioners, repository developers, and website administrators.

Management of scientific and technological regional development in the Volga Federal District: review of government programs

Relevance. In light of the growing interest in the scientific and technological development of regions, setting goals for scientific and technological advancement at the national level, the issue of developing programs for the development of science and education leading to the technological sovereignty of the country becomes relevant.The purpose is to analyze the ongoing programs for scientific and technological development of the regions of the Volga Federal District, as well as individual indicators characterizing the dynamics of the scientific and educational sector of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation.Objectives: conduct an economic and statistical analysis of the main indicators characterizing the scientific and technological progress of the regions of the Volga Federal District; identify regions of the Volga Federal District in which state programs for scientific and technological development have been developed, and consider their features.Methodology. The study used methods of economic-statistical and comparative analysis.Results. A review of state programs for scientific and technological development shows that four pilot regions of the Volga Federal District (Nizhny Novgorod region, Republic of Tatarstan, Republic of Bashkortostan and Republic of Mordovia) have already developed corresponding programs, and two regions (Orenburg region and Perm Territory) are under development. The remaining regions either have state programs that indirectly indicate the development of scientific and technological potential, or they do not exist.Conclusions. Scientific and technological development programs represent an important document that defines strategic guidelines for the development of science, technology and higher education. Regions that have already developed state programs for scientific and technological development have a high scientific reserve and are located in the top positions in the National Rating of Scientific and Technological Development of Regions. Such regions show strong results in the scientific and educational sector, which contributes to improving the economic and social development of the region. A systematic analysis of these programs makes it possible to identify their impact on various aspects of social life, as well as determine the effectiveness of the measures taken and mechanisms for achieving the set goals. It is important to take into account the variety of approaches to the development and implementation of strategic programs, which should be aimed at the unique characteristics of the country’s regions, their bottlenecks and development prospects, taking into account an assessment of their potential.

Analysis of the Implementation of the Merit System in the Mataram City Government from a Gender Perspective

Human resources (apparatus) are the basis of the bureaucratic reform movement. Human resources are one aspect of achieving the goals of government organizations, namely providing optimal public services. Therefore, it is necessary to implement a merit system to obtain human resources, in this case specifically the best State Civil Apparatus (ASN) who do not consider male or female gender, including in the process of filling pratama high leadership positions (JPT) in scope of the Mataram City Government. This research aims to describe the implementation of the merit system in the Mataram City government from a gender aspect. This research uses a qualitative approach with data collection methods consisting of in-depth interviews and document review. Data analysis uses qualitative data analysis techniques. The validity of the data was tested using triangulation techniques. Research provides an illustration that the Mataram City government has basically implemented a merit system in ASN management. When filling out the JPT, preparation, implementation and evaluation stages have been carried out in accordance with the provisions. Basically, the number of female ASNs in the city of Mataram is more than male. Likewise, the educational level of female ASN is better than that of men. However, if we look at it in terms of rank and class, the number of men is increasing, this will make the opportunity for men to occupy top positions in the bureaucracy greater. The Mataram city government consistently provides opportunities for women at the rate of 10 percent and hopes that in the future this will be further increased.

Der Standort Österreich aus Sicht der ökonomischen Komplexität

Abstract Economic complexity indicators attempt to map latent factors for long-term growth. In this analysis, we shed light on Austria as a business location using multidimensional complexity indicators that allow statements to be made about regional specialization, key technologies for the green transition and individual sectors such as the semiconductor industry. Austria usually occupies top international positions or is at least among the leaders, and this has remained stable over the last 20 years. This implies extensive opportunities for diversification into promising technologies. For individual brown industries, however, there is a risk of getting locked into products whose demand will decline in the course of the green transition.

AI-Driven Realtime Monitoring of Early Indicators for Ichthyophthirius multifiliis Infection of Rainbow Trout.

A novel video-based real-time system based on AI (artificial intelligence) was developed to detect clinical signs in fish exposed to pathogens. We selected a White Spot Disease model involving rainbow trout as the experimental animal and the parasitic ciliate Ichthyophthirius multifiliis as a pathogen. We compared two identical fish tank systems: one tank was infected by co-habitation, whereas the other tank was kept non-infected (sham infection). The two fish tanks were separately video monitored (full top and side view) during the course of infection, during which fish were removed whenever they developed clinical signs (direct visual inspection by the observer). Image analysis (object detection, classification and tracking) was used to track behavioural changes in fish (in every recorded video frame), focusing on movement patterns and spatial localisation. Initially, the two fish groups (infected and non-infected) exhibited similar behaviour and non-infected fish did not change behaviour during the 15 d observation period (from 5 d before infection until 10 dpi). At 4, 7, 8, 9 and 10 dpi some infected fish showed clinical signs (equilibrium disturbance, gasping and lethargy) and were removed from the experiment. Anorexia occurred from 5 dpi and a gradual progression of gasping behaviour was noted, whereas the frequency of fish flashing (rubbing/scratching against objects) was low. Equilibrium disturbances and the development of white spots in the skin appeared to be a much later (8-10 dpi at this temperature) indicator of infection. The video analysis showed a general distribution of non-infected fish in all parts of the fish tank during the entire experiment, whereas infected fish already at 4-5 dpi moved towards higher water currents in the top and bottom positions. This change of fish positioning within the tank appeared as a promising early indicator of infection. The study suggests that continuous monitoring of fish behaviour using AI can potentially optimise the timing of humane endpoints, indicate disease signs earlier and thereby improve animal welfare in both animal experimentation and in aquaculture settings.

Consumer views on the healthiness of meat from various animal species: A comprehensive survey including fish

The study aimed to assess respondents’ opinions on healthiness of various types of meat derived from different animal species across multiple countries. A total of 1116 questionnaires from Spain, Italy, Poland, Hungary and China were analysed. According to the perception of all respondents, the ranking on the healthiness of different types of meat is as follows: fish (39.9%), rabbit (20.8%), chicken (15.1%), beef (13.4%), pork (4.9%), lamb (4.3%) and horse meat (1.6%). In specific countries, variations in rankings were observed. In Italy, Poland and Hungary fish claimed the top position, while in Spain rabbit meat was ranked the highest. Conversely, in China, fish and beef were considered the healthiest options. Gender exhibited only a marginal effect. Fish was considered the healthiest for all ages. With the exception of China, where beef overtook the second place, rabbit meat was in the second position. Regarding household income, a difference emerged only in the case of fish; the 'Live well' and 'Live very well' groups considered it healthier than those with lower incomes. The findings suggest that respondents’ opinions on the healthiness of different meat types could be leveraged for the development of marketing strategies with the meat industry.

Effect of Deposit Scale on Mechanical Properties of In-Situ Alloyed CrCoNi Medium Entropy Alloys Formed by Directed Energy Deposition

Directed energy deposition (DED), as an additive manufacturing technology, has shown unique advantages in multi-material additive manufacturing and remanufacturing. In this study, two types in-situ alloyed CrCoNi medium entropy alloys that have thin-walled structures with different thicknesses (T1 and T2) were manufactured by the DED process, and the mechanisms of differences in relative density, microstructure, and mechanical properties at different heights were systematically analyzed. In terms of microstructure, the T1 and T2 samples along the building direction exhibit significant differences in crystallographic orientation, grain size, and dislocation density, which are related to the local temperature gradient differences caused by the scanning path and heat accumulation. In terms of mechanical properties at different heights of the two types of thin-walled structures, the yield strength is higher but the elongation is lower at the bottom position of sample, while the yield strength is lower but the elongation is higher at the middle and top positions. The differences of mechanical properties at different heights of the T1 and T2 samples are related to the microstructure and relative density. This finding provides new insights for the design and performance analysis of complex thin-walled structures formed by additive manufacturing.

Entropy-TOPSIS Method Approach: A Comprehensive Quarterly Assessment with Application in Turkey's Cement Sector

The objective of this research is to determine the financial performance of Turkish cement firms using quarterly data from the period between 1997 and 2022 through the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The research takes into account company mergers that occurred in 2020 and analyzes two distinct periods: from 1997 to 2020, and post-2020. Fourteen companies were examined in the first period, while ten companies were assessed in the latter period. To measure financial performance, ten common financial ratios selected based on literature were utilized. Determining the importance of these financial ratios is a crucial step in multi-criteria decision-making techniques; hence, the entropy method was employed to address this issue. According to empirical results, before the company mergers, UNYE and MARDIN cement firms were observed to consistently perform well financially, often ranking at the top based on the financial parameters considered. However, after the merger, it has been noted that BUCIM consistently held the top position in every quarter.

Bibliometric analysis of microRNAs and Parkinson's disease from 2014 to 2023.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. Recent research has emphasized a significant correlation between microRNAs (miRNAs) and PD. To identify key research areas, provide a comprehensive overview of current research in various fields, and propose potential directions for future studies, a bibliometric analysis was conducted on the involvement of miRNAs in Parkinson's disease from 2014 to 2023. Relevant literature records were collected from the Web of Science Core Collection on February 29, 2024. Subsequently, the data underwent analysis using the Bibliometrix R package and VOSviewer (version 1.6.19). The annual scientific publications on miRNAs and Parkinson's disease demonstrated an increasing trend, with an annual growth rate of 12.67%. China, the United States, and India emerged as the top three most productive countries/regions. The University of Barcelona had the highest annual publications, followed by Central South University and the Helmholtz Association. The INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES held the top position in terms of H-index and total citations, reflecting its extensive influence and prolific publication output. Kim, J., Junn, E., Hébert, S.S., and Doxakis, E. were the most frequently co-cited authors in the field. Based on the analysis of keywords, the most frequently occurring terms included "alpha-synuclein," "neurodegenerative disease," "exosome," "neuroinflammation," "oxidative stress," "autophagy," and "amyotrophic lateral sclerosis," which have emerged as prominent research topics. Concurrently, there has been notable interest in topics such as "ceRNA," "lncRNAs," "mitochondrial dysfunction," and "circular RNA." This study focused on identifying emerging trends and critical research topics in the bibliometric analysis of microRNAs related to Parkinson's disease. These findings highlight the diverse research landscape and evolving trend of miRNA-related research in PD. The field of miRNA research in Parkinson's disease is actively exploring the underlying mechanisms of miRNA function, identifying potential diagnostic markers, and developing innovative therapeutic strategies. The results of our study offer significant contributions to researchers' ability to track contemporary developments and guide the trajectory of future research in this domain.

Small states’ diplomacies: changes in women’s descriptive representation in the Baltic states’ foreign services (1991–2021)

ABSTRACT By tracing gender inequality in the top leadership positions in the Baltic Ministries of Foreign Affairs and at ambassadorial levels over the past 30 years, this article provides the first historical and empirical comparison of women’s representation in the three Baltic foreign services, identifying where women have been and are presently positioned. Our examination also reveals patterns in how the Baltic diplomatic corps’ composition has changed over time, and where and why change is not visible. This empirical research draws on unique datasets collected by the authors of all Baltic ambassadorial appointments for the 1991–2021 period.

Revealing the oxidation behavior of AlCrxFeNi lightweight multi-principal element alloys via experimental and first-principles calculations

Developing alloys capable of withstanding high temperatures is crucial for modern engineering applications. Introducing multi-component alloys (MPEAs) has provided new strategies for designing high-temperature alloys. We have successfully prepared a series of AlCrxFeNi lightweight MPEAs in this study. The oxidation behavior of AlCxFeNi lightweight at 800 °C was investigated systematically through a combination of experimental methods and first-principles calculations. The microstructure characterization before oxidation reveals that the lightweight AlCrxFeNi MPEAs consist of BCC and B2 phases. In contrast, the AlCrFeNi alloy exhibited a microstructure characterized by typical eutectic features. Oxidation tests indicate that all three alloys exhibited oxidation kinetics following a parabolic law, with oxidation rates decreasing as the Cr content increased. Post-oxidation microstructural characterization revealed an oxide layer composed primarily of Al2O3 and Cr2O3 on the alloy surfaces. First-principles calculations provided insights into the microscopic mechanisms underlying the oxidation process. The results demonstrate that the adsorption energy of the O atom at the top position of the Cr atom is significantly lower than that of the Al atom at the top position. Electronic structure analysis shows that the Cr-O covalent bonding is stronger than the Al-O covalent bonding, which accounts for the oxidation resistance improvement as the Cr element content increases. This study advances MPEAs for high-temperature environments by elucidating these microscopic mechanisms.

Analysing Vital Management Roles In Providing Physical Education And Sports To Indian Students

The aim of this study is to identify the states and union territories offering NCTE-recognized Physical Education courses (D.P.Ed, B.P.Ed, and M.P.Ed.) by institutions in India also identify based on their management type. Data, source for this study collected from the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) official website. The findings of this study show that, Totally 289 institutions offered Physical Education courses in India among Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of NCTE-recognized Physical Education courses offered by institutions, followed by Tamil Nadu in second position. Twenty-three states have institutions offering these courses, and three union territories also have such institutions. In terms of institution management, private management colleges hold the top position, while among universities, state management universities are at the top. The recommendation of this study is that five states and six union territories currently have no institutions offering these courses, so the governments must initiate the establishment of at least one institution in these states and union territories. Additionally, the government should increase the number of their managed institutions in all states and union territories.

Multiscale groundwater level forecasts with multi-model ensemble approaches: Combining machine learning models using decision theories and bayesian model averaging

Creating precise groundwater level (GWL) prediction models is of crucial significance for the productive use, extended planning, and controlling of limited sub-surface water supplies. In this research, the accuracy of GWL forecasts in Bangladesh was enhanced for three weeks by utilizing ensembles of Machine Learning (ML) models. Six advanced ML-based models were developed and assessed using eight performance indices, and an Overall Ranking (OR) was provided by combining the rankings produced by Grey Relational Analysis (GRA), Variation Coefficient (COV), and Shannon's Entropy (SE). The standalone forecasting models demonstrated excellent performance across the three forecasting horizons, with accuracy values ranging from 0.986 to 0.997 for one-step, 0.971 to 0.999 for two-step, and 0.960 to 0.997 for three-step forecasts at GT3330001. Results also revealed that three ranking techniques (SE, COV, and GRA), as well as their combined ranking (OR), produced different best-performing models at different prediction horizons for different observation wells. Weighted average ensembles of the prediction models were developed by calculating individual model weights using four ensemble modelling techniques: SE, COV, GRA, and Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA). The BMA-based ensemble technique outperformed three benchmark ensemble approaches, achieving R = 0.947, KGE = 0.925, IOA = 0.972, MAE = 0.062 m, and RMSE = 0.123 m for one-step-ahead forecasts at GT3330001. The findings exhibit a consistent trend across other forecasting horizons and observation wells. Finally, the Dempster-Shafer evidence theory was employed to rank the single and composite models. The ranking results demonstrated that the BMA-based ensemble consistently secured the top position (with the weight values of 0.997, 0.991, and 0.987 for one-week, two-weeks, and three-weeks forward forecasts at GT3330001) for all forecasting horizons and observation wells. This study shows that the BMA-based composite model can produce more accurate GWL projections at Bangladesh study location, with potential for application in other regions worldwide.

Shattering the Glass Ceiling: Insights into Women's Pathways to Leadership in Sri Lanka

Although much research has been done on the glass ceiling phenomena in recent years, the question remains unsolved because the barriers themselves receive more attention than the ways in which women break through them. This study explores the factors that affected women who tried to break through the ceiling. This research follows a qualitative exploratory research approach. Seven semi-structured interviews with women in top positions in Sri Lanka provided the data for the study. Data were analysed and interpreted using thematic analysis. Findings revealed that three main factors affecting women's career advancement: individual factors like emotional stability and self-confidence, organizational factors like supportive work environments and policies, and cultural factors like attitudes towards Sri Lankan women. The findings offer recommendations for increasing female representation in top positions and suggest future research using a quantitative approach in different Sri Lankan contexts.

Caste affiliation and access to high-authority jobs in the Indian service sector

Restricting high authority jobs to a specific section of society leads to market inefficiencies, resulting in higher costs and lower quality of goods and services due to suboptimal management. Moreover, such favouritism exacerbates social inequalities across occupational hierarchies. Given India’s caste-based societal structure, it is crucial to investigate whether all social groups have equal access to top management and leadership positions. Using the 2019–2020 Periodic Labour Force Survey and binary logit models, this study reveals significant disparities in securing high-authority roles between lower and upper castes. The results show an average marginal effect of −7.3% for lower castes relative to upper castes. These disparities are further amplified if the lower caste individual is female, resides in a urban area, or holds a graduate-level education.