The relationships between career concerns and political tactics in organizations

The study examined the relationships between four career concerns (Personal Success, Organizational Involvement, Skill Development and Autonomy) and two categories of political tactics in organizations (Hierarchical Tactics and Networking Tactics) in a sample of management school alumni. Career concerns were not related to the employment of hierarchical tactics but were strongly related to the use of networking tactics. ‘External’ career concerns of personal success and organizational involvement were more strongly related to political behavior than ‘internal’ career concerns of skill development and autonomy. Organization size was significantly related to the use of hierarchical tactics but not to the use of networking tactics. Type of organization structure (mechanistic versus organic) did not have a direct effect on political behavior but moderated the relationships between career concerns and political tactics. These relationships were stronger in organic than in mechanistic organizations.     

A BIO ASSAY LABORATORY BOAT WITH COMPARISONS OF CENTRAL VS. BOAT LABORATORY BIOASSAY EVALUATIONS1

ABSTRACT: A laboratory boat designed to investigate toxic effects on site and its use as a bioassay tool in the study of a refinery effluent discharged into the Schuylkill River, a tributary of the Delaware River, is described. Three-hundred thirty-six-hour continuous-flow bioassay s exposing the bluegill sunfish, the channel catfish, the tadpole snail, the grass shrimp, and the sheephead minnow to concentrations of refinery effluent in Schuylkill, Delaware River, and Delaware Bay water, with and without the addition of sediment were performed. Results indicated that the toxicity (lethality) of fresh samples tested aboard the boat (refinery effluent, dilution water, sediment) were considerably higher (i.e., refinery effluent at full strength was 2.2X as lethal to the bluegill, 1.4X as lethal to the channel catfish, 1.5X as lethal to the sheep-head minnow and 100X as lethal to the grass shrimp) than the same test material collected from the refinery outfall and brought to a central laboratory for testing. Chemical analysis and bioassay data is presented showing the effects of aging and irradiation upon the refinery effluent.     

ADAPTATION OF FLOOD PEAKS AND DESIGN HYDROGRAPHS FROM GAGED TO NEARBY UNGAGED WATERSHEDS1

ABSTRACT: Equations were developed to transform peak flows and to adapt design hydrographs and unit hydrographs from gaged watersheds to ungaged watersheds with similar hydrologic characteristics. Dimensional analysis was used to develop adjustment equations for peak flow and time base, and these equations were reinforced with results from regional flood frequency research. The authors believe that the use of these transformation equations should yield more reliable flood peak values and hydrogrphs than the common use of empirical flood estimating curves or equations.     

FRICTION SLOPE MODELS FOR M2 PROFILES1

ABSTRACT: Results of studies which have considered the relative merit of various friction slope averaging equations previously used in water surface profile computations are described. Limitations of the most accurate equation known for the M2 profile have indicated that a new equation which gives more emphasis to the upstream energy gradient is desirable. Based upon friction slope curves developed for M2 water surface profiles two new equations, one a parabolic and the other an elliptical approximation, are presented. The behavior of the new equations and of the previously most recommended equation is described by test calculations. The elliptical equation performed more satisfactorily than the harmonic method commonly recommended for M2 profile computations. Insertion of an additional cross-section about 50 feet upstream from a critical depth section was found to reduce computational errors for any energy gradient averaging method.     

Degradation of atrazine, metolachlor, and pendimethalin in pesticide-contaminated soils: effects of aged residues on soil respiration and plant survival

This study was conducted to determine the effects of pesticide mixtures on degradation patterns of parent compounds as well as effects on soil microbial respiration. Bioavailability of residues to sensitive plant species was also determined. Soil for this study was obtained from a pesticide-contaminated area within an agrochemical dealer site. Degradation patterns were not affected by the presence or absence of other herbicides in this study. Atrazine concentrations were significantly lower at 21 through 160 days aging time compared to day 0 concentrations. Metolachlor and pendimethalin concentrations were not significantly different over time and remained high throughout the study. Microbial respiration was suppressed in treated soils from day 21 to day 160. Soybean and canola were the most successful plant species in the germination and survival tests. Generally, with increased aging of pesticides in soil, germination time decreased. Survival time of plants increased over time for some treatments indicating possible decreased bioavailability of pesticide residues. In some cases, survival time decreased at the longer 160-day aging period, possibly indicating a change in bioavailability, perhaps as the result of formation of more bioavailable and phytotoxic metabolites. No interactive effects were noted for mixtures of pesticides compared to individually applied pesticides in terms of degradation of the parent compound or on seed germination, plant survival, or microbial respiration.     

Relative importance of school bus-related microenvironments to children's pollutant exposure

Real-time concentrations of black carbon, particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrogen dioxide, and fine particulate counts, as well as integrated and real-time fine particulate matter (PM2.5) mass concentrations were measured inside school buses during long commutes on Los Angeles Unified School District bus routes, at bus stops along the routes, at the bus loading/unloading zone in front of the selected school, and at nearby urban "background" sites. Across all of the pollutants, mean concentrations during bus commutes were higher than in any other microenvironment. Mean exposures (mean concentration times time spent in a particular microenvironment) in bus commutes were between 50 and 200 times greater than those for the loading/unloading microenvironment, and 20-40 times higher than those for the bus stops, depending on the pollutant. Although the analyzed school bus commutes represented only 10% of a child's day, on average they contributed one-third of a child's 24-hr overall black carbon exposure during a school day. For species closely related to vehicle exhaust, the within- cabin exposures were generally dominated by the effect of surrounding traffic when windows were open and by the bus's own exhaust when windows were closed. Low-emitting buses generally exhibited high concentrations only when traveling behind a diesel vehicle, whereas high-emitting buses exhibited high concentrations both when following other diesel vehicles and when idling without another diesel vehicle in front of the bus. To reduce school bus commute exposures, we recommend minimizing commute times, avoiding caravanning with other school buses, using the cleanest buses for the longest bus routes, maintaining conventional diesel buses to eliminate visible emissions, and transitioning to cleaner fuels and advanced particulate control technologies as soon as possible.     

Implementing CITES regulations for timber.

Foresters are currently confronted with a new challenge. For the first time a commonly traded timber species has been listed on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). At the 12th Conference of the Parties in November 2002, countries voted 68 to 30 to place the premier timber species of Latin America, big-leaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla King [Meliaceae]), on CITES Appendix II. Under Appendix II regulations, trade in mahogany requires that exporting countries verify that each shipment was legally obtained and that its harvest was non-detrimental to the survival of the species. Unfortunately, implementation has been weak, in part because countries have yet to develop a common, pragmatic, cost-effective system to make the legal and non-detriment findings. This paper recommends what such a system might include.