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Background: Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new stage. The principal social contradiction is the uneven development of urban and rural areas. The rural revitalization strategy has emerged as time has required. The realization of rural revitalization not only requires development to lay the foundation of the countryside but also requires governance to lead the development of the countryside. Development and governance are two indispensable aspects of rural revitalization. However, China's rural areas have long been in a state of development without governance, and this situation must change. Therefore, systematically exploring the relationship between development and governance is the key to solving the current shortcomings in rural areas. Methods: Based on the data from the statistical yearbook, the study constructed a set of evaluation indicators for rural development governance and revitalization and verified the model's effectiveness.The entropy method and the assessment model were used to calculate the comprehensive score of rural development, governance, and revitalization. The relationship between rural development and governance was analyzed using a coupled coordination model. The regression analysis model was used to explore the relationship between the coupling results of rural development, governance, and rural revitalization. Results: From the comprehensive results, both development and governance show an upward trend, but the upward trend of development is better. From the analysis of coupling coordination between development and governance, the C value is in good condition, the T value fluctuates wildly, and the D fluctuates with the fluctuation of T. Judging from the comprehensive score of rural revitalization, it also shows an upward trend year by year. Judging from the regression analysis results of coupling coordination degree and rural revitalization comprehensive score, coupling coordination degree will significantly impact the rural revitalization evaluation value. Conclusions: The study found that current rural development and governance present a spiral coupling coordination relationship, and the degree of coupling coordination significantly correlates with rural revitalization. Based on the research conclusions, the study further proposes three paths to promote the coupling and coordination of development and governance. The first is an organizational isomorphism, which builds a coupled coordination system for rural development and governance. The second is to tilt resources and improve the supply of connected and coordinated factors for rural development and governance. The third is the operating mechanism to optimize rural development and governance's coupling and coordination path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering education research (EER) is a growing and increasingly globally connected field. Understanding cultural and contextual factors is fundamental to EER and further is critical to enabling fruitful international collaborations. The purpose of this research is to understand how engineering education researchers experience and understand EER in Australia and the United States to better facilitate future international collaborations. This research draws on eight interviews conducted with participants who had significant experience carrying out EER in both the United States and Australia and ranged in their career status. Two key domains of comparison emerged from the data: 1) The landscape: Structure and resources of EER in each context, and 2) How the landscape plays out: Implications on EER studies and collaborations. Our analysis finds extremely different research environments for EER in Australia and the United States, the implications of which can be explained in par by resource dependency theory and institutional isomorphism. Our results can inform and enhance future collaborations across these national contexts and help researchers identify opportunities for symbiotic research relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation is widely considered the lifeblood of organizational survival and growth. However, despite its importance, innovation diffusion does not take place spontaneously in organizations. In fact, diffusion of innovations (DoI) in project-based organizations (PBOs) is widely considered notoriously lukewarm. Nevertheless, it is inspiring to observe that project teams could suddenly change their lukewarm attitude in DoI when they receive pressure from the authority and industrial associations, or when they notice their peers starting to adopt an innovation. There seem to be some isomorphic pressures such as coercive, mimetic, and normative pressures that drive DoI. This research aims to identify the source factors of the isomorphic pressures that can be used to catalyze innovation diffusion with a focus on construction PBOs. It does so by conducting a 3-year in-depth case study in an international construction firm using a mixed-method approach including semiconstructed interviews and nonparticipatory observations. The research identified 12 specific source factors under the three categories of isomorphic pressure, i.e., coercive pressure, mimetic pressure, and normative pressure. Coercive pressure can arise from organizational policy, company culture, and influence from seniors; memetic pressure can stem from the influence of peer project teams as well as change agents such as innovation champions; and normative pressure derives from the sharing in regular events/meetings and related training. The practical contribution is that based on the source factors identified, top managers can tactically create such pressures to catalyze DoI meanwhile avoiding excessive pressures that might hinder DoI in their companies. Future studies are recommended to unravel the mechanism through which these source factors interact to take an effect, and based on that, devise the strategies that can harness the isomorphic pressures to boost DoI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyze the economic-financial and operational performance of Health Plan Operators (HPO), before (3Q2018-4Q2019) and during the pandemic (1Q2020-2Q2021) under the theory of institutional isomorphism. Method: This is descriptive documentary research that uses statistical techniques to compare medians (Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis) and correlation (Spearman) between performance and socioeconomic indicators, considering the five Health Plan Operators (HPO) with the largest number of beneficiaries. Results: A statistically significant reduction was observed, after the beginning of the pandemic, for the indicators of profitability, expenses, cost variation, and financial result. On the other hand, there was a growth in current liquidity and an increase in the mean receipt timeframe of payments (CRPM) and event payment (PMPE). The performance comparison shows that in the pandemic, profitability and PMPE were no longer significantly different. As for the association between the variables, the unemployment rate shows the highest number of relationships with the performance indices. Theoretical/methodological contributions: Highlights the performance of the five largest OPS, considering the Sars-Cov-2 pandemic period, considering that these companies can be directly affected by the potential increase in demand for health care by their beneficiaries. By the theoretical prism of institutional isomorphism, these companies are references for the sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Spanish Constitution of 1978 and the basic institutional rules attributed powers to the Autonomous Communities with which to design and structure their public administration, based on a model of institutional isomorphism. At present, the autonomous public sector is of unequal nature in terms of organisation, motivated by decisions taken in its regulation during the process of transformation and innovation of the res publica in recent decades. This paper aims at reviewing the processes of administrative change and modernization, where a reflection on the evolution of organisational theory from a neo-institutionalist perspective is assumed. Hence, professional public management arises as a tool able to help public administrations face current challenges that put at risk their sustainability in the 21st century, especially during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, institutionalism and professionalization, beyond seeming to be mutually exclusive concepts, must be combined from a neo-weberian perspective. This study analyses the public political-administrative subsystem in the Autonomous Community of Cantabria to check the correlation between the degree of politicisation of the senior civil service and the legislation on professional public management in the last decades of institution-building in this Autonomous Community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to understand the role of isomorphic pressures in adopting criteria for revenue recognition performed by accounting firms. Empirical evidence was collected through interviews with eight plural agents who permeate the firms' reality and are interested in the revenue recognition process. The content analysis of the interviews created analysis categories that allowed testing the research propositions. In conclusion, normative and coercive isomorphic pressures play a leading role in the criteria adopted by accounting firms for the recognition of revenue in the customers' accounts. The scope of the organizational legitimacy of the firms, concerning revenue recognition, is obtained as far as they meet the expectations of different external agents, especially those of fiscal nature, even if these expectations differ from those criteria provided for in CPC 47. Furthermore, the present research also discusses theoretical and empirical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

External program manager involvement can provide professional and systematic management services to owners. It can help to manage and coordinate different subprojects and ensure the achievement of the overall strategic goals of large projects. The promotion of external program manager involvement is not only efficiency-driven, but the institutional environment also has a significant impact. This study developed a theoretical model to explain how external program manager involvement is influenced by external institutional forces (coercive, mimetic, and normative pressures) and internal top management support. Based on a questionnaire survey, this study tested the research model through partial least-squares structural equation modeling. The empirical results revealed that coercive pressures have no significant impact on external program manager involvement; owners' top management support acts as a complete mediator between the mimetic pressures and external program manager involvement; normative pressures have the greatest impact on top management support and external program manager involvement, and top management support plays a key but partially mediating role. A direct contribution of this study is to reveal how different types of isomorphic pressures can be better exercised to facilitate the involvement of external program managers. Going further, by incorporating both external institutional pressures and internal top management support into the research model, this study provides insight into how organizations are influenced by external institutions to apply tools or approaches internally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main tasks of the armed forces is to recruit and select future soldiers and to identify potential officers. However, these procedures may have a wider societal impact beyond the borders of the military organization itself. This study aims to examine how compatible assessments of military leadership potential are with those in the labor market. Using longitudinal data concerning a large cohort of Swedish males who underwent mustering during the early 1970s, we analyzed the association between officer suitability assessments and managerial role occupancy at age 50 to 55, while controlling for socio-demographic factors in childhood and adulthood. We found a high level of predictability, whereby those who were ranked highest were four times more likely to hold managerial positions than those with the lowest ranking. Results are discussed in relation to perceptions about leadership skills and possible institutional isomorphism between the armed forces and other societal organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyze the relative efficiency of graduate programs in terms of the quality of their scientific publications in journals. To this end, we applied Data Envelopment Analysis to the fields of Public and Business Administration, Accounting, and Tourism, using data from the 2017 Quadrennial Evaluation developed by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior ["Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel", CAPES]. The results suggest that efficient graduate programs are concentrated in the center-south axis of Brazil, in the areas of Administration and Accounting. Despite the overall publishing strategy in journals of various ranks (strata), efficient graduate programs allocate their efficiency primarily to Qualis A1 journals, A1 being the excellence rating in the CAPES scale. We conclude that legitimized research practices pressure graduate programs to improve the quality of their publications while threatening the survival of programs that fail to conform to the assessment rules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We analyzed the impact of board directors with foreign experience on the accounting and market performance of companies listed on the Brazilian Stock Exchange (B3). Originality/value: We show unpublished empirical evidence about the relationship between the foreign experience of board directors and the performance of Brazilian firms. Knowing this relationship better contributes to the formulation of internal policies for the qualification of senior management, in addition to being valuable to shareholders, especially in a context of weak legal protection, as it is in Brazil. Design/methodology/approach: We collected data from 230 companies between 2010 and 2016, submitted it to unbalanced panel data regressions using the Systemic Generalized Method of Moments (GMM-Sys). Findings: The results suggest that the higher the proportion of board members with academic and professional foreign experience, the lower their accounting and market performance. This finding can be justified by institutional isomorphism, in which having an experience abroad would be a myth, a status institutionalized by the Brazilian society. In addition, foreign owners and directors face cultural barriers and would have less knowledge of the local environment, which would increase information asymmetries, impacting negatively in firms' performance. On the other hand, an increase in the number of foreigners on the board positively influences the market value of companies, since, by having weaker local power networks and, consequently, less possibility to obtain private benefits, the investors could value companies with this characteristic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Institutionalism is a theoretical approach to the social sciences, particularly political science, which studies society from its formal and informal institutions and their effectiveness. In other words, we refer to an analytical tool that allows us to understand the behavior of organizations. The objective of this document is to provide a theoretical-conceptual framework regarding institutions and their study in organizations to generate a chronological comparability in terms of the changes that are accentuated in institutionalism and its relationship with organizations. This implies incorporating the documentary research technique in order to know the trajectory of the New Institutionalism, its typology and its institutionalized forms in organizations based on isomorphism, coercive, mimetic and normative. At this point, our hypothesis supports that the theoretical-conceptual scaffolding of the New Institutionalism gives us a tool for the analysis of organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This research aims to test and analyze the consensus of organizational strategy with the contingency of organizational culture and isomorphism pressure which have an impact on organizational performance moderated by human capital. The survey is conducted to the owners/managers of Batik Micro Small Medium Entreprises (MSMEs) in 18 villages in Pekalongan, Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach: The data collecting is using questionnaire and interview to some owner/managers and leader of the Batik group. Pekalongan is a city of Batik that has Batik MSMEs spread in every area of the villages. Therefore, the sampling technique used in this research includes two stages: proportional area random sampling and purposive sampling. 17 MSMEs were taken as samples in each village. Furthermore, after selecting 17 MSMEs, the study used purposive sampling technique with a sample size of 170 MSMEs. This research uses three variables: isomorphism, organizational culture, and organizational strategy measured by semantic scale and use two bipolar typologies. As for organizational performance, it is measured using Likert scale. The data analysis technique is using Euclidience Distance Simple Regression with contingency approach and moderation of Euclidience Distance Simple Regression. Findings: These results provide are; (1) The higher the alignment degree between imitation strategy and hierarchy culture, the higher the organizational performance will be; (2) The higher the alignment degree between innovation strategy and adhocracy culture, the higher the organizational performance will be; (3) Human capital strengthens the consensus of imitation strategy with the contingency of hierarchy culture and benign isomorphism, so that the organizational performance is higher; (4) Human capital does not strengthen the consensus of innovation strategy with the contingency of adhocracy culture and hostile isomorphism, so that the organizational performance is higher. Research limitations/implications: The sampling technique of this research is done using purposive sampling, so it is feared that it cannot generalize to the existing population. The data collection also uses primary data with measurement approach based on the owner/manager perceptions, which sometimes still requires assistance and good understanding for the respondents. Organizational performance will be increase if the condition of hierarchy culture, benign isomorphism, and imitation strategy are supported by the moderation role of human capital that can strengthen the relationship with organizational performance. Practical implications: The higher the alignment degree between imitation strategy and hierarchy culture, the higher the organizational performance will be. If the organization tend to choose imitation strategy, it is more emphasizes on low market pressure, support from government regulation, low public and media pressure, and stable politic and safety, and vice versa. Originality/value: This research wants to fill the research gap by examining the importance of having an alignment of organization strategy (Imitation vs Innovation) related with the contingency of organizational culture (Hierarchy vs Adhocracy) and isomorphism pressure (Benign vs Hostile) so that Batik MSMEs entrepreneurs can further improve their organizational performance (operational performance and environmental performance). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Latin American countries have undergone a growing interest in international accounting standards. Several countries are making progress in the adoption of international standards driven by different internal factors as well as external dynamics. THE role of experts in the design of public policies associated with international standards has been studied by the epistemic community theory, which is the theoretical framework used in this study to address the influence of different international organizations on the adoption of IPSAS in Brazil and Colombia. Th is paper discusses the isomorphic institutional pressure exerted over the governments of these two countries in order to meet an international standard considered to be adequate. Meanwhile, the emerging trend towards the adoption of IPSAS in Latin America continues to grow, although some obstacles to achieving the goals defined in the reform arise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to analyze whether Institutional Development Plans (IDP) are strategic documents or simply a response to seeking legitimacy in the face of regulatory pressures. This is a qualitative study based on information from 20 IDPs of Brazilian universities, categorized as private, public, community, or confessional. To analyze the IDPs, the content analysis methodology was used. As a result, it was found that most IDPs are much more descriptive documents, with operational goals and plans, than documents with strategic characteristics. On the other hand, in most of the documents analyzed, there was evidence of the importance and relevance of constructing an IDP as a benefit for the management and the university organization as a whole. It was concluded that IDPs tend to be documents that seek to provide universities with legitimacy in relation to the actors involved. In other words, they converge towards institutional isomorphism. Thus, they are not prepared, and used only due to institutional demands, but mainly due to legal impositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Motivated by the study of indecomposable, nonsimple modules for a vertex operator algebra V , we study the relationship between various types of V -modules and modules for the higher level Zhu algebras for V , denoted A n (V) , for n ∈ N , first introduced by Dong, Li, and Mason in 1998. We resolve some issues that arise in a few theorems previously presented when these algebras were first introduced, and give examples illustrating the need for certain modifications of the statements of those theorems. We establish that whether or not A n − 1 (V) is isomorphic to a direct summand of A n (V) affects the types of indecomposable V -modules which can be constructed by inducing from an A n (V) -module, and in particular whether there are V -modules induced from A n (V) -modules that were not already induced by A 0 (V). We give some characterizations of the V -modules that can be constructed from such inducings, in particular as regards their singular vectors. To illustrate these results, we discuss two examples of A 1 (V) : when V is the vertex operator algebra associated to either the Heisenberg algebra or the Virasoro algebra. For these two examples, we show how the structure of A 1 (V) in relationship to A 0 (V) determines what types of indecomposable V -modules can be induced from a module for the level zero versus level one Zhu algebras. We construct a family of indecomposable modules for the Virasoro vertex operator algebra that are logarithmic modules and are not highest weight modules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the influence of isomorphism institutional theory on green supply chain management (GSCM) and firm performance by using the structural equation model (SEM). Design/methodology/approach: The study used structural equation model (SEM) to explain the driving factors of reducing the impact of environmental processes on the firm. Findings: Isomorphism institutional factors showed a statistically significant positive effect on GSCM practices. Moreover, GSCM practices showed a statistically significant positive effect on firm performance. Under the literature review, customer pressure and top management support are primary factors to achieve GSCM practices and potential to establish firm performance. Research limitations/implications: First, the common hypothesizes do not provide insight into all the relationships that warrant additional inspection. Second, Thailand manufacturers have experiences pressures from foreign customers and competitors but they have opportunities to learn from them to better improvement GSCM practices. Practical implications: Results may highlight pressure for greening and which more efforts are needed for GSCM practices. GSCM practices generally require more effort due to need for collaborating with customer and competitor. Thailand manufacturers are increasingly confronted with isomorphism institutional pressure to implement GSCM practices. Social implications: It is useful the Thailand government promotes GSCM by creating an awareness of the benefits. GSCM can help to alleviate the question of the followers about implementing GSCM and decrease their risk association with the environmental adoption. Originality/value: Research creates clarity of the relationship between isomorphism institutional pressures, top management support, and performance in Thailand, which is a developing country with environmental investment concerns that affect profits from the operations of the firm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International orders reflect the settled arrangements that define relations between states in certain moments in history. Order breaks down when the adopted set of organizational principles that define roles and the terms of those relations cease to operate. International organizations are a central feature of the current order and an important source of legitimacy. This article extracts a set of ideas derived from the new sociological institutionalism literature in organizational analysis and sets out an argument showing their possible implications for the present order. I argue that there are certain organizational features related to institutional isomorphism that may well support the persistence and maintenance of the current international order. The argument is based on the homogeneity of practices and arrangements found in different institutions and organizations. The persistence of those practices and their reproduction in structures are to some extent self-sustaining and may provide additional support to the idea that the current American-led international order may last longer than is often thought while allowing for changes in the distribution of power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Let R be a Cohen–Macaulay ring. A quasi-Gorenstein R -module is an R -module such that the grade of the module and the projective dimension of the module are equal and the canonical module of the module is isomorphic to the module itself. After discussing properties of finitely generated quasi-Gorenstein modules, it is shown that this definition allows for a characterization of diagonal matrices of maximal rank over a Cohen–Macaulay factorial domain R extending a theorem of Frobenius and Stickelberger to modules of projective dimension 1 over a commutative factorial Cohen–Macaulay domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kneser graph KG n , k is a graph whose vertex set is the family of all k -subsets of [ n ] and two vertices are adjacent if their corresponding subsets are disjoint. The classical Erdős–Ko–Rado theorem determines the cardinality and structure of a maximum induced K 2 -free subgraph in KG n , k . As a generalization of the Erdős–Ko–Rado theorem, Erdős proposed a conjecture about the maximum cardinality of an induced K s + 1 -free subgraph of KG n , k . As the best known result concerning this conjecture, Frankl (2013) [15] , when n ≥ ( 2 s + 1 ) k − s , gave an affirmative answer to this conjecture and also determined the structure of such a subgraph. In this paper, generalizing the Erdős–Ko–Rado theorem and the Erdős matching conjecture, we consider the problem of determining the structure of a maximum family A for which KG n , k [ A ] has no subgraph isomorphic to a given graph G . In this regard, we determine the size and structure of such a family provided that n is sufficiently large with respect to G and k . Furthermore, for the case G = K 1 , t , we present a Hilton–Milner type theorem regarding above-mentioned problem, which specializes to an improvement of a result by Gerbner et al. (2012) [19] . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A subgraph of an edge-coloured complete graph is called rainbow if all its edges have different colours. The study of rainbow decompositions has a long history, going back to the work of Euler on Latin squares. In this paper we discuss three problems about decomposing complete graphs into rainbow trees: the Brualdi–Hollingsworth Conjecture, Constantine's Conjecture, and the Kaneko–Kano–Suzuki Conjecture. We show that in every proper edge-colouring of K n there are 10 − 6 n edge-disjoint spanning isomorphic rainbow trees. This simultaneously improves the best known bounds on all these conjectures. Using our method we also show that every properly ( n − 1 ) -edge-coloured K n has n / 9 − 6 edge-disjoint rainbow trees, giving further improvement on the Brualdi–Hollingsworth Conjecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to assess to what extent Community Exchange Systems (CES), and particularly the Grenoble's SEL ( Systèmes d ' Echange Local ) which are counterparts to the Anglo-Saxon Local Exchange Trading Systems (LETS), constitute an alternative to neoliberal rationalisation. Our analysis is grounded in the French convention theory ( Economie des conventions ) and feeds on a long-term action research conducted on CES. This research uncovered trends in institutional isomorphism as well as strategies for resistance developed by local actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this study was to identify isomorphic mechanisms - coercive, mimetic or normative - in the construction of the Brazilian draft law designed to monitor and control industrial chemical substances, in order to promote a reflection on the mechanisms of change that are under way, therefore, addressing some of the challenges in chemical safety governance, health and the environment. Firstly, a bibliographical review is presented on the context of chemical safety in Brazil and in the world, and on the theoretical reference in the field of institutional theory. The study was based on a content analysis of the 16 meeting memoirs of the working group established in May 2014 within the National Chemical Safety Commission (Conasq), to propose strategies, institutional arrangements and the draft legislation. The results were categorized, and there were identified processes and isomorphic pressures that affect the represented entities in the work group, generating, therefore, a preliminary scenario of the institutional situation and its functioning mechanisms that underlie the creation of the new chemical safety legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove that higher level Zhu algebras of a vertex operator algebra are isomorphic to subquotients of its universal enveloping algebra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We define a solvable extension of the graph 2-step nilpotent Lie algebras of [5] by adding elements corresponding to the 3-cliques of the graph. We study some of their basic properties and we prove that two such Lie algebras are isomorphic if and only if their graphs are isomorphic. We also briefly discuss some metric properties, providing examples of homogeneous spaces with nonpositive curvature operator and solvsolitons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper classifies quasiprimitive permutation groups with a transitive subgroup which is isomorphic to A n for some n ⩾ 5 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let G be a finite group. An element g of G is called a vanishing element if there exists an irreducible character χ of G such that χ ( g ) = 0 ; in this case, we say that the conjugacy class of g is a vanishing conjugacy class. In this paper, we discuss some arithmetical properties concerning the sizes of the vanishing conjugacy classes in a finite group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on widely ranged theoretical discussion of isomorphic diffusion, this article traces the process of isomorphism in the context of public service center diffusion in China and discovers relationships between isomorphism and distance within different time and space. With data for a sample of 238 prefecture level cities collected from China, the authors aim to explore the correlation between isomorphism diffusion and spatial distance. The results of the analysis suggest that local governments will be at a disadvantage if these are stated in a further location when isomorphic diffusion takes place. Moreover, the correlation between isomorphic diffusion and spatial distance varies according to the different phases of the diffusion process. The effect of geographical distance is initially strong in the growth period, but weakens later. The results will build bridges on isomorphic and geographical distance within diverse time and space in China, and have implications both theoretically and practically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hospital Information System (HIS) could help hospitals as a public entity to provide optimal health services. One of the main challenges of HIS implementation is an institutional change. Using institutional theory as the analytical lens, this study aims to explain the institutionalization of HIS as an instance of e-health initiatives in Indonesia. Furthermore, this paper aims for hospital management and researchers to improve the understanding of the social forces that influence hospital personnel's HIS acceptance within an organizational context. We use case studies from four public, government-owned hospitals and four privately owned (public and specialty) hospitals to explain the HIS institutionalization process by exploring the three concepts of institutional theory: institutional isomorphism, institutional logic, and institutional entrepreneurship. This study reveals that differences exist between public, government-owned and private hospitals with regard to the institutionalization process: public, government-owned hospitals' management is more motivated to implement HIS to comply with the regulations, while private hospitals' management views HIS as an urgent requirement that must be achieved. The study findings also reveal that various institutional isomorphism mechanisms and forms of institutional logic emerge during the process. Finally, three factors-self-efficacy, social influence, and management support-have a significant influence on the individual acceptance of HIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores drivers of supply chain sustainability during COVID-19 in both the Australian and Saudi Arabian fashion industries. COVID-19 is the most recent global crisis to amplify sustainability issues in a very polluting sector. This qualitative, comparative study draws on 44 semi-structured interviews with fashion brands across the fashion spectrum, evenly distributed between Australia and Saudi Arabia. A grounded approach to analysis was applied. Findings indicate reactive and proactive approaches to dealing with COVID-19 and its impacts. A reactive approach, or dealing with a situation when faced with it, is guided by isomorphic pressures, which are classified as external forces that shape and influence how an organisation operates within society, but also can lead to changes in internal practices. A proactive approach implies foresight and acts upon a situation prior to being 'forced' to make changes and encourages social sustainability along the supply chain. To overcome challenges intensified by the pandemic, fashion organisations need to increase flexibility and collaborative approaches. This study makes a novel contribution to the literature through its cross-cultural comparison, exploring sustainability drivers with institutional theory. • Comparison (Australia, Saudi Arabia) exploring sustainability drivers during COVID-19. • Reactive and proactive approaches form baseline for dealing with COVID-19. • Isomorphic pressures (external driving forces) guide reactive approach. • Proactive approaches imply foresight and encourage social sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Babenyshev and Martins proved that two hidden multi-sorted deductive systems are deductively equivalent if and only if there exists an isomorphism between their corresponding lattices of theories that commutes with substitutions. We show that the π-institutions corresponding to the hidden multi-sorted deductive systems studied by Babenyshev and Martins satisfy the multi-term condition of Gil-Féerez. This provides a proof of the result of Babenyshev and Martins by appealing to the general result of Gil-Féerez pertaining to arbitrary multi-term π-institutions. The approach places hidden multi-sorted deductive systems in a more general framework and bypasses the laborious reuse of well-known proof techniques from traditional abstract algebraic logic by using "off the shelf" tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show that the free-by-cyclic groups of the form F2 × Z act properly cocompactly on CAT(0) square complexes. We also show using generalized Baumslag-Solitar groups that all known groups defined by a 2-generator 1-relator presentation are either SQ-universal or are cyclic or isomorphic to a soluble Baumslag-Solitar group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An automorphism β of a k-graph Λ induces a crossed product C*(Λ)×βZ which is isomorphic to a (k+1)-graph algebra C*(Λ×βZ). In this paper we show how this process interacts with k-graph C*- algebras which have been twisted by an element of their second cohomology group. This analysis is done using a long exact sequence in cohomology associated to this data. We conclude with some examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of civil society and democracy promotion, the relevance and effectiveness of donor strategies is often linked to their ability to adjust to local contextual factors. Despite the importance attached to tailor-made approaches, donor-sponsored democracy promoting NGOs in such different parts of the world as Ghana and Indonesia have very similar organizational characteristics. This paper explores the question of why they are so similar. We draw on institutional theory and use the concept of organizational isomorphism to illustrate how different pressures result in the homogenization of organizational characteristics. We find that besides the more commonly identified unequal power relation between donor and recipient, homogenization also stems from the NGOs themselves and from the relation between their various organizational characteristics (i.e., mission, staff, strategy, and structure). Furthermore, we argue that the process of homogenization can be seen as the institutionalization of trust between donor and recipient. In our discussion, we reflect on the limitations of our findings and on what they mean for donor support to NGOs and democracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the Portuguese parliamentary cooperation in the Lusophone countries through a study made in the Portuguese Parliament. he Portuguese parliamentary cooperation begun in the 1990s and has supported the Lusophone parliaments through a process of institutional isomorphism and institutional transfer. These tools aim to support the institutional autonomy of parliaments. his article describes the evolution of parliamentary cooperation in the Lusophone countries by taking into account the processes of democratization, as well as types of cooperation and the reactions to the reinforcement of parliamentary systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thrust for evidence-based policymaking has paid little attention to problems of bias. Statistical evidence is more fragile than generally understood, and false positives are all too likely given the incentives of policymakers and academic and professional evaluators. Well-known cognitive biases make bias likely for not dissimilar reasons in qualitative and mixed methods evaluations. What we term delinquent organisational isomorphism promotes purportedly scientific evaluations in inappropriate institutional contexts, intensifying motivated reasoning and avoidance of cognitive dissonance. This leads to states of denial with regard to the validity of much evaluation activity. Independent replications, revisits and restudies, together with codes of ethics that relate to professional integrity, may mitigate these problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For each odd integer k≥5, we prove that, if M is a simple rank-r binary matroid with no odd circuit of length less than k and with |M|>k2r-k+1, then M is isomorphic to a restriction of the rank-r binary affine geometry; this bound is tight for all r≥k-1. We use this to give a simpler proof of the following result of Govaerts and Storme: for each integer n≥2, if M is a simple rank-r binary matroid with no PG(n-1,2)-restriction and with |M|>(1-112n+2)2r, then M has critical number at most n-1. That result is a geometric analogue of a theorem of Andrásfai, Erd's and Sós in extremal graph theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The title compound, tetrachlorido-1κ Cl;2κ3 Cl-(2,2,7,7,12,12,17,17-octamethyl-21,22,23,24-tetraazapentacyclo[16.2.1.13,6.18,11.113,16]tetracosane-1κ4 N, N′, N′′, N′′′)-μ2-oxido-diiron(III), [Fe2Cl4O(C28H52N4)], undergoes a slow phase transformation at ca 173 K from monoclinic space group P21/ n, denoted form (I), to the maximal non-isomorphic subgroup, triclinic space group P, denoted form (II), which is accompanied by nonmerohedral twinning [twin fractions of 0.693 (4) and 0.307 (4)]. The transformation was found to be reversible, as on raising the temperature the crystal reverted to monoclinic form (I). In the asymmetric unit of form (I), Z′ = 1, while in form (II), Z′ = 2, with a very small reduction ( ca 1.8%) in the unit-cell volume. The two independent molecules ( A and B) in form (II) are related by a pseudo-twofold screw axis along the b axis. The molecular overlay of molecule A on molecule B has an r.m.s. deviation of 0.353 Å, with the largest distance between two equivalent atoms being 1.202 Å. The reaction of calix[4]pyrrolidine, the fully reduced form of meso-octamethylporphyrinogen, with FeCl3 gave a red-brown solid that was recrystallized from ethanol in air, resulting in the formation of the title compound. In both forms, (I) and (II), the FeIII atoms are coordinated to the macrocyclic ligand and have distorted octahedral FeN4OCl coordination spheres. These FeIII atoms lie out of the mean plane of the four N atoms, displaced towards the O atom of the [OFeCl3] unit by 0.2265 (5) Å in form (I), and by 0.2210 (14) and 0.2089 (14) Å, respectively, in the two independent molecules ( A and B) of form (II). The geometry of the [OFeCl3] units are similar, with each FeIII atom having a tetrahedral coordination sphere. The NH H atoms are directed below the planes of the macrocycles and are hydrogen bonded to the coordinated Cl− ions. There are also intramolecular C-H...Cl hydrogen bonds present in both (I) and (II). In form (I), there are no significant intermolecular interactions present. In form (II), the individual molecules are arranged in alternate layers parallel to the ac plane. The B molecules are linked by a C-H...Cl hydrogen bond, forming chains along [100]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural similarity or isomorphism is expected among organizations in the same organizational field. Such a field matures with increasing interaction among the organizations in it. Using a random sample of Australian organizations, this paper compares isomorphism among nonprofit organizations regardless of industry with that among organizations in the same industry regardless of legal form. The results point to isomorphism especially in the healthcare industry, regardless of legal form. This finding adds weight to earlier research that questioned the operation of the nonprofit sector as an organizational field with enough interaction to produce isomorphism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under what conditions does a physical system implement or realize a computation? Structuralism about computational implementation, espoused by Chalmers and others, holds that a physical system realizes a computation just in case the system instantiates a pattern of causal organization isomorphic to the computation’s formal structure. I argue against structuralism through counter-examples drawn from computer science. On my opposing view, computational implementation sometimes requires instantiating semantic properties that outstrip any relevant pattern of causal organization. In developing my argument, I defend anti-individualism about computational implementation: relations to the social environment sometimes help determine whether a physical system realizes a computation. 1 The Physical Realization Relation2 Semantics and Computational Implementation3 Conforming to Instructions4 Implementing a Computer Program 4.1 The denotational semantics of Scheme 4.2 Worries about intentionality 4.3 Worries about the natural numbers5 Implementing a Machine Model6 Bounded Structuralism7 Triviality Arguments8 Anti-individualism about Computational Implementation [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We provide a new and conceptually simplified construction of continuous homotopy fixed point spectra for Lubin-Tate spectra under the action of the extended Morava stabilizer group. Moreover, our new construction of a homotopy fixed point spectral sequence converging to the homotopy groups of the homotopy fixed points of Lubin-Tate spectra is isomorphic to an Adams spectral sequence converging to the homotopy groups of the spectra constructed by Devinatz and Hopkins. The new idea is built on the theory of profinite spectra with a continuous action by a profinite group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A central claim of new institutional theory is that organizations in a field come to exhibit shared characteristics over time. Recent literature emphasizes variation across field members, but has yet to concur on why differences occur. This study tests institutional explanations for the uneven implementation of one organizational practice-outcome measurement, an evaluative technique used to assess the impact of an organization's programs. We analyze data from a new survey investigating the practices of nonprofit organizations (N = 379) and argue for the inclusion of the concept of organizational capacity to account for the uneven implementation of outcome measurement. As predicted by new institutional theory, organizations are more likely to adopt outcome measurement if key actors promulgate its use. However, the implementation of outcome measurement is best explained by the addition of the concept of organizational capacity alongside variables drawn from new institutionalism. Nonprofits with adequate organizational capacity, operationalized-following Weber's concept of bureaucracy-as the presence of written rules and members with specialized knowledge, are better able to respond to isomorphic pressures to implement a new organizational practice. Our findings expand scholarship that examines the intersection of institutional dynamics and organizational traits in accounting for patterns of implementation of practices across an organizational field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following article argues that the research compliance system has some flaws that should be addressed, particularly with regard to excessive emphasis of and reliance upon formal regulations in research administration. Ethical formalism, understood here as the use of formal rules for the determination of behavior, is not an optimal perspective alone for the promotion of ethical research. The strict adherence to rules and regulations in research administration was formed by forces outside of the organizations' control and adopted by the professional organizations as final, thereby failing to generate the adaptive normative guidance needed to promote a flourishing, dynamic research environment. The analysis continues by offering some solutions for how the laws can be augmented through positive organizational practices and virtuous action (Cameron, Dutton & Quinn, 2003), and finally by finding people in organizations who stand as moral exemplars (Zagzebski, 2010) or leader-mentors (Cheatham, 2010; Gabriel, 2010) who bridge the gap between researchers, organizational leaders, and the regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substantial literature has studied gender differences in political participation in Western industrialized democracies, but little is known about such gaps in sub-Saharan African nations. Using 2005 Afrobarometer data, this paper presents a systematic investigation of the gender gap in political participation across 18 sub-Saharan African countries. In line with cultural isomorphism, patterns in gender gaps across different types of participation generally mirror those of Western democracies, with small to no gender gaps in registration to vote, but substantial gaps in less institutionalized types of participation. Yet, the remaining large gaps cannot be explained by gender differences in socioeconomic characteristics and political attitudes as suggested in studies on Western industrialized nations. Finally, substantial cross-national differences within the sub-Saharan African are found, substantiating the importance of more fine-grained examinations of variation across sub-Saharan African nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the influence of groundbreaking work by John Meyer and Brian Rowen, as well as Paul DiMaggio and Walter Powell, over the last 30 years research in the new sociological institutionalism has focused on processes of isomorphism. I argue that this is a one-sided focus that leaves out many insights from other institutional and macrosociological approaches and does not do justice to actual social change because it overlooks the role played by divergent institutional development. While the suggestion of divergent trends is not new, there have been few attempts to integrate divergence into the theoretical premises of the new sociological institutionalism. Based on the typology proposed by DiMaggio and Powell, I show that the mechanisms identified by them as sources of isomorphic change can support processes of divergent change as well. The theoretical challenge is to identify conditions under which these mechanisms push institutional change toward homogenization or divergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic and political changes of the last decades have driven important changes in public management; some of them have been reflected on the adoption of the quality approach based on models of standardization such as ISO 9000. On the basis of these assumptions, this article seeks to identify the features of the institutional change derived from the incorporation of said practices in the governmental sphere, as well as its possible setbacks. The analysis of the changes in public management from the introduction of quality techniques considers the conception of change from the neo-institutional approach and the explanatory category of isomorphism is applied to explain how those techniques are adopted in public organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates whether the field of sociology of religion is occupied by parochial concerns. We characterize institutional parochialism as the degree to which people in an academic field tend to study their own societies. This study employs a content analysis of articles published in The Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion and Sociology of Religion from 2001 to 2008, with particular attention paid to the incidences in which Muslim and non-Western groups were studied before and after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. There was no change in the rate that “Muslim” communities were studied following the 9/11 attacks, but it appears journal content did change to reflect ongoing debates in the West and in response to mimetic pressures being placed on the field. Overall, if the sociology of religion can be characterized as parochial, we contend that the broader field of American sociology is likely far more so. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implementing an idea due to John Baez and James Dolan we de ne new invariants of Whitney stratified manifolds by considering the homotopy theory of smooth transversal maps. To each Whitney stratified manifold we assign transversal homotopy monoids, one for each natural number. The assignment is functorial for a natural class of maps which we call stratified normal submersions. When the stratification is trivial the transversal homotopy monoids are isomorphic to the usual homotopy groups. We compute some simple examples and explore the elementary properties of these invariants. We also assign 'higher invariants', the transversal homotopy categories, to each Whitney stratified manifold. These have a rich structure; they are rigid monoidal categories for n > 1 and ribbon categories for n > 2. As an example we show that the transversal homotopy categories of a sphere, stratified by a point and its complement, are equivalent to categories of framed tangles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To what extent can conventional organizational theories help us understand changes in local voluntary associations? Using unique data from all associations in a Norwegian county, the article explores hypotheses concerning how size and age affect change behaviour. The results show that high organizational age increases the probability of core change, but decreases the occurrence of peripheral change. The average age of the field in which the organization is active is negatively related to both types of change. The findings suggest that old voluntary organizations are more tenacious than for-profit actors; they choose to attempt change rather than disband if becoming obsolete or pressured by the environment. The degrees of freedom are greater in new, non-institutionalized fields than within fields with a long history. Size has a weakly positive effect on both change indicators. Stronger data and theory-building efforts are needed if we are to extend our knowledge of this under-researched, but immensely important, organization type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This pilot study investigates whether organizational practices as observed through differing organizational cultures systematically replicate or reject national values. It is among the first to project delineated, narrow national cultural portrayals of Germany, Austria, Slovenia and Denmark against pattern-specific organizational cultures. Through country cluster analysis and correlation tests, the results achieve significance along all three dimensions. Trust allocations, authority perceptions and independence assertions were significant predictors for organizational traits of knowledge sharing practices, structure and control utilization, respectively. This demonstrates the value of assessing national values in conjunction with organizational culture in order to further understand the origins of corporate behaviour and the mechanisms that can help promote organizational effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]