Steven H. Appelbaum, Louis Vigneault, Edward Walker and Barbara T. Shapiro
The primary goal of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of meso ethics from a corporate governance perspective, and the strategic process of integration between…
Abstract
Purpose
The primary goal of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of meso ethics from a corporate governance perspective, and the strategic process of integration between corporate and individual ethics for the creation of an ethical culture. A secondary aim is to identify the organizational behavior variables that are affected by the ethical congruence between employee ethics and the prevailing corporate ethical climate.
Design/methodology/approach
By first situating organizational ethics within the broader phenomenon of business ethics, the authors then more aptly examine corporate ethics at the upper and lower permeable meso boundaries where a shared ethic is negotiated. This conceptual paper tries to capture through a phenomenological approach how strategic governance level (macro) and individual ethics (micro) interact in a complex and dynamic way at the organizational level (meso).
Findings
Normative literature suggests that organizations require more than ethical safeguards to ensure ethical conduct. For example, ethics training programs are demanded and perceived as effective by employees. Recent empirical studies on “ethical fit” have converged and support the assertion that it is in an organization's best interest to continually look for ethical congruence between their workforce and the ethical climate that they intentionally foster. Furthermore, these studies show that perceived ethical congruence positively affects an individual's affective commitment to an organization, and reduces turnover intent.
Research limitations/implications
There is a general lack of consensus, cohesion and empiricism in the current literature. Few studies deal with meso ethics, which have wide‐ranging implications for current and future research.
Practical implications
Demand for business ethics is on the rise as is its corporate response commonly defined as corporate social responsibility (CSR). Standard responsive measures taken by executives are shown to generally be unsubstantiated or insufficient for ethical conduct to truly take root in an organization.
Originality/value
The scope of the paper, with its phenomenological approach, identifies the complexities of corporate ethics for academics and managers alike, where traditionally fragmented organizational levels are herein understood to be permeable and dynamic. The meso perspective of this study provides a new foundation for the study of corporate ethics. Its phenomenological approach provides a conceptual common ground and facilitates convergence in the field. Moreover, the conceptual framework of this paper can enable practitioners to formulate the appropriate strategic intent and governance strategy for their organization.
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Yaping Dai and Kaibo Deng
To reduce energy consumption, the time needed of drying, and the loss of ß-carotene content, and ascorbic acid content, response surface methodology (RSM) was employed for…
Abstract
Purpose
To reduce energy consumption, the time needed of drying, and the loss of ß-carotene content, and ascorbic acid content, response surface methodology (RSM) was employed for optimization.
Design/methodology/approach
To reduce energy consumption, the time needed of drying, and the loss of ß-carotene content, and ascorbic acid content, response surface methodology (RSM) was employed for optimization.
Findings
The results show that the optimum solar-assisted heat pump drying (SAHPD) conditions for drying pumpkin slice were: drying temperature of 67.40 °C, loading density of 1.05 kg/m3, and material thickness of 4 mm. Under these conditions, slice of pumpkin were dried in 440.637 min, where the unit energy consumption, ascorbic acid content, and ß-carotene content were 16.737 kJ/g, 25.682 mg/ (100–g dried sample), and 10.202 mg/g, respectively. The structure of the samples dried using the optimized SAHPD method exhibited a more complete cell morphology than those dried using heat pump drying when examined using scanning electronic microscopy.
Originality/value
This suggests that the optimized SAHPD conditions used in this study are important for production and processing.
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Preeti Singh, Sven Saengerlaub, Ali Abas Wani and Horst‐Christian Langowski
The purpose of this paper is to review the new trends in plastic additives, with special focus on developments in food packaging materials.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review the new trends in plastic additives, with special focus on developments in food packaging materials.
Design/methodology/approach
Phenomenological research has brought awareness and increased insight into the role of various plastic additives on the packaging of foods. The approach is based on the current trends and the industrial protocols for the additives used in plastic polymer processing for the development of food packaging materials.
Findings
Packaging of foodstuffs is a dynamic process which continually responds to the changes in supply and demand which are the result of adaptations to the varying demands of the consumer, changes in retail practices, technological innovations, new materials and developments in legislation, especially, with respect to environmental concerns. A wide range of additives is available for enhancing the performance and appearance of food packaging, as well as improving the processing of the compound. Polymer additives are important areas of innovation for packaging materials.
Originality/value
The paper reviews and summarizes the recent developments in the functionality of different additives, along with their advantages and disadvantages, currently being used to enhance the properties of food packaging materials that can positively influence the environment within the packaging for the increased demand for raw or processed foods.