Cross-cultural comparison of Spanish and British “service-with-a-smile” outcomes

PurposeEmployees working in the leisure service industry are required to show positive emotions when dealing with customers. However, empirical evidence confirms that faking emotions can lead to burnout. In contrast, employees that try to experience the emotions required by the role (i.e. deep acting (DA)) can lead to healthier outcomes. However, little is known about the process that underpins the link between DA and positive outcomes. Building on Côte’s social interaction model of emotion regulation and evidence linking customer satisfaction and DA, it was hypothesized that DA would be associated with employees’ self-actualization through customer interactions. This, in turn, was expected to explain the influence that DA has on relevant job attitudes (i.e. commitment, efficacy, turnover intentions). The model was tested in two countries with different emotional culture: Spain (i.e. impulsive) and the UK (i.e. institutional). Although UK was expected to report higher levels of effortful DA, the hypothesized process was expected to be the same. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachA cross-national design with theme park employees from Spain (n = 208) and UK (n = 204) was used. Hypotheses were tested with multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. FindingsThe relationship between job commitment and DA was mediated by self-actualization, and commitment partially explained the association between DA and professional efficacy in both countries. The impulsive-oriented country showed lower levels of DA and more positive job attitudes.Originality/valueIt is concluded that training employees to re-interpret costume

Oxygen content variation and cation doping dependence of (La)1.4(Sr1-yCay)1.6Mn2O7 (y = 0, 0.25, 0.5) bilayered manganites properties

The results of the synthesis and characterization of the optimally doped (La)1.4(Sr1-yCay)1.6Mn2O7 solid solution with y=0, 0.25 and 0.5 are reported. By progressively replacing the Sr with the smaller Ca, while keeping fixed the hole-concentration due to the divalent dopant, the 'size effect' of the cation itself on the structural, transport and magnetic properties of the bilayered manganite has been analysed. Two different annealing treatments of the solid solution, in pure oxygen and in pure argon, allowed also to study the effect of the oxygen content variation. Structure and electronic properties of the samples have been investigated by means of X-ray powder diffraction and X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements. Magnetoresistivity and static magnetization measurements have been carried out to complete the samples characterization. Oxygen annealing of the solid solution, that showed a limit for about y=0.5, induces an increase of the Mn average valence state and a transition of the crystal structure from tetragonal to orthorhombic while the argon annealing induces an oxygen under-stoichiometry and, in turn, a reduction of the Mn average valence state. Along with the Ca substitution, the Jahn-Teller distortion of the MnO6 octahedra is reduced. This has been directly connected to a general enhancement of the transport properties induced by the Ca-doping. For the same cation composition, oxygen over-stoichiometry leads to higher metal-insulator transition temperatures and lower resistivity values. Curie temperatures (TC) reduce by increasing the Ca-doping. The lower TC for all the annealed samples with respect to the 'as prepared' ones are connected to the strong influence on the magnetic interaction of the point defects due to the oxygen content variation.Comment: 49 pages, 13 figure

The locus of points of the Hilbert scheme with bounded regularity

In this paper we consider the Hilbert scheme $Hilb_{p(t)}^n$ parameterizing subschemes of $P^n$ with Hilbert polynomial $p(t)$, and we investigate its locus containing points corresponding to schemes with regularity lower than or equal to a fixed integer $r'$. This locus is an open subscheme of $Hilb_{p(t)}^n$ and, for every $s\geq r'$, we describe it as a locally closed subscheme of the Grasmannian $Gr_{p(s)}^{N(s)}$ given by a set of equations of degree $\leq \mathrm{deg}(p(t))+2$ and linear inequalities in the coordinates of the Pl\"ucker embedding.Comment: v2: new proofs relying on the functorial definition of the Hilbert scheme. v3: Sections reorganized, new self-contained proof of the representability of the Hilbert functor with bounded regularity (Section 6

Hybrid masonry shell technology in the work of Idelfonso Sánchez del Río

Idelfonso Sánchez del Río is a less known pioneer of reinforced concrete shells in Spain who through his career designed and patented ribbed construction systems for large spanning slabs and vaults and in particular shell enclosures using a hybrid system of concrete and masonry infills. The module called “dovela-onda” or wave-voussoir was made of large ceramic blocks forming a short barrel with flanges at the edges. This paper aims to discuss the technical innovations of this system and assess its structural efficiency. The design and construction process will be studied through literature published by Sánchez del Rio and surveys of two case studies in Oviedo (Spain), the Sports Hall (1977) and a warehouse in Granda. In order to assess their structural efficiency, his own calculation process will be verified by thrust line analysis and Finite Element spatial elastic modelling. The FE model allows the failure mode and the distribution of the loads to be assessed, and gives further insight to the behaviour of the scheme and the design and construction process

Experimental pharmacological research regarding some newly synthesized benzamides on central nervous system functions

Three newly synthesized benzamides by the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry of the Faculty of pharmacy from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy „Carol Davila” Bucharest were tested in order to determine whether these new molecules have similar effects on the central nervous system as those already in therapeutic use belonging to the same chemical group, such as tiapride (neuroleptic) or lidocaine (local anaesthetic). Tests were carried out on NMRI mice which were given new compounds, conventionally named I5C, I14C, and II5C in a dose of 1/20 of the lethal dose 50% (LD50), as previously determined. They received this treatment daily for 21 days. The evasive–investigating capacity of mice was determined using the platform test, and the motor activity using an Activity cage device. The results have shown that compounds I5C and II5C decrease the investigation capacity of the mice; and compound I5C inhibits motor activity, while II5C stimulates it. Thus we concluded that only compounds I5C and II5C have a neuroleptic potential that might be investigated further

Experimental pharmacological research regarding some new quinazolin-4-ones derivatives

A series of new compounds with quinazolin-4-one structure, synthesized by the Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department of the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila” Bucharest, was studied. Five of them were selected, conventionally named S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, and investigated in terms of their potential influence on the central nervous system (CNS). For this purpose, the antidepressant effect was determined using the forced swimming test; the anxiolytic/ anxiogenic effect was determined using the suspended plus-shaped maze (Ugo Basile); the effect on the motor activity was determined using the Ugo Basile activity cage; and the potential analgesic effect was investigated using the hot plate test (Ugo Basile). Compounds S3 and S5 lowered the motor activity and showed an anxiolytic effect, while S1 and S2 proved to have antidepressant and analgesic effects. A good correlation between antidepressant and analgesic effects was observed, consistent with the fact that analgesic drugs, by increasing norepinephrine and serotonin levels in the pain inhibiting descendent pathways, can be used as co-analgesics in therapy