The Airbus bribery scandal: A collective myopia perspective

Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Drawing on collective myopia as a lens, we explore the infamous Airbus bribery scandal to show how the executives of the global aircraft manufacturer, through their actions and behaviours, institutionalised the payment of bribes to secure contracts. Data for the inquiry consist of publicly available court-approved documents, company website and internal emails, and newspaper articles on the scandal. Unpacking the bribery scheme operated by Airbus, we found that bribing of foreign government officials and airline executives to secure contracts was part and parcel of the firm's organising strategy. In this regard, the organising practices of Airbus actively encouraged employees to break its own bribery compliance policies which they employed as smokescreens to cover their illegal activities. Building on our findings, we developed a collective myopic-bribery framework outlining how the collective myopia in organising drove the bribery activities at Airbus. The implications of the findings for theory and practice are outlined

Cocoa production, farmlands, and the galamsey: Examining current and emerging trends in the ASM-agriculture nexus

Data availability: The data that has been used is confidential.Copyright © 2023 The Authors. In this paper, we build on the diverse discussions on the nexus between artisanal and small-scale mining and agriculture to examine emerging relationships between mining operators, smallholder cocoa farmers, and landowners in rural cocoa-growing communities. Empirically, we draw on fresh insights from in-depth interviews with loosely coupled chain actors in Ghana's cocoa and mining sectors, we found what we call ‘coerced to sell’ strategies deployed by miners in the acquisition of farmlands for their operations. We go further to shed light on the employment trajectories of the new breed of landless farmers, and the emerging diversification strategies of landowners. Implications of our findings for the policy and practice of ASM and farmlands are outlined

Internalizing corporate social responsibility (CSR) in ASM: The making of small-scale miners as environmental and work safety “‘champions’”

Purpose: While the practice of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the mining sector is far from a new occurrence, far less common is an examination of the CSR-related activities of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) firms. Drawing on Carroll (1991) four-part model of CSR as a lens, this paper aims to explore the discursive construction of some socioenvironmentally oriented activities of a small-scale mining operator to extend our understanding of CSR in practice. Design/methodology/approach: This study employs a qualitative research design involving semistructured interviews with the management and staff of a small-scale mining company located in the Eastern region of Ghana. Findings: The findings suggest small-scale mining operators, contrary to the dominant narrative of being inattentive to CSR concerns, could strategically leverage salient environmental management practices and novel worker safety procedures to make them unanticipated champions of CSR. Originality/value: The study extends our understanding of how salient organizing practices of small-scale mining firms may cohere to give shape and form to the practice of CSR in context

Ban mining, ban dining? Re(examining) the policy and practice of ‘militarised conservationism’ on ASM operations

The artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) frontier continues to advance in most mineral-endowed countries due to rising unemployment and general economic decline particularly in rural communities. The sector, however, is often viewed in a negative light because it is highly environmentally destructive. In seeking to address the environmental challenges, many governments have, on occasion, actioned military strategies aimed at presenting facets of ‘sanitisation’ to a highly informal industry that has historically been tagged as an enemy of the environment. This study examines such ‘mining vs. environment’ discourses that have resulted in military crackdowns on ASM operations in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Overall, the findings bust the ‘myth’ of the appropriateness of military interventions regarding ASM operations. Offering insights into the livelihood dimensions of ASM operations, we submit that our understanding of mining-ban failures can be assisted by an understanding of the broader geographical, socio-economic, technological, and institutional antecedents that combine to allow illegal mining operations to proliferate

Friends or foes: Can large-scale mining companies partner with small-scale miners? Yes, they can?

Data availability: The data that has been used is confidential.This paper (re)examines the nexus between large-scale mining (LSM) activities and artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) operations. Broadly speaking, the existing combative resource politics between the two mining entities has created room for the emergence of divergent opinions on sustainable solutions encapsulated in standpoints of ‘cohabitation’ vis-à-vis ‘autonomy’. Employing ‘partnership’ as an analytical lens, this study provides a refreshing perspective of the ‘cohabitation’ of LSM and ASM where they develop and flourish together. Firmly rooted at the base of this success, however, is the formalisation canon that has long ignored the partnership opportunities for ASM operations in many resource-rich countries. We, therefore, argue for formalisation policies to design cohabitation agreements that focus on creating synergies devoid of resource conflicts. Further, we discuss ways through which resources that cannot be fully enclosed by LSM companies can become sources of compromise and negotiation rather than of conflict and violence

Pathogenicity and fungicide sensitivity of the causal agent of postharvest stem end rot disease of mango in Ghana

ABSTRACTStudies were carried out on the stem end rot disease of mango in Ghana. The incidence and severity of the disease were evaluated on mango fruits collected from major mango growing areas of Ghana. The causal agent was isolated on media and identified. The pathogenicity of the fungus and its cross-infection potential were determined on mango, avocado, papaya and banana fruits. The sensitivity of the pathogen to fungicides was determined by assessing radial mycelial growth on potato dextrose agar (PDA) amended with nine different fungicides (Bendazim, Funguran, Ivory, Topsin, Asuoku master, Kocide, Mirage, Sulphur 80 and Copper oxychloride). Stem end rot disease was prevalent in the major mango growing areas of Ghana. Two pathogens, Lasiodiplodia theobromae and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides were isolated from the disease lesions. However, only the former was able to cause stem end rot disease symptoms on the artificially inoculated fruits, confirming it as the causal agent of the disease. It was also found to be highly susceptible to Bendazim, Ivory, Topsin, Asuoku master and Mirage, whilst it was resistant to Funguran, Kocide, Sulphur 80 and Copper oxychloride.Original sciencitic paper. Received 30 Apr 15; revised 17 Oct 14

Formalization as a strategy of ASM “sanitization”: So far, how far?

Purpose: For decades, a significant number of studies have examined the agenda of the formalization of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) operations. There is now enough anecdotal evidence that formalization of ASM operations can help promote safe working conditions. However, very few studies have examined the internal dynamics and outcomes once ASM operations become formalized. This notwithstanding, these few studies provide very useful insights that could help reshape policy and refine scholarly ideas about formalization. This present study, therefore, performs the task of (re)visiting the empirically oriented insights of the literature that explores the ASM activities of operators that are in possession of mining licenses and are in operation. Design/methodology/approach: The study seeks to answer the following question: How far have formalization mechanisms succeeded in “sanitizing” the ASM sector? To achieve this, the authors draw on the findings of qualitative case studies examining the operations of formal ASM actors. Other data for the inquiry were sourced from published documents providing insights and discussions on the dynamics of the formalization of ASM. Findings: Synthesizing the findings of the studies that have examined formalized ASM operations, the evidence seems to suggest that monitoring and supervision can mediate good environmental management practices. Formalization seems to have positive impacts on the working conditions and the health and safety of the operators; however, this might not be true for access to credit, reinforcing the fact that unaided formalization cannot completely cure the excesses of informality. Originality/value: Analyzing the literature on formal ASM operations, this present study provides useful discussions of where we stand and how research and policy discussions on ASM formalization may proceed from here

Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common infections associated with health care, but its importance as a global health priority is not fully understood. We quantified the burden of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery in countries in all parts of the world. Methods: This international, prospective, multicentre cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection within 2-week time periods at any health-care facility in any country. Countries with participating centres were stratified into high-income, middle-income, and low-income groups according to the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Data variables from the GlobalSurg 1 study and other studies that have been found to affect the likelihood of SSI were entered into risk adjustment models. The primary outcome measure was the 30-day SSI incidence (defined by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for superficial and deep incisional SSI). Relationships with explanatory variables were examined using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02662231. Findings: Between Jan 4, 2016, and July 31, 2016, 13 265 records were submitted for analysis. 12 539 patients from 343 hospitals in 66 countries were included. 7339 (58·5%) patient were from high-HDI countries (193 hospitals in 30 countries), 3918 (31·2%) patients were from middle-HDI countries (82 hospitals in 18 countries), and 1282 (10·2%) patients were from low-HDI countries (68 hospitals in 18 countries). In total, 1538 (12·3%) patients had SSI within 30 days of surgery. The incidence of SSI varied between countries with high (691 [9·4%] of 7339 patients), middle (549 [14·0%] of 3918 patients), and low (298 [23·2%] of 1282) HDI (p < 0·001). The highest SSI incidence in each HDI group was after dirty surgery (102 [17·8%] of 574 patients in high-HDI countries; 74 [31·4%] of 236 patients in middle-HDI countries; 72 [39·8%] of 181 patients in low-HDI countries). Following risk factor adjustment, patients in low-HDI countries were at greatest risk of SSI (adjusted odds ratio 1·60, 95% credible interval 1·05–2·37; p=0·030). 132 (21·6%) of 610 patients with an SSI and a microbiology culture result had an infection that was resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Resistant infections were detected in 49 (16·6%) of 295 patients in high-HDI countries, in 37 (19·8%) of 187 patients in middle-HDI countries, and in 46 (35·9%) of 128 patients in low-HDI countries (p < 0·001). Interpretation: Countries with a low HDI carry a disproportionately greater burden of SSI than countries with a middle or high HDI and might have higher rates of antibiotic resistance. In view of WHO recommendations on SSI prevention that highlight the absence of high-quality interventional research, urgent, pragmatic, randomised trials based in LMICs are needed to assess measures aiming to reduce this preventable complication

Synthesis and dissolution of hemicatenanes by type IA DNA topoisomerases

A hemicatenane conjoins two DNA duplexes through a single-strand interlock. It has been proposed that hemicatenanes are important intermediates for replication, repair, and recombination. However, the biochemical analysis of hemicatenanes is hampered by the relative inaccessibility of such structures. We report here that a DNA topoisomerase III (Top3) from a hyperthermophilic archaeum can carry out synthesis and dissolution of hemicatenanes. We also show that a complex of human Top3α, Bloom helicase (Blm), and RecQ-mediated genome instability protein 1 and 2 has a biochemical function of reversing this hemicatenation. Our results demonstrate that type IA topoisomerases can regulate the formation of hemicatenane structures