Business for ocean sustainability: Early responses of ocean governance in the private sector

A large sample of 1664 companies-69 directly working in the ocean economy-distributed across 19 industrial sectors was investigated to explore awareness and activation regarding direct and indirect pressures on the ocean, their responses to these pressures, and the disclosure tools used. We examined their accountability and disclosure practices on sustainable development goals (SDGs) using the drivers, pressures, state, welfare, and response accounting framework. Based on their 2019 sustainability reports, just 7% of the companies assessed disclosed on SDG14. However, 51% of these companies can be considered as aware, albeit to varying degrees, of the pressures their industries place on the oceans, 44% deploy mitigating activities, and 26% are aware and actively lead business responses to ocean challenges. Although we have seen just early responses in addressing ocean challenges, companies' awareness and activation must converge to achieve ocean sustainability and move businesses into a truly blue economy.

Competitive strategies and value creation: a twofold perspective analysis

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the implementation of a defined competitive strategy – differentiation or cost leadership – brings about different value creation levels, where “value” is defined in a twofold perspective as “shareholder value” vs “stakeholder value” and “social capital”.

Design/methodology/approach

– A sample of 169 European companies is investigated. Simple linear regressions and t-tests for the equality of means are conducted.

Findings

– While no significant differences are found in the creation of value for the shareholders, firms following differentiation strategies generate considerably higher value for all the stakeholder groups than companies pursing cost leadership strategies. Results also show that size and reputational considerations play a significant role in explaining the different stakeholder value performances.

Research limitations/implications

– Some data such as off-balance sheet items could have influenced the calculation of the discriminant values for strategy classification.

Practical implications

– Although the two groups manage to achieve comparable levels of profitability, the differentiators, presumably because of their structural outward-facing orientation, seem to be better positioned to meet the challenges of the next wave of growth, which resides in the substantial interconnection between economic and societal value. Companies need a better understanding of how the stakeholder value theory and social capital can influence value creation and long-term success.

Originality/value

– In light of the importance of competitive strategy as a value-creation tool, the paper sheds new light on the relationship between competitive strategies and value creation.

Generalized joint laxity and temporomandibular disorders

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) has been suggested to be of multifactorial etiology. One factor that has been suggested is laxity of joint ligaments. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between generalized joint hypermobility and TMD. Thirty-eight asymptomatic volunteers and 62 symptomatic patients were included in this study. All asymptomatic volunteers did not have temporomandibular joint pain, limited jaw movement, joint sounds, or previous TMD treatment. All subjects had bilateral magnetic resonance imaging scans in the sagittal closed and opened and coronal closed positions. The Beighton test was used to score joint laxity with a laxity score of > or = 4 to define generalized joint laxity. The symptomatic group had an increase in joint laxity as compared to asymptomatic control subjects (odds ratio 4.0 [95% confidence interval = 1.38 to 10.95, P = .01]). There were no differences in laxity between male and female symptomatic subjects (P > .05). This study suggests a positive correlation between generalized joint laxity and TMD.

Generalized gingival enlargement due to accumulation of amyloid-like material

Hyaline or amyloid-like substances may be seen in several oral lesions. Some of these originate from epithelial cells and some from connective tissue components. In this study, amyloid-like material causing gingival enlargement in three patients, with eyelid involvement in two, was examined using histochemistry, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. These accumulations did not share the classical features of amyloid such as green birefringence under polarized light after Congo red staining. Our findings suggest that epithelial degeneration plays an important role in the pathogenesis of these amyloid-like accumulations. These substances may be the result of defective amyloidogenesis and our cases may represent an oral counterpart of ligneous conjunctivitis or colloid milium of the skin.