Suchergebnisse

PurposeDespite the fact that Hispanics are the largest and fastest growing segment of the population and that 44 percent of Hispanics of 18 years of age and older speak English less than very well, research examining the impact of Spanish‐accented English on employment‐related decisions has been scarce. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the effects of the accent (standard American English and Mexican Spanish) of a hypothetical job applicant on employment‐related judgments and hiring decisions.Design/methodology/approachParticipants made employment‐related decisions (i.e. job suitability ratings, likelihood of a promotion, and hiring decision) and judgments of personal attributes (i.e. perceived competence and warmth) of a hypothetical applicant for an entry‐level software engineering job. The accent of the applicant was manipulated using the matched‐guise technique.FindingsResults showed that compared to an applicant with a standard American‐English accent, one with a Mexican‐Spanish accent was at a disadvantage when applying for the software engineering job. The Mexican‐Spanish‐accented applicant was rated as less suitable for the job and viewed as less likely to be promoted to a managerial position. In addition, fewer participants decided to hire the Mexican‐Spanish‐accented applicant than the standard American English‐accented applicant.Practical implicationsGiven the negative evaluations of the Mexican‐Spanish‐accented applicant, recruiters and interviewers should be selected who do not view foreign accents negatively. Furthermore, organizations should make a conscious effort to regard foreign accents as assets to their businesses.Originality/valueThis research contributes to our understanding of how foreign accents influence decisions that have important economic consequences for individuals.

Funder: U.S. Military Academy ; Funder: Centre for Misfolding Diseases, University of Cambridge ; Funder: Gates Cambridge Trust ; Funder: Army Research Laboratory ; Funder: Defense Threat Reduction Agency ; The molecular composition of the plasma membrane plays a key role in mediating the susceptibility of cells to perturbations induced by toxic molecules. The pharmacological regulation of the properties of the cell membrane has therefore the potential to enhance cellular resilience to a wide variety of chemical and biological compounds. In this study, we investigate the ability of claramine, a blood-brain barrier permeable small molecule in the aminosterol class, to neutralize the toxicity of acute biological threat agents, including melittin from honeybee venom and α-hemolysin from Staphylococcus aureus. Our results show that claramine neutralizes the toxicity of these pore-forming agents by preventing their interactions with cell membranes without perturbing their structures in a detectable manner. We thus demonstrate that the exogenous administration of an aminosterol can tune the properties of lipid membranes and protect cells from diverse biotoxins, including not just misfolded protein oligomers as previously shown but also biological protein-based toxins. Our results indicate that the investigation of regulators of the physicochemical properties of cell membranes offers novel opportunities to develop countermeasures against an extensive set of cytotoxic effects associated with cell membrane disruption.