ABSTRACT
Scholarship drawing from a wide array of perspectives including field theoretical and functional differentiation approaches has shed increasing light on the sectoral dimensions of world politics. In contrast to dominant approaches emphasizing hierarchy and power in relations between global fields, this article offers a novel interpretive framework for understanding how diverse fields, systems, or sectors may interact and facilitate change in world politics beyond the operation of established hierarchies and power dynamics. Taking forward the previously underutilized concept of symbolically generalized media of communication, this article elucidates two processes of international political change by which different fields, systems, or sectors may transform world politics. The first process, lateral retreat, is illustrated with reference to the case study of the Protestant Reformation, in which internal changes in the religious field facilitated the development of an increasingly autonomous political domain. The second process, lateral penetration, is illustrated with reference to the international political response to the climate change and Covid-19 crises, in which the scientific sector contributed toward transformed political priorities and associated hierarchies, at least in the short term. These diverse cases are used to indicate the broad potential scope of application of the concept of symbolically generalized media of communication to enrich relational theorizing in the study of international relations, and to improve understanding of diverse dynamics of international political change missed in traditional power- (and anarchy-) centric accounts.
ABSTRACT
Résumé Introduction La crise sanitaire a été un considérable accélérateur du recours au télétravail. Objectifs Notre étude explore les effets de la fréquence du télétravail sur la satisfaction de vie professionnelle et l’engagement organisationnel affectif des travailleur·se·s. Par ailleurs, elle évalue le rôle médiateur de la satisfaction vis-à-vis de l’équilibre entre domaines de vie dans ces deux relations. Enfin, elle étudie le rôle modérateur de l’ajustement au télétravail (i.e., adaptation aux changements découlant du passage à un environnement virtuel) dans la relation entre la fréquence du télétravail et la satisfaction vis-à-vis de l’équilibre entre domaines de vie ainsi que les leviers de cet ajustement. Méthode Au total, 377 télétravailleur·se·s « tout venant » ont répondu à un questionnaire en ligne mesurant ces variables. Résultats L’augmentation de la fréquence du télétravail entraîne indirectement une baisse de la satisfaction de vie professionnelle et de l’engagement organisationnel affectif chez les travailleur·se·s, en raison d’une dégradation de leur satisfaction vis-à-vis de l’équilibre entre domaines de vie. De plus, lorsque les personnes se sont fortement ajustées au télétravail, les effets négatifs – directs et indirects – de la fréquence du télétravail s’atténuent. Enfin, l’ajustement au télétravail est en grande partie prédit par le fait d’avoir choisi ou subi cette modalité de travail, par l’environnement de télétravail au domicile et par le soutien organisationnel fourni aux travailleur·se·s. Conclusion Nous discutons des implications théoriques de ces résultats et proposons des pistes pour accompagner au mieux le déploiement du télétravail. Introduction The COVID-19 health crisis considerably accelerated the use of telework. Objective The present study focuses on the impact of telework frequency on workers’ work-life satisfaction and affective organizational commitment. This study also evaluates the mediating role of satisfaction with work-family balance in these two relationships. Finally, it investigates the moderator role of telework adjustment (i.e., adaptation to changes resulting from the transition to a virtual environment) in the relationship between telework frequency and work-family balance satisfaction, as well as the drivers of this adjustment. Method In all, 377 teleworkers replied to an online questionnaire measuring the above-mentioned variables. Results The increase in telework frequency is directly associated with a decrease in workers’ work-life satisfaction and affective organizational commitment, due to the degradation of their work-family balance satisfaction. Yet, once workers have made significant adjustments to telework, direct and indirect negative impacts of telework frequency are reduced. Finally, telework adjustment is largely predicted by whether telework resulted from choice or obligation, by the telework environment at home, and by the organizational support provided to workers. Conclusion Theoretical and practical implications of these results will be discussed, with potential avenues to best support the deployment of remote work.
ABSTRACT
SARS-CoV-2 is mutating and creating divergent variants across the world. An in-depth investigation of the amino acid substitutions in the genomic signature of SARS-CoV-2 proteins is highly essential for understanding its host adaptation and infection biology. A total of 9587 SARS-CoV-2 structural protein sequences collected from 49 different countries are used to characterize protein-wise variants, substitution patterns (type and location), and major substitution changes. The majority of the substitutions are distinct, mostly in a particular location, and lead to a change in an amino acid's biochemical properties. In terms of mutational changes, envelope (E) and membrane (M) proteins are relatively more stable than nucleocapsid (N) and spike (S) proteins. Several co-occurrence substitutions are observed, particularly in S and N proteins. Substitution specific to active sub-domains reveals that heptapeptide repeat, fusion peptides, transmembrane in S protein, and N-terminal and C-terminal domains in the N protein are remarkably mutated. We also observe a few deleterious mutations in the above domains. The overall study on non-synonymous mutation in structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2 at the start of the pandemic indicates a diversity amongst virus sequences.