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Purpose This paper aims to propose a dynamic multidimensional approach to identify the middle class and then to reliably study the structural changes that have marked it in terms of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and aspirations. Design/methodology/approach This study uses Moroccan data from the 2007 and 2014 household expenditure surveys. The method consists in applying a factor analysis of mixed data on a set of variables inspired by Bourdieu’s concepts of social space and forms of capital, then performing a hierarchical ascending classification consolidated by the k-means clustering, along with adopting the same indicators and weighting for both years studied to ensure reliable comparison. Findings The classification results identified three social classes whose changing size reveals a decline of the lower class and an expansion of the upper and middle classes. Some characteristics of the middle class are becoming close to those of the upper class, like fertility behavior, while a significant gap remains between the two classes in other characteristics, like education. Moreover, middle-class perceptions reflect their downgrading, confirming that the so-called decline of the middle class is more related to feelings than to objective realities. Originality/value Middle class studies are generally based on a single criterion (income or consumption) with somewhat arbitrary boundaries that are often ill-suited to developing countries. This paper proposes a new dynamic multidimensional approach to overcome these problems while adopting a new technique for reliable intertemporal comparisons.

Firm performance is one of the most prominent concepts in organizational research. Despite its importance, and despite the many developmental critiques that have appeared over the years, performance continues to be a difficult concept to apply in a scientifically rigorous way. After surfacing three potentially viable approaches for conceptualizing performance, we find that most studies are internally inconsistent in their use of these approaches, a situation that creates substantial difficulty in effectively interpreting research. The primary source of inconsistency lies in the use of a generalized abstract conceptualization of performance in theory building (the latent multidimensional approach) coupled with the adoption of one or two narrow aspects of performance in the empirical work (the separate constructs approach). Follow-up analyses designed to determine the best path for resolving these mismatches indicate that our field's heavy use of abstract performance in theorizing is not scientifically grounded and should be replaced with more specific aspects of performance to match existing practices in empirical work. Although this change would profoundly affect the field and would be resisted by many, it offers a concrete path away from indefensible practices. We offer several explanations for current practices but emphasize forces related to institutional theory. From an institutional perspective, it appears that firm performance is treated in a general fashion in many areas of our academic lives because it has been embraced as an instrument of legitimacy rather than as a scientific tool that facilitates dialogue and the accumulation of knowledge. We recommend and begin a conversation designed to highlight the long-run dangers of focusing our attention on an abstract concept of performance and suggest a set of specific steps that could help to move all of us in a new direction as we attempt to enhance the scientific rigor of our field.

The concept of energy security has become an increasingly challenging issue in Africa, forcing energy-deficient countries to forge mutual partnerships with energy sufficient countries to access it for their domestic consumption. This study formulates a composite index of energy security in Africa as well as evaluates its impacts and trends using a sample of 28 countries on the continent, during the 2000–2018 period by using a principal composite factor analysis (PCA), with the series of 13 variables. Further interpretation was carried out using these tests: Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy and Bartlett’s test of sphericity, Pearson correlation test, and Cronbach’s alpha test. The key results show a trend of energy insecurity among the countries studied, as energy imports loads high in most countries as well as per capita emission, together with fossil fuel source consumption correlating high. These results validate the stark reality on the African continent. The inference from the results of the anaylsis conclude that the principal component analysis (PCA) results of the energy index were considered fit and reliable for the analysis, with the most important Cronbach’s alpha test coefficient of 0.8797, far above the standard 0.6 model reliability level. Based on this study, the paper proffers there should be increased intra-regional trading of energy among the various power pools on the continent and increased regional renewable energy investments as well as investment in energy infrastructure, measures to reduce electricity system losses, environmental sustainability, and the adoption of energy in efficiency on the continent.

INTRODUCTION Synaptic loss is an early prominent feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The recently developed novel synaptic vesicle 2A protein (SV2A) PET‐tracer UCB‐J has shown great promise in tracking synaptic loss in AD. However, there have been discrepancies between the findings and a lack of mechanistic insight. METHODS Here we report the first extensive pre‐clinical validation studies for UCB‐J in control (CN; n = 11) and AD (n = 11) brains using a multidimensional approach of post‐mortem brain imaging techniques, radioligand binding, and biochemical studies. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION We demonstrate that UCB‐J could target SV2A protein with high specificity and depict synaptic loss at synaptosome levels in AD brain regions compared to CNs. UCB‐J showed highest synaptic loss in AD hippocampus followed in descending order by frontal cortex, temporal cortex, parietal cortex, and cerebellum. 3H‐UCB‐J large brain‐section autoradiography and cellular/subcellular fractions binding studies indicated potential off‐target interaction with phosphorylated tau (p‐tau) species in AD brains, which could have subsequent clinical implications for imaging studies. Highlights Synaptic positron emission tomography (PET)–tracer UCB‐J could target synaptic vesicle 2A protein (SV2A) with high specificity in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and control brains. Synaptic PET‐tracer UCB‐J could depict synaptic loss at synaptosome levels in AD brain regions compared to control. Potential off‐target interaction of UCB‐J with phosphorylated tau (p‐tau) species at cellular/subcellular levels could have subsequent clinical implications for imaging studies, warranting further investigations.

Ideological polarization between political parties is essential for meaningful electoral competition, but at its extreme can strain democratic functioning. Despite a widespread recognition that multiple divides structure contemporary party polarization in Europe, its prevailing conceptualization and measurement remain one-dimensional. To resolve this tension, we introduce a novel, multidimensional approach to party polarization. Our main focus is on whether different ideological divides reinforce or crosscut each other. We calculate the effective dimensionality of a policy space using the correlation matrix of parties’ positions, which accounts for how the dimensions interrelate. Using both artificial data and positional estimates from the Chapel Hill Expert Survey (1999–2019), we highlight the advantages of our approach and demonstrate that it is better able to capture the relationship between party polarization and mass partisanship. This study has important theoretical, methodological, and empirical implications for our understanding of polarization and democratic representation in a changing political landscape.

In recent years, there has been an increase in empirical and theoretical work that addresses the role of innovation as one of the main sources of firm growth. The purpose of this special issue is to strengthen the role played by innovation as a determinant of firm growth. Despite the emergence of a vast empirical literature on whether innovative firms grow more quickly in terms of sales and employees, a number of crucial questions and answers remain. While a large number of applied papers observe a positive link between innovation and firm growth, the complexity of R&D activities, together with the diversity of innovation strategies and the multiplicity of growth modes, requires a multidimensional approach to examine the contribution of innovations on firm growth. To shed light on the link between firm’ growth and innovation sources, we organized a meeting of leading scholars of firm’ growth and innovation. The papers of this special issue were presented at the workshop on ‘Firm growth and innovation’ held on 28 and 29 June, 2012, in Tarragona, Spain. The papers that compose this special issue deal in depth with innovation activity, firm growth and the interaction between firm growth and innovation.

PurposeThe literature on individual differences in innovative work behavior (IWB) reveals inconsistencies in the relations of personality traits and tenure on innovation at work. To provide greater clarity about the effects of these antecedents, the purpose of this paper is to report a study of the moderating effects of tenure on the associations of traits and IWB, and apply a theoretical lens based on the trait-activation theory.Design/methodology/approachIn all, 146 employees of a UK-based financial institution completed measures of conscientiousness and openness, and had three aspects of IWB (idea generation, promotion, and realization) rated by their line-supervisor. All participants were on graduate training programs. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to test the moderating effects of tenure on the associations of the self-reported traits with the supervisor-rated IWB outcomes.FindingsTenure moderated the effects of conscientiousness on IWB, with highly conscientious employees being less innovative with longer tenure. Tenure moderated the effect of openness with idea generation with highly open employees generating more ideas if they were longer tenured.Practical implicationsManagement of innovation requires differentiated strategies based on the personality traits and tenure of individual employees. Implications for recruitment, socialization and development are discussed.Originality/valueThis is the first study to examine empirically the interactions of traits and contextual factors (i.e. organizational tenure) on IWB, framed around a strong theoretical foundation (i.e. trait activation theory). The study also makes notable contributions by measuring innovative behavior using a supervisor-rated and multidimensional approach.

IntroductionIntimate partner violence (IPV) among sexual minority people has been underestimated since few decades ago despite its spreading. The current systematic review aims to review and systematize studies on factors associated with IPV perpetration within this population.MethodsData search was conducted on EBSCO and PubMed considering articles published until July 2022, and 78 papers were included.ResultsAlthough methodological limitations can affect the results found, the data demonstrated an association between IPV perpetration and psychological, relational, family of origin-related and sexual minority-specific factors, substance use, and sexual behaviors.ConclusionThe findings emerged highlight the importance of a multidimensional approach to tackle IPV perpetration among sexual minority people and limit relapses, while increasing individual and relational wellbeing.Policy ImplicationsThe empirical evidence emerged can contribute to the development of policies and services tailored for sexual minority people victims of IPV, to date still scarce and often ineffective.

This report aimed to investigate the capacity of maternal behaviors tailored to children's attachment and exploration systems to jointly explain the well-known mother–child transmission of attachment. Four home visits were conducted between ages 7 months and 2 years with 130 mother–child dyads to assess maternal attachment state of mind, sensitivity, autonomy support, and mother–child attachment security. Results showed that together, maternal sensitivity and autonomy support fully accounted for the relation between maternal and child attachment, that they each accounted for a unique portion of this relation, and that the magnitude of these mediated pathways was equivalent. These results suggest that the attachment transmission gap can be narrowed by the use of a theory-driven multidimensional approach to maternal behavior.

Student-teacher relationships play an important role in both teacher and student experiences in higher education and have been found to be linked to learning, classroom management, and to student absenteeism. Although historically conceptualised in terms of immediacy or distance and measured with reference to behaviours, the growing recognition of the role of emotions and of power-as well as the development of a range of multidimensional models of social relationships-all suggest it is time to re-evaluate how student-teacher relationships are understood. This paper develops a theoretical model of student-teacher affective relationships in higher education based on three dimensions: affection/warmth, attachment/safety, and assertion/power. The three-dimensional model was tested using the Classroom Affective Relationships Inventory (CARI) with data from 851 students. The data supported the use of this multidimensional model for student-teacher relationships with both two- and three-dimensional models of relationships being identified as appropriate. The theoretical development of a multidimensional model and the empirical development of an instrument with which to explore these dimensions has important implications for higher education teachers, administrators and researchers. (HRK / Abstract übernommen).