No abstract

No abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a model to predict the antecedents of the integration level among marketing, logistics and production, considering the influence of formal and informal factors that generate integration and the existence of conflicts. Design/methodology/approach A survey of 179 participants from all regions of Brazil was conducted. A parsimonious model including four dimensions and 34 variables was developed through confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Findings The field data corroborate studies dealing with the impact of various formal and informal integration factors on the cross-functional integration level as a construct. Furthermore, this paper concludes that the level of cross-functional can be defined as: the intensity of the relationship among internal functions which can be measured by the mutual existence of formal and informal factors and the absence of manifest conflicts. Research limitations/implications The findings of this paper cannot be generalized because of the convenience sampling. Future research could apply a probabilistic sampling and try to explore other geographical settings in both national and international contexts. Practical implications The proposed model can generate important information for managers by pointing out variables that can predict the integration level and their impacts on the organizational performance. The paper concludes with examples about how the model could be useful in several practical situations. Originality/value This paper proposes a model with reasonable accuracy to predict the integration level and overcomes prior research limitations with respect to models to predict the antecedents of the integration level, particularly the role of conflicts in the integration processes.

No abstract

No abstract

The meat palatability, water-holding capacity, colour and shear force values of 32 Boer goat (BG) kids and 32 South African Mutton Merino (MM) lambs were investigated. Two pelleted diets (offered to 16 animals per species) with either a low (LE, 9·9 MJ/kg dry matter (DM)) or a high (HE, 12·1 MJ/kg DM) metabolizable energy level were given to the animals for either 28 or 56 days. Thereafter the animals were slaughtered, the meat cooked and presented to a trained sensory panel. Organoleptically, a difference between goat and lamb was noted. Each one had a specific species flavour, which was not influenced by energy level of the diet. BG meat was perceived to be stringier than that of the MM, but there was no significant difference in Warner-Bratzler shear force values. Tenderness declined with age in both species and there was also a tendency for goat meat to be less juicy than lamb. Chevon had a more pronounced after-taste than lamb. No objective difference could be distinguished between the colour of the cooked goat and lamb, but there was a tendency for fresh lamb to have a higher a*-value (redness) than goat. Although diet did not influence drip loss, drip loss increased with an increase in slaughter age. Only after 56 days did the m. semimembranosus of MM have a significantly higher drip loss than that of BG (LE: 4·84 v. 3·43%; HE: 4·72 v. 3·23%). In the m. semimembranosus of both species cooking loss increased with an increase in slaughter age. It can be concluded that goat meat compares favourably with lamb in terms of water-holding capacity, colour and shear force values. If goats are finished in the feedlot, it can be done on a LE diet, since diet does not influences any of the mentioned characteristics. This may render a direct economic advantage for BG feedlot finishing.

Ruminally cannulated Rambouillet wether lambs were used in three 6 x 6 Latin square experiments (n = 6/experiment) to determine which essential AA limit N retention. Lambs (BW = 36.9 +/- 1.9 kg for Exp. 1, 35.1 +/- 1.4 kg for Exp. 2, and 46.0 +/- 1.3 kg for Exp. 3) were housed in metabolism crates and limit-fed (DMI = approx. 1.8% of BW daily) twice daily a soybean hull-based diet low in ruminally undegradable protein. Treatments for Exp. 1 were continuous abomasal infusions of a solution (500 mL/d) containing 1) no AA (CON), 2) a mixture of 10 essential AA and 2 nonessential AA (10EAA), 3) 10EAA with Met removed, 4) 10EAA with Lys removed, 5) 10EAA with His removed, and 6) 10EAA with Thr removed. Treatments for Exp. 2 were abomasal infusions of 1) CON, 2) 10EAA, 3) 10EAA with Leu, Ile, and Val removed (-BCAA), 4) 10EAA with Arg removed, 5) 10EAA with Phe removed, and 6) 10EAA with Trp removed. Treatments for Exp. 3 were abomasal infusions of 1) CON, 2) 10EAA, 3) -BCAA, 4) 10EAA with Leu removed, 5) 10EAA with Ile removed, and 6) 10EAA with Val removed. All lambs received continuous infusions of acetate and propionate into the rumen and dextrose into the abomasum to supply additional energy. Periods were 7 d: 3 d for adaptation to abomasally infused treatments and 4 d for fecal and urinary collections. Blood samples were collected 3 h after feeding on d 7. In all 3 experiments, N retention was greater (P < 0.10) for lambs receiving 10EAA vs. CON, demonstrating that the basal AA supply from CON was limiting. Removal of each of the essential AA from 10EAA decreased (P < 0.10) their concentrations in plasma (except for Trp), indicating that 10EAA supplied these AA in excess of the animal's requirement. In Exp. 1, N retention (g/d) decreased (P < 0.10) in response to the removal of Met and Thr, but was not affected by removal of Lys and His from 10EAA. In Exp. 2, N retention decreased (P < 0.10) in response to removal of all 3 branched-chain AA, Arg, and Trp, whereas the removal of Phe from 10EAA did not affect N retention. In Exp. 3, N retention decreased (P < 0.10) in response to removal of branched-chain AA and Val, but was not affected by the omission of Leu and Ile from 10EAA. The results of this research demonstrated that Met, Thr, Arg, Trp, and Val limited N retention of lambs fed a diet low in ruminally undegradable protein.

No abstract