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This study examines influences on the level of corruption in countries from a strategic perspective. Corruption is one of the country-level influences on market entry, investment, and other decisions fundamental to strategic management at the international level. The study examines the impact on corruption of change in levels of foreign direct investment (FDI). It uses the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) scores computed by Transparency International for 1999 and 2000.Results indicate that the more rapid the rate of change in FDI, the higher the level of corruption. Higher levels of perceived corruption are associated with each of two dimensions of national culture: uncertainty avoidance and masculinity. Research and managerial implications are also discussed.

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Strategic managers appear increasingly under pressure from stakeholder concerns regarding social and ethical issues. Partially in response, the supply of ethical decision-making models has grown rapidly. Business ethics scholars have broadened their scope to incorporate moral philosophies into their research endeavors. Despite these positive trends, the international focus of business ethics research has been slow to evolve. Yet, diverse moral philosophies, often most apparent across international borders, have important strategic implications for multinational firms. The ethical norms pursued by cross-cultural alliance partners, distributors, suppliers, customers, financiers, and foreign government agencies can create public relations disasters, foster shareholder unrest, lead to consumer boycotts, and impact organizational outcomes. We seek to rectify the deficiency in international business ethics scholarship with two distinct contributions. First, we develop a new cross-cultural, macro-level model of societal ethics. Second, we map moral philosophies onto an established framework for assessing socioeconomic environments. These theoretical tools should assist managers of multinational organizations, international policy-makers, and researchers to recognize and prepare for the ethical consequences of international strategic decisions.

The aims of this longitudinal, observational study were two-fold: first, to determine in adults with sleep disorders the extent of dental and occlusal changes following the use of a mandibular advancement splint (MAS) and, second, to determine the time course of these changes. One hundred adult subjects (87 males, 13 females) diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and/or asymptomatic snoring were treated with non-adjustable MAS. At the outset each subject was randomly assigned to a group and reviewed 6, 12, 18, 24 or 30 months after placement of a splint. There were 20 subjects in each group. Craniofacial changes were measured on lateral cephalometric radiographs taken at the initial and review appointments. When the changes in all subjects were examined, the SNA, ANB angles, ANS-PNS length and face height increased, and the mandibular first molars and the maxillary first premolars significantly overerupted. Significant retroclination of the maxillary incisors and proclination of the mandibular incisors were accompanied by reductions in maxillary arch length, overbite and overjet. When the changes over time were determined, the mandibular symphysis was significantly lower at all review periods. An increase in face height and reductions in overbite and overjet were evident at 6 months, and over-eruption of the maxillary first premolars and mandibular first molars, and proclination of the lower incisors were found at 24 months. Significant positive correlations were also found between the amount of anterior opening by the appliances and changes in overbite at 24 and 30 months. The appliance used produced small, unpredictable changes in the occlusion that tended to occur after 24 months' wear. It is postulated that the changes in overbite might be lessened by keeping the bite opening to a minimum.