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This paper explores how risks are managed in project practice beyond formalized risk management processes by applying the lens of actuality research to project risk management.

The paper follows a qualitative multimethod research approach utilizing literature review, interviews, observations and document analysis. The paper is based on three case studies and one interview study in project organizations facing green transition challenges.

Little work exists to reveal how risk management is actually done by project practitioners, and why. Few studies report on contextual variation and consider confounding factors beyond a “one size fits all” formalized explicit risk management process, despite ample evidence that risks are managed outside the formal process. The study documents that informal and/or implicit risk management activities add significantly more value.

The paper contributes a literature review of research into the actuality of project risk management, a sense-making framework of how risks are managed in practice beyond the formal, explicit risk-management process by including informal and/or implicit risk management activities, an empirical study of risk-management practice highlighting that informal and/or implicit risk-management activities dominate in practice, a discussion of why risks are managed outside formalized, explicit process and a research agenda to enable the design of impactful project risk-management practices.

This chapter provides a detailed analysis of Slovakia's economic transformation since the end of the socialist era and its transition toward a market-based economy. The country had a slower start than Poland, Czechia, and Hungary in embracing capitalism, which earned it the nickname of the “Tatra Tiger” only after Dzurinda's administration. The chapter examines the crucial economic reforms, political decisions, and contextual factors that have shaped Slovakia's economic trajectory, particularly emphasizing the interplay between politics and economic policy. Additionally, it highlights the challenges posed by the legacy of previous governments, including oligarchic influence and socioeconomic disparities. Despite some periods of economic growth, Slovakia is currently facing a crisis of political and socioeconomic discontent, primarily due to overdependence on the automotive sector and a lack of investment in innovation and infrastructure. The chapter concludes by stating the need for more visionary leadership and a national dialog on Slovakia's future direction, indicating a concerning inertia in the face of pressing economic challenges.

This paper examines the role played by business cluster ecosystems and intellectual capital (IC) in achieving high-growth firm (HGF) status.

We draw our insights from the knowledge-based perspective and economic geography as a theoretical lens, which combined offer a more unifying understanding of how business cluster ecosystems and IC foster high growth entrepreneurship.

Drawing on a sample of 11,360 German incorporated firms across 80 clusters, we find that cluster ecosystems play a significant role in supporting firms to become HGFs. More specifically, being located in business clusters increases the likelihood of becoming HGFs by 2.2% to 4.49%. We also find that clusters with more productive firms in the ecosystems provide favorable conditions for member firms to achieve HGF status, while the impact of other cluster-specific conditions (high-tech cluster membership and multinational enterprise share in clusters) is less clear. Additional insights suggest that firm IC (investments in intangible assets) enables firms to achieve high growth status.

The findings of this paper hold theoretical and managerial relevance and shed more light on the impact of cluster-specific factors in the ecosystems and firm IC in achieving high growth entrepreneurship.

This paper is among the first of its kind to bring together three distinct literatures (HGFs, business clusters and IC) and utilize insights from each to derive a conceptual framework that links them in explaining high-growth entrepreneurship.

This study explores how retail family firm managers’ cognitive capabilities are used to enable firm strategy in a context of economic uncertainty.

This paper is based on a case study using 31 interviews with family firm managers and archival data from retail micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

The results indicate how managerial cognitive enabling mechanisms shape the manifestation of retail family firm dynamic capabilities (DCs) configurations.

Three retail managerial cognitive strategic enabling mechanisms and their microfoundations are identified, explaining how three retail family firm DC configurations are shaped: (1) retail family firm customization-based sensing, (2) retail family firm lateral seizing and (3) retail family firm trust-based reconfiguring. The manifestation of these DC configurations illuminates how retail family firm managers can enable firm strategy in a context of economic uncertainty.

Cultural competence has been recognized as an essential process in reducing racial and ethnic health-care disparities and improving equity in health care. Recent immigrants to Canada encounter a different and unfamiliar health-care system. This study aims to focus on examining the role of cultural competence in improving communication between immigrant patients and their health-care providers.

Using an exploratory approach, four focus group discussions with a sample of recent immigrants were conducted to gain insights from immigrant patients’ perspectives with regard to communicating with their health-care providers. The focus group discussions were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Campinha-Bacote’s Cultural Competence Model was used for this study as its theoretical framework.

The focus group findings revealed that the lack of cultural competence among health-care providers and language barriers are major issues that impact the health-care experiences of immigrant patients. Health-care organizations may use these findings to better inform their decision-making with regard to effective patient–provider communication.

This study advances the line of research that examines patient–provider communication by adding diverse immigrant patients’ perspectives. The findings can inform the design of cultural competence strategies for health-care organizations.

The purpose of this study is to look into the hygroscopic and tribo-mechanical properties of a polypropylene/polyamide-6 (PP/PA6) blend and a PP/PA6/Boron sesquioxide composite.

The hygroscopic behaviour of the PP/PA6 blend and PP/PA6/Boron sesquioxide composite was studied using a water contact angle goniometer in this study. To validate the hygroscopic behaviour of the blend and composite, water contact angles and surface energy of the materials were investigated. Tensile strength and hardness tests were used to determine mechanical characteristics, and tribological experiments on a pin-on-disc tribometer were used to demonstrate the friction and wear rates of dry and water-conditioned blends and composites. The melting temperature of dry and water-conditioned composites was determined using DSC analysis.

The hygroscopic effect of the PP/PA6 blend was found to be minimal in the experiment, while it was relatively dominating in the PP/PA6/Boron sesquioxide composite. Tensile strength was found to be somewhat lower in blend and composite compared to virgin PP, whereas hardness was found to be higher in both blend and composite. The composite’s tribological testing findings were fairly outstanding, with the coefficient of friction (COF) and wear rates significantly reduced due to boron sesquioxide reinforcement. The reaction between boron sesquioxide and water molecules produced boric acid, which increased the tribological characteristics of the composite even further. Following 30 days of water conditioning, the weight of the blend increased by 3.64% and the weight of the composite increased by 6.45% as compared to the dry materials. After water conditioning, tensile strength reduced by 0.8% for the blend and 14.16% for the composite. Hardness was determined to be the same in the dry state and after water-conditioning for blend but dropped 1% for composite. As compared to blend, the COF and wear resistance of composite were 15.52% and 25.16% higher, respectively. After absorbing some water, the results increased to 28.57% and 34.9%, respectively.

The mechanical and thermal behaviour of polymer composites (particularly polyamide composites) vary depending on the surrounding environment. Tests were carried out to explore the effect of water treatment on the tribo-mechanical and thermal characteristics of PP/PA6/Boron sesquioxide composite. Water treatment caused polyamides to bind with water molecules, resulting in voids in the material. The interaction between boron sesquioxide and water molecules produced boric acid, which increased the tribological characteristics of the composite.

The UKU Side Effect Rating Scale for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities (UKU-SERS-ID) was developed to detect side effects in patients with intellectual disabilities who receive psychotropic medication. The aim of the present study was to examine the frequency and distribution of the side effects of psychotropic medication in persons with intellectual disabilities.

In all, 100 patients receiving in- and outpatient treatment participated in this study. The UKU-SERS-ID, encompassing 34 items, was scored for all participants at two time points. T1 was the baseline rating, and T2 was scored around two to four weeks after starting on new medication.

Mean scores on the psychological side effects scale were found to be substantially higher than on any other scale, especially the items tension/inner unrest and depressed mood. The patients most frequently received antipsychotic medication, as well as a combination of antipsychotic and antidepressants or antianxiety medication. The study sample was highly heterogeneous, and missing baseline information prevented assumptions being made about causality. The analyses revealed no increase or decrease from T1 to T2 for the side effects measured in the study group.

Further research is necessary on the association between the side effects and specific groups of psychotropic medication.

The UKU-SERS-ID may be a feasible tool in clinical practice on an individual level.

Monitoring of side effects for patients using psychotropic medication.

Studies of side effects from the use of psychotropic medication in people with ID is still sparse. This study may hopefully contribute to an increased interest in this topic.