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1 – 10 of 10Emanuele Quaranta, Toni Pujol and Maria Carmela Grano
The paper presents a techno-economic analysis of the electromechanical equipment of traditional vertical axis water mills (VAWMs) to help investors, mill owners and engineers to…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper presents a techno-economic analysis of the electromechanical equipment of traditional vertical axis water mills (VAWMs) to help investors, mill owners and engineers to preliminary estimate related benefits and costs of a VAWM repowering.
Design/methodology/approach
Two sustainable repowering solutions were examined with the additional aim to preserve the original status and aesthetics of a VAWM: the use of a vertical axis water wheel (VAWW) and a vertical axis impulse turbine. The analysis was applied to a database of 714 VAWMs in Basilicata (Italy), with known head and flow.
Findings
Expeditious equations were proposed for both solutions to determine: (1) a suitable diameter as a function of the flow rate; (2) the costs of the electromechanical equipment; (3) achievable power. The common operating hydraulic range of a VAWM (head and flow) was also identified. Reality checks on the obtained results are shown, in particular by examining two Spanish case studies and the available literature. The power generated by the impulse turbine (Turgo type) is twice that of a VAWW, but it is one order of magnitude more expensive. Therefore, the impulse turbine should be used for higher power requirements (>3 kW), or when the electricity is delivered to the grid, maximizing the long-term profit.
Originality/value
Since there is not enough evidence about the achievable performance and cost of a VAWM repowering, this work provides expeditious tools for their evaluation.
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Volker Stocker, William Lehr and Georgios Smaragdakis
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the ‘real’ world and substantially impacted the virtual world and thus the Internet ecosystem. It has caused a significant exogenous shock that…
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the ‘real’ world and substantially impacted the virtual world and thus the Internet ecosystem. It has caused a significant exogenous shock that offers a wealth of natural experiments and produced new data about broadband, clouds, and the Internet in times of crisis. In this chapter, we characterise and evaluate the evolving impact of the global COVID-19 crisis on traffic patterns and loads and the impact of those on Internet performance from multiple perspectives. While we place a particular focus on deriving insights into how we can better respond to crises and better plan for the post-COVID-19 ‘new normal’, we analyse the impact on and the responses by different actors of the Internet ecosystem across different jurisdictions. With a focus on the USA and Europe, we examine the responses of both public and private actors, with the latter including content and cloud providers, content delivery networks, and Internet service providers (ISPs). This chapter makes two contributions: first, we derive lessons learned for a future post-COVID-19 world to inform non-networking spheres and policy-making; second, the insights gained assist the networking community in better planning for the future.
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Lluís Pacheco, Luo Ningsu, Toni Pujol, Jose Ramon Gonzalez and Inès Ferrer
This paper aims to report on a case study concerning the development of sustainable energy partnerships involving engineering faculty and undergraduate students at the University…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to report on a case study concerning the development of sustainable energy partnerships involving engineering faculty and undergraduate students at the University of Girona, Catalonia, Spain.
Design/methodology/approach
Faculty were motivated to seek partnerships with public and private entities in the local area for the purposes of realising mutually beneficial outcomes. The educational programmes of future engineers, when sustainability is considered, are analysed. Education for sustainable development has to include multidisciplinary active learning as a desirable competence. Active learning can be obtained when problems are based on real life because they are most motivating for students. Constructive alignment component is obtained because learning objectives are linked with learning activities related to the needs of public and private entities.
Findings
Through the provision of technical expertise, the adoption and success of renewable energy projects was facilitated on the one hand, while final year undergraduate students benefited in terms of hands-on experience in helping to bring these projects to life, drawing on the knowledge and skills they had acquired throughout their degree programmes. These works are addressed to students by faculty members with the aim of developing and promoting renewable energies. Outcomes from partnerships surpassed expectations; not only were different benefits realised as were initially hoped for, but this success led to partnerships being sustained over time.
Originality/value
Fossil fuel-based energy systems are associated with a myriad of negative environmental and social externalities. It is difficult to overstate the importance of transitioning towards alternative low carbon energy sources for climate change mitigation which are less centralised compared to the status-quo for energy security and energy independence. By actively facilitating the development of decentralised renewable energy sources in Catalonia, the projects reported herein are of significant value in social environmental and educational terms.
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The purpose of this paper is to conduct a systematic review of the factors that shape tax morale. A large range of random explanatory variables identified in the literature as…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to conduct a systematic review of the factors that shape tax morale. A large range of random explanatory variables identified in the literature as determinants of tax morale are synthesised and structured by drawing inspiration from the institutional theory.
Design/methodology/approach
To do this, a systematic search has been conducted using a library catalogue which provides access to more than 400 databases.
Findings
The finding is that the institutional theory provides a suitable theoretical basis to explore tax morale. Indeed, all the factors until now identified as determinants of tax morale (except the control variables/socio-demographic characteristics) can be categorised either as belonging to formal institutions or to informal institutions. The most salient factor is trust, with both vertical and horizontal trust positively related to tax morale.
Research limitations/implications
The outcome is a call for a more nuanced understanding of not only the effect of formal and informal institutions on tax morale but also how formal and informal institutions interact and alter each other and, consequently, affect tax morale.
Practical implications
The paper seeks to encourage governments to start recognising that as low tax morale arises when a gap exists between formal and informal institutions, they need to design policy measures aimed to reduce this gap, rather than persisting with deterrence measures.
Originality/value
This is the first systematic review of the factors that influence tax morale using an institutionalist lens.
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Maria Carmela Annosi, Elena Casprini and Hector Parra
The aim of the paper is to analyze how actors in foodservice companies organize for inbound open innovation (OI).
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of the paper is to analyze how actors in foodservice companies organize for inbound open innovation (OI).
Design/methodology/approach
This paper conducted a case analysis of a large and successful foodservice company operating in the Dutch market. Furthermore, drawing on 18 interviews and archive data, we identified the main organizational practices involved in the implementation of inbound innovation activities and the ways they are embraced are defined.
Findings
The results provide a holistic view of the main organizational practices a foodservice company implemented at different organizational levels, to exploit external knowledge coming from third parties and to promote the sharing and recombination of knowledge resources within the organization. The identified organizational practices reveal the main interaction patterns between relevant internal actors and other external parties in the company network, as well as between actors on different hierarchical organizational levels which allows processing relevant innovation information and make relevant decisions about it.
Research limitations/implications
Implications are provided in terms of both theory and practice. This paper helps foodservice companies to create an internal organizational environment that supports the exploitation of customer knowledge.
Originality/value
There are few studies on how companies organize themselves for OI in general, and especially in the foodservice sector.
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Mariona Espaulella-Ferrer, Felix Jorge Morel-Corona, Mireia Zarco-Martinez, Alba Marty-Perez, Raquel Sola-Palacios, Maria Eugenia Campollo-Duquela, Maricelis Cruz-Grullon, Emma Puigoriol-Juvanteny, Marta Otero-Viñas and Joan Espaulella-Panicot
Older people living in nursing homes have complex care needs and frequently need specialists’ advice and support that can be challenging to deliver in a rural setting. The aim of…
Abstract
Purpose
Older people living in nursing homes have complex care needs and frequently need specialists’ advice and support that can be challenging to deliver in a rural setting. The aim of this paper is to describe a model of integrated care in a rural area supported by a nurse case manager.
Design/methodology/approach
A real-world evidence study of people living in Ribes de Freser nursing home, was conducted between specific timeframes in 2019 and 2022, comparing the casemix and outcomes of a traditional care model with the integrated interdisciplinary model.
Findings
The integrated care model led to a significant reduction in transfers to the emergency department, hospitalisations, outpatient medical visits and a reduction in the number of medicines. In addition, the number of residents receiving end-of-life care at the nursing home showed a substantial increase.
Originality/value
This case study contributes valuable evidence supporting the implementation of an integrated model of nurse case manager support in nursing homes, particularly in the rural contexts, where access to specialist medical staff may be limited. The findings highlight the potential benefits of person-centred integrated care for older adults, addressing their complex needs and improving end-of-life care in nursing home settings.
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Mohamad Amin Hasbini, Tillal Eldabi and Ammar Aldallal
Information security management (ISM) is proving to be an important topic in the modern world; in environments that will rely a great deal on digital technologies, such as smart…
Abstract
Purpose
Information security management (ISM) is proving to be an important topic in the modern world; in environments that will rely a great deal on digital technologies, such as smart cities, ISM research is of high importance and needs to be well analysed. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper indicates the criticality of ISM for smart cities through the literature, then focusses on top organisational factors influencing ISM in smart city organisations, which are embraced and justified from the literature.
Findings
This paper highlights the need for more research around ISM in the context of smart city organisations, also ISM-related organisational factors that are expected to most influence smart city organisational performance.
Research limitations/implications
This paper is proposed to influence more research in the area of ISM for smart cities among the research community. Additional research is also expected to further validate and examine the selected organisational factors.
Originality/value
This paper presents new information on ISM in smart city organisations, the lack of research in this area, and the criticality of the highlighted issues, creates high value for the conclusions and findings of this research. The paper also highlights top organisational factors that are expected to influence ISM in smart city organisations.
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Luis Gomez-Mejia, Rodrigo Basco, Ana Cristina Gonzalez and Claudio G. Muller