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Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify and understand the obstacles hindering social entrepreneurship as a business model. Methodology/Approach: We performed an exploratory analysis structured in three stages. First, we used the Delphi method to identify the main difficulties with the collaboration of 20 social entrepreneurship experts. We then analyzed how these experts and a group of 21 social entrepreneurs rated the importance of the difficulties that had been identified. Finally, we performed a comparative analysis of both groups' ratings and found significant differences between their perceptions. Findings: Experts and social entrepreneurs agree on identifying financial difficulties as the main obstacles. They all highlight the lack of financial resources and difficulties in the sustainability and independence of the venture in the long term. However, while the experts recognize that human resources' lack of skills is another important obstacle, the social entrepreneurs give more importance to external factors, such as resistance to social change or lack of knowledge and understanding of the social entrepreneurship concept. Practical Implications: The decision to seek the collaboration of two different groups is enriching, as the results show that their perceptions of the barriers facing social entrepreneurship do not always coincide. Originality/Value of Chapter: It is a chapter focused exclusively on deepening the knowledge of the obstacles to social entrepreneurship, which tries not only to identify them but also to offer the vision of experts in social entrepreneurship as well as of social entrepreneurs themselves.

Aarhus Kommunes Biblioteker (Teknisk Bibliotek), Ingerslevs Plads 7, Aarhus, Denmark. Representative: V. NEDERGAARD PEDERSEN (Librarian).

This paper aims to keep the pendulum on the linear moving car vertically balanced and to bring the car to the equilibrium position with the designed controllers.

As inverted pendulum systems are structurally unstable and nonlinear dynamic systems, they are important mechanisms used in engineering and technological developments to apply control techniques on these systems and to develop control algorithms, thus ensuring that the controllers designed for real-time balancing of these systems have certain performance criteria and the selection of each controller method according to performance criteria in the presence of destructive effects is very helpful in getting information about applying the methods to other systems.

As a result, the designed controllers are implemented on a real-time and real system, and the performance results of the system are obtained graphically, compared and analyzed.

In this study, motion equations of a linear inverted pendulum system are obtained, and classical and artificial intelligence adaptive control algorithms are designed and implemented for real-time control. Classic proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller, fuzzy logic controller and PID-type Fuzzy adaptive controller methods are used to control the system. Self-tuning PID-type fuzzy adaptive controller was used first in the literature search and success results have been obtained. In this regard, the authors have the idea that this work is an innovative aspect of real-time with self-tuning PID-type fuzzy adaptive controller.

Social enterprises are increasingly recognized as a new form of organization (combining social and business goals) providing innovative and scalable solutions to widespread and complex socioenvironmental problems. Yet, they often struggle to keep themselves afloat due to the difficulty in accessing required resources. Networking approaches provide social enterprises with cost-effective ways to fulfill these resource requirements. Such approaches, although useful, give rise to dilemmas while building ties with both financial and non-financial actors. Although much research has been conducted on social enterprise networking or partnerships, little is known about how social enterprises address such dilemmas. This chapter explores how do social entrepreneurs address moral dilemmas while networking with key stakeholders? To answer this question, we analyze the existing literature to understand the networking strategies adopted and the moral dilemmas experienced by the social entrepreneurs. Based on our review of literature, we present four kinds of social enterprises in terms of their networking situations and choices: (1) secluded saints (less known and less connected; high on moral values); (2) secluded devils (less known and less connected; low on moral values); (3) saints waving at the devils (well known and well connected; low on moral values); (4) saints in the pack of devils (well known and well connected; high on moral values). These categories are used to explain how social enterprises with different values, interact with and use their networks for different purposes. We discuss the possible consequences of each strategy and keep the question, how to reach the state of “successful saints,” open for future research. By presenting these different networking situations, our matrix sheds new lights on different social entrepreneurial networking options and their possible outcomes. This can act as a guide and a cautionary note, not only for the social enterprises but also for any hybrid organizations dealing with conflicting networking choices.

This study investigates how investors perceive the impact of U.S.‐based MNCs geographic and business segment diversification upon their earnings performance. Pooled cross‐sectional annual earnings response regressions for the years 1993 through 1997 are used for this investigation. Our results show that geographic segment diversification is valued by investors more than the business segment diversification especially in two cases: 1) when the business segmentation is low; and 2) when geographic segmentation is high. These results imply that business segment diversification is only valued when it takes place in international markets where it is relatively more difficult for individual investors to replicate industry diversified portfolio for themselves. Our research illuminates the contextual aspects of investors' perceptions of geographic and business segment diversification for multinational corporations by explicitly controlling for one dimension of corporate diversification while examining the earning‐returns impact of the other type of corporate diversification.

This study attempts to control the movement of industrial robots with virtual and real-time variable time delay. The improved variable wave method was used for analyzing position tracking performance and stability of the system.

This study consists of both theoretical and real-time operations. Teleoperation systems that provide information about point or environment that people cannot reach and are one of the important robotic works that include the human–machine interaction technology were used to obtain the necessary data. Robots, as the simulated virtual environment to achieve real behaviors, were found to be important for the identification of damage that may occur during the tests performed by real robots and then in terms of prevention of errors identified in algorithm development stages.

The position and speed controls of the real–virtual–real robots consist of the teleoperation system. Also, in this study, the virtual environment was created; variable time delay motion control with teleoperation was performed and applied in the simulation and real-time environment; and the performance results were analyzed.

The teleoperation system created in the laboratory consists of a six-degree-of-freedom (dof) master robot, six-dof industrial robot and six-dof virtual robot. A visual interface is designed to provide visual feedback of the virtual robot’s movements to the user.

The currently dominant version of the corporate form – the profit-maximizing corporation – is one of the most influential organizational forms in contemporary society. It is also one of the most criticized organizational forms, especially with respect to questions of purpose, participation, and ownership. The corporation’s strong focus on profit maximization and its non-democratic nature, as it excludes non-shareholding stakeholders from participating in how the corporation is run, have all attracted significant criticism. There are, however, several debates over alternative ways of organizing besides the corporation. In this chapter, we review the most influential of these: co-operatives, state-owned enterprises, democratically organized firms, social enterprises, stakeholder firms, and firms based on the sharing economy business model. We first analyze how these alternative ways of organizing do things differently with respect to questions of purpose, participation, and ownership and then we discuss how these different approaches can inspire efforts to reform the corporation.

Discusses a questionnaire survey of philosophy scholars to indicate preferences concerning indexes in philosophy books. Discusses the diverse opinions gathered and analyses the results. Considers aspects of indexes such as external guidances, scope and coverage, types and sequences, compilers, typography, etc. Suggestions arising are the basis for proposals for the improvement of indexes in philosophy books.

Developing new businesses and managing operations in China require an in‐depth knowledge of business practices and conditions. This article applies the popular strategic tool of SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis to plant location decisions in mainland China. In this context, notably comprehensive factors and issues with important influence on plant location decisions are going to be examined. Since China's economic development has serious imbalances in its vast territory, the best sites for plant location will also be explored based more on regional infrastructure and local skill levels than on cost‐based factors alone. In addition to these explicit considerations of China's environment for investment, implicit concepts in Chinese society that have strong influence on the businesses' success are also discussed to further aid managers in decision making.