Paul Sawhney, Chuck Allen, Michael Reynolds, Ryan Slopek and Brian Condon
The aim of this research is to develop greige (raw/non-bleached) cotton-containing nonwoven fabrics that likely would be competitive in quality, cost and performance to existing…
Abstract
The aim of this research is to develop greige (raw/non-bleached) cotton-containing nonwoven fabrics that likely would be competitive in quality, cost and performance to existing products that presently and predominantly use man-made fibers and some bleached cotton for wipes and other similar end-use nonwoven products. Since the whiteness and absorbency of these end-use products generally are the most desired and perhaps even critical attributes, the research was mainly focused on attaining these attributes by exploring various choices and optimum use of a variety of cost-effective cotton fibers and the blends thereof with other fibers. Nonwoven fabrics were produced, via a modern hydroentanglement system, with possible choices of using several types of cotton fibers, including the greige cotton lint and certain of its co-products such as gin motes and comber noils, and their various blends with polyester and nylon staple fibers. Bleached cotton was also used to produce an equivalent fabric for comparison. The research has shown that although the desired and perhaps critical properties of whiteness and absorbency of the selected fibers vary considerably among the various fabrics produced, the blends of greige cotton lint with man-made fibers can provide the fabric whiteness and absorbency comparable to those of say, a, bleached cotton fabric. The research results suggest that the greige cotton lint and/or its co-products in blend with polyester fiber may be sensible approaches to the development of functionally acceptable nonwoven wiping products that are also environment friendly.
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Rap music subordinates music to language. It is this emphasis on language that can make rap a vehicle for many ideas, if that is the rapper's intention. Playthell Benjamin, former…
Abstract
Rap music subordinates music to language. It is this emphasis on language that can make rap a vehicle for many ideas, if that is the rapper's intention. Playthell Benjamin, former academic and freelance writer for such magazines as the Village Voice and Emerge, believes that rappers can be divided into distinct groups, based on the message or non‐message conveyed. He groups rappers as “Narcissists, didactics, party‐time rappers, or gangsters” based on the content of their rapping. Any rapper who falls into one of these groups can have political significance for blacks, whites, women, liberals, conservatives, Jews, Muslims, and Christians. Narcissists frequently refer to women as mere sex objects, the worst example being the group 2 Live Crew, and less offensive examples being L.L. Cool J. and Big Daddy Kane. Didactics are the chief proponents of Afrocentric thinking and revisionist history. Representatives of this style would be Public Enemy, KRS‐One, and X‐Clan. Party‐time rappers, such as Heavy D and the Boyz or Biz Markie, are rarely serious, but sexism and homophobia can be elements in their raps. Gangster rappers N.W.A., Ice‐T, and Ice Cube are currently receiving a lot of attention from the press, and violent behavior characterizes their lyrics.
L.J. Davies, L.J. Karminski and L.J. Stamp
June 25, 1971 Factory — Dangerous machinery — Capstan lathe — Danger caused by tool used to adjust jig — Jig not fenced — Accident occurring whilst jig being tightened — Whether…
Abstract
June 25, 1971 Factory — Dangerous machinery — Capstan lathe — Danger caused by tool used to adjust jig — Jig not fenced — Accident occurring whilst jig being tightened — Whether tool part of machine — Whether duty to fence — Factories Act, 1961 (9&10 Eliz. II,c.34),s. 14(1).
Faizan Saleem, Salman Nisar, Muhammad Ali Khan, Sohaib Zia Khan and Mohammad Aslam Sheikh
The purpose of this paper is to formulate a benchmark to increase the tyre curing press production rate while minimizing tyre curing press downtime and maintenance cost with the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to formulate a benchmark to increase the tyre curing press production rate while minimizing tyre curing press downtime and maintenance cost with the help of a maintenance management technique based on overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology is based on determining the OEE of tyre curing press before and after rectifying the causes of failures. The failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) technique is used to find out the root causes of repetitive failures in tyre curing press by using the risk priority number.
Findings
A significant change in the value of OEE is observed after rectifying the repetitive failures, which were determined using the FMEA technique. Thus, it is concluded that the OEE and FMEA assist in improving the industrial performance and competitiveness of the production equipment studied.
Research limitations/implications
This study is limited to determining the OEE of single equipment only, not the whole production system. Manufacturing facilities are dependent on the operating environment; therefore a comparison of two different manufacturing plants based on the OEE value would not be justified.
Practical implications
This study can be applied in any tyre manufacturing industry in order to take competitive benefits, such as reduction in equipment downtime, increased production and reduction in maintenance cost.
Originality/value
The angle from which the paper approaches the bottleneck problem in a tyre production line is original for the studied company and shows positives results. It allows the company to apply the same approach in its other production equipment, lines and factories to achieve improvement in industrial performance and competitiveness.
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Literature in international business and finance share the belief that country‐level institutions affect the decisions of corporations. In this study, we highlight the other side…
Abstract
Literature in international business and finance share the belief that country‐level institutions affect the decisions of corporations. In this study, we highlight the other side of the picture and propose that MNCs can moderate the impact of the national institutions of a country. Unlike previous studies, we treat culture not only as an explanatory variable but also as a moderator. We posit that multinationality moderates the influence of national culture on corporate financial leverage. Using a large panel data set of 50 countries, we show that the multinationality of a firm decreases the impact that national culture has on its capital structure. Additionally, our study makes another significant contribution by establishing existing cultural dimensions as economically and statistically significant determinants of capital structure.
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Manufacturing manager, Alan Jackson and senior production engineer, Peter Allen talk to Jack Hollingum about Lewmar Marine's major investment in robot‐automated cell manufacture.
Students will need to know basic capital budgeting techniques to value UrsaNav and its divisions. Students must determine which cash flows are relevant and determine an…
Abstract
Theoretical basis
Students will need to know basic capital budgeting techniques to value UrsaNav and its divisions. Students must determine which cash flows are relevant and determine an appropriate return on investment. Some of the issues that need to be addressed include: how to handle taxes in a discounted cash flow analysis when valuing an S Corp. where incentives depend on current (known) tax provisions and future (unknown) tax provisions; how to use comparable multiples to develop a cost of capital for a DCF valuation; and how to value a firm using comparable transactions.
Research methodology
Case information was obtained through interviews with the owner, Charles Schue. In addition, the authors researched industry and comparable company data, along with current events relating to government consulting.
Case overview/synopsis
UrsaNav is a US-based, international provider of advanced engineering and information management consulting services in the naval navigation industry. After about a decade of operating and growing, the firm had become successfully diversified; however, it had also grown too large to manage effectively. Thus, the company was spun-off into three separate segments: Tagence, Geodesicx and UrsaNav. These segments went “back to the basics,” and focused more on serving customers, with each having a more defined company focus. Is this a move that creates or destroys value? How could it create value for the firms’ founders?
Complexity academic level
This case is intended for an advanced undergraduate or an MBA corporate finance class or an entrepreneurship elective. Students interested in analyzing whether or not decision makers within a company would want to spin-off divisions, or merge with another company, or divest a company would find this case appealing. Other students who just want to analyze whether the company has grown too much would be good candidates to do this case.
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Chioma Onoshakpor, James Cunningham and Elizabeth Gammie
Our aim is to better understand access to finance and financial inclusion and how this impacts the development of female-run enterprises in Nigeria. In such a way, we can better…
Abstract
Our aim is to better understand access to finance and financial inclusion and how this impacts the development of female-run enterprises in Nigeria. In such a way, we can better understand the gendered context of entrepreneurship and the implications for business growth. This chapter adopts an interpretivist paradigm to explore the social reality within which entrepreneurship is enacted. Qualitative data are interpreted from semi-structured interviews of 10 Nigerian entrepreneurs, five males and five females. Findings reveal that, though structural support may be apparent, the entrepreneurial process of financing a business is characterised, in part, by social expectations of gender. It is through this social view of entrepreneurship that we provide an understanding of what it is to be entrepreneurial in practice. This chapter makes recommendations that in practice while financial institutions and policy makers may assume a ‘one size fits all’ approach to financial inclusion through different programmes currently available for entrepreneurs by the various governmental and non-governmental institutions in Nigeria, the context of gender has implications for the nature of business activity, particularly in a society characterised by patriarchy. This study also makes practical contributions for research and for practice.
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Ebere Ume Kalu, Augustine Chuck Arize, Sylvester Okechukwu Ilo, Ifeoma Ihegboro and Chiamaka Goodness Eze
This study investigated the interactive impact of global and domestic stock market variables on the depth of the financial system in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries from 1990…
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigated the interactive impact of global and domestic stock market variables on the depth of the financial system in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries from 1990 to 2018.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used the mean group and pooled mean group estimators for the dynamic heterogeneous panel.
Findings
The results provide strong statistical evidence that the depth of the financial system in SSA countries is influenced by a combination of local and international stock market indicators. While the local variables exert a positive influence, the global indicator tends to negatively affect the depth of the system, particularly the monetization ratio.
Practical implications
While the tendency of portfolio adjustments and reversal can be inferred, the study stresses the need for a more globalized approach to financial policy formulation and implementation even as the trend of global financializaton gets more robust and more profound.
Originality/value
This study is unique in that, unlike prior ones, it has extended the debate on the role of the stock market in financial deepening from a domestic to an international dimension. Financial policy making can be aided by the authors' findings through looking at the financial deepening-stock market linkage from both domestic and globalized perspectives.