Margaret Webster, David M. Sugden and Mike E. Tayles
The paper discusses the measurement of manufacturing virtuality and, in doing so, contributes to knowledge in the fields of operations strategy, operations management and…
Abstract
The paper discusses the measurement of manufacturing virtuality and, in doing so, contributes to knowledge in the fields of operations strategy, operations management and accounting. Initially, the use of a virtual manufacturing operations strategy within the contemporary business environment is considered. Thereafter, a conceptual scale by which the extent of the virtuality of a manufacturing organisation can be measured is presented. A preliminary version of the scale is described together with its application to three companies manufacturing in the global electronic and electrical industrial sector. These companies, each having adopted different operations strategies, potentially represent the two extremes and a mid‐point on the virtuality scale. The empirical component of the work includes presentation of case study descriptions of the companies and the results of the application of the scale. These are shown to provide evidence of its validity. The final section of the paper analyses the current form of the model and describes how its performance might be informed by the incorporation of concepts from accounting that embrace the financial measurement of intangible company assets. It is a further demonstration of the limitations of conventional financial reporting in dealing with contemporary issues in management and business. The paper concludes by discussing the generic significance of the work and by presenting future directions for the research.
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David Bailey, George Harte and Roger Sugden
Drawing on evidence of major Western governments’ concerns with the wider economic, social and environmental impact and performance of transnational firms, we argue that recent…
Abstract
Drawing on evidence of major Western governments’ concerns with the wider economic, social and environmental impact and performance of transnational firms, we argue that recent emphasis on deregulating industrial development, such as in the proposed Multilateral Agreement on Investment and ongoing discussions over a multilateral framework on investment, necessitates a fuller and regulated, rather than voluntaristic, corporate accountability, covering further details of the impact and performance of transnationals.
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The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between Amartya Sen’s notion of adaptation and his views on identity politics by focussing on the issue of slavery and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between Amartya Sen’s notion of adaptation and his views on identity politics by focussing on the issue of slavery and, more specifically, on the example of the happy or contented slave.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is text based. The methodological approach adopted is that of conceptual analysis, as is typical for work of this kind.
Findings
The paper concludes that the example of the happy or contented slave is indeed a fruitful one for those interested in exploring the relationship between Sen’s views on “the adaptation problem” and his views on identity politics, especially in relation to the subjection of women. Here Sen’s debt to the ideas of Mary Wollstonecraft and John Stuart Mill is particularly important.
Research limitations/implications
One implication of the argument of the paper is that there is a need to consider more carefully the differences that exist between the views of Wollstonecraft and Mill, so far as the example of the happy or contented slave is concerned.
Practical implications
One practical implication of the paper is that, hopefully, it establishes the continued relevance of the ideas of thinkers such as Wollstonecraft and Mill today, not least because of the influence that they have had on theoreticians such as Amartya Sen.
Social implications
The paper addresses issues which are of considerable social and political significance, especially for women in underdeveloped societies today.
Originality/value
The example of the happy or contented slave has not received much discussion in the literature on Sen, although Sen himself has suggested that the distinction between happiness and contentment is an important one, which does merit further discussion.
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Aim of the present monograph is the economic analysis of the role of MNEs regarding globalisation and digital economy and in parallel there is a reference and examination of some…
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Aim of the present monograph is the economic analysis of the role of MNEs regarding globalisation and digital economy and in parallel there is a reference and examination of some legal aspects concerning MNEs, cyberspace and e‐commerce as the means of expression of the digital economy. The whole effort of the author is focused on the examination of various aspects of MNEs and their impact upon globalisation and vice versa and how and if we are moving towards a global digital economy.
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Margaret Webster and David Sugden
The paper considers the implementation of a virtual manufacturing system as an alternative to outward technology licensing in a high technology industrial sector. Brief…
Abstract
The paper considers the implementation of a virtual manufacturing system as an alternative to outward technology licensing in a high technology industrial sector. Brief theoretical definition and description of the two strategy options is provided to give background and context. This is followed by empirical material from a longitudinal case study of a company that has developed a virtual manufacturing system in addition to its pre‐existing outward technology licensing business stream. A summary account of the company history and development is followed by description of the virtual manufacturing proposal. Analysis of this identified a number of competencies that would be required in order to succeed. The final part of the paper describes the company's response to this analysis and discusses early implementation of the virtual system. It is shown that implementation of the proposal has represented a positive response to the business challenges facing the company.
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Mike Hartill and Bettina Rulofs
In this chapter, we consider the origins of research on abuse in sport and its current positioning within the wider field of sport science and sport sociology. First, we look at…
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In this chapter, we consider the origins of research on abuse in sport and its current positioning within the wider field of sport science and sport sociology. First, we look at specific challenges faced by pioneering researchers in this field through a discussion of Celia Brackenridge's early work and the resistance she faced from both the UK sport sector and academia. Second, we consider the manner in which the sport sector responded to the issue of child abuse, and the extent to which ‘safeguarding’ has been integrated into the structural fabric of sport. We then review the current positioning of research on child abuse and safeguarding in the context of wider sports science and sports sociology. We conclude that the topic has frequently been omitted from the thematic canon of social sciences in sport and has only recently been addressed, in a substantive fashion, within basic textbooks of sport sociology. Finally, this chapter highlights the critical potential of sociologically informed research on child maltreatment and abuse in sport.
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Mark W. Sugden, David A. Hutt, David C. Whalley and Changqing Liu
The purpose of this paper is to present an outline of the development of a new process for the formation of flip‐chip interconnections using metal coated polymer microparticles.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present an outline of the development of a new process for the formation of flip‐chip interconnections using metal coated polymer microparticles.
Design/methodology/approach
Metal coated polymer microparticles were selectively deposited onto the bondpads of integrated circuits using electrophoresis. Thermocompression bonding was then used to bond the devices to substrates.
Findings
Particles obtained a positive surface charge following immersion in an acidic solution and this surface charge allowed the particles to be deposited electrophoretically directly onto the bondpads of an integrated circuit without the need for patterning. Thermocompression bonding of nickel/gold coated particles to gold coated substrates was achieved at temperatures as low as 160°C.
Research limitations/implications
Further work is needed to test this approach using integrated circuits with finer pitch, and to use patterned substrates for assembly and reliability measurements.
Originality/value
This paper presents a new method for the deposition of metal coated polymer microparticles without the need for any masking or patterning processes for the formation of interconnections on integrated circuits.
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John Horne and Dominic Malcolm
Sociology of sport in the United Kingdom is as old as the subdiscipline itself but was uniquely shaped by the prominence of football hooliganism as a major social issue in the…
Abstract
Sociology of sport in the United Kingdom is as old as the subdiscipline itself but was uniquely shaped by the prominence of football hooliganism as a major social issue in the 1970s and 1980s. While it remains a somewhat niche activity, the field has been stimulated by the growing cultural centrality of sport in UK society. This quantitative and qualitative development has been recognized in recent governmental evaluations of research expertise. Current research reflects this expanded range of social stratification and social issues in sport both domestically and on a global level, while the legacy of hooligan research is evident in the continuing concentration on studies of association football. Historically, this empirical research has largely been underpinned by figurational, Marxist/neo-Marxist, or feminist sociological theories, but there is now a greater emphasis on theoretical synthesis and exploration. As a consequence of the expansion of the field, allied to its empirical and theoretical diversity, there is a burgeoning literature produced by UK sociologists of sport that spans entry-level textbooks, research monographs, and the editorship of a significant number of specialist journals. The chapter concludes by noting the future prospects of the sociology of sport in the United Kingdom in relation to teaching, research, and relations with other sport-related subdisciplines and the sociological mainstream.