Search results

The analysis of particles trajectories in a vertical cylindrical coil shows that the magnetization force acting on paramagnetic particles has predominantly axial component which aims upwards and opposite to the gravitational force. In case of superconducting coil and depending on the value of the particle susceptibility, the axial force component can exceed several times the force of gravity. As a result, a motion of the particles in vertical upward direction appears. This effect was utilized to realize a magnetic separator, the main advantage of which is the high effectivity of separation process. A NbTi SC coil generates the magnetization force with a flux density field up to 12 T. Experiments with SiC inclusions in molten Aluminium have been performed to confirm the feasibility of this segregation concept.

Post-conflict economies are characterized by high, and often growing, levels of debt. At the same time, peace is particularly fragile in the aftermath of a conflict. This chapter studies how debt affects the risk of war in the 10 years that follow the end of a previous conflict. After controlling for per-capita income and other economic, political, and geographical factors, external debt is found to increase the risk of war. Conversely, the effect of domestic debt is negligible. The policy implication for the international community is clear: debt relief helps stabilize peace in war-torn economies.

Purpose – The chapter studies the impact of fiscal policy on the stabilisation of peace in the aftermath of a civil war.

Methodology – We use data from African war-torn countries and study the issue of post-conflict stabilisation from an empirical perspective. We employ probit analysis to formally estimate the effect of fiscal policy on the probability of maintaining peace in the post-conflict period.

Findings – The success of post-conflict transition does not require downsizing the government. On the contrary, successful post-conflict transitions are on average characterised by an increase in the size of the government. However, both expenditures and revenues increase at a comparable pace. Moreover, in successful post-conflict transitions, the increase in government size involves an increase in the incidence of capital expenditure relative to government consumption. On the revenue side, budgetary grants appear to strengthen the chances of success. A heavier debt burden does not seem to compromise the probability of successfully completing the post-conflict transition.

Research limitations/implications – Future research should (i) extend the sample to non-African countries, (ii) extend the analysis to other macroeconomic policy variables and (iii) supplement cross-country analysis on the role of fiscal policy with country case studies. A potential application of the findings of this chapter is the construction of a model to predict the evolution of currently ongoing post-conflict transitions.

Social implications – The findings bear implications on how governments should conduct fiscal policy in the aftermath of a conflict. They also provide guidelines for the international community on how best to assist post-conflict economies.

Originality – Papers concerned with the determinants of peace in the post-conflict period do not generally look at the potential contribution of fiscal policy. This chapter is the first attempt, to the best of our knowledge, to provide econometric evidence on the role of fiscal policy as a possible driver of peace stabilisation in the aftermath of a conflict.

Higher-education institutions have an increasing responsibility to foster “global citizenship,” enabling students to recognize injustice and pursue equity. As a first step to creating a larger “hub” for global justice, McMaster University set out to develop an interdisciplinary course on the topic. With high-level institutional support, a cross-campus, interdisciplinary course design team was formed to further investigate effective pedagogy. Inquiry-based learning (IBL) was considered a foundation for other learning strategies within the course because of its evidenced ability to instigate a process of “learning by doing,” requiring students to both self-direct their education and develop their capacities as independent learners. To provide a further evidence base, a student member of the committee also conducted a pan-Ontario study surveying relevant instructors on successful global justice pedagogies. Collectively, these findings were integrated to inform the development of “Global Justice Inquiry,” which is characterized by its small course size, open-inquiry style, and engagement of alumni, community partners, and faculty from across campus. This chapter details the process followed to develop this course, presenting it as a model that might be helpful to others looking to develop interdisciplinary inquiry offerings.

In their chapter, ‘A method to compute a peace gross world product by country and by economic sector’, Jurgen Brauer and John Tepper Marlin present a novel method to assess the economic value of peace, in both the domestic and international realms. This is not only a tool for assessing and forecasting the potential benefits of reduced violence, but it is an example of best social science practice in that by design it incorporates the best existing knowledge on the effects of peace. This approach combining meta-analysis with a novel integrating framework is quite promising. For the purposes of the book, it sets the stage nicely for the subsequent chapters by highlighting the big picture of expected welfare gains from peace, within a rigorous scientific context, rather than one of advocacy. Estimating the potential economic benefits of internal and international peace is also fundamental in understanding the potential economic incentives which might drive political and business leaders to avoid deadly conflict, and pursue peace.

This study aims to capture organizational transformation by delving into the process of business model (BM) reconfiguration in small firms operating within low-tech industries. It seeks to uncover the specific BM components that enabled a traditional less volatile and smaller organizations to adapt and innovate. We offer some recommendations in the form of insights for practitioners and other firms facing similar challenges.

We analyzed the history of a small firm belonging to a low-tech industry. Applying a single case study allowed us to explore organizational transformation in depth over time and identify the essential elements in the process of changing the BM. The analysis was performed using the procedural approach, with narratives, visual maps and temporal staggering.

The small firms went through many changes that resulted in BM reconfiguration at the organizational and industrial levels. The role of partners was relevant in this process, as well as organizational flexibility and more adaptable planning to make the necessary changes over time. The findings demonstrate the dynamism of the BM, with the prioritization of changes in organizational resources and capabilities, in order to adapt to the external environment, over time to create and capture value in a low-technology-intensive sector.

This study contributes a novel perspective to the field of Business Model Innovation (BMI) by highlighting the dynamic nature of BM in the under-explored area of small-scale enterprises of non-technology-intensive sectors. It emphasizes the critical role of serendipity, ambidexterity, pivoting, partnerships, adaptive planning and financial process organization in achieving sustained value creation and capturing value in the evolving external environments.

The purpose of this paper is to identify and empirically examine the dynamic capabilities (DC) that drive the development of digital manufacturing capabilities (DMC) and the role of DMC in mediating their influence on firm performance.

Based on the dynamic capabilities view (DCV) of the firm, the authors develop a set of hypotheses that are tested through a survey of 110 managers in the manufacturing sector. The hypothesized model is tested through structural equation modeling.

The results indicate that although higher-order DC (HODC) have a strong influence on firm performance, their effects are partially mediated by the DMC that they generate, by positively affecting the extended production process.

The analysis contributes to a better understanding of the interplay between levels of the DC hierarchy by finding that DMC play an important role in translating HODC into enhanced firm performance.

By complementing the DCV with the disruptive innovation theory in a specific fast changing context, this study introduces a new construct (DMC) providing an original and considerable contribution to the literature. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is the first empirical study that includes and assesses all these elements together in the context of the manufacturing industry.

This paper describes and discusses company spin-ins and spin-outs as a means to understand company growth in a dynamic context. The following question is asked: How can growth be understood in spin-ins and spin-outs of innovative firms? The paper suggests return on capabilities as a measure to understand growth in an open innovation context.

The empirical part of the paper consists of a single case study. Data was captured through interviews and secondary data sources.

The paper points to that resources alone do not explain strategic decisions by a company and how spin-ins and spin-outs result from the need for capabilities, changes in business foci and temporary solutions to deal with overcapacities or lack of alternatives.

The paper contributes to research by discussing contemporary issues in strategy and innovation and relating them to the resource-based view and the growth of the firm. Spin-outs, and acquisitions and divestitures as interlinked events have rarely been focused on in the literature, while they remain frequent phenomena in practice.