Helmut Wernick, Patrick Hoelzl and Bernhard G. Zagar
The purpose of this paper is to present a fast and contactless measurement method to determine the spatial conductivity distribution within an intrinsically conducting polymer…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a fast and contactless measurement method to determine the spatial conductivity distribution within an intrinsically conducting polymer, more precisely a conductive rubber sheet specimen. As a consequence of the manufacturing process and the material composition, the conductivity distribution within the sheet is assumed to be inhomogeneous.
Design/methodology/approach
The current density distribution within the conductive rubber sheet due to an excitation current is estimated from the measured magnetic field distribution. Therefore, a GMR sensor is used to spatially sample the magnetic field above the specimen. Based on the estimated current density distribution and alternatively the local power dissipation calculated from a thermal image, the conductivity distribution within the specimen is determined. For comparison a reference measurement with a classical resistivity probe is done.
Findings
The measurement results show a good agreement between the developed and the classical method. Moreover, the developed measurement method requires less time and still offers a higher spatial resolution.
Originality/value
The presented results demonstrate the potential of the developed measurement method for determining the conductivity distribution within thin and planar specimens. Furthermore, conclusions can be drawn about the material homogeneity of the used test specimen.
Details
Keywords
Drawing on research in the worlds of advertising, magazines and fashion, this paper discusses how celebrities mediate between different fields of cultural production. By focusing…
Abstract
Drawing on research in the worlds of advertising, magazines and fashion, this paper discusses how celebrities mediate between different fields of cultural production. By focusing on celebrity endorsements in advertising, it also outlines how film actors and actresses, athletes, models, pop singers, sportsmen and women mediate between producers and consumers via the products and services that they endorse. As economic mediators, celebrities’ actions have important strategic and financial implications for the corporations whose products they endorse. As cultural mediators, they give commodities personalities and perform across different media, linking different cultural fields into an integrated name economy.
Hans‐Dieter Evers, Solvay Gerke and Thomas Menkhoff
With globalization and knowledge‐based production, firms may cooperate on a global scale, outsource parts of their administrative or productive units and negate location…
Abstract
Purpose
With globalization and knowledge‐based production, firms may cooperate on a global scale, outsource parts of their administrative or productive units and negate location altogether. The extremely low transaction costs of data, information and knowledge seem to invalidate the theory of agglomeration and the spatial clustering of firms, going back to the classical work by Alfred Weber and Alfred Marshall, who emphasized the microeconomic benefits of industrial collocation. This paper aims to argue against this view and show why the growth of knowledge societies will rather increase than decrease the relevance of location by creating knowledge clusters and knowledge hubs, due to sharing of tacit knowledge and research and development outputs. Designing epistemic landscapes of knowledge clusters and hubs is, therefore, proposed as a viable development policy.
Design/methodology/approach
Secondary data from cluster research as well as the authors' own survey data, mainly on Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore, are used to show and measure clustering of knowledge‐producing organizations.
Findings
The paper shows that sharing of tacit knowledge is a crucial variable to explain why clustering of knowledge‐intensive industries takes place despite the development of information technology. The importance of knowledge management for development is highlighted.
Practical implications
Designing epistemic landscapes of knowledge clusters and hubs is, therefore, proposed as a viable development policy.
Originality/value
The paper argues against the mainstream of industrial clustering theory and proposes a KM‐based research strategy. The discussion of the difference between knowledge clusters and knowledge hubs enables the use of a new and consistent evaluation of a K4D (knowledge for development) strategy.