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Operational or event risk is not a new phenomenon for financial services companies. However, its measurement, as part of integrated risk management programs, has been the subject of recent focus. Property and casualty insurers have measured components of this risk class as part of the pricing and underwriting process. Although all financial services firms are exposed to direct and indirect (e.g., reputational) costs of operational risk events, few financial services firms actually measure “operational risk.” This article explores ways in which this may be done in practice.

The lightning phenomenon is one of the main threats in photovoltaic (PV) applications. Suitable protection systems avoid major damages from direct strikes but also nearby strikes may induce overvoltage transients in the module itself and in the power conditioning circuitry, which can permanently damage the system. The effects on the PV system sensibly depend on the converter topology and on the adopted power switch. In the present study, a comparative analysis of the transient response due to a nearby lightning strike (LS) is carried out for three PV systems, each equipped with a different converter, namely, boost, buck and buck–boost, based on either silicon carbide metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (SiC MOSFET) or insulated gate bipolar transistors controlled power switch devices, allowing in this way an analysis at different switching frequencies. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of the numerical analysis to help the design of suited protection systems.

Using a recently introduced three-dimensional semi-analytical method to simulate the electromagnetic transients caused in PV modules by nearby LSs, we investigate numerically the effect of a LS on the electronic circuits connecting the module to the alternate current (AC) power systems. This study adopts numerical simulations because experimental analyses are not easy to perform and does not grant a sufficient coverage of all statistically relevant aspects. The approach was validated in a previous paper against available experimental data.

It is found that the load voltage is not severely interested by the strike effects, thanks to the low pass filters present at the converter output, whereas a relatively high overvoltage develops between the negative pin of the inner circuitry and the “ground” voltage reference. The overcurrent present in the active switches is hardly comparable because of the different topologies and working frequencies; however, the highest overcurrent is observed in the buck converter topology, with SiC MOSFET technology, although it shows the fastest decay.

This research proposes, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, a comprehensive comparison of the indirect lighting strike effects on the converter connected to PV panels. A proper design of the lightning and surge protection system should take into account such aspects to reduce the risk of induced overvoltage and overcurrent transients.

This study aims to focus on understanding the tensions experienced by government officials in introducing electronic government (e-government) policies to support entrepreneurs in a developing Latin American country.

This study relies on an in-depth qualitative approach based on collaborative and analytic auto-ethnography. The authors concentrate on tensions experienced by a government official and how they were addressed when introducing e-government policies to support entrepreneurs during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The findings reveal that paradoxical tensions occur as changes are demanded, multiple concerns are expressed and decisions about resources have to be made. The findings reveal sources of tensions from government, business and external sources. Addressing such tensions revolves around a diverse form of paradoxes dealing with contradictions in terms of speed vs thoroughness and short- vs long-term implications.

The authors’ study provides several contributions. It advances understanding on the source and management of tensions experienced by government officials introducing e-government policies to support entrepreneurs during the Covid-19 pandemic. It also delineates multiple paradoxes experienced by government officials as new policies and systems were introduced. Finally, it offers a conceptual model explaining how government officials deal with multiple tensions emerging from the introduction of e-government policies in a developing country.

The prior literature has suggested that e-government initiatives would be guided by a prescriptive and tension-free process, driven by the interest to enhance governmental efficiency. This study reveals that developing e-government initiatives for entrepreneurs and existing businesses during the Covid-19 crisis was not immune to contradictions between government officials and the public. A conceptual model, based on multiple sources of tensions (government-related, business-related and external sources) and their management, is proposed. Implications and opportunities for further research are presented.

This study aims to examine differences in regret between individuals with high vs low self-esteem that follows from negative appraisals for unsuccessful consumer decisions that are either congruent or not with perceived norms. This study also tested the mediating role of decision responsibility and the ability of psychological repair work in regulating regret.

Hypotheses were tested through four experimental studies using student and international panel samples across different consumer decision scenarios to generalize the findings of the study.

This study shows that high self-esteem individuals regret less a bad decision when it is congruent (normal) than when it is incongruent (abnormal) with the prevalent norms, while lower self-esteem individuals tend to regret equally both normal and abnormal decisions. This study further shows that this effect is driven by internal responsibility attributions. Finally, the results also suggest that high self-esteem people are more efficient than low self-esteem people in regulating regret, but only when the decision is abnormal.

The present research has important contributions to both regret and self-esteem literature. First, this study explored the role of self-esteem on regret, an individual variable that has been studied relatively little in regret literature. Second, this study has shown, consistent with recent findings, that decision congruence with the norms is a more suitable predictor of regret than whether the decision involves action or inaction. Finally, this study showed that stimulating individuals to self-enhance by engaging in psychological repair work led individuals to regulate regret, consistent with regret regulation theory.

This paper aims to use an imidazole-based n-ionic Gemini surfactant derived from palm oil to inhibit the sulfide stress corrosion cracking of a supermartensitic stainless steel.

The slow strain rate testing technique, hydrogen permeation tests and potentiodynamic polarization curves have been used.

Addition of the inhibitor below the critical micelle concentration (CMC) decreased the corrosion current density (i_corr), but not enough to avoid embrittlement due to the entry of hydrogen into the steel. Instead, the addition of the inhibitor close to the CMC decreased the i_corr, suppressed the entry of hydrogen and inhibited the sulfide stress cracking of steel. Finally, the addition of inhibitor above the CMC led to a slight increase of i_corr and promoted localized corrosion, however, the sulfide stress cracking of steel was inhibited.

A green sulfide stress corrosion cracking inhibitor of a supermartensitic stainless steel has been obtained.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether frontline employee empowerment (FEE) is necessary in the presence of streamlined recovery processes when customers attribute responsibility for the recovery process to the service provider.

The hypotheses were tested through a survey conducted with 253 bank customers, combined with two laboratory experiments run with 354 undergraduate students to assess service recovery efforts by an online store and a clinical laboratory.

Customers who attribute more responsibility for the recovery process to service providers only become more satisfied with FEE when recovery processes are not streamlined. The presence of streamlined processes and FEE is not sufficient to raise post-recovery satisfaction levels in individuals who attribute little responsibility for the process to service providers.

The study extends the literature on contingencies that influence the design of recovery strategies by showing when FEE matters. It also highlights the risks of designing service recovery practices, such as FEE or streamlined recovery processes, without considering that different customers do not evaluate such efforts in the same fashion. Research on service recovery design needs to fully integrate concepts from marketing, operations and human resources when the goal is to evaluate the effectiveness of such practices. The outcomes also offer managers insights for designing recovery strategies.

The purpose of this paper is to test the value of experientiality as a determining factor for destination loyalty (LOYD) in the context of culinary tourism. The present research sees in memorability (MEM), Quality of Life (QoL) and place attachment (PA) experiential variables driving future loyal intentions to revisit a certain place.

The causal relationships between the concepts have been analysed using structural equation modelling and the partial least squares technique.

Results achieved confirmed that new concepts should be considered in order to reach a better understanding of the current experiential phenomenon and to provide destinations and practitioners with new strategies in line with the requirements of the sector and the modern consumers’ expectations.

Due to the application of a convenience sample, results should be understood within the context of this case study.

The conclusion of this research highlights the importance of delivering food-based experiences to travellers with the aim of generating a positive impact in individuals’ lives, beyond the holiday time. This can result in QoL and PA which are strong antecedent of future loyal intentions towards a destination.

This work represent one the first attempts to measure the experiential value of food-based experiences lived on holidays and its effect on marketing results. This research outlines useful strategies for enhancing the competitiveness of destinations in the new experiential scenario.

Aircraft pitch control is fundamental for the performance of micro aerial vehicles (MAVs). The purpose of this paper is to establish a simple experimental procedure to calibrate pitch instrumentation and classical control algorithms. This includes developing an efficient pitch angle observer with optimal estimation and evaluating controllers under uncertainty and external disturbances.

A wind tunnel test bench is designed to simulate fixed-wing aircraft dynamics. Key elements of the instrumentation commonly found in MAVs are characterized in a gyroscopic test bench. A data fusion algorithm is calibrated to match the gyroscopic test bench measurements and is then integrated into the autopilot platform. The elevator-angle to pitch-angle dynamic model is obtained experimentally. Two different control algorithms, based on model-free and model-based approaches, are designed. These controllers are analyzed in terms of parametric uncertainties due to wind speed variations and external perturbation because of sudden weight distribution changes. A series of experimental tests is performed in wind-tunnel facilities to highlight the main features of each control approach.

With regard to the instrumentation algorithms, a simple experimental methodology for the design of optimal pitch angle observer is presented and validated experimentally. In the context of the platform design and identification, the similitude among the theoretical and experimental responses shows that the platform is suitable for typical pitch control assessment. The wind tunnel experiments show that a fixed linear controller, designed using classical frequency domain concepts, is able to provide adequate responses in scenarios that approximate the operation of MAVs.

The aircraft orientation observer can be used for both pitch and roll angles. However, for simultaneousyaw angle estimation the proposed design method requires further research. The model analysis considers a wind speed range of 6-18 m/s, with a nominal operation of 12 m/s. The maximum experimentally tested reference for the pitch angle controller was 20°. Further operating conditions may require more complex control approaches (e.g. scheduling, non-linear, etc.). However, this operating range is enough for typical MAV missions.

The study shows the design of an effective pitch angle observer, based on a simple experimental approach, which achieved locally optimum estimates at the test conditions. Additionally, the instrumentation and design of a test bench for typical pitch control assessment in wind tunnel facilities is presented. Finally, the study presents the development of a simple controller that provides adequate responses in scenarios that approximate the operation of MAVs, including perturbations that resemble package delivery and parametric uncertainty due to wind speed variations.

The Cuban population is going through a process of demographic change and accelerated aging, which, together with a difficult economic situation, places the older adults in a complex economic reality, especially in the most vulnerable communities. This paper aims to analyze the housing situation of the older adults in a vulnerable community in Santiago de Cuba during a period of particular economic difficulty.

The study analyzes the housing situation of a sample of people over 60 years of age (n = 325) in a vulnerable community in the city of Santiago de Cuba. A structured interview was used for data collection.

The results show that most of the people over 60 years of age interviewed considered their homes to be in a poor state of repair. A significant part of the homes were built with precarious materials and had cracked walls, leaks, problems with the functioning of the toilet, broken pipes, etc. In addition, most of the houses were poorly equipped, with a large number of them lacking refrigerators, cell phones or computers or other electrical appliances (heater, shower, stove, etc.). Women, people with black skin and people over 75 years of age were in a particularly precarious housing situation.

Demographic changes and the expected aging of the population in Cuba mean that meeting the needs of the older adults is expected to become increasingly complex. The design of public policies and administrative management should take into consideration the housing needs of people over 60 years of age in vulnerable communities, with special attention to women, racialized people and older adults.

The research was conducted based on the information provided by a particularly vulnerable group in Cuba (older adults), about which there is limited information available, and the data were collected during a particularly challenging time for the Cuban economy: the post-COVID-19 pandemic period. The challenges of conducting research of this nature in Cuba and the period during which data collection took place form the basis of the originality of this manuscript.