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Commercial solid freeform fabrication (SFF) systems, which have been developed for fabrication of wax and polymer parts for form and fit and secondary applications, such as moulds for casting, etc., require further improvements for use in direct processing of structural ceramic and metal parts. Defects, both surface as well as internal, are undesirable in SFF processed ceramic and metal parts for structural and functional applications. Process improvements are needed before any SFF technique can successfully be commercialized for structural ceramic and metal processing. Describes process improvements made in new SFF techniques, called fused deposition of ceramics (FDC) and metals (FDMet), for fabrication of structural and functional ceramic and metal parts. They are based on an existing SFF technique, fused deposition modelling (FDM) and use commercial FDM systems. The current state of SFF technology and commercial FDM systems results in parts with several surface and internal defects which, if not eliminated, severely limit the structural properties of ceramic and metal parts thus produced. Describes systematically, in detail, the nature of these defects and their origins. Discusses several novel strategies for elimination of most of these defects. Shows how some of these strategies have successfully been implemented to result in ceramic parts with structural properties comparable to those obtained in conventionally processed ceramics.

Using an event study approach, this analysis examines whether or not intracompany mergers of subsidiary banks by multibank holding companies result in significant, positive, abnormal stock returns. Such a result implies that investors expect this type of merger will improve future profitability, presumably by permitting efficiencies to be realized or revenues to increase. The analysis of the stock returns for a sample of 39 consolidating companies indicates that this is the case. These findings appear to be quite robust. Furthermore, the findings imply that permitting holding companies with interstate operations to consolidate their banking units across state lines could yield efficiencies as proponents of interstate branching claim.

This chapter presents an institutional analysis of two organizations established by union members to give labor a voice in regional economic development in western New York (WNY), one that emerged in the 1970s another created in the 1990s. Employing the institutionalist comparative case method, the analysis highlights the organizations' similarities and differences. Then, drawing attention to key “limiting” factors, a theory is outlined, offering three scenarios for future labor involvement in WNY economic development. Central to those scenarios is the finding that labor needs not only a voice but also a suitable message.

The growing trend for online peer-to-peer commerce has changed the way consumers purchase and exchange products and services across a wide variety of industries, including the craft beer industry. The lack of large scale distribution channels for local breweries has led to a growing market for social exchanges across the country. However, these barter systems remain more obscure compared to their mega counterparts in monetary exchange systems. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate how the set-up of online beer marketplaces impacts the perceptions of source attractiveness as moderated by the perceived risks to encourage exchange behaviors.

Using an established beer exchange community, members appraised the impact of avatar profiles in their decision-making process based on user congruity, product congruity and risk perceptions. The research was conducted using a 2×2 between subjects mixed factorial design.

Product attractiveness and risk perceptions influenced behavioral intentions while user attractiveness did not. This is counter to past research that emphasizes the importance of relationships in sharing economy contexts.

This research shifts the discourse for sharing economy platforms from monetizing trust to prioritizing the product. While much of the emphasis had previously been on facilitating relationships between the supplier and customers on sharing economy websites, this may indicate that there needs to be a shift to prioritizing the product.

The purpose of this paper is to examine Philip B. Crosby’s 14 quality principles and analyze the interaction between them. Hitherto no research has been published on the implementation of total quality management (TQM) using Crosby’s 14 principles. To fill this gap, interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and Matrix Impact Cross-Reference Multiplication Applied to a Classification (MICMAC) analysis have been designed to prioritize, sequence and categorize variables to find both the dependence and driving power of these variables.

At the initial stage experts from industry as well as from academia were contacted to provide an input for ISM methodology and examine interactions between identified variables. In this approach, interpretations of the interrelationships among variables have been discussed, whereas MICMAC analysis is used to discover dependence and driving power.

The results of the investigation revealed that “Management Commitment,” “Quality Improvement Team,” “Quality Awareness,” “Supervisor Training,” “Goal Setting” and “Cost of Quality Evaluation” are strategic requirements; “Corrective Action,” “Zero Defects Day” and “Error Cause Removal” are tactical requirements. “Recognition,” “Quality Measurement,” “Quality Councils” and “Do It Over Again” are operational requirements for TQM applications.

ISM is used as a part of this research to provide valuable insights into interrelationships among Crosby’s quality principles through a systematic framework. The research opens up a new focus area on the implementation of TQM for services as well as for the manufacturing industry.

The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the structure, regulation, and performance of banks in the EU and G‐10 countries. This enables one to identify any significant differences in the structure of banking in the nineteen separate countries comprising these two groups. The regulatory, supervisory, and deposit‐insurance environment in which banks operate in each of these countries is also compared and contrasted. This enables one to identify any significant differences in the regulatory environment that may help explain the structure of banking in the various countries. Beyond this, the effect of the overall structural and regulatory environment on individual bank performance is investigated in order to evaluate the appropriateness of existing regulations in individual countries and any proposals for reforming them. Hence, an exploratory empirical analysis based upon a sample of banks in the different countries is conducted to assess the effect of the different “regulatory regimes” on the performance of individual banks, controlling for various bank‐specific and country‐specific factors that may also affect bank performance. In this way, the paper attempts to contribute to an assessment of the appropriate balance between market and regulatory discipline to ensure that banks have sufficient opportunities to compete prudently and profitability in a competitive and global financial marketplace. In the process of conducting such an assessment, the paper necessarily provides information as to whether the U.S. is “out‐of‐step” with banking developments in other industrial countries.

The chapter builds on the literature of Agency and Signalling Theories to analyse the corporate governance factors associated with the voluntary decision to prepare an Integrated Report according to the <IR> International Framework promoted by the IIRC.

The chapter is based on the results of a probit regression run with regard to a sample of 35 companies that joined the Pilot Programme in 2011 and 137 similar companies that did not.

The analysis of two samples of European companies reveals that adhesion to the IR Pilot Programme is positively related to the gender diversity and size of the board.

Further research is required in order to study the differences between listed and non-listed companies in terms of variables affecting the adoption of the <IR> Framework and to increase the time range of our study. In addition, it would be interesting to include other variables capturing different aspects other than corporate governance, since the decision to join the Programme, as the results of our analysis have shown, may also be influenced by other factors, such as strategy decisions and communication policies.

The chapter adds to the existing literature by showing the main governance characteristics that impact the decision to adhere to the IR Pilot Programme. It is also important to the existing literature regarding the role played by gender diversity in corporate governance mechanisms and CSR policies.

We have been working together for more than 40 years with some success. In this chapter, we use that lengthy collaboration to suggest what elements and processes have been important for us, and, which we believe are important for working together more generally. These include: the local environment for collaborative research; the dynamics of an ongoing collaboration; the process of managing collaboration; the impact of personal styles; the changing nature of collaboration the longer it continues; the impact of career changes; and the role of successful outcomes. We examine what lessons we have learned and make some observations about our experience in relation to more general ideas about collaboration.