This report describes a new system for descaling turbine blades which, by a combination of chemical and mechanical action, produces a clean smooth surface, suitable for penetrant…
Abstract
This report describes a new system for descaling turbine blades which, by a combination of chemical and mechanical action, produces a clean smooth surface, suitable for penetrant inspection. Its development provides a solution to the problem of chemical attack on intermetallics in precipitation hardened nickel and cobalt base alloys by the conventional descaling sequences. The project study leading to the selection of the process is summarised, the development of the method, which is based on the use of a vibrated insoluble particulate burnishing medium used in conjunction with a hot chemical chelating solution, is described and typical results are given. Before proceeding to works trials of a new process, its technical effectiveness and any adverse effects on the substrate or the environment must be evaluated, in order that some estimate of its commercial viability can be made. It has been confirmed that the process cleans effectively and produces a satisfactory conditions for penetrant inspection. No adverse effects on surface profile or dimensions, for example, on the firtree roots of typical turbine blade, on alloys or protective catings, have been found. It has been verified that particles of the medium which may inadvertently remain in blade cooling passages after processing will not lead to local high temperature corrosion during subsequent operation. Chemical vibro‐descaling is also a suitable process to prepare components with oxide films for subsequent operations such as welding, heat treatment or surface treatment. Thus, the process, which is environmentally relatively benign, achieves its objective economically and without deleterious effect on the workpiece.
Zara Whysall, Mike Owtram and Simon Brittain
The transformational changes to business environments brought about by the fourth industrial revolution create a perfect storm for strategic human resource management, prompting a…
Abstract
Purpose
The transformational changes to business environments brought about by the fourth industrial revolution create a perfect storm for strategic human resource management, prompting a need to explore the implications of this context for talent management theory and practice. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
In-depth interviews were conducted with HR directors and senior leaders within engineering-led organisations to explore current challenges experienced across each stage of the talent pipeline: attraction and recruitment, training and development, career development, talent mobility and succession planning.
Findings
The speed of technological change brought about by Industry 4.0 had created a significant gap between current capability of employees and the rapidly evolving requirements of their roles, prompting a need to consider new and more effective approaches to talent development. Middle managers are increasingly recognised as overlooked critical talent within this context of unprecedented change, given their essential role in change management. In addition, whilst lateral hiring remains a common talent management practice, in the case of Industry 4.0 this equates to fighting a war for talent that does not exist.
Practical implications
This study suggests that there is a need for evolution of talent management theory and practice towards a more dynamic, systems-thinking orientation, acknowledging the interrelated nature of different talent management activities.
Originality/value
This paper provides an in-depth insight into the impact of the unprecedented change brought about by Industry 4.0 on contemporary talent management practice, considering how theory and practice might need to evolve to enable individuals and organisations to keep up with the rate of technological change.
Details
Keywords
Hannah R. Marston, Linda Shore, Laura Stoops and Robbie S. Turner
There are seven main characters of which five are women: Sindiswa, Mia, Susan, Thenjiwe and Nicky. The other two characters, Glen and Zaccaria, represent males from very different…
Abstract
There are seven main characters of which five are women: Sindiswa, Mia, Susan, Thenjiwe and Nicky. The other two characters, Glen and Zaccaria, represent males from very different socio-economic and political backgrounds. The character of Dumasani, a young boy, is referred to in the play. What makes the play especially significant is that of a cast of seven, five are women. Throughout the play the character of Glen, a spy for the apartheid government, reveals the manipulative and deceitful manner in which the members of the South African police force and political informers carried out their work. He forms relationships with people about whom he professes to care; however, his only concern is that they are able to provide information that will secure financial reward for his spying activities for the apartheid government. Born in the RSA offers the audience an interesting exchange of ideas and thoughts about the political, economic and social situation in apartheid South Africa. Through the exploration of narratives and improvisation a landscape of violence is thrown open. A landscape of violence, that is not only physical, but also psychological. The play presents a complex situation in which violence does not only come from one source but from various sources such as the government, the youth, the opposition parties, the comrades, the private domestic space, subversive activities and political organisations. Any opposition to government policies results in harsher and more extreme violence by the apartheid regime strengthening their oppressive forces.
Simon Gérard, David Legg and Thierry Zintz
The purpose of this paper is to explore the multi-level mechanisms of institutional formation and change and, in particular, how this occurs through the interplay of multi-level…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the multi-level mechanisms of institutional formation and change and, in particular, how this occurs through the interplay of multi-level mechanisms? This is answered with a processual analysis of the International Paralympic Committee which is the international governing body of sports for people with an impairment.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a case-study approach based upon archival records, collected in relevant national and international sport organizations. More than 2,700 pages of archives were gathered, some of them being accessible to researchers for the first time. Embargo was also successfully lifted on recent and sensitive documents.
Findings
This study highlights multi-level mechanisms involved in institutional change processes triggered by a shifting institutional logic at the organizational field level. This paper also shows how field logic shifted at the moment of alignment between the societal, field and organizational levels. Moreover, it underlines how societal discourses influenced processes of institutional change by shaping the range of organizational actions available at the organizational and field levels.
Originality/value
This paper proposes a rare account of institutional change processes in which interplay between the societal, field, and organizational levels is analyzed. Furthermore, this paper provides a longitudinal investigation of an under-researched empirical setting, the Paralympic movement. Finally, this study integrates insights from the disability studies’ research field, which significantly deepens this analysis.
Details
Keywords
Abdallah Atieh and Simon Hussain
Accruals data reflect managers’ judgements and estimates. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether they provide users of accounts with additional insight into a firm's…
Abstract
Purpose
Accruals data reflect managers’ judgements and estimates. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether they provide users of accounts with additional insight into a firm's dividends beyond that conveyed by cash flows alone.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors employ regression analysis to examine the relative ability of earnings, cash flows and accruals to explain dividends.
Findings
It is found that both cash flows and accruals (earnings) possess significant explanatory power for dividends indicating that, on average, UK financial statements provide users with improved insight beyond that conveyed by cash flows alone.
Research limitations/implications
These results demonstrate the importance of accruals data for users of accounts. However, if accruals are manipulated for opportunistic purposes then their usefulness will likely be compromised and users of accounts will loose out. The study focuses on non‐financial, UK dividend‐paying firms only.
Practical implications
These results provide direct evidence that UK financial statement data has significant explanatory power for dividend‐paying activity, which may be viewed as good news. However, this paper reiterates the need for those who prepare and audit accounts to ensure that accruals truly reflect a firm's financial situation and are not being “managed” to artificially boost reported earnings. Short‐term accruals are an obvious focus for such activities.
Originality/value
The paper reports the first direct test of the link between disaggregated earnings components and UK dividends.
Details
Keywords
Walter Bataglia and Dimária Silva E. Meirelles
The purpose of this paper is to identify complementarities between the approaches of population ecology and evolutionary economics in order to contribute to a synthesis of…
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to identify complementarities between the approaches of population ecology and evolutionary economics in order to contribute to a synthesis of organizational evolutionary dynamics and its implications for a strategic management research model. Using the metatriangulation technique to construct theories, we attempt to entwine these two perspectives. The proposed model is structured in two dimensions: the environmental selective system and the corporate adaptation process. The environmental selective system gathers together the complementary factors presented by evolutionary economics and ecology: technological innovation, demographic processes, environmental dynamism, population density and other institutional processes, and interpopulation dynamics. As ecology does not encompass the corporate adaptation process (generation, selection, and propagation of variations), the proposed model adopts the theoretical grounds underpinning evolutionary economics. The model offers three main contributions for future research into strategic management. First, it allows the development of descriptive and normative studies of the relationship among the environmental selection factors and the different types of enterprise strategies. Second, the proposed conceptual framework may be very beneficial for studies of interorganizational learning. Third, the model has the advantage of responding to the criticism of strategy theories in terms of their inability to generalize.