J.H. Potgieter, M. Sephton and Z.W. Nkosi
To evaluate the corrosion resistance of four different stainless steels often employed in hot end exhaust components.
Abstract
Purpose
To evaluate the corrosion resistance of four different stainless steels often employed in hot end exhaust components.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper evaluated the outcomes of the hot salt test and the cyclic oxidation test on four different stainless steels, used as hot end exhaust components. The specimens were analyzed by means of SEM for surface changes and the weight loss was considered.
Findings
The general corrosion rate and pitting resistance under all the test conditions for hot end exhaust components indicated that 434 was by far the most corrosion resistant alloy, followed by 1.4509 and 321, and lastly 304 was the least corrosion resistant. In general, the ferritic stainless steels, especially 434, outperformed the austenitic ones under all the test conditions.
Practical implications
The comparison of the corrosion resistance and rate, between the frequently used ferritic and austenitic stainless steels used in the exhaust system, gave a clear indication that the ferritic steels will provide prolonged service and this could be beneficial information to the manufacturers.
Originality/value
A new approach to summarise the materials' behaviour and their relative performance in the tests performed was developed. This proposed summary of a number of corrosion indicators could serve as a relative guide to alloy selection for use in hot end automotive exhaust systems for both manufacturers and users.
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There is very little research of Black male mathematics teachers from African countries teaching in the USA, specifically, their preparation and teaching experiences. The purpose…
Abstract
Purpose
There is very little research of Black male mathematics teachers from African countries teaching in the USA, specifically, their preparation and teaching experiences. The purpose of this study is to shed light on three Black male mathematics teachers from two African countries teacher preparation and teaching experiences in three African countries and the USA.teachers.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used a qualitative narrative research design to examine the teacher preparation and teaching experiences of Black African male mathematics teachers.
Findings
The results of this study reveal that the Black African male mathematics teachers participated in traditional and alternative teacher preparation programs that were unique to the African countries. The results also revealed that these teachers saw their teacher preparation program in the USA as preparing them to teach in this context. The results also revealed that all three of the teachers’ experienced success teaching struggling learners and English language learners mathematics in African countries and the USA.
Research limitations/implications
This study is limited to a small participant pool of three Black African mathematics teachers that cannot be generalized to other Black male teachers. There needs to be more research of Black male mathematics teachers, in general, and those from other countries, specifically. There also needs to be more research of Black male teachers’ teaching practices that are successful with Black students as well as English language learners.
Practical implications
Based on the study findings, policy-makers and stakeholders interested in recruiting and retaining Black male teachers and specifically, in mathematics needs to expand conceptualization and definitions to include those from other countries.
Originality/value
This results of this study add a valuable contribution to the research of Black male teachers, in general, and mathematics, in particular. It expands conceptualizations of who constitutes a Black male teachers in the USA.
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A thematic analysis of teachers’ experiences in implementing the Annual National Assessments (ANAs) policy in South Africa was presented in this chapter. Describing the lack of…
Abstract
A thematic analysis of teachers’ experiences in implementing the Annual National Assessments (ANAs) policy in South Africa was presented in this chapter. Describing the lack of preparation and capacity building on behalf of policy makers, this chapter argued that teachers’ roles in the policy formulation of the ANAs positioned them as only policy implementers without agency. Two broad categories described the experiences. The first was concerned with the preparation process of assessments. The second was concerned with the implications of assessments, outlining the worry and fear in the use of results for teacher blaming culminating in a standoff between teacher unions and the ministry. The shift in the policy mandate expressed through increased reporting and monitoring requirements for poor performing schools reveals that the assessments deviated from being a diagnostic tool to testing for teacher accountability. Finally, the chapter concluded with a reflection on how the National Assessment Framework, set to replace the ANA policy, could be strengthened based on the opportunities revealed by the ANA policy implementation process.
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Historically, South Africa’s apartheid policies had a negative effect on the financial performance of the South African beverage industry. This effect was characterised by the…
Abstract
Historically, South Africa’s apartheid policies had a negative effect on the financial performance of the South African beverage industry. This effect was characterised by the non‐participation of South African companies in the global market and the presence of foreign enterprises in the domestic market. From 1994, South African industries have been increasingly exposed to new opportunities and forces. Globalisation, deregulation, changing manufacturing systems and the entry of foreign competitors in the 1990s exposed the local industry to competitive challenges in the domestic and the global market. This study examined the impact of changing levels of competition on the performance of strategic business units and the mediating role of management accounting in the South African beverage industry. The methodology employed to investigate this relationship comprised both a survey and a case study. The results indicate a positive correlation between the level of competition and the performance of business units. The results furthermore indicate that enterprises can utilise a management accounting system (MAS) as a strategic response to competition. The increased use of MAS will, in turn, improve the performance of an enterprise. Enterprises that do not respond positively to competition will not survive.
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Anna Marie Johnson, Claudene Sproles, Robert Detmering and Jessica English
The purpose of this paper is to provide a selected bibliography of recent resources on library instruction and information literacy.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a selected bibliography of recent resources on library instruction and information literacy.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper introduces and annotates periodical articles, monographs, and audiovisual material examining library instruction and information literacy.
Findings
Information is provided about each source, and the paper discusses the characteristics of current scholarship, and describes sources that contain unique scholarly contributions and quality reproductions.
Originality/value
The information may be used by librarians and interested parties as a quick reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.
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Susanta Kumar Barik and Himanshu Sekhar Rout
Owing to the rising costs and shrinking budgets; inefficiency can be observed in the financing and delivery of health service both in the private and public sectors, which is not…
Abstract
Purpose
Owing to the rising costs and shrinking budgets; inefficiency can be observed in the financing and delivery of health service both in the private and public sectors, which is not only causing organizations to reconsider their management patterns but also to use new strategies to achieve competitive merits in the current world of business. Outsourcing is one of the best alternates. The purpose of this paper is to study: the nature and magnitude of outsourcing of health-care services in a Smart City of Eastern India; the motives behind outsourcing: and the factors affecting outsourcing decisions.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was conducted in Bhubaneswar, a Smart City of Eastern India and capital of Odisha State. Data relating to the outsourcing of health-care services were collected from 40 hospitals (each having a minimum of 10 beds) through a structured schedule. Descriptive statistics were calculated through Statistical Package for Social Science to substantiate the objectives.
Findings
Most of the clinical services were outsourced by small hospitals, while a significant portion of non-clinical services were outsourced by large and medium hospitals. Reduction in cost and better management control were the major driving forces of outsourcing. Loss of control over service providers and quality of measurement were considered as the main disadvantages in the decision-making process of not outsourcing the services by hospitals.
Originality/value
The study is the first-ever survey based on empirical evidence about the state of facilities management services outsourced in public and private hospitals in Odisha, India. The paper concluded that the effect of outsourcing did not synchronize successfully as shown in international literature.
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Sambo Lyson Zulu, Mwansa Chabala and Ephraim Zulu
The study examined perceptions and beliefs that influence the intention to adopt solar energy solutions in the Zambian Housing Sector. This is important because empirical evidence…
Abstract
Purpose
The study examined perceptions and beliefs that influence the intention to adopt solar energy solutions in the Zambian Housing Sector. This is important because empirical evidence for measures aimed at improving the adoption of solar energy solutions with SSA in general or a Zambian context, in particular, are largely missing from the literature.
Design/methodology/approach
Hierarchical multiple linear regression was used to analyse quantitative data collected through an online questionnaire survey. A total of 947 valid responses were obtained from a convenient sample of household heads.
Findings
The results show that attitude towards solar energy solutions, subjective norms, perceived benefits, perceived trust, knowledge about solar energy solutions, load-shedding and social norms, in that order of magnitude, influence the intention to adopt solar energy solutions. Perceived behavioural control, perceived risk and perceived cost did not influence the intention to adopt solar energy solutions.
Originality/value
The results provide empirical evidence of important factors to drive the adoption of solar energy solutions in Zambia. The results further show that knowledge about available solar energy solutions, rather than general knowledge about renewable energy, influence the adoption intention of solar energy solutions.
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Roger Strange and Giovanna Magnani
Many manufacturing firms (e.g. Apple and Nike) now outsource some or all of their manufacturing activities to independent suppliers rather than continuing to undertake them…
Abstract
Many manufacturing firms (e.g. Apple and Nike) now outsource some or all of their manufacturing activities to independent suppliers rather than continuing to undertake them in-house. Clearly these firms perceive this externalisation of production to be a performance-enhancing strategy, but what are the performance consequences in practice? In this chapter, we review and critique the extant academic literature on the performance consequences of manufacturing outsourcing, and note that the empirical findings have yielded mixed results. We argue that outsourcing has potential impacts upon a number of ‘performance’ outcomes, including inter alia financial performance, productivity/efficiency, sales/market share, costs of production, business performance and innovation. We further argue that many of the empirical studies have flawed designs, and make a series of methodological recommendations to guide future empirical work.