Search results

This study aims to fabricate complex ceramic tetrahedron structures, which are challenging to produce by more conventional methods such as injection molding. To achieve this aim, thermoplastic-ceramic composite filaments were developed and printed with unmodified, consumer-grade, fused deposition modelling (FDM) printers instead.

Al₂O₃ ceramic powder was mixed with ethylene vinyl acetate polymer as a binder (50 Vol.- per cent) to form a filament with a constant diameter of 1.75 mm. After the printing and thermal treatment stages, the shrinkage and mechanical properties of cuboid and tetrahedron structures were investigated.

The shrinkage of the parts was found to be anisotropic, depending on the orientation of the printing pattern, with an increase of 2.4 per cent in the (vertical) printing direction compared to the (horizontal) printing layer direction. The alignment of the ceramic particle orientations introduced by FDM printing was identified as a potential cause of the anisotropy. This study further demonstrates that using a powder bed during the thermal debinding process yields sintered structures that can withstand twice the compressive force.

Ceramic FDM had previously been used primarily for simple scaffold structures. In this study, the applicability of ceramic FDM was extended from simple scaffolds to more complex geometries such as hollow tetrahedra. The structures produced in this study contain dense parts printed from multiple contiguous layers, as compared to the open structures usually found in scaffolds. The mechanical properties of the complex ceramic parts made by using this FDM technique were also subjected to investigation.

Nobody concerned with political economy can neglect the history of economic doctrines. Structural changes in the economy and society influence economic thinking and, conversely, innovative thought structures and attitudes have almost always forced economic institutions and modes of behaviour to adjust. We learn from the history of economic doctrines how a particular theory emerged and whether, and in which environment, it could take root. We can see how a school evolves out of a common methodological perception and similar techniques of analysis, and how it has to establish itself. The interaction between unresolved problems on the one hand, and the search for better solutions or explanations on the other, leads to a change in paradigma and to the formation of new lines of reasoning. As long as the real world is subject to progress and change scientific search for explanation must out of necessity continue.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of city brand benefits (cost efficiency, job chances, social life, recreation and self–brand connection) on highly skilled, potential residents’ attitudes toward the city brand.

A literature analysis and qualitative study inform a conceptual model, which is tested with structural equation modelling using 354 evaluations of the six largest German cities by 294 highly skilled, potential residents, in terms of their perceptions of city brand benefits and attitudes.

Social life and self–brand connection positively affect the city brand attitudes of highly skilled, potential residents. In contrast, cost efficiency, job chances and recreation do not affect these attitudes.

The relevance of city brand benefits might be specific to a country or culture, so further research should test the conceptual model in other settings, including smaller cities. Further studies might compare the relevance of the effects for actual and potential residents.

Social life emerged as the most important city brand benefit, so cities must ensure they offer and communicate a rich social life. Cities also should identify and communicate congruent characteristics between the city and the self-concepts of relevant target groups.

This study identifies relevant and irrelevant city brand benefits for highly skilled, potential residents. In addition, it establishes self–brand connection as symbolic benefit that previous research into potential residents has not considered.

The desired retirement age (DRA) becomes more important because some countries adapt their strict retirement regulations to it. A process is tested for how psychological empowerment influences the DRA mediated by psychological and physical strain and how the DRA is connected to the expected retirement age (ERA). The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Structured interviews with 1,485 German employees (55 years and older) were conducted via telephone.

Psychological and physical strain mediated both the relationship between psychological empowerment and the DRA. DRA and ERA were positively associated. The control variables – age, net income, and organizational size – also significantly affected the DRA.

The results are only valid for the German job market. All variables were collected at one measurement point.

The strengthening of psychological empowerment can be one measure to motivate older employees to delay their retirement and finally keep them longer in the labor force.

A large sample was collected and interviewed via telephone, which helps to overcome some limitations of questionnaire research. The process model helps to understand how job characteristics are connected with the DRA and the ERA.

This paper aims to analyze the relationship between the use of management control systems (MCSs) and innovativeness in start-ups pursuing product innovation (PI), business model innovation (BMI) or ambidextrous innovation (both PI and BMI ).

This paper reports on survey data collected at 143 European start-ups using a structured questionnaire sent to a member of the top management team at each firm.

The authors find that the control levers and their interdependencies associated with increased innovativeness significantly differ between the different forms of innovation.

The study provides important guidance for entrepreneurs so that they can effectively support their innovation agenda with the MCSs tailored to their needs.

This research contributes to a growing literature that shows the positive role of MCSs in innovative and entrepreneurial processes. It adds to the understanding of the multifaceted nature of innovation and the crucial importance of BMI and ambidextrous innovation for the success of start-ups.

Online flight booking websites compare airfares, convenience and other consumer relevant attributes. Environmental concerns are typically not addressed, even though aviation is the most emission-intensive mode of transportation. This article demonstrates the potential for digital nudges to facilitate more environmentally friendly decision-making on online flight booking websites.

The authors used the digital nudging design process to implement two nudging interventions in an experimental setting on a fictitious flight booking website. The two nudging interventions are (1) an informational nudge, presented as an emission label, and (2) an understanding mapping nudge, presented as an emission converter.

This article finds that both digital nudges are useful interventions in online choice environments; however, emission labels more effectively encourage sustainable booking behavior.

The contributions of this article are twofold. In contribution to research, this article builds on existing research in sustainability contexts and successfully evaluates the effectiveness of anchoring and understanding mapping heuristics to influence sustainable decision-making in virtual environments. Furthermore, in contribution to practice, this article contributes knowledge to nudge design and provides hands on examples for designers or website operators on how to put nudge designs to practice in virtual choice environments. Additionally, this article contributes relevant considerations in a high-impact research field with growing importance given the global climate crisis.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the applicability of the quadratic failure hypothesis (QFH) on journal bearings coated with a white metal sliding layer on the prediction of safe and unsafe operating conditions. The hypothesis covers operation conditions under static and dynamical loading.

Material tests and elastohydrodynamic, as well as structural, simulations were conducted to provide the required input data for the failure hypothesis. Component samples were tested to verify the results of the QFH.

The load bearing capacity of journal bearings was analysed for different operating conditions by the use of the QFH. Results allow for the identification of critical and non-critical loading conditions and are in accordance with component test results.

Today’s design guidelines for journal bearings do not consider a multi-axial stress state and actual stress distribution. The applied hypothesis enables consideration of multiaxiality inside the sliding surface layer, as well as determining the location of bearing fatigue due to material overload.

Current research lacks a clear definition of blended learning in entrepreneurship education (EE), a comprehensive overview of the recent research, and a conceptualization of different types of blends with their respective challenges and advantages. In response to that, the author systematically reviewed the literature on blended learning in EE and developed four archetypes of blends for entrepreneurship educators.

The author conducted a systematic literature review and identified 75 relevant peer-reviewed articles published between 2004 and 2021.

The findings suggest that blended learning is a common yet underexplored and undertheorized phenomenon in EE. The findings display the rationale and motives, educator characteristics, content, teaching methods, student characteristics, and results of blended learning in EE.

The paper is original because it posits blended learning as an independent and unique mode of delivery in EE. In addition, the author suggests four archetypes of blends in EE: the traditional blend, the for-action blend, the in-action blend, and the experiential blend. For each of these blends, the author identified specific advantages and challenges and discussed under which circumstances educators may employ them.

In a recent quasi-experimental study, the effects of a large German public startup support measure entitled “EXIST – Business Startup Grant” (EGS) on a variety of outcomes were determined, but without examining which factors are responsible for these program effects. The present study investigates the contribution of several factors to the success of the program in promoting product development and business planning.

By means of a two-wave panel design and fixed-effects panel regressions, evidence is generated that provides unique insights into the effect mechanisms of a publicly funded startup grant. The data for the study come from the program monitoring of the startup support measure.

Several factors were identified that significantly drive the effects of the program on the product development and business planning stages, namely the program-induced improvement of the skills of the startup team, intensification of cooperation with pilot customers/users, increase in the degree of networking and advice/support from third parties and the effort put into business plan preparation.

Startup support programs are a crucial aspect of technology and innovation policies, which are often evaluated in order to find out whether they generate effects. Assessing whether a program is effective or not, however, does not usually allow specific recommendations on how to improve the measure to be developed. Further information on the mechanisms of intervention is needed for this purpose. The present study takes up on this idea and provides this information for a specific type of public startup support measure.

The European Commission is pursuing an initiative to establish European Public Sector Accounting Standards (EPSAS) as a common mandatory set of rules for financial reporting of all member states of the European Union (EU). As a basis for developing EPSAS, the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) are being used. The purpose of this paper is to structure and analyze the discussion around EPSAS, with particular emphasis on the arguments that were brought forward by governments and other stakeholders of various EU countries regarding the suitability of IPSAS.

Drawing on several schools of thought in new institutional theory, how the prevailing institutional contexts in countries influence the debates is explored. Empirically, this research investigates the responses to a consultation on the suitability of IPSAS for EU member states and takes a closer look, via document analysis, at France and Germany as two critical cases.

It is found that, first, the majority of arguments from respondents are framed in a rational choice way. Second, skeptics of IPSAS tend to make arguments rather from positions closer to historical and/or sociological institutionalism.

The paper illustrates that while technical matters around EPSAS seem solvable, political, historical and cultural differences go deeper, and need to be addressed by change agents. Regarding limitations of the research, first, the analysis concentrates on financial reporting and does not deal with the implications for more reliable and comparable national accounts in the context of the European System of Accounts (ESA, 2010). Second, it is focused on debates in the context of the EPSAS proposal, and there is a need for an evaluation after the changes have gone live.

The study looks at a text genre that has so far received less attention in public sector accounting research: responses to consultations. The paper contributes to the literature by showing how institutional contexts matter in settings characterized by contestation of reform contents.