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The purpose of this paper is to develop a method for the existence, uniqueness and globally robust stability of the equilibrium point for Cohen–Grossberg neural networks with time-varying delays, continuous distributed delays and a kind of discontinuous activation functions.

Based on the Leray–Schauder alternative theorem and chain rule, by using a novel integral inequality dealing with monotone non-decreasing function, the authors obtain a delay-dependent sufficient condition with less conservativeness for robust stability of considered neural networks.

It turns out that the authors’ delay-dependent sufficient condition can be formed in terms of linear matrix inequalities conditions. Two examples show the effectiveness of the obtained results.

The novelty of the proposed approach lies in dealing with a new kind of discontinuous activation functions by using the Leray–Schauder alternative theorem, chain rule and a novel integral inequality on monotone non-decreasing function.

The aim of the current study is to empirically assess the effects of organizational flexibility on project portfolio (PP) performance, with the mediating role of innovation and moderating effects of environmental dynamism (ED) and absorptive capability (AC).

Data were collected from 173 manufacturing firms and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with the help of a partial least squares (PLS) approach.

Results show that innovation partially mediates the relationship between organizational flexibility and PP performance. Furthermore, the moderating effect of ED between organizational flexibility and innovation was analyzed. Additionally, AC also observed as a moderator between innovation and PP performance.

Based on the resource-based view, this study contributes to the literature by addressing the roles of innovation, ED and AC in the relationship between organizational flexibility and PP performance. Implications for managers also discussed in the end; for example, to be more competitive, they should incorporate flexibility into the firm to encourage innovation. It also emphasizes to select new innovative opportunities that correspondingly have effects on the PP performance.

To analyze internationalization patterns among large Russian multinational corporations (MNCs).

Case study analysis of systematic internationalization attempts within three industries: IT, banking, and steel. For case studies, secondary data was used along with industry expert interviews.

The first finding is that Russian firms actively pursuing internationalization strategies through mergers and acquisitions (M&As) and greenfield investments were not as successful as several optimistic assessments had earlier suggested. Few global corporate champions emerged among Russian MNCs, despite a decade of record high outward foreign direct investments (OFDI). Secondly, we observed the unique trend of splitting operations between international and Russian businesses, which proved more sustainable than operating as a single firm. For example, the IBS-Luxoft group achieved success through gradual legal and organizational separation of branches in order to serve rising demand in developed markets and from its Russian business within the same industry. This double-headed strategy divides a business into two parts that are controlled by the same owners, but operate independently: one firm operates within the home market, while another firm aims to expand globally. This seems to be a typical trend, confirming recent findings for Russian small and medium enterprise (SME) internationalization and reinforcing earlier literature on institutional constraints in the Russian economy.

We analyzed major cases from three actively internationalizing industries. For each industry, we extensively analyzed one main case in particular. Industries’ choice also affects specific internationalization strategies.

This study identifies two distinct approaches in the literature on Russian business internationalization and attempts to combine both. We will also highlight organizational dilemmas as well as patterns in Russian businesses’ successful and failed internationalization strategies over the last decade. We identified an original double-headed internationalization strategy consisting of the separation of the national and global businesses, rather than leveraging their synergy. We will also question the established optimistic assessment of Russian MNC internationalization.

Order picking is one of the most costly logistics processes in warehouses. As a result, the optimization of order picking processes has received an increased attention in recent years. One potential source for improving order picking is the reduction of picker blocking. The purpose of this paper is to investigate picker blocking under different storage assignment and order picker-route combinations and evaluate its effects on the performance of manual order picking processes.

This study develops an agent-based simulation model (ABS) for order picking in a rectangular warehouse. By employing an ABS, we are able to study the behaviour of individual order pickers and their interactions with the environment.

The simulation model determines shortest mean throughput times when the same routing policy is assigned to all order pickers. In addition, it evaluates the efficiency of alternative routing policies–storage assignment combinations.

The paper implies that ABS is well-suited for further investigations in the field of picker blocking, for example, with respect to the individual behaviour of agents.

Based on the results of this paper, warehouse managers can choose an appropriate routing policy that best matches their storage assignment policy and the number of order pickers employed.

This paper is the first to comprehensively study the effects of different combinations of order picker routing and storage assignment policies on the occurrence of picker blocking.

In this chapter, the main research outcomes are discussed and analyzed in connection with relevant studies in the field. The ambition has been to focus on whether the result matches with the present body of the literature or not, and what new thoughts and ideas can be generated by comparing and matching the literature and the results of the underlying study. Emphasis is on the changes that have taken place during the operation of the ventures over a longer period. In the cases, the business operations have been discussed in three phases and sometimes in two phases. But for the purpose of the literature linkage, changes are analyzed in two steps. Step one discusses major changes in the beginning (mainly phase one), while step two covers changes that have taken place in the other two phases.

In the era of industry 4.0, managing the design is a challenging mission. Within a dynamic environment, several disciplines have adopted the complex adaptive system (CAS) perspective. Therefore, this paper aims to explore how we may deepen our understanding of the design process as a CAS. In this respect, the key complexity drivers of the design process are discussed and an organizational decomposition for the simulation of the design process as CAS is conducted.

The proposed methodology comprises three steps. First, the complexity drivers of the design process are presented and are matched with those of CAS. Second, an analysis of over 111 selected papers is presented to choose the appropriate model for the design process from the CAS theory. Third, the paper provides methodological guidelines to develop an organizational decision support system that supports the complexity of the design process.

An analysis of the key drivers of design process complexity shows the need to adopt the CAS theory. In addition to that, a comparative analysis between all the organizational methodologies developed in the literature leads the authors to conclude that agent-oriented Software Process for engineering complex System is the appropriate methodology for simulating the design process. In this respect, a system requirements phase of the decision support system is conducted.

The originality of this paper lies in the fact of analysing the complexity of the design process as a CAS. In doing so, all the richness of the CAS theory can be used to meet the challenges of those already existing in the theory of the design.

The purpose of this paper is to retrace the sources of robustness of the operations of Russian manufacturing subsidiaries of western multinational corporation (MNC) during the downturn, from the point of view of applied human resource management (HRM) practices.

A repeated survey of heads of Russian manufacturing plants of western MNCs was implemented. The same respondents aswered the similar questions in 2014 and in 2016.

The current evolution of HRM arrangements in the Russian manufacturing subsidiaries of MNCs can be explained by an attempt for ambidexterity. On the one hand, managers of the Russian manufacturing subsidiaries of MNCs attempt to prevent employee alienation. Thus, they retain permanent contracts and preserve guarantees of home-take pay. On the other hand, there is the elimination of several social benefits. In the author’s opinion, the cost-minimization approach has been used excessively. The authors speculate that the system of social benefits will need to be adjusted again to transform the system from one that is “crisis-proof” to one that is “stagnation adapted.”

The findings provide a basis for a broader discussion on mutation of HRM systems in manufacturing subsidiaries of MNCs facing deteriorating market conditions.

The purpose of this paper is to look into state ownership and political support as two factors that influence the process of internationalization of Russian MNEs.

The authors observe the theory and empirical evidence behind the phenomenon.

The authors find that state ownership and governmental political support are two mechanisms of the transformation of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to MNEs in Russia.

The topic is not covered sufficiently in the literature. The paper is based on the recent findings by the paper co-authors.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential of single-walled carbon nanotubes as mass sensors by developing analytical expressions and then comparing the outcome with structural mechanics corresponding predictions.

The carbon nanotube (CNT) resonators are assumed to be either single or double clamped. Analytical formulas capable of describing the vibrational behavior of such CNT-based nanoresonators with an attached mass at nanotube tip or various intermediate positions are developed by combining the Euler–Bernoulli theory and Krylov–Duncan functions.

The validity and the accuracy of these formulas are examined for a wide range of cases via comparisons with corresponding results arisen by spring- or beam-based structural mechanics predictions. Both structural mechanics approaches utilize three-dimensional nanoscale elements formulated according to the molecular theory. The results indicate that the new sensor equations may be utilized for the estimation of vibration response of CNT-based mass sensors with reasonable accuracy.

Simple analytical formulas are proved to approximate the mass sensing ability of CNTs adequately, the fact that may significantly contribute in the effort of developing new sensor devices.

This work was focused upon the main factors that influence the formation of a hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) supramolecular complex with octadecylamine (ODA) and their optimal processing conditions. The anti-corrosion properties of the products in the simulated boiler water condensate of power plants also needed to be tested. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

A grinding method was applied to synthesize the supramolecular structures. Using Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR), the specific structures of the complex were clarified. The anti-corrosion properties were obtained from gravimetric results, potentiodynamic polarization tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements.

The results reveal the highly soluble supramolecular complex could be formed between two HP-β-CD molecules and one ODA molecule at 85°C with a processing period of 15 minutes. In the condensate, the corrosion inhibition efficiency of the complex was over 95 percent, much higher than the inhibition efficiency of the hydrophobic ODA compound.

The supramolecular corrosion inhibitor could be used as an anti-corrosion method for industrial boiler condensate to reduce the content of corrosive ions. In this way, it is easier to reuse the condensate without re-polishing.

The research introduces supramolecular chemistry into corrosion science for the first time. The results provide a new option to modify the traditional corrosion inhibitors.