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This paper aims to develop efficient and simple models for thermal distribution, melt pool dimensions and controlled phase change in the laser additive manufacturing (AM) of bulk and powder particles ceramic materials.

This paper proposes new analytical models for the AM of bulk and powder bed ceramic materials. A volumetric moving heat source, along with the complete melting of bulk and powder particle materials, is taken into account. Different values of laser absorption coefficient in solid and liquid states have been used to investigate the phase transformation. Furthermore, the pores and voids dimensions are also included in the modeling. Theoretical predictions have been compared with the experimental analyses and finite element simulations in laser to silicon nitride and laser to alumina interaction. The analysis focuses on the impact of laser power and scanning speed on the melt pool width and depth evolution into the bulk substrate and powder bed.

This study shows that the powder particles exhibit a higher thermal distribution value than the bulk substrate because of voids in the powder layer. The laser beam experiences multiple reflections in the presence of porosity/voids, thus increasing the surface absorption coefficient, which becomes relevant with the increment in the pore/void dimension. A direct relationship has been found between the laser power and melt pool dimensions, while the scanning speed displayed an inverse relationship for the melt pool width and length. Larger melt dimensions were inferred in the case of laser–powder particle interaction compared with laser–bulk substrate interaction. A close correlation was found between the analytical simulations, experimental investigations and numerical simulation results within the range of 4%–8%.

This paper fulfills an identified need to develop efficient and simplified models for ceramics laser AM by taking into account different laser absorption coefficients in solid and liquid form, voids and pores dimensions and controlled phase transformation to avoid vapors and plasma formation. The limitation of the finite element simulation model is that the solution is strongly dependent on the mesh quality and accuracy directly linked to the computation efficiency and time. A finer mesh requires a longer computing time than a coarse mesh. Finite element simulations require, however, specialized skills.

The purpose of this paper is to set focus on, and discuss the concept of knowledge, and show how the interrelations between knowledge and other concepts, such as learning, have become a decisive element in managing human resources and firm performance.

The dimensions of knowledge management are identified and related to learning, organizational configurations, human resources management and institutional environments in order to identify and percent the most important approaches to knowledge management and the development over time.

Creating, transforming and utilizing various kinds of knowledge as a firm‐specific asset is a very important element of firm competitiveness and innovative performance. In managing knowledge learning and innovation learning approaches are central. The paper identifies various approaches to learning and strategies to innovation and illustrates how combinations of these might benefit firm performance. It also stresses the preconditions of employee involvement and participation to knowledge management and not least the importance of interaction with environmental resources. To improve performance firms should be aware of the importance of deliberately combining various approaches to innovation and learning in order to include a maximum of actors as sources in building knowledge assets and strategies.

Most of the empirical examples are from private sector enterprises, even though the theoretical arguments should also be valid for the public sector.

The paper relates knowledge management to theoretical approaches on learning, organization and innovation and shows the growing importance of these constructs in firm performance.

This chapter outlines key areas of literature and policy that have influenced or affected our research on the comparative study of adult education. Policy influences include the growth of lifelong learning within a neoliberal framing since the 1990s and the rise of ‘evidence-based’ approaches with a narrow reliance on quantitative data. Much of our work has been inspired by the need to critique these trends, adopt broader approaches to lifelong learning and defend the more democratic traditions of adult education. Important areas of theoretical inspiration, many of which interrogate these policy developments, are also outlined. The critical reinterpretation of historical adult education practices is another important area of work and inspiration. In relation to sustainability, we have been influenced particularly by the capabilities approach.

Interest in the conference on ‘Raw Materials‐ The Prospects for the Paints and Inks Industry’ being sponsored by this journal at the Mount Royal Hotel, Oxford Street, London on April 29–30, is now gathering momentum. Apart from numerous inquiries, many reservations have already been made, including from overseas.

Standardisation in education is an ambiguous process. Standards of time, measurement, technology and other aspects have evolved historically as basic preconditions for social life and communication, in education as well as in society at large. But excessive standardisation, especially in domains of culture and knowledge, often works as cultural and symbolic violence, undermining the qualities of education and learning situations. This chapter investigates these ambiguities, presenting concepts of standards and standardisation and developing their implications for education through selected theoretical contributions and empirical cases. The theoretical contributions include Berger and Luckmann's constructivist sociology of knowledge, Bourdieu's theory of symbolic capital and Habermas' theory of communicative action. The empirical cases include the processes of centralisation and standardisation of education in the United States and the process of standardisation in European higher education.

The purpose of the paper is to examine the synthesis of polyaniline (PAn) and poly(m‐toluidine) (PmT) via an inverse emulsion polymerisation pathway and evaluate of the synthesised polymers as corrosion inhibitors for steel protection in surface coatings.

PAn and PmT were prepared by inverse emulsion polymerisation using ammonium persulphate as an initiator and sodium dodecylbenzene sulphonate (SDBS) as an emulsifier. Spectrophotometric measurements were conducted to characterise the prepared polymers. Latex paint formulations were prepared and dry paint films were evaluated for their physical, mechanical and corrosion protection performance.

The prepared conducting polymers of PAn and PmT are good candidates for enhancing the corrosion protection of steel. They showed good performance as corrosion inhibitors in latex paints without bad side effects on the physico‐mechanical properties of paint films.

Recent advances in corrosion protection of steel by coatings via inverse emulsion polymerisation of aniline and m‐toluidine have improved performance of anti‐corrosive water‐borne paints. Using formulations based on this new technology, offer uncompromised high performance eco‐friendly anti‐corrosive water‐borne systems that answer the future industrial demands from the economical and environmental points of view.

PAn and PmT prepared by inverse emulsion polymerisation showed promising results as corrosion inhibitors for steel protection. The polymerisation process was conducted in water (emulsion polymerisation) and the polymer lattices were incorporated in water borne paints from ecological and economical points of view.

Agricultural accounting is gaining ground across different disciplines, rendering it a significant research area. This study aims to assess agricultural accounting research for the past 93 years in terms of publication frequency, subject areas, topics that received the most attention among researchers, as well as the institutions that contribute to this subject area.

This study employs a bibliometric analysis collected through the Scopus database. The sample included 3,612 documents. The analyzed variables include the number of publications per year, documents published, country, author affiliation, keywords and active institutions. Analyses include graphical network maps.

The findings of this study reveal the importance of supportive institutions, human capabilities and international collaboration in aiding research and development. It provides an overview of agricultural accounting literature over the years and aid researchers in this research domain to explore more studies and develop better arguments. The results also indicate the continuing growth in the number of publications in recent years by authorship; country include the USA, China, the UK, Australia and Germany; institutes include Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wageningen University and Research Centre; and the subject areas include Environmental Science; Agriculture and Biology sciences; and Social Sciences. The most frequent keywords connecting to author’s area of research, as highlighted in Figure 5, include agriculture, accounting, water accounting, environmental accounting and cost analysis.

The study is based on the Scopus database, which has limited coverage. The keywords of the literature search were restricted to “agriculture and accounting” or “agricultural and accounting” and the research approach limited to quantitative perspective.

The findings may benefit policymakers as well as academicians toward understanding the areas of interest in agricultural accounting.

This study provides the potential areas within agricultural accounting literature in a broader scope that deserve multiple accounting practices to cover diverse agricultural activities such as cost accounting, financial reporting, managerial accounting, auditing, taxation and financial information systems. The study suggests developing countries promote innovative research on agricultural practice to meet global scientific and technological developments.

This study aims to examine the effect of organizational relationship style (employees' relationships with colleagues, supervisors, and the organization) on the sharing of knowledge in high‐tech companies; it goes on to determine which particular relationship style is the most important in accounting for the extent of knowledge sharing in these companies.

The study uses a quantitative approach. Research hypotheses are tested by statistical methods including Pearson Correlation and Structural Equation Modeling. A total of 300 questionnaires were distributed, of which 182 valid questionnaires were returned (a 61 percent response).

An organization should establish, and maintain, relationships between employees to improve the sharing of knowledge within the organization, ensure a high interaction between employees, and create well‐arranged knowledge resources for the organization.

The research shows that managers in the high‐tech industry need to pay more attention to the interaction among organizational members. The relationship of an employee with the organization, supervisor and colleagues, and thus the willingness to share knowledge, can be improved via job rotation, implementation of a mentoring system, and role‐playing activities.

The significant findings of the study relate to high‐tech industry in Taiwan. The proposed model can be replicated in other industrial and country settings in order to test its generality.

The present study aims to revalidate a measurement scale for organizational learning capability in the context of university faculty members. This is a particularly relevant context because it deals with knowledge‐intensive services. Following Chiva et al., organizational learning capability was conceptualized as a second factor construct including five dimensions: experimentation, risk taking, interaction with the external environment, dialogue and participative decision making.

Data were collected from the Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, a leading university in Costa Rica. The survey was addressed to faculty members. A total of 795 valid questionnaires were obtained. Using confirmatory factor analysis, the construct measurement model was tested and the scale was validated.

The results show the internal consistency and the satisfactory factorial structure of the scale within the context of knowledge‐intensive services.

This validation of organizational learning capability measurement instruments has considered cultural differences (Spain vs Costa Rica), sectorial differences (industrial vs services), and the different educational background distribution of the sample. Another contribution of our study is the consideration of the non‐independence of observations through the complex Mplus method, since the samples in human resource research are affected by multilevel influences.