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This paper aims to study whether international niche market leaders (INMLs) gained their leading position as early mover or diligent follower, and assess whether they leveraged hard or soft forms of technological, supply pre-emption and customer lock-in advantage mechanisms.

Empirical material stems from qualitative and quantitative data on a sample of 20 niche companies from the Basque Country (Spain) that operate in business to business markets.

The sample predominantly followed an early entrant strategy and applied soft measures to reach niche market leadership.

Findings imply that early entering fosters conquering leadership in niche markets, that pioneer advantage is easier to sustain in niches than in mainstream markets, and that soft measures are more effective in niche markets than in larger markets. A limitation to our findings is that they follow from explorative research on a sample of firms from a reduced geographic setting.

Hidden champions and INMLs can be important sources of technological progress and economic value for the localities that host them. Therefore, despite their traditional low profile and the fact that they are not always the largest firms around, policymakers may want to pay more attention to this type of companies.

Tot he best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to research entry timing and its outcome for market leadership with regard to niche players or hidden champions-type of firms. It introduces an original taxonomy to operationalize and distinguish between hard and soft measures to leverage advantage mechanisms related to market entry timing.

The present research identifies a total of nine factors influencing tax avoidance under the international taxation regime of the developing countries and establishes a hierarchical relationship through modeling of the identified factors using modified-total interpretive structural modeling (M-TISM).

Due to “scale without mass” properties of the digital economy, businesses reduce their physical presence in the countries of economic activities. Aided with digital features, multinational enterprises (MNEs) avoid, abolish, or adopt flexible tax burden in the developing nations through by-passing the permanent establishment condition for company taxes or the income characterization prerequisite for royalty taxation. The present research endeavors to identify the drivers of tax avoidance in the developing countries, especially exacerbated due to digital technologies (economy). In addition, the authors also examine the hierarchical relation between the extracted drivers of tax avoidance.

This research presents a considerable driving force of elements like historical foundation of tax-treaties, dominance of the developed countries, influence of trade bodies in policy matters and finally information and communications technologies (ICTs).

Identified elements drive the actors like professional enablers, tax havens, international organizations, and intangible assets in the form of intellectual properties (IPs) which act upon tax arbitrage situations both under the domestic and treaty regulations, finally culminating into profit shifting, tax manipulations or avoidance.

Based on profound information lacking in compiled information materials, the risks of losing knowledge related to the values of traditional woodworking processes are increasing. The purpose of this article is to collect and structure diverse marking tool data into a comprehensive, understandable and clear design schematic view, which serves as a basis for the accumulation and preservation of diverse marking objects and shows woodworking marking tool relation in the group and subgroup levels.

A method for marking tools structuring and analysis are described, including breaking down a set of objects into groups of marking objects, and assigning one or more attributes to the parcelled objects by arranging them into hierarchic levels. Research is based on marking tools used by carpenters, joiners and woodcarvers mainly in the Baltic region.

Collected data, object analyses and comparison within-group and subgroup levels are based on written and visual sources, museum and museum funds visits, and participation in the local craftsmen events. The created structure is expandable in group and subgroup levels. The most comprehensive way for object structuring is chosen as a base to reveal a diversity of the objects.

Structure schemes of woodworking marking tools are important in scientific, educative and cultural levels based on their wide range and use. Aggregated information of the woodworking tools serves as a base for existing tool studies and improvement, new tool and wood product creation as well as complements the structure of the upcoming woodworking hand tool database and book.

This paper aims to present the design development and measurement of two aerodynamic slotted X-bands back-to-back planer substrate-integrated rectangular waveguide (SIRWG/SIW) to Microstrip (MS) line transition for satellite and RADAR applications. It facilitates the realization of nonplanar (waveguide-based) circuits into planar form for easy integration with other planar (microstrip) devices, circuits and systems. This paper describes the design of a SIW to microstrip transition. The transition is broadband covering the frequency range of 8–12 GHz. The design and interconnection of microwave components like filters, power dividers, resonators, satellite dishes, sensors, transmitters and transponders are further aided by these transitions. A common planar interconnect is designed with better reflection coefficient/return loss (RL) (S₁₁/S₂₂ ≤ 10 dB), transmission coefficient/insertion loss (IL) (S₁₂/S₂₁: 0–3.0 dB) and ultra-wideband bandwidth on low profile FR-4 substrate for X-band and Ku-band functioning to interconnect modern era MIC/MMIC circuits, components and devices.

Two series of metal via (6 via/row) have been used so that all surface current and electric field vectors are confined within the metallic via-wall in SIW length. Introduced aerodynamic slots in tapered portions achieve excellent impedance matching and tapered junctions with SIW are mitered for fine tuning to achieve minimum reflections and improved transmissions at X-band center frequency.

Using this method, the measured IL and RLs are found in concord with simulated results in full X-band (8.22–12.4 GHz). RLC T-equivalent and p-equivalent electrical circuits of the proposed design are presented at the end.

The measurement of the prototype has been carried out by an available low-cost X-band microwave bench and with a Keysight E4416A power meter in the microwave laboratory.

The transition is fabricated on FR-4 substrate with compact size 14 mm × 21.35 mm × 1.6 mm and hence economical with IL lie within limits 0.6–1 dB and RL is lower than −10 dB in bandwidth 7.05–17.10 GHz. Because of such outstanding fractional bandwidth (FBW: 100.5%), the transition could also be useful for Ku-band with IL close to 1.6 dB.

Tactile communication that relies on the human sense of touch replicated using vibration motors is increasingly being explored for seamless communication on construction jobsite. However, the technological efficacy cannot secure the users’ acceptability of the tactile communication devices. This study aims to assess the factors affecting the wearability of such a portable tactile device based on the responses from practicing professionals.

The investigation adapted a three-step phenomenological interviewing approach to seek feedback from construction personnel in Texas, the USA, regarding the viability of wearable tactile communication. The interviewees expressed various opinions about the on-body placement upon exposure to a portable tactile feedback prototype developed for this study, which was used to derive inferences regarding the factors affecting its on-field acceptability.

All the participants of the round-table study (11 out of 11) considered tactile feedback as a viable mode of communication on construction jobsite. Seven professionals supported the integration of a tactile device with the hard hat, whereas the rest preferred tactile eyeglasses. Weatherability, rechargeability, traceability, safety and social receptivity were identified as the major factors affecting the on-body placement of the wearable tactile communication device.

This paper presents a roadmap to gain construction industry opinion on the factors that can affect the on-body placement of a wearable tactile communication device. The five aforementioned factors impacting tactile communication acceptability were used to evaluate 10 potential on-body placements. The findings have implications for research and development of wearable tactile devices and the subsequent acceptability of such a device on the jobsite.

This study attempts to explain the impact of Fintech on the Asian economies through two main indicators, inflation and unemployment over the period 2011-2014-2017.

This study uses panel data regression models to explain the relationship between Fintech, inflation as an indicator of currency circulation and unemployment since Fintech has disrupted the labor market.

Empirical results show a consistently strong and positive relationship between the development of financial technologies and the reduction of inflation and unemployment unless these technologies are actively used. Digital finance has become a new driver of economic development. Therefore, governors should not only improve their economies but also expand their information and communication technologies to develop their digital infrastructure, especially for businesses.

The present study contributes to the existing literature on the impact of disruptive digital innovation on the socioeconomic development of emerging countries. The empirical evidence highlights the importance of distinguishing between active and passive uses of Fintech in order to anticipate its economic impact.

Research has focused primarily on the antecedents that influence the risk taking of CEOs themselves. This study examines how an important event experienced by a CEO at a direct rival firm influences a CEO's risk-taking. It also examines how prior firm performance relative to aspirations moderates the relationship.

In order to test the hypothesis, the authors perform an a difference-in-differences methodology.

Using a difference-in-differences methodology, we find that when a CEO wins a prestigious CEO award, competitor CEOs increase their firm risk-taking in the post-award period. The proclivity becomes stronger when their prior firm performance relative to aspirations is better. These findings suggest that a CEO winning a prominent CEO award influences competitor CEOs' risk-taking.

This study contributes to the literature on managerial risk-taking by highlighting that a star CEO winning a prominent award may serve as a striving aspiration and induce competitor CEOs to take risks, and that two different types of aspirations – striving and competitive aspirations – interact to influence the competitor CEOs' risk-taking.