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This article has been withdrawn as it was published elsewhere and accidentally duplicated. The original article can be seen here: 10.1108/eb007296. When citing the article, please…
Abstract
This article has been withdrawn as it was published elsewhere and accidentally duplicated. The original article can be seen here: 10.1108/eb007296. When citing the article, please cite: C. Wrubl, A. Mollica, U. Montini, A. Litigio, (1991), “Corrosion performance of cataphoretically painted specimens: A comparison between salt spray and continuous immersion tests”, Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 38 Iss: 6, pp. 11 - 15.
C. Wrubl, A. Mollica, U. Montini and A. Litigio
The salt‐spray test is still today often utilized to control the anticorrosive performance of paints applied on metallic substrates. The time required for this test method is much…
Abstract
The salt‐spray test is still today often utilized to control the anticorrosive performance of paints applied on metallic substrates. The time required for this test method is much shorter than that necessary to carry out the atmospheric exposure test (some weeks instead of many years). Nevertheless the results provided by the salt spray test are only qualitative and their extrapolability to the real behaviour of the paint system's film‐metallic substrate is very difficult. Moreover, in some cases there is a discrepancy between the results of the salt spray test and the reality; for instance, it was observed some time ago that hot‐dip galvanized steel constitutes a better substrate for paints than bare steel, whereas the salt spray test results indicate the contrary. The present work represents only a part of a more conspicuous set of observations devoted to a comparison of laboratory and field results. In this first stage we examined, by means of salt spray and total immersion tests, the behaviour of bare steel and hot‐dip galvanized steel substrates, both phosphatized and coated by the same paint. The aim of this work was to ascertain if the results of the two methods are in accordance and, moreover, to compare the qualitative information given by the salt spray tests with those, quantitative, obtained by the electrode impedance technique on specimens immersed in 3% NaCl solution. By means of this technique it is possible to determine at the same time the values of the paint film resistance, of its capacitance, of the polarisation resistance and of the double layer pseudocapacitance related to the corrosion taking place on the metallic substrate and to ascertain the eventual intervention of diffusive phenomena into the corrosive process. Finally, this electrochemical method, because its non‐destructive nature, permits one to observe the variation of the values of overmentioned parameters as a function of time and therefore to interpret the evolution of the corrosion process.
C. Wrubl, M. Fassin, A. Buffoli and A. Mollica
In the present work, the protective properties of inhibitive pigments in two epoxy‐primers against corrosion of the aluminium alloy 2024T3 in marine atmosphere were investigated…
Abstract
In the present work, the protective properties of inhibitive pigments in two epoxy‐primers against corrosion of the aluminium alloy 2024T3 in marine atmosphere were investigated, the first containing SrCrO4 and the second Zn3(PO4)2. Potentiostatic polarisation and impedance measurement methods were utilised to evaluate, both the spontaneous onset of defects on coated samples and the propagation of a small artificial defect of known dimension applied since the beginning of the test on each sample, during 24 months of exposure to the marine atmosphere. These techniques enabled a quantitative evaluation of the protective efficiency of the two primers to be made, and for the effects of the surface pre‐treatments of the metallic substrate to be investigated.
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Stefan Colza Lee and William Eid Junior
This paper aims to identify a possible mismatch between the theory found in academic research and the practices of investment managers in Brazil.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to identify a possible mismatch between the theory found in academic research and the practices of investment managers in Brazil.
Design/methodology/approach
The chosen approach is a field survey. This paper considers 78 survey responses from 274 asset management companies. Data obtained are analyzed using independence tests between two variables and multiple regressions.
Findings
The results show that most Brazilian investment managers have not adopted current best practices recommended by the financial academic literature and that there is a significant gap between academic recommendations and asset management practices. The modern portfolio theory is still more widely used than the post-modern portfolio theory, and quantitative portfolio optimization is less often used than the simple rule of defining a maximum concentration limit for any single asset. Moreover, the results show that the normal distribution is used more than parametrical distributions with asymmetry and kurtosis to estimate value at risk, among other findings.
Originality/value
This study may be considered a pioneering work in portfolio construction, risk management and performance evaluation in Brazil. Although academia in Brazil and abroad has thoroughly researched portfolio construction, risk management and performance evaluation, little is known about the actual implementation and utilization of this research by Brazilian practitioners.
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Djula Borozan and Dubravka Pekanov Starcevic
The purpose of this paper is to explore the developments in final electricity consumption, estimate the portions of changes that can be attributed to national, sectoral or…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the developments in final electricity consumption, estimate the portions of changes that can be attributed to national, sectoral or regional factors, and to investigate determinants of the regional component (RC) in Croatia at the subnational level in the period 2001-2013.
Design/methodology/approach
In the first stage, the dynamic shift-share method is used to decompose final electricity consumption, and then, in the second stage, the panel population-averaged logit model is conducted to find the main determinants of the extracted RC.
Findings
The results show that both the sectoral factor and the regional factor are responsible for an increase in electricity consumption over the period considered, whereby the regional specificities had a larger impact in general. Thereby, the most developed regions, including the tourism-oriented ones, exhibited the largest average increase in electricity consumption mainly due to positive effects of the regional-specific factors, while the negative effects of these factors were mainly responsible for low average rates of changes in electricity consumption in less developed regions.
Practical implications
The results suggest that regional-specific energy conservation programs might be more effective in improving energy efficiency than the sector-oriented ones, as well as that socio-economic and contextual determinants matter when it comes to the probability of having a positive regional effect on the electricity consumption rate.
Originality/value
The paper investigated the determinants of the extracted RC which has not yet been addressed in the energy economics literature.
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Naeem Gul Gilal, Jing Zhang and Faheem Gul Gilal
In the modern era, the significance of product design has increased because customers’ priorities in the evaluation of products have changed from product price to product design…
Abstract
Purpose
In the modern era, the significance of product design has increased because customers’ priorities in the evaluation of products have changed from product price to product design. Companies consider product design to be one of the most important sources of competitive advantage and standards for evaluating their performance. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop and validate a new scale to measure product design along with its dimensions.
Design/methodology/approach
An extensive literature review and consumer interviews and surveys were conducted to generate an initial item pool. Exploratory factor analysis was used to reduce the initial item pool, and confirmatory factor analysis was performed for measurement validation. A total of four separate studies were conducted for the conceptualization and operationalization of a product design scale.
Findings
Using data from three samples, the authors develop and validate a new scale to measure product design along affective, cognitive, ergonomic and reflective dimensions. Furthermore, the results provide strong evidence of the reliability, discriminant validity, measurement invariance and nomological validity of the four product design dimensions. Finally, the effects of these product design dimensions on harmonious and obsessive brand passion were assessed. The results show that the affective and reflective dimensions appear to be prominent for capturing the obsessive brand passion, whereas the cognitive and ergonomic dimensions are capable of increasing harmonious brand passion.
Originality/value
This is the first study that develops and validates the measurement of product design as a four-dimensional construct that can be transferred to a scale and applied across a wide range of product categories.
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Shulamit Ramon, Helen Brooks, Sarah Rae and Mary-Jane O’Sullivan
This review paper will look at internationally existing publications in the English language on mental health shared decision making (SDM) implementation of a variety of…
Abstract
Purpose
This review paper will look at internationally existing publications in the English language on mental health shared decision making (SDM) implementation of a variety of interventions, including different methodologies and research methods, age groups and countries. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of: process, degree and outcomes of implementation; barriers and facilitators; perspectives on implementation by different stakeholders; analysis of the process of implementation in mental health services through the lenses of the normalisation process theory (NPT).
Design/methodology/approach
Following a targeted literature search the data were analysed in order to provide an overview of methodologies and methods applied in the articles, as well as of the variables listed above. Three different types of information were included: a content analysis of key issues, reflective understanding coming out of participating in implementation of an SDM project in the form of two narratives written by two key participants in an SDM pilot project and an NPT analysis of the process of implementation.
Findings
Only a minority of mental health SDM research focuses on implementation in everyday practice. It is possible and often desirable to achieve SDM in mental health services; it requires a low level of technology, it can save time once routinized, and it is based on enhancing therapeutic alliance, as well as service users’ motivation. Implementation requires an explicit policy decision, a clear procedure, and regular adherence to the aims and methods of implementation by all participants. These necessary and sufficient conditions are rarely met, due to the different levels of commitment to SDM and its process by the different key stakeholders, as well as due to competing providers’ objectives and the time allocated to achieving them.
Originality/value
The review indicates both the need to take into account the complexity of SDM, as well as future strategies for enhancing its implementation in everyday mental health practice. Perhaps because applying SDM reflects a major cultural change in mental health practice, current value attached to SDM among clinicians and service managers would need to be more positive, prominent and enduring to enable a greater degree of implementation.
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Libing Nie, Hong Gong and Xiuping Lai
While implementing green innovation-driven strategies when facing growing grim environmental problems and the realistic demands of achieving high-quality development is…
Abstract
Purpose
While implementing green innovation-driven strategies when facing growing grim environmental problems and the realistic demands of achieving high-quality development is increasingly urgent, changing abruptly is inevitably detrimental to the smooth functioning of social and economic development. Restrained by resources, innovation-driven strategy is a huge strategy for an organization to shift from traditional technological innovation to green innovation. Supports and implementation in green technology investment would necessarily crowd out other business investment and lead to reduction of innovation outputs and mount of financial uncertainty. Under the guidance of harmonious balance, the equilibrium allocation between green research and non-green counterpart is badly needed to be addressed for decision-makers inside and outside the organizations. The differentiated inputs of them would lead to different effects on organizational performance in practice.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors first conducted a Hausman test on green research intensity (GRI) and innovation performance, economic performance, social performance, and environmental performance, respectively. Adopting the fixed effects model for estimation seems accurate, if there is no significant heteroscedasticity shown in the BP test. The authors then adopted the least square dummy variable method to handle individual heterogeneity (Xia et al., 2020). After controlling the industry effect and time effect simultaneously, the results were consistent with that of fixed effects model, thereby eliminating the impact of heteroscedasticity.
Findings
The authors construct a multi-dimensional performance system—innovation performance, economic performance, social performance, and environmental performance—to probe into the influence of GRI from the resource-based view and allocation theory. Different performance does not benefit equally from increasing the intensity of green research. Performance increase may squeeze out the quantity of total innovation but can compensate quality for knowledge spillovers of green technology. The organization's growth and long-term value may be beneficial from the increase, but not the short-term financial performance. While the relationship between GRI and social performance has the characteristic of reverse U-curve, there has to be some scale of green research to gain considerable and nonlinear environmental performance. Low level of green research may increase pollution until green research has cross over the inflection point. These relationships are intensely moderated by the environmental regulation.
Research limitations/implications
Because of the focus of this study is on the organizational performance of green research, the analysis comes with some limitations that should be addressed in future research. Data were inter-professional, with large enterprises and small businesses innovating green technology at the same time. Though the hypotheses presented here were grounded in existing theoretical rationale, the generality of this study cannot be assumed. Multi-performance of green activities in small- and medium-sized businesses should be further explored. Additionally, concrete index of the corresponding evaluation system constructed here contribute more to practical activities of green innovation. Refinement of synergy performance index is the task for future work. Further, grounded in Chinese context, the authors' results could be compared with other scenario with institutional heterogeneity to provide detailed evidences for institutional theory. Future studies could also move forward to longitudinal case study to delicately investigate the performance differentiation of green research when in different development stage.
Originality/value
First, what and how the authors do is novel as the authors use listed Chinese manufacturing companies to probe into the complex relationship between GRI and multiple performance rather than discussing the performance of green innovation input from a single perspective merely. Second, the authors systematically define the performance as economic performance, environmental performance, social performance and innovation performance in depth, which consider adequately the tangible and intangible value as well as internal and external benefits of green research. And finally, in the context of environmental regulation, the study discusses the differentiation of the increase of green research intensity from the perspective of resource constraints, providing reference for optimizing the resource allocation in green and non-green research and solving the decoupling between earnest social appeal and sluggish or reluctant green behaviors.
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The purpose of this paper is to explore automobile fuel efficiency policies in the presence of two externalities: a global environmental problem and international innovation…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore automobile fuel efficiency policies in the presence of two externalities: a global environmental problem and international innovation spillovers.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a simple model with two regions, the authors show that both a fuel tax and a tax on vehicles based on their fuel economy rating are needed to decentralize the first best.
Findings
If standards are used instead of taxes, the authors find that spillovers may alleviate free-riding. Under some conditions, a strict standard in one region may favor the adoption of a strict standard in the other one.
Originality/value
The authors also show that if policies are not coordinated between regions, the resulting gas taxes will be set too low and each region will use the tax on fuel rating to reduce the damage caused by foreign drivers.
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David Vance, Mingzhou Jin, Christopher Price, Sachin U. Nimbalkar and Thomas Wenning
The purpose of this paper is to review existing smart manufacturing (SM) maturity models' dimensions and maturity levels to assess their applicability and drawbacks. There are…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review existing smart manufacturing (SM) maturity models' dimensions and maturity levels to assess their applicability and drawbacks. There are many maturity models available but many of them have not been validated or do not provide a useful guide or tool for applications. This gap creates the need for a review of the existing maturity model's applicability.
Design/methodology/approach
Nineteen peer-reviewed maturity models related to “Digital Transformation,” “Industry 4.0” or “Smart Manufacturing” were selected based on a systematic literature review and five consulting firm models were selected based on the author's industry knowledge. The chosen models were analyzed to determine 10 categories of dimensions. Then they are assessed on a 1–5 scale for how applicable they are in the 10 categories of dimensions.
Findings
The five “consulting firm” models have a first-mover advantage, are more widely used in industry and are more applicable, but some require payment, and they lack published details and validation. The 19 “peer reviewed” models are not as widely used, lack awareness in the industry and are not as easy to apply because of no web tool for self-assessment, but they are improving. The categories defined to characterize the models and facilitate comparisons for users include “Information Technology (IT) and Cyber-Physical System (CPS) and Data,” “Strategy and Organization,” “Supply Chain and Logistics,” “Products and Services,” “Culture and Employees,” “Technology and Capabilities,” “Customer and Market,” “Cybersecurity and Risk,” “Leadership and Management” and “Governance and Compliance.” The analyzed maturity models were particularly weak in the areas of cybersecurity, leadership and governance.
Practical implications
Researchers and practitioners can use this review with consideration of their specific needs to determine if a maturity model is applicable or if a new model needs to be developed. The review can also aid in the development of maturity models through the discussion of each of the dimension categories.
Originality/value
Compared to existing reviews of SM maturity models, this research determines comprehensive dimension categories and focuses on applicability and drawbacks.
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