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In order to meet international standards, PCB base materials have to be flame‐retardant according to the UL 94V specification. Up to now this has been achieved with FR‐4 materials by using brominated aromatic components. Unfortunately, in the case of fire or smouldering, these materials evolve highly corrosive and, under unfavourable conditions, even highly toxic decomposition products. In the search for flame retardancy without the use of bromine, the effect of different structural elements on the burning behaviour of cured resins has been investigated. As a result of these investigations an epoxy resin was developed which contains tailor‐made N‐ and P‐ containing constituents that form flame‐retardant structures during processing and curing of the material. The new material meets all requirements for printed circuit boards and can be processed without any need to modify established technologies. Analytical and ecotoxicological investigations of the combustion products of the new material show that they are comparable with those of wood from the beech tree. The project has already produced first samples of a PCB assembly that successfully passed all functional tests.

A discipline is bound by some combination of a shared subject matter, shared theory, and shared technique. Yet modern economics is seemingly without limit to its domain. As a discipline without a shared subject matter, what is the binding force of economics today? The authors combine topic modeling and text analysis to analyze different approaches to inquiry within the discipline of economics. The authors find that the importance of theory has declined as economics has increasingly become defined by its empirical techniques. The authors question whether this trajectory is stable in the long run as the binding force of the discipline.

This paper adds to the literature on societal grand challenges by shifting the focus away from business firms and other formal organizations as key actors in addressing such challenges toward the inherent organizing capacity that lies in the use of language itself. More specifically, we focus on the organizing capacities of metaphor-based communication, seeking to ascertain which qualities of metaphors enable them to co-orient collective action toward tackling grand challenges. In addressing this question, we develop an analytical framework based on two qualities of metaphorical communication that can provide such co-orientation: a metaphor’s (a) vividness and (b) responsible actionability. We illustrate the usefulness of this framework by assessing selected metaphors used in the public discourse to make sense of and organize collective responses to the Covid-19 pandemic, including the flu metaphor/analogy, the war metaphor, and the combined metaphor of “the hammer and the dance.” Our paper contributes to extant research by providing a means to assess the co-orienting potential of metaphors in bridging varied interpretations. In so doing, our framework can pave the way toward more responsible use of metaphorical communication in tackling society’s grand challenges.

The purpose of this study was to examine the information needs and sources of electorates in Nigeria and identify challenges electorates faced when obtaining electoral information and news.

The study adopts the description survey design and hypothesized the information needs and sources on demographic variables such as age, sex and academic qualification. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used. A quantitative approach used based on a questionnaire completed by 236 respondents and a snow ball nonprobability sampling technique was used in this study. The research adapted Wilson 1999 theory of information seeking behavior.

The findings identified five information needs that are of interest to the electorates: registration of voter, level of security, right as a voter, manifestoes and candidate profile. It was discovered that WhatsApp, Facebook and friends were sources electorates used most in obtaining election-related news and information. The research went further to streamline the number of times such election-related news and information items were sought in a day and week; it was discovered that the manual system still dominated with the print newspaper rather than Twitter, WhatsApp, friends and colleagues and Facebook. The young person used social media most as source of information compared to aged respondents in Nigeria. Thekre is increasing in women participating in political and electoral information. Formal education does not have significant impact on the usage of election information and news. Language barrier, erratic power supply, expensive network service and no knowledge of where to source for information proved to be challenges electorates faced when seeking election-related news and information.

This research will help to keep abreast of the information electorate needs and how they get such information. This research is limited to small group of electorates.

This paper includes more information about the electorates and political parties information needs.

The finding was drawn from limited respondents that were ready to participate in the research by responding to various questions in the questionnaire. Therefore, there is need for further study to consider a wider population scope on information-related research of electorate in Nigeria.

This research was carried out by Ayinde Lateef; Keriafe D.E. and Fatima Ghayen.

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of social disclosure on loan funding and repayment within the fixed-rate peer-to-peer (P2P) lending model.

By analyzing 31,637 loans from the largest P2P lending company in the USA, the authors study the effects of different forms of social disclosures and the specific contents of such disclosures on the speed of funding, amount borrowed, recovered principal amount and loan default.

Some social disclosures help to fund a loan and are positively associated with loan repayment. The findings reveal prescriptive ways P2P borrowers indicate creditworthiness through social disclosure on loan listings.

The results suggest that it is advantageous for P2P borrowers to invest time into well-written loan descriptions and remain engaged with potential lenders.

The authors show that some social disclosure factors that affect funding time and likelihood do not necessarily affect the loan default and repayment in the same way.

Brand value is increasingly threatened by fake news stories; the purpose of this paper is to explain how narrative response can be used to mitigate this threat, especially in situations where the crisis is severe and consumers are highly involved.

This conceptual paper derives recommendations and guidance for the use of narrative response based on storytelling and brand management literature.

This paper highlights authenticity and emotional engagement as keys to effective storytelling.

Current managerial approaches to dealing with misinformation are insufficient, as they presuppose an audience that can be convinced based on facts; this paper can be used to help brand managers respond to fake news stories when rational appeals fail.

This paper provides insight into brand management strategies in the era of fake news.

Diffusion of fake news and pseudo-facts is becoming increasingly fast-paced and widespread, making it more difficult for the general public to separate reliable information from misleading content. The purpose of this article is to provide a more advanced understanding of the underlying processes that contribute to the spread of health- and beauty-related rumors and of the mechanisms that can mitigate the risks associated with the diffusion of fake news.

By adopting denialism as a conceptual lens, this article introduces a framework that aims to explain the mechanisms through which fake news and pseudo-facts propagate within the health and beauty industry. Three exemplary case studies situated within the context of the health and beauty industry reveal the persuasiveness of these principles and shed light on the diffusion of false and misleading information.

The following seven denialistic marketing tactics that contribute to diffusion of fake news can be identified: (1) promoting a socially accepted image; (2) associating brands with a healthy lifestyle; (3) use of experts; (4) working with celebrity influencers; (5) selectively using and omitting facts; (6) sponsoring research and pseudo-science; and (7)exploiting regulatory loopholes. Through a better understanding of how fake news spreads, brand managers can simultaneously improve the optics that surround their firms, promote sales organically and reinforce consumers’ trust toward the brand.

Within the wider context of the health and beauty industry, this article sets to explore the mechanisms through which fake news and pseudo-facts propagate and influence brands and consumers. The article offers several contributions not only to the emergent literature on fake news but also to the wider marketing and consumer behavior literature.