Search results

Reviews some new trends in parallel machine scheduling (PMS). PMS, as an area of research, is governed by questions that arise in production planning, flexible manufacture systems, computer control, etc. The main characteristic of these problems is to optimize an objective, with jobs to be finished on a series of machines with the same function. Gives a short review of new developments in PMS associated with the problems of just‐in‐time (JIT) production, pre‐emption with set‐up, and capacitated machine scheduling. Discusses non‐regular objectives oriented by the JIT concept; pre‐emption with set‐up; capacitated machine scheduling; and relationships between PMS and vehicle routeing problems.

In this chapter, we explore the legal framework of AGMs in seven Member States (Austria, Belgium, Germany, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom) of shareholder decision-making rights. We find that, since only a small part of the decision-making rights is harmonized at the European level, there are numerous differences in shareholder rights among national laws. These decision-making rights are usually about the topics director (re-)elections, pay matters, share capital, amendments to articles of association, annual accounts, etc. To be able to conduct empirical research in the remaining chapters, we develop a categorization framework of 15 voting items.

The sudden rise of the socio-political importance of security that has marked the twenty-first century entails a commensurate empowerment of the intelligence apparatus. This chapter takes the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 as a vantage point from where to address the political significance of this development. It provides an account of the powers the Act grants intelligence agencies, concluding that it effectively legalizes their operational paradigm. Further, the socio-legal dynamics that informed the Act lead the chapter to conclude that Intelligence has become a dominant apparatus within the state. This chapter pivots at this point. It seeks to identify, first, the reasons of this empowerment; and, second, its effects on liberal-democratic forms, including the rule of law. The key reason for intelligence empowerment is the adoption of a pre-emptive security strategy, geared toward neutralizing threats that are yet unformed. Regarding its effects on liberal democracy, the chapter notes the incompatibility of the logic of intelligence with the rule of law. It further argues that the empowerment of intelligence pertains to the rise of a new threat-based governmental logic. It outlines the core premises of this logic to argue that they strengthen the anti-democratic elements in liberalism, but in a manner that liberalism is overcome.

In this chapter, we assess shareholder voting behaviour in our sample of seven European Member States. We consider the AGM’s agenda, shareholder proposals, rejected voting items and dissent rates. Our research shows, inter alia, that certain voting items receive higher dissent rates than others. These are, for instance, director elections and say-on-pay resolutions. Other voting items, such as the approval of the annual accounts, are merely a formality.

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.

Over recent years an increasing amount of funds has been committed to mergers and acquisitions in the UK. Expenditure rose nearly tenfold from £2.3bn in 1983 to £22.1bn in 1988. This surge in spending has continued despite fears over economic trends, both domestic and international, and shocks in financial markets, notably the global col lapse in share values of October 1987. This monograph is essentially concerned with the events up to, and including, the first three quarters of 1989, ie, a period of two years after the crash of October 1987. Whilst the financing of mer gers and acquisitons activity is a fast moving arena, it does seem to be an opportune time to review developments to date and, tentatively, to suggest future trends in this sphere.

Following a seven year period in which there were two general elections, three Companies Bills and various amendments, together with much debate, the Companies Act 1980 finally received the Royal Assent on 1 May 1980. One of the principal reasons for this Act is that it forms the first stage towards the harmonisation of UK company law with that of other member countries of the European Economic Community. In addition to the implementation of the EEC Second Directive on Company Law (Parts I, II and III of the Act), the Act also contains some other quite significant and important changes in UK company law dealing with the conduct of directors (Part IV of the Act) and insider dealing (Part V of the Act). (See Box A).

The purpose of this paper is to study the question of pre‐emptive merger decisions in a composite good framework where these goods have both competitive and complementary features.

The paper constructs a model of partial mergers when there are three firms and three goods in the production network, but consumers need only two goods to complete their consumption. This means, two of the firms produce two competing brands while the other firm produces any complementary product. Then under vertical merger cooperation takes place between two firms producing mutually compatible or complementary goods, whereas horizontal integration occurs when cooperating firms produce goods substitutes to each other.

In such a framework, partial mergers inflict strong negative externalities on the outside firms. The paper shows that loss of profits to the non‐integrated firm is higher under horizontal integration than that under vertical integration; hence pre‐emptive incentives for vertical merger are always larger. The paper clearly distinguishes between private incentives and pre‐emptive incentives for merger. If so desired, the vertically merged firm could foreclose the market of the outside firm and emerge as monopoly. Interestingly, foreclosing in our model is never optimal. The paper also provides a welfare analysis. While all‐firm merger maximizes social welfare, under vertical merger consumers are always better off. Industry profit also goes up if the goods are not so close substitutes.

This appears to be the first paper that discusses the question of pre‐emptive mergers in a framework of composite goods. Since, in the structure presented a horizontal merger always reduces welfare, one implication of the result is that the antitrust authority should not remain indifferent to the forms of merger actually taking place in a country.

Examines the characteristics of some of Brent Walker′s major projects and the role of property in both its development and downfall. Draws out seven lessons to be learnt, including: leisure‐related property, pre‐emption rights, refinancing with overseas banks, gearing and new accounting standards.