The adoption of multiple certification standards: perceived performance implications of quality, environmental and health & safety certifications

This study assesses the combined impact of multiple certifications (i.e., ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001) on perceived performance dimensions related to quality, environmental and occupational health and safety. Using survey data collected from 59 Irish manufacturing plants in 2014 we employed MANCOVA and regression analysis to test our proposed hypothesis. The results suggest that companies that are simultaneously ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certified are significantly better performers with regard to environmental and occupational health and safety compared to companies without multiple certifications. However, from a perceived quality performance perspective having these multiple certifications doesn’t seem to be an effective performance improvement tool.N/

Only the Brave: Product Innovation, Service Business Model Innovation, and Their Impact on Performance

Recent empirical findings concerning the performance effects of service business model innovation (servitization) and its interplay with product innovation are mixed. Using the lenses of the demand-based view on value creation and complementarity, the performance impact of two key service business models is examined: the product-oriented model and the customer-oriented model, implemented jointly with product innovation. Results indicate that the interplay between service business model innovation and product innovation results in long-term performance benefits coupled with a degree of short-term performance sacrifice. Service business model innovation in isolation from product innovation results in short-term profit gains but long-term knowledge loss and, thus, market performance decline. Our study suggests that firms need to look beyond the evidence on short-term effects in order to achieve superior performance in the long run.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Wiley via http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jpim.1225

Cosmic rays in astrospheres

Cosmic rays passing through large astrospheres can be efficiently cooled inside these "cavities" in the interstellar medium. Moreover, the energy spectra of these energetic particles are already modulated in front of the astrospherical bow shocks. We study the cosmic ray flux in and around lambda Cephei as an example for an astrosphere. The large-scale plasma flow is modeled hydrodynamically with radiative cooling. We studied the cosmic ray flux in a stellar wind cavity using a transport model based on stochastic differential equations. The required parameters, most importantly, the elements of the diffusion tensor, are based on the heliospheric parameters. The magnetic field required for the diffusion coefficients is calculated kinematically. We discuss the transport in an astrospheric scenario with varying parameters for the transport coefficients. We show that large stellar wind cavities can act as sinks for the galactic cosmic ray flux and thus can give rise to small-scale anisotropies in the direction to the observer. Small-scale cosmic ray anisotropies can naturally be explained by the modulation of cosmic ray spectra in huge stellar wind cavities

MHD Simulation of the Inner-Heliospheric Magnetic Field

Maps of the radial magnetic field at a heliocentric distance of ten solar radii are used as boundary conditions in the MHD code CRONOS to simulate a 3D inner-heliospheric solar wind emanating from the rotating Sun out to 1 AU. The input data for the magnetic field are the result of solar surface flux transport modelling using observational data of sunspot groups coupled with a current sheet source surface model. Amongst several advancements, this allows for higher angular resolution than that of comparable observational data from synoptic magnetograms. The required initial conditions for the other MHD quantities are obtained following an empirical approach using an inverse relation between flux tube expansion and radial solar wind speed. The computations are performed for representative solar minimum and maximum conditions, and the corresponding state of the solar wind up to the Earths orbit is obtained. After a successful comparison of the latter with observational data, they can be used to drive outer-heliospheric models.Comment: for associated wmv movie files accompanying Figure 7, see http://www.tp4.rub.de/~tow/max.wmv and http://www.tp4.rub.de/~tow/min.wm

Complexity and the triple bottom line: an information-processing perspective.

The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the impact of complexity on the triple bottom line by applying information-processing theory. Specifically, the paper assesses the impact of internal manufacturing complexity on environmental, social, and financial performance. Furthermore, the paper assesses the moderating role of connectivity and shared schema in reducing the potential negative impact of complexity on performance. Multi-country survey data collected through the Global Manufacturing Research Group were utilized to test the hypotheses. The authors used structural equation modeling to test the measurement and initial structural model. Furthermore, to test the proposed moderating hypotheses, the authors applied the latent moderated structural equations approach. The results indicate that while complexity has a negative impact on environmental and social performance, it does not significantly affect financial performance. Furthermore, this negative impact can be reduced, to some extent, through connectivity; however, shared schema does not significantly impact on the complexity-performance relationship. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the impact of complexity on sustainability. Furthermore, it provides managerial applications as it proposes specific tools to deal with the potential negative influences of complexity.N/

Supramolecular spangling, crocheting, and knitting of functionalized pyrene molecules on a silver surface

Pyrenes, as photoactive polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), represent promising modules for the bottom-up assembly of functional nanostructures. Here, we introduce the synthesis of a family of pyrene derivatives peripherally functionalized with pyridin-4-ylethynyl termini and comprehensively characterize their self-assembly abilities on a smooth Ag(111) support by scanning tunneling microscopy. By deliberate selection of number and geometric positioning of the pyridyl-terminated substituents, two-dimensional arrays, one-dimensional coordination chains, and chiral, porous kagomé-type networks can be tailored. A comparison to phenyl-functionalized reference pyrenes, not supporting the self-assembly of ordered structures at low coverage, highlights the role of the pyridyl moieties for supramolecular crocheting and knitting. Furthermore, we demonstrate the selective spangling of pores in the two-dimensional pyrene assemblies by a distinct number of iodine atoms as guests by atomically resolved imaging and complementary X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Lean and green – a systematic review of the state of the art literature

The move towards greener operations and products has forced companies to seek alternatives to balance efficiency gains and environmental friendliness in their operations and products. The exploration of the sequential or simultaneous deployment of lean and green initiatives is the results of this balancing action. However, the lean-green topic is relatively new, and it lacks of a clear and structured research definition. Thus, this paper’s main contribution is the offering of a systematic review of the existing literature on lean and green, aimed at providing guidance on the topic, uncovering gaps and inconsistencies in the literature, and finding new paths for research. The paper identifies and structures, through a concept map, six main research streams that comprise both conceptual and empirical research conducted within the context of various organisational functions and industrial sectors. Important issues for future research are then suggested in the form of research questions. The paper’s aim is to also contribute by stimulating scholars to further study this area in depth, which will lead to a better understanding of the compatibility and impact on organisational performance of lean and green initiatives. It also holds important implications for industrialists, who can develop a deeper and richer knowledge on lean and green to help them formulate more effective strategies for their deployment

Patterns in firms' inventories and flexibility levels after a low-probability, high-impact disruption event: Empirical evidence from the Great East Japan Earthquake

How do firms respond after being exposed to a low‐probability, high‐consequence (lp‐hc) disruption event? This study examines inventory and flexibility patterns in manufacturing firms in the years following an lp‐hc event, the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. We find patterns suggesting that most firms exposed to the event began to increase their raw material inventories (RAW) over the longer term and increased their volume flexibility for a shorter period. Furthermore, we found that firms increased their RAW mainly when inventories were already at high levels, while the opposite is true for volume flexibility. Firms that were classified as risk‐averse before the event show stronger swings after the event. Preliminary explorations suggest that the performance of firms that have engaged in these inventory shifts is significantly impeded. This study provides insight into a previously unexplored phenomenon, namely, the longer‐term responses of firms to exposure to lp‐hc events. It opens the possibilities of new research regarding causality, economic consequences, and mechanisms of the identified patterns. Increased efforts in this direction should enable our discipline to provide improved normative guidance both socially and operationally.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio