Julius Weitzdörfer analysiert die Ursachen und Folgen organisierter Kreditkriminalität in Japan sowie Lösungswege aus rechtssoziologischer und rechtsökonomischer Sicht. Denn seit der Jahrtausendwende ...hat sich Japans Verbraucherkreditwesen durch intensive Regulierung, extensive Rechtsprechung und forcierte Strafverfolgung grundlegend gewandelt. Der Autor zeichnet ein lebendiges Bild der Rechtstatsachen und leistet so auch einen Beitrag zur Beleuchtung der Schattenseiten der jüngeren Wirtschafts- und Sozialgeschichte Japans, einschließlich des illegalen Inkassos und der Schuldnersuizide. Dabei wird nicht nur eine letzte Forschungslücke im Bereich der Finanzmarktreformen seit Beginn der Japankrise vor 30 Jahren geschlossen. Auch die Aufarbeitung der weltweiten Neuregulierung von Verbraucherkrediten nach der globalen Finanzkrise wird um Japan ergänzt. Dabei entsteht ein empirisch reichhaltiges Bild des japanischen Zivil-, Straf- und Aufsichtsrechts bis zum Ende der Heisei -Periode.
The move towards a new Circular Economy (CE) economic model has been advocated and supported in Portugal, however, there is limited research on this topic. To address this gap, a quantitative ...research based on an online survey was carried out among 99 Portuguese organizations, encompassing a wide range of sectors and sizes. The results show that CE is regarded as a strategic and relevant issue for profitability and value creation. Furthermore, the perception that it requires the adoption of new business models in addition to the classical “reduce, reuse and recycle” approach is growing. Moreover, based on the hypotheses raised, results suggest that the level of CE adoption is positively impacted by the status of the EMS (Environmental Management System) certification and the willingness to improve the environmental performance and achieve a sustainable business model. However, CE activities are still relatively modest and a friendlier context (fiscal, legal, organizational, etc.) and the stronger support from supply chain agents and consumers are required. Future research should focus on how to design and shape the transition from a linear to a CE economy and to ascertain if the positive attitude towards CE is materialized in changing the way business is done.
The impacts of buildings on our life, business, and natural environment have fueled a global trend in the building industry to “go green”. This has helped proliferate various green building rating ...systems (GBRSs) around the world. While previous studies have examined the effects of these systems on such aspects as resources consumption, indoor air quality and property value, little research, if any, has examined their effects on construction waste management (CWM). This study aims to evaluate the effects of GBRSs on CWM, and to understand the causes behind the effects thereof ascertained. Three GBRSs, including the U.S.-developed Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Mainland China's GB Evaluation Label (GBEL) and Hong Kong's Building Environmental Assessment Method (BEAM Plus) are selected for comparative study. A combination of desktop archive analysis and semi-structured interviews formed the study's mixed method approach. Surprisingly, the study reveals that the three GBRSs do not greatly promote superior CWM performance despite their respective CWM targeted credits. Possible causes, as informed by the interviewees, include the design of rating systems themselves, developers' biases, and lack of incentives to improve CWM. Legal and economic incentives are more decisive drivers of responsible CWM. This paper also provides demonstrable qualitative evidence for legislators and associated bodies to achieve continued improvement in CWM via GBRSs.
•The effects of green building rating systems on construction waste management performance are identified.•The empirical evidence explaining such effects is explored and analyzed.•Qualitative evidence is provided for stakeholders to achieve continued improvement in construction waste management.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
AbstractAlthough building information modeling (BIM) is experiencing substantial development and use in the construction industry, its legal and business structures lag far behind. While many ...research efforts have been devoted to promoting the implementation of BIM in the construction industry, very few of them have actually attempted to explore its contractual environment. In fact, previous studies reported the lack of, and need for, a holistic understanding of BIM contractual requirements. To fill this gap, this paper assists the various project parties in better understanding BIM contractual integration and utilization in the construction industry at different key levels: contractual incorporation of BIM addenda/exhibits, priority of contract documents, roles and obligations, copyright ownership and intellectual property rights, standard of care, discrepancies in or between models, compensation and information establishment, BIM management and collaboration, use of models, and indemnity. Within the context of documents developed by the American Institute of Architects and ConsensusDocs, the authors used a three-step research methodology that comprised (1) reviewing and analyzing essential clauses, protocols, and addenda; (2) highlighting law cases that are related to BIM contracting in practice; and (3) comparing the different BIM implementation procedures and processes. To this end, the paper presents 20 contractual recommendations to help project parties better manage BIM-based projects from a contractual point of view. To verify/validate the usefulness and benefits of the performed analysis, the authors shared the paper’s recommendations with leading experts in BIM and digital/virtual construction. Some of the specific research recommendations offered in this paper include: preparation of a list of project participants that have incorporated BIM contractual documents into their agreements to provide reasonable evidence that BIM provisions have been included in the main and affiliated contracts, and the prohibition on disclosing any received BIM data to any third party except as required by law or a court order to avoid issues with copyright ownership and intellectual property rights. This research adds to the body of knowledge by providing an enhanced understanding of various BIM contractual aspects on construction projects.
Abstract
Data recovery from monolithic storage devices (MSDs) is in high demand for legal or business purposes. However, the conventional data recovery methods are destructive, complicated, and ...time-consuming. We develop a robotic-arm-assisted optical coherence tomography (robotic-OCT) for non-destructive inspection of MSDs, offering ~7 μm lateral resolution, ~4 μm axial resolution and an adjustable field-of-view to accommodate various MSD sizes. Using a continuous scanning strategy, robotic-OCT achieves automated volumetric imaging of a micro-SD card in ~37 seconds, significantly faster than the traditional stop-and-stare scanning that typically takes tens of minutes. We also demonstrate the robotic-OCT-guided laser ablation as a microsurgical tool for targeted area removal with precision of ±10 μm and accuracy of ~50 μm, eliminating the need to remove the entire insulating layer and operator intervention, thus greatly improving the data recovery efficiency. This work has diverse potential applications in digital forensics, failure analysis, materials testing, and quality control.
Purpose
Passenger car occupancy has been falling for years. Partly empty vehicles on our road networks decrease passenger transport sustainability but also contain an opportunity for freight ...transport. Within
Crowd logistics
(CL), delivery operations are carried out by using passengers’ excess capacity on journeys that are already taking place, resulting in economic, social and environmental benefits. Existing CL initiatives show, however, that there are important differences between concepts in terms of sustainability. The research aims to develop a suitable and comprehensive definition for CL and identify which factors determine the sustainability potential of CL.
Methods
We systematically analysed a set of 42 papers and interviewed 11 logistics practitioners in order to capture the state of practice.
Results
Following the literature and interviews, we firstly define CL as ‘
an information connectivity enabled marketplace concept that matches supply and demand for logistics services with an undefined and external crowd that has free capacity with regards to time and/or space, participates on a voluntary basis and is compensated accordingly’
. Secondly, we identify a set of 18 characteristics that can describe the variety of CL concepts. Thirdly, we indicate whether the identified characteristics affect the economy, society and/or environment. The research shows that all characteristics influence economic sustainability while 11 characteristics also affect social and/or environmental sustainability.
Conclusions
Our research helps local policy-makers to adapt laws and regulations to the sharing economy developments and provides insight for businesses which CL concept fits their company’s corporate social responsibility strategy.
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CEKLJ, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Whilst China's aid and development model has been traditionally understood as divergent from the dominant post‐1945 liberal development model, scholars are also increasingly exploring convergence ...between features of the two development models. Recently, scholars from a range of disciplines including development studies, development geography and international (business, environment and legal) studies have explored a process whereby China's Belt and Road Initiative and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals converge (‘BRI‐SDG integration’). This paper brings these multidisciplinary strands of scholarship together and places them in dialogue with social sciences convergence theory to understand how BRI‐SDG integration aligns with or challenges previous conceptualisations of Chinese‐dominant development convergence. The paper first demonstrates that BRI‐SDG integration proposes a novel and deliberate convergence process ‐ which the paper names ‘complementary convergence’. However, BRI‐SDG integration also underscores the need for more multidirectional frameworks that reject Eurocentricity for evaluating the contemporary Chinese‐dominant relationship, and an enhanced focus on how China is influencing dominant development institutions. Finally, BRI‐SDG integration reiterates the methodological difficulties of delineating between ‘development models’ in an increasingly interrelated global governance of development.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
This paper aims to discuss the legal aspects of venture capital businesses in Indonesia as an alternative financing instrument in assisting the capital aspect for businesses to develop the ...corporation through venture capital. The results of the research in this paper are that in establishing and operating a company, it requires capital, one of which is through alternative financing, namely venture capital. The legal aspects of venture capital in legal regulations and policies are needed to support the corporation, neither the corporation founded by the State and by private parties, but the regulations and legal policies of venture capital are still unable to provide adequate legal protection. Therefore, to strengthen the legal protection of venture capital businesses, the government must be supported as a regulator and facilitators and community businesses which that venture capital can develop better so that not only large companies, but also small firms and medium can be helped by the growth of venture capital.
Renewable Energy Cooperatives (RECs) in Germany have received considerable attention in recent years, their number having risen to nearly a thousand since 2004. This growth has resulted largely from ...Germany's feed-in tariff system. Recent changes in this policy, however, have made the previous REC business models mostly unprofitable, so RECs are looking for new business models. Our study aims at identifying those new models and characterizing the implementation barriers RECs face. To this end, we interviewed REC members and management and observed REC annual general meetings. We found three significant barriers: first, risk aversion on the part of both members and management; second, concerns about the environmental impacts or the ethics of certain models that, while legal, are not felt to align with the intentions of lawmakers; finally, the lack of competencies and time of the mostly unsalaried REC management. These barriers could put the future of RECs at risk, and so threaten the contributions RECs make to the German Energy Transition. Professionalization, partnerships and other strategies can help mitigate this risk. If RECs are to continue to play an important role in the energy transition, policy makers would be wise to consider measures to support their continued growth.
•The business of German renewable energy cooperatives was hitherto predominantly FIT-based.•RECs look into various potential activities from energy production and retailing to services.•Lack of knowledge and time of the mostly unsalaried REC management are an important barrier.•We add to theory a new category of barriers for renewable energy business models: ethical concerns.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
The paper argues that nuclear energy could play a significant role in decarbonizing the production of low carbon hydrogen from natural gas feedstock with associated carbon storage, as part of a wider ...shift towards ‘net-zero’ in Canada’s natural resources value chain. It examines regulatory readiness for small modular reactors in the oil, gas, and low-carbon energy sector of Canada’s energy jurisdiction, and calls for the speedy design and development of a single ‘go-to’ regulatory framework for nuclear energy in Alberta.
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