We address a long-standing discrepancy between theory and practice regarding how firms choose, use, and modify their modes of operation in foreign markets. Theory typically treats foreign operation ...modes as choices between well-specified, discrete alternatives. Observation of business practice reveals a "messier" reality. We commonly observe mode packages, within-mode adjustments and mode role changes, yet by and large these aspects of international business development have been relatively ignored in the literature, and in theoretical and empirical research. We propose richer and more realistic conceptualisations of foreign operation modes, and look at their implications for theory and practice.
This article examines differences in performance between private companies (POEs) and state owned enterprises (SOEs), with an emphasis on the effects of market structure. The study uses a ...comprehensive panel covering in principle all registered companies during the 1990s in Norway, a country where SOEs play an important role in regular markets. Return on assets as well as costs relative to sales revenue are used as measures of performance in markets where SOEs and POEs compete with each other. Overall, POEs perform significantly better than SOEs. The study tests the hypothesis that SOE managers may learn from POE managers in environments with stronger competition, but finds only weak empirical support for such a learning mechanism.
We present an annual reconstruction of extreme rainfall events interpreted from detrital layers and turbidites interbedded within a varved sediment record since the 14th century in Montcortés Lake ...(NE Spain, 1027 m a.s.l.). Clastic microfacies intercalated within the biochemical calcite varves were characterized and their depositional dynamics interpreted using high-resolution geochemical and sedimentological analyses. Annual number of detrital layers was compared against instrumental records of extreme daily rainfalls providing minimum rainfall thresholds and return periods associated to the identified types of clastic microfacies. Non-continuous detrital layers were deposited during rainfall events higher than 80 mm (>2-year return period) while graded detrital layers and turbidites were associated with higher magnitude rainfall events (>90 mm and >4-year return period). The frequency distribution of extreme hydro-meteorological events is not stationary and its pattern coincides with historical floods from the nearby Segre River. High frequency of heavy rainfalls occurred during the periods AD 1347–1400 and AD 1844–1894. A lower frequency of heavy rainfall was found during the periods AD 1441–1508, 1547–1592, 1656–1712, 1765–1822 and 1917–2012. The 20th century stands out as the longest interval within the studied period of very low number of extreme rainfall events. Variability in extreme rainfall events prior to the 20th century is in phase with solar activity, suggesting a mechanistic link in mid-latitude atmospheric circulation patterns that ceased during the 20th century.
•An annual record of extreme rainfall from Lake Montcortès (NE Iberian Peninsula).•Quantitative rainfall threshold achieved for various detrital micro-facies.•Maxima in extreme rainfall events during the periods AD 1347–1400 and AD 1844–1894.•Minimum extreme rainfall at AD 1441–1508, 1547–1592, 1656–1712, 1765–1822, 1917–2012.•Possible link of extreme rainfall to solar variability prior the 20th century.
The global value chain and internalization theory Benito, Gabriel R G; Petersen, Bent; Welch, Lawrence S
Journal of international business studies,
10/2019, Letnik:
50, Številka:
8
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
In a research note in this issue, Strange and Humphrey discuss how a global value chain (GVC) approach serves to usefully move internalization theory towards a better understanding of the ...increasingly important ‘middle ground’ between markets and hierarchies in the contemporary highly globalized international business scene. After a brief recount of their main arguments, we argue that their discussion needs to the extended, as it does not adequately recognize important differences between internalization theory and the GVC approach. Specifically, the approaches differ on the notions of efficiency, opportunism, and level of analysis. We then argue that internalization theory can benefit from the systemic view implied in the GVC approach, and discuss the role of trust as a coordinating mechanism in international business. This leads to a more general discussion of internalization theory and the difficulty of encompassing dynamic considerations such as learning and foreign operation mode combinations and flexibility within value chain interdependencies. We conclude with a research agenda that flows from our discussion.
A detailed search and re-evaluation of the known historical cases of tailings dam failure was carried out. A corpus of 147 cases of worldwide tailings dam disasters, from which 26 located in Europe, ...was compiled in a database. This contains six sections, including dam location, its physical and constructive characteristics, actual and putative failure cause, sludge hydrodynamics, socio-economical consequences and environmental impacts. Europe ranks in second place in reported accidents (18%), more than one third of them in dams 10-20m high. In Europe, the most common cause of failure is related to unusual rain, whereas there is a lack of occurrences associated with seismic liquefaction, which is the second cause of tailings dam breakage elsewhere in the world. Moreover, over 90% of incidents occurred in active mines, and only 10% refer to abandoned ponds. The results reached by this preliminary analysis show an urgent need for EU regulations regarding technical standards of tailings disposal.
Floods from tailings dam failures Rico, M.; Benito, G.; Díez-Herrero, A.
Journal of hazardous materials,
06/2008, Letnik:
154, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
This paper compiles the available information on historic tailings dam failures with the purpose to establish simple correlations between tailings ponds geometric parameters (e.g., dam height, ...tailings volume) and the hydraulic characteristics of floods resulting from released tailings. Following the collapse of a mining waste dam, only a part of tailings and polluted water stored at the dam is released, and this outflow volume is difficult to estimate prior the incident. In this study, tailings’ volume stored at the time of failure was shown to have a good correlation (
r
2
=
0.86) with the tailings outflow volume, and the volume of spilled tailings was correlated with its run-out distance (
r
2
=
0.57). An envelope curve was drawn encompassing the majority of data points indicating the potential maximum downstream distance affected by a tailings’ spill. The application of the described regression equations for prediction purposes needs to be treated with caution and with support of on-site measurement and observations. However, they may provide a universal baseline approximation on tailing outflow characteristics (even if detailed dam information is unavailable), which is of a great importance for risk analysis purposes.
It is a common practice for organisation to carry out assessment exercises regarding performance of their organisational activities and processes. This paper assesses the market performance of five ...agro-processed crops at Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania (SAT) against some criteria. Experts at SAT supplied useful information by responding through a questionnaire. The fuzzy TOPSIS model was applied in the methodology to rank the processed products. For the sake of comparing results, the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (AHP) model was also applied to rank the products. It was found that three products maintained their positions in the two models while the other two products (alternatives) exchanged their positions. It was further suggested that more efforts have to go for lower market performing products by looking upon means to improve on their corresponding low weight criteria/sub-criteria.
A critical analysis of 74 radiocarbon dates, selected from a total of 102 published and unpublished dates from Holocene fluvial environments in Spain, has identified a number of periods of increased ...fluvial activity in Spain, namely: 11,170–10,230; 9630–8785; 7980–6860; 5800–4800; 3880–3085; 2895–1820; 1300–0
cal BP, the latter period reflecting sustained fluvial response to increased human impact. The radiocarbon samples were classified according to type of depositional environment: (a) alluvial overbank, (b) flood basin, (c) alluvial channel gravels, (d) fluvio-torrential deposits and (e) slackwater flood deposits (palaeofloods). Dates from slackwater flood deposits indicated at least five phases of increased frequency of large magnitude floods during the Holocene: 10,855–10,230; 9530–8780; 2880–2430; 975–790; and 520–265
cal
yr BP. Flood basin type deposition occurred from 7980 to 4830
cal
yr BP. The main clusters of dates from alluvial floodplain deposits occurred at 2750–2150 and 930–520
cal
yr BP. The record is discussed in relation to other palaeoenvironmental archives including pollen records of Holocene vegetation change and palaeoclimatic proxies such as the North Atlantic drift ice record. Comparison with the latter indicates that major Holocene flooding coincided with cold climate phases during 9530–9280, 2880–2430 and 520–265
cal
yr BP; a cooling phase at 10,855–10,230; and warming phases at 9030–8780 and 975–790
cal
yr BP.
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