Entrepreneurship in superdiverse societies and the end of one-size-fits-all policy prescriptions

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the entrepreneurial and policy consequences of the structural changes associated with postindustrialization.Design/methodology/approachThe approach uses Schumpeterian and institutional theories to predict the consequences of postindustrialization on four types of innovative markets: global mass markets; global niche markets; local mass markets and local niche markets.FindingsThe paper makes two key predictions. First, global mass markets will account for most cost-cutting process innovations. Second, niche markets, whether global or local, will provide the bulk of product innovations. Opportunities for product innovations in niche markets multiply both as the result of a more complex economy and as the result of heterogeneous preferences of consumers with divergent learning trajectories.Social implicationsThe key implication of the theoretical pattern prediction of this paper is that there are increasing opportunities for entrepreneurs to introduce novelties that cater to niche demands, and this includes new lifestyle communities. The increasing diversity of values and preferences implies that one-size-fit-all policies are becoming increasingly inimical to the entrepreneurial discovery of higher-valued resource uses.Originality/valueThis paper takes a standard prediction of entrepreneurial theories – that innovations become more common with an increase in economy-wide product complexity – and extends this to increasing complexity on the consumption side. With increases in opportunities for learning, consumers diverge and develop disparate lifestyles. The resultant super-diversity, which multiplies consumption niches to a much greater extent than what ethnicity-based diversity indices would imply, makes it more difficult to achieve consensus about the desirability of public policies.

Towards Sustainable Innovative Business Models

This paper addresses two research questions: (1) How do firms innovate their business models to deal with the economic, environmental and social aspects of sustainability, and their interconnections? (2) How do managers design the process toward more sustainable innovative business models? Starting from the triple-layered canvas as a theoretical framework, a pattern matching technique is used to compare that theoretical pattern to the empirical pattern observed. The study is based on qualitative methods and data from a Spanish company in the wine sector. The findings indicate that the triple-layered canvas is applicable and useful for micro firms, although the process to design sustainable innovative business models might be even more important. A new theoretical model is inferred and proposed to incorporate the perspective of the process of the business model innovations for sustainability, and to add several relevant aspects to make the process more successful. Besides this, non-family firms introducing sustainable business model innovations in their economic, ecological, and social aspects move closer to family firms’ distinctive behavior. Finally, the implications and future lines of research are summarized.

Fe and As geochemical self-removal dynamics in mineral waters: evidence from the Ferrarelle groundwater system (Riardo Plain, Southern Italy)

A theoretical pattern for Fe and As co-precipitation was tested directly in a groundwater natural system. Several monitoring wells were sampled to identify the different endmembers that govern the hydrodynamics of the Ferrarelle Groundwater System in the Riardo Plain (Southern Italy). In agreement with recent investigations, we found a mix of a deep and a shallow component in different proportions, resulting in a specific chemical composition of groundwater in each well depending on the percentages of each component. The shallow component was characterized by EC ~ 430 µS/cm, Eh ~ 300 mV, Fe ~ 0.06 µmol/L and As ~ 0.01–0.12 µmol/L, while the deep component was characterized by EC ~ 3400 µS/cm, Eh ~ 170 mV, Fe ~ 140 µmol/L and As ~ 0.59 µmol/L. A general attenuation of As and Fe concentration that was not due to a simple dilution effect was observed in the mixing process. The oxidation of Fe(II) to Fe(III) produces solid precipitates which adsorb As from solution and then co-precipitate. The reactions pattern of Fe(II) oxidation and As adsorption gave a linear function between [As] and [Fe], where the angular coefficient depends on the [O2]/[H+] ratio. Chemical data obtained from our samples showed a very good agreement with this theoretical relationship. The investigated geochemical dynamics represented a natural process of attenuation of Fe and As, two undesirable elements that usually affect groundwater quality in volcanic aquifers in central-southern Italy, which are exploited to supply drinking water. Graphic abstract

Thermal Analysis of Recuperator Developed for Waste Heat Recycling in Liquid-Fuel Fired Furnaces

Three major parameters for efficient liquid-fuel-fired melting-furnaces include fuel-economy, thermal efficiency and environmental friendliness of operation. These key parameters form the basis for the adoption of recuperator in the waste gas recycling released during many melting operations in furnaces. This work analysed the thermal performance of both cold and hot fluids across the length of a double-pipe recuperator coupled to a ferrous-melting furnace. The thermal analysis carried out was anchored on some basic assumptions including taking the radiant and temperature characteristics of the exiting waste gases from the exhaust of the furnace as being constant over the volume of the furnace while the temperature at various positions on metal surface is equally taken as being constant. In addition, the heat flow transferred from the waste gases to the lining of the furnace is taken to be by convection and it is equal to the heat flow that the lining gives up to the adjourning surrounding. The derived equations were thereafter analysed and subsequently solved. The obtained results were thereafter used to graphically illustrate the variation of temperature of the agents of heat transfer over the entire length of the recuperator at different instances for parallel flow of the constituent working fluids. The analysis was observed to have conformed to a very great extent to the theoretical pattern expected for similar flows.

Semantics of Musical Text as a Key Condition for Development of Secondary Musical Personality

From the standpoint of the aesthetic and semiotic approach music is understood as a complex psychosemantic text. Theoretical analysis of studies of the psychological connection between music and speech allowed to develop the concept of secondary musical personality as a sort of secondary linguistic personality. The author has developed a musical-semantic pattern of development of secondary musical personality in the educational process. This theoretical pattern is a system of interrelated conditions and factors of development of secondary musical personality. The author determines complexity, polysemy and semantic diversity of the musical text as the key condition. The author attaches special importance to forming potentials of classical music masterpieces in the musical-semantic pattern. The author identifies the artistic, spiritual and ethical levels of music as the main criteria of the musical masterpiece.

Ambiguous Effects of Autophagy Activation Following Hypoperfusion/Ischemia

Autophagy primarily works to counteract nutrient deprivation that is strongly engaged during starvation and hypoxia, which happens in hypoperfusion. Nonetheless, autophagy is slightly active even in baseline conditions, when it is useful to remove aged proteins and organelles. This is critical when the mitochondria and/or proteins are damaged by toxic stimuli. In the present review, we discuss to that extent the recruitment of autophagy is beneficial in counteracting brain hypoperfusion or, vice-versa, its overactivity may per se be detrimental for cell survival. While analyzing these opposite effects, it turns out that the autophagy activity is likely not to be simply good or bad for cell survival, but its role varies depending on the timing and amount of autophagy activation. This calls for the need for an appropriate autophagy tuning to guarantee a beneficial effect on cell survival. Therefore, the present article draws a theoretical pattern of autophagy activation, which is hypothesized to define the appropriate timing and intensity, which should mirrors the duration and severity of brain hypoperfusion. The need for a fine tuning of the autophagy activation may explain why confounding outcomes occur when autophagy is studied using a rather simplistic approach.

Role of discrete recharge from the supraglacial drainage system for modelling of subglacial conduits pattern of Svalbard polythermal glaciers

Being a determinant factor of the glacier’s dynamic, subglacial water behavior needs a special attention.Water flowing from the glacier’s surface is the principal source supplying the subglacial drainage system. Therefore, insight into the state and evolution of the supraglacial drainage system is crucial for recognition of recharge pattern of the englacial and subglacial drainage pathways. Climate warming causes increased ablation generating higher amount of meltwater and thinning of glacier. Decadal timescale evolution of the supraglacial drainage leads to some modifications of the system in opposition to its nearly stable state on an annual timescale. For two studied glaciers Hansbreen and Werenskioldbreen in southern Svalbard surface meltwater is the main runoff component. During the ablation season 2015, 72.5 % of the total amount was provided by meltwater and 27.5 % by precipitations. Supraglacial catchments were determined on the high resolution digital elevation model using standard watershed modelling tool in ArcGIS, for each water-input area (WIA). Spatialized water runoff calculations for all the main WIAs have been done. Having data on the water sources from catchments delimited on glacier’s surface, modelling of a theoretical pattern of subglacial conduits was done considering discrete water recharge via moulins, shear fractures or crevasses. Classical modelling with an assumption of homogeneous water supply was done for comparison. Several water pressure conditions have been taken into account as well. Results show that models of subglacial drainage system with homogeneous water recharge are more realistic for tidewater glaciers with rather broad permeable firn areas and creased frontal zones, while discrete water recharge models are better for land-terminating glaciers with almost continuous impermeable superficial cold ice layer. Subglacial channel models are assumed to be valid for a minimum period of two decades taking into account evolution of supraglacial drainage system and ice thickness changes of Svalbard polythermal glaciers.

Imperial Statistical Research in the Kazakh Steppes (Late 19th-early 20th Centuries)

The notion of a ‘commune’ has become a part of evolutionistic view on social development over the course of 19th-20th cc. and heavily influenced various fields of Social Sciences and Humanities. The Russian statisticians have also accepted the category of a commune while they were investigating the Russian peasants’ household budgets. This theoretical pattern was also applied to Kazakh land tenure during the carrying out the Russian colonial project on searching land ‘surpluses’ for Russian settlers in the Kazakh steppes. In particular, it was used in the statistical research “Materials on Kirgiz land tenure collected and developed by the expedition for research of the Steppe area” under Fedor Shcherbina’s leadership (1896-1903). In fact, the statisticians could not identify the commune borders among the nomads as those borders were very conditional. As a result, the surveyors turned from investigating commune to their creation. Soon the maps on Kazakh land tenure were made and ‘communes’ were established on the juridical base. After finishing that statistical research those invented communes served for colonial authorities as the ground for ceasing land in favor of the Russian peasants.

Content Analysis of the Civics Textbook in Iran and Providing a Theoretical Framework for the Appropriate Criteria of Determining Content according to the Teachers and Authors’ View

Background: Textbook, which is considered as one of the most important sources of students’ learning in educational systems has also an important role in the educational system of Iran. Purpose: the present study was conducted for the content analysis of the civics textbook in Iran and providing a theoretical framework for the appropriate criteria of determining content according to the teachers and authors (based on gender). Methodology: the present study was conducted in the form of causal-comparative study and compilation of questionnaires and content analysis. The analysis was done based on the items of the questionnaire. For this purpose, two groups consisted of 107 male and female teachers who were teaching in the public, non-profit and Shahid schools in Tehran were selected using cluster sampling method. In addition, the six authors of the books mentioned working in the research and educational planning department of the Ministry of Education were selected based on target sampling. Due to the nature of the survey, the researcher-developed questionnaire including 32 items was completed by the participants. The present study was conducted using the statistical method of descriptive analysis by which the data was collected, classified and organized and underwent content analysis using the checklist. Result: the results of the present study offered a theoretical pattern of three sections based on society, individual and subject. Findings: theoretical integrity can be considered important in formulating and preparing the texts element which improves the education vision in the long run.