The role of labour unrest and skilled labour on outward foreign direct investment in Taiwan, Republic of China, ROC

This paper builds an estimation model to test whether improved labour standards necessarily lead firms to send work offshore to countries with lower wages and fewer employment protections; or improved labour standards influence the labour market, where with time, firms attract more skilled workers, which help deter outward foreign direct investment (FDI). When more firms comply with improved labour standards, the industrial relations climate also improves as non-compliance usually causes labour unrest. Using a model built on pooled cross-sectional time-series data from 2008–17, we studied the role of changes in labour unrest and the percentage of skilled workers in the labour force in predicting outward FDI in Taiwan. Per our estimation model, we found the percentage of skilled workers steadily increased as Taiwan maintained improved labour standards. The increase in skilled workers also increased labour costs making it challenging for firms to stay onshore. However, skilled workers helped firms improve productivity, which justified increased labour costs. As a result, firms in Taiwan that complied with labour standards found it less challenging to pay higher wages and stayed onshore. JEL Code: J28, J38, F66

Do unions contribute to creative destruction?

We apply a shift-share approach and historical unionisation data from 1918 to study the impact of regional unionisation changes in Norway on regional wage and productivity growth, job-creation and -destruction and social security uptake during the period 2003–2012. As unionisation increases, wages grow. Lay-offs through plant closures and shrinking workplaces increase, causing higher retirement rates, while job creation, plant entry and other social security uptakes are unaffected. Productivity grows, partly by enhanced productivity among surviving and new firms and partly by less productive firms forced to close due to increased labour costs. Thus, unions promote creative destruction.

Konka Board: a cement-pumice-tow sheathing board

Konka board was a New Zealand invention which combined cement, pumice and flax fibre ("tow") into a fibre-cement board, replacing the imported asbestos-cement sheet. Sold soon after manufacture, Konka, it could be nailed or screwed, and over time it hardened. A waterproof plain or stucco plaster finish provided a resilient, borer proof, fireproof, low maintenance house. Three patents created the Konka system – 34,845 for the fibre-reinforced board, 37,354 for the stud and support system into which a concrete grout was poured to lock the panels in place, and finally 52,50 for metal strips to ensure a smooth final plaster surface. A waterproofing additive in the plaster provided the final part of the system.The company quickly setup a national series of agents, with manufacturing ultimately occurring in Wanganui, Gisborne, Christchurch and Timaru. Patent 34,845 was challenged in 1927, with the Privy Council finding in 1930 that it was invalid, opening the way for similar products to be made. The development in the 1930s of NZSS 95 Model Building By-law allowed Konka to be used nationally, without further evidence as to its performance. However, competitor other products were also included e.g. Excell, Rotorua, Thermax, Duro, Wangan, Walasco and the asbestos based Fibrolite.Konka survived until the 1960s, when flax production was in decline, the high labour costs and manufacturing time meant it was no longer competitive. Even so, in a twist of fate it was a Konka style approach which led to cellulose fibre replacing asbestos in fibre-cement sheeting. In the twenty-first century, Konka could even be considered a desirable product – a natural fibre reinforced, composite sheet.

China’s Mega Supply Chains

This chapter explains the development and significance of China’s mega supply chains and their position in the global division of labour. It explains the importance of modularity, standardization, and complementarity in supply chains. It analyses how efficiencies and resilience are achieved and balanced in supply chains and the importance of platforms, both geographical clusters, such as industrial bases in Shenzhen, Chengdu, and Suzhou, and digital platforms, such as Alibaba and Pinduoduo. The chapter also argues that China’s mega supply chains have become regional hubs supplying intermediate products to manufacturing facilities in countries with lower labour costs. It discusses the extent to which China is progressing towards Industry 4.0, with smart supply chains, and how the country is responding to the challenges from growing global trade tensions.

Effectiveness-Based Manufacturing as a Foundation of China’s Innovation Machine

This chapter demonstrates the importance of manufacturing in China’s innovation machine. It explains the history of China’s industrialization and how it overcame early challenges to become the ‘world’s factory’. It argues that China has since progressed to become the ‘world’s workshop’, with the capability and capacity to translating complex designs into products with engineering precision and with unmatchable speed and scale. Examples are provided of large overseas companies attracted to manufacture in China, such as Tesla and Apple. It also examines a new model of mass customization facilitated by the country’s super e-commerce platforms such as Alibaba and Pinduoduo, which connects consumers with hundreds of millions of SME manufacturers, including China’s ‘hidden champions’ in niche areas of manufacturing. Chinese manufacturing possesses significant strengths in its resilience and flexibility, building upon its highly skilled workforce and digital infrastructure. The chapter shows how China’s manufacturing is benefiting from recent trends that have moved production in global value chains to countries with lower labour costs.

Designing and Simulating the Control Process of a Feed Pusher Robot Used on a Dairy Farm

Feeding cattle on livestock farms is a labor-intensive operation that requires considerable capital investments to purchase equipment and cover labour costs. The global trends in developing technological equipment for feeding cattle include the robotization of various processes. The operation of feed pushing on the feeding table is an integral part of the feeding process, which has a significant impact on livestock productivity. This study concentrates on the simulation modeling of a feed pusher robot using Simulink tools in the Matlab environment to facilitate robot modernization or optimize the final cost for artificial testing of typical system elements and reduce production costs. Based on a simulation model, an experimental sample was designed with a controlled dispenser of feed additives, which can significantly facilitate the feeding process and optimize the dosing of concentrated additives.

Enhancing a community palliative care service with telehealth leads to efficiency gains and improves job satisfaction

Telepalliative care services enable clinicians to provide essential palliation services to people with a life-limiting illness in or closer to home. This study aims to explore the costs, service activity and staff experiences resulting from the introduction of telehealth in a community palliative care service in Queensland, Australia. Pre- and post-activity and cost data from the 2016–2017 and 2019–2020 financial years were examined and staff members interviewed. Accounting for inflation and standard wage increases, the labour costs before and after the addition of telehealth were approximately equal. There were small variations in non-labour costs, but these were not directly attributable to the expansion of the telehealth services. Overall, the service activity increased by 189% for standard doctor and nurse consultations, due to the increased efficiency of telehealth compared to the previous outreach (travel) model. Thematic analysis of the staff interview data generated an overarching theme of Increased Job Satisfaction which staff attributed to the patient-centred nature of the telepalliative care service, the increased peer support and increased professional development. Compared with the traditional in-person service, the new telehealth-supported model resulted in equivalent costs, greater efficiency by allowing palliative care to reach more patients and improved staff job satisfaction.

Scaled-down test arrangements for characterizing high explosives

Newly formulated explosives and the optimization of explosive mixtures requires an experimental determination of detonation parameters, especially detonation velocity, pressure and metal accelerating ability. Increasing material and labour costs force researchers to reduce test quantities and therefore to develop smaller scale experiments which provide sufficient data to determine an explosive’s properties. Seven test set-ups found in literature are described and compared in this paper.

Digital Transformation on Food Retail Industries-A Review

Digital Transformation is defined as the use of technology to radically improve performance or reach of enterprises (Westerman et al., 2018) The existing literature on digitalization in the food industry is limited. Meanwhile, the literature suggests that digitalization is an issue that is unavoidable at some point in all industries and that companies must adapt in order to maintain their competitive position. The purpose of this research is to look into the digital technologies that are commonly used in the food industry in order to identify the challenges and opportunities that exist in digital transformation. In this study more than twenty five articles collected and reviewed. Recent published articles were collected from high impact journals which consist of the review related to digital transformation in food industry. When this study was completed, it was discovered that the food industry is lagging behind other sectors in terms of digitalization. The industry is confronted with enormous challenges and one of the most important challenges, as well as resistance to digitalization in the food industry, is its profitability. Digital transformation has increased traceability throughout the food industry and has also reduced labour costs and production time.

Digitalization in the Mining Industry

Competitiveness of mining enterprises is determined, mainly by their productivity and operation superiority. Digitalization becomes a decisive factor, which can provide an opportunity to companies of this sphere to remain competitive in the future. In mining industry passing-over to new, advanced methods of work usually happens more slowly due to the scale and complexity of production processes and considerable costs necessary for re-equipment. That is why certain enterprises of this field use digital technologies without enthusiasm. However, the leading mining companies in the world invest vast funds in development of advanced technologies in power engineering and automation in order to increase mining and ecological efficiency, to cut the volume of hand labour, costs and power expenses. It is obvious that digital technologies can give new opportunities for serious rise in productivity and profit. The article studies key lines in digital transformation at mining enterprises, demonstrates basic advantages and potential threats. The authors analyze both foreign and Russian examples of effective digitalization at enterprises of this sphere.