United Nations Global Compact: Where are we going?

Purpose In a world characterised by increasing environmental and social awareness, the number of corporate social responsibility and sustainability initiatives has significantly grown. Among these, the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) is one of the most important, involving more than 12,000 companies. The purpose of this study is to investigate the UNGC’s worldwide diffusion, both at country and industry level, to understand the reasons leading to the highlighted dissemination patterns, and to propose various future projections. Design/methodology/approach The study pursues its objectives by applying the logistic curve model to data provided by the United Nations. The analysis is complemented by adopting instability and concentration indexes. Findings Results suggest that, while human rights and environmental safeguard in some areas and industries will remain a controversial issue, UNGC adoption will continue growing and giving the participants the required legitimacy to compete in worldwide markets. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper that analyses the UNGC’s worldwide diffusion and proposes a prediction model for its future dissemination. The findings are of considerable importance in extending the knowledge of the initiative and in understanding the potential values of its adoption.

Comparative Evaluation Of Lactobacillus Plantarum Strains Through Microbial Growth Kinetics

The study of the growth kinetics of lactobacilli with pronounced probiotic properties in their batch cultivation is essential. Various models based on the logistic curve model, containing parameters showing the influence of the accumulating lactic acid on the biosynthesis of the product, as well as parameters showing the sensitivity of the cells to lactic acid were used to model the growth kinetics in the present work. The rate constant of adaptation of the studied strains to the used nutrient medium and the induction period were also determined. The kinetics of lactic acid synthesis was determined according to the Weibull model.

Application of Curve Model Fitting Methods to Settlement Prediction

Both Hyperbolic model and Logistic curve model have certain applicability to settlement prediction of soft sub-grade. Based on the observational settlement data of soft sub-grade in an industrial zone, the features of Hyperbolic model and Logistic curve model are studied. By using curve fitting methods with Origin software to predict the sub-grade settlement value and analyze the simulation results, compare these two models to determine which one is more reasonable. The results show that the Logistic curve model is more accurate and reasonable, it has the value of popularization and application in engineering.