Subcritical Research Articles

Unlocking sustainable governance: The role of women at the corporate apex

AbstractThis study explores the intra‐organizational antecedents of sustainable governance by examining the impact of female presence at the corporate apex. Drawing upon the upper echelon theory, we investigate whether women in top positions influence sustainable governance practices. Our research focuses on a sample of companies operating within two distinct market economies: liberal market economies (LMEs) and coordinated market economies (CMEs). The United States, represented by the S&P100, and the United Kingdom, represented by the FTSE100, serve as examples of LMEs. Conversely, Germany (DAX30), France (CAC40), Spain (IBEX35), and Switzerland (SMI) are illustrative of CMEs. Analyzing archival data spanning from 2010 to 2019, we confirm that the presence of a critical mass of women on the board of directors significantly increases the likelihood of establishing a sustainability committee within organizations. This relationship holds true across both LMEs and CMEs, highlighting the universal importance of gender diversity in driving sustainable governance initiatives. Interestingly, we observe that the impact of women with structural power on sustainability committee formation is specific to LMEs, suggesting the context‐dependent nature of female leadership in sustainable governance.

Determination of carbon in microplastics and single cells by total consumption microdroplet ICP-TOFMS

Recently, spICP-MS analyses of microplastics have demonstrated that the detection capabilities of ICP-MS are sufficient to determine the size and composition of such materials. However, solution nebulization or microdroplet generation limits the sizes of droplets, microparticles, or cells that can be efficiently introduced into commonly used horizontal ICP-MS configurations. Therefore, we introduced the development of a downward-pointing ICP coupled to a time-of-flight mass spectrometer (ICP-TOFMS), which enables quantitative transport of large microdroplets (diameters up to 90 µm) into the ICP. Here, we report the capabilities of downward ICP-TOFMS for the quantitative analysis of single cells and microplastic particles. For calibration of element mass amount per particle or cell, microdroplets (70 µm diameter) composed of multielement solutions were measured by ICP-TOFMS. Microplastic beads (polystyrene) and spleenocyte cells were then also embedded in microdroplets and measured by ICP-TOFMS with ion optics optimized to determine the signals from 12C+ and other isotopes of interest, including 140Ce, 153Eu, 165Ho, and 175Lu from the REE beads and 31P for the cells. The results achieved using the prototype instrument of a vertical downward-pointing ICP-TOFMS demonstrate that such a plasma configuration is well suited to analyze microplastics and single cells. For single microbead and cell analyses, the critical mass for carbon was 4.8 pg, and the mean determined carbon mass amounts were 14 and 23 pg, respectively. For the microbead analysis, the detected carbon mass corresponds to a particle diameter of 2.93 ± 0.24 µm, which is consistent with the scanning (transmission) electron microscopy–determined diameter of 2.97 ± 0.04 µm. Furthermore, in the analysis of spleenocyte cells, carbon and phosphorus masses were determined to be correlated.Graphical abstract

How do ethics and diversity, equity, and inclusion relate in engineering? A systematic review

AbstractBackgroundThis paper begins with the premise that ethics and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) overlap in engineering. Yet, the topics of ethics and DEI often inhabit different scholarly spaces in engineering education, thus creating a divide between these topics in engineering education research, teaching, and practice.PurposeWe investigate the research question, “How are ethics and DEI explicitly connected in peer‐reviewed literature in engineering education and closely related fields?”DesignWe used systematic review procedures to synthesize intersections between ethics and DEI in engineering education scholarly literature. We extracted literature from engineering and engineering education databases and used thematic analysis to identify ethics/DEI connections.ResultsWe identified three primary themes (each with three sub‐themes): (1) lenses that serve to connect ethics and DEI (social, justice‐oriented, professional), (2) roots that inform how ethics and DEI connect in engineering (individual demographics, disciplinary cultures, institutional cultures); and (3) engagement strategies for promoting ethics and DEI connections in engineering (affinity toward ethics/DEI content, understanding diverse stakeholders, working in diverse teams).ConclusionsThere is a critical mass of engineering education scholars explicitly exploring connections between ethics and DEI in engineering. Based on this review, potential benefits of integrating ethics and DEI in engineering include cultivating a socially just world and shifting engineering culture to be more inclusive and equitable, thus accounting for the needs and values of students and faculty from diverse backgrounds.

Sustainable Material Selection Framework: Taxonomy and Systematisation of Design Approaches to Sustainable Material Selection

Design can play a fundamental role in addressing the climate crisis and preserving the planet’s finite resources. Through design, it is possible to reduce the environmental impact of products and services right from concept stage. The elements that concur within a project are diverse and often have an impact on each other. The material is one of them, being able to influence the product, but also the business model, company relations, etc. To help the designer keep all these aspects under control, various methodologies and tools have been developed, among them design strategies and guidelines. To date, several authors have dealt with the topic, offering different perspectives and generating a critical mass of information, which differs in the level of depth and operability of the suggestions, often differing only in terminology rather than content. This inhomogeneity can confuse both professionals and students. This study proposes an ordered taxonomy of the different levels of detail and a unified terminology of the strategies and guidelines in the literature. To test taxonomy and systematisation, this article focuses on guidelines for material choice, resulting in a framework to guide the selection of materials with a view to sustainability.

Dynamical Approach to the Jamming Problem.

A simple dynamical model, biased random organization (BRO), appears to produce configurations known as random close packing (RCP) as BRO's densest critical point in dimension d=3. We conjecture that BRO likewise produces RCP in any dimension; if so, then RCP does not exist in d=1-2 (where BRO dynamics lead to crystalline order). In d=3-5, BRO produces isostatic configurations and previously estimated RCP volume fractions 0.64, 0.46, and 0.30, respectively. For all investigated dimensions (d=2-5), we find that BRO belongs to the Manna universality class of dynamical phase transitions by measuring critical exponents associated with the steady-state activity and the long-range density fluctuations. Additionally, BRO's distribution of near contacts (gaps) displays behavior consistent with the infinite-dimensional theoretical treatment of RCP when d≥4. The association of BRO's densest critical configurations with random close packing implies that RCP's upper-critical dimension is consistent with the Manna class d_{uc}=4.

Modeling, analysis, and optimization of complex nuclear processes and facilities via computational methods: The HALEU process case study

Improving and adapting industrial systems to timely meet changing programmatic and market demands is an important goal to achieve, including when operating and maintaining complex nuclear processes and facilities. However, changes to these complex systems are costly, particularly when they are already in place and bounded to stringent requirements and constraints such as when handling radioactive material and contaminated equipment. These conditions often exist when treating spent nuclear fuel remotely within shielded nuclear radiation chambers, commonly referred as hot cells, to condition nuclear material and/or fabricate products for utilization in other nuclear enterprises such as in the manufacture of advanced nuclear fuel. The illustrative case considered here is the production of high assay low enriched uranium (HALEU) products supporting the deployment of advanced nuclear reactors. For the HALEU program, resources invested were and are being systematically analyzed so that these investments are maximized in a facility that is nearly 60 years old. A methodology that has effectively enabled optimized and improvements in the Spent Fuel Treatment (SFT) program, and consequently the HALEU program, involves discrete event simulation as addressed in this article. The quantification of multiple productivity metrics, including material processing rates, cycle times, bottlenecks, number of material transfers as well as equipment, workstation, and material handling utilization, has resulted in a myriad of diverse discoveries and data-informed decisions regarding process layout and constituent, labor levels and schedules, selection of new process units, storage needs, and other critical process configurations. This article describes such a computational capability being applied for decision-making, illustrates its application to an actual process and program, provides illustrative results, and argues how computational methods for the modeling, analysis, and optimization of complex processes and facilities does lead to informed decisions derived from data and not only from intuition.

Wind loads on structural members of rack-supported warehouses

Rack-supported warehouses (RSWs) represent a modern typology of storage racks. In this system, cladding panel weight and corresponding applied loads, such as wind or snow load, are supported by storage racks, in addition to pallet load and seismic action. While this structural system allows for reducing the amount of structural steel, the uprights and beams, composing each rack, are directly exposed to the wind during the earliest erection phases. This load condition may govern the design of the uprights or that of temporary bracings. Wind load estimation requires the knowledge of the aerodynamic coefficients of each structural member section, for any angles of wind incidence. Unlike any common structural steelwork section, no data are available in the literature for RSW member sections. The current work represents a first step to cover this lack in the literature by reporting the results of an extensive wind tunnel campaign carried out on several portions of uprights and beams commonly designed and produced for RSWs. The results highlight the need for wind tunnel tests on RSW member sections when producers can no longer afford an overestimation of the wind load. In addition, conservative values of the aerodynamic coefficients are provided for preliminary wind load estimations or temporary bracings design. Empirical relationships for the aerodynamic coefficients, changing with equivalent side ratio, are also reported. Finally, design recommendations are provided by highlighting a critical structural configuration during the early erection phases of RSWs that govern the design of the uprights or temporary bracings. A worked example is then developed to clarify the application of the present results in the definition of wind loads.

From zero to Hero: effect of gender diversity on corporate social performance in Brazil

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the effect of board gender diversity on corporate social performance (CSP) in Brazilian companies.Design/methodology/approachThis research collected available information on the CSP, financial performance and governance of Brazilian companies for five years (2016–2020). The dependent variable of this study is CSP (workforce, human rights, community and respect for the product). The independent variable is gender diversity. The authors control financial performance, the presence of a social responsibility committee and the industry sector. The data were analyzed using the dynamic panel data system, which is the generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator.FindingsThis empirical investigation confirmed the hypothesis that the female presence on boards has a positive effect on the CSP of Brazilian companies. The findings of this study are consistent with previous studies. The authors' results suggest that women are more socially aware and exhibit more social corporate behavior.Practical implicationsSupplementing financial reports with nonfinancial information draws the attention of regulators and shareholders. Companies can also create human resources policies for appointing women to senior management positions and a succession plan that values the talent that women bring to companies.Originality/valueA critical mass of women on the board can provide an effective balance, considering the diversity of backgrounds and experiences between men and women. Just one woman on the board can mean representation and resistance, but with a critical amount, female directors can have a voice and help formulate strategies aimed at CSP.

Capillary Forces Lead to Pendant Crystals at the Liquid-Air Interface of Evaporating Salt Solutions.

We investigated the nucleation and growth processes of individual NaCl crystals from an evaporating salt solution that is supersaturated. We find that crystals nucleate at the liquid/vapor interface, resulting in distinct "pendant" crystals, which reach millimeter dimensions. The substantial size of the crystals induces deformation of the interface. This process and the evaporation rate, in turn, determine the final crystal shape, which features a deep central cavity. Our findings reveal that a delicate balance exists between gravity, buoyancy, and the surface tension of the liquid/vapor interface that allows the crystal to remain pendant. When the contact angle of the crystal with the meniscus reaches 90°, the crystal disconnects from the interface and falls into the solution. We quantitatively predict the critical mass at which this occurs.

Experiment and numerical investigation on flow characteristics and near-field structure of dense phase CO2 pipeline leakage

Accidental leakage of high-pressure CO2 is not only a safety hazard, but also may have a great negative impact on the operating efficiency of some circulating systems. To analyze the accident hazards and improve the ability to predict the transient release flow behavior of high-pressure CO2, a set of small pipeline leakage test equipment was built. The changes of near-field pressure, temperature, and jet structure under different upstream pressure (6–12 MPa), temperature (280–300 K) and orifice diameter (5 mm, 10 mm, 20 mm, 40 mm) were analyzed. Secondly, as a supplement to the experiment, the near-field CO2 gas phase distribution and critical mass flow were studied by numerical model. The results show that the near field pressure peak is negatively correlated with the initial upstream pressure, but positively correlated with the release diameter. In addition, the increase of upstream initial pressure and release diameter will lead to the increase of radial development range of near-field jet cloud. Based on the numerical results, an empirical correlation of critical mass flow based on upstream initial conditions and RHP is established. The error between the experimental data and the predicted value within the range of the correlation is within ± 18%. The research data and results can help to enhance the understanding of the rapid release characteristics of high-pressure CO2 in the near field region and provide a basis for the study of CO2 diffusion in the far field region and the leakage risk assessment.

Leveraging transparency to shift capital‐labour relations in garment sector production: A critical analysis of the design and structure of the Bangladesh Accord

Little attention has been given to examples of innovative structural designs in the private labour regulation of garment global production networks (GPNs). This article addresses this gap by examining the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, analysing its contested structural features, namely: (1) a legally binding basis, (2) a labour‐balanced executive board, (3) corporate critical mass and (4) transparency of functions. The authors’ findings contribute to the understanding of emerging hybrid governance mechanisms, combining multi‐organizational cooperative action with traditional capital‐labour dynamics to influence labour regulation in GPNs in new and contradictory ways.

Social influence of the “rational flow” communication model of brand community participation in four-wheeled vehicle companies as a supporting correlation for knowledge exhibitions

This study aims to brand community research by proposing and testing a model of user participation in brand communities. The authors conceptualise three antecedents of brand community participation (e.g., individual, relationship, and group) based on qualitative results and an extensive literature review. The empirical analysis comes from data related to the official car brand community and supports most of the hypotheses. However, several differences emerge between users of official car brands and unofficial dealers regarding the correlation factor in the level of knowledge exhibition. Additionally, critical mass perceptions explain some of the social mechanisms underlying members' decisions to participate in brand communities. Finally, quantile regression analysis extends previous literature by showing that different exchange rules motivate brand users, depending on their level of participation. This paper discusses the managerial implications of these findings as well as some important issues and lines of research.

Theses of excellence as a reflection of doctoral and postdoctoral research in the Republic of Moldova

Designating doctoral theses as of excellence is a common practice worldwide. In the Republic of Moldova, the competition for doctoral theses of excellence has been carried out since 2010. The analysis of doctoral theses of excellence in the Republic of Moldova for the years 2009–2022 revealed different characteristics of these theses and trends in the defence of postdoctoral and PhD theses. It was established that theses of excellence are more often carried out in large institutions and doctoral schools, capable of ensuring critical mass, where there are long research traditions and by candidates who often benefit from international collaborations. Doctoral theses of excellence reflect quite well the major features of doctoral and postdoctoral research. The feminisation of this research and the maintenance of a high weighting of social sciences and economics are confirmed. At the same time, it has been proven that the scientific fields with the highest international recognition are favoured and encouraged when referring to the in the competition for doctoral theses of excellence.

Boosting the Viable Water Harvesting in Solar Vapor Generation: From Interfacial Engineering to Devices Design.

Continuously increasing demand for the life-critical water resource induces severe global water shortages. It is imperative to advance effective, economic, and environmentally sustainable strategies to augment clean water supply. The present work reviews recent reports on the interfacial engineering to devices design of solar vapor generation (SVG) system for boosting the viability of drinkable water harvesting. Particular emphasis is placed on the basic principles associated with the interfacial engineering of solar evaporators capable of efficient solar-to-thermal conversion and resulting freshwater vapor via eliminating pollutants from quality-impaired water sources. The critical configurations manufacturing of the devices for fast condensation is then highlighted to harvest potable liquid water. Fundamental and practical challenges, along with prospects for the targeted materials architecture and devices modifications of SVG system are also outlined, aiming to provide future directions and inspiring critical research efforts in this emerging and exciting field.

Altered threonine tyrosine kinase (TTK) expression is associated with adverse clinical outcomes in breast tumors: An in silico approach

The most common and lethal malignancy in women on a global scale remains breast cancer. Threonine tyrosine kinase (TTK) has been shown to be a critical mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) molecule, resulting in correct chromosome segregation and maintenance of genomic stability. Therefore, the present study was carried out to evaluate the expression pattern of threonine tyrosine kinase (TTK) in breast cancer and its potential prognostic and predictive value for therapeutic response using bioinformatics tools. Web platforms containing clinical information and cDNA microarray data were selected to perform in silico analyzes of the potential threonine tyrosine kinase (TTK) marker. The threonine tyrosine kinase (TTK) gene was found to be differentially expressed in tumor samples when compared to healthy breast tissue samples (p<0.0001) and the TNBC subtype exhibited the highest expression of threonine tyrosine kinase (TTK) relative to the other subtypes (p<0.0001). Furthermore, Kaplan-Meier curves revealed that high threonine tyrosine kinase (TTK) levels corresponded to an unfavorable outcome for overall survival (p<0.0001), as well as for recurrence-free survival (p<0.0001) and distant metastasis-free survival (p<0.0001). Finally, differential expression of threonine tyrosine kinase (TTK) was related to the response of breast cancer patients to different therapies. Our cumulative results demonstrate that threonine tyrosine kinase (TTK) may be a promising biomarker for predicting prognosis and therapeutic response in breast cancer patients.

The role of female executives in capital structure decisions: evidence from a Southeast Asian country

PurposeThis study aims to investigate how the presence of female executives on the board affects a company’s capital structure decisions. The critical mass of female executives on the board was also considered to observe their impact on capital structure.Design/methodology/approachSamples were taken from nonfinancial sector companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange between 2012 and 2021 (3,707 firm-year observations). Capital structure was measured using four approaches, namely, debt-to-total asset ratio (DAR), debt-to-equity ratio (DER), short-term debt-to-total assets (STD) and long-term debt-to-total assets (LTD). The data were analyzed using panel data regression analysis, including a fixed effects model with clustered standard errors.FindingsThe presence of female executives on the board is significantly negatively related to capital structure as measured by DER and STD. The critical mass of women provided no evidence of a relationship with a firm’s capital structure. Robustness checks were performed, and the results were consistent with those in the main analysis.Research limitations/implicationsFemale executives can be appointed to management boards when determining a strategy to achieve the capital structure desired by a company.Originality/valueThis study increases the diversity of research in corporate governance by synthesizing various indicators from female executives into a single study to determine their relationships with companies’ capital structures. In addition, this study stands out by incorporating four distinct indicators for assessing capital structure and diverging from the norm observed in many other studies, many of which rely on just two indicators: DAR and DER. Moreover, it strongly emphasizes the unique economic, legal, social and cultural landscapes of developing countries like Indonesia in comparison to their developed counterparts, particularly Western nations.

The sound of silence? Listening to localisation at the World Humanitarian Summit.

Based on research with key stakeholders, this paper draws on theories of organisational and political listening to analyse the critical emergence of 'localisation' during the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit. The central focus is the two-year pre-summit consultation process, engaging 23,000-plus people, mainly from the Global South, and organised specifically to bring different views and experiences to the task of reforming the global humanitarian agenda. This research explores 'voice and listening' during the consultations, investigating how these were framed by, and have framed, power differentials within the humanitarian system. The consultations were a unique event, evoking optimism among participants that change might be possible. However, the space to speak, and the listening that occurred, struggled to breach the political sphere. The 'Grand Bargain', some interviewees claim, amounted to a re-silencing. Notably, the localisation debate happened when a largely coherent message from the Global South and allies emerged, making unmet but heard claims on powerful actors.

Determinants of success of mobile payments as innovations: An exploratory study based on the extant literature, the M-Pesa, Alipay, and Nubank cases, and the opinion of experts

An important fact related to mobile payments is that adopters have already reached the majority group in more than 40 countries. Despite the growth of mobile payments, only a small portion of the related literature has focused on the topic from an organizational point of view. To fill this gap, this paper seeks to identify the main success determinants of firms operating in the segment, looking for relevant characteristics of organizations that are successful in this competitive arena. The investigation carried out a triangulation with the results of a literature review, a case study, and the answers given by a questionnaire applied to a group of specialists from private organizations and the public sector. The results suggest that companies with organic and flexible structures, open communication qualities, and decentralized decision processes increase their chances of success. Furthermore, the results also show that, given non-impeditive regulations, critical mass and the provision of different services other than the payment choice should be considered by firms operating in the mobile payment segment.Graphical

MILAAP - Crowdfunding for All: Helping Patients by Facilitating Philanthropy

Milaap is a popular medical crowdfunding platform in India, enabling interaction between those who want to raise funds and those who want to donate. To achieve the critical mass Milaap had to increase the trust among the donors and ensure a higher success rate of the campaigns. Milaap provided two types of services: Do it Yourself (DIY), and Supported Campaign (SC). Milaap charged 5% of the raised amount from the DIY campaigns and 15% of the raised amount from the SC. Overall the chances of success were high in the SC. The case explores the dilemma of type of service to be prioritized.

Is a critical mass of women always enough to improve firm performance? The importance of the institutional context

PurposeThis paper aims to present a comprehensive theoretical framework that seeks to explore the impact of cultural, legal and social factors within the external environment on the relationship between women on corporate boards and firm performance. By investigating these boundary conditions, the paper aims to shed light on how these pressures influence the aforementioned relationship.Design/methodology/approachTo build the sample of companies, the authors selected companies listed on the stock exchanges of countries that represent a diverse range of institutional contexts. These contexts encompass countries with individualistic cultures, collectivist cultures, environments with mandatory gender quotas, environments without gender quotas, contexts with substantial progress toward gender equality and contexts with limited progress in achieving gender equality. To test the hypotheses, the authors used linear regression analysis as a primary analytical approach. Furthermore, they used the propensity score matching technique to address potential issues of reverse causality and unobserved heterogeneity.FindingsThe findings indicate that the positive influence of a critical mass of women on corporate boards on firm performance is contingent upon the institutional context. Specifically, the authors observed that this relationship is strengthened in institutional contexts characterized by an individualistic culture, whereas it is not as pronounced in collectivist cultural contexts. Furthermore, this research provides compelling evidence that the presence of a critical mass of women on boards leads to enhanced firm performance in institutional settings where gender quotas are not binding, as opposed to settings where such quotas are enforced. Lastly, the results demonstrate that the presence of a critical mass of women on boards is associated with improved firm performance in institutional settings characterized by low progress in achieving gender equality. However, the authors did not observe the same effect in institutional contexts that have made significant strides toward gender equality.Originality/valueThis research offers a unique perspective by investigating the relationship between women’s presence on corporate boards and firm performance across different institutional contexts. In this investigation, the authors recognize that gender diversity on corporate boards is not a one-size-fits-all solution and that its effects can be shaped by the unique institutional contexts in which companies operate.