Characteristics Of External Environment Research Articles

Investigating the Impact of the External Environment and Benchmark Characteristics on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor's Construction: A COVID-19 Perspective.

The economic stability of a country, such as Pakistan is dependent on the construction of mega-projects, such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). However, certain external factors and project characteristics may delay the construction of infrastructure projects; scholars have not investigated the development of CPEC from this perspective. In addition, the COVID-19 outbreak has hindered CPEC initiatives. This analysis will examine the effect of external environment factors on CPEC, and benchmark the project’s effects on economic stability through CPEC’s development by incorporating 523 samples obtained from employees of various CPEC projects. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze all hypotheses proposed here on AMOS 21.0 tools. According to the findings of this study, the CPEC external environment and project benchmark characteristics have a negative effect on the construction of CPEC development. Furthermore, the development of CPEC is found to have a significant effect on economic stability. However, fear of COVID-19 has weakened the relationship between CPEC development and economic stability. Finally, we also discuss the implications and limitations of the study.

THE INFLUENCE OF KNOWLEDGE AND PERSUASION IN BIM-FM INTEGRATION AT THE EARLY PHASE OF A BIM PROJECT

Traditionally, Facility Managers (FM) have often been handed over large numbers of files (hard and soft copies) consisting of among others drawings, specifications, operation and maintenance manuals together with product data sheets in order for them to carry out their tasks in managing facilities. This practice may indicate that information exchange between the AEC and FM phases is still fragmented. The FM phase of the construction project life cycle remains the most disconnected from the rest of the cycle. Therefore, the integration of FM at the early phase of BIM project is expected to fully engage BIM technology and bring potential significant value to assets and estates. This paper is part of a research that aims to identify the influence of knowledge and persuasion on deciding whether to adopt or reject BIM-FM integration at the early phase of BIM. Rogers' Theory of Diffusion of Innovation (DoI) has been applied to support the formation of the conceptual framework. Connecting the organisational characteristics associated with adoption innovation literature with the factors influencing the integration process (innovation characteristics, adopter characteristics, internal and external environment characteristics) brings interesting research potential that is not commonly investigated. This paper aims to have a relatively comprehensive view of the factors that can influence the adoption or rejection of BIM-FM integration at the early stage of the decision phase.

Microgrid distributed energy resources planning based on a long-term dynamic microsimulation

In this paper, we study a DERs simulation platform that can adapt to dynamic infrastructure changes. We present a long-term dynamic-planning simulation platform focused on DERs based on MATLAB and TCP/IP network communication via GridLAB-D. This platform can capture critical features of DERs by combining MATLAB’s ability to optimize control with GridLAB-D’s capacity for accurate and discrete event-based microsimulations. The proposed platform architecture is divided into inner and outer layers. The outer layer simulates changes in the external environment (i.e., changes in load level as well as the price of diesel fuel and planned equipment components) and equipment characteristics (i.e., the running lives of batteries and diesel generators). These features provide dynamic scenarios and re-planning boundary conditions that can be used to inform the inner layer simulation. The inner layer presents an operational simulation of the planned microgrid that leverages day-ahead scheduling and the real-time adjustments associated with uncertainties in DER output. Simulation results have shown our proposed planning scheme will result in increased profits and improved resource utilization efficiency during the entire 10-year cycle. Compared to traditional planning scheme, our proposed planning scheme can perform dynamic adjustments to the configuration of various DERs according to changing external factors and network conditions.

Supply Chain Finance and Financing Constraints: Evidence from Chinese Multinational Manufacturing Firms

In today’s highly changing external environment, such as global interest rates and exchange rates, and the changing relationship between the two parties in international trade, the international trade supply chain is gradually mature and stable. In particular, remarkable progress in the development of various products related to supply chain finance (SCF) has been established thanks to the innovation of IT technology including the Internet network. Moreover, supply chain finance (SCF) has shown a breakthrough in the development of product concept and operation mode innovations in the international market with the continuous improvement of Internet technology. The top 50 global banks have all started SCF business. Meanwhile, European and American countries are developing fast, whereas China is still in its infancy in which a certain gap currently exists. However, China obtains a critical position in global supply chain, especially the manufacturing industry occupying a large proportion. Facing huge demand, many of China’s multinational manufacturing industries have been in a weak position in financing and are facing pressure on capital turnover. The ‘One Belt and One Road’ project, a land and sea road network connecting Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa, which is the ‘21st century version of the Silk Road’ launched by the Chinese government in 2015, could be a great opportunity to Chinese companies. Still, one of the main reasons for not being able to be fully benefited from it can be found in the sluggish supply chain finance. With the tightening of liquidity caused by the deleveraging of supervision, the generalized SCF will build a stable liquidity tool for core enterprises, primary and secondary suppliers, and more upstream and downstream small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Moreover, it will help build a better environment of the industrial chain and thus promote the reform of the financial ecology of the supply chain. Using data of the manufacturing enterprises listed on China’s SMEs Board from 2013 to 2019, this study uses the cash-cashflow sensitivity model to empirically test the financing constraints of SMEs and the role of SCF in alleviating these constraints. From the internal individual characteristics of enterprises and external financial environment, this study introduces enterprise information transparency, external financing cost, and financial development level as moderating variables for further investigation. In the supply chain of multinational corporations, the more peripheral in the supply chain they are, the stronger financial constraints they face . This is due to the fact that in the supply chain of China-based multinational companies engaged in manufacturing, the longer the inventory cycle is, the higher the current debt ratio is, and the standardization of corporate management is insufficient. This study examines the difference in financing constraints of different types of enterprises and the varying alleviating effects of SCF on their financing constraints, and carries out a robustness test on the empirical results. Through empirical analysis, this paper draws the following conclusions: Information transparency and financial development level negatively regulate the mitigating effect of SCF on enterprise financing constraints. In contrast, external financing costs positively regulate the mitigating effect of SCF on enterprise financing constraints.

A policy tool for monitoring and evaluation of participation in adaptation projects

Climate change and the need for sustainable development have been reflected in a proliferation of climate adaptation interventions, especially in the Global South. However, alongside intensified funding flows aimed at climate change adaptation, increased efforts in planning, monitoring, and evaluating of projects are necessary to avoid ineffective interventions or maladaptive outcomes. Yet, often the analytical tools available to the policy maker do not capture the cognitive and affective processes leading to adaptation decisions. This paper addresses this gap by proposing a conceptual framework for planning, monitoring, and evaluating climate adaptation interventions that draws upon the decision-making literature. The framework enables tracing how extrinsic factors (personal and external environment characteristics) and intrinsic factors (knowledge and attitudes) influence the decision to participate in an intervention and its outcomes. The paper provides detailed guidelines on how to apply the framework and demonstrates its use in an in-depth case study of a tree planting intervention in Ghana.

Research on Risk Assessment and Control for Urban Rainwater Resources Utilization

Strengthening risk management and control of urban rainwater resources utilization is the key to ensuring the sustainable and efficient use of urban rainwater resources. On the basis of comprehensive research on urban rainwater utilization, the definition and connotation of urban rainwater utilization emphasizing the attributes of resource utilization are proposed, and the definition and function model of urban rainwater utilization risk are established. Based on the whole process of the development and utilization of urban rainwater resources including external environment, urban natural and social characteristics, rainwater utilization engineering systems, and project operation management, the risk assessment index system for urban rainwater utilization and risk evaluation model by using Analytic Hierarchy Process are established, and a comprehensive risk assessment standard based on risk value and risk tolerance, as well as residual risk management and control theory and risk management methods are put forward. The results of research on risk assessment and control of rainwater resources utilization in Xifeng District of Qingyang City shows that the main risks of rainwater utilization in this district are as follows in order of severity: policies and regulations, economy developing level, maintenance costs, precipitation and natural eutrophication. Risk assessment shows that the risks are low and acceptable and thus can be reduced by strengthening daily monitoring and control.

Drivers of management control systems in tourism start-ups firms

Abstract This study examines the use of Management Control Systems (MCS) in travel and tourism start-ups. The study empirically examines 176 European tourism start-ups; data are collected via an online survey of start-up CEOs, and supplemented by financial statements of early-stage tourism firms. The results show that travel and tourism start-ups use formal systems for management control. We observe a relationship between the usage of these systems with specific internal and external environment characteristics. Finally, the results show that the historical financial performance of travel and tourism start-up firms affects MCS usage.

Study of atmospheric ice adhesion properties of superhydrophobic surface by in-situ shear system

Based on shear strength calculation, this paper established an accurate method to measure the ice adhesion strength on any solid surface in an environment chamber by using self-made experimental equipment. The inherent characteristics of material and external environment which have strong influence on ice adhesion strength were investigated. The mechanism of ice adhesion was interpreted by studying the adhesion strength of ice layer with different surface wettability. The smooth steel substrate without any treatment and superhydrophobic surface samples were selected to study the relationship between ice adhesion strength and surface temperature. Meanwhile, the ice peak adhesion strength of the surface after freezing for 20–360 min under different low temperatures was analyzed. The results showed that the equipment provides a scientific and reasonable approach for the researchers to characterize the anti-icing performance of surfaces with different wettability.

Overview of environmental management in an emerging market

AbstractEnterprise strategic orientations influence environmental management, and external environmental characteristics moderate this relationship. Enterprise strategic orientations include policy orientation and market orientation, and external environmental characteristics contain system integrity and industrial competitiveness. Both the policy factors and market factors are important considerations for an enterprise's strategic choice and environmental management activities. System integrity shows no significant negative regulating function on the policy orientation of environmental management relationships, while industrial competitiveness plays a remarkably positive regulating role in the market orientation environmental management.

Semantic Representation of Social and Role Identification in Subject Self-Organization of Personality

Objective. Based on the psycholongvistic approach, which is widely represented in world personology and psychosemantics, revealing the subjective descriptive characteristics of a person, an attempt is made to build a model and diagnostic technique for mental personality self-organization (PSO).
 Material and method. The psycholinguistic method of theoretical structuring and systematization of scientific and theoretical data is presented in the perspective of the subjective paradigm and methodology of the system-synergetic approach (psychological and philosophical) is presented in the construction of a categorical-conceptual model of subjectivity in PSO. Based on the method of categorical-conceptual modeling, a model and methodology for semantic analysis and assessment of subjectness self-organization of personality based on individual characteristics of the experience of social-role identification, reflecting the characteristics of feelings and constructs of understanding that determine the conscious will of the subject, is developed.
 Results. Psycholinguistic scales of semantic constructs are highlighted of the psychic (functional and motivational) and activity (professional, business, and creative) levels of subjectivity are distinguished. The empirical material reflects the verification of the semantic model and methodology. Modified repertoire lattices by J. Kelly and expert assessment in semantic analysis and classification of constructs served as a method of collecting empirical data. An array of constructs obtained (N=2000) reflects the well-known categorical-conceptual aspects of psychic phenomena (processes-states-properties) and external environmental and sociocultural characteristics, thus revealing the socio-psychological aspects of social-role personality identification, which allows analysis and subjectness assessment. Findings. The presented semantic scales of qualities and personality traits (factors of socio-psychological identification) reveal the systemic relationship and the level structure of the PSO, and also make it possible to assess subjectness.

The Severity of Traffic Crashes in Italy: An Explorative Analysis among Different Driving Circumstances

Analyzing traffic accidents is very important due to their direct impact on the social environment. In the literature, many studies focus on the different aspects that influence traffic accidents, such as human, vehicle, road and environment risk factors. In this paper, we propose a methodology for testing the relationship between road, external environment, driver and vehicle characteristics, and certain circumstances that lead to the traffic crashes. Particularly, we elaborate on logistic regression models for evaluating how these different characteristics impact on crash severity, considering the combination of traffic circumstances that caused the crash. In each combination, a vehicle proceeded regularly, whereas the other vehicle did an incorrect maneuver (the vehicle proceeded: with distracted driving; without maintaining the safety distance; with speeding; by maneuvering to join the circulation flow; against the flow). The present work analyzes data related to road crashes which occurred in Italy during 2016 involving two vehicles. The results show that the variables significantly influencing crash severity are different depending on the combinations of circumstances that cause the crash.

Elements of sustainable development of agricultural enterprises

Rapidly changing modern economic conditions have highlighted the challenges of sustainable development of agricultural enterprises and its ability to resist adverse situations, which causes the need to ensure the reliability of each particular enterprise. Practice shows that the current problems cannot be solved without the formation of a mechanism that ensures sustainable development of the enterprise. In this article, the mechanism of sustainable development is considered as a set of different elements: organizational and managerial, technological, marketing, financial, investment, in relation to the external environment, internal factors, strategic objectives and current individual characteristics of the enterprise.

Shadow Image Characteristics and Feature Extraction Method of Large Caliber Projectile in Outfield

According to the shape characteristics of large-caliber projectiles in shadow photography and the characteristics of external field environment, this paper focuses on the characteristics of external field shadow imaging and proposes a method for extracting the features of outfield shadow image of large-caliber projectiles. Based on the image preprocessing, the Bullet Tip feature points are determined by the intersection of the central axis and the edge, while the bullet tail feature extraction method based on ellipse fitting. The fitting accuracy of ellipse fitting method and upper and lower endpoint method are simulated and compared. The results show that the ellipse fitting method determining the center of the target end surface is better, with the extraction accuracy of 0.44 piexl.

Prevalence of cryptococcal antigenemia and nasal colonization in a free-ranging koala population.

Cryptococcosis, caused by environmental fungi in the Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii species complexes, affects a variety of hosts, including koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus). Cryptococcal antigenemia and nasal colonization are well characterized in captive koalas, but free-ranging populations have not been studied systematically. Free-ranging koalas (181) from the Liverpool Plains region of New South Wales, Australia, were tested for cryptococcal antigenemia (lateral flow immunoassay) and nasal colonization (bird seed agar culture). Results were related to environmental and individual koala characteristics. Eucalypt trees (14) were also randomly tested for the presence of Cryptococcus spp. by bird seed agar culture. In sum, 5.5% (10/181) and 6.6% (12/181) of koalas were positive for antigenemia and nasal colonization, respectively, on at least one occasion. And 64.3% (9/14) of eucalypts were culture-positive for Cryptococcus spp. URA5 restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis identified most isolates as C. gattii VGI, while C. neoformans VNI was only found in one koala and one tree. Colonized koalas were significantly more likely to test positive for antigenemia. No associations between antigenemia or colonization, and external environmental characteristics (the relative abundance of Eucalyptus camaldulensis and season), or individual koala characteristics (body condition, sex, and age), could be established, suggesting that antigenemia and colonization are random outcomes of host-pathogen-environment interactions. The relationship between positive antigenemia status and a relatively high abundance of E. camaldulensis requires further investigation. This study characterizes cryptococcosis in a free-ranging koala population, expands the ecological niche of the C. gattii/C. neoformans species complexes and highlights free-ranging koalas as important sentinels for this disease.

The Role of Flagship Universities in a Region: Transformation Models

Efforts in providing expert and methodological support for the implementation of flagship university development programs in 2016–2017 yielded a specific-purpose flagship university model and four generic flagship university transformation models: regional technology leader (RTL), regional comprehensive university (RCU), industry sector leader (industrial university) (IL), and trans-border region university (TBRU). The article provides distinctive features of the four models, analysis of the regions where specific types of models pre­vail, and the results of model testing.
 As it has been found, flagship universities basically develop along two gene­ric models, RCU (classical universities, nearly half of the project participants) and RTL (engineering universities, one third of the flagship universities). For most universities, the type of transformation model pursued is strongly related to their current status and external environment characteristics. However, a number of universities fall in between and cannot be classified neatly under any particular model due to some specific external and internal factors. In this case, universities may use elements of more than one transformation model at once, yet the choice of model should first of all be based on the regional factors that determine the position and role of the flagship university in terms of the priority areas of regional development.

The Relationship between Environmental Uncertainty and Enterprise Performance. A Fuzzy-Set Analysis

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to explore causal complexity in the relationship between environmental uncertainty and firm’s performance. Due to complexity in the external and internal environment, the relationship between environment and firm performance rests not only on a single attribute but on the interrelation and complementarities between multiple characteristics such as firm features and external factors. This study examines the influence of a firm’s specific characteristics and the dimensions of environmental uncertainty on the company’s performance. Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis is used to analyze data collected via questionnaires from 58 Polish small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The results suggest that characteristics of the general business environment, as well as the firm-specific characteristics all matter to firm performance. In addition, our findings clearly demonstrate that the determination of high firm performance is underpinned by substantial interdependence among the selected conditions and complexity. Therefore, any particular condition may have a different or even opposite effect on the outcome depending on the presence or absence of other conditions. Based on this, we conclude that external environmental uncertainty characteristics, with the dimensions of competitive intensity, technological turbulence and market/demand turbulence, are not as important as the other conditions for high-performing firms. The study offers a new perspective on the relationship between environmental uncertainty and firm performance with its systematic comparative analysis of complex cases. It identifies different combinations of conditions (paths) leading to a high firm performance.

ОСОБЛИВОСТІ РОЗВИТКУ МІЖНАРОДНОГО МАРКЕТИНГУ ВИСОКИХ ТЕХНОЛОГІЙ В УМОВАХ ГЛОБАЛІЗАЦІЇ

The article explores the key development trends for international marketing in the area of high-tech entrepreneurship. Specific features of international marketing are determined by the particular characteristics of external environment in which it is implemented. In the first place, an emphasis is made on the critical role of the national government in shaping foreign economic policy. It can either facilitate favorable conditions to enhance international economic activities or on the contrary, the government may be uninterested in the process and create certain barriers to some of the firms in their entry in foreign markets. Reasons have been provided for the relevance of using the specifics of hi-tech marketing in the high-end industry context. It should be noted that the marketing practice adapted for ordinary goods and services proved to be ineffective in the field of high technology and at the international level in particular, thus triggering the need for the research on the development of marketing concepts and tools that can be applied to a specific category of goods – the category of hi-tech. Apparently, it is possible to assert that high-technology marketing is of a specific nature. Such areas of traditional marketing as building positive consumer perception, creating strong competitive advantage, designing promotion models, developing infrastructure and dealer networks, etc. are transforming their content as soon as they are applied within high technology market. It has been revealed that the principles of international hi-tech marketing differ significantly from mass marketing paradigm where standard tools, traditional sales and promotion models prevail. It overturns the traditional business approaches assuming that a single company cannot change common and well-established patterns developed over the years.

Scaling up a tobacco control intervention in low resource settings: a case example for school teachers in India.

Research on processes of bringing effective tobacco control interventions to scale to increase quit rates among tobacco users is uncommon. This study examines processes to bring to scale one such intervention for school teachers, i.e. Tobacco Free Teacher-Tobacco Free Society (TFT-TFS). This intervention provides a foundation for an effective and low cost approach to promote cessation through schools. The present study was conducted in the states of Bihar and Maharashtra in 2014 using quantitative and qualitative methods. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were analysed using immersion crystallization method. The data presented are from a survey of 291 principals and seven FGDs. This study examined characteristics of principals and teachers, organizational environment, external environmental factors and program characteristics to determine facilitators and barriers for successful dissemination and implementation of the TFT-TFS program. Some facilitators were, incorporation of the program in existing channels like staff meetings and trainings, certification and recognition by the department of education; while some barriers were routine time bound duties (mainly teaching) of teachers and prevalence of tobacco use among teachers and administrators. Principals and teachers expressed a need and high level of interest in the adoption and implementation of the TFT-TFS program in their schools.

Transfer of know-how based on learning outcomes for development of open innovation

The Paper focuses on the inbound know-how transfer for the development of open innovation as an approach to business management. It can be a challenging task for useful and meaningful transfer of external know-how to create value, thus the addressed research questions are: What constitutes a successful know-how transfer? How to measure performance of know-how transfer? How transfer of know-how should be done? Qualitative research methods – participatory action research within a specific case and application of existing theories as well as focus groups’ discussions were applied to create the study and obtain triangulation. The paper applied both inductive and deductive reasoning. The research shows that learning outcomes based approach can be used for successful know-how transfer. Performance of know-how transfer is affected by accuracy of the stated aim (learning outcomes), applied teaching, learning and assessment methods and both internal and external environment characteristics of the stakeholders involved in the process. Both the know-how transfer performance measurements and the developed six step process model are presented in the paper. Implications and recommendations for future research are given.

Impact of seasonal forcing on reactive ecological systems

Our focus is on the short-term dynamics of reactive ecological systems which are stable in the long term. In these systems, perturbations can exhibit significant transient amplifications before asymptotically decaying. This peculiar behavior has attracted increasing attention. However, reactive systems have so far been investigated assuming that external environmental characteristics remain constant, although environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, moisture, water availability, etc.) can undergo substantial changes due to seasonal cycles. In order to fill this gap, we propose applying the adjoint non-modal analysis to study the impact of seasonal variations of environmental conditions on reactive systems. This tool allows the transient dynamics of a perturbation affecting non-autonomous ecological systems to be described. To show the potential of this approach, a seasonally forced prey-predator model with a Holling II type functional response is studied as an exemplifying case. We demonstrate that seasonalities can greatly affect the transient dynamics of the system.