Nonholonomic Research Articles

Boundary objects and boundary work: Making exchange possible in a pluralistic economic geography

Economic Geography is a (very) diverse field. To some, this pluralism is, or has been, worrying. In this paper, we however track the discussion about Economic Geography as a field that would gain much from ‘engaged pluralism’. We argue that this requires some agreement on the central role of ‘geography’ and ‘the economic’ in economic geography, but also a catalog of ‘boundary concepts’. We discuss four candidates: (1) crisis and resilience, (2) innovation and diffusion, (3) path dependence and (4) sustainability. We believe that the idea of ‘trading zones’ in economic geography has the potential to modify disciplinary practice and solve some of the tensions between increasing research focus and specialization, and the mounting complexity of contemporary societal issues. We think that the presence of vivid trading zones under conditions of pluralism would make our discipline even more interesting, dynamic, and, we would say, fun.

Group Formation in Science between Homogenization and Differentiation: Modeling the Development of U.S. and German Sociology

We assess the empirical development of scientific homogenization and differentiation processes in terms of group development comparing U.S. and German sociology from 2004 to 2019. We introduce hierarchical multi-layered Bayesian stochastic block models to the issue of scientific group development. Based on publication data from Scopus, we analyze group formation simultaneously as collaboration networks, reference networks, and topical networks. Employing this method allows us to trace back the temporal dynamics of multidimensional group development and formation for each national scientific field. Overall, the findings indicate clear path dependencies in both fields that have been shaping processes of differentiation and homogenization in U.S. and German sociology and that continue to impact on the formation, stabilization, and dissolution of scientific groups.

Environmental antecedents, innovation experience, and officials’ innovation willingness: evidence from China

ABSTRACT Prompting officials’ innovation willingness is a prerequisite for processes of public sector innovation. This article constructs a framework explaining officials’ innovation willingness by linking environmental antecedents and path dependence. The empirical analysis, based on an original survey of 403 officials and interviews with 102 officials in China, shows that their innovation willingness is mostly driven by factors within the bureaucratic system, i.e. top-down and horizontal drivers but less so by bottom-up drivers. Moreover, officials with previous innovation experience tend to have more innovation willingness but are less driven by top-down factors. This study advances the theory of innovation willingness generation.

Intergovernmentalism in a supranational field: France, Germany, and EU competition policy reform

Competition policy is one of the few truly integrated policy fields of the European Union (EU), with supranational actors like the European Commission having extensive competences. Scholars consider it to be a relatively stable policy domain, characterised by strong path dependencies, a solid anchoring in European primary law, and the pre-eminence of epistemic authority. However, in recent years, EU competition policy has undergone remarkable changes including merger control, projects of common European interest, and state aid. This article argues that France and Germany, the EU’s two largest member states with most financial resources, have been decisive in promoting and realising these changes. Competition policy is an unlikely case for Franco-German European-level political work, primarily because of the supranational character of the policy field and the two countries’ oftentimes opposing positions on aspects related to the European single market. Building on policy document analysis and expert interviews, the article shows how and why France and Germany, partly in confrontation and partly in alignment with the Commission, have re-shaped EU competition policy.

Upwind Despite Headwind? Degrowth Transformations Amidst Shrinkage and Eroding Democracy in an East German Small Town

Spatial transformation follows the logic of a growth-oriented economy that values cities according to their place in the chain of capitalist wealth production. Many cities in East Germany have lost their significance as sites of production and are consequently facing population decline and the weakening of social bonds in the community. For this reason, citizens of the East German small town of Zella-Mehlis (state of Thuringia) have begun to reflect on alternative models for urban development. In this article, the process of arriving at a degrowth strategy, as provided by the academic discourse, will be documented. It will be demonstrated that the process of shrinkage has not only left little space for a degrowth planning approach put into practice. Moreover, the article reveals that the costs of the growth economy on society are not limited to population shrinkage, but also have a severe impact on the sociability of the local community. The rise of right-wing populists and climate change-denying actors mirrors the decreasing social ability for collective learning processes needed for a shift to a solidary degrowth strategy. However, the case study shows how ambivalent these developments are: Long-term participatory processes within the public–civic partnership framework of the Aufwind (German for upwind) initiative in Zella-Mehlis can challenge path dependencies and open new degrowth-inspired perspectives. The article is informed by many years of intensive field research in a qualitative mixed-method design and focuses on the close links between shrinkage processes, the local degrowth agenda, and the consequences of an eroding democracy.

Understanding land take by low-density residential areas: An institutionalist perspective on local planning authorities, developers and households

Using a case study design, the study focuses on identifying the institutional configuration that determines land take by low-density residential areas. Methodologically, it combines geospatial approaches and new institutionalism to capture and understand residential development, taking into account the interests, constraints and agency of local planning authorities, developers and households. The geospatial analysis shows that land take in the case study regions is primarily the result of low-density residential areas. We find that the combination of rural housing ideals, municipal policy objectives, municipalities' disengagement from spatial development and private sector interests are the main drivers for this kind of residential development. As the interests and constraints apply to all case study regions, the identified institutional configuration has high power in explaining low-density residential development. Our study thus uncovers a close link between the interests and constraints of actors, which on the one hand explains the limited impact of existing and new planning instruments on reducing land take, and on the other hand fosters path dependency in the development of low-density residential areas. Although there is some potential for change, breaking path dependency requires significant behavioural change among local planning authorities, developers and households.

The evolution of the debt—equity doctrine in the light of financial instruments’ digitalization

The article outlines the basics for using the debt—equity dichotomy in the financial instruments typology and analyzes the contradictions and short-comings of the existing approach to classification. It is shown that the “trap” of the debt—equity dichotomy comes from the path dependence process, mainly formed by the inertia of the tax system. It is noted that the applying of the debt—equity dichotomy entails a formalist approach to classification, which does not bring closer to the clarity of the delimitation of contracts according to the criteria of risk and reward distribution, and restrictions on post-contractual opportunism. Arguments are given to explain why the foundations of the debt— equity doctrine may be weakened in relation to crypto assets. This is supported by the fact that the genesis of digital assets occurs in a specific technological context, which determines its own criteria and framework for the typology of instruments. Another set of arguments comes from the fact that the world of crypto assets appears to be coherent with the specific environment of venture capital investment. This environment, in turn, arouses the demand for overcoming the debt—equity dichotomy to implement the tasks of risky investors and structuring the relations of the parties involved in projects. This demand has now led to the emergence of a number of instruments that cannot be classified as either debt or equity, including those using the construct of tokens or contractual agreements used by crowdfunding platforms. Overall, the intellectual effort that previously satisfactorily explained companies’ choices of financing styles and modes is now insufficient to reconcile capital structure theories with the practice of digital asset financing.

Effective action for dissipative and nonholonomic systems.

We show that the action of a dynamical system can be supplemented by an effective action for its environment to reproduce arbitrary coordinate dependent ohmic dissipation and gyroscopic forces. The action is a generalization of the harmonic bath model and describes a set of massless interacting scalar fields in an auxiliary space coupled to the original system at the boundary. A certain limit of the model implements nonholonomic constraints. In the case of dynamics with nonlinearly realized symmetries the effective action takes the form of a two-dimensional nonlinear σ model. It provides a basis for application of path integral methods to general dissipative and nonholonomic systems.

Actors and structures in international relations. The US, the EU, and West Africa: from indifference and development to promotion of security

ABSTRACT It is an old debate in social science, what is most influential, actors or structures? The paper resumes the discussion by concretely asking, how can the radical policy shift towards West Africa in the wake of the terrorist attacks on the US in September 11, 2001, be explained by applying an agency-structure approach? The article applies a theoretical framework combining neo-classical realist thinking with the reasoning found in historical institutionalism. Concepts like path dependency and critical juncture are helpful. The roles and priorities of the core foreign policy actors in the United States and in the European Union are discussed before the article identifies international and domestic structures that might constrain the role and influence of the relevant foreign policy decision-makers. It is concluded that neither international nor domestic structures represented strong obstacles to the foreign policy decision makers’ ambitions to implement radical policy changes towards West Africa.

Assembling intelligence in United Nations peacekeeping: between transformation and path dependency

Abstract This article traces the evolution of intelligence in United Nations peacekeeping through a practice-based assemblage lens. We address a gap in the literature by transcending the focus on ‘peacekeeping intelligence’ as merely an evolving policy instrument. Instead, we employ an ‘analytic of assemblage’ that reveals the intrinsic ambiguity of both the concept of peacekeeping intelligence, and the related competing perspectives as well as forms of expertise among stakeholders. We select the United Nations Operation in the Congo (ONUC, 1960–1964), the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH, 2004–2017), and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA, 2013–2023) as cases to reconstruct the historical evolution of intelligence within peacekeeping. Our analysis reveals profound tensions between efforts to transform intelligence for broader goals like the protection of civilians, on the one hand, and the persistent dominance of military knowledge and tactical priorities in its implementation, on the other. We convey the enduring predominance of military priorities shaping intelligence practices across spatio-temporal contexts, grounded in historical legacies of doctrinal developments, training and regional collaborations. The analysis thereby highlights the interplay between contingency and the influence of enduring power structures in shaping the evolving peacekeeping assemblage. This offers a perspective that links assemblage approaches with the analysis of not only emergence but also path dependency influenced by historical and geopolitical contexts and suggests that strengthening such analytical link holds wider potential for advancing contributions of assemblage approaches to critical security studies.

Impact of initial business model on the growth trajectory of new technology-based firms: a path dependency perspective

AbstractOur study explores links between the initial business model design and the post-founding development of new technology-based firms (NTBFs) through a selection of recently established NTBFs across Sweden, Finland, and France (481 firms). The trajectory of these firms’ performance has been observed and analyzed over the span of five years. The study examines the long-term effects of NTBFs’ initial business model design on their development and the path dependency of these designs on future firm performance. Our results indicate that high-growth and stable NTBFs have distinct initial designs, implying that new firms’ founders and their business design decisions have important consequences for subsequent NTBF development. Specifically, our study examines how business model characteristics impact the growth trajectory of NTBFs by empirically differentiating between the foundational characteristics of high-growth and stable NTBFs. We find that maintaining stable activity is linked to a low level of uniqueness, less demanding business objectives, and a lack of risk while high-growth is related to a larger early access to resources. We propose an explanation using path dependency literature, arguing how early business model choices predetermine long-term growth paths. Our research also provides valuable insights for stakeholders in designing targeted strategies for sustainable development.

Challenges in assessing and managing multi-hazard risks: A European stakeholders perspective

The latest evidence suggests that multi-hazards and their interrelationships (e.g., triggering, compound, and consecutive hazards) are becoming more frequent across Europe, underlying a need for resilience building by moving from single-hazard-focused to multi-hazard risk assessment and management. Although significant advancements were made in our understanding of these events, mainstream practice is still focused on risks due to single hazards (e.g., flooding, earthquakes, droughts), with a limited understanding of the stakeholder needs on the ground. To overcome this limitation, this paper sets out to understand the challenges for moving towards multi-hazard risk management through the perspective of European stakeholders. Based on five workshops across different European pilots (Danube Region, Veneto Region, Scandinavia, North Sea, and Canary Islands) and an expert workshop, we identify five prime challenges: i) governance, ii) knowledge of multi-hazards and multi-risks, iii) existing approaches to disaster risk management, iv) translation of science to policy and practice, and v) lack of data. These challenges are inherently linked and cannot be tackled in isolation with path dependency posing a significant hurdle in transitioning from single- to multi-hazard risk management. Going forward, we identify promising approaches for overcoming some of the challenges, including emerging approaches for multi-hazard characterisation, a common understanding of terminology, and a comprehensive framework for guiding multi-hazard risk assessment and management. We argue for a need to think beyond natural hazards and include other threats in creating a comprehensive overview of multi-hazard risks, as well as promoting thinking of multi-hazard risk reduction in the context of larger development goals.

Family Management and Historical Origins: The Italian Experience

ABSTRACTResearch Question/IssueThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the long‐run determinants of the corporate structure of Italian firms to explain the persistent role of a long‐run tradition of civic capital that has favored interpersonal trust, fostered cooperation outside of the narrow ties of family members and limited the diffusion of family businesses managed predominantly by family members.Research Findings/InsightsWe examined a large sample of Italian listed and not listed firms and identified those that operate in current municipalities that in the past used to be independent communes. Such firms featuring experiences of civic engagement are today less likely to be owned by a family and run by family management.Theoretical/Academic ImplicationsOur findings highlight the role of institutions as drivers of corporate governance and signal that long forgotten institutions, by modifying local social capital, may interact with family social capital and have important persistent effects on current corporate governance arrangements. Therefore, significant elements of path dependency may explain current patterns of unbundling of ownership and management.Practitioner/Policy ImplicationsPersistent corporate governance structures are difficult even for policymakers to modify. Our findings suggest that political measures should favor the accumulation of social capital at the local level when aiming to change ownership and management arrangements and limit the misallocation of resources due to family management.

An Adaptive Robust EKF Based on Mahalanobis Distance and Non-Holonomic Constraints for Enhancing Vehicle Positioning Accuracy

An Adaptive Robust EKF Based on Mahalanobis Distance and Non-Holonomic Constraints for Enhancing Vehicle Positioning Accuracy

Stabilization Controller of an Extended Chained Nonholonomic System With Disturbance: An FAS Approach

Stabilization Controller of an Extended Chained Nonholonomic System With Disturbance: An FAS Approach

Education and the evolution of comparative advantage

We analyze the evolution of comparative advantage in 1,240 products from 49 low- and middle-income countries between 1995 and 2015. We show that countries with high education levels were more successful in developing comparative advantage in products unrelated to those they already exported. This effect is strongest for non-core products. In contrast, these countries did not develop comparative advantage in products that were intrinsically complex or education-intensive. These results are robust to corrections for specification errors, for institutional, infrastructure, and FDI-related factors, for regional specialization patterns, for key shifts in global trade rules, and for each economy's degree of industrial dynamism prior to 1995. These findings suggest that the key role of education when seeking to develop new industries is to help a country learn to manage unfamiliar challenges, and so overcome path dependence.

History Matters: The Institutionalization and Innovation Paradox in the Judiciary

The judiciary is a field lacking research in relation to its administration and innovation; however, different theoretical perspectives can be followed. This work reviews this trend while adding to it. An institutional perspective is presented, as is its explanatory potential. This perspective captures the context of the public sector; however, when analyzing its interpretation in terms of innovation, it is revealed to be doubly paradoxical. From the theoretical point of view, institutionalization focuses on the maintenance of processes, while innovation, gradually or abruptly, investigates their disruptions. Nevertheless, institutionalization can be observed as part of the sedimentation of innovation. Institutionalization is presented, in the context of innovation, as a selection mechanism that shapes such innovation. This paradox is presented under the review of organizational institutionalism vis-à-vis innovation and, for its unfolding, considers the adoption of innovation as an adaptation to the prevalent rationalized elements. This presentation is paralleled with the interpretation that innovation is limited by a structure that, sometimes rationalized, forms its trajectory. Considering the social function of the judiciary that is anchored in institutionalism, historical institutionalism is thus added, centrally placing the judiciary in the current institutional matrix and associating its path dependence with the dimensions of its innovation. Based on these outlines, propositions and a suggested agenda for future research are presented.

A case for historical institutionalist path dependence : Implications for the political history of the reign of Elizabeth II.

A case for historical institutionalist path dependence : Implications for the political history of the reign of Elizabeth II.

Policy Capacity for Urban Village Redevelopment in China: A Two-Case Case Study

Policy capacity is described as a determinant for effective policy implementation. Its contents vary according to modes of governance. Based on available academic studies, grey literature, and semi-structured interviews, this study empirically explores how urban village redevelopment has been carried out in two cities, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, through the lens of policy capacity. By contrasting policy outcomes and the manifestation of policy capacity at different levels in these two cities, we develop three arguments that contribute to our understanding of urban renewal and policy capacity. Firstly, the performance of any policy action is affected by the capacity of the central actor to develop and implement policies. Secondly, understanding the interactive logical between analytical, operational, and political capacities under different governance modes is the key to understanding the strengths and weaknesses of policy capacity in a specific sector. Shaped by local contexts and past experience, local governments are predisposed to path dependence in developing and deploying policy capacity in urban village redevelopment. Thirdly, the capabilities and resources needed to support policies are largely determined by policy problematization at the analytical level: the technique-based approach of policy capacity theory needs to complete the missing link between policy framing and ethical issues.

A variational approach to deriving Hamiltonian functions under non-holonomic constraints — the case of the Gaussian thermostats

The Hamiltonian function (H), if it exists, provides a powerful platform for studying the dynamics of constrained many-particle systems. For systems under holonomic constraints, H can be derived from the principle of least action (PLA) formulated in terms of a suitable set of generalized coordinates. In molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, where the system temperature often prescribes a non-holonomic constraint, the challenge is to find the system’s Hamiltonian. The Gaussian Isokinetic (GIK) thermostat, the first deterministic physics-preserving thermostat in MD, was derived from the principle of least constraint (PLC) in the early 1980s: its H, interestingly, was discovered almost 15 years later. A mathematically rigorous connection of the GIK Hamiltonian with PLA, however, has been missing until now. In this article, we adopt a variational approach to establish the equivalence of PLC with PLA for a class of non-holonomically constrained many-particle systems, and present the general formulation of the Euler–Lagrange equations of motion through time rescaling. Making use of the particular forms of the Lagrange multiplier obtained from the principle of least constraint, we derive H for the GIK and the Gaussian Isoenergetic thermostats.