Strong Control Research Articles

Epitaxial Integration of Transferable High-κ Dielectric and 2D Semiconductor.

The synthesis of high-dielectric-constant (high-κ) dielectric materials and their integration with channel materials have been the key challenges in the state-of-the-art transistor architecture, as they can provide strong gate control and low operating voltage. For next-generation electronics, high-mobility two-dimensional (2D) layered semiconductors with dangling-bond-free surfaces and an atomic-thick thickness are being explored as channel materials to achieve shorter channel lengths and less interfacial scattering. Nowadays, the integration of high-κ dielectrics with high-mobility 2D semiconductors mainly relies on atomic layer deposition or transfer stacking, which may cause several undesirable problems, such as channel damage and interface traps. Here, we demonstrate the integration of high-mobility 2D semiconducting Bi2O2Se with transferable high-κ SrTiO3 as a 2D field-effect transistor by direct epitaxial growth. Remarkably, such 2D heterostructures can be efficiently transferred from the water-soluble Sr3Al2O6 sacrificial layer onto arbitrary substrates. The as-fabricated 2D Bi2O2Se/SrTiO3 transistors exhibit an on/off ratio over 104 and a subthreshold swing down to 90 mV/dec. Furthermore, the 2D Bi2O2Se/SrTiO3 heterostructures can be easily transferred onto flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates, and the as-fabricated transistors exhibit good potential in flexible electronics. Our study opens up a new avenue for the integration of high-κ dielectrics with high-mobility 2D semiconductors and paves the way for the exploration of multifunctional electronic devices.

Solute transport in unsaturated porous media with spatially correlated disorder

Solute transport in unsaturated porous media is of interest in many engineering and environmental applications. The interplay between small-scale, local forces and the porous microstructure exerts a strong control on the transport of fluids and solutes at the larger, macroscopic scales. Heterogeneity in pore geometry is intrinsic to natural materials across a large range of scales. This multiscale nature, and the intricate links between two-phase flow and solute transport, remain far from well understood, by and large. Here, we use high-resolution direct simulation to quantify solute mixing and dispersion behavior within correlated porous media during drainage under an unfavorable viscosity ratio. Through analysis of flow and transport at multiple realizations, we find that increasing spatial correlations in pore sizes increase the size of the required Representative Elementary Volume (REV). We show that increasing the correlation length enhances solute dispersivity through its impact on the spatial distribution of low-velocity (diffusion-dominated) and high-velocity (advection-dominated) regions. Fluid saturation is shown to directly affect diffusive mass flux among high- and low-velocity zones. Another indirect effect of correlated heterogeneity on solute transport is through its control of the drainage patterns via repeated alteration in the connectivity of flowing pathways. Our findings improve quantitative understanding of solute mixing and dispersion under two-phase conditions, highly relevant to some of our most urgent environmental problems.

The controllability and structural controllability of Laplacian dynamics

In this paper, classic controllability and structural controllability under two protocols are investigated. For classic controllability, the multiplicity of eigenvalue zero of general Laplacian matrix L ∗ is shown to be determined by the sum of the numbers of zero circles, identical nodes and opposite pairs; however, it is always simple for the Laplacian L with diagonal entries in absolute form. For a fixed structurally balanced topology, the controllable subspace is proved to be invariant even if the antagonistic weights are selected differently under the corresponding protocol with L. For a graph expanded from a star graph rooted from a single leader, the dimension of controllable subspace is two under the protocol associated with L ∗ . In addition, the system is structurally controllable under both protocols if and only if the topology without unaccessible nodes is connected. As a reinforcing case of structural controllability, strong structural controllability requires the system to be controllable for any choice of weights. The connection between parent nodes and child nodes affects strong structural controllability because it determines the linear relationship of the control information from parent nodes. This discovery is a major factor in establishing the sufficient conditions on strong structural controllability for multi-agent systems under both protocols, rather than for complex networks, about latter results are already abundant. Finally, we present a sufficient and necessary condition to identify the strong structural controllability. Moreover, a method to construct a strongly structurally controllable graph is proposed.

The interplay of lithology, tectonics and climate in the morphology of Corsica

The morphology of the landscape on the island of Corsica in the western Mediterranean Sea is transient with a clear topographic asymmetry. The geology of the island can be divided into two units – Hercynian Corsica and Alpine Corsica – with contrasting lithology, climate and structural controls between them. We used topographic analysis to assess the influence of each of these factors on landscape form. Disequilibrium in the landscape is illustrated by analysing χ and Gilbert metrics, which indicate active migration of the drainage divide, along with a new metric that quantifies tributary heights above the main stem channel. The climate in the region has fluctuated dramatically from the Messinian salinity crisis through to Quaternary glaciation. However, analysis of the size and distribution of knickpoints across the island does not reflect specific base-level changes. Instead, the basement structures control valley orientation and the conditioning of the landscape by glaciation exerts strong controls on drainage evolution.

Engineering the Blackbody Absorption of the Au-Branch-on-Au-Plate Heterostructures.

Utilizing the strong ligand control effects of l-cysteine (l-Cys), the growth of Au on Au triangular nanoplate (AuTN) seeds was continuously tuned from layer-by-layer (the Frank-van der Merwe) to layer-plus-island (the Stranski-Krastanov), and island (the Volmer-Weber) growth modes, leading to the formation of a series of Au-on-AuTN heterostructures. Within the window of VW growth mode (featured by the growth of Au spikes and branches on AuTNs), the effective localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) coupling led to the selective strengthening of the "valley" absorptions, leading to smooth and flat absorption curves. Interestingly, through engineering the number/density, size, and branching degree of the Au branches, except for the black color, full spectrum absorption within 400-1300 nm wavelength was achieved on Au-branch-on-AuTN structures. Mechanistic studies revealed that the blackbody absorption property of the Au-branch-on-AuTN originates from the well-balanced intraparticle LSPR couplings among the neighboring Au branches. The tunable blackness and the full spectrum absorption property made the Au-branch-on-AuTN heterostructure a suitable candidate for various plasmonic-related applications, such as a wide spectrum light absorber, photoacoustic imaging contrast agent, and photothermal therapy medium. In addition, our strong ligand control in Au-branch-on-AuTN heterostructures could be extended to other hybrid systems with diverse material combinations, so long as to find the proper strong ligand.

Where Are the Sore Losers? Competitive Authoritarianism, Incumbent Defeat, and Electoral Trust in Zambia's 2021 Election.

How do electoral turnovers shape citizen perceptions of election quality in competitive authoritarian regimes? We argue that electoral outcomes are crucial for determining perceptions of electoral quality. While detailed evaluation of electoral trust is complex in competitive autocracies with institutional uncertainty and polarized electoral environments, turnovers send strong and unequivocal signals about election quality. Previous literature has noted a strong partisan divide in electoral trust in competitive authoritarian regimes, but turnovers can boost trust among both incumbent and opposition supporters. We test this argument in the case of Zambia's 2021 election, a case where a ruling party lost despite electoral manipulation and strong control over the Election Management Body (EMB). Empirically, we leverage the first-ever panel survey carried out during Zambian elections. Comparing trust in elections before and after the election, we find that perceived election quality increased after the 2021 electoral turnover among both losers and winners. We find that trust in elections increased the most among winning opposition supporters. Moreover, despite the outgoing president's attempt to portray the election as fraudulent, losing ruling-party supporters also increased their trust in elections after the turnover. The study has important implications for the literature on democratic consolidation and institutional trust.

Red gold: Copper and the U.S. mobilization campaign, 1950–3

AbstractThis paper examines U.S. planners’ persistent efforts to secure an adequate supply of a vital metal, copper, during the Korean War, and the numerous obstacles that plagued them. Their initial efforts to mobilize without imposing a disruptive, draconian control scheme quickly proved inadequate, all but forcing planners to adopt a much more regimented Controlled Materials Plan (CMP). The inability of U.S. planners to secure a strong supranational control regime through the International Materials Conference undercut efforts to coordinate international mineral allocation, exacerbated U.S. shortages, and spawned ill‐conceived compromises that eroded the effectiveness of the CMP. Finally, Truman's domestic opponents, never entirely reconciled to a rigid control regime, used the copper shortage to further weaken mobilization planning. In the end, the preparedness campaign, despite some remarkable successes, failed to achieve many of its goals due, in part, to a global copper shortage that Senator Burnet Maybank's Joint Committee on Defense Production called ‘perhaps the most serious material limiting factor on fulfillment of defense goals’.

Does digitalization improve supply chain efficiency?

Enhancing supply chain efficiency (SCE) is crucial for establishing a modern supply chain system. This study determines that (I) supply chain digitalization (SCD) has a significant positive impact on enhancing SCE; (II) SCD reduces information asymmetry between enterprises, driving all entities within the chain toward digital transformation, which improves overall SCE; and (III) state-owned enterprises, those with strong internal controls, and companies with relatively dispersed supply chain concentration, SCD significantly improves SCE.

Piezoelectric adaptive active vibration suppression for wind-tunnel model support sting

Due to flow separation and turbulence, the slender cantilever aircraft model support system is prone to low-frequency and large-amplitude resonance in the wind tunnel tests, resulting in a decrease in test data quality, a limited test envelope, and even threatening the safe operation of the wind tunnel. A piezoelectric active damping system based on the filtered-x least mean square algorithm is proposed to effectively suppress the vibration of the wind-tunnel model support sting. Firstly, a modified variable step least mean square algorithm is proposed to address the issue that the fixed-step algorithms limit each other in terms of convergence speed and steady-state error. Following that, a variable step filtered-x least mean square algorithm based on reference signal reconstruction is developed, and the corresponding feedback controller is designed to perform the ground tests of the piezoelectric active damping system for the wind-tunnel model support sting. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm has a faster convergence speed and lower steady-state error than the traditional algorithms, as well as strong anti-noise and adaptive control abilities that significantly improve the active vibration suppression effect of the wind-tunnel model support sting.

Security Risk Assessment of IoT for Remote Patient Monitoring System

Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM), an essential component of telehealth, is among the biggest changes marked in healthcare. It facilitates patients’ treatment, remotely at home or in some distant location, without traditional clinical settings. The RPM plays a key role in data acquisition, data analysis and insights, and improved healthcare management. It collects real-time data using wearable sensors and mobile apps, and furnish crucial health metrics. Advanced algorithms and prognostic modelling than process the data, pattern and likely health risks to predict any disease more precisely and accurately for early action. RPM provides real-time watch and remote consultation that help in improved disease control and better patients’ care. Improved accuracy, reduced cost, real time interaction, and refined patient well-being are the significant healthcare benefits of RPM. Prognosis Health & Management (PHM) system is used for predicting the remaining useful life (RUL) of healthcare assets such as sensors, pacemakers, defibrillators and other medical equipment. The PHM leads to pre-emptive maintenance, lowers downtime, and tracks the life span of such healthcare equipment. The IoT enables PHM to monitor remote assets and gather instant data to foresee the RUL of such equipment. Providing the facilitations, PHM also creates potential vulnerabilities of exposure of device, network and data, and poses data security and privacy challenges. Therefore, strong security controls are required to keep patients’ data confidential and safe from uneven approaches to technology and data breaches. This paper evaluates risk associated with RPM using OCTAVE ALLGERO, a risk assessment framework, to mitigate the data security concerns.

Cannabis policy liberalization is only associated with increased blunt use if states lack strong tobacco control

IntroductionCo-use of tobacco and cannabis has long been an issue for prevention and intervention efforts targeting these substances. Blunt use—cannabis inside a cigar wrapper—has been a consistent mode of cannabis consumption since the 1990s. Since then, both tobacco control and cannabis policies have changed considerably. This paper examines the influence of tobacco taxes and smoke-free policies as well as medical and recreational cannabis policies on blunt use among young people. MethodsCombining state-level tobacco control and cannabis policy data with the restricted-access youth cohort of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study, we use multilevel logistic regression models to examine the impact of these policies on past-year blunt use. ResultsWhile we found a main effect whereby both legal medical and recreational cannabis policies are associated with higher odds of blunt use among youth, interaction effects demonstrate that this association only emerges in states lacking a comprehensive tobacco smoke-free policy. In states with smoke-free policies, we found no significant associations between cannabis policy and odds of blunt use. ConclusionsDenormalization through smoke-free policies may mitigate the effects of recreational and medical cannabis policies on blunt use. Smoke-free policies represent a possible cost-effective mechanism to curb the co-use of tobacco and cannabis in the form of blunts. States with medical and recreational cannabis policies may benefit from greater prevention efforts for young people specifically focused on blunt use, especially in states that do not have strong tobacco control.

Control Systems Design for Autonomous Vehicles: Mathematical Approaches to Path Planning and Trajectory Tracking

Self-driving cars are a big change in the way people get around. They promise to make transportation safer, more efficient, and more convenient. Strong control system design, which includes path planning and trajectory tracking, is a key part of how they work. This essay looks at mathematics methods that are important for reaching these goals. The path planning problem is to find a way to get from where you start to where you want to go while taking into account natural and changing limits. Different methods, like geometric algorithms, optimization techniques, and statistical approaches, are used to find lines that don't collide and maximize things like time, energy, and comfort. Trajectory tracking, on the other hand, is the process of sticking to the planned path even when there are problems or unknowns. Model predictive control, feedback linearization, and adaptive control are some of the control methods that are used to make sure the car stays stable and follows the path that is wanted. One of the hardest parts of controlling a driverless car is balancing the different goals of planning a path and following its current path in real time. Because of this, we need to create combined control systems that can smoothly handle the planning and performance steps while taking into account how the surroundings and car state change over time. Also, the rise of linked and self-driving cars opens the door to joint control methods, in which cars talk to each other and work together to improve safety and traffic flow. Vehicle-to-vehicle contact is used by cooperative route planning algorithms to coordinate moves and avoid crashes, which makes the system more reliable and efficient as a whole.

The efficacy of green finance for environmental sustainability: Does control of corruption makes a difference?

Green finance (GF) plays a crucial role in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and promoting environmental sustainability (ES). However, the efficacy of GF may vary, depending on several factors, particularly the extent of control of corruption. This study investigates the effect of control of corruption on the efficacy of GF using data on 37 Asian countries for the period 2000–2020. The results demonstrate that the efficacy of GF in reducing the GHG emissions and improving ES in a country depends on the level of corruption there. Specifically, GF has a significant GHG reduction effect in the presence of strong corruption control or low corruption levels. These findings remain robust to several robustness checks, including alternative measurements of ES and corruption control and different estimators. This highlights the significance of enhancing control of corruption at the national level to optimize efficient utilization of GF resources and advancing ES. The study also presents policy implications based on these findings.

Exploring the production of spatial inequality in dockless bicycle sharing in Shenzhen

There have been rising concerns over the unequal geographical distribution of bicycle sharing services in cities. Previous research on inequalities of urban bikeshare has often focused on quantitatively mapping inequalities with big data from travel records. It has thus been unable to examine the causes, reproduction mechanisms, and consequences of observed spatial inequalities in detail. Using the case of Shenzhen, a Chinese megacity with strong governmental control on mobility and a historical legacy of urban segregation, this study aims to achieve a nuanced understanding of the mechanism through which operators, regulators, and users of dockless bicycle sharing interact to produce and reproduce inequalities in accessing and using the service. To achieve this, this study adopts a mixed-method approach consisting of GIS mapping analysis, survey, and interviews with cyclists and experts. The result shows that both the use frequency and perceived accessibility of dockless bicycles are higher in wealthier and more central neighbourhoods. Moreover, strong governmental regulation in the form of a designated parking system, fleet quota distribution and point-based service evaluation have reproduced and enhanced spatial inequalities in dockless bicycle use and access. The findings contribute to the literature by demonstrating how preexisting urban infrastructure and certain regulatory arrangements interact to form a reproduction cycle of inequalities in accessing and using dockless bicycles that favours more central and well-off neighbourhoods at the expense of marginalized communities in Shenzhen.

How internal auditing impacts governance mechanisms in small and medium-sized businesses

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) use internal auditing (IA) as a key tool to start governance processes in their organizations. SMEs can gain several advantages from IA, such as identifying and managing risks, creating a strong control environment, ensuring compliance, improving operational efficiency, and aligning their strategies with their objectives. By using IA, SMEs can build a solid foundation for success and adapt to today's changing business environment. SMEs encounter specific challenges in initiating governance processes because they lack the resources and infrastructure that larger organizations have. Integrating IA into a company's management process can be difficult for smaller businesses, so they need to make full use of IA. Therefore, this study aims to examine how IA influences the activation of governance mechanisms in SMEs. The study uses the design science method (DSM). The results show that IA significantly affects the activation of governance mechanisms in SMEs. IA helps identify and manage risks, improve internal controls, ensure regulatory compliance, and address issues of concern. Effective IA functions can enhance corporate governance practices, promote ethical decision-making within the organization, and improve the overall effectiveness and success of the organization.

Model-based predictive greenhouse parameter control of aquaponic system.

The effectiveness of an aquaponic system significantly relies on the habitat provided for both the fish and plants. As an integral component of aquaponics, hydroponic cultivation benefits greatly from the controlled environment of a greenhouse. Within this environment, factors such as temperature, carbon dioxide levels, humidity, and light can be carefully adjusted to maximize plant growth and development. This precise regulation ensures an ideal growing environment, fostering the flourishing of plants and contributing to the overall success of the aquaponic ecosystem. This study presented a control approach for an aquaponic greenhouse system. It aims to keep the greenhouse climate parameters (temperature, CO2 concentration, and humidity) at their ideal levels. The proposed control strategy is a two-layered mechanism in which the first layer presents an optimization framework using particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm to give the setpoints for the controller, and the second layer demonstrates a constrained discrete model predictive control (CDMPC) strategy to maintain the desired trajectories received from the optimization layer. To validate the results obtained using PSO, this study incorporates genetic algorithms (GA) and assesses their performance in comparison. Given similar computational efficiency and low computational time for both algorithms, the optimal values identified by particle swarm optimization (PSO) are adopted as the setpoints. Two performance criteria, relative average deviation (RAD) and mean relative deviation (MRD), are derived to evaluate the tracking performance of the proposed CDMPC controller under external disturbances. A comparison of the proposed CDMPC with the PI controller is also offered. According to the comparison results, our proposed CDMPC performs better than the PI controller with lower RAD values (temperature, 1.1315; CO2 concentration, 0.9225; humidity, 2.547) and MRD values (temperature, 0.315; CO2 concentration, 0.25; humidity: 1.013). The controller is validated to be efficient by its strong control performance, highlighted by robustness, efficient setpoint tracking, and adequate disturbance rejection. This novel approach might prove to be a useful technique for developing environmental control strategies that can be used for potentially boosting production rates of aquaponic greenhouse systems, maximizing profitability, and reducing labor needs. By maintaining optimal conditions, it can enhance ecosystem health, improve yields, and streamline operations, paving the way for greater system performance and sustainability.

Healthcare consumers’ perceptions of incentive-linked prescribing: A scoping review

Incentive-linked prescribing (ILP) is considered a controversial practice universally. If incentivised, physicians may prioritise meeting pharmaceutical sales targets through prescriptions, rather than considering patients’ health and wellbeing. Despite the potential harms of ILP to patients and important stakeholders in the healthcare system, healthcare consumers (HCCs) which include patients and the general public often have far less awareness about the practice of pharmaceutical incentivisation of physicians. We conducted a scoping review to explore what existing research says about HCCs’ perceptions of the financial relationship between physicians and pharmaceutical companies. To conduct this scoping review, we followed Arksey and O’Malley’s five-stage framework: identifying research questions, identifying relevant studies, selecting eligible studies, data charting, and collating, summarising, and reporting results. We also used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses’ extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR), as a guide to organise the information in this review. Quantitative and qualitative studies with patients and the general public, published in the English language were identified through searches of Scopus, Medline (OVID), EMBASE (OVID), and Google Scholar. Three themes emerged through the analysis of the 13 eligible studies: understanding of incentivisation, perceptions of hazards linked to ILP, and HCCs’ suggestions to address it. We found documentation that HCCs exhibited a range of knowledge from good to insufficient about the pharmaceutical incentivisation of physicians. HCCs perceived several hazards linked to ILP such as a lack of trust in physicians and the healthcare system, the prescribing of unnecessary medications, and the negative effect on physicians’ reputations in society. In addition to strong regulatory controls, it is critical that physicians self-regulate their behaviour, and publicly disclose if they have any financial ties with pharmaceutical companies. Doing so can contribute to trust between patients and physicians, an important part of patient-focused care and a contributor to user confidence in the wider health system.

Reservoir evaluation of dolomitized Devonian strata in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin: implications for carbon capture, utilization, and storage

Abstract Differentially dolomitized carbonate strata in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) are increasingly targeted for carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), yet few studies have evaluated the petrophysical characteristics of these conventional hydrocarbon reservoirs for this purpose. To address this, this study uses drill-core analysis (sedimentology, diagenesis, pore morphology, and distribution), together with core-plug and production data, to evaluate the properties of five depleted oil and gas fields in the Middle to Upper Devonian Swan Hills Formation, Leduc Formation and Wabamun Group. The Swan Hills and Leduc formations are composed of reef, shoal, and lagoon deposits that are predominantly fossil-rich (e.g., stromatoporoid-dominated rudstones and boundstones). In contrast, the carbonate-ramp deposits of the Wabamun Group are fossil-poor, consisting instead of variably bioturbated carbonate mudstones, wackestones, and packstones. Replacement dolomitization is variable throughout each stratigraphic unit, but generally occurs within fossil-rich and/or heavily bioturbated intervals. Fracture densities are broadly comparable in limestone and dolostone. Porosity in the Swan Hills and Leduc formations is predominantly moldic and vuggy, occurring where fossils (e.g., stromatoporoids) are partially or fully dissolved. Pore space in the Wabamun Group is mostly restricted to intercrystalline porosity in burrows. In general, burial cements (e.g., calcite and dolomite) are volumetrically insignificant and only partially fill pores. Exceptions to this include porosity-occluding cements associated with fractures and breccias in the vicinity of faults. Dolomitization and depositional facies are found to exert a strong control on pore morphology, distribution, and interconnectivity. Porosity is principally controlled by the relative abundance of skeletal grains and by the presence of burrows. These highly porous facies acted as fluid pathways during burial diagenesis, resulting in their preferential dolomitization, solution enhancement of pre-existing pores, and creation of volume reduction-related porosity. The high CO2 storage capacity and low unplanned plume migration risk (due to depositional and/or diagenetic baffles) of dolomitized reefal reservoirs (e.g., Swan Hills and Leduc formations) make them more attractive targets for CCUS than those with limited capacity and/or potential migration pathways (e.g., fault-related fractures and breccias in the Wabamun Group). These results demonstrate that drill-core analysis, in combination with legacy data, can provide valuable insights into the factors that control reservoir CO2 injectivity, plume migration, and storage capacity.

Circadian rapid eye movement sleep expression is associated with brain microstructural integrity in older adults

Rapid eye movement sleep (REMS) is increasingly suggested as a discriminant sleep state for subtle signs of age-related neurodegeneration. While REMS expression is under strong circadian control and circadian dysregulation increases with age, the association between brain aging and circadian REMS regulation has not yet been assessed. Here, we measure the circadian amplitude of REMS through a 40-h in-lab multiple nap protocol in controlled laboratory conditions, and brain microstructural integrity with quantitative multi-parameter mapping (MPM) imaging in 86 older individuals. We show that reduced circadian REMS amplitude is related to lower magnetization transfer saturation (MTsat), longitudinal relaxation rate (R1) and effective transverse relaxation rate (R2*) values in several white matter regions mostly located around the lateral ventricles, and with lower R1 values in grey matter clusters encompassing the hippocampus, parahippocampus, thalamus and hypothalamus. Our results further highlight the importance of considering circadian regulation for understanding the association between sleep and brain structure in older individuals.

Managements' competence, functional background, control systems, contextual factors of the planning system and cash flow management behaviour in Uganda's tourism firms

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between Managerial Competence Functional Background of Top Management Teams (FBTMT), Management Control Systems (MCS), Contextual Factors of Planning System (CFPSY) and Cashflow Management Behaviour (CFMB) in the tourism sector in Uganda.Design/methodology/approachThis is a correlational and cross-sectional study utilising a sample of 211 tourism firms (tour operator firms and hotels) and using a questionnaire to enlist responses. Data are analysed using SPSS software.FindingsResults show significant relationships between managerial competence, functional background of top management teams, management control systems, contextual factors of planning system and cashflow management behaviour. Among the independent variables, management control systems is the best predictor of cash flow management behaviour in tourism firms. It is also a significant mediator in the link between management competence and cash flow management behaviour and that between the functional background of top management teams and cashflow management behaviour.Research limitations/implicationsAppropriate cashflow management behaviour of actors in operating, investing and financing activities of tourism firms can be improved through highly developed management competence, strong management control systems, utilisation of varied functional background of top management teams and enabling contextual factors of the planning system. The study operationally defined cash flow management behaviour as any management behaviour that is relevant to cash flow management in a firm's operating, investing and financing activities probably for the first time and this speaks to those financial statement analysts and other stakeholders wishing to infer cash flow management behaviours from the statement of cash flows.Originality/valueAs far as we are aware, no research has been done on the relationship between the cash flow management behaviour of tour operator companies and hotels in Uganda's tourism sector and the internal contingencies of managerial competence, functional background of top management teams, management control systems, and contextual factors of the planning system.