British trade unions in Ireland

This article examines various influences on the organisation of British trade unions in Ireland. The constitution of the ICTU is considered in the context of the drive towards an Irish-based and controlled trade union movement. The organisational response of British-based unions to these nationalist pressures is assessed using union rule books and interviews with trade union officials.     

Sustainable Entrepreneurship Research: Taking Stock and looking ahead

The recognition of entrepreneurship as a solution to, rather than a cause of, environmental degradation and social inequality moved the field to identify a new type of entrepreneurial activity, namely sustainable entrepreneurship. Scholarly interest has spiked in recent years; however, aside from its aspirational appeal, there remains a lack of understanding of the nature of the phenomenon and the future of sustainable entrepreneurship in theory and practice. This review seeks to provide a conceptual basis for stimulating scholarly thought and improving our collective understanding of sustainable entrepreneurship as a distinct subdomain within entrepreneurship research. Based on boundary definition and delineation of main features, this review critically discusses the main challenges ahead and elaborates on the research implications and future research directions beyond current, dominant approaches to entrepreneurial action. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment     

A Note on Asymmetry in Commodity Futures Markets

This study tests for asymmetry in futures price changes using commodities from a variety of groups such as agricultural, metals, and financials. Tests are used to determine whether or not prices move up in the same fashion as they move down, over varying data frequencies. The results indicate that every commodity analyzed shows at least some degree of asymmetry.
Nous avons scruté les signes éventuels d'asymétrie dans l'évolution des prix à terme de certaines catégories de produits agricoles, industriels (pétrole et métaux) et boursiers. Des tests ont été utilisés pour déterminer si les prix moment de la même façon qu'ils descendent pour diverses fréquences d'établissement des prix (quotidien, hebdomadaire, mensuel). Il ressort de ces analyses que chaque type de produit comportait au mains un certain degré d'asymétrie.     

Consequences of measurement problems in strategic management research: the case of Amihud and Lev

Strategic management research has been characterized as placing less emphasis on construct measurement than other management subfields. To illustrate the consequences of measurement error, we revisit the debate on the causes of diversification. Our research suggests that the divergent findings between studies on this topic are largely the result of measurement error, and that prior work has underestimated the true effect of size in the relationships between variables. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Neural Networks for Forecasting: An Introduction

Neural networks are nonlinear mapping structures based on the study of the human brain. They have been shown to be universal and highly flexible junction approximators to any data-generating process. Therefore, they are powerful models for forecasting purposes, especially when the underlying data-generating processes are unknown. However, the appropriate design of the network's architecture and learning rules are crucial for obtaining satisfactory results. This study discusses the scope and limitations of neural networks for forecasting problems and provides an example by designing a neural network for forecasting. It is argued that statistical theory can offer some suggestions for designing an optimal network architecture. An example comparing a neural network and ARIM model for forecasting weekly corn prices 1974 through 1993 is provided. Results show the neural network model to be more accurate than the ARIMA.     

The role of productive failure in 3D printing in a middle school setting

International Journal of Technology and Design Education - In this research we explore the pedagogical affordances associated with the use of a 3D printer in a middle school classroom...     

Scrutinizing local public service provision

Set in the context of an expansion of scrutiny by local authorities of local service provision, this article explores the key challenges ahead for managers and politicians in this area of local governance. Drawing on an evaluation of the development of health scrutiny, it outlines the different types of activities health scrutiny committees are engaging in to fulfil their legislative commitments and suggests lessons for the expansion of external scrutiny.     

东南亚敲起油荒警告

当原油价格在2006年年中时上涨到70美元俑时，东南亚国家政府不得不正视油荒的残酷事实；如果不能尽快找到替代石油的新能源，国民收入水平将不能维持目前水平。[第一段]