An exploration of risk management in global industrial investment

This article explores risk management in global industrial investment by identifying linkages and gaps between theories and practices. It identifies opportunities for further development of the field. Three related bodies of literature have been reviewed: risk management, global manufacturing and investment. The review suggests that risk management in global manufacturing is overlooked in the literature; that existing theoretical risk management processes are not well developed in the global manufacturing context and that the investment literature applies mainly to financial risk assessment rather than investment risk management structures. Further, there appears to be a serious lack of systematic industrial risk management in investment decision making. This article highlights the opportunities to deploy current good practices more effectively as well as the need to develop more robust theories of industrial investment risk management. The approach adopted to investigate this multidisciplinary topic included a historical review of literature to understand the diverse background of theoretical development. A case study research approach was adopted to collect data, involving four global manufacturing companies and one risk management advisory company to observe the patterns and rationale of current practices. Supporting arguments from secondary data sources reinforced the findings. The research focuses risk management in global industrial investment. It links theories with practice to understand the existing knowledge gap and proposes key research themes for further research. © 2013 Macmillan Publishers Ltd. 1460-3799 Risk Management.

The industrial emergence of commercial inkjet printing

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate how supply and demand interact during industrial emergence. Design/methodology/approach: The paper builds on previous theorising about co-evolutionary dynamics, exploring the interaction between supply and demand in a study of the industrial emergence of the commercial inkjet cluster in Cambridge, UK. Data are collected through 13 interviews with professionals working in the industry. Findings: The paper shows that as new industries emerge, asynchronies between technology supply and market demand create opportunities for entrepreneurial activity. In attempting to match innovative technologies to particular applications, entrepreneurs adapt to the system conditions and shape the environment to their own advantage. Firms that successfully operate in emerging industries demonstrate the functionality of new technologies, reducing uncertainty and increasing customer receptiveness. Research limitations/implications: The research is geographically bounded to the Cambridge commercial inkjet cluster. Further studies could consider commercial inkjet from a global perspective or test the applicability of the findings in other industries. Practical implications: Technology-based firms are often innovating during periods of industrial emergence. The insights developed in this paper help such firms recognise the emerging context in which they operate and the challenges that need to overcome. Originality/value: As an in depth study of a single industry, this research responds to calls for studies into industrial emergence, providing insights into how supply and demand interact during this phase of the industry lifecycle. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Characteristics of indoor/outdoor PM2.5 and elemental components in generic urban；roadside and industrial plant areas of Guangzhou City；China

IEECAS SKLLQG

Dinoflagellate cysts as potential indicators of industrial pollution in a Norwegian Fjord

Variation in dinoflagellate cyst assemblages through the last approximately 300 years was studied in two sediment cores, one from the heavily polluted Frierfjord, and one from the adjoining, relatively unpolluted Brevikfjord, in order to docu1ent possible dinoflagellate responses to pollution. Changes in the cyst-flora were compared with historical information on the development of industry and also with geochemistry of the sediments, reflecting aspects of pollution. In the Frierfjord core, increasing pollution was accompanied by a decrease in cyst concentration, possibly reflecting reduced production, at least of dinoflagellates, and a shift toward more heterotrophic species, possibly reflecting reduced light penetration in the euphotic zone, or increased production of prey for the heterotrophs. These trends seem to have reversed as pollution decreased after about 1975, suggesting that cyst assemblages contain signals that may prove useful for tracing the development of pollution. Cyst assemblages in the Brevikfjord core only showed minor changes.